Day 2 of the 7-Day Detox

This post will be brief as I'm getting ready for bed and need to be up and out the door in time for a 6:30 a.m. yoga class.

The rice porridge for breakfast is definitely just as delicious with rice milk as with soy. Add your cinnamon and cardamom to taste, a half dash of course sea salt and a bit of honey. I will definitely be adding this into my diet as a breakfast staple!

The kitchari is more than 1/2 gone now as I've probably eaten around a cup and a half at each serving...slightly more tonight as I was a bit hungrier. I have already stocked up to make more kitchari tomorrow, and grabbed a few beets, heads of broccoli and more zucchini and summer squash for side dishes. By the way, Italian beets...absolutely gorgeous and delicious!! If you can get them where you are, I highly recommend.

Tonight, I played a bit with the kitchari by adding some of the shredded coconut from the cilantro pesto, a bit more cinnamon and cardamom, and just a touch of honey. This gave it a nice sweetness that made it seem like a treat. Plus I added a heap of steamed broccoli and about half a sliced beat as sidedishes.

Since the cleanse suggests drinking two to three cups of the coriander/cumin/fennel tea daily, and the triphala twice daily, I decided to blend them to make a much more palatable drink. This may not be "kosher", but it sure makes the triphala drinkable and gives the coriander/cumin/fennel tea a more traditional black tea bitterness that tastes a lot better than straight up triphala. Also liberal with about a teaspoon of raw honey per cup. Tonight I dressed up the coriander tea with a few sprigs of clove. That definitely pepped it up a bit.

What was really thrilling today was feeling my body responding to the cleanse...little gurgles of bubbles working their way through my intestines. It wasn't uncomfortable in any way, and it gave me a sense of confidence that the diet is doing its trick.

The massage oil was a lovely addition to my morning routine, and instead of showering, I left it on my skin for a few hours because it felt great. A fifty minute yoga session this afternoon followed by another 17 minute video provided online by the Yoga Journal offered an opportunity to get a workout in, but I think I may jump on the elliptical for a few minutes tomorrow to bring my core temperature up a bit before yoga.

While the entire goal of the Detox is to slow down, shift your focus inside, and realign your body, mind, spirit, I have found that it's impractical and unrealistic for most people to do this unless you can really dedicate yourself every day to the process. That may mean taking a week off, or tailoring the program to accommodate your work or home life. The dietary recommendations can work for anyone, if you're willing to prepare in advance. While you should really be heating your tea and food on a stove top, the microwave is really the only option for people who are working or on the road.

It's 9:30 p.m. and time for bed. I will say, these last few nights I've had the most gorgeous sleep...best it's been in years. I may have to kick the coffee habit permanently! Or, at least, switch to decaf.

Namaste!