With the weather warming up, you might feel inspired to clean out your closets, wash your windows and give your house a deep scrub and reorganization. Not only is a clean environment good for your physical health, but research has shown that the good feelings you get from having a clean, uncluttered home reduce stress levels and ward off depression. This might be why so many people look forward to spring cleaning. Imagine how great you would feel if you took that same spring-cleaning approach to your body — your living, breathing home. This can be done by taking a closer look at how you fuel and move your body — and then making healthy changes to clean up those areas. Here are ten tips to help you cleanse your body.
First is to avoid “trendy” cleanses and do your homework on what you and your body need. Some cleanses can be dehydrating and contain herbal supplements with potentially negative side effects and contraindications with certain medications. So, it is important to pay attention to what you are putting in your body. Second, you can try a natural cleanse by just eating more plants in your diet. The more variety of plants we have in our diets, the better for the diversity of our gut biome. Next is an obvious one, cutting out processed foods. These foods are full of saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and preservatives while being devoid of nutritional value. Drinking enough water and decreasing your alcohol intake can also do wonders for your health. Taking out alcohol can help your spring-cleaning process immensely.
The last few tips are about moving, exercising, and resting. Before you dive into exercise, however, it is important to look at and feel your body movements now. Where are you tight? Does anything hurt? These questions are important to answer so you can properly regain strength. Lastly, getting enough sleep and taking time each day to focus on your breath can improve your heart rate and blood pressure. This spring, clean your house.
