Ayurvedic Cleanse

Updated 2018

An Ayurvedic cleanse renews your body on all levels. Our high intake of sensory experiences—food, information, emotions, relationships, pollutants and toxins, travel, driving, physical activity and so on—layers stress on the body. An Ayurvedic cleanse helps remove the impurities that build when we are taking in more than we can process.

A complete and formal Ayurvedic cleanse is called panchakarma and can be done under the supervision of a trained Ayurvedic practitioner. However, you can apply the basic principles of an Ayurvedic cleanse even at home.

Ayurvedic Cleanse Diet

The foundation of an Ayurvedic cleanse is a simple diet. When the digestive system rests, the body can focus its energy on processing and releasing the impurities that have built up. Simultaneously, new impurities don’t build because you don’t consume unhealthy or difficult to digest foods. Apply the following simple rules to your eating habits for 1–2 weeks for an Ayurvedic cleanse:

Increase & enjoy: warm, cooked, vegetarian and easy to digest foods – the traditional diet for an Ayurvedic cleanse includes plain basmati rice and yellow mung dal (lentils) or kitchari. Other options are steamed vegetables and rice, vegetable soup, and oatmeal. Eat a healthy amount of olive oil, ghee (clarified butter) or sunflower oil to balance vata.
Reduce or remove: raw foods, frozen foods, cold foods, dairy products, animal products (meat or eggs), and stimulants (alcohol, tobacco, chocolate and coffee) from your diet during this time.

Herbal Supplements

An Ayurvedic cleanse with a trained practitioner includes herbal supplements specific to your condition. To follow the principles at home, use spices and herbs to support your healthy digestion. Here are some kitchen-based supports:

Cook with fresh ginger root & top your food with some black pepper.
A slice of fresh ginger with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt before meals helps ignite the digestive fire.

In addition, herbal supports from Banyan Botanicals will assist your Ayurvedic cleanse:

Vata Digest, Pitta Digest, or Kapha Digest to aid your digestion*
Triphala to help support a healthy digestive and eliminative systems*

Healing Therapies

A trained Ayurvedic practitioner can offer various hands-on therapies during your Ayurvedic cleanse. At home on your own, you will benefit during your Ayurvedic from a self-massage with warm oil using your choice of:

During your Ayurvedic cleanse you may also choose to take warm baths, practice meditation and yoga and give yourself time for contemplation, reflection or journaling to release the subtle levels of emotion and mental stress. In 1-2 weeks you can feel lighter, healthier and more balanced—more like yourself!

For more information about Ayurvedic cleansing, see Banyan Botanicals free Ayurvedic Cleanse E-booklet.