AYURVEDIC BIKINI READY SUMMER DETOX -- HINT: EATING ALLOWED!

As the daughter of an Ayurvedic practitioner and Registered Dietitian (RD), I have been fortunate to be the crash test dummy to my mother’s Ayurvedic diet adventures. Her influence is why I had the insight to start Fourth & Heart’s line of artisanal ghee and the first hand experience behind my Ayurvedic Bikini Ready Detox! Being the quintessential woman--mother, yoga and running enthusiast, vanity gets the best of me, and lucky for me I wouldn’t have my mental health if it weren’t for a good Ayurvedic based diet and a good daily sweat. I know I’m not alone in having experimented with juice cleanses, water cleanses or just straight up fasts . I promise you, this Summer Detox is the most palatable of them all. While any fast takes will power, finesse and determination, I’m certain each reader can muster all of these virtues up when you have your eye on the prize. The benefits of occasional fasting: Yes, you can do it! According to Ayurveda, occasional fasting is beneficial as it gives your organs a rest, increases your sense of smell and builds overall strength and willpower. The idea of a mono-diet or a food-focused diet is a good approach for beginners and will allow your body to shed itself a couple pounds of inflammation, as well as overall emotional and physical stress. This is my take on an easy three-day Ayurvedic Cleanse with Fourth & Heart Ghee as a staple ingredient. While many cleanses do call for a break in caffeine, I’ve found moderate use beneficial and thus, do not cut caffeine in my version of this cleanse. (In our daily hustle I think it’s a tool and not a detriment!) DAILY ROUTINE

1. Rise early and make yourself a hot cup of Catch Coffee, Catch Chai or the Catch Golden Latte by following our simple recipes. Each day you’ll increase the amount of ghee in your early morning cup.
2. After your coffee, do your daily exercise before eating breakfast. (Recommended at least 30-minutes or go about your typical rigorous activity.)
3. After exercise grab your pre-prepared lemon, cayenne and salt water.
4. Sip on it for 1-2 hours until lunch.
5. Eat your kitchari meal one lunch early around 11:30 AM.
6. Around 2 PM it’s ok to have a cup of coffee or tea with a dairy free creamer.
7. Around 3 PM have your second kitchari meal.
8. Stay hydrated and sip water slowly (not more than you feel necessary to drink).
9. Have a dinner of Kitchari and Steamed Veggies around 5:30 PM.
10. After dinner sip warm water with a squeeze of lemon slowly.

RECIPES Catch Sunshine Latte (All Days) Ingredients: 1 8 OZ Hot cup of coffee 1 tablespoon of Madagascar Vanilla Bean Ghee by 4th & Heart 1 tablespoon coconut cream (optional) 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon Bioactive Honey Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a Vitamix on high for 30-seconds
2. Pour into your favorite mug
3. Sit down and enjoy

Sunshine-y Day Paste (Day 2 + 3) Ingredients Day 1: 1 tablespoon bio-active honey 1 tablespoon Original Recipe Ghee by Fourth & Heart 1 teaspoon turmeric pinch sea salt pinch black pepper Ingredients Day 2: 2 tablespoon bio-active honey 2 tablespoon Original Recipe Ghee by Fourth & Heart 1.5 teaspoon turmeric pinch sea salt pinch black pepper Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix with spoon
2. Warm on stovetop on low
3. Pour into cup and drink slowly before bed

Lemon Cayenne Maple Water (All Days) Ingredients: 4 lemons 8-16 tbsp of grade B maple syrup 1-2 tsp of cayenne pepper 2 Liters of purified water Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a cup
2. Repeat 8 times, daily.

Raquel’s Easy Kitchari Recipe (All Days) Ingredients: 1 cup yellow split mung dal 1 small handful cilantro leaves, chopped 3 cups water Directions:

1. Wash the organic split mung dal twice, using plenty of water. If you have time soak the dal for a few hours before cooking, to help with digestibility (you can do this the night before).
2. Add dal, and cilantro to the water. Bring to a boil, and boil 5 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.
3. Turn down heat to low, and cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar. Cook until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of garlic ghee and stir when finished

Separately: Prepare enough veggies for three meals by chopping and dicing the following: Ingredients: 3 Cups Carrots 1 Head Cauliflower 1 Bunch Red Kale or Swiss Chard 2 Sweet Potatoes Directions:

1. Place the sweet potato in the oven on 45-minutes wrapped in foil and start prepping your veggies.
2. Boil a quart of water in a steamer and place the carrots and cauliflower. Allow to steam for about 15-minutes for the cauliflower and 30 for the carrots. I do this by adding the carrots first then setting the timer for 15-minutes. After 15-minutes head over and toss in the chopped cauliflower.
3. For the last 5-minutes toss in your green veggies.
4. Prepare you plate by placing 1/3 sweet potato 1/3 cabbage and 1/3 greens and carrots in a large bowl. If you need to warm it up see if you can warm it in a toaster oven but if all else fails use the microwave if you must. In Ayurveda the microwave nukes the Prana in your food. Prana is another word for energy so if you have 20-minutes, place it in an oven safe container and warm it in the oven on 365 for 15-20 minutes or in your countertop oven.
5. Enjoy!

Now you have all the tools to shed some weight and feel lighter. This will easily spearhead your way into bikini season. Just remember change takes time and this is an excellent, healthy and easy cleanse to do monthly--or any time of the year. Each time you do a cleanse not only are you ridding yourself of toxins, you’re building the will power muscle which in turn builds confidence and radiance! Whatever you do, wherever you are – let your inner light shine. We hope this helps just a little! HEALTH BENEFITS OF USING GRASS-FED GHEE: Ayurveda & Ghee

• Flushes excess bile from the body.
• Stimulates the liver to make new bile, so 94% of old toxic bile is not reabsorbed.
• Scrubs the intestines of toxins and bad bugs.
• Supports the primary source of energy and immunity for the cells of the gut.
• Supports the health of the beneficial bacteria in the gut who make butyrate.
• Lubricates and softens the hardened tissues of the body.
• Pulls stored fat soluble toxins and molecules of emotion out of the body.
• Encourages fat metabolism and weight loss.
• Supports stable mood and energy levels.
• Protects against bad bacteria in the gut.

Clean excess bile: During an Ayurvedic cleanse, ghee is taken daily at increasing dosages to force the gallbladder to flush out its existing bile, which is often thick and viscous from multiple uses, and stimulate the liver to make new bile. Bile acts as an intestinal scrub and, in concert with the butyric acid from the ingested ghee, helps to support the health of the gut wall and the microbes that manufacture butyrate all along it. Soften Hardened Tissues: Ghee also has a saturating effect, called oleation, on the body. This is a process whereby, during the cleansing period of taking ghee daily, the oil penetrates the soft tissues, lubricating and softening the hardened tissues of the entire body. “Pull” Toxins Out of their Hiding Spots: The ghee has a lipophilic effect on other fatty acids and fatty toxins in the body (which are lipophilic, meaning they are attracted to other fats like ghee), acting like a chelating agent to pull stored fat soluble toxins out of the body and back into the intestines for removal from the body. Molecules of emotion – which, according to Ayurveda, are also lipophilic and store in the fat cells – can also be “pulled” out of their hiding places using this method. Burn Your Calm, Stable Fuel:

• During ghee cleanse, the diet is classically one of no fat. Ingesting ghee first thing in the morning forces the body directly into a fat metabolic state. By not having any fat in the diet during the cleanse, the body quite naturally stays in a fat metabolic state. This allows for the burning of fat, a detoxification effect as mentioned above, and an experience of stable energy and mood.
• The ancient wisdom of using ghee for cooking and cleansing may provide needed butyric acid that helps support the health, integrity and function of the gut wall with extended benefits throughout the entire body.

About Fourth & Heart: Fourth & Heart (formerly Tava Life), is an artisanal food brand based in Los Angeles, CA who has set out on a mission to modernize ancient pantry food staples and have started with a line of grass-fed flavored pure spreadable butters known as "ghee". Since their launch in 2015 they've grown to occupy the shelves of over 1,400 stores and have become the country's go-to ghee. You can purchase 4th & Heart online at Thrivemarket.com or in major retailers including Whole Foods, Earthfare and Market District. For a full list of stores please visit fourthandheart.com. Learn more about them at fourthandheart.com. Fourth & Heart also contributes annually to Yoga Gives Back, a micro-lending organization to women and children in India. About Raquel Tavares Gunsagar: Raquel, the founder of Fourth & Heart is a mother of two, an avid runner and Ashtanga Yogini. She founded Fourth & Heart in the pursuit of following her dreams and helping others fulfill theirs. She believes life is best lived somewhere between your comfort zone and the other side. She is a home chef, writer, boundary pusher, entrepreneur and lover of everything related to well being and only hopes her actions will inspire others for the better. Text by Raquel Tavares Gunsagar. Please note: This suggested diet like any diet should first be discussed with your healthcare practitioner. Sponsored by: Fourth & Heart