Can’t do a full cleanse? Do this instead.
When the seasons change, Ayurveda, yoga and other disciplines often advise a five to seven day cleanse, built around whole, plant-based foods, selected spices and herbs, the popular Ayurvedic dish called kitchari made of mung-beans and basmati rice and not much else. The cleanse is preceded by a get-ready period and followed by a gradual re-entry into your normal diet. A full Ayurvedic cleanse is fantastic for the body, mind and spirit, but it’s not indicated or possible for everyone.
Cleanse not for everyone
A cleanse may not be possible because you’re traveling, or have too many commitments (a good reason to slow down and cleanse! LOL). Or, like me, you may tend to be thin and light and a five-day cleanse would take off more weight. I happened to mention my desire to do a cleanse to my friend and doctor who is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist and he suggested a great stopgap for those who can’t do a full cleanse — a regular veggie day.
Shop for fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits
The idea behind the day is simple. Buy lots of your favorite fresh vegetables preferably organic. These should be mostly green. Don’t load up on carrots and beets. No potatoes. They have too much sugar and starch. And here’s the good news. You can add raw nuts and avocados to your meals and some fats like ghee (clarified butter you can buy in many grocery stores and online). Here’s what i ate on my recent veggie and fruit day.
Tara’s menu
For breakfast on my veggie day, i made a fruit salad with strawberries, blueberries, bosc pears and pine nuts. I also ate some raw walnuts.
For lunch i made a big plate of steamed vegetables. My faves are cruciferous, so i used broccoli, cauliflower and red cabbage, added more pine nuts and melted ghee over it. Then i topped it with a half an avocado. It was delicious.
Later i polished off the rest of the fruit salad from breakfast and finished with macadamia nuts.
Lots of fruit and veggie benefits
Doing a regular fruit and veggie day doesn’t take the place of a full cleanse, but it has many great benefits. Green vegetables like kale, spinach and broccoli are high in vitamin C, folate and vitamin K that are good for the liver and enhance detox. Due to their fiber, fruits and vegetables move through the system fairly quickly, while chicken, fish and red meats can take twice as long or more. We all know that vegetables and fruits help prevent heart disease and cancer as well as reducing overall inflammation.
In my case, some days i don’t get a desirable volume of fruits and vegetables into my body because i don’t have a big enough appetite. Having one day when i pack the vegetables in helps balance out my week. It can also balance out a week of not-so-great-for-you food choices.
Try your own veggie day. How did it go?