The beauty of oil is extremely under appreciated and brushed over. Oil. The word has become such an enemy in our societies. It has become so associated with negativity--fat and greasy, slimy and gross, the list goes on and on. I'm sure that a lot of people when they read "beauty of oil" might have even been a little dumfounded. But, alas, in Ayurveda, there is room for oil. Not only is there room for oil, oil is appreciated and stuck up on a pedestal like you wouldn't even believe.
Oil plays such a huge role in our life, and we don't even realize it. One Sanskrit word associated with oil is snehan. Snehan also happens to mean love and compassion. Yes, you read that right too. There's a reason why oil is so important. Here are the many benefits of oil:
The list literally goes on and on. You might be wondering why oil plays an important role in a detox and cleanse program. Well, it really is quite amazing. In a traditional Ayurvedic Pancha Karma, you are attempting to pull all of the toxins from all over your body back into your GI tract so that you are able to eliminate it through your natural eliminatory pathways. Think of these toxins as sticky and gooey--they're not going slide out of your little nooks and crannies so easily. With proper oileation and guidance from a practitioner, the oil helps to lubricate all of your channels so that the goop easily will slip and head back towards your GI tract. The beauty of oil. Here are some healthy ways to incorporate oils into your day to day routine:
Oil doesn't have to be the enemy. Think about all of the good it does for you next time you ask for something oil-free! *To learn more about healthy ways to incorporate oils into your life, contact me! Be sure to seek proper guidance before starting any cleanse routine, and speak with your health care provider!
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Going on a cleanse is no easy work. It takes a lot of stamina and COURAGE to say no to things that you want to eat. So tip #2 is staying away from processed sugars. What does this look like? Well basically anything that contains white sugar. Processed foods are really hard to digest, and more often than not results in toxin build up in our bodies. When you are cleansing, you want to stick to foods that are easy to digest.
Think about it this way. What is the purpose of cleansing? To detox and get rid of unnecessary build up in your body. Quite frankly, that takes a lot of work for your body to do. Just imagine, every single nook and cranny, your body has to expend the energy to pull the nastiness from all of those areas. Well, on the other hand, the whole process of digestion takes a lot of energy as well. So, the more foods you eat that require a lot of energy, the less energy your body has to do its job of cleansing. Processed sugars are also inflammatory in nature. Again, this doesn't help in the detox process. In general, while cleansing, you want to avoid sugar as much as possible. If you are really needing something, opt for more natural sources of sugar. Honey is a great one, as it has a scraping quality to it, which will help in the cleansing process as well (although, this doesn't mean that you should go buck wild and have loads of honey!). This should generally be your rule of thumb even when you're not cleansing (maple syrup, dates, and jaggery are also two other good options for natural sweeteners to use while not on a cleanse). Let me tell you a quick story. I love dessert. I am an avid baker, so sugary sweets are right up my alley. Yesterday, I was extremely tempted to have some ice cream cake at work to celebrate a co-worker's birthday. I mean c'mon! Ice cream AND cake, all wrapped up in one!? Who can say no to that?! But, the feeling you get when you say no to something that you know isn't good for you--well, that feeling beats anything in the world. Having that conquering mentality will help you get through your cleanse. You start to realize and see that food doesn't have to control you, as it does for so many people (myself included so many times!). You have the capability to control your food, which in my opinion, results in a more mindful process of eating, and the whole act becomes way more enjoyable. Have a great cleanse everyone! Enjoy your food, and know that you are in control! *If you're looking for some help in what kinds of sugars are good and bad for you and your constitution, be sure to contact me. Let's chat and find the diet that works best for you! Cleanses have become pretty popular in this day and age. Every where you look and turn, you see the latest juice cleanse, or sugar detox, or fruit-only diet. Well, from an Ayurvedic perspective, cleanses have a proper time and place in the year. They're not all the same, and the same cleanse shouldn't be done throughout the year.
As our external environment changes with the seasons, so does our internal bodies. And more importantly, what goes on inside during spring, is going to be completely different than what is going on in the summer, autumn, and winter. That is one of the most important lessons of Ayurveda--how to adapt our bodies and our lifestyles with the natural ebbs and flows of Mother Nature. We are just a mere microcosm of a much greater macrocosm. One goal is to learn how to sync our bodies and natural rhythms with that of our environment. Since we are in the heart of spring, I thought it would be appropriate to share my experience with a mini-cleanse that I'll be doing this week. Although a full Ayurvedic Pancha Karma is much more detailed and thorough, I unfortunately do not have the ability to take off work and participate fully. But, there are some things I can do on a regular basis over the next 7-10 days to help my body detox some of the heavier elements of winter that are still lingering. Throughout the next week, I'll be posting different tips for you to try at home as well. TIP #1: drink warm water thought the day. In general, you should be drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water each day. Begin carrying a small thermos around. Sip warm water every 15-20 minutes. Make sure you don't chug it down. The more you chug, the more it will just flush out of your system. You want your tissues and cells to actually absorb the water that you are taking in. Our bodies are made up of 70% water--how many times have you heard that?! Probably one too many. But, with that, it's important that we keep giving ourselves the right amount of water. Why is water a great way to help detox our bodies? Well, it just does a really good job of flushing out different toxins that have built up in our body. If you drink a glass of warm water as soon as you wake up, it help prepares your gut by getting it ready for digestions--it wakes up your metabolism, let's say. If you have proper digestion, then your body won't accumulate as many toxins. Don't like the taste of water? Add a splash of fresh lemon juice for taste. Along with this tip, something that is important, is that you want to try and avoid caffeine as much as possible. If it's hard for you to complete give it up, then try cutting back to 1 glass of caffeine. Remember, caffeine is a dehydrating substance for your body. If you want a proper "mini-cleanse" you want to stay as hydrated as possible. Stay on the lookout for tip #2! For more information on Ayurvedic cleanses or to receive a personalized cleanse routine for you, just shoot me an email! Have fun! |