Our body is the sum total of five elements: ether, air, fire, water and earth.
At times, we need to be detoxified and thoroughly cleansed, owing to the demerits of modern diet and lifestyle implications.
Detoxification is essentially a meticulous purification of the body that aids in releasing the accumulated toxins over a period of time.
The Need for Detoxification
Toxicity in our body that mainly pertains to diet and life style discrepancy, subsequently leads to a number of physical ailments like obesity, hypertension, abdominal distress and acidity, feeling of constant lassitude and weariness and mental maladies like stress, anxiety, depression, and memory loss to name a few. All the more, our body tends to experience general lack of well being and lose its outward radiance as well as internal resistance power.
Ayurveda View
All sorts of toxicity results from production of Ama, which is the product of incomplete digestion and represents sticky toxic matter that tends to obstruct channels of the body. This Ama or the toxic matter accumulates due to regular intake of heavy foods, fast foods, frozen, processed and prepackaged foods, environmental pollution, synthetic drugs, and leading inactive lifestyle.
Ayurveda recommends to detox and overhaul from time to time so as to counterbalance and reduce the toxicity from the body. The elimination channels of the body—the lungs, kidneys, intestines and the skin—work more efficiently to get rid of the wastes.
Ayurveda Counsels Panchakarma
Ayurveda aims at correcting any kind of imbalance in the body and rightly implies the body as self-correcting mechanism.
Imbalance in the three body humors vatta, pitta and kapha results into toxicity and disease formation within the body. If the toxicity in the alimentary tract or (the koshtha) it can be easily removed by means of detox diet and lifestyle variations, whereas if the toxicity manifests inside the body tissues or (the shakha) it is difficult to cure and takes longer time. Sometimes in case we take it lightly, the toxicity or dosha imbalance might travel still further, and it finds its way and tends to establish itself into the maramas or (the vital organs). Here it takes much longer to cure and sometimes take form of an incurable ailment.
Panchakarma as specified by its name means five methods to eliminate toxic wastes from the body:
- Vamana: To cause vomiting
- Virechana: To cause purgation
- Shirovirechana: Nasal errhines
- Asthapan Vasti: Enema to push medicines into colon
- Anuvasan Vasti: Oil enemas
With the aid of these five processes, doshas that are bound in the body tissues become moist, loose their stiffness and rigidity and can be brought into the alimentary tract for expulsion.
Suitable Time
Seasonal transition is exactly the time when the body needs to detoxify. Ayurveda recommends spring season as the best period to detoxify.
Ayurveda Detox Diet
Ayurveda stresses detoxification to be taken up on individual basis. Ayurveda physician would focus on your Prakriti (basic personality) and suggest the diet and therapy in accordance to the same so as to combat the toxins (Vikruti).
Ayurveda detox diet would be sort of fasting and relieving the abdomen by taking only fresh, raw fruits and steamed seasonal vegetables, water and yogurt. Moreover, non vegetarian diet, heavy spicy and fried meals, intake of alcohol, tea and coffee are strictly prohibited.
Ayurveda Herbs Aid in Detoxification
There are some Ayurveda herbs that can be included in detox diet. These natural herbs increase the normal production of the bile, thus results to a more efficient bowel movement and elimination of toxins from the body:
- Bishop’s weed or Ajwain is also possessor of some unique anti toxic properties. Also, this herb is diuretic by nature. Therefore it aids greatly to expel toxins and work as a natural detox.
- Bitter gourd juice could help you combat toxins inside the body and it also helps eradicate intestinal worms.
- Ginger may be included in detox diet as it is a good cleanser and purifier for the body.
- The herb of mint contains anti toxic properties. Include fresh mint leaves in detox diet.
- Basil is another Ayurveda herb that possesses health-giving assets and has proven anti toxic properties.
- Fenugreek is another bitter herb that helps to detox by eliminating the channels blocking mucus and phlegm from the body.
- The herb turmeric, being light, rough and hot, and having pungent and bitter after-taste, is another excellent detoxing agent.
Some Precautions
During the detoxification regime, the diet intake needs to be light, warm and nourishing. This may include organic green, leafy vegetables and seasonal fruits, soups and fewer amounts of grains like barley, wheat and rice. Vegetable juices like cabbage, carrot, beetroot with lemon drops is excellent. Good amount of water intake would help in flushing out toxin via urination.
Benefits
There is a noticeable gain in vigor and vitality, improved skin conditions, regular bowel movements, and better digestion physically and mental gains include increased levels of clarity and a feeling of cheerfulness.
The detox plan proves to be a natural bliss. Natural detox is possible by following Ayurveda detox diet that includes nutritional supplements and herbs, breathing exercises of Yoga and hydrotherapy of Naturopathy together compliment the natural detox plan.
To learn more about Ayurvedic body types and Ayurvedic herbal formulas.
Dr. Sonica Krishan is Ayurveda and Natural Lifestyle Consultant, Freelance Health Writer and Book Author based at Chandigarh, India. She has authored natural home cure books Herbal Healers and Home Remedies and is presently writing for national and international publications. She may be contacted at drsonica@herboveda.co.in or visit www.herboveda.co.in
