I'm not sure what took me so long really! This past 7 months has been one abuse and assault after another on my body here in Portugal! When i had just arrived i didn't even have a kitchen and couldnt really cook at all for about two months. In that time i ate a lot of pizza, pastries, and all maner of junk food to keep me going. I dont do well with wheat at the best of times, but there is something about the wheat here that is really not good for me at all! Its fair to say i havent have a single normal poop in 7 months.. and that not good!
Yesterday my friend mentioned this cleanse that she had done. It is based on an Ayurvedic Cleanse Diet, and is based on Mong Beans, Rice, Ghee, several Indian spices, and some other little additions such as seaweed.
I dont yet fully understand how this combination works, but you have to have just these ingredients for it to work as a cleanser. There is a great webpage that explains all of this, and ill share some of the most important parts.
The first day starts with the most simple recipe, and each day it changes slightly with the addition of one or more other ingredients or vegetables. THese help to target and cleanse a particular organ such as the liver, kidney etc.. So we get a bit of variety each day.
If you’re looking to heal your digestion and move into a state of natural well-being, then it’s best to include all of these ingredients. The combination of these ingredients gives you all five elements from nature and the opportunity to bring balance to your body and mind.
Rice is crucial in kitchari because it keeps vata dosha in balance. Rice makes up the augmenting portion of a balanced meal, which means that it will calm and ground you, and build and nourish your tissues. Importantly, rice eases elimination because it forms the bulk of the stool in the colon.
Mung beans make up the extractive portion of a balanced meal. In Ayurveda, split or whole mung beans are preferred because they are lighter than other legumes, easier to digest and more nourishing. With their astringent and bitter taste, they facilitate the detoxification process - a key element of the cleanse.
Ghee plays a fundamental role in keeping agni - digestive fire - burning more consistently which smoothes the process of digestion.
Ghee is the only oil that is augmenting, meaning that it deeply nourishes all of the tissues of the body, including the reproductive organs. The body actually absorbs ghee more easily than any other oil, which makes ghee very effective for calming vata dosha.
Ghee is neither heating or cooling and thus does not provoke any of the doshas.
Ghee supports agni whereas other oils challenge agni.
Ghee is great for the complexion, the eyes, the nose, intellect and memory.
Kitchari is a balanced meal because it contains both augmenting and extractive foods. Rice, which is augmenting, has the sweet taste. It helps to build tissues, calms vata dosha, supports the digestion of the other food, and forms the bulk of the stool (thereby easing elimination). Mung beans, which are extractive, help the body to cleanse and detoxify because their bitter and astringent tastes extract toxins. For optimal digestion, you want to include 60% rice and 40% mung beans in your kitchari (precise measurements to follow in the recipes!).
By including digestive spices, like ginger, turmeric, cumin, and coriander, the meal becomes cleansing, balanced and satisfying. When you are properly satiated on a regular basis, your food cravings and impulses to snack will decrease. This will allow your digestion to improve.
It is said that this diet will help in many ways and i look forward to seeing how i feel and how my body feels after one week. Maybe i will even continue longer, and add a few veggies in as well over time. To start i think i will go pure and full on.. No snacks, no pizza!, just the food you see in the thumbnail on my table.
The good news its pretty cheap too, although more than you might think since all the grains are organic as well as the ghee.
I am normally a vegan, but ghee is something I am comfortable making an exception for. Ghee is very medicinal, and when it is pure organic ghee from grass fed happy cows it is very special indeed. Indeed, many medicines use ghee as a carrier for other nutrients into every cell of our body.
So wish me luck! I havent done a good cleans for many years! If you are looking for a cleanse that still allows you to eat tasty food then this might be worth a try! ILl let you know how i get on soon!
If you would like to read more information about this cleanse then please check out the webpage at:
https://www.halepule.com/guides/ayurveda/kitchari-cleanse-recipes
You can see the recipe here below:
For the simple kitchari
3-4 Tbsp. ghee
1 tsp. mineral salt (the amount of salt might vary a little based on the type of salt)
2 tsp. fresh grated ginger root
½ tsp. turmeric, fresh or powder
1 small strip kombu cut into small pieces
½ tsp. cumin seeds coarse grind
½ tsp. coriander seeds coarse grind
½ tsp. brown mustard seeds
1/8 tsp. asafoetida
¼ tsp. cardamom powder
1 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup split mung beans (if split are not available, use whole beans that have been soaked 6+ hours and cook thoroughly)
6-8 cups water as needed for desired thickness
3 - 4 drops lime
Thats it! Ill see you on the other side ;)
xx