Kitchari Cleanse for New Beginnings
September often feels like the new year before the new year. A time for beginning the next adventure in our lives.
We rise restored and recharged after the summer, ready to take on the second half of the year.
If 2019 hasn’t felt like your finest year yet, there’s still time to start again and finish off strong. 💫
As the leaves begin to brown and summer clothes get pushed to the back of the wardrobe, a good way of releasing unwanted energy and replenishing our physical, emotional, mental & spiritual bodies is through an Ayurvedic Kitchari cleanse. 🌻
What better time to do this than in the week of Equinox (23/09) and the Libra supermoon (new moon) (28/09) – both representing a time of shedding the old and transitioning into the new. 🌑
For thousands of years, the rice based dish Kitchari has been consumed as a ritual to detox the body and restore balance.
It’s an easy way to purify from pent up toxins that we may not even be aware of …
Detoxing is hugely beneficial for our energy levels so we can proceed into whatever new chapter is beginning before us with clarity and stamina.
Ayurveda recommends that Kitchari is consumed for each meal of the day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and depending on how deeply you want to cleanse, it usually lasts between 3 and 10 days. 🍽
Now ideally, in order for the body to full renew itself, it’s advised to take some time off or choose a time when you can keep activity and stress low so the emotional and mental layers get their full renewal. 🧘♀️
However, many of us of course don’t always have that opportunity especially if you’re beginning a new job or studies for example.
So instead, starting on the weekend gives you time to get used to the cleanse before the new week begins.
Kitchari is made from basmati rice and mung beans (packed with protein), cooked with seasonal vegetables (including a leafy green), ghee (regularly used as agent in Ayurvedic cooking – great for gut health), herbs and spices.
These ingredients are specific as they’re easy to digest and eliminate any junk lingering in the body. 🍚
Naturally, our body begins to demand fattier and heartier foods as we move into autumn then winter so September/October is a great time to give ourselves a break and brace our bodies for all the indulgence in the colder months.
Ideally, in Ayurveda it’s recommended to perform a cleanse 3 times a year as the seasons change or when you feel a lot of sluggishness or indigestion – not just on a physical level but mentally too.
In today’s world, we’re constantly surrounded by temptation of processed, fried, sugary foods which generates a build up in gut residue and clogs our lymph system. Over time, if we don’t make the effort to cleanse our bodies from all this junk, it puts our stomach and other organs under strain when there’s so much debris in the way.
It’s so crucial to keep the gut healthy and balanced as 90% of our serotonin is produced in there, meaning, an unhealthy body will without doubt lead to an unhealthy mind.
This is why the ancient wisdom of Ayurvedic medicine, which treats the mind and body as a whole and interconnected system, prescribes Kitchari as a remedy for removing impurities and re-establishing vibrancy from head to toe.
New age medicine often fails to recognise the power of a clean diet as the solution to our problems, by focusing too much on treating symptoms rather than addressing the entire body as a whole.
It’s best to cook a fresh batch of Kitchari each day, however if busy life prevents this, it can last up to 4 days in the fridge. Cooking up a big pot of Kitchari isn’t only easy but also ensures your meals are prepped for half the week! So not only are you treating yourself to some rehabilitation, you also save yourself a lot of time.
It can of course get a bit tedious eating the same thing for a few days, however what I’ve personally found from eating my own 4-day Kitchari cleanse was that it in fact didn’t get that tiresome. This dish oozes with flavour and the easily digestible nature of the ingredients leaves you feeling light and energetic afterwards, I wish I’d kept going!!
But if you do get bored, you can always switch it up by cooking it with different vegetables each time so you feel like you’re eating something new each time. 😉
Finally, performing a Kitchari cleanse is an easier and gentle way of purifying the body rather than committing to a more intense detoxification such as juice or even water cleanses.
Now for the deets…
Recipe: Kitchari
Time required: 30-40 mins
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 250g basmati rice
- 200g mung beans (rich in anti-oxidants, fibre & protein)
- 4 carrots
- 1/2 courgette
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 2 leeks
- 2 large handfuls of kale (or leafy green of choice)
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp coriander (fresh or dried)
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1/2 tbsp ginger
- 1 tbsp parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- few grinds of black pepper
- 1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter – great source of healthy fat)
1. Boil rice and mung beans for 10-15 minutes, careful not too fill the pot with too much water but enough to cook these through with some extra.
2. In the mean time, chop your vegetables and add the denser, more time consuming veg to the pot once step 1 is complete.
3. Let the vegetables cook 75% of the way through, keeping an eye on the water level and adding more as necessary.
4. Add the lighter veg, your leafy greens to the pot with the ghee, herbs and spices and leave for 5-10 minutes to allow the flavours to begin infusing and ensure veggies are fully cooked.
5. Serve and season with any more herbs, spices, salt or pepper as desired!
TIP: For better detoxification, eat your Kitchari slowly & mindfully, paying full attention to the flavours swirling around your mouth and visualise the rejuvenating effects on your body – praising gratitude for the benefits of the wonderful fresh ingredients before you as well as thanking yourself for taking the time and effort to care for your body and boost your health. 🙂
Visualisation, appreciation and positive thought are the most powerful of all in creating a happy and healthy mind, body and soul.
Enjoy friends 💗
If you liked this post, check out my blog on Ayurveda – The Ancient Science of Longevity to find out more about Ayurveda! to find out more about Ayurveda!
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Namaste,
Tori xoxo
