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The science of Ayurveda and the 6 pillars of balanced living outline many easy to adopt practices that have a large impact on our health and well-being.
The first time I was introduced to the concept of drinking warm lemon water on rising was from a Naturopath specializing in woman’s health. She had a strong focus on digestion, and looking back I could swear she was schooled in some Ayurvedic methodology.
She recommended to me a great little book called the Fat Flush Plan by Anna Louise Gittleman, M.S., C.N.S. which I have recommended to clients and friends over the years. It is not based in Ayurveda, but a sound understanding of how the chemistry of food supports healthy detoxification.
The book is easy to read and plainly outlines a plan to help us rejuvenate and cleanse our tired livers, reduce toxins and enhance elimination…which leads to fat flushing inside our intestines and around our middles. And for women, this accumulation at our middles, at one time or another, is a concern.
When I was introduced to the Ayurvedic methodology which has as its core foundation the understanding that health directly relates to optimal digestion and healthy elimination, I understood the wisdom that had been passed onto me many years earlier.
The truth is, that if we are not having at least one, if not 2-3 healthy bowel movements each and everyday, we are accumulating toxins, known in sanskrit as “AMA” (undigested waste) and this accumulation leads to sickness and disease.
The first self care practice to adopt on rising is clearing of the AMA, or undigested waste and film from the tongue. The practice is simple and takes about a minute.
After your morning pee, grab your tongue scraper by both handles and run it down the tongue from the back to the front. Notice the white, yellowish or almond coloured film that accumulates on the scraper. Run this under the tap to flush it down the drain. Repeat 2-3 times, until no AMA remains.
Next, pop into the kitchen and prepare your warm lemon water. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into your favourite mug and top with 8-16 oz. of lightly boiled but immediately drinkable water. If your elimination is not regular, then drink at least 16 oz. of water. The more you hydrate the quicker and more regular elimination will be.
To quote pg. 18 of the Fat Flush Plan, “hot water-lemon drink benefits bile formation (in the liver), which is essential for optimal fat metabolism, and helps regenerate the liver. It also promotes peristalsis, the movement in the bowels that keeps waste moving along the digestive tract and out of the body for elimination.”
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