It’s Spring! Time to cast off those winter blues! It is the season of re- birth when everything is fresh and new.
The flowers are blooming and the birds are singing. Spring is the season of new life and maybe it is also a time to turn over a new leaf! Many of us seem to go into hibernation during the colder months of winter. More time is spent indoors cosying up to the heater or fire with comfort foods. In the cold it is harder to get moving, so it’s easy to miss that morning walk and those pesky kilos start creeping on.
Well, now it’s time to come out of your cocoon, cast off that sluggish feeling and embrace the warmer weather and the outdoors! Walk more when you can and drive less. Health experts recommend walking as one of the safest and best forms of exercise. Soak up some Vitamin D from the sun. Walk in the early morning and late afternoon when the UV rays are not as powerful. There are many great ways to exercise, join a gym or a bushwalking club, take up a sport, bike riding or kayaking. Find something you enjoy doing that involves some sort physical activity.
Spring is also a great time to detox and clean up your diet. Cut out the junk foods and eat fresh organic foods like free range meats, veggies, fruits, nuts and whole grains instead. Organic food may be a little more expensive, but switching to organic means you decrease your exposure to chemicals and pesticides.
One factor that often gets over looked is that we really need healthy gut flora to be able to absorb vitamins, minerals and nutrients from our food. Research has shown that including fermented foods in your diet every day can really help ensure you have right balance of good bacteria in your gut.
A super easy way of getting your gut flora blooming this spring is using the Grainfields range of fermented probiotic liquids and powders. A healthy gut means a healthy mind and body!
The Grainfields products are naturally fermented using AGM Foods exclusive FloraFerm fermentation process, so this takes the all the time and work out of home fermenting your own foods. Grainfields products contain naturally occurring probiotic bacteria and are so easy to use and incorporate into your diet. Add a dash of any Grainfields liquid to your water and drink first thing in the morning. This works like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar by helping to stimulate and cleanse the liver, while also promoting good flora in the gut and aiding digestion. Make smoothies using fresh fruit and vegetables with a cup of your favourite Grainfields liquid and your favourite Grainfields powders. Replace lemon juice or vinegar in salad dressings with Grainfields Organic Lemon & Ginger liquid. Sprinkle Grainfields powder over your brekkie cereal bowl, salads or pasta dishes. Mix the Grainfields powder through yoghurt and dips e.g. avocado (guacamole) or hummus and serve with veggie sticks e.g.Carrot, celery, snow peas. Make homemade Grainfields slices, bliss balls and snacks, check our website for recipe ideas.
As we have already discussed, a new exercise regime and a digestive cleanse with a gut friendly diet can do wonders. Or why not try treating yourself to a sauna or a massage? Saunas help relieve stress, relax muscle aches and flush out toxins via the skin. A good lymphatic massage can also help speed up the removal of wastes and toxins.
Clear your mind by taking a break from technology even just for one night a week by unplugging from your TV, phone or computer.
Remove or endeavour to change all the toxic things in your life– toxic people or situations, toxic chemicals, toxic habits and toxic foods. You don’t need anyone or anything weighing you down and making you unhappy!
Spring is the perfect time to focus on YOU. Get that extra spring in your step with some spring cleaning on your mind, body and soul and enjoy this wonderful season.
Sources: Enhancing Micronutrients Bioavailability through Fermentation of Plant-Based Foods: A Concise Review. Fermentation 2021, 7, 63. Samtiya, M.; Aluko, R.E.; Puniya, A.K.; Dhewa, T., The Body Ecology Diet By Donna Gates.
