Spring is here in northeast Ohio, which means it is only about four more weeks until we can start to see the sun!
In the meantime, this is a good time to get things in order so that we can spend the maximum amount of time in nature doing the things we love to do. Spring cleaning is the time for getting all of the accumulated dirt, dust, and bugs out of the house. It is also the perfect time to get all the accumulated dirt, dust, and bugs out of our bodies so that we can be at optimal performance when we get outside!
You probably know how to clean your house, but do you know how to clean your bodies? Amazingly, our bodies have been created to be self-cleaning, but the more dirt, dust, and bugs we put into them, the harder it is for our bodies to get rid of it.
What kind of dirt, dust, and bugs are we talking about?
Dirt is the accumulation of unwanted materials that come from outside. In our houses, this is the dirt and mud that gets tracked in, and the air pollution that gets into our fabrics. In our bodies, this is the drugs, chemicals, food additives, and toxins that ends up inside of us. We try to clean up the dirt, but it just clings to things and is hard to get out.
Dust is the accumulation of the fine particles that are produced by just plain living. In our houses, it is the annoying layer that keeps showing up on our furniture. In our bodies, it is the left-overs from the body processes that happen all the time. Our bodies are designed to clean this out, but if we don’t take proper care of ourselves, it can build up over time.
Bugs are the creatures, visible and invisible, that exist in the world around us. In our houses, it is the fruit flies, mosquitoes, stink bugs, and spiders. In our bodies, it can be bacteria, viruses, and parasites (yes, you might have them and not know it).
Fortunately, there are plants that can help to support the natural cleaning crews of our bodies. Some of them are listed below.
- Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana): Stevia is widely grown for its leaves, which can be used as a sweetener.
- Blackseed (Nigella sativa): the seeds of black cumin are beneficial for the digestive system, soothing stomach pains and spasms and easing wind, bloating and colic. Also effective in removing certain parasites.
- Burdock (Arctium lappa): Burdock is one of the foremost detoxifying herbs in both Chinese and Western herbal medicine. Effective against ringworm.
- Red clover (Trifolium pratense): Red clover is safe and effective herb with a long history of medicinal usage. It is commonly used with other purifying herbs such as Arctium lappa and Rumex crispus
- Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): The dandelion is a commonly used herbal remedy. It is especially effective and valuable as a diuretic.
- Ground-ivy (Glechoma hederacea): The plant can reduce fluid retention and clear toxins out of the body. Also effective in removing certain parasites.
- Licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis): commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs. It is considered to be second in importance only to Ginseng.
- Milk thistle (Silybum marianum): Recent research has confirmed that it has a remarkable ability to protect the liver from damage resulting from alcoholic and other types of poisoning.
- Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica): A tea made from the leaves has traditionally been used as a cleansing tonic and blood purifier.
All of these plants are found in the Fantastic Foragers product called Sysklenz, which is an herbal blend in powder form that can be added to yogurt or a smoothie to help do spring cleaning for your body.
Sysklenz will be available for sale on our website https://fantasticforagers.com after April 15th, 2024.