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Spiced Milk

3/11/2018

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Milk is revered in more ways than just one in Ayurveda. There are so many benefits of drinking milk that I couldn't even get into all of them right here. Specifically, cow's milk is said to be one the greatest medicines to man. It's a great source of healthy fat and proteins that help maintain and nourish our bodies. From an Ayurvedic perspective, milk is said to nourish many of the tissues--including our nervous and fat tissue. It's even great for our skin. However, my favorite quality of milk is its grounding effect on the body. There is nothing like a warm glass of milk in the evening before bed, or on a Saturday morning curled up in bed with a book. 

Of course, the milk that I am promoting comes from cows that are not brought up in factory farms. It's important to know the source of our animal products. If the animals are under stress, then all that energy is going to go into that product, thus affecting our bodies with that same energy. 

Even though I'm not a huge fan of thick milk, I always recommend everyone to drink as close to raw milk as possible. This may be in some form of organic, non-homeginized, full fat milk. (PS--if you are​ like me and don't like the thick milk, make your own less fat milk by just adding water. It's the less processed way of doing it, without taking away the healthy fats that come from milk). 

With all of the benefits that milk has, it can also be hard to digest for many people. Milk can also be tricky in the sense that it increases phlegm production in the body, making it less than ideal in the cold and rainy months. One way to counterbalance those side effects is to add some heating spices to the milk that will help ease the digestion. 

​I love this milk recipe because it's really easy to make, and is so good for the body and mind. A warm glass of milk at night before bed can do wonders on your slumber. It's great for vata, calming the nervous system, and all-around grounding. Make this recipe your own and get creative!

Ingredients:
  • 1 glass of cow's milk (if you are vegan or can't digest cow's milk, try an almond milk)
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon 
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom
  • 1/2 ginger 
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • Pinch of saffron 
  • Turbinado sugar to taste 
​
Directions:
  1. Warm the milk on the stove.
  2. Melt the sugar into the milk (I try not to make it too sweet so as not to mask the flavors of the spices). 
  3. Add in all of the spices except saffron.
  4. Bring the milk to an almost-boil, and take it off the stove. 
  5. Crush the saffron strands between your fingers and top it off. Let it steep for just a few minutes as the milk cools. 
  6. Enjoy warm! 

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Butternut Curry Soup

10/29/2017

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Squash season is here! Who else is excited? As the weather slowly gets cooler and cooler, my body is naturally beginning to crave warmer and warmer; in all regards. Our bodies are pretty miraculous beings. I mean, they are so smart, they naturally know exactly what we need to balance out our external environment and adjust to new changes. It's remarkable. 

So, with that, vata season has officially kicked in. The winds are picking up and the cold is setting in. With all of that, it's important to begin to stay grounded and warm. Always remember, we want to balance out the qualities of the specific doshas by incorporating the opposite into our lives. So warm, oily, slightly heavy--all of this is fantastic for our bodies. 

Mother Nature naturally provides this for us in the types of vegetables that she produces this time of year. Root veggies are the best, as are winter squashes (think acorn, butternut, etc.) 

​This soup recipe is perfect for the autumn season. Warm and grounding, it's the perfect meal for breakfast, lunch, OR dinner! Enjoy this yummy dish. 

Ingredients:
  • 1 butternut squash 
  • 3 tbsp avocado oil 
  • 4 whole cloves 
  • ​1 whole cinnamon stick broken into small pieces 
  • ​3-4 whole bay leaves 
  • 1 leek, chopped 
  • 4 carrots, chopped 
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder 
  • 1 can coconut milk 
  • 1 box vegetable stock 
  • 5 tsp curry powder of your choice 
  • Salt to taste 

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  2. Cut the butternut squash in half. Scoop out the seeds. Sprinkle with salt and a little oil. Pop in the oven for approximately 40-45 minutes. 
  3. In a large pot, warm the oil. Add in the clove, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves. Wait fo them to start sizzling. 
  4. Once the spices are sizzling, add in the leeks and carrots, and begin to cook. 
  5. ​After the leeks have browned a little bit, add in the vegetable stock, and let everything simmer. You want the carrots to be pretty soft by the end of it all. 
  6. When your squash is ready, pull it out of the oven, cut it up into pieces, and pop it into your pot. Give it a good mix.
  7. Time to blend. Feel free to use a blender or immersion blender. Whatever floats your boat. 
  8. Once your soup is at the consistency you like (chunky or smooth--it's your soup!), place it back in the pot. 
  9. Add in the coconut milk, turmeric powder, curry powder, and salt. Give it a good mix. 
  10. Serve warm with your favorite toast. and ENJOY! 

​Bon Apetit my friends! 

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Infused Waters & Teas

8/5/2017

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I've spoken about the health benefits more than once on the blog and the newsletters. How it's important to get 1/2 your body weight in ounces daily, how you should drink room temperature water and not freezing ice cold. We've talked how hydration is key for so many normal functions of the body such as proper digestion, hydration of the skin, and lubrication of the joints. 

It's no mystery that water--the substance that is 75% of our bodies and 75% of our planet--is crucial to our over health and well-being. Unfortunately though, it is still so hard for many to have the right amount of intake every day. And I get it, to some it's not the tastiest thing. Some can't stomach the idea of drinking room temperature water. I've heard a million different reasons in my practice and with my friends and family. 

With that said, there are always solutions! Fruit infusion water bottles are all over the place these days. When I walk into work I can count at least 7-10 people who have some sort of fancy bottle that allows for them to infuse fruit to help with their water intake. And when I ask them if it works, they are so quick to say that yes, in fact it does. So, I thought, why don't I try it as well? 

I happened to be at Target, and found the Define Bottle. It's a beautiful double walled glass bottle with a bamboo top. It comes with a little cage for loose teas that separates if you want to put in just water and fruit. 

I'm not going to lie, I probably drank at least 4 bottles of my infused water and tea, plus the other plain water I was drinking. People are definitely onto something. 

Below are my top 5 fruit and tea infusions that I made. Try them out! Tell me what you think! I've also posted what the ingredients are good for from an Ayurvedic perspective. If you're curious to see what ingredients would 
  • Ginger Tea Bag, Limes, Mint: I took 1 Yogi Tea Ginger Tea bag, and infused it with 1/2 a lime cut up, and 1 handful of mint leaves. 
    • ​This is really great for kindling your agni. Ginger has so many health benefits which I've mentioned before. The sourness of the lime is also slightly heating so a great 1-2 punch with the ginger. 
  • Rose, Hibiscus, Mint: I took 2 tsp of a dried rose/hibiscus flower tea and infused it with 1 handful of mint leaves. 
    • ​All 3 of these ingredients are cooling to the body, making it a perfect elixir for the summer time. Rose & hibiscus have an added benefit of being beneficial to the female reproductive system. 
  • Green Tea Bag, Blueberries: I took 1 Yogi Tea Pomegranate Green Tea bag and mashed 1.5 handfuls of blueberries infusion them into the tea.
    • ​Pomegranate, green tea and blueberries are packed with high levels of anti-oxidants, making them beneficial to our overall immunity and health. Blueberries also have an affinity to the blood. Coupled with its anti-oxidants, blueberries are great for cleansing the blood of toxins as well as overall health of it. 
  • Hibiscus Tea Bag, Blueberries: I took 1 hibiscus tea bag, and infused 1.5 handfuls of mashed blueberries. 
    • ​Again, great for the above-mentioned benefits. Along with an incredibly refreshing taste. So yum. 
  • ​Blueberries, Mint: I took 1.5 handfuls of mashed blueberries and mixed it with 1 handful of mint leaves. 
    • ​Same reasons as above. 

​*Quick note: when I say mashed blue berries, I just barely squeezed the berries in my fingers so that the juice can slightly be released into the water to obtain the flavor. They weren't completely mashed into a mush. 

Try these out and let me know what you think.

Here's to healthy hydration! Cheers! 

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