Spring is a great time to reflect on daily habits and find ways to be proactive about our whole-body health.
But where to start? A healthy detox is an ideal starting point, so I’ve included my favourite liver detox-product of all time below. This season I’m also focusing on a healthy gut, skin, focus and energy.
Want to feel inspired with your health this spring? Let's share a few ways to get you started.
Are detox products worth taking?
You might have heard ‘our bodies can detox fine without special detox products’. A fair point, if we lived during the stone age. But considering the toxins we face daily in the 21st century, it doesn't make a lot of sense.
The good news is, there are some practical ways to cut down our exposure to toxins. One example is avoiding xenoestrogens by not using plastic containers. Stainless steel or glass drink bottles are a great way to reduce exposure, and better for the planet too. Choosing organic produce is another great way to limit exposure to herbicides and pesticides.
Considering all this - if we have herbs shown to support natural detoxification, why not use them?
Research shows that plant extracts support our liver to detoxify in many ways:
- Efficient detoxification pathways so you feel energised
- Antioxidant protection for glowing skin
- Healthy glutathione production so your hormones are balanced
- Healthy bile flow for healthy bowel motions and digestion
For liver love: Liver Cleanse
The liver is our ‘master detoxifier’. It can perform 500 tasks simultaneously, even when we’re sleeping.
It removes toxins and waste from our day to day lives, including processing medications and alcohol. It also removes heavy metals like lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium.
Besides detoxing, our livers are important for our health and wellness so looking after them is a must. Thankfully, there are many ways we can show our livers love and support.
4 ways to show your liver some love
- Exercise regularly (aim for 30 minutes per day, most days)
- Maintain a healthy weight, specifically a healthy waist to hip ratio (up to 0.85 for women and up to 0.9 for men)
- Consume alcohol mindfully. Aim for at least two alcohol-free days each week. Women should have no more than two standard drinks per day. Men should limit themselves to three standard drinks per day.
- Taking a research-based liver support product.
“So, what is the best cleanse for detox? Ideally when you’re looking to spring cleanse your body, look for a formula that supports healthy and efficient liver detoxification as well as kidney and digestive health.
BioBalance Liver Cleanse & Detox Has a comprehensive formula that targets all these areas. With a combination of ten research-based herbs and nutrients to support toxin metabolism, heavy metal detox, and clear skin too.” – Rebecca, HealthPost Naturopath
|
Gut cleanse: BioBalance Slippery Elm Powder
BioBalance Slippery Elm powder supports an internal bowel sweep – great for natural toxin elimination. It’s rich in gut-loving mucilage to soothe the gut lining and shown to support the growth of good bacteria in the gut – for whole-body health.
“BioBalance Slippery Elm powder is a great complement to BioBalance Liver Cleanse & Detox. Together, they’re a holistic approach to a spring cleanse and healthy toxin elimination via liver and bowel support.”– Rebecca, HealthPost Naturopath
|
Energy for busy lives: Gaia Herbs Rhodiola
Rhodiola is the adaptogen herb to choose if you’re after as spring in your step.
3 reasons to try Rhodiola:
- Steady energy and muscle endurance
- Uplifted mood
- Stress resilience
“Adaptogens support the body’s natural stress response – and not just when you’re stressed. If you’ve got a busy life, or like to exercise, an adaptogen like Rhodiola is well worth considering. The quality of Gaia Herbs formulas is something I trust — both for myself and when recommending to others — because they specialise in herbal extracts, they’re experts in their field.” - Rebecca – HealthPost Naturopath
|
For skin, heart and joint health: Omega-3
Healthy Omega-3s are so important. They support an amazingly vast array of health areas.
Getting enough can be tricky if you don’t eat oily fish the recommended 2-3 times per week. For those of us partial to fish, that includes sardines, salmon, mackerel and mullet. If you’re not getting 2-3 servings or want a more sustainable option, your best bet is algae.
My main motivators for taking Omega 3s can be to support brain, mood, and skin health. It’s also excellent for supporting cardiovascular health and springy joints. People can source fish in a sustainable and responsible way. Our marine sustainability policy guarantees that trusted international marine sustainability groups certify all our fish oil products.
“For health reasons I tend to alternate monthly between a quality Omega 3 fish oil and vegan omega. I like algae omega because it offers a high-quality source of Omega 3 that contains EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Algae is particularly fast growing and needs less water and land area for cultivation. This makes it a super sustainable option.” – Rebecca, HealthPost Naturopath
Vegan Omega-3 by LifeStream contains EPA and DHA, and also offers Vitamin D. Vitamin D is important for happy mood and overall health. This fat-soluble vitamin is stored in our liver (one of those 500 tasks it does) so they're not vitamins we necessarily need to take every day, making this product an ideal option to alternate monthly with fish-based omegas.
|
For focus & mood: Flow State Lions Mane
Keen to support a calm focus, and a bright mood? Great if you have a demanding day ahead and need to get things done. Studies show it supports NGF (nerve growth factor) levels in the brain – needed for a healthy nervous system. Lions Mane for brain - it even rhymes!
“You can take Lions Mane every morning (which is what I do) or just on the days you need that extra boost. Flow State offers a quality extract, it’s independently tested for active constituents. This best-seller has excellent customer reviews too. Two capsules in the am = easy."– Rebecca, HealthPost Naturopath
|
For a skin-loving treat: Evolu Ultimate Goodness Body Butter
With both shea butter and cocoa butter – this body butter leaves the skin visibly hydrated, with no oily residue. “Rich but sinks in” - as one HealthPost reviewer aptly put it. Made with *Ecocert Natural fragrance of Tahitian gardenia, a tropical floral scent - it also makes a thoughtful, sure-to-please gift.
“This delivers on everything I want in a body butter = melts in easily, lasting moisture, a delicious lingering scent. It’s a real treat that I look forward to in the evening. You only need a tiny bit – so the jar lasts me for months, making it great value for money.” – Rebecca, HealthPost Naturopath
|
There are plenty of ways we can be proactive about our wellness this spring. Keeping it simple and starting gradually can help make healthy habits sustainable in the long term. Adding something new each week can be an easy way to kick-in new healthy habits.
|
Vitamins and minerals are supplementary to and not a replacement for a balanced diet. Always read the label and use as directed.