A lot of people look to January to do intensive juice cleanses and health detox programs or extended fasts. As a nutrition, health and wellness expert and practitioner I recommend most people wait to do these types of cleanses in the Spring, Summer and early Fall. Taking in mostly cold raw light foods and fasting for an extended period during the colder and cold and flu winter months can leave us feeling depleted where the same program can leave us feeling revitalized and robust when done during Spring and Summer!
When we eat and treat our bodies according to the rhythms of the seasons our bodies respond and thrive! This is the foundation to some of our oldest and most enduring systems of medicine like Ayurveda.
To keep the body and gut lean and happy during winter I recommend swapping out a green juice for a green soup! Green soups can taste and feel surprisingly satisfying during this time, full of both fortifying and detox greens and immune protective herbs and spices. They are so easy to make and so versatile!
GREEN SOUP BASICS!
Mix and match one or more foods from each category here:
- base: broccoli, cauliflower, celery, zucchini, green beans, white beans, potatoes
- greens: sweet greens like spinach and chard, slightly more bitter greens like kale and collard, any greens are in!
- herbs and spices: onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, oregano, thyme, cumin
- light blend: broth, water, diluted almond or cashew milk and/or cream blend: avocado, coconut milk, cashew cream
- to taste: fresh squeezed lemon, sea salt, Tamari, Coconut Aminos, black pepper
- to garnish: radish, seeds, sprouts, avocado pieces
Steam veggies and greens and combine in blender with light or cream blend OR for more flavor sauté the onions, garlic, ginger and veggies and then blend in a blender like a Vitamix or using an immersion blender.
