This time of the year it seems like everyone’s looking to feel a bit more refreshed to welcome in Spring and get rid of the chilly, brittle cold Winter. I’ve seen so many clients try to detox the wrong way- and it simply just doesn’t work. There’s no need to deprive yourself; detoxing is simple. It’s just about eating clean and adding in lots of lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables.

What determines a detox is the way we approach it.

Incorporating  my healthy detoxifying recipes into your day is realistic, manageable and effective.

You can start by adding the color green to each meal or snack. How about tossing some spinach in your morning smoothie, baking kale chips for an afternoon snack and creating roasted broccoli with garlic with dinner?

The benefits of detoxification are amazing. I know first hand as I’ve had to detox my body since May trying to rid all the heavy metal accumulation in my body. Not once did I go on a juice cleanse or deprive myself. And I never will. I simply add in lots of healthy foods and superfoods such as chia seeds, flax seeds, maca, hemp, wheat grass and chlorophyll.  There’s no need to be intimidated by these foods, simply toss them into your tomato sauce, marinade, yogurt or dressing and you’ve got a healthy dose of energy right in your meal without you even knowing.

Detoxing is important to eliminate all those contaminants that we’re all exposed to each and every day in our environment- whether it be through the air we breathe, food we eat, water we drink, body lotions, makeup or shampoo.  For awhile, I was overwhelmed, everywhere I looked I had to detox my life, my body, my apartment, my everything. After tossing half of my apartment out the door, I had to purchase organic beauty products, a cloth shower curtain, organic towels and organic household cleaners along with so much more…

Overwhelming? Maybe at first.

But take a deep breath.

Manageable? Yes.

If I can do it, so can you.

Now, I’m the one with the heavy metal accumulation so I’m in chelation right now and going through my own detoxifying process so I don’t want you to think of a detox as some sort of crazy fast or starvation diet. That’s not it at all. Believe me, if you spent one day with me you’d see how much I eat…all day long.

You may discover improved sleep, increased energy and glowing skin. Hey, I’ll take that…wouldn’t you?

A healthy detox is about flushing out the toxins in your body and making changes in your lifestyle by choosing to change a few habits at a time. Don’t get all excited and try to be a jack of all trades and fix everything at once for your New Year’s Resolution.

It won’t work and you’ll feel deprived and frustrated.

Start slow.

Baby steps.

Since switching over to working with a medical doctor specializing in Integrative and Eastern medicine, I’ve learned to rely on external signs as we often neglect to see the whole picture of what is going on with our bodies. We ignore so many signs that are staring us right in the face.

When your liver is overloaded with toxins, skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, and rosacea, dark circles under your eyes, forehead wrinkles and lackluster complexion can be the ugly result. It’s simply our skin calling out for a cleanse.

I’m all about showing how important it is to care for ourselves because making healthy choices shows in our well-being.

And speaking of well-being, I just started up yoga again this week.

Trust me, it’s amazing what a little yoga can do.

Funny thing is that if you asked me about any of this last year at this time, while I was on disability from my corporate America job and in chronic pain, I would have giggled and laughed.

But not this year and not any more.

I’m a new woman. Healing day by day and building up my flora to heal my belly all while helping others by teaching them and cooking for them.

So, if you’re feeling like you need a lil’ pick me up, take some of my healthy detox tips below and get yourself into a winter wonderland of radiant skin, deep sleep and bouncing energy.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Try to eliminate high inflammatory foods such as dairy, soy, red meat, caffeine, alcohol and gluten.
• Eat lots of fiber including gluten-free grains, fruits and veggies.  Try adding a fresh green juice to your breakfast in the morning.
• Add sauna time.  You heard me right, go ahead and book the spa appointment. When my doctor told me that I needed to start sweating in a sauna to eliminate waste through perspiration, I was ecstatic. I’m a spa-lover so any chance I can get my hands on a lil’ sauna time, I’m there.
• Move it, sister. Get up and get going; try walking and practicing yoga. I just starting doing yoga last week and I have been so happy and felt so good about me and life and everything else. It eases stress and makes me happy.

And remember, I’m the odd one in the group. I’m going through a heavy metal detox with my body through chelation so I’m not recommending anyone do that unless you are under doctors orders, however, you can start by adding some color to your meals and walking, practicing yoga, meditating and enjoying your meals.

You can do it. It’s 2012- it’s a New year. It’s Your year.

So, go ahead and toss some of the garbage that’s lying around your pantry and get on the healthy bandwagon to prep your body and immune system for Spring.

This my friends, is no fad.

There are no fads here, no diets here, no depriving here.

Just living.

And that simply is what you can do, too.

Go ahead, give it a whirl.

Send me a picture of how pretty those rosy cheeks of yours look in a few weeks.

And if you’re in NYC this weekend, come say hi to me at the NYC Kid’s Food Festival. I’d love to see you.