Spring Cleanse Tips for Your Body & Mind

By Meredith Kimelblatt –

Spring is the season of new beginnings, known for blooming flowers, babies and weddings. Since spring is all about starting fresh, it follows that there’s no better time to refresh and rejuvenate yourself with a healthy spring cleanse.

Cleanses don’t always have the most positive reputations, oftentimes for good reason. Cleanses that require excessive fasting or that guarantee a 20-pound weight loss in 2 weeks can actually be dangerous since they deplete you of the calories and nutrients your body needs to function properly.

Luckily, it’s possible to cleanse your body, boost your metabolism, gain more energy, improve your digestive health, reduce bloat and clear your mind without putting your health at risk. Instead of starving yourself this spring, refresh your body and mind with these spring cleanse tips that will help you feel healthy, rejuvenated and confident:

Don’t starve yourself; simply eat lighter.

You may see instant results when you stop eating, but once you stop a fast it’s easy to put the pounds right back on. Instead of fasting, eat lighter and cleaner. Cutting out meat, cheese and milk (similar to what you might do on a paleo or vegan diet), along with junk foods like high-fat or high-sugar foods, is a good place to start.

To get the nutrients you need, try to eat mostly vegetarian recipes made from fresh fruits and vegetables. Foods that are especially known for their “cleansing” abilities include apples, blueberries, celery, cabbage, garlic, cranberries and grapefruit.

Juices made from these cleansing foods make great healthy breakfast and snack options during a cleanse, but don’t feel like you need to subside on liquids alone. Veggie-packed salads and non-meat proteins like beans or egg whites are fresh, healthy and good for you, but will still fill you up.

Another thing to keep in mind during a cleanse is to avoid eating late at night. Late night snacking is an easy way to add on excess calories and gives your body less time to digest. Try to finish dinner by 7 or 7:30 p.m. if you normally eat later at night.

Make hydration a priority.

During a cleanse, what you drink is just as important as what you eat. As stated above, produce-filled, no-sugar juices are wonderful cleanse drink options. Dandelion tea is also a good drink for cleanses since it is a natural diuretic that can help reduce bloat.

You should also make sure to cut out alcohol and caffeine during a cleanse. Limiting alcohol can help cleanse your liver and limiting caffeine can help stop yourself from feeling like you need any outside influence to help you feel good.

Cleanse your mind, too.

When you cleanse your body, it’s also possible and important to cleanse your mind! Getting lots of sleep, trying activities like yoga or meditation and getting regular exercise can help relax your mind and clear your head while you cleanse. A clear, refreshed mind will contribute to the overall effectiveness of any cleanse you participate in!

To feel your best going into spring, a healthy cleanse can be a fantastic method. Just keep the above tips in mind to stay fit and healthy throughout!

Author Bio: This is a guest post written by Meredith K. on behalf of ConAgra Foods®.