Seasonal Detox

Ama (in sanskrit – toxins, waste) is the result of undigested food or thoughts which sit and clog up the body. You experience this in your body by pain, fatigue, fogginess and feeling clogged. This is due to the excess bile (too much acidity), air (bloating & flatulence) and mucus (phlegm). A seasonal detox is a great way to get back on a healthy lifestyle routine and remove excess toxins generated from the previous season. And to learn to turn inwards and look to your body’s deepest needs. Here are some of the things I have been eating below.

During a seasonal cleanse, we eat three cooked meals at the same times every day. Here are some of the food choices we included: seasonal fruit juices, made with sweet, sour and astringent fruits such as apples, pomegranates, and persimmons, grapefruit and grapes.

Wholegrain breakfast cereals such as oats, millet, quinoa, chia and barley with soaked fruit or seeds.

Which includes lots of protein-rich lentil soups or light drying grains such as quinoa or buckwheat with one veg, in order to make it easy on our digestion.

This next point has been a key factor and eye opener for us, and something we have had to adjust. Ayurveda advocates eating dinners before the sun sets, so you are not eating at night. It is important to avoid eating late at night, so that a light meal — such as steamed veg and quinoa — has enough time to digest properly before sleep. Meals should be at least three hours before bedtime, (that being around 6.30 p.m.). When we eat a meal too close to bedtime, our digestive fire, called agni in Sanskrit, is not able to function properly, causing the accumulation of ama, making us feel slow and sluggish in the morning.

Just as when we put food into our stomachs, we also need to be aware of the impressions we take in — such as exciting films or books & other entertainment — which could be overly exciting for the mind. Avoid combining eating a meal, with other activities such as book reading or watching TV. Because our nervous system can often handle only one set of impressions at a time ask yourself, “Can I digest this physically and mentally?” With this in mind, the goal is to feel light and rejuvenated at the end of eating.

The detox can be made for a week, but if you have little time, it can also be done for shorter periods, such as 3 days — or even 1 day. By giving our digestion a rest, we provide an opportunity for our system to clear ama — the waste from undigested food matter — and we will reap some of the benefits. Ideally if we have the time to take 21 days or even 45 days off to cleanse, we will reset our system sufficiently to clear the previous season’s doshic imbalance(s), giving ourselves a chance to reset lifestyle patterns and create positive changes.

Toxicity is accumulated not only from our diet, but toxins are also taken in from the environment, from chemicals we use to clean our clothing (dry cleaning or non-eco detergents), from harmful chemicals found in household cleaning products, our bed mattresses, personal hygiene products such as shampoos, hair conditioners, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorants, body washes, perfumes, soap or gels, as well as our lifestyle habits and negative thoughts.

Ayurvedic tongue diagnosis is an easy tool we can use to examine and moderate ourselves daily. To assess our state of health you can read more in my blog post. I have included images of tongues and explained the significance of white patches or coating on the tongue, and how its presence in different areas of the tongue corresponds to the state of health of different body organs.

Also, if there is the presence of foul smelling breath, it is a signal to us that it is time to cleanse and use a tongue scraper regularly as part of our routine. In our shop we have a full list of items you will find useful whilst you cleanse.

How does your physical body feel? Are you in pain for no apparent reason? When toxins are in the body, we may feel tired for no reason, or aches and pains may appear in places where toxins are being held. Foul smelling stools, constipation or hard stools, heavy stools that sink, undigested food particles and mucus are strong indicators of imbalanced digestion, or that you have not digested your meal properly.

Ayurveda looks at the whole person and addresses that detoxing is more than about avoiding sugar, eliminating fried food, coffee & alcohol or meat from our diet.

Negative emotions can be just as damaging to our health as the above food sources. It is as much about the whole body well-being and of the subtle energetic and intuitive body. Depression, stress, boredom, or anxiety are some of the neurological barriers which are ruining your health. Here are some intuitive things you can do to improve your well-being.

Ayurveda looks at the whole person, and points out that detoxing is more than just avoiding sugar, eliminating fried food, coffee, alcohol and meat from our diet. It is as much about the whole body, the well-being of the physical, energetic, mental, and wisdom bodies). Negative emotions can be as damaging to our health as the above food sources. Depression, stress, boredom, and anxiety create what is called “mental ama” in Ayurveda, and this can be extremely detrimental to our health. Mental detox means detoxing ourselves from our negative thought patterns, and clearing away distractions which no longer serve our higher good. Here are some intuitive things we can do to improve our overall well-being.