Day 2- Pre-Cleanse

Continue to enjoy the same types of foods as yesterday; oatmeal, stewed fruit, kale, lentil and squash soup, black bean soup, and a date or two for a treat, and get plenty of beets and apples in there! Adding hemp, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds to your meals is good but nut-butters are too concentrated in fat for pre-cleanse consumption. You could also eat a lighter fat today, like avocado oil to prep your body for ghee. Try to avoid heating foods like OJ, tomatoes, green bell peppers, eggplant, onions and garlic to help eliminate the built up heat from the summer.

Get ready for the main cleanse starting tomorrow! Have all your ingredients for kitchari laid out, and if using whole mung beans, soak them overnight. In the morning, wake, clean your mouth, scrape the tongue, drink hot water or detox or tridoshic tea. Make a plan for your oil massage practice tomorrow and maybe have a breathing practice ready to incorporate while the oil is absorbing into your skin and body.

For those of you who are veterans to this process, focus on the sensation of dropping into that familiar zone of self care, rest time, and healthy routines.

Kitchari notes:

If you soak rice and beans overnight the cooking will be fast. Once the rice is in the pot, don’t stir! Steam the veggies on top of the beans and rice. If you make a big pot in the morning and you have to leave before its cool. It’s fine left on the stove for dinner when you come home. Warm it with extra water. The longer it cooks, the creamier it gets. Mmm mmm mmm. Enjoy yummy garnishes on top!