For me, the start of Spring is like a New Year’s Eve do-over. I’m never quite in the right mindset among the cold of January to start anything new, so other than generating a book list (or book pile as the case may be), I’m a bit lax in the resolutions department. But once the Spring solstice rolls around, somehow I am all in on a fresh start.
Apparently, my body is naturally set to an Ayurvedic clock. And, according to Ayurveda, this is the time to do a bit of Spring cleaning to your body, mind and emotions. The detox program I am going to share with you (and start myself this week) helps to stimulate the liver (which cleanses toxins from the body), improve circulation, gently refuel your mind/body/emotional system, and effectively flush toxins out through the kidneys, intestines, and even skin. It can be done twice a year–at the beginning of Spring and again at the beginning of Autumn.
What’s all this about toxins? All that environmental pollution, junk in our diets (processed foods, nitrates, pesticides, chemicals, etc.), and stress from our daily lives adds up in our systems, and begins to accumulate and interfere with our ability to process—whether it is processing of our food, or getting a clear thought in our heads. If you’re feeling sluggish, or have sluggish digestion or bloating, dry, irritated skin, allergies, easily catch colds, or have “brain fog”, it may be time for a bit of detoxing.
A Spring Ayurvedic cleansing invokes a physical, mental and emotional digestive reset. Detoxing has been practiced for thousands of years and serves an important role in well-being, longevity and digestive health. This cleansing method supports a reset for digestion and safely detoxes your mind and body. Unlike “juice cleanses” and the like, an Ayurvedic cleanse uses warm, comforting foods to invoke a gentle release of diet and environmental toxins built-up over time. The meal plan includes easy-to-digest foods such as: rice, legumes, ghee and fresh fruits as well as cooked vegetables. In addition to a wholesome diet, the detox also uses nourishing self-care practices to support restoration. And this plan can be followed to different degrees based on your needs or how much you choose to commit to it.
Preparation and rejuvenation are important to not shock the system. The idea is a gentle reset. Preparation is a slow integration of whole foods and self-care techniques. The rejuvenation is a gentle return to a normal diet. With the full two week program, you will consume wholesome cooked foods and be introduced to warming spices. Your body will feel at ease rather than deprived during this “cleanse”. My goal is to help you feel more mindful, nourished, and balanced after a week. You will have three days of preparation, three of the detox program and two days of rejuvenation, totaling eight days.
But, to do this well, you must try to eliminate (or minimize) stress from your life for a few weeks, and carve out a few hours during each day for self care. You will also be doing your own cooking, although the meals are easy to make.
For the plan you will need:
– ingredients for Kitchari (see recipe here), and other whole foods as noted below
– Triphala
– coconut oil
– loofah brush
The simplest form of detox is with Triphala. This is a formula composed of three fruits, each with healing properties. It can be purchased at many Indian markets, at health food or vitamin shops, or online. If you do nothing else, simply taking triphala twice a day (after lunch and dinner) will be a good way to detox your system. If you are not following the full 1-week plan, take the Triphala for a full month.
For the 1-week program, read on…
We will start with three days of preparation. Remember we do not want to shock our systems. For three days you will work on eliminating the stressors in your diet, including caffeine, sugars, saturated fats, and any alcohol or cigarettes. Do not use any chemicals for cleaning your house or body (check your shampoo, toothpastes and antiperspirants for chemicals—you may be surprised at what you find in them!). Tour your local health market for non-chemical alternatives. We also need to strive to minimize the stress from our lives as well, so if you can, this is not the week to schedule challenging business meetings, or perhaps big family events (if they cause you stress) or do any unusual travel. This is a time to add time for quiet meditation, calming exercise like yoga, swimming, tai chi or walking in nature. Also consider taking time for journaling and reading. For this detox, turn off the news and try to ignore social media. Take less time staring at screens and more time moving your body and enjoying the fresh air outdoors.
As you ease in to the program, add lots of wholesome foods to your diet, including plenty of fiber from organic fruits and veggies and whole grains. Some veggies are particularly cleansing, such as cabbage/Brussels sprouts, broccoli, radishes, seaweeds, and spirulina and chlorella which can be mixed into anything you eat. Phase out any processed foods and eat any whole foods that you like. Take triphala following lunch and again before bed.
Drink lots of water to help hydrate and flush your system. Aim for a half-gallon to a gallon of water each day.
Start your morning with warm water and the juice of one lemon to help stimulate the liver. Enjoy lemon water, green tea or tea made from dandelion root or milk thistle during the day to maximize the liver cleanse. Adding vitamin C to your diet through food or supplementation helps support the liver cleanse as well.
Each morning, begin with a calming routine of deep breathing and gentle stretching or yoga. Try to meditate for 10-30 minutes, or just sit quietly to read uplifting materials or journal your thoughts. Start each day with a positive intention.
Follow this with 30 minutes of gentle exercise: a walk outdoors (grab the dog and go!), tai chi, yoga or swimming.
On alternate days before showering, give yourself a dry brush scrub followed by an oil massage. You can read all about those practices here.
In addition to the scrub, a shower rotating hot water with bursts of cold water for 30 seconds will help stimulate the skin. If you have access to a sauna, this is also a wonderful way to not only relax, but to also flush toxins through the skin. Indulge daily for 10-30 minutes.
The three detox days:
For the next five days you will continue to do all that you have been doing for self care as noted above in the preparation phase, however, your diet will be limited to Kitchari (see recipe here) along with the lemon tea in the morning. This easy-to- digest mix of rice, yellow lentils and spices (with ghee, veggies or even boiled chicken as desired) will ease your adrenals and help calm your digestive system. You will eat Kitchari for every meal, as much as you like (but as with all things in Ayurveda, not to excess). You never want to feel full, just content. Continue to take triphala after lunch and before bed, and continue to hydrate well.
The two days of rejuvenation:
For the last two days of the cleanse, you will slowly begin returning to “normal life”, by adding foods back into your diet. You may find that you have grown to love the added hydration and self-care rituals and I encourage you to continue practicing them. I suggest a massage on one of these days to help complete the cleanse. It will be a relaxing and restoring way to end.
For full day by day instructions, click here.
For personal coaching on how to make distinctive positive changes to your life, or to talk with an Ayurvedic expert to advise you on an optimal plan based on your personal body type and lifestyle to aid in your digestion and wellness, please get in touch through the contact form by clicking contact us above. I look forward to hearing from you!