This is the time of year my clients start booking colonics in conjunction with doing a liver-gallbladder cleanse. In traditional Chinese and Native American healing systems, the liver and the gallbladder are the two interrelated organs that get stimulated and should be cleansed in the spring.

Spring is a great time for any kind of fast. It is especially beneficial to cleanse the liver and the gallbladder. After eating all the heavier food of winter, it is refreshing to cleanse and lighten our systems during this season of renewal. Our bodies are beginning to respond to the changing season by releasing foreign matter or toxins and mucous. These organs perform essential body functions, particularly the digestion and processing of many substances we take into our bodies.

One of my clients shared a cleanse from David Wolfe’s site that you can findhere that I would recommend. The cleanse is from Andreas Moritz’s book, “The Liver and Gallbladder Miracle Cleanse.” Many of my clients over the years have done this detox with amazing results. If this full detox is too overwhelming you might try one a therapist shared with me years ago. I would suggest preparing by modifying your diet with fresh spring greens including dandelion. If you drink coffee wean yourself off several days before.  Here’s the modified version:

Start with a six-hour fast (no dinner).
At 8 pm, add to one cup of warm water 3 tablespoons of food great epsom salts (you can add honey, if desired).
Wait one hour, then drink 3/4th cups water with 1 tablespoon honey (dissolve).
Add 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 3 tablespoons unrefined olive oil, and 1 teaspoon chopped parsley. Stir ingredients together. Do this for 5 total cups and drink every 15 minutes. 

Some Foods to Focus On

Here are some great foods to focus on for spring!
Fruits: Kiwi, Valencia Oranges, Limes, Grapefruit, Lemon
Vegetables: Asparagus, Beets, Sprouts, Dandelion, Chickweed, Chicory, Miner’s Lettuce, Spring Greens, Parsley, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Daikon, Wakame, Sea Palm, Umeboshi, Sauerkraut
Grains: Barley, Quinoa, Wheat, Millet, Rye. 

Herbal Tea for Spring Fasting
 
by Carrie L’Esperance

One cup of this tea for a few weeks in spring will help cleanse your entire system.  

Sassafras Tea:

• 1 Teaspoon Sassafras Bark
• 5 cups Pure Water
• 5 Whole Clove Buds
• 1-inch Vanilla Bean
• 1 Tablespoon Kuchica Twig or Pau d’Arco
• 1 Tablespoon Peppermint
• 1 Tablespoon Horsetail