THE AYURVEDIC DIGESTION RESET
A gentle return to rhythm, nourishment, and digestive balance
There are times when the body asks us to simplify.
After travel, celebration, stress, irregular meals, or simply moving through a particularly busy season, it can feel good to return to the basics: warm food, simple ingredients, regular mealtimes, and time to digest.
The Ayurvedic Digestion Reset is a gentle practice inspired by Ayurveda and centered around warm, nourishing meals, digestive spices, herbal teas, medicinal broth, and a consistent daily rhythm.
At the heart of the reset is khichari a traditional Ayurvedic dish of rice, dal, vegetables, spices, and ghee served alongside herbal teas throughout the day.
This isn't about deprivation. It's about simplification.
A few days of eating simply can create an opportunity to slow down, pay attention to your body's signals, and reconnect with the rituals that support your wellbeing.
WHAT IS AN AYURVEDIC DIGESTION RESET?
In Ayurveda, digestion is closely connected to agni, or digestive fire. Rather than constantly adding more to our routines, an Ayurvedic reset creates space to simplify.
For the duration of the reset, meals are intentionally uncomplicated:
Warm. Cooked. Nourishing. Gently spiced. Easy to digest.
Instead of skipping meals or relying on restrictive foods, the reset centers nourishment around khichari, herbal teas, and medicinal broth.
The goal is to establish a rhythm:
Eat → digest → rest → repeat.
The reset can also be an opportunity to become more aware of how different foods, meal timing, stress, and daily habits affect how you feel.
WHY RESET YOUR DIGESTION?
Our digestive system is constantly working.
Every meal asks something of digestion, and our eating patterns can change significantly during periods of travel, celebration, stress, busy schedules, or seasonal transition.
A digestion reset gives you a few days to step away from complexity and return to simple, warm, freshly prepared food.
Rather than asking:
What else should I add?
The reset asks:
What can I simplify?
The practice is an invitation to slow down, eat with greater awareness, and notice your body's signals.
How do you feel after eating?
How does your energy change throughout the day?
What happens when your meals become more regular?
What foods leave you feeling nourished?
The answers can become part of your own understanding of how to care for yourself.
WHEN TO DO THE RESET
Twice a year during the in-between seasons (February and September).
It can also be done when you are transitioning out of a period of:
* Travel
* Holiday meals or celebrations
* Irregular eating
* Busy or stressful schedules
* Eating more restaurant or processed food than usual
* Changes in routine
* Seasonal transition
Ayurveda places particular importance on living in relationship with the seasons, so a reset can also become a meaningful ritual when moving from one season into another.
Choose a time when you can slow down enough to prepare your food, eat without rushing, and allow yourself adequate rest.
HOW TO DO THE AYURVEDIC DIGESTION RESET
The reset follows a simple daily rhythm of warm herbal tea, khichari, and medicinal broth. The duration should be a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 5 days to experience results.
YOUR DAILY SCHEDULE
| TIME | RESET PRACTICE
| 6:00–10:00 a.m. | Breakfast herbal tea + breakfast khichari |
| 12:00 p.m. | Medicinal broth
| 12:00–2:00 p.m. | Digestive tea + lunch khichari |
| 4:00 p.m. | Medicinal broth
| 5:00–7:00 p.m. | Digestive tea + dinner khichari
Your exact timing can be adjusted to your normal schedule. The intention is to create regularity while leaving enough time between meals to digest.
MORNING
Breakfast Herbal Tea Recipe
PREP: 5–10 minutes
YIELD: 4 cups
Ingredients
1 teaspoon chicory root
1 teaspoon dandelion root
1 teaspoon burdock root
1 teaspoon licorice root
1 teaspoon cinnamon bark or cinnamon chips
4 cups hot water
Preparation
1. Add the chicory root, dandelion root, burdock root, licorice root, and cinnamon to a teapot.
2. Pour 4 cups of hot water over the herbs.
3. Cover and allow the tea to steep for 5–10 minutes.
4. Strain and serve warm.
5. Sip throughout the morning alongside your breakfast khichari.
BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER
Khichari Recipe
The nourishing centerpiece of your Ayurvedic Digestion Reset
SOAK: 30 minutes
PREP: 10 minutes
COOK: 40 minutes
SERVES: 4
Ingredients
½ cup yellow split mung dal or red lentils
1 cup basmati rice
1 tablespoon ghee
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
6 curry leaves
1 small green Thai chile, seeded and minced
2½ teaspoons Ayurveda Bodega Healthy Digestion Spice Blend
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups diced vegetables
Vegetable Options
Choose from:
* Carrots
* Sweet potatoes
* Taro root
* Green beans
* Zucchini
* Celery root
* Beets
* Leafy greens
Garnishes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, basil, dill, or parsley
Lime slices
Preparation
1. Soak the rice and dal.
Combine the dal and rice in a bowl and soak for 30 minutes. Rinse until the water runs clear and drain well.
2. Build the aromatic base.
Heat the ghee in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over low heat. Add the turmeric and toast for about 10 seconds.
Add the ginger, curry leaves, and chile. Toast until aromatic and lightly crisp, about 30 seconds.
3. Toast the rice and dal.
Add the rice and dal and stir frequently until the mixture is nearly dry.
4. Add the spices and vegetables.
Stir in the Healthy Digestion Spice Blend, salt, vegetables, and 4–5 cups of water.
For quick-cooking vegetables such as zucchini, asparagus, or leafy greens, add them about 30 minutes into the cooking process.
5. Simmer.
Bring to a full boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for approximately 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The lentils should soften and begin to dissolve, the rice should be tender, and the vegetables should be cooked through.
6. Adjust the consistency.
If the khichari becomes too dry or begins to stick, add additional water.
The final texture should be creamy and moist.
7. Garnish and serve.
Finish with olive oil, cracked black pepper, and fresh herbs.
Serve hot with lime slices.
MIDDAY & EVENING
Ayurvedic Digestive Tea Recipe
PREP: 5–10 minutes
YIELD: 4 cups
Ingredients
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 cups hot water
Preparation
1. Add the ginger, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds to a teapot.
2. Pour 4 cups of hot water over the herbs and spices.
3. Cover and allow to steep for 5–10 minutes.
4. Strain and serve warm.
Optional Garnish & Use
1 teaspoon turmeric honey, if desired
AFTERNOON
Medicinal Broth Recipe
Note: Prepare your broth in advance
Ingredients
* Carrots
* Celery
* Zucchini
* Fresh ginger
* Turmeric
* Cumin
* Coriander
* Fennel
* Fresh cilantro or parsley
* Vegetable broth or water
* Salt
* Ghee or olive oil, optional
Preparation
1. Chop the vegetables.
2. Add them to a pot with vegetable broth or water.
3. Add the ginger and spices.
4. Simmer until the vegetables are very tender.
5. Strain for a lighter broth, or enjoy with the softened vegetables.
6. Season lightly and serve warm.
Make a larger batch at the beginning of your reset and refrigerate portions for the afternoon.
YOUR RESET SHOPPING LIST
Prepare your kitchen before beginning so the reset feels simple rather than like another task.
Produce
☐ Fresh ginger
☐ Carrots
☐ Celery
☐ Zucchini
☐ Sweet potatoes
☐ Taro root
☐ Green beans
☐ Celery root
☐ Beets
☐ Leafy greens
☐ Fresh cilantro
☐ Fresh basil
☐ Fresh dill
☐ Fresh parsley
☐ Limes
☐ Green Thai chile
You don't need every vegetable listed. Choose the vegetables you enjoy and what is seasonally available.
Grains & Legumes
☐ Basmati rice
☐ Yellow split mung dal or red lentils
Spices
☐ Ayurveda Bodega Healthy Digestion Spice Blend
☐ Ground turmeric
☐ Cumin seeds
☐ Coriander seeds
☐ Fennel seeds
☐ Cinnamon bark or chips
☐ Curry leaves
☐ Black pepper
Herbal Tea Ingredients
☐ Chicory root
☐ Dandelion root
☐ Burdock root
☐ Licorice root
Cooking & Pantry
☐ Ghee
☐ Olive oil
☐ Salt
☐ Vegetable broth
☐ Turmeric honey, optional
PREP BEFORE YOU BEGIN
A little preparation can make the entire reset feel easier.
Before Day One:
Make your spice blend accessible.
Keep your Healthy Digestion Spice Blend where you can easily reach it while cooking.
Prepare your broth.
Make enough for several afternoon servings.
Stock your herbs.
Keep your tea ingredients together so preparing your morning and digestive teas becomes effortless.
Wash your produce.
Having your vegetables ready to chop makes daily cooking much easier.
Create space.
Choose a few days when you can minimize unnecessary commitments and give yourself more time for meals and rest.
MAKE IT A DAILY RITUAL
The food is only one part of the reset. If you can, create a little more space around your days.Wake without immediately reaching for your phone. Prepare your tea slowly. Cook your khichari with intention. Eat sitting down. Take a gentle walk after meals. Give yourself time to rest. Go to bed a little earlier. And notice what your body is telling you without immediately trying to change it. You might keep a small journal during the reset and ask yourself:
How does my digestion feel today?
How does my energy feel?
Am I hungry between meals?
How do I feel when I wake up?
What foods leave me feeling nourished?
What does my body seem to be asking for?
AFTER THE RESET
The reset is not intended to become your permanent diet. When you're ready to return to your regular meals, gradually introduce more variety while continuing to notice how your body responds. Journaling about your experience is helpful to document anything you notice that changes or shifts within you.
RETURN TO YOUR RHYTHM
In Ayurveda, wellness is not about constantly fixing yourself. It is about learning how to live in relationship with your body, your food, your environment, and the rhythms of your life. A digestion reset gives you permission to make things simple for a little while and to come back to yourself.
A NOTE OF CARE
The Ayurvedic Digestion Reset is a wellness practice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual dietary needs vary. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, take medications, have a history of disordered eating, or have specific dietary requirements, consult an appropriate healthcare professional before beginning a dietary cleanse or significant change in eating pattern. If you have questions about the herbs used in these recipes, consult a qualified healthcare professional.