Coming back to life
What does a cleanse mean to you? To so many it means being hungry, tired and grumpy, or having to be “perfect” and feeling terrible about yourself if you “cheat" on the meal plan involved. At least that’s how they were for me at times, and let me tell you, I’ve done plenty of cleanses in my 51 years.
So, what do you do if you aren’t feeling great and nothing is helping, but a cleanse seems daunting and totally unappealing?
Short answer: you find a cleanse, or a reset as I prefer to call it, that works for you, your body and your lifestyle. And you go in knowing that there may be some uncomfortable patches, but that afterword, you will feel as if you’ve come back to life.
Last month, I had a pretty bad trial/error with a new cleanse I hadn’t tried before, but seemed legit. It was “Ayurvedically based” and had great reviews. I thought if it worked for me I could help people locally with it and its methods. It. Was. Terrible. The taste was terrible. My body felt terrible. And honestly, there wasn’t a bit about it that felt Ayurvedic, because Ayurvedic is delicious. So I stopped. I listened to my body which was screaming, “Oh hell no!” And you know what, that’s ok. That’s ayurvedic: listening to your body.
In springtime though, I know I need a reset; there always comes a time around March where, even though I’m soooo excited by the increasing sunshine, I feel all the icky things. Tired. Grumpy. A bit heavy. Fractured sleep. This is an overage of Kapha folks, and it’s not comfortable. And even after many cleanses, when I’m feeling the heaviness and sometimes depressing effects of Kapha, I’m definitely the least motived to make any changes. Just let me stay in bed. It takes extra effort, planning and thought in my already pretty hectic schedule, and it can feel overwhelming.
After trying several cleanses in my life, I’ve found the Ayurvedic method to be the most effective, easy and tasty. It’s actually the spring reset I did years ago that led me to typing these words on the keyboard now. It changed my life, and I’m not exaggerating. What I called my “Meno-baby” (the lower belly fat caused by perimenopause) reduced considerably, my energy returned, my skin issues disappeared, and my body did truly feel reset. Over the next year I lost 25 pounds just from following basic Ayurvedic guidelines and my pain level from my spinal issues were noticeably reduced. That led to my Ayurvedic Nutritionist certification, which led to my Yoga Teaching certification, which led to my Yoga and Ayurveda Counselor certification. And, here we are now. But I digress …
After that trainwreck of a cleanse last month, I went back to what I know. I am doing the same reset I did those few years ago. I’m on day four of my current reset, and I just want to make sure you know that this is all it takes to get to the light at the end of the Kapha tunnel. I feel great. I’m sleeping again (hallelujah!), have more energy and more smiles and feel lighter. AND it didn’t take a ton of effort (sometimes it’s only the effect of Kapha that makes everything feel so overwhelming), including eating an organic boxed soup for dinner just last night.
Here’s a quick rundown of what I’ve eaten the past three days:
Day 1:
Breakfast: Warming Apple
Lunch: Barley Kitchari (soak 1/2 c whole mung over night; heat 1T ghee in pot, add 1/2 t mustard seeds and spring spice blend when the mustard seeds start popping, saute spices and mustard seeds for about a minute or two, then add strained mung, 1/2 c rinsed pearl barley and 3 c veggie broth; bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until creamy, about 30 min., stir in a cup or so of leafy greens - I used arugula because it was on hand - the last five minutes of cooking; salt and pepper to taste and top with aminos and herbs)
Day 2:
Breakfast: Breakfast Rice with the leftover basmati from day one
Lunch: Leftover Barley Kitchari (Ayurveda advises to only eat leftovers warm and within 24 hours)
Dinner: Raspberries and Pumpkin Seeds (I had yoga this night so I didn’t want to eat a lot before; I had planned to make and would recommend Laura Plumb’s celery soup, which is delicious, but I ran out of time )
Day 3:
Breakfast: Chia Pudding (1/4 c chia seeds + 1/2 c plant/nut milk + dash of cinnamon + dash of cardamom in a mason jar, stir, overnight in the fridge; warm up by pouring some warm plant milk over and topping with berries and pumpkin seeds)
Lunch: Congee (this is one part rice to seven parts broth with ginger coins simmered for an hour until it is creamy and soupy; more on congee and why I chose this below)
Dinner: My favorite boxed low sodium organic vegan Split Pea Soup with some toasted flaxy sprouted grain bread because my acupuncturist recommended rest (more on that below with the congee info.)
About Congee: I turned to Congee this day because I had been to acupuncture and my practitioner stated that my spleen and kidneys need a little love, and Congee (among many other things) is recommended for this. The fact that she noted these issues just confirmed that yes! my body was crying out for a little tlc and cleansing love. Congee is easily digested and assimilated, harmonizing the digestive system while tonifying the blood. It can also relieve inflammation and nourish the immune system. You know what else helps? REST! Which is why boxed soup ;)
So, as you can see, it wasn’t all that time consuming or tough, it’s totally tasty, and by day four I’m feeling back to my old self. The main idea is to give the body food it can easily digest so it can have a break. And we all need a break sometimes, right? It also reignites the digestive fire (agni) so that from here on out it’s working more efficiently turning food into fuel and healing you from the inside out. I usually only do three days up to five depending on my work load, schedule, how much I’ll be out of the house, etc.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, an ayurvedic reset rests on avoidance of:
caffeine
sugar
meat
dairy
alcohol
wheat
and an emphasis on :
sipping of warm water with lime, or herbal tea, throughout the day
getting plenty of rest, and avoiding stress where possible
eating at mealtime and avoiding snacking, with the last meal around 6 pm
doing things that bring you joy
hitting the sack by 10
getting in some gentle movement
Above all, be kind to yourself. That alone may be the greatest challenge, but it makes the biggest impact.
Sending you love and healing,
Stephanie
