Ayurvedic Detox Guidelines for Spring

A guest post by Nina Cornejo, Ayurvedic Practitioner

Springtime is when the Earth is reborn, with green life sprouting after the darkness and cold of winter months. With the seasonal action of growth and building comes the dominance of combined Earth and Water elements (known as Kapha dosha in Ayurveda). The component of growth energy, combined with exiting the holiday season's feasting, makes Spring an ideal time for detoxing. Detoxing has many levels and when done in even a mild form can be beneficial. You might notice this helps reduce seasonal allergies or sensitivities and improves your immunity, digestion, sleep, and mental functioning.

Detoxing Explained:

Detoxing is often a trendy word that some may initially think of as a "get slim quick scheme." This is incorrect, and in any "get slim quick scheme" the results are temporary. In some cases, or if done improperly, people can be left upset and wondering why the detox didn't work for them. Detoxing is about expelling toxins from the body and allowing the body to heal and repair damaged cells. It is about proper or no intake to allow the body to reset closer to its naturally balanced state. Targeted detoxing can be done, such as eliminating processed sugar or alcohol. The key is eliminating the input of the toxins to break down the ones already in the body.

A Caution About Trendy Detoxes:

Juice and Smoothie Detoxes:

From an Ayurvedic point of view juice/smoothie cleanses are not an appropriate way to detox, yet this is one of the most common types we hear of with detoxing. Even from a Western medicine standpoint, these can spike blood sugar, cause malnutrition, and lead to digestive problems. In juices, there is no fiber to help lower the insulin spike, and often there are fruits high in sugar thrown in to help sweeten the drink.

Additionally, Vata (Air and Ether elements) become excessively increased by sustaining exclusively on juices, which can lead to bloating and other difficulties with the digestive system. In general, Ayurveda avoids raw vegetables and encourages cooked ones for these same reasons.

As for smoothies, they increase the Earth and Water elements (Kapha) in the body. If you increase Kapha while in Kapha season, these elements become aggravated in the body and can cause more difficulty with seasonal allergies, mucous, and overall heaviness. Often sweetened and thickened with dairy, nut butter, and bananas, smoothies can also have an element of incompatible food combining along with the excess Kapha. This leads to the formation of ama (undigested toxins in the body) because the body is unable to properly break down this mash-up of food qualities.

Some Ayurvedic practitioners will use smoothies, but they are particular in how the drink is made. For example, it is not a common mix of banana and strawberries, which have incompatible qualities and banana is meant to be eaten alone. The Ayurvedic way to create a smoothie is by keeping it light, not using frozen ingredients or tossing in some ice, including herbs and spices, and making sure the foods used are compatible. Ingredients like coconut or almond milk, dates, cinnamon, cardamom, and honey can be used to bring a little sweetness. You might find more greens are used as well.

Master Cleanse:

Finally, there is the popular (and more brutal) Master Cleanse. It requires you to fast and only drink a concoction of water, maple syrup, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and cayenne pepper. Other than this drink, you are only allowed to have tea and salt water on this detox. This cleanse is done for 10 or more days. Along with being devoid of nutritional intake, Ayurveda sees the Master Cleanse as Pitta increasing, raising heat in the body. This does not offer much healing or support for the body.

Unhealthy trendy "detoxes" like these are often a grueling ordeal with disappointing or brief results. Initially, people might feel better, but that is not because of exclusively consuming liquid fruits and veggies or the Master Cleanse concoction. When people feel good on these cleanses it is because the body releases feel-good chemicals and energy in a fasting state.

How to Approach Detoxing:

As stated above, not all detoxes are the same and it is best to choose based on which one is most realistic for your individual needs. While springtime is an ideal time for detoxification sometimes our life demands and energy spent doesn't allow for more extensive detoxes. We could cause mental and physical stress by meeting high demands without the energy input to support it.

This being said, we can always reach and aim to engage in whatever ways we can, and still reap benefits. These can all be done in varying degrees, ranging from a day to a month, and regular maintenance. Always begin where you are and do what you can with what you have.

I have found that if all I can do is one to three days of a reset with veggies and fruits it improves my food cravings, energy, and digestion. In a short time, this has a huge ripple effect on food choices and supports healthy gut flora. These mini resets also help to prepare me for when I do a more extensive detox, helping it to be less of a challenge.

How to Detox Ayurvedically:

Kitcharee:

Kitcharee is an Ayurvedic staple dish that is comprised of split mung beans, basmati rice, ghee, ginger, cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds at its base. Turmeric is often included in this, but these ingredients are the heart of the recipe. A spice I like to include is cardamom as it has the action of breaking down undigested toxins (ama) without increasing heat in the body. Kitcharee is a versatile dish that you can play with what spices and/or veggies you have on hand and might want to add. This is an excellent option for people new and seasoned to detox alike.

What makes Kitcharee unique is it benefits all three doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Kitcharee increases the strength of Agni, our metabolism, and extracts and expells toxins in the system. These powerful impacts come from the humble ingredients of split mung beans and rice, ghee, and spices. This dish is the poster child of using food as medicine.

This kitcharee detox is done as a mono diet, giving the digestive system a break while being both cleansed and nourished. Mung beans and rice make a complete protein and offer fiber while the ghee brings in healthy fats. I like to add in veggies I have on hand to add in more nutrients and density. This combined with herbs and spices makes for a satisfying detoxification option. If you are someone who has higher energy demands this is a great option for a detox, especially when combined with intermittent fasting.

Fasting:

There are various kinds of fasting ranging from only consuming water to fruit/veggie fasts, to the wildly beneficial intermittent fasting. Ayurveda looks fondly upon intermittent fasting and Western medicine has begun to tout its power as well. This allows your body to break down and repair damaged cells, fend off harmful gut bacteria, improve metabolism, and support circadian rhythm.

Modify the fast to meet your needs. This can look like practicing intermittent fasting at night, going at least 12 hours between dinner and breakfast, and experimenting with longer fasts on off days. Once you are familiar with 12 hours you might want to experiment with increasing the fast to 14, 16, and 18 hours. Perhaps you integrate this practice into mundane life, integrating it with one or a few days a week or month without meats or heavy foods, fasting on fruits and vegetables exclusively.

Fasting has been proven to have a multitude of positive effects on the brain when done properly, but if done improperly can leave you feeling worse and with decreased mental functioning. In Ayurveda, this is a sign that it is incorrect fasting or detoxing. A sign of a successful fast is feeling light and clear in body and mind. Opposingly, signs of fasting done improperly are feeling you are about to pass out, being incredibly weak, unable to think properly, or experiencing delirium or insomnia.

It is worth noting that fasting has a historically spiritual component to it, intending to connect to a higher power or state of consciousness. This is a whole topic itself and fits the bill for springtime with various religions practicing some fasting or a form of abstinence around this time of year. Whatever you believe and at any time of year use fasting as an opportunity to connect to your spiritual center and inner landscape.

Swedena:

Swedena is therapeutic sweating in Ayurveda. Typically this can be from a dry or hot sauna or exercising with the intention to sweat heavily (think boxers running and wearing a hoodie with a cut-out garbage bag over it to lose water weight). If you clean your house or car and wear extra clothing to sweat more this would still be considered a form of Swedena. Swedena lubricates and reduces stiffness in the joints and body, hydrates skin, expels bacteria, chemicals, and heavy metals, and releases feel-good chemicals in the brain.

Being that the heating aspect is directly related to Pitta dosha (Fire and Water elements), Spring is a great time to engage in Swedena as we move from the elemental dominance of Air and Ether in Winter to the dominance of Earth and Water in Spring. Vata and Kapha both share the quality of cold, and by increasing Pitta we are increasing heat, thus helping to pacify Vata and Kapha's problems such as joint pain or heaviness.

There are some affordable steam tents you can find online that are easy to assemble and store. These range in price, but around $100 can get you what you need. When purchasing make sure you get the kind that doesn't cover your head. If money and/or space is tight, wearing more clothes or a sweatsuit while you work out is a free and effective option.

Closing Thoughts:

If a week-long detox of living off of cooked veggies and fruit sounds like the gateway to misery for you, don't do it. Start by committing to one day and go from there. Naturally, some of this is challenging and can require building up to, but do not add stress to your mind and body by forcing yourself to do something your body does not want to do. Always listen to your body!

Maybe instead of entirely exiling your regular food you enjoy kitchari for dinner and fast every night- or for a few days or a week- and go forwards from there. Perhaps you even begin to weave some detox habits into your daily lifestyle routine. If you do decide to engage in a more intensive fast or detox diet plan, clear out your schedule the best you can and prioritize rest. View detoxing as a form of maintenance, creating balance for the elements in the body and mind.

Detoxing can be intensive or it can be gentle. Take an inventory of what is a realistic aim of practice for you and your needs. Use detoxing as an opportunity to reconnect with your body and inner mental landscape. Remember spring cleaning includes our bodies and minds too. This is the time of year to clear out the old and bring in the new.