A Simple Ayurvedic Cleanse
Back in the Spring, I did my first Ayurvedic Cleanse led by Katie Silcox of the Shakti School. Typically, I have a fairly healthy diet and a strong self-care routine, but from time to time I'll get off track, and while I know that my body naturally cleanses and detoxifies itself (thanks liver!), I've found that doing a short cleanse helps me get back to healthy habits.
Ayurveda, an ancient Indian healing system, encourages cleansing in both the spring and fall, so since it went so well last time, I'm giving it another go.
This morning I got my meal plan together, did my grocery shopping, and my fridge is now stocked for 7 days of cleansing. Here's the basic gist of what I'm doing:
A Simple Ayurvedic Cleanse
Morning: Upon waking, hot water with lemon, ginger, and turmeric. For breakfast, a green drink (aloe vera juice, cucumber, ginger, coconut oil, celery, kale), and mid-morning, hot water with Tulsi.
Lunch: Kitchari or a salad with apple cider vinegar and a small portion of salmon
Dinner (before 7pm): Kitchari or steamed veggies with quinoa
Snacks: Ideally none, but a handful of nuts if necessary
Water: Aiming to drink 3 liters a day (that's over 100 ounces, eek!)
Exercise: Mild, like walking or gentle yoga
Do Not Eat List: Sugar (not even fruit), dairy, alcohol, caffeine, simple carbohydrates (breads, pastas, etc.), and any processed food.
What I like about this cleanse is that you actually get to eat real food. It isn’t a water fast or a juice cleanse where you’re starving the whole time. You’re eating and drinking—just very specific healthy and nourishing foods. I also like that it’s only 7 days (although you can continue on longer if you’d like), which doesn’t feel too daunting.
I am certainly not an expert on the subject, so if you’re interested in trying an Ayurvedic cleanse, I recommend either downloading The Shakti School Ayurvedic Cleanse Guide that I used or finding a trained Ayurvedic practitioner to work with.
