Monsoon detox

The rainy season lowers our energy levels and diminishes our digestive power. This causes malaise, laziness and increased incidence of gastric upsets and skin afflictions.

The season also affects the doshas [specifically vata], which manifests as a number of ailments like joint pains, body stiffness and nervous anxiety. Since illness is on the rise during this period, monsoon is a good season to detox our body.

Ayurveda recommends detoxifying and overhauling the body systems to counterbalance and reduce the accumulated toxicity from the body. The elimination channels of the body—lungs, kidneys, intestines and skin—work more efficiently when we get rid of the wastes.

Timely detoxification of the body helps restore the natural balance of the doshas, which are the mainstay of our existence. To enjoy the fruit of wellbeing, all the three doshas need to be in a balanced state; imbalance leads to disease.

Procedures for detox

One of the ways that you can detox the body with the help of ayurveda is through panchakarma .

The five techniques incorporated in this thorough cleansing process— vamana , virechana , shirovirechana , asthapana basti and anuvasan basti —aid in systematic detoxification of the body by the virtue of pacifying the vitiated doshas and balancing them.

Diet for detox

You can also cleanse your body through diet. As there is natural aggravation of air in the body systems, which needs to be pacified and brought back into balance, a specific diet is recommended by ayurveda. The rationale is to invigorate the distorted and frail gastric fire as well as detoxify the body.

• Opt for more sour, salty and oily foods.
• Consume old barley [ jaun ], wheat, old rice and oats.
• Eat vegetable soups with a tadka [seasoning] of cumin, pepper and asafoetida given in ghee. Increase your intake of garlic and ginger along with other herbs like cinnamon and holy basil. You can also consume the herbs as a decoction or pound them and eaten with some honey.
• Add honey to your milk, water or just have a spoonful as honey too promotes cleansing.
• Include more freshly cooked and easily digestible foods along with enough fluids in your diet.

Detox through skin

Ayurveda recommends the practice of scrubbing the skin for detoxification. It releases embedded toxins through the pores of the skin and keeps it soft and supple. It avoids accumulation of germs and microorganisms on the skin, which effectively stimulates skin channels and detoxifies the body.

• Cleanse your skin with sandalwood paste.
• Mix turmeric powder and gram flour [ besan ] in water or raw milk and apply once or twice a week.

Take care to…

• Restrict activities like strenuous exercise and prolonged exposure to the sun while the body is undergoing natural detoxification as they enhance sweat production in the body, thus causing obstruction to skin channels.
• Also avoid sleeping during the daytime during this period.
• Maintain proper hygiene to avoid infections and skin problems.
• Wear clean and comfortable cotton clothes during monsoon. Synthetic clothes are a strict no-no particularly while undergoing the process of detoxification.