I made it! It was hard work at times, at other times exhausting, yet it was cleansing and I feel amazing. I shed 11 lbs, my joints feel lighter, my skin is clearer, and I am sleeping better at night.
Last night I had to take castor oil one final time for this cleanse. This last game of thrones went well, although I will not bore you/gross you out with the details of it. Let’s just say that I am feeling very clear intestinally. I could also not be happier that I do not have castor oil looming in my future.

Herbs Part 2

Manjistha:
This lovely red root is used to cleanse the lymphatic system. It supports the healthy functioning of the lymphatic system so that it can cleanse itself. This herb has also been used as a blood purifier. It clears excessive pitta. That means that there tends to be a lessening of heat in the body. I can attest to this personally. Here in Tucson it has been getting quite warm. Since I started this cleanse, I feel cool and even drive around with my windows up when it is 85 degrees outside. It works!

Turmeric:
This bright yellow herb is an amazing anti-inflammatory. It also helps with digestion. One of my tricks, for years, has been to sprinkle Turmeric on my pizza so that I can digest the cheese easily. Right now there are a number of studies being conducted on Turmeric as an anti-inflammatory. Pole says, “excellent for reducing pain as a topical application in bruises, infections, sprains and pain.”¹ It is fresh and in season at the local health food store. I love the little roots, they look like grub worms. What ever you do with Turmeric, watch out, it stains bright yellow. You know I have been cooking with it because my finger tips and finger nails are a yellowy-orange color.

Liver Repair / Liver Formula:
We use a mixture of herbs to help the liver detox and while providing support for healthy functioning and rejuvenation. I have been using Liver Repair from LifeSpa.com. The other recommendation is Liver Formula from Banayan Botanicals. Both are good, but they contain different formulas. However, both formulas contain:
Bhumyamalaki – cooling, cleansing and soothing; helps to detoxify the liver
Guduchi – balancing; heating yet it eases excessive pitta; “burns accumulated natural toxins purifying the liver, kidneys, joints and blood.”²
Amalaki – cooling; supports healthy stomach lining; contains the highest amount of Vitamin C of any plant

Moving Forward

What can you do to support and maintain a healthy lifestyle? If you want to try and do some home cleansing, a book that I recommend is Colorado Cleanse by Dr. John Douillard. It is easy to understand, it comes with recipes and a discussion of each herb suggested.
The simplest action that you can take is to adopt a 3 season diet. This means eating foods that are in season.
Your next step would be to take a look at your diet. You may feel that you eat healthy but if you have weight gain around your mid-section, allergies, skin irritations, etc, you body is trying to tell you something about what you are eating.

¹Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. Elsevier Ltd, Philadelphia: 2006. Page 283
²http://www.banyanbotanicals.com/prodinfo.asp?number=6891

I took my last 4 Tablespoons of ghee this morning. Ahh, how wonderful, I do not have to have ghee until the next time that I do this
Dreading the fact that I will be taking castor oil this evening, for the third time. My stomach is in knots and my gag reflex is active at the thought of chocking down more oil. Blech!

It occurred to me today that I have not written about the herbal components of this cleanse. We change the diet for 2-6 weeks and during that time we use herbal support. There are herbs that we take before we eat and herbs that we take after we eat. Below I talk about the pre-meal herbs and tomorrow’s post will include the post-meal herbs. This information is intended to inform but should not be taken as medicinal advice. If you decide to take any other herbs, you knowingly do so at your own risk. Now that I have said that, may I suggest that you see a Licensed Ayurvedic Consultant/Practitioner (L.A.C.).

Digests:
As a part of this cleanse, we are resetting the digestive system. To do that, we must put things in that are easy to digest, but also support the whole digestive tract with herbs that enable proper digestion. Everyone takes a digest four times a day, first thing in the morning and prior to every meal. There are a number of factors in determining which digest to take.

1. Your constitution, otherwise known as your Prakriti. This is your tendencies of physical and emotional qualities. It is important to have an awareness of how your body interacts with your internal and external worlds. There are a number of tests for determining your constitution, but Banyan Botanicals has a nice one.
2. Your current imbalance. We all experience imbalance and your Vikriti is current imbalance.
3. The season. Right now we are in the kapha season, or spring run off. There is a tendency to have a high amount of mucous. For this reason most people during the spring cleanse will take kapha digest (ginger, black pepper and red pepper).

I started this cleanse out taking the kapha digest as I had some mucous present and found it helpful during the fall cleanse. After a week, I had to stop taking it and switch to pitta digest (Guduchi, Amalaki fruit, Cumin seed, Coriander, Fennel, Ajamoda, Licorice, Cardamom, and Cinnamon bark). Pitta is my prakriti. I tend towards a lot of heat and have to be careful taking anything that might make me overheat, which tends to show up as a migraine or high blood pressure.

Gurmar / Gymnema sylvestre / Sugar Destroyer:
This herb is used to increase insulin production in the pancreas. It helps to regulate glucose levels in the blood as well as cravings for sweet foods¹ and it helps to reduce excessive appetite².
Here is what Dr. Douillard has to say about Gumar:

“Gymnema sylvestre, which is in the Sugar Destroyer formula, dulls the ability of the taste buds to recognize the sweet taste, which may naturally decrease the desire for sweets. It also dulls the intestinal tract from absorbing simple sugars, which may encourage the body to use fat instead of sugar as a fuel supply. Sugar Destroyer also supports pancreatic health.³“

This is one herb that I have really enjoyed taking. I have found that it cuts down on all cravings. It helps me to not want to snack during the day and it helps me to from 6pm to 9am without needing to eat anything.

¹Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. Elsevier Ltd, Philadelphia: 2006. Page 193.
²Brala. Hagen. Effects of sweetness perception and caloric value of a preload on short term intake. Physiol Behav. 1983 Jan;30(1):1-9.
³http://store.lifespa.com/sugar_destroyer.html

Today started out with a disturbing dream about Cleo and then home invasion. Not a pleasant way to start my day. I did recover, power my way through 4 tablespoons of ghee (knowing that tomorrow I will be done), and power my through my core work.

On Wednesdays, I teach at Natural Life Holistic Oasis and then see clients and then I teach again. On the occasions that I do not have a client I go to the Starbucks and work from there. It was interesting to be there and not get something to snack on. I got hot water for tea. After sitting in front of the computer for two and a half hours I started to get a little sleepy and then I started to get hungry for carbohydrates – a blueberry bar, a croissant, chocolate, a hot chocolate, etc. When I am teaching all day, or seeing clients, or at training, I have no need or desire to have a snack. When I sit in front of the computer, that is when I need to snack and eat sugary, fatty foods. I am going to go out on a limb and suggest that I am not the only one that has this problem.

In my mind, it is related to my autonomic nervous system. When the body has been in Sympathetic Nervous System stimulation (fight or flight) it craves high fat, high sugar foods. This craving is stronger than any other known craving, including drugs. That would mean that working in front of a computer naturally raises our stress levels, no matter what you are doing.

Solar Eclipse tomorrow. I found this on Cafe Astrology:

Occurring in Taurus, this eclipse is about strengthening our sense of security. It is a time for re-evaluating our relationship with money and possessions and discovering what it is that truly makes us happy and fulfilled. It’s a time for considering new ways of increasing our income or earning power. We should be concentrating on what it is we can do to increase our own feelings of self-worth. We are asked to get in touch with what it is that we truly value and want in our lives, and to part with those things or situations that are not contributing to our feelings of worthiness. This includes identifying those things that give us a false sense of security. Sometimes eclipses bring about events that force us into this position of re-evaluation. For example on a mundane level, someone might need to move to a smaller place that requires downsizing of personal possessions; another might be in the position to pay out a large sum that necessitates an adjustment of spending habits; another might need to deal with an audit or back taxes; and the list goes on.

Day two of ghee. I think I have found a way to choke it down. I melt it, then with a spoon I pour it under my tongue. Then I swallow it with hot water. After it is down, I breathe in and out through my mouth. As long as I do not have the ghee taste in my nose I can get through it without gagging. Hopefully I will remember this technique, or remember to come back here and read about, when I do the cleanse in September/October. The dates are, tentatively, September 22 – October 3. If you would like more information, or to sign up, email Maria at MariaAlive@gmail.com. Tell her that Rose sent you!

My day went well and included a visit to the hospital. I also gave a talk to a group of Chemotherapy Volunteers for Arizona Oncology. The topic was “Building Your Self-Care Toolbox.” I spoke about LifeForce Yoga and led numerous practices for self-care that met the prevailing mood and then brought it into balance. It was nice and I had fun with it. The talk was also balancing for me, leading practices in the middle of the day.

Still enjoying lots of yummy food!

I know that what I was eating was real food, but oh my goodness, something other than kitchari is heaven! When I woke up, I took a look at my tongue, as I always do and it was not pretty. It was not as strange as on Friday, but it seemed dry, it had ridges around the edge and was coated with ama. I decided that I needed to revisit the pre-cleanse, which means I am back to taking ghee every morning until Thursday and then Game of Thrones Round 3. Seems that I have just a little bit more stuff to draw out and get rid of.

The joy of the morning was having oatmeal with currants with a chopped up apple. It was so very yummy. I spent the day working but also cooking quinoa, sweet potato, and black beans. I made quinoa and sweet potato patties – recipe courtesy of the Veggie Temptress. In the evening, I went to Medicine Wheel Dental to listen to the third and final lecture of the cleanse. The best part of the evening (other than the wonderful information) was the berry crisp with cashew nut whip. Mmmm!

On another note, my father is doing better. He has a staph infection and will need antibiotics for 6 weeks. But he will be coming home this week. Yay!

Quinoa & Sweet Potato Patties

1 cup mashed sweet potato2 cups cooked quinoa
3 cloves of garlic
chopped dandelion greens
pinch of salt

Mix together. Make palm sized patties and cook in a frying pan.

Today was the hardest of all of the days so far. My dad had to go to the hospital yesterday. He is post-op for a back surgery a week and a half ago and has a high fever. My dad does not get sick. I know too much for my own good about illness and hospitals, so I am very nervous. Instead of practicing emotional eating, I laid on the couch feeling sorry for myself and watching Game of Thrones. I did get some work done early on, so the day was not a total loss.

The other reason I did not practice emotional eating is because I am so sick of eating Kitchari. It is my last day, but I really want to eat something else. We eat kitchari during the main portion of the cleanse because it is easy to digest and allows for the whole digestive system to relax and restore. Normally I find it quite yummy, but eating it for 5 days will make you realize how much you miss regular food, no matter how bland that food is. Amy Weintraub says that I make the best kitchari. I love that comment, but on a day like today, it is of no consolation.

After that little discourse, I am sure that you are dying to try out some kitchari. Below is a recipe from Maria KaliMa. If you stick to the recipe you will have a good outcome. Do make sure that you soak your beans first. It really does make a difference.

Kitchari Recipe

Kitchari means mixture, usually of two grains. Here is one kitchari recipe that is nourishing and easy to digest. There is flexibility in how you prepare kitchari. Please note the options below for some alternatives.

Ingredients:

Carefully pick over rice and dal to remove any stones. Wash in at least 2 changes of water. Add 6 cups of water (or stock) to the rice and dal along with 2 bay leaves; and cook covered until it becomes soft. Add the vegetables and cook 10 minutes longer. In a separate saucepan, sauté fresh ginger, mustard seeds, whole cumin seeds, asafoteda, cumin powder, coriander powder and turmeric together with the ghee. Stir the sautéed spices into the dal and rice mixture. Adjust taste for constitution with condiments just before serving.

Condiments Fresh cilantro, dried shredded unsweetened coconut, fresh grated ginger, lime, sea salt, Mango chutney or cilantro chutney

Felt so strange yesterday. I could tell that my blood pressure has been elevated. Every time I laid down there was this uncomfortable pressure in my face. That strange sensation in my throat got so uncomfortable, I ended up seeing my friend Deb Kortyna at Desert Wind Healing Arts. She did some wonderful work that really helped – adjusted my esophagus and worked on my hyoid bone along with the muscles that attach to it. It did not take the issue away, but it sure did help a lot!

Trips to the throne went well. Nothing that you want to read about. But if you were really interested in what went on, let me know and I will tell you. Ha ha.

I did have a strange dream about eating a homemade dill pickle. I do not think that I have ever wanted a pickle so badly in my life. A good pickle is something wonderful. Then my mom told me that she is going to make. Yum! Looking forward to it.

Because I will forever remain a music fanatic, I went to a concert with a good friend of mine. He is my concert buddy. I would not recommend doing something like that during a cleanse, but I already had the tickets and I really wanted to go. It was too many people for my taste. What was hardest? It might have been seeing the nachos but not getting to eat them (love melted yellow on tortilla chips) or almost passing out because of the mad squish to get to the front. Let it be known that I was trying to get out. I will say that I had a really good time as evidenced by this silliness:

I am enjoying a sense of clarity on so many levels.
My body is feeling clear. As I moved through my yoga practice, my body moved with ease. I had nothing to compare it with, but now my joints feel so open and free. Things are adjusting with ease.
My mind feels so very clear and uncluttered that sometimes it is a little hard to find the right words. At the same time, I feel a bit stoned. I know that I am here on this earth, I feel very much in my body and quite grounded. At the same time, I feel as if there is a large part of me that is somewhere else. It is otherworldly but interesting.

To illustrate this, I got back to my car after going to my Thursday morning class. I then ran a couple of errands. When I got back in my car, the left side was dipping like I had a flat. I get out and take a look and sure enough, that tire is too low. Now I am a little perturbed (to say the least) and I head toward my boss’ house because we are about to do a webinar. I am calling my husband because I don’t want to call AAA because I cannot meet them outside because I am on the webinar. Husband’s phone is off and I am getting more annoyed, “why is this happening on a day when my schedule is packed?” I get to the gas station to put some air in and when I check the PSI it is at normal, i.e. tire is not flat. What the heck?!? Tires do not deflate and then inflate on their own. What a strange occurrence. I would have put money on my tire being flat and I still believe it was flat.

While I am feeling clear, I have this strange stuck sensation in my stomach. It feels as though there is something stuck in my throat. Plus, my tongue had some ama (undigested events, emotions, and food) built up in the stomach section – that is the middle center of the tongue. That tells me that something is going on with my stomach. The color is a yellowish/brownish, which means that there is some form of stagnation happening there. I had a quick consultation with Maria and after a discussion about my game of thrones day, she suggested that I take another round of castor oil tonight. My response, “…I have to gulp that yick down again?” If it helps, I am all for it. Tune in tomorrow for “Game of Thrones: Round 2.”

Last night I swallowed 2 tablespoons of castor oil. Now, those of you that know me or have done yoga with me, know of my love of castor oil for healing the body. If you have never investigated castor oil, check out this really neat article. If you are going to explore it, make sure you use a reputable brand, such as the brand from Edgar Cayce, Palma de Cristi.

Anyway, after taking ghee for 4 days, we take the castor oil to clean things out.
A word about the purpose for taking ghee.
The purpose of participating in this cleanse is to reset the digestive system and clean out all of the undigested ‘stuff’ in the system. Taking ghee stimulates the gall bladder to produce more bile. When the gall bladder becomes more active, the liver get excited and starts working harder. The ghee moves into the system and attaches to ama (undigested emotions, food and events). When we take the castor oil, it pulls the ghee out with it. The most important part is that when we are taking the ghee, we are eating a low-fat, to non-fat diet for the rest of the day. We need to give the body an opportunity to re-learn fat metabolism and proper digestion.

As Maria said, it was our own personal ‘Game of Thrones’ this morning. I do feel lighter, brighter and more energetic. Not  quite as clear as I usually do, but definitely better.

It was difficult to get up this morning, but once I did I was feeling pretty good. The last 4 Tablespoons of ghee went down pretty easy and without a belly ache. Treated myself to some rice and beans with a little Tabasco sauce. My energy is up and I have lost 5.5 lbs. This may all shift, as tonight is Castor Oil Night. Very soon, I will be taking 2 Tablespoons of castor oil. I might be waking up in the middle of the night to hit the throne.

Most people cringe at the thought of taking castor oil. Let me tell you that after having done this cleanse 4 times, I look forward to the clarity that castor oil brings. Just not the belly ache that comes with taking it.

I loved my quote from the Bhagavad Gita so much that I made it into a picture. Many thanks to Graham Schweig for his wonderful translation. grahamschweig.com