The Ayurvedic version of tequila and lime...ginger and a shot of cranberry juice with kutki. I take the ginger 15 min before each meal (for digestion like I said before) then right before I eat 30 drops of kutki tincture in cranberry juice (liver support). My body is really feeling all of the toxins coming out. This morning began with 3 teaspoons of melted ghee for oleation. Again, oleation pulls toxins from deep within the tissues. Most toxins are fat soluble, so they are attracted to the ghee. People have asked me if just mixing ghee with their breakfast meal will work and the answer is no. Think of the ghee like a lint roller. If you have the lint roller almost full and you try to clean your clothes, it doesn't work as well. That is like mixing ghee with your breakfast for detoxification. If you have a fresh sheet on the lint roller, it can clean your whole outfit. That is oleation. I have been very nauseous the last 24 hours and this morning I have the detox headache. It is normal to feel nauseous and headachey when your body is eliminating toxins. This is why it's important to cleanse when you can take it easy a little. And if you can't take time off, to make a gentle cleanse that will release things slowly rather than all at once. More to come later....
This is what I ate all day today. Kitchari: white jasmine rice, split yellow mung beans. Spring Masala, and a handful of chopped cilantro. I did swedana (sweating therapy) to aid in elimination of toxins.
I also went to see Cheryl Hicks at Tranquili-Chi Center. Cheryl gave me crystals to help with my cleanse and we did a soul journey together. It was amazing and left me feeling calm and connected to Source. When I got home afterwards, I cleansed the crystals with water, set my intention for working with them, and put them outside so they can charged with the energy of the full moon tonight. These were my meditative and spiritual practices for today. Tonight I will be getting abhyanga (Ayurvedic massage for detox). I have added goldenseal to my daily herbs as the detox has brought on a sinus infection that was knocking at my door. My computer has died, so I am blogging from my iPhone and this is not so simple with these tiny keys! That's all for today! First thing in the morning: take 1 tsp. melted ghee before eating. The ghee pulls toxins from deep in the body. each day, I will be taking one more teaspoon of ghee until I am taking 8 before breakfast on the last day. My morning food preparation began with making Spring Masala. The recipe is below and adapted from "The Path of Practice" by Maya Tiwari. This spice mixture is what I will be adding to my kitchari this week. This mixture aids digestion, reduces inflammation, and breaks up congestion stored in the body over winter. [Spring Masala: -1 palmful (amount that fits into the palm of your hand)cumin seeds -2 palmfuls coriander seeds -1 5-finger pinch yellow mustard seeds -1 5-finger pinch black peppercorns -1 teaspoon cardamom powder] Dry roast whole seeds until they begin to pop over medium-high heat. Grind whole seeds in mortar and pestle and then add cardamom powder. The next thing I did this morning was make my digestive aid for the week. An ancient Ayurvedic digestive is thinly sliced ginger sprinkled with lemon juice and salt. I let all the ginger slices sit in the lemon juice as I was cutting enough for the next couple days. I put them one by one into the tiny tupperware and sprinkled salt on them individually. When the container was full, I poured the lemon juice in so the slices don't dry out. I will be eating 2 of these slices 15 minutes before each meal for the duration of my cleanse. It will keep my digestive fire strong and help to ease any nausea that occurs as my body begins to detoxify. Breakfast was white basmati rice with Spring Masala and steamed rainbow chard. I melted 1 teaspoon of ghee and heated about 1 tablespoon of the masala in there. I then poured this mixture over the rice and greens. Heating the spices and ghee together this way allows the flavor of the spices to permeate the food. I did so much preparation before I ate that I was starving and forgot to take a picture. My lunch today was lemon beets. This is my own creation based upon the principles of liver cleansing and bile thinning (basically combining oil with citrus). Beets are blood cleansers and rosemary is a nerve tonic. I ate the beets with the rest of my Spring Masala Rice from breakfast. [Lemon Beets: 2 red beets cut into 1-inch pieces, 2 sprigs of rosemary, about 4 tablespoons olive oil, juice of 1 lemon. Mix everything together and roast in oven at 450 for about 40 minutes, turning halfway through]. P.S.- Everything I am eating this week is organic. No chemicals go in this body while I am cleansing! Dinner was sweet potato and lime soup. Although spice isn't usually eaten during a cleanse, I wanted a little bit to break up the sinus congestion I have felt coming on today as detox begins. This is a soup that I created tonight with my family. The recipe will follow. My son made the soup stock with enough water to fill our biggest pot 2/3 full, 1 onion cut in half, 2 carrots, 2 cloves garlic, 1 palmful peppercorns, and 2 sprigs rosemary. He just put all these things in the water and simmered for 40 minutes. Then, he strained everything out and I used the stock to make the soup. I ate the 2 garlic cloves for immune protection. It is important to remember that cleansing flushes the lymph system, so if you have been exposed to viruses recently, they are likely to make themselves known. Since almost everyone I see lately in my office has a cold or the flu, it is always important for me to keep my immunes system up to par. This soup has cilantro, which is an antihistamine and purple kale. Bitter greens help to decongest the body as winter ends and are full of antioxidants and micro-nutrients. [Sweet potato lime soup: about 4 cups soup stock, 1 giant sweet potato or 3 normal-sized ones, 2 palmfuls cilantro, 2 chopped cloves garlic, 1 palmful shredded ginger, 1 3-finger pinch coriander seeds, 1 3-finger pinch yellow mustard seeds, 1 2-finger pinch turmeric, juice of 1 lime, 2 handfuls chopped purple kale, 4 shakes of cayenne pepper. Put all ingredients into stock except for kale and simmer over medium heat for 1 hour. After 1 hour, add kale and cook until kale changes color.] We also made white jasmine rice and threw a handful of chopped cilantro in the rice. We added the rice to the soup. It was delicious and definitely cleared my chest and sinuses! My herbal support: Neem to cool Pitta (inner fire), Manjistha to drain the lymphatic system, and Kutki to support my liver as it processes all the toxins I am releasing. I am taking the lowest dose of these 3 times per day after meals. I prefer to use food as medicine when possible, so the ginger slices are my digestive support. As I write this, I am unwinding with a nerve-calming tea made with lavender, rose, gotu kola, and hibiscus flowers. Today was mostly purchasing the rest of my groceries and cooking to set myself up for the week. My mental cleansing practices include no television, internet, Facebook, or checking e-mail. The first thing this morning, I opened my phone and checked for text messages from patients. Then I caught myself. All day, I kept reaching for my phone reflexively, but I was successful in having a tech-free day...until I did this blog. My family has agreed to support me and also be television and internet free all week. Every day, I will include exercise, meditation, and self-nourishing practices. I practiced meditative eating today to begin my mental grounding. Hot many things we do while we eat! How often is it that you just sit and think about how wonderful the food tastes? Well that is what I did today at each meal. When my mind wandered, I brought it back and focused on the beautiful flavors in my food. At the end of the day after dinner, I took a long walk with the dogs for exercise. I then did a self-massage with coconut oil, with lymphatic drainage. I drew a hot bath for myself and put eucalyptus oil in, and I sat in the warm water for 20 minutes to let the oil soak into my skin and nourish my body.
I am soaking split yellow mung beans overnight in water to make kitchari for my breakfast tomorrow. In case anyone is interested, below is my cleansing foods grocery list. Things I will not be consuming are: pre-made foods, fruit of any kind (except using lemon and lime juice), nightshades (eggplant, tomato, bell peppers), bread, coffee, dairy, soy, nuts, meat, eggs, and probably no beans except for the yellow mung beans. My grocery list (organic): -ghee -turnips -red and golden beets -purple and green kale -red Swiss chard -sweet potatoes -garlic -lemons -limes -carrots -white jasmine rice (brown rice is harder to digest) -parsnips -yellow mung beans -ginger root -whole fennel -chicory "coffee" -raw honey -olive oil Spices (organic): -yellow mustard seeds -black peppercorns -whole fennel seeds -turmeric -coriander seeds -cumin seeds -cardamom (seeds or powder) -salt (I use iodized to support healthy thyroid function) I am tired after today! Goodnight. 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! My full haul from the market: beets for blood cleansing; parsnips for grounding; ginger for aiding digestion; greens for antioxidants and bone-building elements (building bones is grounding and balances the air element); sweet potatoes for vitamin C, B6, B2, antioxodant, anti-inflammatory action and blood-sugar balancing; turnips for antioxidants and liver support. Image ©2013 Michelle Dexter o
In Ayurvedic medicine, cleansing is done both to prevent and treat illness. To maintain health, seasonal cleansing is done at the turn of the season. This is done because disease takes root in the body during the seasonal transitions. It may take years for that disease to show, but it begins during a season change. The major seasonal transitions are from summer to autumn and from winter to spring. Cleansing during the seasonal transitions can be done either in a clinic (pancha karma) or at home. At-home cleanses can be gentle and prolonged or more intensive and short, depending upon the individual in question. I have taken a week off from work in order to do an intense one-week cleanse. Many products being marketed as "cleanses" are nothing more than expensive laxatives. These products eliminate all the fecal matter from the colon, causing a feeling of lightness. This may make someone feel like they are accomplishing something beneficial, but no true cleansing has taken place. Temporary weight loss occurs in these cases but will be gained again when the person resumes their old eating habits. Many people do these types of laxative “cleanses” on a regular basis, each time re-gaining more weight than the time before. This type of weight cycling has been shown in clinical research to be more harmful to the body than simply staying heavier. True cleansing pulls toxins from deep inside the body, eliminates them, and rejuvenates the body afterwards. A true needs to have several elements: -oleation: intake of oil to pull toxins from the body -sweating: to eliminate toxins -massage: to circulate lymph and blood, and to move toxins to the GI tract where they can be eliminated -purgation: facilitation of bowel movements to eliminate toxins -intake of adequate water: to flush toxins and rejuvenate the body, boost metabolism and improve skin quality -herbal liver support: the liver is working overtime during a cleanse because it has to process toxins pulled out of the fatty tissue -digestive support as needed -herbs to cleanse the blood and move the lymph -consumption of a simple easy-to-digest diet free of raw and processed foods -practices to cleanse mental and emotional patterns that are no longer beneficial -cleansing of one's environment -post-cleanse rejuvenation How do you know when you need to cleanse? Acute conditions are treated with cleansing, such as asthma and osteoarthritis. Signs that someone needs to detoxify include: mental fogginess, forgetfulness, swelling, acne, constipation, bloating, eczema, and psoriasis. We are coming up on the transition from winter to spring. In the Ayurvedic calendar, spring begins on March 15. The ideal time for spring cleansing is from March 21 to April 7. Although the ideal time for cleansing has not quite arrived, it is important for people to listen to their bodies and respect the message they are sending. Here are some of the signs my body has given me that I need to do my cleanse NOW! 1. I have become very absent-minded in my personal life. This morning, I started cooking breakfast, left in the middle and started answering e-mails, came back to put toast in, forgot about it while answering texts and burnt it, and then realized I had water boiling. Last week, I got to the office and realized I was still wearing my house slippers. Endless episodes of idiocy could be written under this heading. I need to get my mind in order before it begins to affect my professional life more than just wearing slippers to work. 2. Usually I am someone who falls asleep quite nicely every night and does not wake up until the alarm goes off. I have recently had trouble falling asleep and have had trouble staying asleep once I get there. 3. I have gotten a few spots of acne and bumps on my upper arms. 4. My appetite has suddenly decreased, meaning it is almost nonexistent. 5. My work load is quite high and I am currently noticing myself constantly planning for upcoming projects. Even in the shower, I am thinking about what classes I will be teaching next and how I will be filling the shelves of the herbal supply store I am opening in June. These patterns of thinking indicate stress, which means that my body is constantly in a fight-or-flight state. Being in this state for a prolonged amount of time causes damage to the immune and GI systems, among other things. 6. I have noticed myself being quick to anger. It is important to do a pre-cleanse to get the body ready for the real thing. For the last two weeks, I have been taking small doses of a blood cleansing herb (Shatavari) and nerve rejuvenatives (Ashwagandha, Gotu Kola, Bacopa). I have also been planning the activities I will need to flush my system and rejuvenate my mind, body, and spirit over a one-week period. Why am I blogging my cleanse? I think that sometimes the best way to learn about something is by hearing someone else’s experience. Although cleansing is specific to the issues and the dosha of the person in question, I hope to give a picture of the amazing healing process a cleanse can be…and to show that it is much more than taking laxatives. Tomorrow I will be going to the farmer’s market, after which I will post pictures of the lovely foods I purchase and tell you all about my cleansing menu. Today’s photo is a statue of Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god. He is the god of wind and I am dominated by that element. I took this photo outside a temple near College Park, Maryland. |