Spring Detox
By Lucinda Jenkins

It must be spring and time for a spring cleaning! Grandma called it a "Spring Tonic". Today we call it detoxing. All winter we have sat inside where it is warm and poked in Christmas cookies, New Year's drinks, Super Bowl junk food and cheap Valentine's Day candy. After a long hard winter the body needs to prepare for Spring, sunshine and fresh alive foods.

Detoxing involves the entire systems of the body, the digestive, the respitory, circulatory and nervous system. I'll give you some simple ways to help the detoxing process.

1. Decide what day you are going to start your detox program. Pick a day where you won't be around alot of activity.

2. Begin knowing that you will have to drink at least eight 8 oz glasses of distilled water. The reason for flooding yourself with water is that it lowers or thins the "fats" in the blood and helps to carry them on out. This is where chemicals, pesticides, drugs are hiding , in the blood serum or "fats". The increase of water also increases the oxygen to the cells.

3. Begin the day with some real fruit juice (avoid orange juice and tomato juice) and some raw fruit. You are trying to take the load off of the digestive process today. It takes alot of energy to digest grits, eggs and bacon. Herbal tea can be consumed freely during the day... suggested teas are Rooibos,Honeybush tea, chamomile & red clover, dandelion, and peppermint.You may eat raw fruits and vegetables during your meals. You can follow this routine for 2 days if your general condition warrants.

4. To detox the skin... salt glow and bath tea! Create a salt glow using sea salt and sweet almond oil. Patchouli and lemongrass essential oil added create a heavenly scent and will help to clean and soften the skin. Use a detox bath tea for 2 days in a row.
(c/s is "cut and sifted")

4 tablespoon of epsom salt
1 tablespoon of ginger c/s
1 tablespoon of fennel seeds crushed
1 tablespoon of ginkgo leaf c/s
1 tablespoon of lemongrass c/s
1 tablespoon of yerba mate
1 tablespoon of oregan grape root c/s
1 tablespoon of rosemary leaf

This will make 2 bathes. Fill one of our large 3x5 teabags and toss in the tub.

Next is the face. It takes the most abuse during the winter months.The skin dries out and wrinkles .

Throw into a bowl of boiling water
1 tablespoon of chamomile flowers
1 tablespoon of elder flowers
1 tablespoon of jasmine flowers
1 tablespoon of rose petals
1 tablespoon of calendula

Allow the face to steam 15 minutes or so. I even rub the spent flowers on my face for a light abrasive action to help remove dead skin cells.

This detox program can be done once a month to help your body fight the free radicals that cause aging. Beauty has to come from the inside in more ways than one.