|
I recommend that everyone reading this write down the following ingredients: soaked mung beans, brown rice, onions, garlic, ginger, and curry powder. Okay, the hard part is over. Now all you do is simply throw everything into a pot, simmer for 45 minutes, and eat it for three days. That's it? That's it!
Traditionally, it consists of yellow split mung beans, however I like to use green mung beans that are soaked and/or sprouted for deeper detoxification properties. I also find these more effective for the modern world than the split version (which yields less enzymes than the sprouted green beans) when it comes to cleansing. Kitcheree is an ayurvedic and yogic traditional dish that works to balance the digestive system, detoxify the body, and cleanse the mind. It does this in very simple, yet profound ways. The Trinity Roots Garlic, ginger, and onions are powerful alone but when you combine them in a dish, you create a high sulfur, high selenium, and high antioxidant formula that helps to increase circulation, move out old lymphatic fluid and wastes, greatly reduce inflammation, and detoxifying the tissues in the body. When you combine curry powder, which contains turmeric, with these you amplify its ability to reduce inflammation. Sulfur is also a collagen generator which creates new beautiful skin, strong ligaments, and flexible bones - which you want! Mung Beans and Brown Rice Not only are mung beans highly detoxifying, they are also cooling for the body, good for your liver, they act as a diuretic, and are even good for recovering alcoholics (Paul Pitchford, Healing With Whole Foods). Mung beans are one of the easiest beans to digest, yielding no gas or bloating - especially when they're soaked and even more so when they're sprouted. Combine them with nourishing, cleansing, and pH balancing brown rice and you have yourself a complete protein that strengthens, heals, and detoxifies the body without messing with blood sugar levels. This is ideal for diabetics and hypoglycemics. Mono-Diet The foundation of a kitcheree cleanse is, essential, mono-dieting. This occurs when one eats only one type of food or one type of dish consistently for several days to several months. Mono-dieting allows the body's digestive organs to anticipate which enzymes need to be made so that digestion can become faster and more efficient. Once the body is used to eating the same food, those organs (liver, gallbladder, pancreas) can finish digesting early, get more rest, and turn more of their energy toward self-cleansing, restoration, and regeneration. Cleansing The Palate Eating simple food without salt, sugars, and oils cleanses the palate and, the longer the mono-diet is endured, the more sensitive your taste buds will become to these foods when they are included in your diet again. This is helpful, as it makes one less tolerant for overly fatty, salty, and sweet things. Cleansing The Mind This is, without a doubt, the most challenging aspect of any cleanse. When you're eating only kitcheree you are free from the distraction of what to cook, or what to eat, or what to buy. You're free from the constant nagging voice in your head that wants you to satisfy your sweet tooth, or snack on something to make it through a task you're working on. The freedom from these distractions sounds lovely, but it can be quite hard to deal with. When we're not distracted AND we're cleansing years of chemicals and feelings from our bodies we tend to become irritated, panicked, emotional, anxious, angry, and just about every other emotion one can think of. Prepare For a successful cleanse, it is vital to have support from your friends and family. You have to set up something for yourself to focus on that isn't food oriented. Don't start a cleanse if you're about to embark on a stressful project, or are going away for one week to your favorite place with all your favorite foods. I love to cleanse when I have several days away from work and people, and I can just compose music all day, read books, hike, go on walks, and simply take it easy. Not being bound by time or aware of time is extremely helpful during a cleanse as well, since we're so time-programmed as to when we should eat and snack. Start So, you think you're ready to try a kitcheree cleanse? I think you are too! It's so easy and delightful that you may become addicted to it, which is entirely perfect! One can do a kitcheree cleanse for several weeks to several months. Your body will tell you when it's craving something new. For my kitcheree recipe, go here. You can use the individual spices I have on that page, or you can simply use 1-2 tbsp. of curry powder instead. Either one will be beneficial. Just make sure your curry powder is salt-free. Once you make your kitcheree, eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 3-10 days. You do not need to worry about coming off the cleanse in any specific fashion since you're already eating. Just be gentle and do not eat portions that are too filling for the first few days. To speed up the cleanse, replace breakfast with raw fruit or herbal tea and only eat kitcheree for lunch and dinner. Steamed vegetables or salads can be served on the side with kitcheree as long as you stick to the guidelines of no oil, no salt, and no sugar. Eating your way to being more fit, creative, young, healthier, and energetic is certainly one of my favorite ways to transform my body. I hope this information helps to transform yours.
0 Comments
 One of my favorite teas around, Yarrow & Rose make a beautiful combination in the jar and the meadow. Whenever I'm picking yarrow in a meadow it's often growing between big beautiful bushes of white and pink roses. This makes sense to me, as they're both faerie flowers and lend an astringent, toning quality to the entire body. More specifically, yarrow helps tone the digestive system and breaks down toxins in the blood so that they can be flushed out from the body without too many detoxification symptoms like headaches, rashes, or nausea. Roses tone the heart, circulatory system, and feed the capillaries beneath the skin: perhaps this is why drinking roses makes one's skin rosy?
I like to take a big handful of yarrow and a nice handful of roses and throw them into a quart jar. I boil water and fill it to the top and let them steep overnight. In the morning I drink 1-2 cups warmed up on the stove before eating anything to flush my body, tone my organs, and nourish my skin from the inside out! Every morning I eat a bowl of oatmeal with fresh pears, dulse strips, and cinnamon. This simple, affordable, and delicious meal is full of healthy benefits. This is a staple breakfast for me and I usually recommend it to most everyone looking to optimize their health.
Beauty and Bones Oats are rich in silicon, which promotes collagen growth in the body. Combine this with mineral-rich dulse and you are eating your way to healthy bones, hair, skin, and nails. Heavy Metals Pears contain a fiber called pectin which acts as a heavy metal chelator. Seaweed is also known for protecting the body from radioactive residues caused by environmental pollutants, radiation exposure, and cancer therapies. Blood Sugar Oats alone are good for blood sugar because, as a complex carb, they slowly turn into glucose for the brain - opposed to refined carbohydrates that dump glucose into the blood and wreak havoc on blood sugar levels. Furthermore, the cinnamon powder helps convert glucose into glycogen. Glycogen is the form of glucose that the body stores in the liver and muscles for later use. Seaweed, being rich in minerals, is also fantastic for balancing the blood sugar. Put all these three ingredients together and you have a potent medicinal food to balance your blood sugar, promote mental clarity, and nourish your pancreas. Cancer Preventative Bile acids, a by-product of digesting fat, turn carcinogenic when left in the digestive tract for too long. The high fiber content of the oats, pears, and gel-like fiber form seaweed (algin) is a fantastic colon cleanser that will help keep you regular, as well as pull potentially hazardous compounds out of the colon before they become an issue. Nervous System Oats provide nourishment for our nerves. They are loaded with B vitamins and have a soothing effect on the entire body. Seaweed help to nourish the nerves by providing adequate minerals to the whole body so that it can assimilate the B vitamins in the oats. In addition to all of these amazing benefits, this bowl of oats can increase fertility in men, heal an underactive thyroid, relieve leg cramps, relieve most digestive issues, and help lose weight. If oats make you bloated, you may find that adding the seaweed to them breaks down the phytic acids which usually contribute to gas and discomfort. Here's the recipe: 1/2C organic rolled oats (steel cut may be used, but rolled are better for those with weak digestion) 1 and 1/2C water 1 pear (diced) 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 handful of dulse (tear up in pieces) Bring everything to a boil and let it simmer for 10 minutes covered. Enjoy! Buckwheat porridge is often looked at as a tasteless gruel, reserved for peasants in Russia. I happen to think that "peasant food" is the most beautifying, nourishing food on the planet. After all, the peasants always outlived the gouty kings.
Buckwheat is amazing for so many reasons. One major reason is that it contains the bioflavonoid Rutin. Rutin, among many things, helps to: - Builds and strengthens blood vessels and capillaries. - Improves circulation, which helps maintain warmth during the colder seasons. - Reduces skin inflammation, a common symptom of Rosacea - Protects the body from radiation (cell phones, x-rays, and smart meters are but a few common causes) - Can help to lower blood pressure. - Cleans the intestines. This recipe, adapted from Cookus Interuptus, will make your body beautiful from the inside out. Potatoes deliver healthy minerals for the blood and skin, onions provide sulfur for collagen growth, and mushrooms provide selenium as a powerful anti-cancer compound. When you add this to rutin-rich Kasha and top with sauerkraut (high in vitamin C and enzymes) you have an incredible breakfast that will clean the blood, rebuild the immune system, strengthen your circulatory system, and make your skin glow. 1C kasha (roasted buckwheat) 2-4C water (Start with 2 cups and add more if you want it soupier) 1 small red skinned potato (finely diced or grated) 1 onion 1/4 - 1/2C finely chopped shiitake mushrooms 1 tbsp. of sesame oil 1) Saute onions with a little sea salt for 5-10 minutes until they become nicely browned. 2) Add the potatoes and the mushrooms and let saute for an additional 3-5 minutes, covered. 3) Throw in the kasha and let that also saute for another 2-3 minutes, covered. 4) Add water, bring to a boil, and let simmer while covered until the water is soaked up. 5) Serve with sauerkraut and steamed vegetables. I like mine with brussel sprouts and diced carrots. You can add rosemary to increase its blood strengthening and warming properties. I recommend that everyone reading this write down the following ingredients: soaked mung beans, brown rice, onions, garlic, ginger, and curry powder. Okay, the hard part is over. Now all you do is simply throw everything into a pot, simmer for 45 minutes, and eat it for three days. That's it? That's it!
Traditionally, it consists of yellow split mung beans, however I like to use green mung beans that are soaked and/or sprouted for deeper detoxification properties. I also find these more effective for the modern world than the split version (which yields less enzymes than the sprouted green beans) when it comes to cleansing. Kitcheree is an ayurvedic and yogic traditional dish that works to balance the digestive system, detoxify the body, and cleanse the mind. It does this in very simple, yet profound ways. The Trinity Roots Garlic, ginger, and onions are powerful alone but when you combine them in a dish, you create a high sulfur, high selenium, and high antioxidant formula that helps to increase circulation, move out old lymphatic fluid and wastes, greatly reduce inflammation, and detoxifying the tissues in the body. When you combine curry powder, which contains turmeric, with these you amplify its ability to reduce inflammation. Sulfur is also a collagen generator which creates new beautiful skin, strong ligaments, and flexible bones - which you want! Mung Beans and Brown Rice Not only are mung beans highly detoxifying, they are also cooling for the body, good for your liver, they act as a diuretic, and are even good for recovering alcoholics (Paul Pitchford, Healing With Whole Foods). Mung beans are one of the easiest beans to digest, yielding no gas or bloating - especially when they're soaked and even more so when they're sprouted. Combine them with nourishing, cleansing, and pH balancing brown rice and you have yourself a complete protein that strengthens, heals, and detoxifies the body without messing with blood sugar levels. This is ideal for diabetics and hypoglycemics. Mono-Diet The foundation of a kitcheree cleanse is, essential, mono-dieting. This occurs when one eats only one type of food or one type of dish consistently for several days to several months. Mono-dieting allows the body's digestive organs to anticipate which enzymes need to be made so that digestion can become faster and more efficient. Once the body is used to eating the same food, those organs (liver, gallbladder, pancreas) can finish digesting early, get more rest, and turn more of their energy toward self-cleansing, restoration, and regeneration. Cleansing The Palate Eating simple food without salt, sugars, and oils cleanses the palate and, the longer the mono-diet is endured, the more sensitive your taste buds will become to these foods when they are included in your diet again. This is helpful, as it makes one less tolerant for overly fatty, salty, and sweet things. Cleansing The Mind This is, without a doubt, the most challenging aspect of any cleanse. When you're eating only kitcheree you are free from the distraction of what to cook, or what to eat, or what to buy. You're free from the constant nagging voice in your head that wants you to satisfy your sweet tooth, or snack on something to make it through a task you're working on. The freedom from these distractions sounds lovely, but it can be quite hard to deal with. When we're not distracted AND we're cleansing years of chemicals and feelings from our bodies we tend to become irritated, panicked, emotional, anxious, angry, and just about every other emotion one can think of. Prepare For a successful cleanse, it is vital to have support from your friends and family. You have to set up something for yourself to focus on that isn't food oriented. Don't start a cleanse if you're about to embark on a stressful project, or are going away for one week to your favorite place with all your favorite foods. I love to cleanse when I have several days away from work and people, and I can just compose music all day, read books, hike, go on walks, and simply take it easy. Not being bound by time or aware of time is extremely helpful during a cleanse as well, since we're so time-programmed as to when we should eat and snack. Start So, you think you're ready to try a kitcheree cleanse? I think you are too! It's so easy and delightful that you may become addicted to it, which is entirely perfect! One can do a kitcheree cleanse for several weeks to several months. Your body will tell you when it's craving something new. For my kitcheree recipe, go here. You can use the individual spices I have on that page, or you can simply use 1-2 tbsp. of curry powder instead. Either one will be beneficial. Just make sure your curry powder is salt-free. Once you make your kitcheree, eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 3-10 days. You do not need to worry about coming off the cleanse in any specific fashion since you're already eating. Just be gentle and do not eat portions that are too filling for the first few days. To speed up the cleanse, replace breakfast with raw fruit or herbal tea and only eat kitcheree for lunch and dinner. Steamed vegetables or salads can be served on the side with kitcheree as long as you stick to the guidelines of no oil, no salt, and no sugar. Eating your way to being more fit, creative, young, healthier, and energetic is certainly one of my favorite ways to transform my body. I hope this information helps to transform yours. Dry brushing is one of the best ways to detoxify the blood, tighten the skin, rid the legs and arms of cellulite, and keep your lymphatic system open and moving. To understand the importance of dry brushing, we must first understand the importance of our skin and its function in detoxification.
Our skin is our largest organ with many functions. It synthesizes vitamin D from the Sun, it regulates our body temperature and keeps us cool through sweating or warm by contracting, it protects our bodies from injuries, and it facilitates the body in the detoxification of wastes in the bloodstream. It gained its second name, the third kidney, because it functions quite similarly to the kidneys in eliminating toxins from the blood. To be precise, the skin eliminates around two pounds of waste each day. Rashes (eczema, seborrhea, dermatitis), boils, pimples, acne, and other skin problems are the unsightly manifestations of our inner condition. These are caused by toxins in the blood. How do we get toxins in the blood? There are two ways: internally and externally. Toxins are caused internally by food allergies, alcohol, cigarette smoke, pesticides and chemicals in our food, excess hormones found in animal products (meat, milk, eggs), prescription drugs, overeating and constipation (which both cause putrefaction in the digestive tract), excessive stress or worry, and, widely unreported, synthetic supplements or too many supplements. What do all of these things have in common? Besides being toxic by nature, they clog the liver. Our liver is arguably our most important organ when it comes to our long-term health. Our liver purifies our blood, regulates our hormones, and helps to digest foods. When the liver is clogged, our blood cannot be properly purified and our blood flow becomes stagnant, or toxic. To make matters worse, a congested liver cannot filter out the body's hormones correctly, leaving us with hormonal imbalances that can lead to everything from acne to cancer. Externally, our blood can become toxic from environmental pollution, chemicals in our body care products, synthetic dyes and chemicals in our clothing, as well as chemical-laden household cleaners and laundry detergents. Remember, the skin absorbs up to 70% of whatever we put on it. That's a big deal! Look in your cabinets at your detergent, hair gel, and moisturizers. My general rule is this: if you would not eat it, do NOT put it on your body. Environmental pollution is another big reason for blood toxicity and skin rashes. I remember visiting New York City before I lived here and taking a shower when I returned home. I could feel the grease, grime, and smog from all of the automobiles coming off my body. Sometimes the water would even be a little grey in tint. Most of my friends also had the same experience, but now that we live in the city it's as if our bodies have adapted and, instead of rejecting the air completely, have learned to live with it, and possibly even absorb it into our skin. It's so important if you're living in the city to eat a diet that cleans the body of toxins on a daily basis. More importantly, there are several supplements (Alpha Lipoic Acid, parsely extract, and chlorella/kelp extracts) that are exceptional at detoxifying the liver and pulling heavy metals and radiation from the blood and tissues of the body. One way to aid in the detoxification of the skin is through an ancient practice called dry brushing. Dry brushing increases the circulation to the surface of the skin which literally draws out wastes and drains the lymphatic system all over the body. The increased blood flow to the skin also helps to tighten the skin and drastically can begin reducing cellulite within days of doing it. Increased blood flow also means all of the good nutrition you're getting from your whole food plant-based diet is being delivered to the skin more effectively. It stimulates nerve endings, which strengthen the nervous system. It also eliminates clogged pores, which allows the skin to take in more nutrients and excrete more wastes. Since the skin accounts for up to 1/4 of our daily detoxification, skin brushing can dramatically decrease the work of the liver and kidneys. When more toxins are leaving through an organ as large as the skin, instead of solely through the comparatively small liver and kidneys, those other cleansing organs can focus less on cleansing and more on digesting. Optimal digestion and flow of enzymes will then create less toxicity in the blood. Once you perform a skin brushing, you will feel your skin literally breathing. It feels so open and fresh. You may even feel lighter. Some people, particularly those with a clogged lymphatic system, may notice mucus-like material in their stools. This is a great sign that the dry brushing is effectively stimulating the lymph to dump excess mucus into the colon for faster elimination. Since our lymphatic system is our super-highway for toxins, a faster flowing, unclogged lymph can do its job better and protect us from disease that results from the build-up of toxins. Using a dry brush is very easy and takes between 5 to 15 minutes. You start at the top of your legs, stroking upwards in short, fast motions of three. I usually do six fast upstrokes before going to the next area of skin. Start at hip and upstroke your way down to the tops of your feet, then do the back of the legs in the same pattern. Move to your shoulders and upstroke down to your hands, then perform the same pattern on the back of the arm. Move to your neck and upstroke down to your waste and perform the same pattern on the back of the next down to your back - that's all there is to it! Most practitioners advise starting at the bottom of the limb and working your way up. I believe, since the lymph flows up, that moving from the bottom up can actually clog the lymph, rather than open it. Imagine the lymph node in your groin as a knot and a long straight rope (the lymph vessel) running down from that knot to your foot. I find that opening the knot first will then allow the lymph to move through it easier, rather than liberating all of the lymph fluid below the node that may just stagnant until the node has been stimulated. If you're skeptical try both ways. I find this way works best for me. You may find it a little painful the first two, or three times, but the skin becomes stronger and the brushings become more and more soothing as your perform them. You want to make sure that you're using a natural brush that's made from wood and plant-based fibers. Synthetic brushes will break down as you use them, releasing chemicals into your skin and reversing any benefits of skin brushing. I like the dry brushes from Yerba Prima, but as long as it's wooden and made from vegetable-based, non synthetic (plastic) bristles you're good to go! Do NOT perform dry brushing over rashes, skin infections, fungal conditions, or poison ivy. It will cause severe irritation and, in cases of infection and fungal outbreaks, can contaminate the brush and spread the condition further throughout the body. For optimal cleansing, perform a skin brushing before exercise. The open, unclogged pores will be able to sweat better and eliminate toxins better this way. Follow up with a cool shower to, once again, increase circulation to the skin and stimulate the lymph. This is a great ritual to include in your life each day to ensure proper detoxification and smooth, tight, glowing skin. Enjoy a nice glass of lemon water with cayenne and one dropper of burdock extract, or red clover tea with lemon and a small spoonful of raw honey after your dry brushing and shower. Those two tonics will continually help cleanse the body of toxins by stimulating the lymph and cleaning the liver. If you have skin issues that may impede your ability to dry brush, you should follow a personalized diet and supplemental protocol for, at least, three months. Remember, a skin issue is a reflection of inner body toxicity that is manifesting itself to you. Your skin is an alarm system for the blood and the liver. Be thankful for it, as it is alerting you of small, reversible problems that can be easily eliminated before they become more life-threatening and severe. |
RSS Feed