spring detox: clearing Kara Aubin Ayurveda for Detoxification and Rejuvenation

spring detox: clearing Kara Aubin Ayurveda for Detoxification and Rejuvenation @Sangha Yoga, May 2012 Rhonda Egidio, [email protected] ...
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spring detox: clearing Kara Aubin

Ayurveda for Detoxification and Rejuvenation @Sangha Yoga, May 2012

Rhonda Egidio, [email protected] , 269-345-2991 Class 1: Ayurveda Basics and Purification Ayurveda is a universal science of well-being, even though it emerged through the Indian context that nourished it in good stewardship over the millennia. Ayurveda centers on the health, wholeness, and happiness of the individual. Ayurveda aims to support the individual in finding balance within and with nature so that health is restored. The central believe of Ayurveda is that nature has a grand intelligent life force and as we live closer to the laws of nature we benefit by entraining to that intelligence. Ayurveda does not treat disease per se, as for instance people with diagnoses of diabetes may all have different imbalances that led to that condition and different resources for healing. Ayurveda serves the individual in his/her return to a healthy alignment with nature where the conditions for disease are removed. An Ayurveda lifestyle of healthy eating, sleep, spiritual life, and daily practices is particularly well suited to prevent disease and can correct disease when necessary. But beyond being free of disease, Ayurveda offers promise of spiritual unfoldment and bliss.

Nadi Sodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing) The logic behind this exercise is that normal breathing does alternate from one nostril to the other at various times during the day. In a healthy person the breath will alternate between nostrils about every two hours. Because most of us are not in optimum health, this time period varies considerably (often 3 hours or more) between people and further reduces our vitality. According to the yogis, when the breath continues to flow in one nostril for more than two hours, as it does with most of us, it will have an adverse effect on our health. If the right nostril is involved, the result is mental and nervous disturbance. If the left nostril is involved, the result is chronic fatigue and reduced brain function. The longer the flow of breath in one nostril, the more serious the illness will be. Ayus – living veda-revealed wisdom. Ayurveda=Wisdom of life, longevity. Enlightened knowledge of all aspects of optimal, healthy, everyday living. 5000 years old and is the earliest known science of healing that has informed other forms of Chinese , Tibetan, and Greek medicine. Self-care and personal change are among Ayurveda’s central concerns.

Ayurveda communicates who you are to you. As we move on this path of vibrant health, we tap into more universal energy and intelligence and feel the reward of feeling good which is wonderful itself. We don’t just want health—we want what health provides—better moods to enjoy our loved ones, more energy to accomplish our work, more joy to be a blessing to those around us, more excitement for the day, and to go to sleep at night fulfilled. We want happiness. Ultimately for those on a spiritual path we want enlightenment.

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Root Cause We rarely treat the symptoms, we treat the root cause. The root cause is being out of balance with nature. In Ayurveda the knowledge of self is unified with the nature of the absolute. Ayurveda is the pursuit of balance. A life of balance has no extremes and very little fragmentation. To balance our imbalances Ayurveda calls on strategies and practices such as meditation, yoga, diet, herbs, aromas, gems, purification and tonification techniques. The goal of Ayurveda is evolved consciousness. The strategy is pure digestion of food and experiences which unblocks and opens our energy field/divine personal identity to unite us with divine consciousness. Balance is necessary to accomplish this.

In a Nutshell: Through Ayurveda understandings of the nature of things and strategies to restore balance, we can live a life of radiant health and divine longevity so that we may receive the blissful blessing of higher consciousness. We want to reduce ama (toxins), stoke healthy agni (digestive fire), balance doshas, meditate, and choose healthy lifestyle behaviors. This is a journey, each step is rewarding. The Doshas: An Introduction Dosha means “that which has a fault”. Consciousness is the only perfection. Every manifestation is endowed with change. So we cannot aspire for a life of perfection, but one of balance—regaining our homeostasis in a constantly altering environment. Prakruti - Our constitutional (p-for primal) dosha makeup. This does not change from birth. If we were healthy and balanced we would want to have the same general ratio of doshas as at birth with only minor fluctuations. Vikruti- (v-for varies). This is our current doshic makeup and reflects our imbalances. This will vary over time. Vata: Vata is the dosha of movement and communication. In balance it sources our enthusiasm, creativity, and free expression. Out of balance vata involves dryness, cold, anxiety. Pitta: In balance Pitta fires up our metabolism of food and emotions and strengthens our capacities to accomplish. Out of balance Pitta can stir our anger, heat, and need to control. Kapha: Kapha in balance is the strength of our immune system and structure. Out of balance Kapha is dull and lethargic. So, you can see, we want to keep our doshas in balance so that we can enjoy all of the wonderful capacities that makes available to us. Ama Ama is the term for the toxins that build in our tissues or in our emotional field due to improper digestion of food or emotions. Ama is a sticky substance that builds up in the digestive tract when your digestion is either weak or overloaded with the wrong foods or when food is eaten under the wrong conditions. If ama is not cleared from the body and continues to build up, after some time it can leave the digestive tract and start circulating throughout the body. Once ama settles in an area of the body, it can aggravate the doshas or subdoshas (areas located throughout the physical-etheric body), causing an imbalance in that area of the body. If the causal factors are not addressed, and ama continues to sit in one place in the body, then ama becomes reactive and mixes with the subdoshas, the dhatus (body tissues), or malas (waste products such as urine). When it mixes with these parts of the physiology, it becomes amavisha, a more reactive, toxic type of ama and disease/illnesses appears. The third type of toxins are environmental toxins or “garavisha”. Environmental toxins come from outside the body and include pesticides and chemical fertilizers

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in food, as well as preservatives, additives and genetically engineered foods. Food that has "gone bad" and is filled with harmful bacteria also falls in this category. Other garavisha toxins include arsenic, lead, asbestos, chemicals in detergents and household supplies, poisons, air and water pollution, chemicals and synthetics in clothing, and recreational drugs. From mapi.com Digestive toxins are the basis for disease. They block the intelligent life force from manifesting and flowing through the body. It is important to eliminate them but even more important to prevent them. Agni –digestive fire- metabolism Agnis can be thought of as enzymes and endocrine factors governing all digestive and metabolic functioning. In short we refer to it as our digestive fire. With our agni we digest food that we consume to nourish our billions of cells with energy and intelligence to continually create and sustain our body. Through healthy agni and balanced digestion, we create ojas. Ojas is the fundamental energetic essence of food—a substance that acts like a “cosmic glue” to engage our cells to function in organized wholeness and results in radiance and bliss. Digestive activity is governed by the doshas and may become excessive or deficient when a dosha is out of balance. Excess Vata in the body produces weak, irregular digestion and causes gas. Excess Pitta is an overheated furnace and food burns up quickly and may cause burning sensations, thirst, and acid indigestion. Excess Kapha in the digestive tract results in low digestive fire, making it difficult to digest any foods. The person may feel dull and lethargic and Hot Spice Water may gain weight. In a quart of boiled water 3 Things To Do Week 1: 1. 2.

3.

*Do this one for sure!** Fill out the Dosha Assessment Tool and bring in next week to review. Purchase seeds for spice water and make hot spice water in a thermos or tea pot. Sip throughout the day. Promotes healthy digestion and draws out fatcells that harbor ama. Jump around for 10 minutes - shake it! (find Michael Franti's Shake It song here).

½ tsp fennel seeds ¼ tsp cumin seeds ¼ tsp. coriander seeds Sip through the day until 6pm. You may add fresh ginger for detox.

Class 2: The Three Doshas VATA

PITTA

KAPHA

Function:

Movement, Transportation, Communication

Digestion, Metabolism, and transformation

Strength, Structure, Immunity, Lubrication

Keyword:

Changeable

Intense

Relaxed

Fire & some Water

Water & Earth

Composed of: Air & Space Governs:

Colon; Nervous System; Inside Bones

Small Intestines, Stomach, Liver, Skin

Chest, Low Back

Qualities:

Light, Dry, Rough, Dark, Changeable, Movable, subtle

Hot , Sharp, Pungent, Intense, Flowing (but grounded)

Unctuous (oily), Cold, Heavy, Sticky, Slimy, Moist, Stable, Strong, Soft

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Review of Doshic Assessment What is your constitution, your prakruti? What is your current imbalance, your vikruti? Vata If we are Vata-type we tend toward thinness. When Vata is balanced, we are enthusiastic, creative, and spirited. We are light in physical substance and as such can tire easily with little reserve from which to draw. Vatas need to get sufficient rest and not overdo it. We do best to eat warm, cooked foods and to stay warm. Because Vatas can be “flighty” a regular lifestyle routine will help us to stay balanced. The Vata dosha controls the nervous system and functions of movement in the body. Vatas are most bothered by issues of anxiety and fears and physical issues from too much dryness in the system like constipation, digestive issues, and menstrual cramps. You don’t have to have a Vata constitution (Prakruti) for your vata to become out of balance. Vata is responsible for over half of the imbalances and tends to be the dosha to go out of balance first and lead other doshas out of balance. When vata is in balance, the other doshas more easily stay in balance. Pitta If we are more Pitta type we are generally of medium size and have good muscle tone. We have a good digestion and thus generally good physical energy and stamina. We also tend to be smart in an analytical way and are determined and goal oriented in our work. Pittas have more digestive fire, but also more fire in our personalities. We generally have a warm body temperature. We can react to heat and light such as too much sun, light in our eyes or too much fire in our diet. We are goal oriented and often successful but can be controlling. Toxins, such as alcohol, cigarettes or drugs, or toxic emotions such as anger, jealousy, and intolerance create substantial imbalances for Pittas.

Kapha If we are mostly Kapha-natured, we tend to have strong, substantial frames and good strength and stamina. This offers Kaphas a strong immunity and a good-naturedness as we have the energy we need. When balanced, Kaphas are calm, loving, and loyal. The Kapha dosha moves more leisurely, eats slowly and with slow digestion which can result in overweight issues. They are affectionate and sweet but, when out of balance, are often lethargic and could lean toward depression. Kapha dosha controls moisture in our body, so a Kapha imbalance may result in mucus issues such as colds and allergies especially in the cold and wet season of late winter and early spring. Kapha types need to keep themselves moving or “couch potato” syndrome could set in. They may be slow to change and need to encourage themselves not to hold on to the past. They also need to be careful to not overeat. Kaphas are sweet, loving, and dependable and can be of great support to the other two doshas. Dosha Time and Seasons During the seasons as noted, the indicated dosha is more easily pressured out of balance. For instance our Vata is more likely to become out of balance in the fall and early winter as the weather has vata qualities at these times. Likewise—our time each day relates to the designated dosha that is most active in general and so might be more likely to be out of balance or we can work with this knowledge and for instance eat our biggest meal of the day at midday—

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the Pitta time when Pitta digestive functions are the strongest and we can retire before 10pm to be in Kapha time for the best sleep and arise by 6am to start the day with Vata energy. Also there are doshic times of life. Kapha is the dosha of our youth, Pitta of middle age and as we live longer, we are in the life season of vata.

VATA

PITTA

KAPHA

Season

fall, early winter

summer

Winter, early spring

Clock Time

2-6am or pm

10-2am or pm

6-10am or pm

Life time

About 50-55 and beyond Middle Age 20-50

Youth- about 20-25

Principle: Like (similar) increases Like. Dislike (opposite, dissimilar) decreases Like. We balance our imbalanced or excessive doshas with the opposite. If vata is excessive with dryness, we add moisture through warm cooked moist foods or Abhyanga for instance. If Pitta is excessive and hot we cool with walks in the moonlight or eating foods with cooling effects like watermelon. If Kapha is excessive we are sluggish, we need to exercise and add pungent spices to our foods. If we are loaded with ama, we need to clear the bulk of ama first and then continue with doshic balancing actions that continue to clear ama.

To minimize the formation of digestive toxins: 1.

Optimize digestive power Eat when you are hungry and don’t when you are not Eat to 75% full Don’t eat until the previous meal is digested (3-6 hours) Avoid large amounts of liquid before, during or after a meal Make lunch the largest meal of the day Avoid ice-cold food and beverages Chew well Avoid large quantities of raw and uncooked food Do not eat when you are upset Do not eat quickly or too slowly

2.

Optimize the digestive environment Eat in a settled, quiet atmosphere with a settled mind Do not work, read, or watch TV while eating Eat at approximately the same times each day Take a few minutes to sit quietly after a meal before returning to activity Don ‘t eat right before bed Take food that is pleasant to both sight and palate Take food that is prepared by a happy, settled cook.

3.

Take only purest and freshest food

4.

Eat predominantly vegetarian food

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5.

Eat organically-produced food

6.

Avoid genetically-engineered food

7.

Avoid “sale” food that is old

8.

Eat predominantly warm-cooked food. Body does not have enzymes to breakdown cellulose—the major

9.

constituent of the surface of most fruits and vegetables. Raw food becomes roughage that lines the intestinal wall—blocking the absorption of nutrients into the body. Seeds and grains are an exception to the freshness rule. They are the seed of life-they are made to hold their energy until the next year. Do not eat burned or rotting foods.

10. Avoid microwave ovens. 3 Things To DO Week 2: 1. 2. 3.

Choose a few actions for minimizing intake of toxins and experiment with them (see above) Shop for food items to make kitchari and/or mung bean detox soup (recipes below) Do Agni Sara. On an empty stomach. As many days this week as possible. (can't remember how? check out this Agni Sara How To)

Class 3: The Home Cleanse Ayurveda believes that detoxification is a daily experience. Two of the easiest ways to detox is to sip hot spice every 30 minutes throughout the day and to allow 3-6 hours between meals (no snacking) so that complete digestion can occur. At the change of seasons we may engage in more purposeful cleanse. Here is a range of options…what do you want to do? Simple to Start

Minimize Toxins + Spice Water + Nadi Shodhana

Moderate

Minimize Toxins + Spice Water + 3 Day Detox Diet (Kitchari or Mung Bean Detox Soup as main meal) + Some meals with Ama-reducing foods and spices

Advanced

Himalayan Institute Cleanse Sign up * for 7 day plan with support resources-shopping list, videos, food and lifestyle detox techniques. Good thru May 15.

* http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/yoga-international-magazine/cleanse/

Note: During detox adjust recipes to be lighter---very little or no fat, lighter in terms of vegetables choices and amounts, favor watery dahls and soups. For rejuvenation gradually add more substance, more oil, and quantity. For rejuvenations also add rasayanas such as Chyawanprash to your diet or Ayurveda herbs such as ashwaghanda. Hot date nut milk is rejuvenating.

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The Detox Diet or Ama-reducing Diet 1.

Avoid ama -producing foods. In general, you'll want to avoid foods that produce ama, such as leftovers, dead foods such as packaged, canned, frozen foods. Avoid heavy dairy products such as cheese or yogurt (although lassi is good); foods that are fried or oily; raw foods of any kind; heavy desserts; and foods with refined sugar and honey as these are harder to digest and create ama. Avoid yeasted breads and dry breads such as crackers. Avoid fat, oils, butter, and meats. You'll also want to avoid foods that create garvisha (environmental toxins), such as nonorganic foods, foods grown with chemicals, pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and foods with chemical additives.

2.

Eat ama -reducing foods. Favor vegetarian foods that are lighter, warm, cooked and digestible. Freshly made flat breads, freshly made soups and dhals, organic vegetables cooked with spices, and freshly made grains are ideal. Certain fruits, vegetables and spices are especially helpful in detoxifying, so you'll want to favor them during detoxification. Cooked Fruits: prunes, figs, apple, pears, pineapple and papaya. Raisins or dried cherries ok if soaked and chewed well). Avoid bananas and mangoes. Cooked Vegetables: well-cooked and slightly juicy in preparation -leafy greens, asparagus, artichoke, zucchini, carrot, spinach, brussel sprouts and cabbage. Dahl and beans: Yellow mung beans (green husk removed) prepared with rice as a thin soup, red lentil soup. Grains: quinoa, barley, amaranth, rice (especially white basmati), kanji (rice water), oats (watery porridge), couscous. Spices: ginger, pepper, turmeric, coriander, fennel and fenugreek. These spices help open up the channels and support the flow of toxins from the skin, urinary tract, colon and liver. Do not use salt Oils: All in small amounts in cooking except coconut oil Dairy products: milk, lassi, or ghee in small amounts. Milk is best drunk alone—not combined with other foods. Sweeteners: Honey in small amounts

3.

Choose foods according to your body type or imbalances. This will help regulate your agni. See additional resources for vata, pitta and kapha balancing diets in the resources area at: radiantlifeayurveda.com

4.

Drink plenty of hot spice water throughout the day to flush toxins out of the body through the urine.

5.

Do not generally snack. Allow 3-6 hours between meals to digestion to be complete.

6.

Use ginger to stimulate agni (digestive fire). Try a ginger pickle 15 minutes before a meal, cook with dry or fresh ginger, and add fresh ginger to your spice water.

7.

Prepare your foods with love and eat in a blissful environment.

8.

Do detox yoga! This will help to move the toxins that you have loosened up out of your system.

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Ama Reducing Diet- 2 day example Day 1-detox example

Day 2-ama reducing example

Qualities of Food

Lively, colorful, warm, fresh

Lively, colorful, warm, fresh

Environment/Sacredness Practices—ways to be energized by food Breakfast Stewed apple or pear or soaked fruits; whole-grain cereals (oatmeal, basmati rice) with almonds Dinner- Main Meal Grains, beans/legumes vegetables, lightly sautéed or steamed Spices to Aid Di gestion

Prayer, ritual in preparation

Candlelight and fresh flowers

Basmati rice or cream of rice with soaked almonds and soaked Medjool dates Kitchari (basmati rice and split yellow peas lentils, greens, fresh peas

Stewed apple (or pear) on quinoa with soaked raisins

Largest meal and cook with little or no ghee/oil

Or Mung Bean Detox Soup

Supper Grains, beans/legumes vegetables, lightly sautéed or steamed Spices to Aid Digestion Snack

Red lentil soup with basmati rice and vegetables (can liquefy)

Spices-Herbs

Your Meals

Shopping List

Couscous with French puy lentils, asparagus and zucchini Or Squash curry over lemon rice with a side of fresh cooked greens Carrots with ginger and rice. Soup.

Only if necessary—if blood sugar issues or you did not eat enough at meal time (correct the next day). Organic Fruit (grapes, pears, pomegranates, papaya are best). Soaked figs and raisins Ginger, black pepper, fennel seeds, ground coriander, fresh cilantro. Sautee spices in 1tsp of oil or ghee over medium heat. First add seeds (like cumin) and sauté gently until golden brown. About 1 ½ -2 minutes. Then add powdered spices and sauté another 30 seconds. You may then sauté your vegetables in this mixture or pour the oil spice mixture over steamed veggies or add to soup recipes.

Tip: You may also choose foods that will pacify your imbalanced dosha: Go to RadiantLifeAyurveda.com for diet and lifestyle recommendations for balancing doshas. 3 Things To Do Week 3 1. Continue with Spice Water and Minimizing the Intake of Toxins. 2. Do your Home Cleanse to the level you have chosen. 3. Be kind to yourself, slow down a bit during detox. Appreciate any steps you take. 3 Things To Do Week 4 and a wrap 1. 2. 3.

Thank yourself for the gift of self-care these last 4 weeks. Consider what practices for mind, body, and spirit from our session had the most positive impact, and how you would like to carry them forward. Enjoy a lighter transition into Spring!

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Recipes Mung Bean Detox Soup Ingredients 3/4 cup green mung beans (split green mung beans are best for cleansing) 4 cups water ½ tsp. turmeric powder 1/4 tsp. cumin powder 1/4 tsp. coriander powder 1/4 tsp. fennel powder 1/4 tsp. asafoetida or Hing (from Indian stores, health shops) 1 rounded tablespoon chopped Cilantro 1 Tbsp. ghee Directions Wash the mung beans in several changes of water and then soak them for at least 4 hours or overnight before cooking. Drain. Put into saucepan with 4 cups of fresh water. Simmer gently for 30 - 40 minutes or until the beans are soft adding more water if necessary. Sauté the spices in the ghee and add to the soup. simmer for a few minutes more. Add some vegetables such as spinach, other greens, grated carrot or zucchini to vary the soup and if you get very hungry. Cool a little, garnish with cilantro and eat as a thick soup or blend for a more detox effect.

Tridoshic Kitchari Step One: 1 ½ cup basmati rice ½ cup mung or toor dahl, lentils, or split peas 5 cups water

Step Two: 2 tablespoons ghee or oil Pinch of hing (optional) 1 inch grated fresh ginger 1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds 1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 1 teaspoon cumin powder 1 teaspoon fennel powder ¾ teaspoon turmeric 2 cups chopped green veggies, such as kale, squash, asparagus or chard 1 teaspoon sea salt Large handful chopped fresh cilantro 1 lemon

Step One: Bring the rice, beans, and water to a boil in a pot. Skim off any foam to reduce gas (or vata aggravating effects of legumes). Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the dahl is tender, all the water is absorbed, and the mixture resembles a thick porridge, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and be alert toward the end of the cooking so that the mixture doesn't stick. Add more water if necessary. Step Two: Heat the ghee or oil in a small skillet. Roast first whole spices then add powders and ginger. Add veggies to spices. Sauté until the veggies are brightly colored, about 3 min. Add to porridge being mindful to get all the spices transferred, let cook together for a few minutes. Add salt, squeeze of lemon, fresh cilantro and ghee on each portion.

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Simple Ayurvedic Red Lentil Soup 1 cup red lentils (or mung dahl) 5 cups water 2 tsp safflower oil, olive oil or ghee Curry leaves (optional) Veggies (chopped small) such as fresh spinach, carrots, leeks, zucchini, or kale – may omit during purification 1 inch piece fresh grated ginger 2 dashes hing 1/2 tsp cumin seed 1/2 tsp coriander seeds (optional) 1 T cumin powder 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp cayenne powder 1/2 lemon Handful chopped cilantro Black pepper to taste salt to taste Please note: curry leaves may be purchased in an Indian Food store. Begin by rinsing the legumes until water is clear. Boil the legumes with water separately for 45 min. Add turmeric. In a smaller saucepan heat ghee or oil, add whole seeds and a dash of hing (it should fizz). When cumin seeds begin to brown add ginger, powdered spices, curry leaves and black pepper. Roast spices for 1 minute then add veggies. Stir veggies with spices, cook on medium-high for 2 min. Add salt. Turn to medium heat, cover and simmer until veggies are just tender. Add water only to keep veggies from burning. Whip legumes with a whisk, then add veggies. Bring to boil, turn off, add lemon, cilantro and more salt to taste.

Thermos Flask Lunch 1/4 cup red lentils 1/4 cup Basmati rice 1 - 1 1/2 cup fresh Zucchini and/or Yellow Squash, (can add small amounts of asparagus or carrots) 1 teaspoon Ghee or Olive Oil 2 cups Water 1/4 tsp Fennel seeds 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds 1/4 tsp Ground coriander 1/4 tsp Turmeric 2 pinches Salt Rinse the lentils and rice and put in water and bring to a boil. Briefly, about 20 seconds, sauté the spices in ghee or olive oil. Add the chopped vegetables and sauté for 1 minute. Add the vegetables and spices to the lentils and rice and simmer for 5 minutes. While still boiling, pour the mixture into a one-quart thermos. Close the thermos quickly and leave closed for about four hours. Notes: - You may need to experiment with cooking times depending on your thermos’s ability to retain heat. - Heavier vegetables like carrots and beets need one to two more minutes of cooking with the rice and beans. - You may substitute yellow mung dahl for red lentils. - Do not overheat ghee when frying spices; it should not be smoking hot; begin with whole spices and fry only to light brown or seeds start to pop; then add ground spices for a few seconds only. Hot Date Nut Milk (a good rejuvenation food after detox) Soak 10 raw organic almonds and 2-3 organic Medjool dates overnight

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Peel almonds in morning (or alternatively—quick peel by soaking in boiled water for about 2 minutes then drain and rinse with cold water and pop out the almonds). Boil 1 ½-2 Cups organic whole milk. Put peeled almonds in a blender and blend up. To blender add: Peeled and pitted dates 1 tsp ghee (or up to 1Tblsp) Ground spices—about ¼ tsp or to taste---mix of cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon ¼ tsp. green spirulina powder (optional—can coagulate if you do not drink right away) Add hot milk and blend Optional—can add Chyawanprash or Amrit Balancing Lassi Drinks Why Lassi? Lassi (pronounced "LAH-see") is simply fresh yogurt blended with room temperature water. Whereas yogurt by itself can clog the channels of the digestive and elimination systems, once it is transformed into lassi it actually aids digestion. Thinning yogurt with water and blending it changes the molecular structure so it is more easily assimilated. Drink it before or with lunch. Digestive Lassi: Blend to taste:  1 part cold yogurt  3 parts water  Pinches of ginger, cumin, salt and black pepper Stewed Apples This is a great for early morning nourishment. This recipe stimulates timely bowel movements and digestion and metabolism to produce lively Ojas. Raw apples can aggravate Vata but apples prepared in this manner actually pacify Vata and also Pitta and do not aggravate Pitta. This is a morning dish, not recommended for evening.    

1 whole fresh, sweet apple, cored and peeled. You may use pears 3 whole cloves or powdered spice blend of cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom (¼ tsp. or to taste). 1/4 cup of purified water 1 tsp. ghee

Directions: Core, peel, and slice or ice apple into small pieces. Add cloves or powdered spices, apples and water in a covered pot. Cook apples in 1/4 cup of water until they are soft. Discard the whole cloves if used, cool slightly. Ayurveda Recipe Websites http://www.joyfulbelly.com/ http://franlife.blogspot.com/2006/03/recipe-website.html http://www.ayurvedicyogi.com/recipes/

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