WHY
The change of seasons are taken very seriously in Ayurveda and especially so the turn from summer to autumn and from winter to spring. The subtle and not so subtle changes in our environments are said to have a profound impact on our bodies and temperaments. This explains such things as sluggishness, low mood and the small ailments we seem to face more often after summer come the cooler and airy months; and in the spring when the body gives off signals to lighten the load.
Just as you should follow a pitta soothing diet and lifestyle during the summer or “pitta season” and follow each season’s best practises to support optimum health and well being; it is also important to support the mind-body system with special routines during the change of the seasons.
This is best done with cleansing and detoxing the body, ridding it of toxins (Ama) and rebooting your metabolism (Agni). A better definition for Ama is any food or substance that the body has not fully digested or absorbed and is left clogging the system. Agni refers to our internal fire, our digestive system, the ability for our mind and body to absorb and transform what it ingests into what we become – we are quite literally what we eat and digestion is probably “the” cornerstone of Ayurveda. Good digestion is considered absolutely essential to good health and most illnesses can be tracked back to poor digestion, poor care of our digestion or poor quality food.
You will benefit from detoxing the most if you’re feeling heavy, are congested, suffer from seasonal depression, allergies, skin problems or a generic feeling of cloudiness and blah. A good Ayurvedic detox programme should have a period of preparation, say a week, followed by a week of detox proper then a week of rehabilitation where you start reintroducing some of the foods you’d excluded on the cleanse. This is the period of healthy nourishment after the purge, often referred to as the rejuvenation period.
A shorter detox is better than not allowing your body that window of rest and restore.
WHEN
The ideal time to start such a programme is around October in Autumn as you are likely to still feel the impact of accumulated summer heat in the body and environment in the earlier autumn period which you should balance with cooling foods – and April to get your spring back into Spring.
HOW & WHAT
A good detox will also provide a schedule of activities and advice about exercise and your overall day’s routine rather than just tell you what to eat. By this I mean going back to a very strict but harmonious dinacharya, a daily routine where you follow the cycles of the day to their optimum energy creating/releasing tempo. The Ayurvedic cleanse is probably as much about healthy daily rituals following the energy cycles of the day and bringing wholesome intentions into the activities of the day than it is about the food you take in. The detox will rest not only the body physically but the mind and spirit, it realigns you with conscious living and holistic practices for overall wellness.
The exact word for an Ayurvedic detox is Panchakarma, a period of purging the body through diet, daily massages and treatments to cleanse and revigorate. Panchakarma is executed at its best by professionals in an Ayurvedic clinic however with a little organisation and up-ing of your normal self-care it is possible to introduce some of the elements of the course at home and around your day-to-day life.
PREPARATION
In the days leading to your detox it would make sense to start veering towards healthier foods and drinks and easing off overwork or overplay. Start paying attention to drinking more water and less coffee/tea/alcohol, eating less sugar. The softer the transition is the better you’ll be able to handle the detox period. Obviously don’t forget to plan your good shopping. Perhaps line up some recipes.
WEEK 1
Avoid
Juices and soft/fizzy drinks which are loaded with sugar & acidic. Replace with coconut water, herbal teas and water.
Alcohol
Fruit
All processed foods (ready meals, pizzas etc)
Wheat and gluten like bread and pasta
Reduce dairy foods to some extent
Sugar in all its forms (incl. chocolate, cakes, biscuits)
Tea/coffee
Sauces, ketchup etc
Increase
Dark green vegetables
Rice, especially basmati white or brown rice
Eggs
Fish
Live plain yoghurt
Cheeses such as cottage cheese, buffalo mozzarella, goat’s cheese, ricotta & haloumi
White meat
Salads
Fresh vegetable juices & soups
Quinoa (in salads, soups…)
Lifestyle
Go to bed early
Wake early
Have an early light dinner and no snacking in the later evening. In fact make that no snacking all day. Leave the body to “fast” from that early dinner time all the way to break-fast.
Make lunch your biggest meal, your digestion will be supported by the Putta cycle then
Simplify your agenda, streamline anything you don’t need to do. Focus on nourishing, positive activities that truly feel uplifting.
Massage your whole body with oil preferably every morning or failing that in the evening before bed. See instructions for Abhyanga from our previous class.
If you are a Kapha type introduce skin brushing every morning to detox through the skin.
You may feel headaches or nausea this week (depending on exactly what you have cut out of your diet, otherwise possibly next week). This is normal and part of the cleansing process however if those are intense feeling please ease off the detox and/or consult your doctor)
WEEK 2
Ayurveda recommends a full day – that is every day for a week – cleanse following a kitchari diet (yes I did say a full day, breakfast, lunch & dinner and obviously no snacking inbetween). Kitchari is a bit of a miracle cure when it comes to detoxing. It’s an Indian recipe based on basmati rice and dhal (mung beans), see the recipe below. It’s healing, rekindling for Agni/your metabolism and nourishing for the tissues and immune system. It’s easy to digest which means your body will spend less energy on supporting the digestive system and will be able to clear more Ama/toxins/residues. Kitchari is alkaline, the herbs (coriander, fennel, cumin, turmeric and ginger) make it anti-inflammatory and blood cleansing. It is a complete protein with all the essential amino acids and will sustain you and curb cravings.
Ingredients for your kitchari:
Basmati rice, split mung dhal, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, fresh ginger, turmeric powder, coconut oil or ghee, natural rock salt, squash, peas or green beans, lime or lemon (all ingredients should ideally be fresh, organic, from a good source, powdered herbs & seeds in good shelf date). You will probably need to buy the dhal from a specialist health food store.
Instructions:
Soak the Dhal overnight
Melt 1tblsp ghee or coconut oil
Add a 1/4 of teaspoon of cumin, coriander, fennel seeds and grated fresh ginger until they slightly roast
Add 2 cups of the beans (dhal) you have soaked overnight and then rinsed
Add 1 cup of rice
Add a teaspoon of turmeric powder and stir
Add 8 cups of boiling water, stir and bring to boil again
Add a pinch of salt
Add squash cut in cubes, peas or green beans volume to taste
Stir regularly
When the rice and beans are cooked through and creamy, turn off the heat & allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime juice to nourish all the 6 tastes.
Eat in a calm, beautiful environment if you can and switch off from all other activities. Enjoy!
WEEK 3
Very similar to week 1, week 3 is all about eating a healthy, wholesome, nourishing diet to rejuvenate the body. As the toxins and impurities are being purged the body is more able to take in the goodness from its diet.
FINAL NOTE
Kitchari is balancing for all the doshas. Vata types and most Pitta types will find it very nourishing but Kapha’s and healthy Pitta’s may find much benefit from a regular (throughout the year) 1-day-a-week detox based on purely ingesting liquid – this meaning that they can take any (healthy) food they would like but in a liquid form. The 1 day liquid diet can be done weekly or whenever you feel a need for cleansing. It will rev’ up your system and help with weight issues.
+ seasonal eating?
Namaste,
Anne
Evidence-based + Holistic 