Time for a spring clean and detox

Are you up for a spring clean and detox for your mood and wellbeing?

We grow, mature in spring and summer, hopefully for decades, and then slow down into the autumn and winter of our lives. The seasons impact us in many ways for better and worse.

Spring is the beginning to grow, refresh and restore after winter and get ready for the adventures of summer.

Physically and psychologically, we are adapting to these seasonal challenges unconsciously unless they make us uncomfortable in some way.

The renewal of spring

Mood and body changes

Back in the darker shorter days of winter you may have experienced some doom and gloom. The symptoms of SAD resemble an energy-conserving strategy (Levitan, 2022): increased eating and sleep, decreased motivation and productivity, and cognitive impairments in learning, memory, and visual-spatial ability.

Associated with SAD, Vitamin D deficiency is a problem. Its symptoms include, among others, aching bones, brain fog and dark moods. With the more frequent incidence of viral infections (associated with Vitamin D deficiencies) we may find the lingering consequences of this deficiency creates chronic health problems.

Here comes the sun!

Now if you are feeling brighter than a few months ago and cannot put in down to winning lotto or something fabulous, there is a good reason. Back in winter we humans experience hibernation vaguely similar to bears! In winter we generally hunker down and are less likely to get outside. Now we are rising with the energy of spring and research suggests our happiness scores are highest in the spring.

We have more daylight hours for socialising, gardening, being outdoors and looking forward to the sunny holiday season. This often sets us up for a better sleep and life looks rosier and even work may not seem so exhausting.

However the feeling of joy does not come to all and that’s when we know that something about our lifestyle, diet, health issues and behaviours needs tweaking.

So firstly – its time for a Spring Clean inside and out

Get outside

Seems obvious! Even 10 – 30 minutes of pulling weeds or doing yard work can boost the energy, stretch and tone our muscles, relieve mental stress, oxygenate our brains and generally lift our happy hormones. This is especially important for those fixed to computers and phones and those reliant of the help of others to get them outside.

Are you eating well?

Every culture on the planet has thrived on nature’s food which never came in a box or plastic bag.  Plant a few vegetables and herbs in bucket or garden to have totally fresh foods at your fingertips. Gardening is beneficial in so many ways and extends back into our evolution.

When it gets warmer we often want to switch to lighter fresh vegetables, lovely berries that are just perfect to fill up on all the nutrients and their powerful anti-oxidants that help us detox and stay well. Always keep up the protein foods and fats that keep us strong.

Time for a spring clean and detox inside and out

Do you still have allergies and hay fever? All those gorgeous spring flowers come with their pollens. The dreadful dust and mould (fungus) in your linen, curtains, carpets, offices, cars and even inside you, needs to be gone for the good of everyone’s health

Cleaning is exercise – that’s a win win!

A spring detox from alcohol anyone?

Yes, its relaxing and fun for awhile … but  … in general it is pro-inflammatory and will not lift your spirit for long, will deplete your vitamins and more. Importantly alcohol will damage a healthy immune system. Each drink contains approximately 100-150 empty calories!

How is your immune system?

Complications from lifestyle habits, infectious diseases such as influenza and colds, seasonal allergens and trauma can have lingering effects that challenge your immune system.

When the immune system mounts an inflammatory response it releases pro-inflammatory cytokines, that affect the peripheral (the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord) and central nervous system resulting in cognitive and behavioural changes including “reduced motor activity and social withdrawal”. This process may contribute to the development of depression and link inflammation to negative mood states and major depressive disorders and auto-immune conditions.

So what can you do to rediscover your mojo and see the glass half full?

After checking in with the spring clean and diet review above, topping up with all the lovely berries and vegetables you could arrange for some blood tests and if possible include vitamin D and Zinc.

Come and talk with us about how the naturopathic and herbal approaches may give you the lift you need. We like to see those blood tests to help us understand your symptoms better, so feel free to bring them along.

To conclude: enjoy truly pampering your body with sunshine, movement, beautiful food and gratitude for the amazing body to travel around in.