On Gozo, it’s always the perfect time to detox. Let’s clean up our unhealthy habits and routines.
Gozo Naturopathic Nutritionist Jane Nayar discusses how to make the most of the renewal energy that gozo brings with holistic steps to balance the mind, body and soul.
It’s always the perfect time to start new daily habits and routines and to refresh your liver and gallbladder. In Traditional Chinese medicine, there are five elements; wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Spring is a time of action, change, and rebirth and the natural element for spring is wood.
Did you know that the elements are also associated with body organs? Wood represents the liver and the gall bladder. The liver is considered to be the ‘planner’ of the body and the gall bladder, the centre of our ability to make decisions and to strengthen our intuition. With a good functioning liver and gall bladder, we are able to see clearer and make better decisions for the future.
Wood exemplifies the energy of growth, change, and pushing through. It’s a very active energy that allows for ample movement and progress, both internally and externally. In spring we may have more energy to get moving on projects, hence the classic ‘spring cleaning.’ It is also good time of year to work on any blockages, get things moving and access all that great new energy.
Did you know: The word ‘livid’ comes from the word liver? It’ is where we store our toxins and fat so if we don’t support it we can feel tired, sluggish, frustrated or angry.
jane nayar, naturopathic nutritionist
Alternatively, wood is also the energy of frustration, anger and stress. Like the wood element, anger can make us hard and unbendable – like the tree that snaps in a strong wind instead of swaying. Did you know that the word ‘livid’ comes from the word liver? It is where we store our toxins and fat so if we don’t support our liver we can feel tired, sluggish, frustrated or angry. All the more reason to look after that liver!
utilise this renewal energy
If you love feeling lighter and waking up to the sun, setting a short morning routine or ritual is such a special gift to give to yourself. Even, if you can only do this a few times a week, you will soon start to feel the benefits. Check out the following simple and super-healthy ideas to try this spring and start putting yourself on your own agenda…
morning smoothie
As the days start to get brighter and warmer we can introduce more cold foods and fruits. Starting the day with a delicious smoothie feels amazing. Using superfoods such as spirulina can add protein and keep you going longer. One of my favourites is; 1 banana, 1 pear, ½ avocado, 1 tsp spirulina, blend all with mineral water or nut milk and enjoy!
intention setting
Having a vision and setting goals for the year ahead is like sowing seeds. What would you like from this year and the next? And how are you going to get it? Making an action list or creating a vision board helps you to focus on your hopes and dreams and helps get the process started.
I suggest looking at your list or board regularly, to help keep your focus on what is truly important to you. I have done a few vision boards in my life and when I look back on them, I cannot believe what I did manifest, just by setting my intentions or putting out my focus. The universe works in many wonderful ways.
gratitude meditation
Taking five minutes before you start your day, to sit quietly and take some deep breaths is a gift. Adding in something you feel truly grateful for is a game changer. You could even write this down each morning and place it in a ‘gratitude jar’ which you can empty at any time, perhaps if you are feeling a little low or having a bad day. It’s the perfect uplifter – just when you need it most.
emotional / social detox
It’s time to reflect and rid yourself of anything or anyone that no longer brings joy or positivity into your life. It’s good to remember that we have choice, we can choose who we see, who we talk to, who is on our social media accounts. So, be brave and take time to have a little clear out of some social clutter. Also – try to spend the first and last hour of the day screen free, not only will this improve the quality of your sleep but will help to declutter an overstimulated mind and lower stress hormones.
colourful diet
Introduce more rainbow coloured vegetables, fruit and raw salads into your diet as this will improve your bowel function and help the body to naturally detox. You do not need to eat 100% raw but try upping your intake of raw foods, which are unaltered and ‘alive’ with deep cleansing qualities.
The body is designed to naturally cleanse, and the liver is the main detox organ, we also detox through the skin and the bowels, so maintaining bowel regularity is essential. The problem is these days we overload our bodies with too many toxins, fast foods, alcohol, smoking, sugars and stress. Staying hydrated is a simple way to flush out toxins and is a foundational requirement for our body to function effectively. If you can drink at least 1.5/2L of fresh water (clear not fizzy) a day, then you are doing a good thing!
More Movement
Spring is the time we feel like moving more which aids the removal of toxins via the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system relies on large muscle activity for circulation; therefore, we need to move to avoid congestion and the accumulation of toxins, which can leave you feeling tired, bloated, irritable, sluggish and inflamed.
Start your day with movement, be it a yoga routine, HIIT, a walk or put music on and dance! If you have a sedentary job, then take regular breaks to move about and keep your lymph flowing. If you need someone to guide you, why not try a private one to one yoga or exercise class? As well as toxins, emotions, thoughts, and feelings get stuck in the body and require us to move them through. I’m sure you’ve experienced times when walking in nature has brought clarity, sparked creativity, increased productivity or brought some peace or resolution. Movement shifts energy.
Natural Products
Everything you put on your skin you might also absorb, as the skin is the biggest organ of the body. Therefore, I recommend having a product detox and swapping for natural versions which are free from parabens, sulphates, synthetic fragrances and aluminium.
Remarkably you can put over 200 chemicals a day on your body just by using products
Start by switching your deodorant and toothpaste for the first month as it can get expensive and every time you need to replace a product swap it with a natural one and you will soon find you have built up your own natural selection.
Finally, enjoy the new beginning of spring and don’t forget to watch nature, it shows us how everything gets another chance to start all over again.
Author: Jane Nayar | Editor: GITH
Jane offers one to one Yoga lessons, Nutrition Consultations, Vega Testing, Reflexology and Yoga & Health Retreats in Gozo.
For more information visit: Happy on Health Website or Tel: +356 99307748
Do you work in the Gozo wellness industry and have a blog you’d love to share? Then say hello at teamGITH@gmail.com.
