Ayurvedic Spring Detox Smoothie

Guest Post from Ashley Pitman, the founder of the virtual ashram Vixi

There are a few blog that I read on a regular basis and a few people in the holistic wellness and ayurveda field that inspire me. Ashley is one of them. Her website is full of ayurvedically-inspired recipes, seasonal detox tips, and effective health strategies. Ashley herself is a picture of health! In today’s guest post, Ashley shares her tips on staying balanced in the Spring and shedding off Winter pounds that some of us might still be dragging along from the holidays. Read and Learn!

Spring – The Natural Detox Season

Ashley's Ayurvedic recipes

If you’re feeling an urge to detox and get rid of any heaviness and stagnation from winter, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re on the right track according to Ayurveda.

Spring is Mother Nature’s detox season. You’ll notice that bitter roots, sprouts, greens and berries come into abundance. These pungent (spicy), bitter and astringent foods help us naturally detox any excess fats and proteins out of our system.

This is really important for obvious reasons like disease prevention and immunity boosting. But it’s even more important for subtle reasons like being able to listen to your body, following your intuition and your ability to show up fully in life.

Seasonal foods + our bodies create quite a magical combination because they need each other to thrive. Our bodies, by themselves, have an innate intelligence that enables health. BUT, when our diet and lifestyles are impeded by things like overeating, processed foods, foods out of sync with the season, stress, pharmaceutical drug toxicity, etc., the body suffers. Likewise, plant food has an innate intelligence that enables health, but when it’s put into a poorly functioning body it can’t do it’s thing either. The truth is we need to collaborate with nature in order to live into our full, vibrant capacity.

Now you might be curious about what to specifically eat during the spring, so here’s a quick rundown:

• Eat more foods that are Pungent (Spicy), Bitter, Astringent / Light, Dry, Warm
• Eat less foods that are Sweet, Sour, Salty / Heavy, Cold, Oily
• Schedule a deeper cleanse to fully detox, like a juice cleanse or a plant-based cleanse

One of my favorite morning rituals this time of year is the Spring Detox Smoothie. Here’s my recipe:

Sweet and Spicy Kapha-Balancing Detox Smoothie

Ingredients

Spring Detox Smoothie

• 1⁄2 cup spicy sprouts
• 1 tbsp ginger root
• 1 cup turnip greens (or arugula or dandelion greens)
• 2 lacinato kale leaves
• 1 pear
• 1 apple
• 1/2 lemon (juice from)
• 2 pinches of cayenne
• 1 tsp raw honey (optional for extra sweetness)
• 1 1⁄2 – 4 cups filtered water

Directions

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Here’s a quick rundown of why these ingredients are excellent choices for detoxing your body during the spring:

• DARK LEAFY GREENS like kale, collards, nettles, dandelion greens and turnip greens have a bitter and astringent taste. This stimulates the action of scraping and squeezing, respectively. Used to scrape excess waste and toxins on a cellular level, greens create lightness with their high nutrient portfolio. Greens are rich in chlorophyll which oxygenates and alkalizes your blood. Greens detox your lymph, blood and fat cells.
• LEMONS + LIMES have sour taste, which gently stimulates digestion. They stimulate the release of enzymes and help convert toxins into a water-soluble form that can be easily excreted from the body. Lemons and limes also detox your liver. Funny enough, even though these fruits are acidic outside of the body, on the inside they’re extremely alkaline-forming (this is why drinking warm lemon water first thing in the morning is important). 
• SPROUTS are a super potent phase of plant growth because more nutrients are packed into a smaller space. They help build muscle tissue and contribute to sustained energy levels.
• SPICES  such as turmeric, ginger, cayenne, cinnamon and fennel improve circulation, aid detoxification, and stimulate the digestion of toxins both in the digestive tract and on a cellular level. Spices detoxify your lymph, blood, kidneys and bowels.
• SWEET FRUITS are high in fiber, and some, like apples, are high in pectin, which serves an intestinal broom to clear out the toxins. Juicy fruits contain the purest, most absorbable form of water for our cells, giving your body energy to detox in pace with modern life.

And guys, I just want to forewarn you that this smoothie is a little intense, but for good reason. Choosing meals that help you live into a higher vibration isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it!

Do you feel better when you eat with the seasons? Do you have a favorite spring smoothie recipe that you’d like to share?

Bio: As a Wellness Educator, Cleanse Specialist + crusader for whole-body nourishment, Ashley Pitman supports thousands of people in achieving a hot body and radiant beauty with a blend of raw food education, Ayurvedic inspiration, guided detoxes + courses, and lots of loving encouragement. All the action takes place at Vixi.com, a digital ashram for wellness-inspired people looking to use food as medicine and health as a spiritual practice. Stay devoted to your radiance and well-being by joining the free weekly newsletter with health and lifestyle tips that work. Click here to join & claim your free gift.

Twitter: @ashleylpitman Facebook: Vixi’s Page