Kale, collards and other bitter greens help drain your lymph system.
Ayurveda, a system of medicine that originated in India over 5000 years ago, provides nutritional guidance, herbal medicines and many rejuvenation and purification therapies such as detox diets. According to Ayurvedic specialist Dr. John Douillard, there are six tastes used in an Ayurvedic detox diet: bitter, pungent, astringent, sweet, sour and salt. By designing healthful Indian detox meals that combine all six tastes, you can alkalize the body, stimulate circulation, purify the blood and drain your lymphatic system, resulting in a lighter, more energetic and blissful you.
Curb Comfort Cravings
For an Ayurvedic detox diet to work best, you need to eat more of the bitter, pungent and astringent tastes while reducing your craving for the sweet, sour and salty tastes -- the three tastes we normally crave. Foods that comfort and calm us during stress -- e.g., bread, pasta, milk, ice cream, cheese, sour pickles, salty fries -- are unfortunately foods that cause the body to feel heavy, complacent and toxic. Next time you find yourself craving sweets or salt, try comforting yourself with meditation or yoga instead of food.
Mix It Up
Start your day with a breakfast of sour grapefruit and sweet honey. For lunch, combine bitter greens, such as escarole, radicchio or curly endive, with pungent radishes and astringent cucumber. Add rice and beans for protein and you have a healthful detox diet that satisfies all your tastebuds.
Drink Hot Water
Ayurvedic experts recommend drinking hot water or detoxifying tea throughout the day to flush toxins out of your body. Dr. John Douillard suggests drinking the hot water plain -- without lemon or honey -- for maximum hydration and cleansing. If you prefer tea, here's a simple detoxifying "Kapha" recipe:
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
1 cinnamon or licorice stick
10 fresh basil leaves
Squeeze lemon juice
Place ingredients in a medium saucepan with 4 cups filtered water. Boil for 5 minutes, then steep for 2 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon while the tea is steeping. Strain into a tea pot.
Tags: detox diet, Ayurvedic detox, Ayurvedic detox diet, bitter greens, bitter pungent