New Year, Is a Detox Necessary?
This time of year is when we often get bombarded with new year cleanses, detoxes, restrictive foods, juice cleansing, and fasting.
When in reality, this is the worst time of the year to be doing that to our bodies. We are in the thick of the Winter season right now. The last thing we want to do is restrict ourselves of vital nutrition.
Winter is the most Yin time of year according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is a time to bring our energy and attention inward, reflect, rest, and preserve our energy. Read more about the Winter season according to Traditional Chinese Medicine HERE.
Because of this Yin time, we actually want to be eating more! We do not want to do anything that will push us too hard physically. When we don’t eat enough quality nutritious foods, or if we eat too much cold food, then we are causing unnecessary stress on our bodies during a time of the year we should be supporting our bodies. This can cause digestion issues like constipation, diarrhea, stomach pains, bloating, and more. It can also depress our immune system and make us more susceptible to getting sick.
Nutrient dense foods, warm foods, stews, roasts, broths, teas, meats, heavier hearty dishes in general, and warm spices are things we want to seek out and add to our diet.
Similar to how we want to stay physically warm from the cold Winter weather by bundling up with lots of layers, we also want to keep our inside warm by consuming warming foods and drinks. When we eat lots of cold food and drinks, our body has to work harder to digest it and absorb its nutrients. By incorporating more warming foods, you should notice your digestion improve, less gas, less bloating, less stomach pain in general. Your body should naturally warm up as well.
Examples of foods to avoid:
Iced beverages
Raw uncooked veggies and salads
Smoothies
Ice cream
Cold temperature foods
Examples of foods to eat:
Bone broth
Tea
Stews, soups
Dark meats
Roasted veggies
Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, turmeric
Coco Glow Detox Broth
Another easy way to incorporate healing herbs into your diet is with Coco Glow Detox Broth. It is a great alternative to any fasting and juice cleanses this time of year. It is full of both western and Chinese herbs to help support a healthy metabolism as well as liver function and digestion. The herbs in it are both nutrient dense while also detoxifying (it has chlorella in it). This is a healthy alternative to the fad diets and fast dieting this time of year promotes because it is actually supporting our body. This will ultimately keep our digestion, metabolism, and body healthy throughout the year.
Available at Southboro Acupuncture, ask about it the next time you are in!
If you really are adamant about doing a more aggressive cleanse/detox, wait until the Spring. Spring is the perfect season for something like that. I rarely recommend fasting, juice cleanses, or restrictive dieting, but Springtime foods are more cleansing in general and lighter. We naturally eat less in the Spring. Fresh plants, young plants, sprouts, and lemon water are great during that time of the year!
Click HERE to read more about the Spring season according to Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Everyone is unique and what is needed nutritionally can vary from person to person. Based on our natural constitution, current ailments we are struggling with, and different times in our life, our diet and lifestyle needs change. Working with a Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist can help hone in on what your individual body needs.