Give Life for Life

My story…

Back in 2017 I was rushed to the hospital via ambulance doubled over with excruciating pain.  I had been uncomfortable for a couple of days prior and the worker bee I was sucked it up to go in to work after taking a couple of days off.  About half an hour into my shift as a waitress I told my boss I needed to go.  By the time I made it out to my car I was cramping with pain and screaming bloody murder.  I called my husband and could not catch my breath.  I was wailing while a fellow co-worker saw me in the parking lot.  She measured the situation at hand and knew I was unable to drive.  She called 911.  In a flash I was loaded in my first ambulance ride, sirens blazing, and the investigation of what was causing my pain began.

Nothing the paramedics gave me relieved the painful convulsions rippling inside me.  Finally, arriving to the hospital I was rushed to the emergency room.  I saw a doctor and my husband and father arrived not long after.  Several questions and tests followed… one being a sonogram.  I could tell the news was not good by the way the tech was answering my questions.  The doctor came in to tell me that I had an ectopic pregnancy.  Knowing that one of my fallopian tubes was already shot and this ectopic pregnancy was on the other side my heart sank.  The doctor then gave me a shining light of hope on this dark day.  He says there is this shot that could save my fertility by dissolving the pregnancy in my tube.  I decide to try.  I had always dreamed of having a baby and deeply wanted to extend our family with a child.

After the shot, I was then admitted to the hospital for observation.  The pain never really stopped.  It was a bit more dull with the pain medications.  I was going in and out of a dreamy wakefulness and restless sleep.  My blood pressure was so very low.  The next thing I knew they were giving me a blood transfusion.  I was loosing blood.  I felt better for a while after the blood transfusion then my blood pressure dropped again.  They gave me more blood.  Day turned to night.  Night turned to day.  On the 2nd night in the hospital, an angel, a wise older nurse asked me if I had another doctor.  She explained that the baby was still growing inside my tube.  I thought on this during my in and out state of consciousness. I woke clearly from my slumber wanting my doctor.  My OBGYN, Dr. Luzietti, came to my side immediately and the next thing I knew I was going into emergency surgery.  I woke after surgery mourning the loss of my baby and the ability to have children.  The one thing I did have though was MY life.  I started to think about my purpose.  What was I doing with my life?

Not long after I was going to yoga classes and I started to heal my physical body, I found peace for my mind and my heart was on the mend.  I found my purpose through healing. I knew then it was my purpose to become a yoga instructor.  I started yoga training in 2018.  I graduated in 2019.  And now I help lead people down this path of healing.  I would not be here doing this work if it were not for Carter BloodCare and the kind selfless people that donate their blood.  I never really thought much about blood donation before I had my transfusions but now I donate regularly.  I am forever grateful and will continue to give back for the duration of my life here on this earthly journey.  I now know that what we do in this life matters!  It took me this life and death experience to realize this.  I am here to ask you, “What are you doing with your life?”  While you think on that why don’t you donate your blood and help someone save theirs.

#giveforlife

Kitchari Cleanse

Kitchari Cleanse by Dani

I wrote this paper while in my 200 HR Yoga Teacher Training. This was an important part of my path towards healing by reseting my gut, finding food sensitivities and having a healthy relationship with food. When you heal the gut you heal the brain. I hope this helps you on your healing journey. ~ Namaslay~

I have never done a cleanse or a diet for that matter.  I have always tried to make pretty healthy choices or at least what I thought were healthy choices.  That is changing the more I learn about food and where it comes from.  After making my first batch of Kitchari I had so much fun experimenting with vegetables and making my personal churna to enrich the flavors.

The cold weather helped as it is stew weather and the Kitchari fell right in line with those cravings!  I noticed right off that I was tired and a bit lethargic.  Exhausted each night I went to bed around 9:30 pm.  I had a headache the second day and decided to rest.  On the 3rd morning I was waking up at 5:30 am with no alarm. 

I also noticed that I was stinky.  I had been using a new deodorant without aluminum and thought that was the problem so I bought another one.  Still stinky!  Thank goodness I discussed this with Summer and my classmates as it is only natural to release toxins though your pee, poo and skin!  I just never really thought about it but it makes complete sense now!

Overall after the cleanse I feel lighter and clear.  I was surprised that I was not craving meat as much and have been eating many meals since the cleanse as vegetarian.  I still have meat protein but just less often and when I do have it I usually go for fish that we catch, seafood or venison.

 Some friends and family have been asking me about what I have been doing as they have noticed some changes with me over the past year.  I tell them about doing yoga and the cleanse.  Many of them were wanting information  about the cleanse so I did a workup for them which by helping them helped me use my words.

On the following pages I have included my Kitchari Cleanse Workup I have been passing along. 

Gentle Vegetarian Kitchari Cleanse

3-7 days

Leftovers are for only the next day!  Throw out the rest.  I fed it to my dogs! 

Prior to beginning your cleanse start tapering off of sugar, caffeine, dairy alcohol and tobacco. 

Soak your rice and beans the night prior…. Or in a pinch 4-6 hours. 

Wake early each morning giving gratitude!  Take in the morning sun. 

Brush your teeth and tongue!

Additional suggestions:  tongue scraping and oil pulling 

Drink a room temperature glass of clean lemon water. 

Make a large hot decaf herbal tea of your choice to drink throughout the day. 

Option:  You can eat Kitchari for 3 meals a day or have oats in the morning.  I suggest a steel cut organic oat and make with clean water, ghee, cinnamon, cardamom and raisins or play around with the ingredients but honor the cleanse with your choices. 

You can have a piece of seasonal fruit if needed to hold you over between meals. 

Drink lots of clean water and herbal teas to flush out toxins.

 Take it easy during the cleanse.  Meditation, Gentle, Restorative Yoga or easy Walking to help reset the body and flush out toxins.

Take a hot Epsom salt bath at night. 

Go to bed early….  You need your rest.  No light.  No TV.  No phone.

Give yourself an Abhyanga, an Ayurvedic Lymphatic Massage with coconut oil before you shower.  Yes before and your skin will have never been so soft!!!

 Kitchari Cleanse Ingredients

½ cup Basmati Rice

½ cup Mung Dal Beans

1 tablespoon Kitchari Spice Mix

(Or you can mix a Churna and use that instead… more on that later)

1 to 2 tablespoons of Ghee (clarified butter)

6 cups clean water or Organic Vegetable broth

1-3 cups of a mix of Seasonal Vegetables of your choice!

Cilantro and a Bay Leaf!  This is optional but for me these 2 additions are staples! Don’t forget to take your Bay Leaf out before serving.

Wash Rice and Beans and let soak overnight or in a pinch 4-6 hours! 

Drain the water!

In a medium pot warm the ghee.  Add the Kitchari Spice Mix or Churna.  You can also add certain vegetable ingredients at this time that need to sauté such as onions and garlic.  Pittas be careful on too much onion and garlic but a little is okay.

Once sautéed add Rice and Beans and sauté again for 2 minutes. 

Add 6 cups of clean water or Organic Vegetable Broth and bring water to a BOIL.

A great way for those wanting re-introduce meat after the 3-7 day cleanse is making Kitchari with organic bone broth which has many healing properties.  Waldo Way Dairy has some local!

Once the Kitchari has come to a boil reduce the heat to Medium- Low.  Cover and cook until it is tender (approx. 30-45 minutes or longer depending on the vegetables) 

If you are adding vegetables to your Kitchari, add the longer cooking vegetables, such as carrots and beets, halfway through the cooking.  Add the vegetables such as leafy greens, near the end.  

Add more water if needed.  Typically, Kitchari is the consistency of a vegetable stew or porridge opposed to a broth.

Garnish with fresh cilantro!

Salt to taste with each serving!

Banyan Botanicals has an online website where you can find a Kitchari Cleanse Kit which comes with everything to make the cleanse minus the broth and vegetables.

Also keep in mind you can find most items at your local grocery store!

Kitchari Spice Mix includes these spices:

Brown Mustard Seed

Turmeric

Cumin Seed

Ginger

Asafoetida

Fenugreek 

I made a Churna with these spices!  You can make your own to your liking and use it during and after your cleanse in cooking and seasoning food.  Spices are very helpful in that they aid digestion and cleanse the blood:

My Churna – spice blend

Brown Mustard Seed

Turmeric

Cumin Seed

Ginger

Fennel Seed

Fenugreek

Coriander

Cardamom

Fenugreek Seed

I also crush fresh Cardamom Seed and throw that in there too!  I love Cardamom!  Make your Churna something you love!

A great reference in addition to your cleanse is the book Eat Taste Heal!  It has great suggestions for vegetables and spices according to your Dosha!

Take your Dosha Quiz online!

This is one of my favorite combinations I stumbled on:

Onion

Garlic

Celery

Kale

Sautéed Mushrooms

Cilantro

The following is a hearty variety I made when introducing bone broth

Onion

Garlic

Carrots

Potatoes

Cabbage

Cilantro

You can do any variety of vegetables!  This cleanse is about choices!!!  You can make it your own and have fun experimenting with different vegetables and spices making Churnas and Kitchari!