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Ayurvedic
healers contend that clear beautiful skin
on the outside happens only when your insides
are clean and toxin-free and you follow a
strict daily and weekly external
cleansing regimen. With these timeless
beauty secrets from ayurveda,
you can keep your skin looking and feeling
clear, healthy and radiant.
Your skin is like a mirror: it reflects what's
going on inside. Blemishes, eruptions, patches
and sallow skin are often related to inappropriate
diet or lifestyle choices that lead to accumulation
of dietary toxins, called ama
in ayurveda. Following a skin-friendly diet,
making sure your digestion-absorption-elimination
cycle is efficient and supplementing with
skin-friendly herbs help your skin look clear,
radiant, healthy and youthful.
In general, choose foods that are appropriate
for your constitution and the season. Eat
lighter meals, space out your meals so that
one meal is digested before you introduce
another into your system, and choose whole
fresh foods.
Here are seven simple dietary recommendations
that will help keep your insides cleansed,
and lead to a clear glowing complexion that
will turn heads:
1. Start your day with a mug of hot water
into which the juice of half of one lemon
has been freshly squeezed. Lemon is anti-bacterial,
promotes regular elimination and helps flush
toxins from your system. If your skin
tends to be oily, a second drink of lemon
water in the afternoon can be helpful. Vata
and Pitta
skinned individuals can start the day with
a handful of raisins that have been soaked
in water the previous night. Raisins help
promote regularity.
2. Have two or three herb/spice
tea breaks during the day. Choose from
fennel,
mint, cumin,
fresh ginger root, aniseed, cardamom, rosehips
and cinnamon. Ayurvedic herbs that are known
for their cleansing properties include Neem,
Indian Sarsaparilla, Turmeric,
Indian Madder (Manjistha) and Marshmallow
Root. These herbs cleanse the blood and help
support the liver in its efforts to keep your
system free of toxins.
Basic
Cleansing Spice Tea:
1/8
tsp cumin seed (whole)
1/2 tsp fennel seed (whole)
2 fresh mint leaves (spearmint or peppermint)
Bring
a large cup of pure water to a rolling boil.
Add the whole spices, turn off heat, cover
and steep for 5 minutes. Strain and enjoy
warm or at room temperature.
Optional additions for persons with Vata skin:
1/8 tsp minced fresh ginger root or 1 tiny
stick Chinese cinnamon or one green cardamom
(whole) crushed lightly to break open the
skin. Add a pinch of Indian Sarsaparilla or
Marshmallow Root (tea-cut leaf is best, but
powdered is acceptable).
Optional additions for persons with Pitta
skin: 1 organic food-grade rosehip or
1/4 tsp aniseed or one green cardamom (whole)
crushed lightly to break open the skin. Add
one pinch of Neem or Marshmallow Root.
Optional additions for persons with Kapha
skin: 1/8 tsp minced fresh ginger root
or 1 tiny stick Chinese cinnamon or 1 peppercorn.
Add one pinch of Neem or Indian Madder or
Turmeric.
The teas are fragrant and flavorful, but if
you find you need a sweetener, stir in a dash
of honey for Kapha or a pinch of raw sugar
for Vata or Pitta.
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