In an article published by the New York Times titled: “Feeling Older? Here’s how to embrace it” they said “Many of the problems that adults face as they get older ae unrelated to the normal part of aging. The quality of your later life is partly under your control. Choices about lifestyles and behaviors can influence the effects of so-called secondary aging. Exercise and proper sleeping and eating habits will help your physical health, which will benefit your mental and cognitive health. Mr Ludwid said” In Ayurveda, youth is about juju (nectar), moisture in the skin and internal tissues. If you accumulated too much internal heat over the summer it will dry out the skin, from the intestinal wall all the way out to the outer dermis. The organs cannot do their job well when they are dehydrated. Dry skin, on the inside and out, leaves cracks and openings for bacteria, viruses and the like. Then if you move into the season of dryness, Autumn (when all the leaves are drying up and falling off the trees), you are going to be hit exponentially harder with the draining aging effects of deep dehydration. The Ayurvedic seasonal cleanse is an ancient process that helps to gently nourish the deep tissues and guide the body into burning old, stored fat soluble toxins. It resets the digestive system with seasonal food and daily practices. The cleanse sets the stage for the body to naturally and gradually let go of the toxins that could affect emotions, mental clarity and the immune system.
This is NOT a starvation diet. It’s important that your body feels supported during the cleanse. If you’re feeling starved, you might need to increase what you’re eating for lunch or add protein. When the body feels depleted it triggers a stress response and sends the body into emergency mode.
Lymphatic Drainage is another way to aid in the cleansing process since the lymphatic system is one of the primary ways the body rids it’s of toxins.
There are THREE phases to the 10 day cleanse. Phase One is the preparation phase where, for four days, we start to eliminate stimulants and processed foods, we also start to cleanse the blood and bile in this phase. Phase Two is called the Main Phase, where we eat a mono diet for five days. Lastly, Phase Three is where we start to introduce foods slowly back into our diet. This is an important part of the cleanse. Often times we pat ourselves on the back and say “good job you survived the cleanse” and then go back to our old habits. If we go back to the foods we used to eat and the daily routines we had before the cleanse, we’ll enter right back into toxic mode. In this phase, I’ve incorporated a 30 minute individual Nutrition, Digestion and Lifestyle Coaching session into the cost of the cleanse. In this coaching call we will discuss your specific body types as it relates to the foods and lifestyle that will support a more balanced life, better digestion and overall better health and wellness. Ayurveda is not a one size fits all, therefore, it’s important that you know what supports you and what creates disharmony.
TOXINS – Why We Cleanse
So what are toxins? Dr. John Douillard says this about toxins: “Some of the pollutant molecules we are exposed to are fat-soluble, while others are water-soluble. Our bodies are pretty good at detoxing water-soluble toxins. The kidneys typically flush them out with our liquid waste.
Fat-soluble toxins are trickier and require multiple phases of detoxification by the liver. Often the liver is already overwhelmed and diverts these fat-soluble toxins into the blood. Since they are lipophilic – meaning attracted to other fats – they pick fat cells around your belly, hips or even your brain to bind to and store in – in some cases for decades.
All cleanses hope to pull toxins out of the fat cells. The question is: where do the toxins go from there? The body stores toxins in the fat when it cannot digest and process them properly. If you do not reset your digestive strength before you cleanse, you risk just moving the toxins from one fat cell to another and feeling worse. “
Toxins come from a variety of sources:
-Man made chemicals (mercury filling, pesticides, fluoride, etc)
-90% of toxins come from our own body/mind/Spirit
-Bacteria=fungus, yeast, respiratory infections
-Foods
-Stress
-Sickness or injury
-Emotional
-Trauma
-Beliefs or attitudes
-Undigested food (gas/bloating/constipation)
-Too much sugar, fat, alcohol, smoking, drugs, food allergies
-Seasonal changes – changes in the temperature
We all have toxins in our bodies. In Ayurvedia, we call toxins AMA. Chronic toxins get stuck and clog the lymph and blood, adhere to the GI tract which all creates an increase of bacteria and fungus which then flourish and create more toxins in our bodies. Basically, these bacteria are eliminating in our bodies leaving behind more toxins. Okay, gross I know, but TRUE. Some of the sings of chronic toxicity would be:
- Smelly breath, sweat, feet, gas
- Constipation or Mucus in the stool
- Acnes, rashes or eczema
- Distorted tastes
- Ear wax
- Coating on the tongue (AMA)
- Puffy skin, especially red puffy skin
- Nausea
- Heaviness in the body or mind
- Foggy thinking
- Decrease appetite
Various ways to cleanse toxins from our body:
- Skin = exercise/sweat
- Intestinal tract = laxatives, cleanse, colonics, herbs
- Urine = diuretics (such as dandelion, celery and parsley)
- Lymphatic System/Circulator System = sweat, lymphatic massage either self of from a professional, hot bath, warm water (dilates blood vessels and stimulates digestive tract), ginger, cumin turmeric tea,
- Elimination diet (Seasonal Cleanse)
- Oil pulling
- Heavy metals = Chelation Therapy
- PunchaKarma which is a more advanced Ayurvedic practice.
Lastly, we can store emotional toxins mentally and Spiritually. All beliefs are toxic. Many are sacred and holy but sometimes attitudes and beliefs creep into our psyche. Beliefs that we think are good but turn out to be faulty. Beliefs are the way we interpret and react to certain situations. They can become hard coded responses instead of approaching a situation with new response we have a predetermined response to certain situations. This could be helpful or hurt us. So, we want to cleanse these mental/emotional/Spiritual beliefs as well. Every belief you have is a part of your identity. We need to recognize those limitations of those toxic beliefs.
Ayurveda isn’t about taking a pill or herb to solve a problem, it’s about identifying our weaknesses, signs and symptoms, and working from a place of Whole Body Wellness. You will not only be coached through the 10-day cleansing process, but also coach you through lifestyle and dietary habits that will take you beyond the 10 days into deeper, longer lasting health. We can’t just cleanse every time we feel bad and then go back to our poor habits.
In Health-
Lisa