A Note About Cleansing

In the best of all worlds, we'd be eating only healthy foods and breathing nothing but pure air. Few of us are that fortunate, of course. After a day of empty-calorie foods, secondhand smoke, exhaust emissions, and work stress, our minds and bodies often need tender loving care, and cleansing tonics are an excellent way to receive it.

As we sip and enjoy a vegetable juice that helps detoxify the liver and gall bladder, or try a homemade root beer that works to purify the blood (instead of grabbing a soft drink), we return equilibrium to our systems.

After a winter's diet rich in protein and heavier, fattier foods, it is especially important to cleanse and rejuvenate the system. Highly recommended in this process are foods with a high chlorophyll content, such as dandelion leaves, which act as a powerful liver detoxifier while providing nourishment to the intestines.

Spring Cleaning Tonic

A plentiful source of chlorophyll as well as vitamins and minerals, this tonic nurtures and restores. Also known as the "green drink," it is best made in spring, when the plants are young and fresh. At that time of year, as our thoughts turn to renewal, it  cleanses the body of winter's accumulation of toxins from heavy foods.

If you don't feel confident about identifying and gathering fresh herbs on your own, you can find them in abundance in farmers' markets and natural food stores beginning in early spring.

You might also consider planting an herb garden so that herbal seasonings and ingredients are readily available by simply walking out the back door with pruning shears in hand. Feel free to substitute other leafy herbs for those listed here, and create your own version of this nourishing blend.

You'll Need:

2 handfuls mixed fresh herbs: parsley, dandelion leaves, mint, chickweed, miner's lettuce, nettles, or plantain

4 cups pineapple juice or freshly squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

To Make:

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until the leaves are liquefied. Allow to stand for a few minutes and strain. Enjoy!

Image: tillwe