I know many of you are wanting to hear all about my trip to India. Those two weeks contained an overwhelming amount of experience that I am still processing, so I am going to take it a bit at a time, and that philosophy goes quite well with my topic today.
I haven't had caffeine for 3 weeks, minus a bit of chocolate. We all have aspects of our lives that tempt us out of balance, and coffee is one of those things for me. I go back and forth arguing the health benefits versus risks of caffeine consumption. Because there are both, as in most things- it isn't an easy decision for me. Part of my ayurvedic treatment included a no caffeine/chocolate diet for 2 weeks. Man, coming off Disneyworld, a cruise full of motion sickness, 2 days of travel to India, and no caffeine- the first few days in India were a physical challenge. I decided it was an opportunity to try no caffeine for a while. I gave a six month timeframe to notice how my body and life are different without the sweet brown nectar in my cup every morning. At that time I can make the choice of how much I want caffeine to be a part of my life.
I love hot drinks though, so luckily Ayurveda is a big proponent. Ayurveda believes that cold drinks aren't good for digestives fires(agni in sanskrit). Every day we drank warm herbal water and chai. The chai we drank consisted mainly of ginger, cumin, jaggery(raw sugarcane), and unpasteurized goat milk. Tasty and easy, but I didn't get the exact recipe. Another herbal tea that is supposed to be good for you is CCF Tea. Equal parts Coriander, Cumin, and Fennel- just add to boiled water. The recipe I have been using I got from an Ayurvedic Workshop I took a couple years ago. It has been a delight to have all these spices each morning, and I have read they are good for the body in a number of ways. I suggest waking a bit early one morning, making some chai, sitting somewhere quiet and being present with the senses for a bit. Notice how the rest of your day goes when you start it from a place of presence and warmth.
Chai for 2-4
2 cups water
2 cups milk( I used coconut milk, but you can use soy, almond, cow, goat, yak etc)
1/2 to 1 in. fresh ginger root, peeled and cut up
5-10 cardamom pods, crushed (or just sprinkle in some ground if its all ya got)
2-5 cloves (can crush)
Cinnamon stick
dash of nutmeg
1/2 tsp fennel seeds (can crush)
bring water and spices to boil, then simmer 5 minutes. Pour in milk. Can add vanilla bean or extract, saffron, and turmeric also. Simmer a bit more, then drink. Mmm mmm good.
Suggestions: you can blend all the dry ingredients ahead of time and use powdered ginger, then in the morning just add to water and heat. Milk is optional as well. Once you get used to making it you can play with the amounts of spices adding a bit more of what you like, cutting back on what you don't. To add some sweetness try Succanat, Jaggery, Agave. Some are tempted to use honey, but according to Ayurveda honey loses its beneficial properties when heated and should only be consumed raw and uncooked. Enjoy and Namaste.
I haven't had caffeine for 3 weeks, minus a bit of chocolate. We all have aspects of our lives that tempt us out of balance, and coffee is one of those things for me. I go back and forth arguing the health benefits versus risks of caffeine consumption. Because there are both, as in most things- it isn't an easy decision for me. Part of my ayurvedic treatment included a no caffeine/chocolate diet for 2 weeks. Man, coming off Disneyworld, a cruise full of motion sickness, 2 days of travel to India, and no caffeine- the first few days in India were a physical challenge. I decided it was an opportunity to try no caffeine for a while. I gave a six month timeframe to notice how my body and life are different without the sweet brown nectar in my cup every morning. At that time I can make the choice of how much I want caffeine to be a part of my life.
I love hot drinks though, so luckily Ayurveda is a big proponent. Ayurveda believes that cold drinks aren't good for digestives fires(agni in sanskrit). Every day we drank warm herbal water and chai. The chai we drank consisted mainly of ginger, cumin, jaggery(raw sugarcane), and unpasteurized goat milk. Tasty and easy, but I didn't get the exact recipe. Another herbal tea that is supposed to be good for you is CCF Tea. Equal parts Coriander, Cumin, and Fennel- just add to boiled water. The recipe I have been using I got from an Ayurvedic Workshop I took a couple years ago. It has been a delight to have all these spices each morning, and I have read they are good for the body in a number of ways. I suggest waking a bit early one morning, making some chai, sitting somewhere quiet and being present with the senses for a bit. Notice how the rest of your day goes when you start it from a place of presence and warmth.
Chai for 2-4
2 cups water
2 cups milk( I used coconut milk, but you can use soy, almond, cow, goat, yak etc)
1/2 to 1 in. fresh ginger root, peeled and cut up
5-10 cardamom pods, crushed (or just sprinkle in some ground if its all ya got)
2-5 cloves (can crush)
Cinnamon stick
dash of nutmeg
1/2 tsp fennel seeds (can crush)
bring water and spices to boil, then simmer 5 minutes. Pour in milk. Can add vanilla bean or extract, saffron, and turmeric also. Simmer a bit more, then drink. Mmm mmm good.
Suggestions: you can blend all the dry ingredients ahead of time and use powdered ginger, then in the morning just add to water and heat. Milk is optional as well. Once you get used to making it you can play with the amounts of spices adding a bit more of what you like, cutting back on what you don't. To add some sweetness try Succanat, Jaggery, Agave. Some are tempted to use honey, but according to Ayurveda honey loses its beneficial properties when heated and should only be consumed raw and uncooked. Enjoy and Namaste.
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