Spring is here! Spring is one of the best times to cleanse off that extra winter weight! Putting focus on cleansing your body instead of loosing weight can be much more successful. 

The words "weight loss" and "diet" are negative words to use and subconsciously make it harder for us to maintain and stay on a program because it's only focusing on the physical. ​When you "cleanse" you are putting focus on the internal and well-being of your body. Weight will come off when you  

Change of seasons are a great time to cleanse and detox! Let's start this fall off right! There are many cleanses to choose from. It's important to choose the best cleanse for your body and a lot of that can depend on two things: if you have cleansed before or not, and if you are super busy or have some time off.
If you are a first time cleanser the whole food cleanse would be a great option. Basically, you are getting rid of any packaged foods (and I mean ANYTHING in a package), red meats, dairy, alcohol, and caffine and incorporating lots of organic veggies and fruits and fish and/or chicken if you need meat in your diet, herbal teas and lots of water!. You'll be amazed how good you feel just getting rid of the junk! Your body will thank you too! This cleanse is also great for people that want to cleanse but can't  take time off work! 
If you have done a lot of cleansing before you may be able to choose a cleanse that has as period of juice fasting. Juice fasts are great because they give your body a much needed break. Juice fasting consists of organic fruit and veggi juices (not smoothies), herbal teas, lots of water ( to help flush the body), and hot veggi or bone broth. Some people vary these juice fasts from 3-10 days and some people do a whole food cleanse and go into a period of juice fast for 3-5 days. The most important thing with any type of fasting is going in and coming out of the fast slowly. Meaning, slowly decreasing and incorporating the grains, nuts, and meats again. Usually on a juice fast people need to do it over a weekend or have a little time off to rest. So it probably wouldn't be the best thing to do if you need to be alert or give presentations at work. :)
Always talk your health care professional about cleansing if you are under a doctor's care or on any medications.

Happy Cleansing!

Winters in Montana can be long and cold. Many people realize its harder to stay happy and find themselves mopy and depressed. Here are some natural remedies to fight depression and anxiety this winter.

• Zinc is a nutrient that can increase the amount of available omega-3 fatty acids in the body. 
• Omega-3 fatty acids are a healthy form of fats found in fish such as salmon, trout, and sardines.
  
• ​St. John’s wort is a plant that’s native to Europe. Taking the herb has been linked with increasing the amount of serotonin. 
  
• Saffron is a spice derived from a dried portion of a crocus, a flower. According to studies, taking saffron stigma has been shown to be effective in treating mild to moderate depression.
  
• Folic acid -There may be a link between low levels of folic acid (the synthetic form of folate) and people with depression.
  
• Vitamin D- A link between depression and vitamin D deficiency symptoms have long been established in both children and adults.

Feeling tired and sluggish? Sometimes summer is the best time to cleanse, it's nice outside, fresh food sounds amazing, and you really really want to fit into the new bikini! Well here is an idea how to go about a summer cleanse! 

1. Consult with your doctor to make sure a cleanse is the right thing for you to be doing especially if you are on medications or under a doctor's care.

2. Gather the delicious foods you will need for your cleanse. Like fresh fruits and veggies and herbal teas.

3. Start eating less gradually a couple days before your fast or cleanse. This is called a pre-cleanse, you may also use this time to purge coffee or alcohol. Your body needs time to adjust to less food so the pre and post cleanse is very important.

4.On day 1 of your cleanse eat lots of fresh fruits, juices, water , and herbal teas. Try to avoid bananas. 

5.Try to avoid food on day 2. Drink lots of herbal teas and water. Some of the best teas to drink are black walnut and dandelion.

6. On day 3 keep drinking your herbal teas and water but also add veggies. You can prepare them anyway you'd like; steamed, raw, juiced, or blanched!

7. On day 4 try vegetable broth, herbal teas, and water. You can also add vegetables to this day if you need to!

8. On day 5 start with fresh fruits and fruit juices, you can have veggies for lunch and keep dinner light!

9. Post cleanse by slowly incorporating grains, nuts and whole foods back into your diet. 

​Happy Cleansing! :)