With the first day of spring right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to refresh and cleanse a variety of different areas of your life: hello, spring cleaning! 

I like to think of the changing of the seasons as a wonderful time to rejuvenate certain areas, including your closest and possessions, diet and refrigerator/freezer/pantry, and adopt new wellness practices to bring in the new season. Here’s some of my favorite ways to welcome warmer weather and spring:

1. Spring clean – everything

Spring cleaning is cathartic: it’s an incredible way to look at possessions, donate, get rid of old and expired food products lurking in your refrigerator/pantry/and freezer, go through things that don’t serve you and make your space feel squeaky clean again. Here are a few areas to start:

Your closet: It’s time to put those heavy sweaters away (finally) and break out lighter clothing – yay! Free up space by adopting storage bins for winter clothing that can easily slip under your bed, at the top of your closet, or in any other nook and cranny. If you feel like going all-in to spring cleaning your closet, try Marie Kondo’s Kon-Mari method – which I’ve been loving. It involves taking every single piece of clothing you own, placing it in a big pile, and only keeping the garments that “spark joy.” Donate old or unwanted clothes to a local shelter or have a clothing swap with your friends!

Pantry: Now’s a great time to go through your pantry and grab non-perishable snacks, bars, canned goods, and more that you haven’t eaten. Fill a bag (or two) and donate to a local food pantry or women’s shelter.

Refrigerator and freezer: that really old pack of freezer-burned bagels in the back of your freezer? You probably don’t need those. Other items to consider are condiments; reeeeeally old salad dressing and sauces, for example.

Bathroom: I’ve been adopting more non-toxic beauty products, personal care products, and cleaning products into my life lately, as I feel they are better for the planet and my body. Spring cleaning my bathroom looks like getting rid of products containing harmful chemicals, artificial ingredients, and products with fragrances. If you’re looking to revamp your personal care products, start with the items that occupy the most “real estate” on your body, such as body lotion and deodorant.

2. Shop seasonal and fill your fridge with goodness!

Spring has some of the very best seasonal produce, in my opinion. Say hii to detoxifying spring greens (like dandelion greens, lettuce, and arugula), strawberries and rhubarb, fresh herbs, carrots, spring onions, asparagus, artichokes, and so much more. Fill your refrigerator with fresh produce, healthy fats (avocado, wild salmon, nut butters, seeds), fermented foods (kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, coconut yogurt), and other seasonal staples.

3. Go outdoors!

Spring also means longer, sunnier days, and it’s the perfect time for being outdoors. Take your usual workout outside for a boost of vitamin D from the sun – backyard yoga, sunny walks around the block, or hiking with your friends.

4. Meditate!

The changing of the seasons is a perfect time to reflect inward, set some goals, and create intentions for the new season. Daily (or weekly) meditation is a wonderful way to do this. Meditation looks very different for everyone (I love walking meditation, for example) but whatever appeals to you: do it. Take some time in the morning, at lunch, or in the evening to sit quiet with yourself and breathe.

5. Get your clean on.

Make some DIY cleaner with a spray bottle filled with vinegar and a few drops of essential oil and hit up those surfaces, floors, and nooks and crannies.

Which wellness practice are you most excited to adopt for spring?

When stocking up on those fermented foods, be sure to visit a store near you that carries Health-Ade Kombucha.

Today's blog is written by our very own Daina Trout, MS, MPH

Daina is not just our Co-Founder, she is also a nutritionist that has spent her adult life dedicated to finding and sharing health and wellness through food. With 2 masters' degrees in nutritional biochemistry and public health, Daina has called upon her education often while leading the way at Health-Ade - from how we make every batch of kombucha, to how we talk about gut health to consumers, to even how healthy our employee workplace is! She even writes a few blogs here and there. Happy reading! :)