For me, springtime brings not only the excitement of a new gardening and kayak season, warmer breezes, and the smell of blossoms, but also a slue of people wanting advice about detoxifying and fasting.

You might guess that I, as a holistic nutritionist, encourage people to buy detoxification kits and do fasts, but I don't. In fact, I discourage most clients. Instead, I congratulate them on realizing their instinctive desire to cleanse and renew, in synch with the season, and offer reasons and inspiration for an alternative route to renewal.

Most clients want to do a liver cleanse. Since the body's organs and systems work in a cooperative way, however, it's difficult to affect just one organ. We also need to recognize that we did not become gummed up and toxic overnight. We've taken some time to reach our overloaded or toxic state, so if we aim to detoxify in a rapid way, the body is often unable to handle it and we may end up overloading the organs further. What results is often called a health crisis, which means people feel worse before they feel better, or in some cases they end up worse off overall.

HANS professional member and naturopathic doctor Bruce Lofting explains that there are different phases in the detoxification process. He says, "The first reaction in detoxification produces deadly super oxide radicals that need to be quenched." If these toxins are not quickly eliminated by the body or neutralized with supplemental support, severe illness and even death can result.

Fortunately, rapid detoxification and fasting are not the only ways to answer your seasonal call to cleanse. "People can eat and detoxify at the same time," Dr. Lofting says, and I agree. Cleansing need not involve hunger, illness, or discomfort. While quick and concentrated cleanses may be valuable therapeutically, and the long-term fasts are valuable spiritually, there are effective ways to gently cleanse each day of the spring season and reap extremely healthful benefits.

I've found that with a gentler regimen, detoxification symptoms are minimized, metabolism speeds up instead of slowing down, energy increases, cravings and poor dietary habits can be more successfully eliminated, and new healthful habits are formed.

Gentle fasting
The time between dinner and breakfast is the perfect time to do a daily fast of about 12 or 14 hours. Eat the last meal of the day before 7 pm, and instead of processing food during the night, the body is free to rest, rebuild, and repair internally.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the biorhythmic clock shows that the liver, our main detoxifying organ, is most active between 1 and 3 am. With a nightly fast, the liver is able to do its cleansing work.

During the day, what you don't eat will certainly impact the body's cleansing abilities. One of the best ways to cleanse is to give your system a break from toxins. Avoid eating all processed foods, caffeine, sweets and alcohol. Invest in organic food to further reduce intake of toxins, and cut down on meat and dairy products.

Cleansing diet
Vegetables are, by nature, cleansing foods that support the breakdown and elimination of toxins in the body. Spring vegetables offer a wealth of cleansing benefits, all with low caloric impact. They are also an excellent source of fibre, which helps to move toxins out of the body. Adding some raw food to each meal and eating more vegetarian options in general is a gentle way to cleanse as well.

Another very simple practice for cleansing is to drink a glass of room temperature water first thing each morning with either the juice of half a lemon or a teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar.

If you're in the market for a supplement, try spirulina or chlorella powder; they are extremely high in chlorophyll and other nutrients that cleanse the body and rejuvenate a sluggish liver. Freshly pressed vegetable juices and herbal teas are also excellent remedies for cleansing the entire system.

Cleansing habits
Dr. Lofting suggests taking steps to promote more bowel movements during cleansing periods. "If toxins remain in the colon too long they will be reabsorbed into the body," he says. Therefore, drink lots of pure water between meals, eat high fibre foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and don't forget to exercise.

Dr. Lofting also suggests taking herbal bitters 20 minutes before each meal to stimulate extra bile flow, which will promote bowel movements.

I find that dry brushing the body's skin, which is a major detoxifying organ, each morning before showering removes dead skin cells, aiding in detoxification. Massage and sauna are also traditional ways of helping the body's skin to detoxify. Exercise is absolutely necessary for efficiency of the lymph system, which is designed to remove toxins and disease-causing cells from the body.

Dr. Lofting assures me that most people can fast and detoxify safely; however, those who are inexperienced should consult a naturopathic doctor who can do laboratory tests to determine how best to support the process in each individual. Otherwise, I encourage you to match the natural, gentle transitions of springtime with your own gentle cleansing renewal.

Sandra Tonn is a registered holistic nutritionist, natural health writer, whole food  nutrition teacher, and certified yin and hatha yoga instructor. sandratonn.com

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