No Tox Challenge: 5 days of detox to prepare for spring

Help your body support the end of winter and prepare for the arrival of spring!

Start moving the stagnant energy accumulated with this challenge. Prepare the intestine and the organs involved in detoxification such as the liver, kidneys, and skin (emunctory organs) to strengthen for the arrival of the new season.

The three steps to start:

1. Learn to know yourself and identify the fundamental energy requirements for your well-being and always make appropriate choices regarding nutrition and lifestyle. No one knows you better than yourself, so try not to exceed your limits and always follow your preferences. This is not a diet, always consume only what you like and follow what is good for your constitution: for example, if you have a lean and nervous constitution (Vata) you should increase cooked foods, season them with oil, increase trikatu to aid digestion, and practice more meditation. If instead you suffer from water retention and feel heavy in the morning, you will need to do more dynamic exercises and eat more raw foods.
2. Pay attention to how the food you eat makes you feel different. Do you feel tired? Excited? Heavy? Inspired? Cold or hot?
3. Focus on health rather than treating specific symptoms.

Detoxify or not produce toxins: AMA

Toxins in Sanskrit are identified by the term AMA. Ama is the final product of poor digestion or the result of exposure to pollutants, toxins, and drugs.
How does poor digestion lead to the formation of AMA and subsequently to the development of diseases? Ayurveda teaches us that if digestion is weak, it not only affects the transformation process in the digestive tract but also influences other tissues of the body such as muscles, bones, and organs. To have good digestion, two main factors must be considered: our intestinal microbiota and having a non-inflamed intestine. The microorganisms that make up the microbiota produce vitamins, provide energy, help digest, and promote the development of the nervous and enteric immune system. An inflamed intestine creates what is called "leaky gut syndrome," in which the space between intestinal cells becomes inflamed and widens, allowing the intestinal barrier to deteriorate, allowing the passage of molecules not properly digested: our body will recognize these molecules as toxins to be eliminated. In some cases, these toxins end up in the body's tissues, and the body begins to attack them, initiating an autoimmune disease.
Having a strong and healthy intestine is essential to avoid getting sick!

How to practice the challenge?

We have chosen to spend 5 days (from February 22nd to 26th) where we will share our breakfasts, lunches, and dinners with our social community. We indicate 5 days, but if you feel like it, you can extend this discipline for the entire month.

• All we need to do is prepare and ventilate our digestive fire (Agni in Ayurveda) that may have been a bit extinguished due to winter humidity. To rebalance it, we will use the Trikatu spice mix.
• We will start cleaning the organs responsible for purification with herbal teas, dry scrubs before showering, cleaning the tongue in the morning before breakfast (to be done always, not just during detox routines).
• It is essential for these days not to introduce toxins! So we recommend eliminating sugars, refined flours, and cereals, and absolutely consuming no pre-cooked products.
• An extremely important thing to do during these days will be to balance the intestinal flora. You will learn to prepare lassi because in this way you will consume less yogurt (the happier the cows, the less milk we use).
• Try to wake up the body with exercises, even gentle ones, there is no medal to win!
• Keep your mind calm and take care of your spirit.

If you can, try intermittent fasting, leaving a window of at least 12 hours in which you will not consume solid foods.

Must-haves to follow the NOTOX practice

Here is the list of what we recommend using to follow the 5 days of NOTOX with us.

• Spices: spices for Trikatu (pepper, ginger, and long pepper), turmeric, savory, thyme, rosemary. If you have any of these plants in your garden, even better!
• To drink: purifying, digestive herbal teas, fruit teas of your choice.
• Whole grains, if they are gluten-free, it's better. Gluten is a molecule that causes inflammation, try not to overdo it in these 5 days.
• Plant-based proteins: Legumes, your favorites! You can also eat tofu, but no more than once a week. If you eat eggs, meat, or fish, look for those with the least possible impact.
• Leafy green vegetables for smoothies: broccoli, kale, celery, spinach, etc.
• Seasonal vegetables, preferably organic or locally sourced: carrots, cabbages, beets, artichokes, lettuce, etc.
• Seasonal fruits: apples, pears, citrus fruits.
• Homemade muesli. To discover the recipe, check out our highlights on NOTOX CHALLENGE on Instagram.
• Vegetable broth for the evening.
• Whole organic yogurt or homemade kefir to prepare lassi smoothie bowls in the morning. If you follow a vegan choice, you can use a plant-based organic yogurt or make kefir with coconut milk. We don't like consuming dairy products because we believe they cause inflammation and contribute to mucus formation, which is why we find lassi a great way to take probiotics with just two tablespoons of yogurt a day. To learn how to prepare lassi, check out our highlights on NOTOX CHALLENGE on Instagram.

ATTENTION! This is not a cooking course: we will only give you guidelines and a few recipes, but everyone must be free to do their own research and be responsible for their own health.

The guidelines to follow during the 5 days of NOTOX CHALLENGE

MORNING:

• As soon as you wake up, practice tongue scraping with a tongue cleaner (if you don't have one, you can use a spoon).
• Drink warm water with lemon or another herbal tea. During this period, we drink an infusion of rosemary, lemon, and bay leaves (from the garden).
• Engage in physical activity. If you are not allowed due to work or personal issues, be patient! You will find another time during the day.
• Before showering, dry brush your skin with a brush. During the shower, alternate between hot and cold water if you can.
• During these 5 days of NOTOX, we advise against drinking coffee or black tea. If you need an extra boost in the morning, we recommend drinking a cup of ceremonial cacao (15g in a glass of water with a little agave or maple syrup, you can add spices like cinnamon or ginger).
• Breakfast: A lassi smoothie bowl with fruit, homemade muesli, and lassi.

LUNCH:

• Always prepare a balanced and colorful meal, trying to combine whole grains, cooked and raw vegetables, fats (olive oil, nuts, avocado, etc.), and some protein.
• If you have to eat out, look for a place that offers the healthiest options in the area.
• If you pack a lunch to take to work, use glass containers instead of plastic.

SNACKS:

• Throughout the day, drink plenty of herbal teas and some vegetable and fruit extracts (the rule is to add more vegetables than fruit). For any doubts, contact us, especially for health issues and teas suitable for your condition.
• If you experience a sudden hunger attack, curb it with a handful of nuts.

DINNER:

• Prepare a meal following the same rules as lunch but a little lighter.
• Enjoy a nice detox broth, by cooking onion, celery, cabbage, a little garlic, and some salt and seaweed in a liter of water for an hour. At the end of cooking, you can add some spices like galangal and miso.

Posted by Terza Luna