My 3-Day Summer Cleanse

With the change in seasons coming up and an urge to reset my mind and body, I set out to find a cleanse that would be grounding and sustainable for a brief, approximately three-day, period. In my recent focus on Ayurvedic foods, practices and supplements, I knew of something called a "Kitchari Cleanse" where I could eat the same dish three times a day for about three days to perform a small digestive reset. The science behind it involved simplifying what my stomach had to digest, enhancing digestion with warming herbs & teas, and creating a foundation for strong digestion and gentle detoxification in order to improve my overall health.

If you've ever done a "juice cleanse" or any fast, you may feel that they are unsustainable (and I would agree), especially for anyone who thoroughly enjoys cooking or considers themselves a "foodie," healthy or otherwise. This "cleanse" is more like a reset than anything, and after my experience, I'm happy to report that I had high levels of satiety, mental clarity, energy and few if any noticeable or extreme detox symptoms.

Sound like something for you, or are you not yet convinced? I journaled my three-day experience for you to hear for yourself and decide if a kitchari cleanse could be exactly what you need...

Day 0: Shopping

Late Monday evening, I made a trip to the grocery store, determined to be prepared by Tuesday morning to begin this three-day culinary cleanse. I say culinary, because this dish that I get to enjoy three times a day for three days is nothing like a juice fast, soup diet, or “lettuce-only” raw cleanse; this dish called “kitchari,” an ancient ayurvedic wholesome bowl of warmth, is as comforting and satisfying as a casserole… made with Indian spices!

I gathered the ingredients (quinoa, split yellow peas, coconut oil, red onion, kombu, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper and fennel) and made my way to the checkout lane. All ingredients plus a few breakfast staples for my partner was less pricey than purchasing a three-day juice cleanse, but likely equal to or more than the cost of purchasing fresh veggies to make homemade juice. I deemed this cleanse relatively affordable.

I’m also proud to say that I made it home, without sampling any of my partner’s grocery treats sitting in the passenger seat next to me. That night, before crashing face-first into my pillow, prep time took about 5 minutes to rinse and set the grains and split peas in water to soak (plus a bit of apple cider vinegar to break down the phytates) and organize cooking supplies and spices for the morning.

Preparation “Day 0,” success.

Day 1: Kitchari Cleanse Initiation

7:30am

I brewed a tea with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, turmeric and a bit of apple cider vinegar to light up my “digestive fire” and prepare my stomach, while I tossed all the kitchari ingredients into a pressure cooker. Unfortunately, the pressure cooker decided today was the day to work slower than usual (perhaps because I filled it to the max fill line in an attempt to make 9 batches of kitchari at once), so I threw it in the truck and lugged it with me to work to finish cooking there.

Lucky for me, spiced tea created a sense of satiety in the meantime. Normally, I have quite an appetite upon waking, especially if I do not exercise first thing.

8:30am

I lugged the overloaded pressure cooker with me to the office and plunked my semi-cooked breakfast on the kitchen counter, plugging it in to get back to cooking. A two-hour staff meeting required me to wait just a bit longer for my breakfast, so I had a large cup of ginger tea with stevia to keep the hanger at bay.

10:30am

I eagerly grabbed a bowl and scooped an extra-large helping of kitchari into an oversized mug. At this point I wouldn’t say I had an overly powerful hunger sensation, but I had a sufficient appetite to try my first attempt at kitchari.

Initial reaction: YUM. It was warming, comforting, and filling.

It went down a little too quickly and the simplicity of the meal had my taste buds and brain saying, “wait, that’s it?”. A cup of spiced tea gave me that mental feeling of “completeness” for this meal.

2pm

Lunch time. Kitchari it was. This time I craved more spice, so I added cayenne pepper and curry powder to give it the kick it needed. I followed the meal sipping a big mug of ginger tea.

4-7pm

I had three hours of work to complete in the garden and my brain was extremely foggy. I hadn’t experienced an afternoon dip in energy in at least a year, so the experience was foreign to me. I thought it could have been either a detoxification symptom or the lack of movement at the office today since I worked primarily at my desk. By the end of the garden work, my blood was flowing, moving those toxins around and out, and I regained my usual energy level.

8pm

Late dinner: kitchari. I sautéed some Swiss Chard to stir into the dish and again wanted more spice, so this time I poured off some of the kimchi marinade onto the dish to add in a probiotic and flavorful kick. My partner had some leftovers in the fridge for dinner, making it easy to avoid any urge to taste-test something simmering on the stovetop.

10pm

Boredom or hunger? I’ll be honest, there was a big loaf of homemade whole-grain gluten-free bread staring at me, and I crumbled like its crust: I cut a big slice of the soft, hardy loaf of bread and added a layer of peanut butter and strawberry preserves. At the moment, it was so worth it (I mean, look at it...). As I was cleaning up the kitchen, I also munched on a handful of rice Chex cereal that was sitting in a bowl on the counter.

11pm

Bedtime. Suddenly I had a stuffy nose and itchy eyes. Was this a detox symptom or a type of reaction to my less than “cleanse-worthy” snack? Something in my body was telling me that the processed cereal had to do with my body’s reaction.

Day 1 Summary:

Satiety: Average

Cravings: No specific cravings

Energy Levels: Low, especially after lunchtime until bed

Mental Clarity: Poor

Digestion: Irregular

Detoxification Symptoms: Fatigue, nasal congestion

Day 2: Sleep, Kitchari, Repeat.

5:30am

The alarm sounded and I was still stuffy. I went to rinse my mouth with water and scrape my tongue and I noticed that there was no overnight buildup, as if I had just brushed my teeth! A healthy balance of bacteria in the mouth, promoted by good digestion, means less plaque and other things. Another win for kitchari.

6:15am

The first 7 minutes of the workout were rough, but my energy kicked back in after a thorough warm-up to complete an intense 60-minute HIIT workout. I felt good and a little less stuffy upon completion, assuming the increased circulation helped to clear me up.

8am

I recovered with fresh water, adding elderberry extract and a few drops of trace minerals. Elderberry is a very powerful anti-bacterial and anti-viral, and the trace minerals come from sea salt, making my drink a cleansing and digestive aid in addition to being a morning mineral supplement.

8:30am

Kitchari with hot sauce at my desk. My digestion was normal and regular, thanks to the kitchari components and lack of caffeinated coffee.

1pm

Several long meetings kept me busy and distracted from food, but I felt truly hungry at about 12pm. Until I had time to prepare lunch, I sipped warm ginger and lemongrass tea. At 1pm, I sautéed some greens, added curry powder, and mixed in the pre-made kitchari on the stove to enjoy a filling lunch.

5pm

I had a few raw carrots as a snack upon arrival home. Habit or hunger? I’ll say habit. Shortly thereafter, I had my dinner bowl of kitchari, without greens, followed by green tea with kombucha for another probiotic boost. Lack of greens was culinary laziness and not a strategic choice of any sort.

About 2 hours later, something happened that never happens after 3pm: a regular bowel movement, hooray! Kitchari or kombucha kick, or the combination of the two made for a happy stomach. Perhaps leaving the greens out also made digestion easier, as kitchari on its own is highly digestible, even for young children and pregnant women.

The rest of the night my stomach felt flat and empty, not hunger-related, but very calm.

Day 2 Summary:

Satiety: Above Average

Cravings: Thirst, craving ginger and other spiced tea

Energy Levels: Moderate

Mental Clarity: Good

Digestion: Perfect!

Detoxification Symptoms: None

Day 3: The final countdown

6:20am

Water instead of tea to begin my day… a 96 degree yoga studio awaited at the end of my commute downtown and I thought the surrounding temperature would be plenty to get my “digestive fire” primed for my first bowl of kitchari.

I found that it was fairly easy to stay present throughout the class. I had an unusually high level of mental clarity this early in the morning.

8:45am

Bowl #1 of kitchari at my desk. This time I took a minute to practice gratitude for my bowl of nourishment before enjoying. I added some liquid from a jar of kimchi since I enjoyed that so much yesterday. I followed the meal by slowly sipping ginger tea to conclude and aid in digestion.

12:30pm

Bowl #2 of kitchari, sautéed with greens and preceded by a large helping of kimchi. The kimchi was perhaps a bad idea because it caused ongoing gas, but I surprisingly did not experience any bloating.

5pm

A big glass of kombucha to quench an urge to snack before dinner did the trick, while also priming my stomach for better digestion.

6:30pm

I sloooowly enjoyed my kitchari in phases since I decided to cook another extra large batch of kitchari on the stove, for freezing to enjoy on nights or afternoons where my motivation to cook is low and hunger is high.

I ate my kitchari with some fermented salsa and also had a second small bowl with lime juice and hot sauce. Tonight I began to truly want some diversity in textures and flavors in my food. I sautéed and ate the greens separately as a side dish to give my meal a prolonged experience and diversify the consistency of my food.

9:30pm

Just like the night before I became very tired at this time. Normally I am still revving from the day, but perhaps my natural rhythms were more in sync with earlier dinners and easy digestion. Despite the extra gas, my stomach still felt flat and calm, especially in my upper digestive tract.

Day 3 Summary:

Satiety: Average to low

Cravings: Something sweet, diversity of food texture

Energy Levels: High

Mental Clarity: Excellent

Digestion: Above average gas, slow digestion

Detoxification Symptoms: Some muscle soreness

Post-Cleanse Thoughts:

Overall, I was never “starving” or had a stomach grumbling for more food. The meals were not only filling, but they were also very comforting because of the warm temperature and warming spices. It was quite the opposite experience from what one would consider to be a traditional modern cleanse. I would score satiety as a 5/5.

My energy levels fluctuated, but by the end of the cleanse, I had good mental clarity and steady energy. I felt as though I was more present in my day to day actions and settings. I would give my energy a score between 3 and 4 out of 5.

My digestion was regular, but I feel as though I would be able to take a stronger stance on the subject if I continued the cleanse for 5-7 days instead of just three. Yet, I enjoyed having no bloating and no stomach pains, so I would give my digestion a 4/5 rating.

Since this was a short detoxification, no major symptoms came up apart from the congestion that was likely due to eating processed foods after a full day of only kitchari. This does encourage me, moving forward, to do my best to avoid processed grains in my diet because of the noticeable impact they have on my system.

With the summer solstice just days away, this was a fantastic way to prepare my body for a seasonal change. If anything, it was a great mental reset that also allowed me to shift focus away from meal preparation and towards the actual experience of eating my meals (and all the moments in between).

I would recommend this especially as a wintertime cleanse because of kitchari's comforting nature, for any body type, to create a sense of digestive, mental and physical balance.

Tomorrow, I will integrate more diversity into my meals, including kitchari as at least one dish to ease my way back into a variety of whole foods. Also on the menu: chia seed coconut pudding, kale chips, and sweet potato fries ;)

Want to make Kitchari at home? Head over to the Recipes Page to get cookin!

Peace and plants,

Allie

#cleanse #summer #recipe #digestion #blog