Spring has two goals for us humans:
First, to detoxify the body and second, to reset the body's ability to burn stored fat.
Why burn fat? Fat is our detox fuel. We store fat soluble heavy metals, environmental chemicals, pollutants and even molecules of emotion in our fat cells. So fat burning does not only mean weight loss, it means unravelling old emotional patterns. It means detoxing cancer- causing chemicals stored in your fat cells and, most of all, your fat is your calm and stable fuel. So once you reset your ability to burn fat every spring you are resetting your ability to handle stress. There is no better way to deal with your anxiety, depression and exhaustion then letting nature reset fat metabolism.
Nature's Way
In early spring the deer first chew on bitter roots to clean excess mucus off the intestinal mucosa. Then once the mucus from winter and holiday foods are cleared with your daily dose of dandelion root or leaf tea, it is time to fertilize the intestines with brand new flora. This is done with the leafy greens and sprouts that lace the countryside during the months of spring. Once the flora is properly germinating in your gut then it is time to flush the lymph system that drains your intestines. This is done naturally in nature in perfect sequence. Some of the last foods harvested in spring are the berries and cherries. These are nature's lymphatic movers.
It is a one, two, three punch every spring.
- Clean out the old mucus with bitter roots.
- Fertilize good bacteria with leafy greens and sprouts.
- Destagnate the lymph that drains this brand new intestinal mucosa with berries and cherries.
One of the main functions of our intestines is to funnel waste out of the body via the GALT - Gut Associated Lymphatic Tissue. So the last step, which may be the most important for maintaining optimal health, is a healthy lymphatic system.
If your lymph is stagnant which starts in your gut here are some of the conditions you may be experiencing:
Allergies, rashes, itching skin, swollen hands or feet or holding onto to more water, Breast swelling and tenderness around the cycle, headaches, joint pain that moves around the body, swelling around the abdomen, cellulite, breast lumps, fibroid tumors, ovarian cysts, sore feet in the morning, sore throats, chronic colds, weak immunity, constipation, fatigue and lack of mental clarity. If you have any of these you may be experiencing a lymphatic problem. In addition to maxing out on (eating more spring harvested foods) natures lymph moving bounty, here are some herbal ideas to help your seasonal cause.
Sometimes we don't eat our fair share of roots, sprouts and berries each spring. So I always supplement myself with seasonal herbs each spring to make up for the fact that I never get enough fresh, locally harvested spring food.
Herbs For Step One - to supplement for the bitter roots:
- Turmeric Plus - 2 2x/day after food
- Liver Repair - 1 2x/day after food
Herbs For Step Two - to supplement for the Leafy Greens and Sprouts:
- Amalaki - 2 2x/day after food
- Chlorophyll - 1tbs 2x/day for 6 weeks with water
- Fresh squeezed apple, carrot and celery juice - not an herb but as powerful!
Herbs For Step Three - To supplement foe the berries and move lymph:
- Manjistha - 2 2x/day after food
- Red root - 30 drops in water 2x/day
- Sip hot water every 10-20 minutes for 1-2 weeks to cleanse the lymph