Summer Cool Down Community Cleanse

An Ayurvedic Cleanse for the Summer

September 1st - September 10th, 2020

a 10 day cleanse

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do a Cleanse?

During the summer months the sun is the highest in the sky and our bodies can feel the effects of the heat over time. In the Ayurvedic science when the body is feeling out of balance during the summer months it is most likely due to an increase of Pitta in our constitution. Signs of elevated Pitta dosha may be seen as red, inflamed rash, acne, cold sores, acute inflammation in body or joints, acid reflux, gastric or peptic ulcers, heartburn nausea or discomfort upon missing meals, loose stools, uncomfortable feeling of heat in the body, frustration, anger, irritability, judgment, impatience, criticism, intolerance, red, inflamed or light-sensitive eyes, excessive perfectionist tendencies.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, this may be a good time to start incorporating cooling life style practices and learn how to create meals with foods that have cooling, grounding and calming qualities.

This is a 10 day cleanse that will offer a new approach to how you eat according to your personal constitution.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

A Summer Season cleanse will help:

Boost the immune system for the coming fall season. Regulate digestion and proper elimination. Help eliminate "AMA" toxins in the tissues and organs. Restore mental and emotional imbalance. Increase daily energy and vitality. New lifestyle techniques will be practiced and may help eliminate bad habits.

 

What are the signs of “Ama," toxicity in the body?

In the Ayurvedic system it is understood that there are qualities in the summer and fall season; light, scattered, heated and irritated to name a few.  These may describe how we feel mentally and physically at the end of the summer season and it is a sign that there is “Ama,” accumulated toxins in the body.

Body toxicity can appear as:

Poor stamina and lack of focus. Mental discontent; frustration and aggression. Dry skin or skin irritation; rashes or itchy skin. Digestive imbalances such as diarrhea or chronic constipation. Body aches, pains and/or overall malaise. Insomnia, restless sleep or excessive sleep and lethargy

What does the 10 day program include?

Basic Cleanse $54

• A comprehensive packet of information on the 10 day cleanse including:

• A check off list provided for each day to help keep track of the daily routine. This daily routine called “dinacharya” will help us maintain our energy levels and certain practices will help the cravings that may come during the initial days of the cleanse.

• Daily practices include but are not limited to a morning breath work practice, yoga, self massage, journalling and evening walks in the cool breeze.

• Summer Season Food Shopping list and yummy recipes to use throughout the cleanse

• Easy to follow calendar to guide you through your cleansing journey

• Facebook Private group site where you will receive daily information on the cleanse and be able to ask questions on different aspects of the process such as physical ailments or mental and emotional challenges.

Advanced Cleanse $75

• All listed items on the Basic Cleanse

• A 30 minute Ayurvedic Consultation by phone or office visit to work on determining your Ayurvedic Constitution.

• 3 Free Zoom Yoga Classes

• Specific lifestyle recommendations according to your constitution to help maintain proper digestion, daily energy and mental clarity.

Supplies:

Food for this cleanse is affordable.  Essentially we are eating rice, mung beans and steamed vegetables.  My office is stocked with Kitchari kits, abyangha oils, triphala and supplements from Banyan Botanicals.  When you are filling out the application form, let me know if you are interested in buying a kitchari kit, or any of the supplies that I carry and I can set it out for you to easily pick up.

Kitchari kit $55

• rice

• mung beans

• ghee

• triphala tabs

Kitchari Deluxe Kit includes:  $65 (best deal)

• rice

• mung

• ghee

• triphala tabs

• Abyangha sesame or sunflower oil

Other Supplies:

Pitta or Vata Massage oil 4 fl oz $12

Pitta or Vata Massage oil 12 fl oz $25

Spice Packet $10

ginger extract $12

Blood Cleanse $20

Ashwagandha $20

Nasya Oil $13

Tongue Cleaner $8

How to get started

Getting started is easy just follow the steps below.

1. Please fill out the dosha quiz on the Banyan Botanical web site. click here

2. Once you have your Results fill out the registration form.

3. Make a Payment.

How does the 10 day cleanse go?

Day 1-3   Pre-Cleanse

The first three days are to prepare the body for the 7 days of cleansing that follows.  Each day there will be something to eliminate from our diets: caffeine, alcohol, dairy and meat, foods from a can or out of a box, refined sugars and white flour.  There are recipes and a Pitta favoring food list provided to help offer new ideas to the menu planning for the first 3 day pre-cleanse.  You may want to create more time in this preliminary phase to take certain foods out of the diet.

We are using foods that favor the season of summer.  These foods are specifically chosen to help nourish the body help clear the built up Pitta qualities of the hot summer  season. 

These foods contain the qualities and tastes of sweet, bitter, astringent, cold, heavy and oily; such as salads, steamed vegetables, fruit and coconut oil.  During the cleanse we will be decreasing the qualities of pungent, spicy, sour, salty, hot light or dry; such as coffee, chips and salsa and spicy curries.

 We will be working with cooling spices and garnishes like fennel, coriander, cilantro, lime, and shredded coconut. Foods that will be especially supportive include avocados, coconut, watermelon, asparagus, cucumber, leafy greens, red lentils, and mung beans.

On the daily check-list, there are several places where you will rate your energy level, bowel movements and the white coating on the tongue.  The ayurvedic practice focuses on watching the body’s ability to eliminate “AMA.”  Ama is a sanskrit word meaning body toxins.  There are several ways we can identify toxin excess in the body; by watching the quality of stools, the white coating on the tongue, and the smell of our urine and sweat.

Day 4-6   Cleanse

Cleansing the digestive tract:

We are now entering the first four days of the digestive cleanse.  In the morning when the sun is just about to rise, we will be drinking a small amount of Ghee in the mornings to help loosen the stagnant impurities in our digestive tract.  Ghee acts as a solvent and will help mobilize the toxins so that the AMA can be moved out and eliminated from the body.  If you are practicing a Vegan diet you can substitute ghee with coconut oil. 

Rice and veggie diet:

            During this four day period, the diet consists of rice (or Quinoa) and steamed Pitta pacifying veggies.  No protein.  There is a Breakfast Rice meal that can be added to the menu for a different flavor if you need it.  If you are not hungry for breakfast, you may skip it during this time period and eat an earlier lunch or eat one type of fruit for your breakfast meal.

Pitta Pacifying Fruit Snacks:

            It is recommended not to eat raw foods during this time except for fruit.  It is important that we do not eat fruit during our meals.  Our bodies digest fruit faster and if we combine the fruit with our meals, it will decrease the energy needed to completely digest the meal.  Eating fresh fruit as a snack at least one hour before or after a regular meal is recommended. 

Day 7-9   Mono-diet

These five days we will be eating a “mono-diet” of kitchari.  This is a diet that will give us all the nutrients we need, protein and carbs to help us continue on with our work days and continue the cleanse process.  At this time our digestive tract has been cleaned out and now we are getting the gut back into a balanced state.  You should begin to see a significant change in your bowel movements and other Ama indicators at this time.

There are several kitchari recipes we can use and many others out there you can find online.  Many of you have bought the “kitchari kit” and feel free to play around with the different recipes.  It is important to understand that these five days are ONLY kitchari and Breakfast Rice.  No fruit and one veggie per meal.  

Day 10 and on…  Reintegration and Rejuvenation

Reintegration and Rejuvenation

For the final day of our cleanse, we will take some time to reintegrate certain foods back into the diet.  The digestive tract has been cleaned and reset so this is the time to slowly introduce foods that may potentially aggravate the body such as dairy, wheat and soy.   Again, eat whole foods using recipes from the cleanse packet and diversify your menu slowly.  Caffeine, Alcohol and or any other type of stimulant could over stimulate the systems in the body.  So best not to introduce any of these stimulants within the first several days after completing the cleanse. 

This is also a good week to get a massage, facial or any other spa treatment you would enjoy.  This is a time to celebrate you and your healthy body!

Good Articles on Ayurvedic Cleansing:

Banyan Botanical Introduction to Ayurvedic Cleansing

https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/cleansing/an-introduction-to-ayurvedic-cleansing/

John Doulliard’s Summer Diet page:

https://lifespa.com/pitta-diet/

The Ayurvedic Detox

https://www.livinghealthy.com/articles/kitchardi-the-ayurvedic-detox