Why Autumn is a Great Time to Detox plus How to do it & Summon Willpower

I have heard that autumn and spring are the best times of the year to detox the body. As nature lets go of the BBQ and party energy of summer, and the leaves fall from the trees in autumn we can take advantage of this letting go phase by releasing toxins accumulated inside ourselves. While in the spring we regenerate and reinvigorate our bodily systems after the winter as we respond to the natural lift in energy, lengthening days and desire to spring clean our homes. I personally love these transitory seasons and the beautiful colours of gold and red leaves falling, and crocuses and daffodils emerging. Blink and you’ll miss it, so in my own way I feel detoxing in September/October and March/April enhances these short-lived seasons’ unique gifts.

What I mean here by detoxing is eating only light, health-enhancing foods for a set number of days, maybe a week, 10 days, or a fortnight, while taking supplements to support the internal body systems to clear out toxins. I like to do the Healthy Starter Programme from Natures Sunshine because it is a simple cleanse. It’s an inexpensive 10-day course, involving supplements to cleanse the liver, urinary tract, circulatory system and gastrointestinal system. I buy it with liquid chlorophyll and probiotics as extra supports.

It is recommended to focus on eating fresh vegetables, fruits, good sources of protein and complex carbohydrates during the Healthy Starter Programme, and to avoid completely red meats, pork, coffee, alcohol, sugary foods, takeaways, and refined carbs such as all wheat products, and any foods which you know you react to but are tempted by anyway.

So this requires some willpower!

How do I summon the motivation and willpower to do a cleanse? If I could eat whatever I wanted I would have toast, sandwiches, cheese, and chocolate every day! I grew up on white bread in simple butter and marmite sandwiches, so that is comfort food for me. But when I learned and realised for myself how my body digests bread and sugar amongst other food stuffs I saw that I am better off not eating them. I have more energy, digestive ease, clearer skin, a clearer, happier mind and pain-free joints without bread/sugar. I have found replacements over the years - homemade spelt/oat/flaxseed bread, homemade sugar-free chocolate treats, goat or sheep cheese – so I tend to eat these instead, and over time I can tell my body has had enough of eating these loved foods of mine so often. So a cleanse for me is attractive as it resets my body and my desires for certain foods.

So the willpower to cleanse builds up in my mind before I take action, and through experience I know that after a week into a cleanse I start to feel more confident, inspired and have new clarity of mind. This is the spring cleaning effect – when we let go and detox there’s more room for the positive effects of the cleanse to take root. Embarking on a detox, even a light one, clears out old energy, toxins, and makes space for the new.

During the cleanse I prepare all my meals at home as it’s easier, and I don’t eat out, but it could be done if you opt for salads in restaurants/cafes, and invite friends to come to you so you can cook foods you can eat. It’s important to bear in mind the time it will take for food prep. Making soups, stews, salads, curries, cooking quinoa for example in advance is all good. Leftovers are great as it means you have more time the next day.

I have done many cleanses since training to be a kinesiologist and I have good awareness of the blood group diet recommendations for my type (Dr Peter D’Adamo book Eat Right for you Type), and thanks to trying foods out I know what foods strengthen and what foods weaken me. Our relationship to food is very personal and is part of life’s journey, and cleansing/detoxing helps me gain new self-awareness, which helps my growth.

Generally if you stick to eating more vegetables (cooked and raw) including onion/garlic/ginger; pure/filtered water/herbal teas; as well as carbs such as buckwheat pasta (doens’t contain wheat), brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato, butternut squash, parsnips/carrots, good sources of protein and organic or free range where you can (eggs, poultry, fish, tofu, tempeh, beans), fruits, nuts, spices and herbs along with any other natural foods you’ll do very well. You can create huge flavour in meals with herbs and spices so this is a good time to get creative.

If you would like to talk more about creating your own cleanse/detox programme and discover your blood type, and finding the motivation as part of a kinesiology and/or PSYCH-K treatment with me get in touch.