Kitchari Cleanse begins Saturday!

We all make resolutions for better health & wealth, for mind and body.
We all aim to make this year better than the last and have aspirations
to mold ourselves and bodies closer to our ideal self. I haven't
necessarily made this commitment as a NY resolution, but because
January seems to be the calmest month of the year. I have been in such
a rut, eating healthy and exercising regularly that all I am doing is
maintaining. My body needs a shock, a break, and a rest.

People joked that this year was the reset year because it started with
the date 1/1/11 - how fitting! It's meant to be that I do this now,
especially since between now and the super bowl there aren't any major
social events!

So no alcohol, no meat, no dairy, no sweets, no complex meals. Just
pure, simple, healthy cleansing foods.

I am choosing to do a cleanse as opposed to a detox because I simply
lobe food too much to fast. In a cleanse you don't starve yourself but
you eat a smaller range of foods, mostly vegetables and fruits.

In my research I came across an Ayurveda website that gave a great
guide to plan my cleanse. Rather than a strict regimen it teaches
basics and gives suggestions so that you may create a plan that works
for you. I am drawn to Kitchari because it is so simple and gives me
freedom.

So here is my plan:
I will start each day with a warm lemon water with sea salt and honey,
which is said to... get things moving.

For my first 2 days, Saturday and Sunday I will only eat one meal -
the Kitchari with vegetables. I want to shock my body and get the
extreme over with before the work week.
From Monday on I will eat 3 meals per day:
Breakfast: quaker high fiber instant oatmeal with fresh blueberries
Lunch: Kitchari with vegetables
Dinner vegetable soup or a salad
In between meals I will have an herbal tea (no milk or sugar of
course) and throughout the day drink lots of water.

I plan to stick to this solid for a week, maybe adding in meat here an
there if I like.

To increase my cleanse I will be practicing Bikram Yoga: 90 min of
flow done in a heated room. It is known to be extremely detoxifying,
exactly what I need! And it just happens there is a studio that offers
30 days for $30 right in my backyard. Bonus! And they offer classes at
5:30 am so I could take advantage of my internal clock that makes me
more alert & motivated in the morning. As soon as I drag myself out of
bed that is!

What is this "Kitchari" you ask? Basically it is a mixture of grains,
traditionally basmati rice and mung beans. My cousin actually makes it
often whenever she and her husband feel they have overdone it on rich
foods. She is kindly sharing her recipe with me and doing the cleanse
as well! It will be so great to have someone to help keep me motivated
and that I can do the same for!

So how about you? Want to join in on this journey? I know I can't
wait! It will be challenging but nothing good comes without great
struggle.