Spring Cleanse/Detox Diet

Cleansing and detoxification are neither appropriate nor recommended for pregnant and lactating women; those with serious physical and mental degenerations; or those who are deficient, frail, weak, or underweight.

This cleanse is geared for the Spring Season.   You’ll receive the most benefit if you follow this for 3-10 days some time between March 10 and mid-April.  If the weather is still really cold in March, I’d wait until the end of March of early April.  If you can't maintain this for more than one day, then do this cleanse one day a week for 4-6 weeks throughout the above time period.   

Set your intention at the start of the cleanse.  Identify your personal reasons for doing this, whether it be to rid your body of excess fats and toxins, to restore and improve the health of your organs, for spiritual reasons, more mental clarity and focus, and/or to initiate better habits.  You may have more reasons.  Once they are identified and intended, you give much more power to the effects of the cleanse.

Create a plan for the cleansing diet.  For a 2-5 days before the cleanse, eliminate coffee, all caffeine, alcohol, intoxicants, processed and chemical foods, and sugar.  If you have trouble with the caffeine, avoid coffee, but use black tea which has less caffeine than coffee.  For 2 days before the cleanse, eliminate animal products, eggs,  and all milk products, including cheese and yogurt.

First thing in morning:  Have at least an 8 ounce glass of water with 2 TB. of fresh squeezed lemon or lime.  You may also have a cup of herbal tea.

Breakfast:   A bowl of vegetable/miso soup.  Include lots of greens like kale, collard greens, bok choy, etc., dried shiitake mushrooms, leeks, and carrots.  Add mung bean sprouts after you turn off the heat.   Add a little miso at the end of cooking and simmer a few minutes.  Use ½ tsp. miso per cup of liquid in the soup.  Drink the broth from the soup.  Buy unpasteurized miso.  South River is my favorite brand.  Make miso soup fresh.  Do not use dehydrated miso soups.

Mid-morning:  a piece of fruit, if desired—apple, pear, berries, or grapefruit (or a small serving of vegetables).  Have a glass of the lemon or lime water.

Lunch:  2-3 cups vegetables, some lightly steamed and some raw (salads are fine—no dressing except for flax oil, lemon or lime, organic apple cider vinegar, Umeboshi vinegar, or sauerkraut).  Emphasize dark leafy greens like kale, collard greens, dandelion greens, watercress, and other greens, as well as radishes and/or daikon.  Include sprouts. You can buy fresh alfalfa sprouts and add them raw to the cooked veggies. Drink the broth from the steamed veggies.  You can also toss the vegetables with some good quality sauerkraut, or drizzle cold-pressed flax oil over the veggies.  Do not heat flax oil.  Barlean’s is one of the better brands of flax oil. 

Dinner:  Same as lunch.

Beverages:  spring or filtered water and herbal teas, such as astra diet tea, peppermint, spearmint, ginger, dandelion, burdock, chamomile, pau d’arco, green tea, kukicha or bancha tea. 

NOTE:  If you’re trying to do this for 5 or more days and it’s too difficult, then add a bowl of grains at breakfast, or lunch, or mid day.  Hato Mugi (Job's Tears) and barley are excellent grains for spring.  Barley contains gluten; hato mugi does not.  Brown rice and millet are acceptable and are gluten-free.  Cook grains with unrefined sea salt or kombu.  Click here to order Hato Mugi (Job's Tears) grain.

High Chlorophyll products are very helpful during a cleanse and throughout the spring season, and Vitamineral Greens powder is one of my favorites.  It combines many of the green products with added enzymes, alfalfa and sea vegetables.   It is organic, nourishing, rebuilding, cleansing, detoxifying, enhances regularity, supports liver, kidneys, blood, bones, circulation and immune function. Use 2-4 TB. in a glass of water.   Click here to order Vitamineral Greens.

©Deborah Barr, 2000-08.  All rights reserved.