Next, let’s go over the shopping list.
- 1 c Split Yellow mung Beans or 2 c mung bean sprouts
- 1 c White Basmati Rice
- 1 T Fresh Ginger Root
- 1 T ghee
- 1 t each Black Mustard Seeds, and Cumin and fenugreek seeds
- 1 t each Coriander powder, and fennel and Turmeric powder
- 1 pinch Hing (asafetida), and cloves
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 6-8 c.Water (for thickness preferred)
- rock salt, sea salt or Bragg’s, + black pepper to taste
- 1 c chopped cilantro
- lemon slice or spoon of fresh yogurt
I’ll guide you step by step to getting very clear on what to eat so you can make your shopping lists and get armed with recipes in the Kickoff call at the start of each Hormones Detox.
For now, let’s take a closer look at some examples of what you can select from.
Since this is a light-handed cleanse, and I assume you’re trying to keep up with your normal day-to-day, including work & family, we will follow a better-than-before approach.
- Generally, the whole goal is to make the food that you’re eating easy on your system. To do this:
- Eat cooked foods, that are slightly soupy/saucy
- Drink only hot water & herbal, non-caffeinated teas
- Reduce heavy foods: wheat, cheese & dairy, whole pieces of meat or all meat products
That means if you’re someone who’s been eating super healthy and light already, you’re challenging yourself with a mono-diet of Recipes 1 & 2 below. If you’re in a phase of eating heavier, later, or simply junking out, commit to eating a plate consisting of:
- ½ steamed veg
- ¼ protein
- ¼ grains that aren’t wheat
That’s an appropriate challenge if you’re eating heavy or late at night these days! You don’t want to do anything too dramatically different from what you are already doing because your body will feel it is a shock to the system, and won’t hold the effects afterward. Remember, we’re simply trying to give relief to overburdened organs so they can do their good work.
So, regarding the choice of protein, again, think on a relative scale. If you eat meat daily, or red meat and pork, a cleanse week could be simply going down to only lean meat and fish, and every other day. It could be choosing broths rather than pieces of meat. But if you can, go veg for the length of the cleanse.
If you’re vegetarian, reduce the pasta, bread, cheeses, creams, and yogurts.
If you’re already eating very clean and you want to intensify the cleanse, there are 2 types of recipes you can follow for the duration. How do you decide? By listening to your digestion. For example, if you don’t digest lentils well and they cause a lot of gas and bloating even when you’ve taken all the necessary steps to reduce the gas and make them less heavy to digest, try the rice & broth variations instead. If you get lightheaded, try mixing in broths. It can be that your body needs to relearn how to stabilize its levels of blood sugar, especially if this happens when you’ve shifted from having snacks in-between meals to not eating in between.
Recipe 1: Kitchari
Kitchari is the traditional detox food of Ayurveda. Kitchari is considered a complete food in Ayurveda. You can eat it for weeks. Or do kitchari for a day. It’s like baby food. Simple to cook and digest … and then you don’t have to worry about food for the day.
Get the full Kitchari recipe for detox here
Recipe 2 Rice & broth
Eating broth, like bone broths including chicken broth, over rice, can be good detox food in a couple of situations. For example, it can be excellent for people whose bodies tell them they need more nourishment, either through frequent true hunger (also hunger in between meals), blood sugar levels that crash easily, and not being able to keep enough weight on despite eating plenty. Also, as mentioned above, it can be excellent for people who tend to eat meat every day, but for whom taking out the meat entirely for the time of the detox would be a shock to the body.
Once you are familiar with these recipes and suggestion what to eat, do the following:
- Write out a shopping list based on which variations you want to try
- Shop for the ingredients and get them into your kitchen
- Practice the recipes to make sure you can make them tasty and satisfying
The philosophy is simple. The body detoxes when it is given the opportunity. Lighten up what you eat, and nourish the 6 tastes, and 5 senses at the same time, and voila, you’ve created the opportunity for it to reactivate what it already knows how to do.
Then you’re all set! Ready to get started? Join our next Hormones Detox
