Let’s Go Foraging
There is a term in Ayurveda, “Ritu Charya” which means attuning to seasonal rhythms with our diets and lifestyles.
We help rebalance ourselves when we shift our routines to be in alignment with the seasonal changes. Think spring! Movement, growth, new beginnings…..
Winter is a more sedentary time for most of us. For anyone who has put on a few extra pounds, this is the perfect season to take the weight off.
In Spring, we can reset our biology, align ourselves, and discard old patterns so we can start fresh. How do we nurture and guide this new growth we envision?
Start Here with 3 Tips to Help Burn Fat
- Intermittent fasting – no snacking between meals and waiting 12 – 16 hours of no eating between the evening meal and breakfast. This packs a punch and doesn’t feel at all like what we might associate with the cravings and hunger and fasting.
- Eat spicier foods — spicier foods help to stoke the digestive fire, “agni” in Ayurveda terms, which raises our metabolism and keeps us burning fats throughout the day.
3. Move more and eat less — this combination tones us, helps us burn and cleanse ourselves of unwanted fats, and starts to break those craving habits and replace them with healthier ones of our choosing.
For cleansing, think bitters.
If you live in an area where dandelion and burdock grow, you are lucky! These plants are a couple of my favorite spring time herbs which grow here in the northeast.
DANDELIONS are a great food and a gentle tonic for the liver.
If you have dandelions growing in your yard, head out with a little gardening tool and dig them up at the roots: in both spring and fall. The leaves are a diuretic, and help move excess water from the body. You can steam or saute the leaves, put them in soups or salads, or just eat them warm.
The flowers can be used in baking. You can make dandelion tempura with a milk, flour, and egg batter.
The roots can be cut up and made into a tea or decoction (which means simmering them for a stronger tea).
BURDOCK is a nourishing liver and kidney food and helps promote digestion.
You can cut up the roots, and put them in soups and make a tea or decoction, same as dandelion. Just know that when you are digging the root, it is a long (long) tap root (as you can see in the picture). Be patient!
Burdock is also a great skin tonic. When I was 19, my sister and I used to place steamed burdock leaves on our faces and lie down on the couch to help heal our pimples. It worked!
If you are not able or want to forage, you can find these products in the produce department of a grocery store or coop. Organic is what you would want. You can also purchase teas that provide benefits from these herbs.
CLEANSE
Here are 3 of my top tips to help cleanse the body:
- Sip hot water throughout the day
- Liquid diet: soups, smoothies, juices
- Exercise
We want to stoke the digestive fire: “Angi” which is a key component for health, longevity and vitality.
Here is a simple recipe to help stoke your fire. It’s especially good if you feel like your food is just sitting in your belly
Ginger Relish:
½ tsp grated ginger
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp. lime
Drizzle of honey
We also want to check in with ourselves on a deeper level. Ask: What thoughts have been churning around inside our heads? Consider: What have we been holding onto that’s not useful?
If you haven’t yet downloaded my free ebook: The Radiant Woman: An Ayurvedic Approach to Beauty From the Inside Out, please do! You will learn how to look and feel your very best using India’s ancient sacred sciences of Yoga and Ayurveda. These proven teachings show us how to develop our inner strength and beauty as the root of our outer beauty and radiance.
You will be amazed at the simplicity of the teachings.
Blessings to you all!
Deb
