Issue link: http://www.bodysensemagazinedigital.com/i/484111
6 Body Sense Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 ounces sliced onion 3 ounces diced celery 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 cup chopped broccoli 1/2 tablespoon bay leaves 1 pound sliced potatoes 1 quart spinach 1 quart vegetable stock 1 teaspoon black pepper Optional seasonings: salt, tahini (ground sesame seed butter), and/or nutritional yeast (significant source of B-complex vitamins) Once-a-Week Liquid Cleanse A once-a-week liquid cleanse gives your metabolism a break and allows the liver (the chemical factory of your body) and other organs to focus on metabolism, healing, and restoring balance to the body. The idea is simple: for one day of the week, eat/ drink only smoothies, juices, water, and soups throughout the day, and eliminate anything you have to chew (this gives your jaw a break and often demonstrates how habituated we are with "chewing things over"). This once-a-week liquid cleanse powerfully inserts an intentional change to habitual eating routines and cultivates a conscious relationship with our food cravings, appetite, and nutritional behavior. To realize the best results, practice a once-a-week liquid cleanse for at least a month. Green is the harmonizing color associated with the Wood phase, and during springtime, we recommend adding plenty of locally grown seasonal fruits and vegetables to your diet, especially if they happen to be green (or sour, like lemons). Directions: 1. Sauté onion, celery, and garlic in olive oil just until flavor is released. 2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until volume is reduced by approximately one-third. 3. Strain or remove bay leaves. 4. Blend in a food processor. 5. Season to taste with salt, tahini (for added protein and a more nutty flavor), and/or nutritional yeast (providing a faux-cheesy flavor). Serves 2–4, yielding about 1 quart Creamy Broccoli Soup Recipe This is one of our all-time favorite recipes, and we invite you to modify the ingredients to your taste. ENERGETIC DETOXIFICATION Detoxification from extremes may occur on the physical level, but it also clears noxious debris from our mind and heart. Spring is described as a windy season in TCM, and wind provides a metaphor for our energy or vital life force, known as qi (pronounced "chee"). For example, although we cannot see the wind itself, we can see the results of wind as we hear the leaves rustle in the trees and dust or debris being pushed and carried in the air. Similarly, though we cannot see qi, we can feel the results of our internal qi in how vital, radiant, and exuberant we feel. As we participate in more outdoor activities during these months, we may notice external irritants like pollen impacting our feelings of well-being. Internally, turbulent emotions may circulate like gusts of wind leading to extreme emotions. Our liver qi is particularly challenged by growing feelings of irritation and frustration. If these feelings are unexpressed or exaggerated, they may explode (or implode) into extreme manifestations of anger and resentment. When these feelings are regularly entertained, our posture often responds with tight shoulders, a clenched or jutted jaw, and muscular tension in our neck, upper back, or head. Likewise, physical or emotional discomfort may migrate and move into different areas of our body, presenting as a textbook TCM "windy condition." Breathing practices and conscious movement exercises soothe these explosive gusts, calming our mind and body. 3