It’s normal to feel the desire to get on track with our health goals after indulging over the holidays.
Besides, it is always a good idea to delicately reset our digestive system and support the elimination of toxins, at least once a year.
That’s why I have created this Ayurvedic New Year Cleanse for us, to welcome 2023 with reduced inflammation, less toxic buildup, and a healthier, rejuvenated body.
Let’s do this!
Reduction Therapy
According to Ayurveda, all diseases are produced by an accumulation of the doshas.
Even when doing our best with following an Ayurvedic regimen, we are still exposed to harmful substances from water, cleaning products, and other environmental sources.
Eating out can also aggravate the doshas, as we don’t really know what ingredients are used or the mood of the cook.
Plus, toxins can be produced when there is poor digestion or gut problems.
In this context, an annual maintenance treatment to gradually decontaminate the body is vital.
Ayurveda calls this approach reduction therapy, which is a powerful strategy to reduce ama (waste material), strengthen the digestive fire, lose weight, and eliminate several factors that cause disease.
**This program might be followed by Vata aggravated people too, since it is a mild detox. However, talk to your Ayurvedic consultant to make sure this cleanse is for you.
Minimizing Ama
Ama, or undigested food particles, not only causes disease, but obstructs the digestion of nutrients.
We are what we digest; therefore, if foods cannot be absorbed properly, the body will not function as intended and illness will likely occur.
Eliminate ama and support this Ayurvedic New Year Cleanse with the following strategies:
- Avoid / reduce the sweet, sour, and salty tastes.
- Increase the bitter taste (bitter melon, leafy greens, turmeric) to lower ama.
- Consume more of the pungent taste (ginger, cayenne, black pepper) to burn and remove ama.
- Drink lots of warm water and ginger or fennel tea.
- Abstain from processed sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and any processed or highly refined foods.
- Take pure aloe vera gel to cleanse the tissues and the digestive tract without any taxing side effects.
- Scrape your tongue first thing in the morning using a tongue scraper. Then, brush your teeth, and drink warm water with the juice of half a lemon.
- Go to bed by 9:30 pm. Falling asleep before 10 at night assists with repair and detoxification processes.
- Engage in light exercise while cleansing.
Ayurvedic New Year Cleanse
Although our primary goal is to diminish the accumulation of toxins, we don’t want this protocol to be depleting or Vatogenic in any way.
Instead, we want it to be purifying, yet grounding, satisfying, and suitable for the cold winter season.
Which means we won’t be starving ourselves or just drinking juices, but eating warm, well-cooked meals, prepared with whole ingredients and plenty of spices.
Our bellies and hearts will appreciate that.
These are the detox guidelines:
- Follow this plan from 3 days to 2 weeks.
- Make lunch the largest meal of the day.
- We won’t be counting calories. However, be conscious about how full you feel when eating. You should eat at 70-80% of your capacity or stop when you notice your first burp.
- Avoid snacking.
- Eat your last meal at least two hours before going to bed.
The Detox Menu
In this menu, I offer two meal options for breakfast and dinner. Choose the one that suits more your mood and liking or alternate the recipes to add variety.
For lunch, however, have the kitchari recipe for your dosha every day.
This is the tridoshic kitchari recipe, in case you are cleansing with someone else at home.
Cleansing, nurturing recipes
Breakfast
Ayurvedic oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup Hemp milk
- 1/2 tbsp Chia seeds
- 1/2 tbsp Ghee
Spices
- Cinnamon powder
Instructions
- In a pan on medium heat, add the oats, the milk, the chia seeds, and the cinnamon. Mix well.
- Cook for about 4-6 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Serve in a bowl and top with the ghee and more cinnamon.
Quinoa porridge with milk and honey
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Quinoa (raw, tricolor)
- 1 cup Almond milk
- 1/2 tsp Honey
- 1 tbsp Pumpkin seeds
Spices
- Cardamom powder, cinnamon powder
Instructions
- In a pan, add the quinoa, water, and the spices. Mix well.
- Let it boil for 2 minutes and then reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the milk and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Serve warm with the honey and pumpkin seeds on top.
Lunch
Find the kitchari recipe for your dosha here.
Dinner
Lentil soup with sautéed zucchini
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Lentils (raw, red)
- 1/2 unit Zucchini
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 1 unit Garlic
- 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups Water
Spices
- Cumin seeds
- Fennel seeds
- Coriander seeds
- Turmeric powder
- Ginger powder
- Fenugreek powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Black pepper and Himalayan salt
Instructions
- Soak the lentils for minimum 10 hours. Slice the zucchini. Set aside. Mash the garlic. Set aside.
- In a pan, add the lentils and the water. Bring to a boiling point for at least 5 minutes. Remove the foam that will form on the surface.
- Add the garlic, vinegar, and spices, except the salt. Cook for 25 minutes on low heat and lightly covered or until most water is absorbed. At the end of the cooking process, add the salt.
- In the meantime, in a frying pan, add the ghee, fennel, and cumin seeds. Stir in the zucchini, season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Sauté it for 7-8 minutes.
- Serve the lentil soup in a bowl. Top with the zucchini and more cayenne.
Mixed vegetable soup
Ingredients
- 1 unit Carrot
- 1/2 unit Zucchini
- 1/4 cup Green peas
- 1 1/4 tbsp Ghee
- 2 cups Water
- 1/4 cup Cilantro
- 1/2 unit Lime
Spices
- Cumin seeds, cardamom pods, turmeric powder, Himalayan salt
Instructions
- Wash and cut the vegetables in bite-sized pieces. Chop the cilantro. Set aside.
- In a large soup pot, on medium heat, add the ghee, the cumin seeds and cardamom pods. Sauté until fragrant.
- Add the water, the turmeric, and salt. Mix well. Stir in the vegetables and bring to a light boil. Lower the heat, and cook for about 8 minutes.
- Serve warm and top with fresh cilantro leaves and freshly squeezed lime juice.