Ayurvedic cleanse


From my wonderful friend, teacher and Ayurvedic Practitioner Chara Caruthers https://www.blissbodyandsoul.com/

We can influence our health and happiness by paying attention to what we eat because in a very real sense what we eat actually becomes who we are.

From an Ayurvedic perspective what we eat, just like everything else we do has a direct connection to the doshas. So it can either help us to be balanced or imbalanced in our minds and bodies and directly influence our experience of life and living.

Do you all know what your dosha is? It is definitely worth doing a dosha quiz if you don’t - there are loads online.


The Doshas

The 3 doshas reflect our constitutional make up. 

We are all made up of the 5 elements - but these elements come together in different ways for different people.

So you might be: 

Vata which is mostly ether and air

Pitta which is mostly fire and water

Kapha which is mostly water and earth


Vata 

Thin frame, light, thin, creative, artistic, lively, thinks and acts fast, spontaneous, prone to dryness, cold hands and feet 

Imbalance - impulsive, spacey, disorganised, lacking in confidence, procrastinating, moody, emotional with cracking popping joints, lower back pain, headaches, dizziness, insomnia and constipation. 

Pitta

Confident, highly intelligent, organised, joyful, natural leaders, sharp memory, funny, competitive, articulate, medium build, strong appetite, oily skin, strong digestion

Imbalance - overly intense, arrogant, jealous, angry, tense, loud, aggressive, controlling, judgemental, skin rashes, ulcers, inflammation, diarrhea, intolerance to heat


Kapha

Compassionate, patient, nurturing, loyal, forgiving, calm, mild mannered, strong stamina, romantic, deeply satisfied with life, oily/smooth skin, thick hair, cool clammy hands, good memory, deep sleeper.


Imbalance - lethargy, possessive, fear of letting go, introverted, depression,inability to say no, hoarding, overly passive, inability to express oneself, obesity,  congestion, bloating, heart disease, diabetes.


In Ayurveda every food can be categorised by its taste and in turn each taste has a different effect on the body.

The 6 tastes are: 

Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent.

The best tastes for cleansing are bitter, astringent and pungent. 


Your dosha is your true and unchanging nature but we are also influenced by the food we eat, the time of day, the seasons, the weather, the people we spend time with and our age. The way all these different energies express themselves in us moment by moment allows us to gain a clearer understanding of what is going on for us in our complex lives and with this insight, how we might be able to find balance (health). 

Eating to create peace of mind

The three states of mind are:

Rajas - active, intense, motivated

Tamas - dull, unmoving, complacent, still

Sattva - peaceful, calm, nurturing, love


These qualities of mind are affected by everything we come into contact with - people, information, environments and the food that we eat. 


Tamasic food is …..

Dulling to the mind and the body.

Old, dead, frozen, highly processed foods are tamasic.

They can leave us feeling heavy, dull and complacent.

They offer little nourishment and should be kept to a minimum.

Tamasic food includes fried foods, fast food, frozen food, refined sugars, canned food, stale food, fizzy drinks, red meat, alcohol.



Rajasic foods is …

Stimulating and energising to the mind and body.

Pungent, spicy food, sour and salty food.  

It can leave us feeling over-excited, aggressive and competitive and can cause stress.

They should be eaten in moderation.

Rajasic food includes chicken, eggs, onions, garlic, salt, citrus fruit, coffee, balck tea, very spicy food and chocolate.


Sattvic food is…

Pure, fresh and full of life force energy. It is the basis for good health and enduring happiness as it cultivates a sattvic mind. 

Fresh wholesome living foods.

Sattvic foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, milk, honey, nuts, ghee, herbal tea, mung beans.


EATING TO CLEANSE

When we are eating to cleanse ourselves we want to get rid of AMA (toxins) which are the result of faulty digestion. This can be undigested food, thoughts and emotions that stick to our minds and bodies and slow us down.

To burn away ama:

Use heat to melt toxins - warm food and spices

Warm, light, dry diet

Pungent, bitter, astringent tastes.


To boost/balance the digestive system

In order to be healthy we need to have a well functioning digestive system that breaks down, integrates and lets go of food, experiences and lifestyle influences successfully.  How can we balance the digestive system?

  • Ease the burden on the digestive system

  • Kindling the digestive fire (agni)


Heat and lightness relieve digestion - lights soups, warm light salads, light grains. 

Reduce heavy, cold, wet and sweet foods.


10 rules for good digestion 

  1. Begin meals with grace or a simple acknowledgement of gratitude

  1. Eat in a calm environment where there is little distraction. Turn the tv, radio off and have quite gentle conversation - nothing too emotional.

  2. Chew your food until it is of an even consistency. This improves your digestive systems ability to get the nutrients from your food. 

  3. Eat at a moderate pace until you are 75% full. When we eat too much it becomes difficult for the digestive system to do its work. When you finish eating you do not want to feel heavy just satisfied. 

  4. Let your food digest before going on to your next activity. Wait 15 - 20 minutes or take a slow walk.

  5. Avoid drinking cold water during your meal. This weakens digestion.

  6. Avoid drinking large quantities of liquids during your meal. ½ a cup of room temperature water is enough to moisten your food for good digestion.

  7. Allow 3 hours between meals for digestion.

  8. Digestion is strongest around noon so aim to have your biggest meal then and a lighter meal in the morning and the evening.

  9. Cook with positive emotions like love and kindness.




REDUCING AMA


  • Include more fresh, organic vegetables; sweet, juicy fruits; whole grains such as couscous, barley, amaranth, millet and rice; and easily digested proteins such as lentil soup in your diet.

  • Increase intake of boiled or steamed vegetables, bitter foods, vegetable soup, vegetable and fruit juices.

  • Avoid fried foods, heavy foods such as aged cheese, meat, rich desserts and all other items that are difficult to digest.

  • Avoid eating or drinking anything cold.

  • Drink warm water throughout the day to flush ama from the body.

  • Don't snack between meals unless you are actually hungry, and wait until your previous meal is digested.

  • Use spices such as turmeric, cumin, asafoetida and coriander to assist the process of digestion.

  • Go to sleep before 10pm as Pitta time starts after that. If you stay up, you'll probably feel hungry about midnight and will want to eat, which will tax the digestive process and create ama.

  • Wake up before 6am. Sleeping late into the Kapha time (6-10am) clogs the body's channels with ama and makes you feel fatigued.

  • Daily exercise is highly recommended as it stimulates digestion and helps cleanse the body of toxins. You can also try Pranayama and Yoga.


Eating To Cleanse


  • Eat 3 meals a day or stick to your regular schedule

  • Light breakfast, substantial lunch, light supper

  • Avoid snacking between meals. Can have fresh fruit as a morning snack if needed and sunflower or pumpkin seeds in the afternoon

  • Do not drink iced, carbonated or caffeinated beverages and avoid alcohol and milk with meals.

  • Drink lots of water throughout the day but limit water intake at meal times

  • Sip spiced water or detox tea throughout the day to keep the digestive fire kindled. 

  • Fresh food is easier to digest so cook only what you need for each meal. If possible cook each meal from scratch.

  • Eat at the same time everyday.



The Cleanse has 3 stages

Stage 1 - Preparation - 5 days

Transition to a vegetarian diet - recipes in purple and green before the mono diet recipes

Reduce or eliminate all non-cleansing foods

Stage 2 - Elimination - 5 days

Juicing

Monodiet - kitchari, rice porridge and soup - recipes in dark blue 

Spiced Water and CCF tea


Stage 3 - Reintegration - 5 days

Transition back to a vegetarian diet - recipes in purple and green and add in the recipes labelled reintegration

Re-integrate non-cleansing foods slowly back into your diet over a few days. 



Cleansing Foods

Recommended Vegetables

Arugla, Asparagus, Beetroot, Bell Pepper, Bok Choy

Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots

Cauliflower, Celery, Chili peppers, Collard greens,

Corn (fresh), Daikon, Eggplant, Endive, Green beans

Jerusalem artichoke, Jicama, Kale, Leafy Greens,

Leeks, Lettuce, Mustard greens, Okra, Onion,

Parsley, Peas, Spinach, Sprouts, Turnips, Turnip

greens, Watercress


Recommended Fruits

Apples, Apricots, Berries, Cherries, Dried Fruits, Figs,

dried Peaches, Pears, Persimmons, Pomegranate,

Quince, Raisins


Recommended Grains

Barley, Basmati rice (brown or white), Buckwheat,

Corn, Millet, Oats – rolled/quick, Quinoa, Rice

noodles, Rye


Recommended Legumes

Aduki beans, Chickpeas, Lentils, red, yellow Mung

beans, split or whole, tofu (in moderation)


Recommended Nuts & Seeds

Almonds (soaked and peeled), roasted pumpkin

seeds, roasted Sunflower seeds, [Best to limit

intake of ALL nuts]


Recommended Oils

Ghee 


Recommended Sweeteners

Honey, raw and uncooked


FOODS TO AVOID

Vegetables to avoid

Cucumber Mushroom Pumpkin Rutabaga

Sweet Potatoes Taro Root Tomatoes Butternut

Squash Spaghetti Squash Acorn Squash


Fruits to avoid

Excessively sweet, sour or watery fruits Avocado

Bananas Coconut Cranberries Dates Figs fresh

Grapefruit Melons Papaya Pineapples Plums

Rhubarb Watermelon 


Grains to avoid

Brown rice, Oats, whole cooked Rice four Wheat

Whole wheat four


Legumes to avoid

Kidney beans Soybeans Tempe


Nuts & Seeds to avoid

All other nuts [Best to limit intake of ALL nuts]


Oils to avoid

Almond, Apricot, Avocado, Coconut, Olive, Sesame,

dark or light Walnut


Sweeteners to avoid

Brown sugar, unrefined Fructose Honey, cooked

Molasses Sucanat Sugarcane juice Sugar

substitutes White sugar


YOGA AND MEDITATION


Yoga asana are a great way to cleanse the body. Through movement and breath we can support the digestive process, keep the digestive fire burning and aid elimination.


Relaxation is also key to feeling well. When we are relaxed our nervous system communicates to the body that it can send energy to digestion, healing and repair. 


Meditation helps to cleanse the mind. It helps us to become aware of our own thought patterns and how they colour our experience of the world. In yoga these are called our Samskaras.


Through our yoga and meditation practice we come to understand that everything we experience through our sense organs is changing and in that sense not real, not the true reality which is unchanging.  At the same time we begin to experience and sense this part of ourselves that is unchanging and real. The part of us that is a witness to all that is going on without being changed by it. In Yoga this is called Purusha.


When we connect with Purusha we experience equanimity, steadfast joy and have a sense of who we are on a deep and profound level. This can be life changing. It can change our relationship to pain, to illness, to friends and family, to many different aspects of our lives and in the process help us to live a life that is the very fullest expression of what a human being can be.


I hope this cleanse will help to guide you along this path to feeling brighter, lighter and more connected so you can live a harmonious life that is the fullest expression of you!



The Zoom ID for the cleanse is:

Meeting ID: 461 070 1915

Please email me for the passcode


YOGA CLASSES 22nd - 26th March

Monday  09.00 - 10.00 - The 5 Elements. In this class we will explore the 5 elements and how we can connect to them and use them to help us restore balance.

Wednesday 09.00 - 10.00 - Rajas, Tamas and Sattva - in this class we will be cultivating Sattva

Friday 09.00 - 10.00 - Restoring Calm for Healthy Digestion


MEDITATION CLASSES

Tuesday 13.00 - 14.00 - Breath Meditation - we will do a 30 minute practice and then there will be time for us to explore what is meant by Samskaras and habits and how they can influence our lives. We will also look at how yoga and meditation can help to cleanse us of these samskaras so we are able to consciously direct our life. We will be looking at these themes within the context of the lockdown and moving out of lockdown into a more ‘normal’ life and asking ourselves what would we like to take with us into the future and what would we like to leave behind?


Thursday 13.00 - 14.00 - Short Breath Meditation and time to chat about what has come up for us this week so far, how we have found lockdown and how we are feeling about coming out of lockdown. 

“WOOP - a science-based mental strategy that people can use to find and fulfil their wishes, set preferences, and change their habits." - Gabriele Oettingen

I will guide you through a WOOP practice. It is very simple to learn and an effective tool for you to take out and use whenever necessary. Everyone will leave the session with one wish that they hope to fulfil.


I’m really looking forward to meeting you all - see you on Monday  - either in person or on the replay. 


Lots of love


Rebecca xx

www.blissbodyandsoul.com