Fall Cleansing Super Salad

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” —Benjamin Franklin

A solid Ayurvedic knowledge base provides the tools necessary to navigate the seasons and remain in good health. And, for those of us who are familiar with the seasonal practices of Ayurveda, we know that fall is ripe with opportunities to cleanse, relax, and rejuvenate.

But what if we are not quite ready to dive into more austere cleansing practices? There are still many ways to experience the myriad benefits of favoring certain foods during this season, making it a month to rock your way into feeling amazingly well!

Ayurveda teaches us that the lymphatic system needs to flow smoothly for our bodies to flush out toxins. If the lymph does not flow properly, toxins “dump” into our bodies’ channels and systems, creating imbalances. Improper diet, lifestyle, and stress can lead to lymphatic stagnation. Fortunately, foods like beets and celery and spices like fenugreek are lymph movers.

Beets are detoxifying, laxative, and cholagogic—meaning they stimulate the release of bile from the gallbladder. This has a very positive effect on relieving and preventing lymphatic stagnation. Beets also strengthen the ojas, which means that they help to nourish and fortify our bodily tissues. Additionally, they have an affinity for the eyes and skin and are known to help balance blood sugar because of their effect on the pancreatic ducts.

Celery is alkalizing, calms the nerves, is diuretic, and induces perspiration for detoxification.

Fenugreek stimulates energy, detoxifies, lowers blood sugar, stimulates blood flow in the pelvic region, and increases breast milk production.

Ginger stimulates digestion and helps burn bad fats and toxins.

When we cleanse,

• Fat-soluble molecules of emotion with old patterns, old dietary behaviors, and old cravings are detoxed
• Digestion is rebooted and reignited. Subsequently, weight loss can be achieved through more efficient fat-burning
• We are better able to digest tough foods like gluten, meat, and dairy
• Our ability to decongest the bile ducts improves—increasing bile flow from liver, boosting duodenal enzymes (responsible for digesting gluten), and making HCL (hydrochloric acid)
• Blood sugar stabilizes.

So, you can see that these substances not only cleanse, they also rejuvenate. Rejuvenation after cleansing is a vital step in maintaining wellness. We can liken rejuvenation to the inhale and cleansing to the exhale.

Enjoy this recipe with a grateful inhale for its supportive and rejuvenating effects, and exhale with appreciation for its cleansing properties. And allow yourself to release what does not serve you.

BEET & CELERY SUPER SALAD

Ingredients
2 raw beets, grated
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 tsp minced ginger
1/4 tsp ground fenugreek
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 c high quality, organic flax seed oil or olive oil

Mix all ingredients together well, give thanks, and enjoy as an appetizer for two.