Things To Avoid Before the Ayahuasca Ceremony

If you plan to go for an Ayahuasca retreat in Mexico, you should know that certain food items should be avoided before drinking this potion. The participants should avoid drugs for three weeks, refrain from pork or alcohol for two weeks, and no dairy, caffeine, fried food, or sugar for two days. Avoiding these food items is backed by solid reasoning. For instance, food items with an amino acid called tyramine should be avoided since it can increase your heart rate. And so does Ayahuasca. Hence it should be avoided. These guidelines aim at enhancing the experience and avoiding any sort of health risks.

Shamans and retreat organizations prescribe these dietary guidelines before you attend an ayahuasca retreat in Mexico. It is called the Ayahuasca diet and can look different in many cultures. There are various beliefs and behavioral prescriptions for consuming Ayahuasca in the Amazon. And the most widespread restriction is avoiding pork. The Ayahuasca diet aims to purify the body and mind for shamanic practices like hunting, healing, and divination. Tyramine found in aged cheeses, pickled foods, and cured meats can be dangerous when consumed in conjunction with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) found in Ayahuasca. Since both ingredients increase blood pressure, it can get too high suddenly, creating a hypersensitive crisis that can lead to heart attack, stroke, headaches, loss of kidney functions, and severe anxiety.

Food items that contain tryptophan, like dairy products and turkey, can also cause issues during Ayahuasca ceremonies. Tryptophan leads to increased production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Ayahuasca also triggers the release of serotonin, thus adding more to it. This can lead to serotonin syndrome (Excess of serotonin) that could result in rapid heart rate, tremors, anxiety, fever, and brain damage in severe cases. It is also advised to avoid alcohol and drugs before consuming Ayahuasca since you may have tough Ayahuasca experiences after using alcohol or cocaine. Stimulant drugs like cocaine can increase your risk of cardiac arrhythmia, which leads to abnormal heartbeat. MDMA is even more problematic since it increases serotonin levels increasing the risk for serotonin syndrome.

Participants should also avoid recreational drugs at least a day before and a day after consuming Ayahuasca. Alcohol should be avoided as it can increase the DMT available to your central nervous system. This can create more intense effects like nausea, hallucinations, and rapid heartbeat. Certain medicines should be avoided before the Ayahuasca ceremony due to their impact on serotonin. Medicines like Prozac and Zoloft are serotonin reuptake inhibitors that can also put you at risk of serotonin syndrome. You can experience sweating, tremors, shivering, and confusion after taking Ayahuasca while on Prozac. Similar effects can happen with other medications that function as MAOIs, including those used for Parkinson’s disease or depression. Consuming multiple MAOIs can increase the risk of hypertension and serotonin syndrome. Opiates can also create trouble as they tend to decrease the amount of serotonin in your brain.

Regarding dietary restrictions, giving up substances like caffeine, alcohol, and sugar that make you feel good can decrease your serotonin levels. This leads to a more dramatic increase in serotonin when you consume Ayahuasca, thus resulting in a more intense experience. Pork is also to be avoided since it creates aconitic acid in the body, which, combined with Ayahuasca, can release acidic end-product metabolites that may be rough on your kidneys. Therefore it is wise to avoid recreational drugs, alcohol, tyramine, and certain medications before you attend an Ayahuasca retreat to make your trip safer.

What Can You Eat Before The Ceremony?

You may consume a lot of vegetables like green beans, potatoes, chard, zucchini, mushrooms, beets, avocado, salad, and fruits like apples, bananas, and plums. Apple juice and sugarless applesauce can also be consumed. You may also eat plain rice milk without sugar, salt, and added calcium. Dried fruits like almonds and hazelnuts, hard eggs, cereals like quinoa and rice, and legumes including coral lentils, green lentils, split peas, and kidney beans can be beneficial during our ayahuasca experience. All algae, including Klamath spirulina tablets, can be consumed. Avoid soft drinks, but you can have rosemary, mate, verbena, and chamomile. You may season the dishes with only raw olive oil. Also, try to use organic hygiene products like shower gel, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, etc.

Post Ayahuasca Diet

A few days after the ceremony, you will be told to avoid raw meat, fish, dairy, ice cream, and ice-cold drinks. You should also refrain from sexual activity after a few days of consuming Ayahuasca. But, when it comes to pork, alcohol, and other drugs, they should be avoided for at least two weeks after the experience.     

The Bottom Line

Adhering to the Ayahuasca diet has many benefits when you are on a retreat. You must physically prepare your body before the ceremony to allow a clearer, unobstructed path for the medicine to work. It should not have to work to clear these things and then go to the deeper work. The ayahuasca diet also opens up infinite possibilities present in the plant. It will help you develop a positive mindset for growth.