Recipes for spring cleansing

CCF Tea (Cumin, Coriander Fennel)

According to Ayurvedic practitioner Uma Sawicki, this tea balances hormones, kindles the digestive fire (agni) and cleans out toxins (ama).

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

3 cups water

To make: Bring water to a boil, add seeds, cover and turn heat to low heat. Simmer gently until seeds begin to sink, or about 5-10 minutes. Strain before drinking. The fennel provides a natural sweetness. A large batch can be mixed up to use throughout a cleanse. — Uma Sawicki

Cleansing Tridoshic Juice 

Sawicki says this juice is balancing for all three Ayurvedic body types, or doshas, and is excellent for removing toxins and supplying energy during a cleanse.  All ingredients should be organic if possible, she says.

Ingredients:

3 carrots

½ a beet

1 celery stalk

1 leaf of kale

½ an apple

To make: Run all ingredients through a juicer and enjoy.  This juice is best digested on an empty stomach, at least one hour before or after  a meal. — Uma Sawicki

Cleansing Kichari

Ingredients:

5 cups filtered water

1 cup basmati rice, rinsed

½ cup whole mung beans

1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)

1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, minced

2 teaspoons coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon each cumin and fennel seeds

½ teaspoon turmeric

Salt to taste

Cilantro and lime to garnish

To make: Soak mung beans overnight. Rinse well after soaking. Melt ghee in bottom of a sauce pan. Add ginger root, cumin seeds and fennel seeds, and roast to a light brown color. Add mung beans and stir to coat with mixture. Add water and simmer about 20 minutes. Add rice and powdered spices. Add more water if needed, and cook until soft, about another 30 minutes. The mixture should be soupy, not thick. Adjust spices, add salt to taste and garnish with lime and cilantro, if desired. — Uma Sawicki

Manzanita Juice 

The juices at West Asheville’s Nourish & Flourish are all named after flowers that attract hummingbirds to complement the juice bar’s hummingbird logo. Owner Brian Lumb says his manzanita juice recipe promotes gallbladder and liver function, neutralizes acid by raising blood alkalinity, cleanses the blood, aids digestion and calms the mind. He recommends using organic ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 apple

2 stalks celery

1/4 bulb fresh fennel (including stalks)

4 leaves kale

1/4 lemon

To make: Run ingredients through a juicer. Makes one 12-ounce serving. — Brian Lumb

Spring Cleansing Tonic 

“A plentiful source of chlorophyll as well as vitamins and minerals, this tonic nurtures and restores,” says Devon Kelley-Mott, the assistant manager at Seven Juice, Tonics and Elixirs, a new juice bar on Wall Street. The drink  is best made in spring when plants are young and fresh. “If you don’t feel confident about identifying and gathering fresh herbs on your own, you can find them in abundance at local farmers markets and health food stores. … Feel free to substitute other leafy herbs for those listed here and create your own version of this nourishing blend,” Kelley-Mott says.

Ingredients:

2 handfuls of mixed fresh, wild herbs: chickweed, dandelion leaves, nettles, parsley and plantain are all good choices

4 cups pineapple juice or freshly squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

 To make: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until the leaves are liquefied. Let stand for one minute, strain if desired and enjoy. — Devon Kelley-Mott