Integrating a Plant Dieta
Post-Dieta - beyond the restrictions
Integrating a Plant Dieta (a traditional, amazonian practice of fasting and deep connection with plant and their spirits) is a journey in itself - with all its ups and downs, bumps, and unexpected turns.
So far, integrating our Dietas has brought profound shifts into our lives - alongside both small and big challenges, and also many beautiful gifts ❤️
Especially in the first couple of weeks after returning, the process can feel intense.
While every journey is unique, there are also certain patterns we see repeating themselves. For example: after a period of deep fasting, digestion is often weakened or down regulated. Enzyme activity and gut bacteria can be reduced, and it takes time to rebuild the capacity for “normal” food and “normal” amounts.
So today, we want to share some of the common Post-Dieta challenges — and what has truly supported us in integrating the experience.
We so often hear about what not to do. So let’s focus on what to do instead 🙂
Our 6 main Post-Dieta to-dos:
1. Tending the soil / being in nature
Connecting with the Earth is potent medicine in itself.
Working with the land - gardening, touching soil, being with plants - is one of the most grounding and integrating practices we know. Especially if you are also navigating jet lag on top of your Dieta.
If you don’t have access to a garden, this can be as simple as walking in the forest, sitting by a tree, making a fire, or spending time by the ocean.
Go outside. Breathe. Let nature hold you.
2. Use your body
Whatever is your jam, connecting and moving your body is essential.
After a Dieta that may have involved fasting, stillness, and isolation, reawakening the body (gently) is key. Follow what feels natural and nourishing.
For us, this can look like dancing, yoga, gardening, qi gong, long walks, swimming, or sauna.
Let the body come back online — slowly, and with care.
3. Nourish your body with local plants & medicine
Work with the medicine that grows around you.
For example: in our part of the world, Stinging Nettle is a powerful ally - deeply nourishing and restoring, both physically and energetically.
Dandelion (leaves, flowers, roots) is another beautiful support, especially for digestion and gentle liver support. Other bitter greens like Arugula or Milkthistle can serve a similar role by stimulating digestion.
This can be a true game changer after a long time with very little food, potentially scattered sleep, mosquito bites, intense treatments, and the many other things that can challenge the system during a Dieta (especially in the jungle).
Things that we are stocking up:
Probiotics
Omega-3 fatty acids
Electrolytes & magnesium
Vitamins & minerals
Bitter greens (for digestion and liver support)
Depending on the depht of your dieta, you may need deeper support for gut health and rebuilding.
4. Good, organic food
After a long fast, the body is in a rebuilding phase. It has used stored nutrients — first glycogen (the short term energy reserve, stored mainly in the liver and muscles), then primarily fat stores, and in longer fasts also muscle tissue.
Breaking the fast, the body becomes highly receptive - even comes with cravings. But it is often not easy to determine what the body really wants, as it can feel like “everything at once”.
This makes the quality of food especially important.
We prioritize organic or even better biodynamic foods, include fermented foods like sauerkraut, and go slowly with raw foods in the beginning, as they require stronger digestion.
From Eva Maria’s experience: after dietas in Peru, digestion can be especially challenged — sometimes due to the quality of food, water, or oils, or simply the change of environment. This may require some extra support for digestion and overall gut balance.
In some cases, people may experience imbalances such as parasites, yeast overgrowth (like candida), or general digestive weakness.
A gentle approach helps:
Eat slowly
Combine foods mindfully
Avoid overwhelming the system (e.g. large amounts of sugar, which can feed yeast overgrowth)
5. Having fun
We can get so spiritually serious or all “processy” after these deep experiences with nature — but joy is medicine too.
It is so relieving to do things just for the fun of it. Especially if the bumps along the road of integrating are tough, bringing in elements of lightness, play, and simple enjoyment can be deeply supportive.
Do something just because you love it.
6. Slow down (in life & relationships)
One of the most important and most overlooked aspects.
After a Dieta, it is easy to mentally feel ready… while the body and nervous system are still recovering. Even though you might have gotten a week of good sleep and good food, and thus have more energy, you might still not be fully recovered physically, energetically, mentally and emotionally
Especially if you have jet lag (which you likely have if your Dieta was in the jungle and you live in Europe).
I (Eva Maria) always get surprised by how slow I actually need to move once I return home. How little I can do each day without overwhelming myself. That is the important thing: to do things from a place of love, not from a place of pushing and performing.
This time, after two weeks of dieta and one week back home in Denmark, I still need a midday nap and I am not fully back to emails and work - it is simply too overwhelming.
The key question is:
Do we really need to return to pushing and performing?
The answer is an invitation to move differently.
Slow down.
Soften expectations.
Let things take the time they need.
For us, this is also important and relevant in relationships:
You might not have the capacity for long social visits - and that’s okay
Intimacy may need more time to return in a grounded and connected way
Even though we are officially out of the post-Dieta restrictions and allowed to be intimate, it usually takes us weeks to get close again in a healthy way - moving very gently, so the slowest parts of us are not forgotten or disconnected, but included.
We hope this blog can inspire and support you in your own integration.
With love,
Stephan and Eva Maria