APRIL FOOD OF THE MONTH: KITCHARI

• Taste: Includes all 6 tastes - sweet, salty, sour, astringent, bitter, pungent

• Temperature: Neutral

• Post-Digestive Effect: Neutral

• Dosha: Pacifies all 3 doshas

• Qualities:  Balanced in all qualities

• Simple cooking techniques: Kitchari can be made a variety of different ways but it usually contains the components - whole grain, easy to digest bean, spices, porridge-like consistency, all 6 tastes (sweet, salty, sour, astringent, bitter, pungent), balanced qualities (heavy vs light, cooling vs warming, moist vs dry).

• Cooking ratio: depends on how you are making it but typically it is - 2 parts grain, 1 part bean, to 10-12 parts cooking liquid (to achieve porridge-like consistency)

• Cooking tips: A tempering of ghee and spices cooked over medium heat until aromatic and then added to the kitchari at the end of cooking always makes it more flavorful. Using whole seeds and/or freshly ground spices also increases the flavor. I love kitchari with a chutney or sauce when I am not using it for cleansing periods. I think it goes great with a drizzle of tahini, coconut aminos, fresh lemon/ lime juice, or cucumber raita.

• Soaking methods: whole green mung beans can be soaked overnight (not more than 12 hours) or for 2 hours before cooking. This is to ensure that the beans and rice cook at the same time. If using yellow split mung beans or red lentils, you do not need to soak the bean. For an even EASIER to digest kitchari you can sprout the whole green mung beans and then use the sprouted mung beans within the kitchari OR as a crunchy condiment on top. You can find sprouting instructions HERE.

Kitchari has been used worldwide for thousands of years to remedy a variety of different ailments. It is the classic cleansing dish in Ayurveda and in many other traditions. If you ever go to an Ayurvedic detox center (panchakarma), you would be eating kitchari the entire time you were there - it is THAT effective.

Its cleansing method is that it is simply very easy to digest. When we eat easy-to-digest food, we allow our bodies to do what it does best - cleanse itself. We enhance the body's natural ability to clear out toxins, clear the mind, and enhance the overall functioning of organs and systems. That is total body balancing and healing rather than drinking a bunch of green juice, starving yourself, and pooping your brains out.

Spring & fall are the best times to cleanse. We do not cleanse for long periods (or at all), in the winter or summer.

How to do a safe, simple, and effective at home cleanse (NOT mandatory)

Simply put: 3 days of eating kitchari.

Prepare: Schedule it out. Choose 3 days you can commit to cleansing. Avoid stressful periods, periods of illness, holidays, and traveling....BUT you CAN do it AFTER all those events. Also, if you drink caffeine on a regular basis, wean yourself off in advance. You don't want to be drinking caffeine during your 3 days and you DON'T want a caffeine headache.

Breakfast options: Skip if you are not hungry, eat kitchari, fruit, or simple oatmeal (pick one and keep it consistent throughout your 3 days).

Lunch: Kitchari with steamed kale

Snack if you get hungry: fresh fruit, nuts, or small serving of kitchari (pick one and keep it consistent)

Dinner: Kitchari with steamed kale

Morning routine: same as usual, eliminate - warm water - tongue scrape (before eating) - oil pull - doing something for the mind (meditation, breathwork, journalling, sitting outside doing nothing etc. Pick one and make it simple and doable for you during the 3 days.

Rules: No eating after 7pm. No alcohol. No caffeine. No bubbly drinks or sodas. No ice or cold liquids. Nothing to drink other than warm herbal teas and water. Nothing to eat other than kitchari.

Notes: Keep exercise very light and gentle. Simple gentle stretching or walking should do, nothing intense. Always consult a medical professional before cleansing. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, this is NOT a time for cleansing...but just simply eating kitchari as a meal once or twice a week or so is very beneficial.

What to expect

The unexpected :).

Everyone has a different experience with kitchari cleansing. Some people have more energy, some people have less, some people get a little constipated, some people don't. Some people achieve mental clarity and are happy the whole way through, some people get what I call the kitchari crankies.

Even if you have done a 3-day kitchari cleanse before, this time will be different. Your body is moving things that need to be moved during THIS phase of your life. Go with it, be open, let go.

TYPICALLY, people will experience 2 things: a little more constipation and a range of emotions.

If constipated - Add more veggies to your kitchari (kale, carrots, zucchini, celery, asparagus, fennel bulb are all good options). You can also take 1/2 tsp of organic triphala powder soaked in 1/4 cup warm water at night time to facilitate a bowel movement. BUT, I do not like to recommend herbs if we have not done a recent 1:1 assessment or at all. So use with caution. Drinking warm water throughout the day is also helpful for constipation.

If emotional - Surrender. Feel your emotions. Embrace them good or bad. They need to come up. Observe them, allow them to flow through you (even though it is hard), don't try to "get rid" of them, just let them come up and wash over you. Journal about any mental clarity or breakthroughs you achieve. You got this.

Overall

You are in this group because 3 days of kitchari changed my life. I started my Ayurveda career after doing a 3-day kitchari cleanse. Most people achieve GREAT unexpected benefits from this 3-day reset. You could achieve anything from losing the weight you've been trying to lose for the past year, solving digestive issues, processing burnout and deep emotions, you name it! Go in with an open mind and a FOCUS on your health and well-being. This is YOU TIME!

If cleansing, try one of these three kitchari recipes during your 3 day cleanse (choose one and keep it consistent)!

CLASSIC KITCHARI

BARLEY KITCHARI

SIMPLE KITCHARI