Day 7
Good morning!
Here we are turning the corner onto one week, and you’re doing such a stellar job.
Sometimes digestion is a bit slow and dry for a couple of days after a fast. You may have experienced bloating, gas or constipation, particularly if you opted to skip the kitchari fast, but you can compensate for the dryness and cold in the system by eating roasted or sautéed vegetables, warm soup and fiber rich grains like quinoa with a touch of oil today.
If you did not eliminate yesterday, try drinking warm tea throughout the day and eating a full serving of roasted beets for lunch or dinner. I like to make them with sautéed greens (chard works well), garlic and cilantro. Adding pears to your smoothie or poaching one for a mid-afternoon snack will also improve constipation.
Fibrous foods like apples, pears and prunes improve elimination but only when there is adequate water intake, so make sure to keep up with at least 64 oz after the kidney cleanse. Eating a fiber-rich diet without adequate water will lead to constipation. If you are lighter, you can get away with less – half of your body weight in water per day is a good measurement.
To rebuild your agni, you can chew on a few slivers of shaved fresh ginger just before meals. Some insist that this is the secret to super immunity, as it rebalances Kapha and Vata.
You might be experiencing an unpleasant garlic taste in your mouth following the liver cleanse. You can chew on fresh parsley or mint or drink fresh lemon juice to neutralize the sulphur compounds that cause this breath. Pineapple, apple, kiwi and berries often help as well.
If you are still feeling low on energy, feed yourself foods you find delicious and ample quantities of them today. Choose juicy fruits, your favorite vegetables, and try out a recipe that sounds good to you for dinner. Some of the low energy may be emotional, but it could also be related to inadequate calorie intake.
It is important to remember that detoxification is a process. It is not an instant shift into a diet that brings new levels of energy. That comes once your body IS detoxified, and for some, that takes until now and stretches beyond the cleanse if you continue to loosely follow the routine. Once clean, your body can work efficiently and easily, and you should feel much more energetic.
You have now reached a place where your body is both stronger and lighter and your mind is sharper and more steady. You can continue as many of the cleansing practices as you've enjoyed, deepening these results.
You will reserve your colon cleanse for a seasonal detox (2-4 times a year), but you can continue the kidney cleanse every morning to give the body a boost of hydration and the kidneys a good flush of the toxins accumulated overnight. This practice helps to prevent dull, dry skin and water retention (which makes a big difference in the way your body looks and feels). The lemon in the water reduces acidity in the body, which leads to a more alkaline pH, reducing cancer risk and improving energy levels.
You can prepare an everyday liver cocktail with beets, carrots, apples, lemons and ginger, or keep a few of the Liver Rescue bottles on hand in the fridge for midday snacks.
Oil pulling each day will significantly improve the health of your mouth, skin and immune system.
You can also continue the black pepper and honey tonic. This is a great practice to boost the metabolism, ward off colds and offer the body energy in the morning.
A B-Complex vitamin is especially important for those transitioning to a vegan diet but helpful to all for cognition, better moods, and proper replenishment of vitamins lost during stress. MegaFood and Thorne make the best ones that are food-based and more easily absorbed than lab-made vitamins.
If your elimination is still sluggish after the cleanse, consider picking up the powdered triphala, which is stronger. It goes into warm water and doesn't taste great, but it is even more effective than the tablets when taken at night before bed.
Ayurveda recommends a cleanse like the one we are doing each season - four times per year. This includes a 3 or 4 day juice fast (Vata should fast for a maximum of 3 days and stop at any point they feel too light), Pitta can do 4 and Kapha can do 4).
You can choose a particular day of the week and commit to eating lighter by having only soups or a smoothie, juice and/or soup, so that your body can take a rest from breaking down solid food. You do not need to do a full 2 day pre-cleanse diet like we did, but at least one day without meat, dairy and alcohol prior is advised.
Make it a habit to stay present with your eating. Recognize the place where you are no longer hungry and save the rest for your next meal. Carry a bottle of water with you. Make 8-10 glasses a daily priority!
Finally, stay mindful of the season and the way the elements are affecting the balance of your doshas. For instance, as we move deeper into the Vata season, you’ll add more spice and grounding, dense foods like roasted carrots, beets and yams plus hearty soups instead of cooling fruits and vegetables.
As we transition to the Kapha season around December when the snow falls and there is a wet, heavy icy quality to our environment, choose foods that are warm and light over foods that are dense and heavy, such as steamed vegetables. Keep breakfast light as we have during the cleanse, maybe even switching over to cubed apples, steamed with whole cloves, and making lunch a larger meal.
As the Pitta season rolls around again, typically in June in the Northeast, you'll move back to cooling, mellow, naturally sweet foods and avoid fried food and excessive spice.
Enjoy all of the food you choose today and be proud of the hard work you’ve put in to shift your habits and cravings.
Tomorrow, I’ll go over how to reintroduce non-detox foods when you’re ready.
Have a beautiful day!
Warmly,
Lauren