The Ayurveda Fall Detox

Last October I wrote some blogs on my experimental blue print juice cleanse. I never finished the project, partially because it didn’t turn out the way I expected, and partially because I believe I was traumatized from it and blocked out most of my memory from the three day nightmare. I was embarrassed to admit to my professors that I had voluntarily signed up for a three day cleanse that involved only drinking juices. As a graduate nutrition student, I should know better. I read the testimonials of others who had done it, and I searched the website for proof that this could detoxify me. I believed what I read and justified that if others were swearing they still had energy to work out while on the cleanse, than I would be fine. I understand there are people out there who have had positive experiences with not eating for a few days and “purifying” their systems through juice. Not only am I not one of those people; I comprehend how we digest our food and the importance of our digestive system and keeping it working. I do not recommend any sort of diet, or cleanse that tells you to stop eating. On my three day experiment I suffered headaches, nausea, weakness, irritability, and eventually threw up my first foods consumed when I broke the cleanse. Our gastro intestinal system is composed of muscles. Like any other muscle in the body they need to be used. When people go on lengthy (and I mean greater than my measly three days) cleanses, they weaken their G.I. system. Like a pair of legs that has been in a bed for weeks, it does not function the same. We need food to function, and what my body was experiencing was an extremely low caloric intake leading to low blood sugar levels, in combination with a halt on my caffeine intake (something my body was not prepared for, as my 72 hour migraine reminded me. That one is my fault. Coffee addict. Guilty).

Anyway. That was October 2010. Now we are approaching October 2011 and here I am again. Since I fall somewhere in between a holistic woman and a firm believer in everything western nutrition teaches us; I have been previously conflicted between “cleanse” and “just eat your 5 food groups”. As a curious one always searching for ways to improve my inner Chi, I am experimenting again. This time, I hope to be more successful. I am going to try an Ayurveda cleanse. Below is the background of Ayurveda, taken from Yoga Journal and written by Scott Blossom.

“Ayurveda, which translates as "knowledge of life," dates back 5,000 years to the ancient Sanskrit texts, the Vedas. It's a system of healing that examines physical constitution, emotional nature, and spiritual outlook in the context of the universe. According to the philosophy, universal life force manifests as three different energies, or doshas, known as vata, pitta, and kapha. We're all made up of a unique combination of these three forces. Though everyone has some of each, most people tend to have an abundance of one or two of the doshas. This unique combination is determined at the moment of conception, and is your own personal blueprint, or prakriti (nature). As you move through life, the proportion of each of the three doshas constantly fluctuates according to your environment, your diet, the seasons, the climate, your age, and many other factors. As they move into and out of balance, the doshas can affect your health, energy level, and general mood”

The reason why I was drawn to this fall detox was because it spoke of lifestyle goals that matched my own. The detox is combined with daily yoga classes, meditation twice a day, and recipes. I get to eat Kitchari which I will make for myself each day along with herbal teas, coriander chutney, and apples and avocados if I wish to snack more. Kitchari is the staple food and is meant to decrease internal toxicity, but I also feel that taking time to cleanse is so much more than just the food I will eat. Since I believe that health is mental, physical, and social: I also believe a cleanse should be mental, physical, and social. Food is powerful and I have no doubt that a combination of ingredients can purify our systems, but when do we detoxify our lives outside of food? When was the last time you sat down and thought about anything toxic you were keeping in your life, and then went through a painful week of ridding it? We don’t tend to do that, do we? It's not just food, it's feeling happy on the inside, and living in a way that inspires your own health all the way down to who you socialize with. I may not tell anyone to juice for a week, but the partially holistic woman in me does believe if I breathe better, digest better, and become more aware of choices I make other than the food I eat, that I can continue being the happy girl I am. I do believe that. So for me, while I cannot yet prove anything and do not know for sure if this cleanse will be successful; I am absolutely willing to try a week of particular ingredients, daily yoga, and a hell of a lot of time in silence. I also have been reading on certain poses to lie in for extended periods of time that is said to aid in digestion. I am intrigued. Who knows, if this works I may pull a Liz Gilbert and Eat Pray Love my way through being 26 years old.



(Kitchari dish with herbal tea and coriander chutney)


There are two great times to cleanse if you are interested and those two are the spring season and the fall. Spring tends to be more popular since we always come off winter feeling quite heavy and desperate to de puff before the beaches open. Fall though is a great time to prepare for the changes that will happen to our body in the winter, while also strengthening our immune system; since winter is a time many of us get sick. For this reason I am interested in the fall detox. I want to be ready in case another harsh winter hits nyc, and the stress of my final exams attempts a hit at my immune system. (Also, I may eat a lot more fruit in the summer time, but I also drink a lot more margaritas). Since the change in season always seems to begin new chapters, I am truly open to seeing how much I can let in right now. So I think based on what I just wrote, I am about to embark on a week of no red wine, cheese, or chocolate (my personal struggles).
And if it doesn’t work, well then I have only lost one week.

Love from my little heart