By Setareh Kiumarsi
Feeling off down there? Do you frequently get vaginal infections? Itching or foul-smelling discharge? Has HPV taken hold of your reproductive system and won’t let go? Are you dealing with genital warts, skin inflammation around your genital area or anus?
In the post Reproductive Organ Health, I talked about the foods you should avoid when these issues arise. But what should you eat to help cleanse and heal your reproductive system? How about trying a cleansing diet that brings the Kapha and Pitta doshas back into balance?
This cleansing diet is light and usually safe for most people who aren’t suffering from serious or chronic illness. It’s also suitable if you’re dealing with skin problems (like eczema, psoriasis, hives, acne), urinary tract infections, fatty liver, high blood viscosity, or chronic acid reflux.
Salad Cleanse:
Wake up around 6 a.m. and, on an empty stomach, drink a glass of warm water with a few drops of fresh lemon juice, a pinch of salt (use pink Himalayan salt if you have high blood pressure), and a teaspoon of honey.
After 30–45 minutes, for breakfast have a bowl of digestive salad and a glass of digestive lassi:
Digestive Salad: Chop the following vegetables in your preferred size and mix with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt:
- Cooked and spiced (with turmeric) mung bean sprouts or celery or cilantro (1 part)
- Raw carrot (2 parts)
- Raw parsley or basil (2 parts)
- Raw tomato (1 part)
Digestive Lassi:
- 1 tbsp yogurt or 1/8 cup camel’s lassi (camel’s ayran)
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 pinches black seed (or fennel)
- 1 pinch dried rose petals
- 1 pinch salt
Mid-Morning
Starting two hours after breakfast, drink a cup of the following anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting herbal tea every hour. Combine the following herbs whole (not powdered) in the specified volume ratios:
- Echinacea (1)
- Milk thistle (1/2)
- Dandelion (1/2)
- Yarrow (1)
- Lemon balm (2)
- Pennyroyal (1)
- Chamomile (1)
- Mallow (1/2)
Steep 1 teaspoon of this blend in 1 cup of boiling water. Before drinking, add a few drops of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and a teaspoon of honey.
Also, drink fresh cilantro juice twice a day:
Blend a handful of fresh cilantro with 1/3 cup warm water, 2 pinches of ground fennel, and 1 tsp honey. Strain and drink.
Snack
Mid-morning and mid-afternoon, have a bowl of stewed apples with 2–3 dried apricots.
Lunch (between 12–1 p.m.)
A bowl of digestive salad and a glass of digestive lassi.
Afternoon
Two hours after lunch, drink a cup of digestive tea every hour.
Dinner (between 6–7 p.m.)
A bowl of digestive salad and a glass of digestive lassi.
Before Bed
A glass of digestive lassi.
Duration
Continue the salad cleanse for 1 to 3 days depending on your energy levels. Once you’re done, follow it up with one day of the soup cleanse.
Soup Cleanse
The structure of the soup cleanse is the same as the salad cleanse. Just replace the salad and lassi at each meal with a bowl of digestive soup:
Digestive Soup:
Sauté chopped onion in olive or sesame oil with saffron, turmeric, and coriander seeds. If you’re not vegetarian, add a piece of chicken breast. Add carrots, parsley, spinach, celery, and cilantro. Add some quinoa to the pot (veggies should make up 70% of the soup; chicken and quinoa 30%). Season with lemon juice before serving.
This cleansing diet is similar to fasting, so avoid intense exercise and take it easy so you can stick with it. If you feel better after completing it, try repeating it every one or two months.
For more home treatments, check out the post on Vaginal Care.
Please be sure to credit the author, Setareh Kiumarsi, when sharing or republishing this article, which was written with love and the hope of well-being for all.
