~Spring Health Guide~
By Janine Bibeau
Spring Cleaning is more than washing windows!
Many of us think of giving the house a good clean when we think of Spring. Yes, Spring is a wonderful time to clean off the grime of Winter. Open the windows. Dust away the wood stove debris. Declutter and weed out.
It is also important to do a little "Spring Cleaning" for your body and mind too!
In Ayurveda, Spring is Kapha season. If we are balanced, we should feel strong and grounded in Spring.
Spring Cleaning is more than washing windows!
Many of us think of giving the house a good clean when we think of Spring. Yes, Spring is a wonderful time to clean off the grime of Winter. Open the windows. Dust away the wood stove debris. Declutter and weed out.
It is also important to do a little "Spring Cleaning" for your body and mind too!
In Ayurveda, Spring is Kapha season. If we are balanced, we should feel strong and grounded in Spring.
So how do you make sure that you are balanced this Spring?
Here is my quick guide. Check back soon for more detailed posts on how to sprout at home, eating green, Spring exercise, and Spring meditation. Don't want to miss it? Sign up for my newsletter!
Here is my quick guide. Check back soon for more detailed posts on how to sprout at home, eating green, Spring exercise, and Spring meditation. Don't want to miss it? Sign up for my newsletter!
1. Get Outside
The weather is warmer and the sun is present more hours of the day. Take advantage of this beautiful weather and go for a brisk walk, a jog, hike, or take your daily exercises out in the fresh air. Aim for at least 1 hour a day. If one hour seems out of reach because of stamina or lack of time, try two 30 minute blocks or three 20 minute blocks. Also, check back to see my guide on how to fire up the core to burn maximum calories!
Get your hands dirty. Connect with the Earth and your roots by digging in the dirt. This is a fabulous way to get grounded. It is also a fantastic way to detox from the electromagnetic field pollution given off by electronics, your cell phone for example.
The weather is warmer and the sun is present more hours of the day. Take advantage of this beautiful weather and go for a brisk walk, a jog, hike, or take your daily exercises out in the fresh air. Aim for at least 1 hour a day. If one hour seems out of reach because of stamina or lack of time, try two 30 minute blocks or three 20 minute blocks. Also, check back to see my guide on how to fire up the core to burn maximum calories!
Get your hands dirty. Connect with the Earth and your roots by digging in the dirt. This is a fabulous way to get grounded. It is also a fantastic way to detox from the electromagnetic field pollution given off by electronics, your cell phone for example.
2. Breathe Deep
Think of your body as you would your home. In New England, the first warm day we have, we are opening the windows and letting fresh air in. Do the same for your Prana Pathways! Use your breath to move the energy within your body. Each morning, breathe deep. Inhale through the nose, filling the lungs. Exhale through the nose and completely deflate the lungs. Try to equalize the length of the inhale and exhale. If you are congested, try humming on the exhale. The vibrations are great for unclogging the nasal passage ways. Also, try tapping or thumping on the chest as you exhale if the congestion is located more in the lungs!
Think of your body as you would your home. In New England, the first warm day we have, we are opening the windows and letting fresh air in. Do the same for your Prana Pathways! Use your breath to move the energy within your body. Each morning, breathe deep. Inhale through the nose, filling the lungs. Exhale through the nose and completely deflate the lungs. Try to equalize the length of the inhale and exhale. If you are congested, try humming on the exhale. The vibrations are great for unclogging the nasal passage ways. Also, try tapping or thumping on the chest as you exhale if the congestion is located more in the lungs!
3. Start Sprouting
Sprouts are nutrient packed little buggers! They actually have more protein per pound than lean meat and they have loads more absorbable and diverse nutrients. They are so easy to grow! The Squeeze blog will be posting my article on how to sprout on March 27, 2017! You can certainly buy your own sprouts. However, if you do, know that they have most likely been rinsed with a bleach solution. When sprouts are commercially grown and need to travel, they are at risk for growing bacteria. Growing them at home in conditions that you know are clean, eating them promptly, and rinsing them with a vinegar and water mixture ensures that your sprouts are more fresh and safe! Aim to eat 1 cup per day on top of salads, in smoothies, or on sandwiches. I even like to top my grilled salmon with sprouts!
Sprouts are nutrient packed little buggers! They actually have more protein per pound than lean meat and they have loads more absorbable and diverse nutrients. They are so easy to grow! The Squeeze blog will be posting my article on how to sprout on March 27, 2017! You can certainly buy your own sprouts. However, if you do, know that they have most likely been rinsed with a bleach solution. When sprouts are commercially grown and need to travel, they are at risk for growing bacteria. Growing them at home in conditions that you know are clean, eating them promptly, and rinsing them with a vinegar and water mixture ensures that your sprouts are more fresh and safe! Aim to eat 1 cup per day on top of salads, in smoothies, or on sandwiches. I even like to top my grilled salmon with sprouts!
4. Burn Out The Gunk
Spring allergies and congestion have you down? Burn out that gunk with spice. To clear mucus drink this: Hot water, lemon, raw honey, and cayenne.
Or make this: Mix 1/2 cup raw honey and 1/2 cup ground turmeric. Put the two ingredients on a wooden cutting board and use a metal butter knife to fold them together. Using the same method, add 1/2 tablespoon cayenne. Take 1 tablespoon a day until symptoms are cleared.
I also love my Fire Cider recipe and doTERRA's Immune Boosting Blend to help ward off colds in the first place.
Spring allergies and congestion have you down? Burn out that gunk with spice. To clear mucus drink this: Hot water, lemon, raw honey, and cayenne.
Or make this: Mix 1/2 cup raw honey and 1/2 cup ground turmeric. Put the two ingredients on a wooden cutting board and use a metal butter knife to fold them together. Using the same method, add 1/2 tablespoon cayenne. Take 1 tablespoon a day until symptoms are cleared.
I also love my Fire Cider recipe and doTERRA's Immune Boosting Blend to help ward off colds in the first place.
5. Mimic Nature
Eat your spouts and anything green! Load up on green leafy vegetables, both steamed and raw. They help us to be lighter in the heavy season of Kapha, while providing an abundance of nutrients. Sprouts and green leaves, like micro greens, are the first food to grow when the temperatures rise. Eat them in abundance and leave the heavy and savory casseroles, mac and cheese, and sweets behind. If your lawn is untreated, add small and tender dandelion greens to your salads and smoothies! They are absolutely packed with nutrients...even more so than spinach and kale.
Move like nature too. Bring more fluidity to your yoga practice now. Think of the snow melting and all of the streams beginning to flow again. Instead of holding a pose, try flowing through a few at a time. For example, do a few sun salutations, cat and cow, or flow from warrior II to exalted warrior again and again. The key is to keep moving, rather than posing in stillness for all of your poses. Or, a great way to bring fluidity to your movements is to dance!
Eat your spouts and anything green! Load up on green leafy vegetables, both steamed and raw. They help us to be lighter in the heavy season of Kapha, while providing an abundance of nutrients. Sprouts and green leaves, like micro greens, are the first food to grow when the temperatures rise. Eat them in abundance and leave the heavy and savory casseroles, mac and cheese, and sweets behind. If your lawn is untreated, add small and tender dandelion greens to your salads and smoothies! They are absolutely packed with nutrients...even more so than spinach and kale.
Move like nature too. Bring more fluidity to your yoga practice now. Think of the snow melting and all of the streams beginning to flow again. Instead of holding a pose, try flowing through a few at a time. For example, do a few sun salutations, cat and cow, or flow from warrior II to exalted warrior again and again. The key is to keep moving, rather than posing in stillness for all of your poses. Or, a great way to bring fluidity to your movements is to dance!
Spring is such a miraculous time of year. Gift yourself the time to notice all of the subtle changes that happen each day, whether it be in yourself or in nature!
I am not a doctor. I have studied yoga, Ayurveda, and plant based nutrition. These recommendations come from that knowledge. Please consult a doctor if you have any questions or concerns about any of these recommendations.
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