6 signs it's time to cleanse

Post-winter sluggishness is a result of accumulated toxins caused by:

• The lethargy of winter – when the weather is damp and cold, our activity levels tend to go down.
• Increased comfort foods: cold weather results in cravings for creamier, richer foods, especially animal proteins and dairy.
• Holiday food, drink and partying – disrupting the body’s rhythms with inadequate sleep.

All of this can result in a feeling of not just physical, but emotional heaviness – an unsatisfied feeling of being stuck somewhere. Sometimes there is also an inability to react to the coming of Spring with the get-up-and-go excitement of this renewal period.

The body tells us it needs to detox in many ways. Here are the top 6 signs the body needs to cleanse:

1. You have gained weight and it’s not going away

High body toxins slow  metabolism, leading to weight gain. Struggling to manage the high toxin content and prevent the toxins from reaching vital organs, the body expands fat cells to absorb some of the toxic load. Once created, these fat cells are very difficult to eliminate. If you find that even if with careful attention to your food quality and intake, the fat stays on, this is a warning sign your body needs deeper cleansing to trim and purify.

2. You feel generally tired or fatigued

In the morning, perhaps there’s no sense of excitement for the day; you drag yourself out of bed. By evening, you feel depleted.

3. You don’t have a full night’s sleep

Somehow your body’s clock has gone awry. You toss and turn at night; the sleep you have is light and restless. Your mind churns as you lie awake in the wee hours. You wake up feeling stiff, sometimes with pains in your joints and muscles.

4. You have minor but constant shifts towards imbalance

It could be sudden case of acne, rash or boil on the skin. Perhaps you keep sneezing out of the blue, or a small dry cough. Your skin might be dry and appears to be newly wrinkling. Your hair is suddenly dull or thinning – increasingly. These are signs of toxin overload.

5. Your bowel movements aren’t right

Sometimes constipated, sometimes bloated, sometimes too loose. You feel that whatever you eat you are always at risk of indigestion. Increasing the fiber in your food and water intake is generally beneficial, but also keep in mind that the bowels need seasonal detox, especially after the rich foods of winter.

6. You don’t feel good emotionally

The fatigue, the lethargy, the possible insomnia – it all adds up and affects your mental and emotional state as well. Do you find it difficult to focus at work? Do you feel ‘low’ even when there is no obvious cause? Easily depressed, perhaps anxious, nervous or insecure or moody? Cleansing could help get you back in the groove!

If any of the above describe your condition,  your body is telling you it needs to detox. In cold climates, the spring cleansing period is most important to prepare you for the year ahead.