The vacation is over... you go to work, come home in the evening and fall asleep... and the effect of the summer holiday becomes a memory. Your eyelids refuse to open at seven in the morning, and your throat has been attacked by viruses. Aurélie Cros Wickrama, an Ayurveda consultant, affirms: "The transition from summer to autumn is the hardest period of the year, and the body needs a major cleansing." Ayurveda is an ancient Indian medical tradition based on the five fundamental elements that make up our world: ether, air, fire, water and earth. In the body, these energies are organized through the flows of biological fluids known as the three humors (doshas), which affect body and mind together: Vata, a combination of air and ether; Pitta, a concentration of fire and water; and Kapha, the union of the steadiness of earth and the fluidity of water. Aurélie Cros Wickrama affirms that "each person is dominated by one of these doshas, or in fact two of them, and only a consultation with a specialist allows an accurate assessment leading to the right treatment to rebalance these energies. Hence the importance of identifying a person's Ayurvedic type before prescribing a treatment. According to this principle, this detox program should be applied for 10 days for people of the Vata type, 20 days for Pitta types, and 30 days for people who show more resistance to weight loss through a detox program."
Expelling Toxins
Head to organic stores and fill your cart with grains and spices, and set your own list with this balance in mind: 45% grains (rice, amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, barley), 35% seasonal steamed vegetables (preferably leafy greens, because they help eliminate toxins while providing the necessary vitamins and minerals), 10% fruit (except pears and bananas, as they contain a high amount of sugar), and 5% legumes (red lentils and red beans, mashed and cooked with water and spices). Foods to avoid: only 1% fats (clarified butter or Indian ghee) and 1% honey (that is, one teaspoon). Forget altogether coffee, tea, tobacco, meat, fish, dairy products and eggs, oily products and root vegetables (potatoes, carrots). Not even one gram of salt is permitted. In return, you can prepare a ginger and spice drink (coriander, cumin, fennel, which are said to work wonders and rid you of toxins) and drink one liter a day for a more effective program. If you find it too hard to keep up this program for 3 weeks, you can follow a psychological support program with Aurélie Cros Wickrama to develop the capacity for discernment, or choose a single-food diet for one day a week. Eat a dish of Kitchari made from rice grains and peeled red lentils cooked with water and spices, without salt or any fats. The practitioner promises that "this program helps you improve digestion in the intestines and rebalance the three doshas in the long term." Enjoy waking up in the morning, enjoy complete digestion, keep thinking positively and feel the greatest happiness without even leaving your home!
5 Tips for a Successful Program
- Eat only when you feel hungry, calmly and in moderation.
- Wait until digestion is complete before the next meal (between 2 and 4 hours for light meals and 4 to 6 hours for heavy meals).
- Avoid frozen foods and drinks and heavy meals before ten in the morning and after sunset.
- Stop eating before you feel full.
- If you are serious and committed, complete the program with an inspiring daily routine: wake up at the same time, use a tongue scraper to remove toxins, practice yoga, listen to calm music, and have a detox massage.
