Many people use January as their cleanse month to rid their body of all the build up they created from the holiday season. It’s often suggested to do a cleanse twice a year, so if we are doing a New Year cleanse, when is the next best time? The answer is Spring, and here is why.

1. More local produce: The truth is that Alberta’s winters aren’t the best place for produce to grow, so through the winters we need to import some of our vegetables. But come spring, all our seasonal vegetables begin to come in and we can eat more fresh, local produce.

2. Temperature: In the winter, we often fill up on hearty foods to keep us warm through our Calgary winters. You also need to create more energy to keep your body warm in the winter, the last thing you want to consume on a -40 day is a raw juice or cold salad that will keep you shivering from the inside out. When the temperature starts to increase, we can create a healthy balance in our bodily temperature with a cooler diet like a simple juice cleanse or raw diet detox.

3. Correspondence to the liver and gall bladder: In traditional Chinese medicine, each season relates to different body systems. Winter correlates with kidneys and the bladder and Spring correlates with the liver and gall bladder – our detox organs. A Spring cleanse supports the liver in eliminating toxins built up over the Winter holidays and helps with regular circulation and energy.

4. Scheduling: Let’s face it, it’s never fun being the one at the holiday party saying “I can’t have that – I’m on a cleanse”. With Christmas and New Years festivities out of the way now, Spring is an easier time to fit a cleanse into your social schedule.

Ready for a spring cleanse? Community Natural Foods has a variety of cleanse kits to choose from that include supplemental support as well as a guideline to what foods should and shouldn’t be consumed. If you have a chronic condition or issues with elimination (aka pooping), then perhaps talk to your MD or ND to make sure that cleansing is right for you. Those that are pregnant or breast feeding shouldn’t do a cleanse.

All information and tools presented and written within this article are for educational and Informational purposes only. Any nutrition, lifestyle and product recommendations are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Before starting any new supplements, diet and exercise program please check with your doctor or practitioner.