Diary of a #Cleanse part 1

I am, taking a 3 week end class on Ayurveda with the lovely Kate Gilday of Woodland Essences. Our last week end is soon approaching and one of my homework assignments was to do a cleanse.  We had several to choose from.  I chose the quick four day cleanse as I wasn't sure how I would fit a 12 or 16 day cleanse into my life at the moment.  The cleanse is a modified version of Dr. John Douillard's  4 Day cleanse.  "It is designed to reset the body's ability to be a better fat burner.  Fat is the body's calm, long lasting, mood stabilizing, detoxifying, repairing, rejuvenating and endurance fuel.  The cleanse will support the body's natural ability to burn fat and detoxify itself."  Straight from my notes.
I thought it helpful to record my journey as I've never done this before.

Leading up to the cleanse.  
I read my notes.  I checked out Dr. Douillard's website www.lifespa.com and downloaded his e-book on the four day cleanse and read it. I'm kind of geeky like that. I picked the kitchari recipe I wanted to use and made sure I had all the ingredients.  I shopped for fresh organic vegetables, prune juice and dandelion tea.  I stopped drinking coffee and any other caffeine  products four days before starting. This is not really hard for me as I indulge in only one cup of coffee a day.  Warning need to go out to the family if I reach for a second cup - the energy level is more than anyone can handle.  I do miss it on the days I moonlight as an accountant - it seems to keep those synapses firing and focused. The day before the start date I ate light and simple - lots of fruit during the day and fish with steamed vegetables for dinner.  I explained to the family what I was up to and that they did not have to join me.

Compiling the ingredients for kitchari

Night Before:
I made a batch of ghee (clarified butter) as I would need this throughout the cleanse.  I made my first batch of kitchari.  I went with a kitchari that is tridoshic (good for all constitutions) though it is especially good for pitta (which I am). The red are the places I switched it up.

Mung Dal Kitchari

1 Cup yellow mung dal (split mung beans)

1 Cup basmati rice

1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 Tbsp. unsweetened, shredded coconut (4 Tbsp)

1 small handful cilantro leaves (or more)

1/2 cup water

3 Tbsp ghee

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp salt

6 cups water (4 cups vegetable broth and 2 cups water)

Wash mung dal and rice twice.  Soak the mung dal for a few hours if you have time (1 hour), then drain.

Put the ginger, coconut, cilantro and the 1/2 cup water into a blender and blend until liquefied.

Heat the ghee on medium in a large saucepan and add the blended items, turmeric and salt.  Stir well.

Next mix in the rice, mung dal and the 6 cups water.  Bring to a boil.  Then cover, leaving lid slightly ajar, turn down the heat to simmer and cook 25 - 30 minutes, until the dal and rice are tender.  This will be a little soupy.

kitchari

Day One:
I started my day with 2 teaspoons of ghee melted in a half cup of almond milk.  Packed my kitchari up in two containers; a small one for breakfast and a larger one topped with steamed broccoli for lunch. I filled two water bottles with warm water and a travel mug with hot water.  I headed off to work.
I ate the kitchari and finished most of the water.  By then I was hitting the bathroom on a regular basis and it was coming out as clear as it was going in.  Lovely visual I know.  I was tired when I got home.  A lazy no energy kind of tired.
I grilled two beautiful grass fed steaks for my hubby and daughter and served it along side some kitchari and corn.  I had my bowl of kitchari with broccoli and lots of greens stirred in - kale, spinach and Swiss chard.  My daughter said it was awful and could she put it back in the pot.  My hubby looked at me with all the sympathy he could muster and said, "I'll eat this little bit but I can't believe this is all you are eating for the next three days."
Now, I don't find it bad tasting.  It's rather mushy so the texture gets to me after a while.  The second batch I made I doubled the coconut and was more generous with the cilantro.  Even though you don't taste the coconut this seems to help.  I also realized I should only be soaking the mung dal and not the mung and rice together.  Batch three I added a little more ginger and more cilantro.

Lemon Poppy Seed Poundcake #Recipe

     Often people tell me my soaps smell good enough to eat.  I laugh and say you will only do that once.  Some scent combinations are taken right from the kitchen like my lemon & poppy seed soap.  The poppy seeds stay whole and suspended just like in baked goods.  The texture of the poppy seeds give a gentle exfoliating element and it is great for gardeners who want to wash the dirt off after the pleasure of digging in Mama Earth.

     Traditionally a pound cake is made with a pound of flour, a pound of butter and a pound of eggs.  Today's recipes are modified a bit and can be flavored in many ways.  A double vanilla version  which involves steeping milk with vanilla beans is a family favorite.  Cocoa powder can be added for a chocolate version.  The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
     The cold process soap is made with organic lemon essential oil and poppy seeds.  This pound cake is flavored with lemon zest and fresh squeezed lemon juice.  Sour cream keeps the cake moist.

Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs (room temperature)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp grated lemon zest (zest of one lemon)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp poppy seeds

     Mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time and mix until fully combined.  Add sour cream and vanilla and mix.   Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda hen add to the butter mixture and mix just until combined.  Add lemon zest, juice and poppy seeds and mix until batter is smooth.  Pour into a greased loaf pan or a parchment lined loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or so.  A toothpick will come out clean.

Bliss Balls

     In September I took a class offered by the Connecticut Herb Association (CHA) that Guido Mase was teaching on making medicine.  Guido taught one weekend during my advanced herbal studies and I was eager to glean more nuggets of wisdom he may have to offer.  That day he made bliss balls, fire cider and an herbal decongestant tincture.  The recipes can be found on his blog A Radicle Guido Mase.
     This morning I made my version of his bliss balls or balls of bliss as they were aptly named that day.  When we made them in class we used 2 Tbsp of maple syrup.  This was not sweet enough for my family - plenty for me.  Though I think the molasses was an unexpected taste for my brood.  I love them.  And this is an awesome way for people to take herbs that may be put off by a tea or tincture.  It's like eating candy or truffles. The herbs used are great for boosting the immune system.  I use both of them in a whole form (as opposed to powdered) in my winter soups, stews or anything that is simmered for any length of time.

     Here is my recipe:

Bliss Balls:
16 oz jar natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt)
1 cup molasses
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 cups raw cacao powder
4 Tbsp. reishi powder
4 Tbsp astragalus root powder
unsweetened coconut flakes to roll them in

Mix peanut butter, molasses and maple syrup together.  Add the herbs and mix well.  Add the cacao powder and mix well.  I used a small scoop (1 1/4" across) and then rolled into balls and then rolled in the coconut.  This made 64 balls of bliss.  Three a day would be a serving.