Plant MedicineĀ DietaĀ Ā
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Preparing the body for ceremony
The purpose of the dieta is to cleanse, detoxify, and prepare the systems of our body so that we may experience an optimal environment that is conducive to this ceremonial medicine.
Just as we would prepare our homes for a Master Teacher or Royalty, we prepare the body for the Grandmother of Plant Medicine.
Please note different lineages have different dieta requirements. The dieta plays an important role for our bodies to be in communion with this plant medicine and is is recommended to cross reference dietas to be sure to follow them accordingly.
It is highly recommended to follow the dieta guidelines in order to honor this process in its entirety.
Preparing the mind for ceremony
As we prepare the body, it is just as vital to prepare the mind. Implementing and integrating the following is recommended:
- Daily meditation
- Breathing exercises
- Consume high vibrational information
- Stillness and quiet time
- Feeling and sitting with what arises
- Surrounding yourself with calm and nurturing environments
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or professional health care official. I am a nutritional therapy practitioner, mother, and student of plant medicine. Please speak to your doctor or healthcare advisor before implementing any of this information. This resource is only intended to provide resources, ideas, and inspiration in the preparation of the mind and body for ceremony.
3-4 Weeks Prior to Ceremony
This is the perfect time to begin to mentally understand what the dieta requests of you and how take action steps and integrate it into your life.
Start now so that you can set yourself up for success!
The gift of giving the body time to cleanse and prepare for ceremony is worth every ounce of effort, time, and energy you give it.
Below are a few tips and strategies to consider during this time.
- Begin a daily meditation! My Journey to meditation.
- HYDRATE! Drink a minimum of 1/2 your body weight in ounces of clean filtered water daily. (Example: 150 lbs/2 = 75 oz/day)
- Begin eliminating highly processed foods such as fast food, greasy foods, and "junk" foods. Check out this blog post, The 3 Levels of Processed Foods for better understanding of types of processed foods and which boxed and bagged foods are less offensive to the body.
- Taper off alcohol and all mind-altering substances.
- Integrate intermittent fasting (12 hours minimum of no eating between dinner and breakfast the following morning). Read more about the benefits and learn more on this episode about Intermittent fasting and activating our innate capability to heal.
- If planning a 2-3 day fast prior to ceremony begin to taper off caffeine, sugar, and any other "addictive" substances to minimize withdrawal.
- Move your body!
- Begin to plan your dieta strategy. Get familiar with the foods to avoid and all the amazing foods to enjoy! Check out my blog post The Magic of Meal Planning to help you in your 2-3 week dieta!
- Decrease negative information sources such as the news, social media, and other types of content that do not fuel the soul.
- Plan in advance for the upcoming two week dieta to spend more time in nature, if possible.
- Lastly consider taking some time after ceremony for integration.
2 Weeks Prior to Ceremony
As we begin to integrate and implement the dieta we also remove further use or consumption of the following:
- Finding daily stillness and connecting to our inner energy field.
- Incorporating foods that help the body detoxify, regenerate, and clean up on a cellular level.
- Sourcing cleaner and fresher foods that do not contribute to our body's chemical load. Get my FREE Grocery Shopping Resources to help you understand how to buy foods that are lower in toxins.
- Slowing down and creating more time to prepare for our ceremonial upgrade.
Begin to eliminate any use or consumption of the following:
- Alcohol
- Marijuana
- Ecstasy
- Any chemical or natural antidepressant
- Decongestants
- Antibiotics
- Dairy
- Red Meat
- Pork
Now we know what we want to avoid, let's focus on what we CAN consume and fill our plates with on this cleansing and powerful dieta!
Foods to focus on:
Animal Protein:
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Wild Caught Fish and Seafood
- Pasture-Raised Eggs
- Goat
- Rabbit
It is recommended to source meat organically, pasture-raised, wild-caught, and/or local if possible.
Plant Protein
Beans / Legumes -
- Peas
- Lentils
- Mung Beans
- Black Beans
- Garbanzo beans
- Snow peas
- Green beans & Snow peas
- Adzuki beans
- Fava Beans
Consider these combinations of legumes and grains to create complete plant proteins:
- Aduki Beans with Barley
- Mung Beans with Barley
- Lentils & Peas with Wheat Berries
- Black Beans with Whole Grain Rice
- Garbanzo Beans/Chick Peas with Whole Grains Rice
- Quinoa with Corn
Helpful tips when sourcing and cooking beans and legumes:
- Source beans and grains organically if possible.
- Soak beans and grains overnight (minimum 8 hours).
- To help make beans and grains easier to digest add the following to the water you are soaking them in overnight:
- Add 1 tbsp of baking soda for beans/legumes
- Add 1 tbsp of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for grains/rice
Fruits & Vegetables
The world is our oyster when it comes to plants!
Think bright colors, seasonal offerings, and diversity!
Our body LOVES diversity!
Below is a list of nourishing and vibrant fruits and vegetables to explore and consume!
Also make sure you source plants that are low in pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides by using the list of what produce to buy organic and what produce is okay to buy conventional in my FREE Grocery Shopping Resources!
Also check out my blog post on the Top 6 Detoxifying Foods for foods to incorporate into your dieta to support the detoxification process.
Nuts and Seeds
Mother Nature has blessed us with nuts and seeds to amplify the nutrition we give our body.
Nuts and seeds are great to have as snacks as they are high in good fats and protein, which can keep us feeling fuller longer.
You can make nut butters, create snack mixes, top on salads, soups, or even savory dishes.
Some of the most nourishing nuts and seeds are:
- Pecans
- Walnuts
- Pistacios
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
- Brazil Nuts
- Macadami Nuts
- Cashews
- Chia
- Flax
- Hemp
- Sesame
- Pumpkin
- Sunflower
Check out my blog post on How to Source and Amplify your Nuts and Seeds to learn more about the benefits and best sourcing practices.
1 Week Prior to Ceremony
This is where the rubber meets the road and we begin to eliminate more substances and herbs that can interfere with our ceremonial experience, and continue to nourish and detox the body.
We continue to avoid everything listed in week 2 and include the following:
- Chocolate
- Processed Sugar
- St. John's Wart
- Kava
- Kratom
- Ephedra
- Ginseng
- Yohimbe
- Sinicuichi
- Rhodiola Rosea
- Kanna
- Boswellia
- Frankincense
- Nutmeg
- Scotch Broom
- Licorice Root
- Vitamin C
This is a great time to implement:
- Fasting
- Juicing
- Higher vibrational and colorful plant foods.
- Hot and cold therapies, like cold plunging and infrared saunas.
Withdrawal symptoms may arise.
Make sure you have what you need and reference this blog post, Common Detox & Cleanse Withdrawal Symptoms and Remedies .
Some additional things that can support the body this week:
- Begin to taper off all animal products
- HYDRATE! Drink your water!
- Get your meditation game on! Focus inward using breathing techniques such as box breathing.
- Plan meals and snacks for the 3 days prior to ceremony.
- Move your body! Walk, hike, practice yoga, lift weights, just move to help your body detox!
3 Days Prior to Ceremony
Now we venture into the fruits of our labor for the past two weeks.
Preparing now by eliminating all animal products and solely fueling our bodies with plant-based whole foods.
Additionally, below is a list of more medications, foods, and acts to avoid.
- Amphetamines
- Epinephrine
- Norepinephrine
- Ritalin
- Dopamine
- Cannabis
- Cocaine
- Heroine
- Ecstasy
- Weight-reducing drugs
- Cough Medications
- Migraine medications
- Any drugs containing dextromethorphan, decongestants, hay fever, antibiotics.
- Sex and self-pleasure
- Spicy foods
- Citrus foods
- Excess salt
- Fermented foods and beverages
- Any and all animal products
- Soy products
- Yeast and yeast products
- Peanuts
It is also good to note that the following foods contain MAOI (monoamine oxidase inhibitor) and are highly recommended to avoid:
- Aged Cheeses
- Aged Meats (such as chorizo, sausage, corned beef, salami, and pepperoni)
- Fermented foods
- Pickled or smoked fish
- Buttermilk
- Unpasteurized milk
- Probiotics
- Fermented Soybean products
- Fish sauce
- Shrimp paste
- Fermented bread, like sourdough
- Overripe or spoiled foods
- Foods stored in refrigerator for more than 48 hours
- Be sure to eat canned and frozen foods immediately after opening or cooking.
Now we focus on foods that would be considered Vegan and high vibration!
This can be the most challenging part of the dieta, and the most exciting as you explore aligning with plants to uplift your vibration before ceremony.
Below are tons of recipes to help keep you satisfied and excited to eat!
Vegan Recipes
This section will provide you with recipe and meal inspiration to nourish and fuel your body as you prepare for ceremony.
Breakfast:
5-ingredient Almond Flour Pancakes
Glowing Beauty Bowl - Sub coconut or almond yogurt and raw stevia or monk fruit (if you need it sweetened). Think of fresh berries for extra fiber and sweetness.
Chocolate Chia Seed Superfood Pudding
Buckwheat Porridge - Leave out eggs and nutmeg.
Power Parfait - Use plant based yogurt
Apple Cinnamon Granola (grain free)
Lunch / Dinner / Salad Recipes:
Overnight Chia Oatmeal (Do not use nutmeg)
Chipotle Black Bean and Quinoa Crock Pot Stew
Sprouted Quinoa Salad with Mango, Black Beans and Avocado
Heavenly Veggie Coconut Curry (Sub vegetable broth for bone broth)
Roasted Beet, Sweet Potato & Kale Salad
Superfood Crunch Salad with Homemade Balsamic Apple Vinaigrette
Roasted Chickpea Power Salad with Avocado Dressing
Spicy Harissa White Bean and Lentil Salad
Roasted Sweet Potato, Pear & Pomegranate Spinach Salad
Kale, Broccoli, Cucumber Salad
Fiesta Mango Black Bean Quinoa Salad
Slow cooker Coconut Red Curry Vegetable Soup
Grilled Sweet Potato and Wilted Kale Salad
Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Salad
Spicy Southwest Loaded Sweet Potatoes
Chickpea Apple Broccoli Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
Slow Cooker Golden Lentil Soup
Crispy Mashed Potatoes with Avocado Garlic Aioli
Sesame Garlic Roasted Asparagus
Indian-Spiced Butternut Squash Mash with Toasted Coconut
Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Bean Salad with Fresh Pineapple Corn Salsa
Roasted Veggie, Chickpea & Pesto Quinoa Salad
Kitchari - An ancient Aryurvedic dish designed to balance energies within the body.
Soups:
Butternut, Sweet Potato, and Red Lentil Stew
Slow Cooker Black Bean Quinoa Pumpkin Chile
Easy & Delicious Butternut Squash Pureed Soup
Ten Ingredient Alkalizing Green Soup
Squash Soup with Tahini and Za'atar Chickpea Croutons
Roasted Tomato & Lentil Soup With Spicy Pepitas & Avocado Cream
Leek & Potato (Prebiotics) Soup
Tomato Dahl with Gluten-Free Naan
Dips / Snacks
Corn Fritters With Kale, Apple & Coconut Slaw
Mexican Corn Fritters With Tomato & Avocado Salsa
Creamy Indian-Spiced White Bean Dip
Quinoa Falafels with Tahini Sauce
Mediterranean Grilled Zucchini Boats
Smoothies-
(source plant protein like Hemp Yeah Plant Protein)
Super Green Spirulina Smoothie
Coconut Green Smoothie - Use grass-fed whole milk yogurt, kefir, or coconut yogurt.
Blueberry & Oats Breakfast Smoothie
Metabolism Boosting Blueberry Smoothie
Creamy Dragonfruit Smoothie Bowl
Cherry Almond Smoothie - Use homemade nut milk and add 1 serving of protein powder.
Fresh Fig & Cashew Butter Smoothie
Glow Baby Glow Carrot Orange Smoothie
Pumpkin Berry Cashew Butter Smoothie
Blueberry Almond Butter Smoothie
Berry-Rich Craving Saver Smoothie
Tonics / Teas:
These tonics may help curb cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Do not consume any lemon or fermented foods 3 days before ceremony.
Hot Lemon Ginger Detox Tonic -
My favorite Detoxifying Morning Tonic Recipe - Similar to the above but I add lots of spices and cinnamon, a wonderful prebiotic. Get those metabolic juices going and cleanse the body with these nourishing tonic!
Apple Cider Vinegar & Cinnamon Gut Tonic
Beet Kvass - A SUPER gut healthy and probiotic-rich drink. This recipe is perfect for beginner fermenters!
Liver Lovin' Beet Latte - Sounds a little out there, cut this is a beautiful drink to support your liver and gut health! Also, don't wrap your beets in foil, use unbleached parchment paper, or just roast without covering.
Dandelion & Chicory Chia - this may be a little out of your comfort zone, but it's fun to try something new!!
Learn about The Elevation of Health through Tea
The Magic of Meal Planning blog post will help you plan, source, and create your meals with more simplicity and organization. I highly recommend using the resources provided.
I understand how this can be overwhelming.
Just take it step by step.
- Get familiar with the dieta and list some meal ideas.
- Spend some time to consider your plan of action.
- Use the Meal Planning resources to inspire you to get organized and a plan in place.
- OR just get a piece of paper down and make it happen!
I promise that the time and effort you put towards preparing your body, is worth it!
I wish you a beautiful ceremony in all of life.
Becky
