Ayurveda is a holistic and natural system of medicine that originated in India thousands of years ago. It aims at attaining balance between your mind, body, environment and spirit. Those who practice Ayurveda faith that the Ayurvedic cleanse, also denoted panchakarma, could support you attain this balance. This cleanse includes following a particular diet for 3 to 21 days to detoxify the body. Read on as we explained what an Ayurvedic cleanse is and how to do it. Plus, we would take you through the benefits and risks to support you and decide if it’s right for you.

Things You Should Understand

• An Ayurvedic cleanse aiming to detoxify the body and promote spiritual, physical, and mental health. Starting with a 3-day cleanse if this is your initial time.

• It involves eliminating meat, caffeine, alcohol, dairy, processed foods and sugar, while instead eating simple, warm foods, like cooked vegetables and whole grains and fruits.

• Make time to self-care during cleanse, including meditation and yoga, and reintroduce the meal slowly once you finish up the cleanse.

What do you mean by Ayurvedic cleanse?

An Ayurvedic cleanse aiming to detoxify the body and promote well-being. Originating in India 5,000 years ago, Ayurveda is one of the oldest medical systems in the world. Its aim is to attain balance between the spirit, mind, and body through the specific practices and diet like yoga and meditation.

• During the Ayurvedic cleanse, you would ignore some meals like meat, dairy, processed foods, refined sugars, caffeine and alcohol.

• Instead, you’ll aim on eaten simple, warm foods like cooked veggies, vegetable soups and whole grains and fruits.[5]

An Ayurvedic cleanse has three stages. Each phase serves a particular purpose to ensure that the body gets the most out of the cleansing experience. Here’s a small breakdown:

• Preparation/Pre-Cleanse Phase: Involving slowly adjusting the lifestyle and diet to prepare the body for your cleansing method. You would initiate eliminating meat, caffeine, dairy products, added sugars, processed foods and alcohol.

• Active Kitchari/Cleanse Phase: The basic cleansing period. Your diet would consist primarily of a traditional Ayurvedic dish, variations of Kitchari, along with some other foods such as spices and Ghee.

• Rejuvenation/Reintroduction Phase: Essentially includes return to stage one. You would gradually reintroduce a huge variety of foods, while also aiming on hydration to rejuvenate the body.

Select the Cleanse Length

Most Ayurvedic cleansing lasts 3 to 21 days. A complete traditional Ayurvedic cleanse, also signifies Panchakarma, taking 21 days, but you could absolutely detox for small time periods depending on the preference and schedule. If this is your foremost cleanse, you might need to begin with 3 days. Just be certain to allot an equal number of days to every of the 3 stages to feel their complete effects. 

Cutting back on processed meals to prepare the body.For up to a week before officially beginning your detox, cutting back on the beverages and foods you’ll fully delete when the cleansing starts. These involve flours and fish, dairy, meat, cold or fried foods, raw foods, caffeine, and alcohol.

• Staying hydrated is also significant during this period, so drinking plenty of water!

• For a 3-day cleanse, do 1 day of preparation. For a 9-day cleanse, do three days of preparation. For a full twenty one-day cleanse, do seven days of preparation.

Add warm, simple meals to the diet.Warming whole foods are thought to balance out the digestive agni or fire. These involve cooked fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seeds and spices. Here are certain examples of meal to eaten up during the period:

• Roasted or sautéed veggies (zucchini, carrots, brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage, asparagus, etc.)

• Light, lentil soups or dairy-free vegetable

• Whole grains such as oats, basmati rice, and quinoa

• Spices like ginger, cumin, and coriander

• Flaxseeds, Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds

• Poached or Cooked fruits (pears, prunes, apricots, apples, figs, berries)

• Herbal teas

• Ghee, a type of clarified butter, is also a significant chunk of the Ayurvedic diet. It’s thought to promote “oleation,” or the procedure of introducing healthy oils into an digestive tract to support eliminating toxins.

Phase 2: Active Cleansing

Eating kitchari during the cleanse. Kitchari is the traditional Indian dish that blends spices, whole grains, and legumes in a flavorful, warm soup. It typically includes rice and lentils or mung beans, along with ghee, fruits or veggies, and spices. There are numerous differ kitchari recipes, from sweet breakfast alternatives with nutmeg and cinnamon, to savory recipes for dinner time.

• To start, try out eating kitchari for dinner and lunch. For breakfast, eat a simple, warming meal made from the listing of approved foods, such as fruit and oatmeal.

• If you feel comfortable, gradually work towards eating kitchari for all the 3 meals every day.

• Continued following the diet for the duration of the active cleansing layer.