It is finally here!  Spring...

Spring is a time of renewal – a time that the world around us blooms and sprouts in bounty – and there’s an innate desire within us to do the same.  The heaviness of Winter is still lingering, but when the sun starts shining a little warmer, we desire to go into major spring cleaning mode.   
 
This could mean our homes, closets, eating habits, relationships, and maybe even a social media detox -- who can’t use that every once in awhile!?  Needless to say, we are thirsting to feel a little lighter, in more ways than one, when Spring finds us.   
 
 
Here are a few ways you can feel lighter this Spring… 
 
1.  Simplify.  Simplify your meals and you’ll feel like a brand new person.  Meal planning, grocery shopping, having to think of what’s for dinner each night… it’s exhausting.  Try eating very simply for the next week and see how things shift for you.  Eat whole foods, with few ingredients and low prep time.  Think mason jar salads or roasted broccoli and a small piece of grilled salmon.  Simplicity.   
 
2.  When life gives you lemons.  It may sound incredibly simple, but that’s what we’re doing here!  Simple, beneficial changes that don’t overwhelm.  Add a squeeze of lemon into your water in the morning (and throughout the day, if you wish) and enjoy the alkalizing, naturally detoxification benefits.  Your digestive system will thank you and you’ll enjoy a nice boost of natural energy. 
 
3.  Start small.  Make a list of what you’d like to declutter in your home.  Start small, and make a list of which tasks have priority.  Can you not even remember the last time you’ve worn one whole half of your closet?  Start there.  Start with whatever is the biggest burden on you.  The state of your surroundings has a huge impact on your overall wellbeing.  
 
4.  Improvements.  What have you been hoping to add to your life to give it more value?  Have you been meaning to start painting again?  Have you been promising yourself for months that you were finally going to start working out, or reading more?  What instantly pops in your head when you read this?  Start by adding one thing in the next week that will improve the quality of your life.  Perhaps that’s a new, relaxing evening ritual or a commitment to get bi-weekly massages for stress relief.  Pick one thing, and go for it!  
 
Baby steps coupled with consistent, daily action will get you there in no time, without overwhelm.  I’d love to hear what you pick.  Hit reply and let me know what new thing you’re going to start next week to add more quality to your days, and I’ll let you know what I picked!  

A few weeks ago I started to put some intention in my eating as well as focusing on the content of my food choices and the timing that I was eating them. I am happy to report that as of today I am down a pant size and my energy is really through the roof all thanks to switching from eating to fueling and supporting my body's natural bioelimination and biotransformation processes! 

In health, 

Detox is vital in this toxic world. For so many years as a health coach I focused simply on digestion because I do believe that good digestion leads to a healthy life. But then one day the light went off in my head. I realized that to have good digestion, you must be detoxing properly.
You see, detox is a natural step toward a better digestion. Good digestion leads to less inflammation, and less inflammation leads to less disease in this world. Let me say it again, decrease the inflammation and prevent disease.

If this is true and disease begins in the gut, aka your digestive system, then having a healthy and strong digestion is key.
 
But let me share a secret with you - when the body is toxic, your digestive system is weak.
 
So even if you eat “clean” and only buy organic and hormone-free foods, you are still breathing toxicity in this world.
 
We live, eat and breathe toxicity every day. Look around your home and think of the paint on the walls, the rugs, the pesticides sprayed on your green grass, the exterminator to get rid of the bugs. Even if you are chemical-free in your home, is your chemical makeup free?
 
Even if you are doing your best to live a chemical-free life, we are still alive, and that means eating, breathing, and sleeping in a toxic environment.
 
Unless you feel that are ready to live in a bubble or a hyperbaric chamber, then it is time to wake up to what I call daily detox.
 
Now detox is not a curse word or anything to be scared about. Instead, it is exciting to think about your body and cells actually functioning. In our body, the biotransformation processes are key to keeping us healthy and our immune systems functioning at their peak. 

When people hear of detox speak, they jump to thinking that they will have to be living on juices, or water only, or only smoothies,  salad and soup. Worse yet, people think that you do not need to detox because our body does this already - however the truth is that we live in such a toxic world that our biotransformation systems do not function optimally.   When we are toxic, our body cannot perform its job. The body cannot metabolize properly, biotransform  properly, absorb nutrients and minerals, or even stay hydrated.

It is a vicious cycle. Detox in the dietary sense is about lessening the toxic load in your body. As I say, “taking out the trash.”  This helps the natural biotransformation processes work better which cascades to better overall system functioning. The detoxification process is necessary to be healthy, happy and free of disease. We all have some low-level inflammation because again we breathe, but even more so we stress in this busy world.
 
Every time you stress you create acid in your body. Your body is then forced to pull minerals to buffer the acid waste. The liver, lymph and kidneys begin to work hard to filter out the toxic load.

But what happens when the body is tired and clogged? When your digestive system is not working and cannot break down these foods, it cannot focus on getting RID of TOXINS. That means you cannot get rid of bloat and fat and skin breakouts and all that jazz that keeps you tired.

What is the cascading effect of a poorly functioning biotransformation process?

• Difficult weight management
• Constipation/diarrhea
• Gas/bloating
• Headaches
• Low energy
• Low sex drive
• Bad skin
• Heartburn/reflux
• Moodiness/depression
• Get where I am going with all of this?

By detoxing you will improve digestion and free your body of inflammation and toxins in the process.

in health,