Detox time: the secrets of Ayurveda to purify the body and skin with the arrival of winter
di Maria Serena Patriarca
Ayurveda, or the science of long life. One of the most complex and complete systems of natural medicine comes from ancient Indian wisdom, aimed at detox of body and mind and beauty at any age. The West winks more and more to natural Ayurvedic techniques (beauty advice, nutritional plans, massages) to complete the aesthetic treatments typical of the Western world.
In the cold season of the year, a good practice to detoxify the body and relax is to drink hot infusions, preferably made with fresh ginger roots, cinnamon or tulsi, the sacred basil that aids digestion and strengthens the immune system. It is preferable, during the winter, to eat more cooked food and less raw food (which would be “cooling” for the body), therefore use cooked vegetables and soups, perhaps accompanied by rice enriched with cumin and turmeric, a spice that is really a panacea for the digestive system and for those suffering, for example, from irritable colon. Dried fruit, but also sunflower, pumpkin, sesame or chia seeds are excellent to be consumed with yogurt at breakfast. To counteract the appearance of wrinkles, the antiaging fruit par excellence is amla, rich in vitamin C, of Indian origin; it can be bought in a herbalist’s shop or parapharmacy in the form of jam, with the name of Chyawanprash: a teaspoon of this jam in the morning has immunostimulating and energizing effects, and is suitable for any age.
Among the Ayurvedic wellness techniques, in addition to the classic decontracting and invigorating massages, based on aromatic oils of orange, almond or argan we cannot fail to mention the Shirodhara , a treatment source of relaxation and vitality through a drop of lukewarm oil that is made to drip on the forehead. This practice is one of the most widespread in Kerala, and is never lacking among the offers of the best beauty farms in Italy too.
Ayurveda has over 3000 years of history and originates in the Vedas, the sacred texts of India. The principle on which it is based is that our body is permeated by doshas , three forms of vital energy: Vata (associated with breathing), Pitta (which governs digestion) and Kapha (in tune with our body structure). If these energies are in balance, we feel good and fit, if they are unbalanced, physical discomfort occurs (for example, headaches, indigestion, insomnia). Each person falls into one of the types of doshas, which are influenced by food, climate, pollution, social relations. According to Ayurveda, the intestine is our second brain, and here 95% of serotonin, the good mood hormone, is produced. This is why drinking hot water in the morning, before breakfast, improves bowel functions and, consequently, mood.
An important aspect of nutrition according to Ayurvedic principles is that foods can also be cooked with ghee , a clarified butter from Indian cuisine without animal proteins.
The best thing would be to follow the Ayurveda dietary advice and also undergo specific massages performed by specialized therapists, according to your needs. Ayurvedic holistic massage is a gentle massage that helps promote blood circulation and vital fluids. The therapist manually stimulates the chakras (energy points in the body) and this has beneficial effects on the muscles, circulatory system, venous system. The stimulation of vital energies does not occur, of course, only from a physical point of view, but also involves the psychic aspect in order to remove anxiety, stress, fears, which characterize this period of pandemic more than ever. Ayurvedic massages are also recommended against somatization of the cervical, neck, back, stomach.
To optimize the effects of Ayurvedic beauty treatments or a detox diet period (relying only on experts in the field, of course) it is also advisable to take care of physical exercise, with long walks in a park, for example, or exercises that strengthen legs and abdominal muscles. If you keep fit at home, it is okay to sit for a few minutes in the classic lotus position and breathe long, slow and deep, trying to calm the flow of thoughts in the mind, preferably with half closed eyes.
A profound “detox” effect for our skin also derives from the mix of natural nutrition, adequate beauty treatments and awareness of the breath, which means that in the space of about 6 months – in the wake of Ayurvedic advice – excellent results can already be seen in the luminosity of the epidermis of the face, for example, and in the distension of the features.
