With spring around the corner, it’s a great time to take stock of your health and get ready to get back to the great outdoors. Going to the doctor is not the only way to find out if all is good with your body—there are simple signs that may indicate the presence of toxicity or other internal issues. In addition to obvious signs such as fatigue or headaches, common symptoms such as bad breath, dry skin, insomnia or backaches can be your body’s way of saying something needs fixing.

Instead of running to the doctor when these symptoms strike, try nature’s remedies. Holistic treatment methods to set things straight can include a visit to the chiropractor, reflexology, juice cleansing, colon hydrotherapy and increasing vitamins and nutrients in your diet.

The optimal way to get more vitamins and minerals is by upping the ante on your intake of organic, raw produce. Below is a selection of some raw food favorites for you to try out. Enjoy these recipes for a few weeks and watch the results as your body begins to heal, your energy level rises and you can feel the spring in your step!

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Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce

2 cups fresh ripe tomatoes 1 cup soaked sun-dried tomatoes ½ cup fresh basil or 2 Tbsp dried basil 1 large garlic clove 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 tsp Himalayan salt 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 pitted soaked Medjool dates

Soak the sun-dried tomatoes and dates in 4 cups of filtered water overnight and drain. Pat dry to get the excess water out. Put the garlic in the food processor first and chop, then add the dates, fresh tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, basil, lemon juice, salt and olive oil and blend until creamy. Toss with spiral sliced zucchini noodles.

Pasta Noodles

Put a whole zucchini through a spiral slicer and make angel hair pasta.

Cashew Cheese Dip

2 cups raw cashew nuts 2 cloves garlic 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 Tbsp chickpea miso 1 Tbsp raw tahini 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast 1 cup red bell pepper Pinch cayenne pepper

Soak 2 cups raw cashew nuts for 4 hours in 4 cups filtered water and drain. Put the garlic in the food processor first and chop, then add the rest of the ingredients and blend until creamy. Serve with raw vegetables.

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Green Seed Salad

½ cup sunflower seeds ½ cup pumpkin seeds 2 cups spinach 2 cups kale ½ tsp cumin 1 Tbsp fresh basil 2 Tbsp sesame seed raw tahini 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 Tbsp chickpea miso 1 Tbsp sesame seed oil ¼ tsp Himalayan salt 2 Tbsp filtered water

Soak the sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in two cups filtered water overnight and drain. Chop the spinach and kale into bite-size pieces. Combine the cumin, basil, tahini, lemon juice, miso, sesame oil, water and salt in the blender into a smooth, creamy dressing. Toss the greens, nuts and seeds with the dressing and coat all the greens well. Eat right away or let marinate for a few hours to tenderize the greens.

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Brenda Cobb is author of The Living Foods Lifestyle and founder of the Living Foods Institute in Atlanta, offering Healthy Lifestyle courses on nutrition, cleansing, healing and anti-aging, including a therapy spa offering treatments to help detoxify, nourish and relax the body. For more information, call 404-524-4488 or 1-800-844-9876 and visit LivingFoodsInstitute.com.