Ahoy, spring has arrived!
Author: Maharishi Ayurveda Date Posted:21 August 2017
What do I need for Springtime?
As the seasons change so do your health and wellbeing needs.
This is a time where nature decides we all need a spring clean. With the changes in weather patterns the spring change has come a week or two early for my clients this year. Over the last 2 weeks I have been seeing people with flu symptoms, heavy coughs and mucous congestion in the sinuses… the Kapha influence of spring time is making itself felt.
What I’ve also noticed is that these symptoms seem more intense than usual. Maybe it is due to the variable weather we have had this winter.
During this four week period where winter is changing into spring, sometimes called the gap between two seasons, we see an increase in both Vata symptoms (winter time) along with an increase in Kapha symptoms (spring time). This is the most crucial time in the year to clean out the ama (impurities) that have accumulated through winter and may have been accumulating throughout the whole year.
Mother nature is very kind in that she naturally mobilises all these impurities for us at this time of the year. If we go with mother nature and complete a cleanse then our health and energy will be strengthened for the whole coming year. If we don’t, then the symptoms of mucous, increased heat and dryness will continue to accumulate into the next season, until at some point imbalance and discomfort force us to address them.
So my questions for you are…
Do you need to reduce ama now to address symptoms you are already experiencing? Do you want to be proactive and consciously act to optimise your wellbeing?
Your Spring Clean Programme
Your programme includes some herbals, a detoxifying tea to sip through the day, a cleansing breakfast and some suggestions for lunch and dinner. Suggest you follow this programme for 1-2 weeks. It’s pretty easy to do and fits in with one’s lifestyle pretty well.
Prior meals 3 x a day take
Digest Tone 1 tablet
Parasite Clear 2 tablets
15-30 minutes after meals 3 x a day take
Guggul Organic 1 tablet
Turmeric Organic 1 tablet
Bedtime
Herbal Cleanse 2 -3 tablets
If you generally have a sluggish or hard to pass bowel motion, or eliminate less than daily, take Digest Tone 2 tablets and Herbal Cleanse 3 tablets prior bed. Reduce the dose if your bowel motions become watery. Aim for a soft bowel motion that feels like you have cleaned out well.
Detoxifying tea
Sip your tea every 15 minutes through the day.
Boil 2.5 L of water in the morning for 10 minutes with the following spices added
• 1/4 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds
Let it steep for ten minutes with the lid on. Then strain out the spices and pour the water into a thermos. Sip throughout the day every 30 minutes. Make a new batch of tea every morning.
Light tasty breakfast
For breakfast eat a baked or stewed apple or pear with 4-8 prunes that have been soaked overnight.
Put the whole apple or pear in the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until soft. For best results, insert three whole cloves around the circumference of the apple or pear before cooking. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool before eating.
To stew, simmer one sliced apple or pear in two cups of water with three whole cloves and the two dried figs for 10-20 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the water and allow it to cool before eating.
If you are still hungry, complete your breakfast with one to two cups of hot, cooked whole-grain cereal, seasoned with cinnamon or cardamom.
Cleansing Meal Plan for all doshas
Aim to have 3 main meals a day and to avoid daytime snacks during your cleanse.
Breakfast
Do not skip breakfast. Even if you are not hungry, at least have a stewed or baked apple or pear with raisins to start your day. This provides easily digestible nutrition and helps increase your appetite for lunch.
If you are hungry, also have a bowl of cooked whole-grain cereal. If you have a strong appetite and tend to get hungry well before lunchtime, make your cereal with milk or soymilk and add ground nuts for extra protein.
Lunch
Make lunch the main meal of the day. Your lunch should consist mainly of cooked foods, with a small salad on the side if you wish. Ensure a balanced meal with whole grains, freshly cooked vegetables and protein.
- Vegetarian sources: lentils, chickpeas, or other legumes, tofu or soy; fresh cheese (panir), cottage cheese or yogurt.
- Non vegetarian sources: meat, poultry, fish or seafood
Only take non-vegetarian sources of protein and curdled foods such as cheese, cottage cheese
Dinner
Enjoy a light, easy-to-digest evening meal. Good choices include cooked grains, cooked vegetables, and soups, including legume soups such as lentils. It is important to avoid non-vegetarian foods (such as poultry, meat, fish) and cheese at the evening meal.
Bedtime
If hungry at bedtime have a warm milk or soy milk boiled with a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, or ginger.
Wishing you the bliss of balance.
To receive support while completing this cleanse post messages on our Facebook page and we will be happy to guide you through the cleanse.
Linda Sinden and the Get Balance Team.
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Linda Sinden has been a practising Maharishi Ayurveda Consultant since 1990 and is a regular contributor to our weekly Insights. She has a practice in Auckland, New Zealand and also provides phone or Skype sessions for those who need assistance, but don’t have a consultant in their vicinity. Email: lindasinden@orbislife.co.nz Skype: Linda.Sinden |
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