6 TIPS FOR CLEANSING THE AYURVEDIC WAY

The purpose of a cleansing diet is to reduce the workload of the digestive system by providing easy-to-break down nutrition. The extra energy that will be freed up due to lighter foods can be used by your body to fix and cleanse things inside.

• BITTER GREENS Add some bitter greens and spices to your daily diet to help out a struggling liver. Bitter taste is universally recognized as strengthening for digestion. Bitter herbs cause a reflexive secretion of gastric juices and tone the muscles of the digestive tract. They also support detoxification by helping the liver process incoming nutrients and filter impurities from circulation. Try: turmeric, dandelion, goldenseal, gentian, milk thistle, and neem. Dandelion and milk thistle are my favorite as a tea!
• A LIGHT DINNER A light dinner is crucial to a successful detox program, since our digestive power weakens considerably in the evening. Stay tuned for a weekly meal plan I'm sharing with The Chalkboard soon. • DRINK PLENTY OF LIQUIDS To stimulate toxin release try hot water with a pinch of cayenne, ¼ lemon, 1 tsp honey, and a few drops of apple cider vinegar. This recipe is recommended by the founder of Joyful Belly to boost fat digestion and metabolism. The spicy drink restores energy and vitality by helping the body digest high-fat foods and add an intense metabolic spark that improves energy and enthusiasm. Cumin, coriander, fennel tea is cooling and soothing for the mind, digestion and urinary tract. Add ¼ tsp of each spice to 2 cups of water, bring to boil and let it cool.
• ELIMINATE An ayurvedic blend of herbs called triphala can be very helpful. Triphala is a bowel tonic, not a laxative. It tones the bowel walls and helps the colon function at its optimal level. Ayurvedic texts refer to triphala as an “toxin scraper”; it helps pull toxins out of the intestines and draws them out of the body.
• BREAK A SWEAT To increase the detoxifying effect try sauna, steam room, hot baths, and cardio-induced sweating. Most gyms have sauna and steam rooms that you can use after a workout. If you don’t have access to one, take a hot bath with Epsom salt, ginger powder, and baking soda every night before going to sleep. Run, do yoga, jump, dance, whatever gets your heart pumping!
• JUST BREATHE In an always in a rush stressed out society our breath tends to be rushed as well. Our lungs rarely get a chance to open up and fill up with fresh air or to completely cleanse from all the stale gases. It takes an effort to let the breath be full and complete. Take a few minutes in the morning to just breathe deeply. Two-to-one breathing—a practice of exhaling twice as long as every inhalation—is a great technique for cleansing the lungs and calming the nervous system.
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