Jennifer Steinbachs, ND!

http://naturopath.pro

Spring Cleansing

Spring Cleansing - The Local Way

Spring is often associated with deep cleaning both physically (our houses) and spiritually (many
religions have rituals for purification specifically in the spring). Of course, we also typically associate
spring with healing and rejuvenation just by looking at what we see outside: the re-emergence of
green, birds laying eggs, and so on. We do deep spring cleaning of our homes, so this is also a good
time to do a deep cleansing of our bodies - on the inside.
In many health food stores and natural living magazines, you might see a proliferation of products
specifically for cleansing and detoxification. In this article, I will describe how you can save your
money and do a spring body cleanse without buying pills - just by using foods that are abundant in
the spring.
We are now more exposed to environmental toxins than ever before in human history: in the food
we eat; in the water we drink and use for bathing; in our cosmetics and cleaning products; in the offgases from carpets, furniture and building materials in our homes and in our electronic gadgets. The
more toxic and unhealthy our living environment is, the more difficult it is for us to be healthy. We
can expand this to our ecosystem as well - it is difficult to be really healthy in a toxic world.
To overcome these toxins, it is useful to improve the function of our organs of detoxification: liver,
colon, kidneys, lungs and skin. Our lymphatic system and blood also participate in the process of
detoxification.
The liver is the largest single organ in our body and is the most important organ for the elimination
of toxic wastes. It detoxifies and eliminates foreign chemicals; processes fats with the bile it
produces; metabolizes hormones produced by the body; filters the blood. When it becomes
overloaded with wastes, and while also nutritionally unsupported, we refer to it as being sluggish.
Signs of a sluggish liver include headaches, chronic pain, foggy brain, skin problems, digestive upset,
irritability, depression, allergies, yellowish complexion, PMS or menopausal complaints, nausea,
indigestion after fatty meals.
Many of the traditional spring foods stimulate the action of our major elimination organs. For
example, bitter greens and roots induce the liver to produce more bile, which then improves fat
digestion and helps to remove toxins more efficiently. The greens also acts as a diuretic to help
flush the kidneys.

Jennifer Steinbachs, ND!

http://naturopath.pro

Spring Cleansing

The Local Cleansing Plan 1

Phase 1. Ease into the cleanse by eliminating foods that create mucus and stagnancy: processed
foods, soft drinks, refined flour products, dairy, meat, sugar, alcohol, caffeine (though green tea is
fine). This phase should last about 2-3 weeks.
Phase 2. The beginning of this phase should fall on a weekend with little to do but rest. This
phase is a 2-3 day fast so that you intentionally re-set your bodys balance.

Start the morning with a large glass of water containing 1 Tbsp of plain psyllium seed or
freshly ground milk thistle seed, follow with a large glass containing half water, half
grapefruit juice (or water with fresh squeezed lemon juice). You can also use the Spring
Cleansing Tonic (see recipe) instead.

Drink miso soup and eat a small amount of sauerkraut when you would normally eat your
meals; these foods will rebuild your gut microbes, and are far superior to any encapsulated
probiotic you might buy at the store. Your miso soup can include well cooked root
vegetables (see recipe insert).

Drink warm cleansing teas (green tea, or dandelion leaf or nettle leaf infusions); take
dandelion tincture2 by adding a dropperful to a cup of warm water and drink.

Phase 3. Once you have completed your 2 (or 3) day fast, you can start re-introducing foods.
SLOWLY. Be mindful how each re-added food makes you feel.

Continue with lemon water or grapefruit water in the morning. Continue with miso and/or
sauerkraut at every meal. Continue with dandelion and/or nettle tea.

Add in 1 c. of cooked brown rice at meal time.

Rice can then be paired with steamed greens and root vegetables. Your choice of greens
should be seasonal and locally available: chickweed, watercress, dandelion, nettles, beet
greens, and so on. Roots can include dandelion roots, burdock roots, carrots, rutabaga,
turnips, beets, etc.

If you are taking prescription medications, you should check with your health care practitioner before
undertaking this cleanse. Some foods that improve liver functioning (e.g., grapefruit) may be contraindicated by those medications. Fasting is not advised for pregnant or nursing women.
2

Herb Pharm has a nice tincture called Liver Health (formerly called Healthy Liver Tonic)
http://www.herb-pharm.com/store/product_info.php/products_id/232?osCsid=jhutu5i75r0sk3sind4bvjl7i1.
Herbalist and Alchemist has a similar tincture called Thistles Compound
http://www.herbalist-alchemist.com/shop/?shop=1&itemid=1010 . You may need to order these products
from the internet stores.
2

Jennifer Steinbachs, ND!

http://naturopath.pro

Spring Cleansing

If you feel you need protein, consider adding the yolk of a pastured egg - either dropped
into your miso soup or lightly cooked on its own.

After a few days, re-introduce fruits. Again, focus on the fruits that are available from your
local markets.

The final foods to re-introduce are other grains, legumes and animal protein: begin be
adding in fish, then chicken, then red meats, wheat and relatives (oats, barley, etc.), then dairy.
Remember, add only one new food item per day, and assess how you feel with it back in your
diet. If it no longer serves you, perhaps you shouldnt eat it.

Post-Cleanse
Once you have invested the time to do your cleanse, you should also consider several other lifestyle
changes to make the next cleanse shorter:

reduce your stress (do yoga, get massages, go for walks in the woods) and do things that
make you feel joyful;

replace your conventional drugs with herbal remedies (consider replacements for antacids
and cholesterol medications);

avoid the use of pesticides in homes, along roadsides, yards and in produce (pesticides mimic
estrogens -- feminizing hormones);

reduce plastic use (especially food stored in plastic then heated in plastic);

replace harsh chemical cleaners with lemon juice, baking soda, and vinegar;

replace bad fats (margarine, vegetable oils, deep fried foods) with good fats (coconut oil,
pastured butter, extra virgin olive oil);

replace commercially raised meat and poultry (containing hormones, pesticides and
antibiotics) with meat, eggs, and dairy from organic and pastured animals;

eliminate tobacco products and indulge in alcohol only sporadically.

Jennifer Steinbachs, ND!

http://naturopath.pro

Spring Cleansing

Recipes
Spring Cleansing Tonic (1 serving)
(adapted from from Mary Lane, Divine Nourishment)
2-3 handfuls of mixed fresh herbs (sourced locally or gathered from a clean yard): parsley, dandelion
leaves, mint, chickweed, watercress, nettles, plantain (the leaf, not the banana look-alike)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 c. freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp honey
2 c. water
Place all ingredients in blender and blend on high speed until the leaves are liquefied. Allow to stand
for an hour or more. Strain. Discard solids; drink the liquid. Makes enough for one person.

Jennifer Steinbachs, ND!

http://naturopath.pro

Spring Cleansing

Cleansing Miso Soup (for 2-4 servings)

(adapted from Sandor Katz, Wild Fermentation)
1 quart water
3 to 4 inch piece of dried seaweed (kelp, kombu, wakame), cut into small pieces
Root vegetables - burdock (also called gobo in some Asian grocery stores), daikon, carrot - sliced
into half moon pieces; use any combination of these.
3-4 mushrooms - shiitake if possible; dust the dirt lightly, then break into pieces and drop into the
soup
Cabbage, about a 1/4 of a small head, sliced thinly.
4 or more cloves of garlic, crushed or chopped finely
Green vegetables - broccoli, dandelion greens, nettle greens, watercress, etc.
3 Tbsp miso paste (find this product at a health food store or at an Asian grocery store) -- look for
gluten-free sources
Green onions (optional)
1. Heat water to boil while you prepare the other ingredients. Once it boils, lower the heat and
simmer.
2. Add the ingredients in this order: seaweed, root vegetables, mushroom, cabbage.
3. Once the root vegetables are tender, turn off the heat. Remove about a cup of the broth, then
add the garlic and greens to the pot.
4. To the reserved broth, add the miso paste and mix well so the miso is not lumpy. Return it to
the pot and stir. Taste the soup. If it needs more miso, use the same procedure.
5. Garnish with chopped green onions.
6. When you re-heat the soup, heat it gently. DO NOT BOIL.

Jennifer Steinbachs, ND!

http://naturopath.pro

Spring Cleansing

Spring Detoxification Foods

Dandelion Leaf and Root
Dandelion leaf is a diuretic, so it stimulates the kidneys to
eliminate wastes. It is rich in minerals but especially so in
potassium. Eat it raw in salads or steam it lightly. Make it
into a tea or broth. The root helps the liver stimulate bile
(the livers waste product). It is slightly laxative. Take it as a
tea or in a tincture. 3

Burdock Root
Burdock is an earthy and slightly sweet root. It
improves lymph circulation and acts as a blood
cleanser. It is often included in a tincture recipe
or tea with dandelion root. When available, use in
miso soup.4

Dandelion image from the Victoria and Albert Museum,"William Kilburn worked as a botanical illustrator.
He produced most of the plates in the first volume of William Curtis's Flora Londinensis, a field guide to
the wild flowers of London. This was a serial publication that came out between 1777 and 1798." Scan of
2 d images in the public domain believed to be free to use without restriction in the US. From Vintage
Printables.
4

Burdock image from the personal photo collection of Jennifer Steinbachs.

6

Jennifer Steinbachs, ND!

http://naturopath.pro

Spring Cleansing

Garlic and Onions

Garlic protects against the oxidation of LDL
cholesterol, improves HDL cholesterol,
improves peripheral circulation and assists in
fibrin breakdown (fibrin is found in clots). It
is antiviral, antimicrobial, and antifungal. It
may inhibit tumor formation. It protects
several organs from damage by toxins. For
best effect, eat raw (in salad dressing!). Let
freshly chopped garlic sit for 15 minutes
before eating to allow the medicinal sulfur
compounds to activate. Because onions are a
cousin, it has similar properties. 5

Spring Greens
These include a wide assortment of
leafy herbs and vegetables. They
are rich sources of chlorophyll,
minerals, vitamins, plant antioxidants, and fiber. As they have a
slight diuretic effect, they boost
kidney function. Bitter greens may
also increase digestive enzyme and
bile production. Characteristic
spring greens include dandelion
leaf, escarole, endive, young chicory,
mustard greens; also beet greens,
kale, collards, Swiss chard, baby spinach, and dark lettuce. For extra flavor and more anti-oxidants,
include culinary herbs: parsley, cilantro oregano, chives, thyme, sage, anise, hyssop, mint. Eat a
combination of these herbs in salads or lightly steamed. Add a handful to your miso soup. 6

Public Domain Image. http://www.public-domain-image.com/flora-plants-public-domain-images-pictures/

vegetables-public-domain-images-pictures/garlic-pictures/endless-cloves-of-garlic.jpg.html
6

Photo by Joe Mabel, from Wikimedia Commons

7

Jennifer Steinbachs, ND!

http://naturopath.pro

Spring Cleansing

Miso
Miso is a fermented paste of soybeans, grains, and salt
and is used to make broth and soups. It provides a
warm, easy, sustaining source of protein, beneficial
bacteria, minerals, B vitamins and electrolytes.
Regular miso consumption may reduce the risk of
breast cancer; it also protects the body from radiation
damage.7

Fermented Foods
Fermented foods includes uncooked and
unpasteurized foods such as yogurt, kefir,
sauerkraut, kimchi and dill pickles. These all
contain beneficial bacteria and improve our
intestinal flora. Having healthy and balanced
intestinal flora aids digestion, helps with both
diarrhea and constipation, and makes the body less
hospitable to troublesome bacteria and yeast. 8

Photo from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Miso_sold_in_Tokyo_foodhall.jpg

Photo from the personal photo collection of Helen Steinbachs.

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Jennifer Steinbachs, ND!

http://naturopath.pro

Spring Cleansing

Additional Resources
Elton Haas and Buck Levin. 2006. Staying Healthy with Nutrition: The Complete Guide to Diet and
Nutritional Medicine. Celestial Arts, Berkeley, CA. ISBN 978-1-58761-179-7
Sandor Ellix Katz. 2003. Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition and Craft of Live-Culture Foods.
Chelsea Green Publishing Company, White River Junction, VT. ISBN 978-1-931498-23-7
Jacqueline Krohn and Frances Taylor. 2000. Natural Detoxification: A Practical Encyclopedia - The
Complete Guide to Clearing Your Body of Toxins. Hartley and Marks Publishers, Inc., Port Roberts, WA.
ISBN 978-0-88179-187-3
Mary Lane. 2010. Divine Nourishment: A Womans Sacred Journey with Food. Dog Ear Publishing,
Indianapolis, IN. ISBN 978-160844-351-2