8 Tips to Cleanse AND Relax!!

          Are you looking for healthy ways to cleanse this spring season?  Spring is almost here and this is the perfect time for cleansing and putting new energy into your health goals. The term "Spring Cleaning" implies "out with the old and in with the new," so why not flush out the toxins and rejuvenate your body?!  

Cleansing the body of toxins is an important practice in living a healthy lifestyle. And, I am here to tell you that you do not have to spend a lot of money at a spa to do it! I have 8 tips you can use daily to detox that do not have to cost a thing! Try these and see which ones feel best for your body. 

Here are my 8 favorite tips to cleanse that can change your life!  

1) Eat more leafy greens: Leafy greens are rich in nutrients that help digestion and have hydrating properties. Eating kale, arrugula, dandelion greens, chard, romaine, and mixed lettuces cleans out your system and makes your skin glow.

2) Drink plenty of water: One of the best ways to detox, without any added calories, is drinking lots of water. Drinking clean water literally flushes toxins out of the body. For every 8 ounces of caffiene you consume, replace it with 3 glases of water. You will notice that you feel better and sleep better. Just remember to stop drinking water at least 2 hours before bedtime to prevent waking up during the night.

3) Exercise: Do exercise that makes you sweat out the toxins! Part of the reason why exercise feels great is because you are releasing the toxic build-up through your pores when you sweat. A regular yoga or tai chi practice is wonderful, but make sure you are also getting regular sweat-producing cardio.  

4) Do a juice fast: Try replacing meals with nutrient dense freshly pressed juices. Fresh juices pack tons of nutrients, and the body absorbs these nutrients easier than nutrients in solid foods. Juice cleansing has been shown to reverse illnesses and release large amounts of excess weight. Check out the Pressed Juicery's cleanses using cold-pressed juices: http://www.pressedjuicery.com. 

5) Take salt baths: The next time you take a bath, add therapeutic salts. Salt is great for restoring muscles because the salt removes toxins. Buy aromatic salts, like lavendar, to create a deeply relaxing bath-time ritual. 

6) Take a steam shower or infrared sauna: Sitting in a hot steam shower or a sauna is another way to release toxins by sweating. If you have a small bathroom with a shower at home, you can also make a steam shower by steaming up the bathroom with hot shower water. Take 15 minutes to meditate and breathe in your steam filled bathroom, remembering to keep the door closed. 

7) Jump in the ocean: Ocean salt water has been known to cleanse the body, mind, and spirit by literally washing away negative energy. It might also be the best way to clean the sinuses! For rejuvenation and grounding, take a swim in the ocean and come out feeling like a different person. The ocean is one of nature's most healing gifts. 

8) Take Kundalini yoga classes: Kundalini yoga uses several different breathing exercises to  create shifts in your awareness. If you struggle with sugar cravings, then Kundalini is for you. I truly believe that "A clean body, is a calm mind" and the breath work can relieve obsessive thoughts about food. 

These are my 8 tips for cleansing this spring. What I love about them is that they are detoxifying and relaxing!  I suggest incorporating these into a daily routine and notice how you feel. You will know intuitively which detox tips work best for you. You do not have to do them all to notice the profound benefits to your health and body. You deserve to feel calmer and cleaner inside and out,  AND enjoy a fit body you love!  

                                                              With love, Emily