Ice, Ice, Agni

Ice. Cold. Frozen. Honestly, none of these words appeal to me. Even in the middle of the hot summer. Let's talk about our obsession with having our drinks freezing cold, because it's time to break a bad habit folks!! 

​Ayurveda says a big heck no to cold drinks. There are a few reasons why. Let's discuss. 

1. Think of your metabolism as a fire sitting in the middle of your stomach. It's nice and hot and being stoked so evenly. What happens when you dump a big vat of ice cold water on a nice, well-lit fire? Well, it's gonna go out! And truthfully, it probably will take a while to get that fire going again in the same way. The same thing is happening to our metabolic fire when we dump ice cold beverages onto it. It's diminishing that nice hot fire! 
2. Your internal body temperature stays consistent somewhere between 97-99 degrees, right? What happens when you introduce something to your body at freezing temperatures? Well, it's going to go into panic mode! Everything is going to constrict. Our bodies really don't know what to do with things outside the norm. 
3. There is a theory out there that says if you intake ice cold water, you are going to burn more calories. Okay, maybe a little, but not enough to make it worth it! Think of your favorite coconut oil or animal fat that sits in your kitchen. What does it take for it to melt? Heat! Same is true for your body. Warm and hot liquids (water to note!) is going to help melt the toxins and built up fat. Not cold. Doesn't this just make sense? 

Well, I don't want to belabor this point, but it's so important! I know it feels like it's never going to refresh you or quench your thirst or anything. But I promise it will. If warm water or other beverages are completely out of the question, try room temperature. I promise you will get used to it! Trust me on this one folks! There are better ways to cool yourself down. Look for foods and drinks that have naturally cooling properties like coconut, cucumber, and cilantro. 

This stands true now more than ever as we start to transition into the cooler, dryer, and windier months of autumn and winter. It's important to combat those qualities with the qualities of the food and drinks we consume. 

Raise your glasses to your last iced drink! Cheers!