The type of food eaten during a cleanse relates to the Ayurvedic elemental constitution (dosha) of the person doing it. There are three doshas: Vata (air/space), Pitta (fire/water), and Kapha (water/earth). Vata governs all the motion in the body, Pitta governs all the chemistry, and Kapha creates the structure. Each person is dominated by one dosha and sometimes two. Very rarely is someone equally governed by all three doshas. Everyone is born with a specific ratio of elements in their body, with one or two being dominant. The dominant elements are that person’s dosha. During our lives, we encounter physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental situations that shift the balance from our natural elemental ratio. When this shift happens, we become physically ill, psychologically
unbalanced, get anxious or depressed, have trouble sleeping, and may feel spiritually void. Ayurvedic cleansing seeks to reestablish the original balance of the doshas for the particular individual involved. Kapha people will need to be invigorated, Pittas will need to focus on reducing inflammation, and Vatas need grounding.
The traditional meal for Ayurvedic cleansing is called kitchari (or kitchadi), and is made of split mung beans and basmati rice. Some doshas can handle eating the same meal three times a day for the duration of a cleanse. This is called a mono-diet. A mono-diet is
simple and takes pressure off the digestive system while cleansing, but is also very austere. The “ideal” detox for a person with high digestive capability is to eat a nonfat and cooked diet for the duration of the cleanse. Ghee is taken by itself in the morning before eating begins for the day. This is called oleation. Taking the ghee alone allows it to pull fat-soluble toxins from deep inside the body. Three meals per day are eaten, with lunch being the largest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. because that is when digestion is strongest. No snacks because the digestive system needs a break between meals.
My dominant dosha is Vata. Vata people have a tendency towards taking themselves and life too seriously. Vata people need more
laughter in their lives. Vatas tend to become dry very easily, which if prolonged can induce an ungrounded mental state. For this
reason, the dry winter weather is hard on Vata types. Since Vata people become imbalanced by too much austerity, I will not be
eating a mono-diet during my cleanse. My cleanse has multiple purposes: to help me become mentally and emotionally grounded, to flush the lymph/blood/digestive system, and to rejuvenate my spirit. Keeping these goals in mind, I am crafting my dietary plan.
I should probably mention that one’s digestive capacity plays into a dietary plan for cleansing, as well as whether or not the person is eliminating everyday. FYI, I have no digestive or eliminative issues to consider, but it is important to optimize digestion during cleansing.
I will be using moderate amounts of ghee in my meals to help lubricate my GI tract, aid digestion, and keep me grounded. I will also be taking ginger before meals to aid digestion. Ghee is butter that has been heated to remove the dairy solids. It is one of the most important components of Ayurvedic eating, medicine, and cleansing. Ghee brings in the Kapha dosha to my diet, which will increase my vital essence and aid with physical and emotional stability.
I have a secondary dosha of Pitta. Excess heat inside my body is being released through my skin as acne and bumps in my upper arms. These bumps are signs of inner inflammation as well as lymphatic congestion, so I will be using herbal support for lymphatic flushing as well as daily massage. Knowing myself, I see that my Pitta imbalance began with a Vata imbalance, with too much stress and inconsistency in my daily schedule. So I must balance both elements at the same time. I need to reduce inflammation and get grounded.
When I work with people to create cleansing plans, I take into consideration their willingness to eat a mono-diet, their lifestyle, and their dosha. It is important to keep in mind the goals of the cleanse and to create an eating plan that is reasonable for the individual.
Prescribing the ideal of a nonfat mono-diet is useless if someone doesn’t follow through. It is vital to a successful cleanse to create an eating plan that is anti-inflammatory, dosha-balancing, nourishing, composed of whole foods, and easy to digest. I would advise people to be skeptical of programs that do not make allowances for the individual and prescribe the same diet for everyone.
Tomorrow I begin my cleanse in earnest, which involves me taking 8 days off from work. No television, Facebook, internet, or computer…except for posting this blog. I will be posting details about exactly what I am doing, including my herbal regimen, recipes, and life practices. If anyone has questions about what they have read so far, I can be reached at: [email protected]
I welcome questions…but please remember that since I am cleansing, I will not respond until next week!
unbalanced, get anxious or depressed, have trouble sleeping, and may feel spiritually void. Ayurvedic cleansing seeks to reestablish the original balance of the doshas for the particular individual involved. Kapha people will need to be invigorated, Pittas will need to focus on reducing inflammation, and Vatas need grounding.
The traditional meal for Ayurvedic cleansing is called kitchari (or kitchadi), and is made of split mung beans and basmati rice. Some doshas can handle eating the same meal three times a day for the duration of a cleanse. This is called a mono-diet. A mono-diet is
simple and takes pressure off the digestive system while cleansing, but is also very austere. The “ideal” detox for a person with high digestive capability is to eat a nonfat and cooked diet for the duration of the cleanse. Ghee is taken by itself in the morning before eating begins for the day. This is called oleation. Taking the ghee alone allows it to pull fat-soluble toxins from deep inside the body. Three meals per day are eaten, with lunch being the largest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. because that is when digestion is strongest. No snacks because the digestive system needs a break between meals.
My dominant dosha is Vata. Vata people have a tendency towards taking themselves and life too seriously. Vata people need more
laughter in their lives. Vatas tend to become dry very easily, which if prolonged can induce an ungrounded mental state. For this
reason, the dry winter weather is hard on Vata types. Since Vata people become imbalanced by too much austerity, I will not be
eating a mono-diet during my cleanse. My cleanse has multiple purposes: to help me become mentally and emotionally grounded, to flush the lymph/blood/digestive system, and to rejuvenate my spirit. Keeping these goals in mind, I am crafting my dietary plan.
I should probably mention that one’s digestive capacity plays into a dietary plan for cleansing, as well as whether or not the person is eliminating everyday. FYI, I have no digestive or eliminative issues to consider, but it is important to optimize digestion during cleansing.
I will be using moderate amounts of ghee in my meals to help lubricate my GI tract, aid digestion, and keep me grounded. I will also be taking ginger before meals to aid digestion. Ghee is butter that has been heated to remove the dairy solids. It is one of the most important components of Ayurvedic eating, medicine, and cleansing. Ghee brings in the Kapha dosha to my diet, which will increase my vital essence and aid with physical and emotional stability.
I have a secondary dosha of Pitta. Excess heat inside my body is being released through my skin as acne and bumps in my upper arms. These bumps are signs of inner inflammation as well as lymphatic congestion, so I will be using herbal support for lymphatic flushing as well as daily massage. Knowing myself, I see that my Pitta imbalance began with a Vata imbalance, with too much stress and inconsistency in my daily schedule. So I must balance both elements at the same time. I need to reduce inflammation and get grounded.
When I work with people to create cleansing plans, I take into consideration their willingness to eat a mono-diet, their lifestyle, and their dosha. It is important to keep in mind the goals of the cleanse and to create an eating plan that is reasonable for the individual.
Prescribing the ideal of a nonfat mono-diet is useless if someone doesn’t follow through. It is vital to a successful cleanse to create an eating plan that is anti-inflammatory, dosha-balancing, nourishing, composed of whole foods, and easy to digest. I would advise people to be skeptical of programs that do not make allowances for the individual and prescribe the same diet for everyone.
Tomorrow I begin my cleanse in earnest, which involves me taking 8 days off from work. No television, Facebook, internet, or computer…except for posting this blog. I will be posting details about exactly what I am doing, including my herbal regimen, recipes, and life practices. If anyone has questions about what they have read so far, I can be reached at: [email protected]
I welcome questions…but please remember that since I am cleansing, I will not respond until next week!