Reset & Renew This Spring With My Top 2 Wellness Tips

After what feels like a long long Winter season, Spring has finally arrived!

Bees enjoying the beautiful blooms of Spring flowers from the orange tree in my garden. :)

But despite still having cold windchills and the ongoing rain and snowy weather across the U.S., Spring is indeed here, and some of that frost you're still seeing in the morning will eventually disappear.

While many of us are still Caribbean-dreaming of warm weather and more sunshine, these wellness tips helps me ease into the transition of a new season, and always leave me feeling recharged and renew!

Wellness Tip 1:

Taking care of your mental health with a night & morning routine.

1. Go to bed early (say 9 or 9:30 pm) to get a good night's rest of at least 8 hours of sleep. Getting proper rest have been known to reduce stress and anxiety, lowers the chances of getting sick, and puts me in a better mood to be more productive at whatever activities awaits me the next day.

2. When we go to bed early, it allows our body to wake up naturally with the sunrise - nature's rhythm. Rising with the natural light of the sun helps to regulate the body's natural internal rhythm (the circadian rhythm) and balances melatonin, the sleep hormone. You'll feel so renewed and full of life once you fall into a healthy sleep /wake pattern with your circadian rhythm!

3. When I wake up in the morning, I then hydrate my body with warm water and lemon. When we sleep, our bodies dehydrate during the night and loses fluids through our nose and mouth so drinking warm water helps activate the body's metabolism, and the addition of lemon supports the nervous system's stimulation by increasing circulation and energy in the body. I also add ginger and cayenne pepper to my water to promote the flow of any built up mucus and expel unwanted pathogens and toxins from the body.

4. Once I'm fully up and have brushed my teeth and taken a shower, I bring movement to my body through some form of exercise - either a morning yoga routine with my girl @AriannaElizabeth on youtube, or I do a 15 - 30 minute cardio with my favorite couple @mrandmrsmuscle also on youtube. During the week, I enjoy running and dancing as well. Exercising is a great to get the blood flowing and circulating in the body, plus supports a healthy heart.

5. One of the last things I do before I jump into the busy flow of my day is to go into meditation. For the people in my life that know me intimately, they know that meditation is a staple and must-have life-supporting practice in my life. There are so many benefits to meditation, and for me, it's been the silence I need to tap into the divine and connect with my soul. I can't tell you what a game-changer meditation has been for me to find clarity, get focused, thrive and maintain peace and calm in my life. A real mf'n game-changer!

Wellness Tip 2:

Plan what you consume each day, particularly the foods you put in your body.

At the start of each Spring season, I make a conscious effort to reset my health and detox my body. This means consuming a mix of veggies, iron, fibrous foods & fruits, drinking clean, filtered water and lots of herbal teas!

1. From the first day of Spring, I switch my diet to 100% vegan. Eating a plant-based diet is not only nutritious, taking a break from eating meat allows the body to rid of toxins, allergens, mucus, and provide overall support to the immune system. One of my favorite books I use whenever I want to reset my health is called 'Clean Slate'. This book is the truth and guides you through every step of the way for a clean and wholesome diet. It's filled with a 21-day action plan as a start to get started through resetting your wellness journey.

2. As an herbalist, I consume lots of herbal teas always! And during Spring while the weather is still cool, drinking herbal teas brings me warmth and reconnects me back to nature.

Check out some of my favorite herbal teas to drink:

• Turmeric tea: helps to restore healthy tissues and cells often caused by environmental toxins.

• Dandelion tea: with the liver being one of the most important organs in the body, dandelion root is a powerful herb that helps tone the liver by strengthening and increasing the flow of bile.

• Chamomile or Lemon Balm tea: relaxes soothing muscles throughout the body and reduces stress.

• Ashwaghanda tea: an adaptogenic herb that helps to boost the immune system, helps resistance to external stressors, and balances the nervous system.

With the preparation of any herbal tea, use one part (1 tsp) herbs to one cup of water. If you're using fresh herbs, always double the amount of herbs.

Now I'd like to hear from you. What are some healthy ways that has helped you ease into the onset of Spring?

Namaste,

Fern