My Favorite Ayurvedic Cold Weather Healing Beverages

It's that time of year again as the weather is getting colder, the leaves are falling, the winds are blowing, and the essence of winter is in the air. Even here in southern California, we're deep into fall with winter on the horizon and experiencing all the qualities that come with it.

In the fall, we experience more cold, rough, and mobile "qualities," such as drying leaves, cooler temperatures, and windy weather.

In the winter, the “qualities” are cold, wet, heavy, and dull. Think snow, rain, darker days, and the  
feeling of turning inwards. The animals do this during hibernation.

Ayurveda, a 5000-year-old body-wisdom tradition, teaches us about the GUNAS, the ten sets of qualities that describe EVERYTHING from the weather, our personality and emotions, various foods, and even symptoms of imbalance. Ayurveda looks at everything in terms of opposites: cold/hot, oily/dry, hard/soft, gross/subtle...and so on.

As you know, it’s customary in the West to drink cold beverages or add ice to water regardless of the season.
However, doing so inhibits our body's digestive fire and slows healthy metabolism, especially in the colder seasons.

Ayurveda teaches that the root of our health is our gut and that all disease starts in the digestive tract.
This is why burning our digestive fire strong is critical to our overall health.

Ayurveda's golden rule is that "like attracts like, and opposites create balance."

To nourish ourselves, we want to do the opposite of what’s happening outside to find “balance.”

Ingesting warmer, more grounding, moist, and appropriately spiced foods and drinks in fall and winter is ideal.

Below, I share some of my favorite cold-weather beverages specially designed for the chilly fall and winter seasons.

These warm, yummy drinks nourish your tissues, support your digestive fire, and are easy to absorb.
Check out the recipes below with this in mind.

ENJOY! 

HOT APPLE CIDER

1 cup apple juice or cider
1 cup water
1 tsp. round cinnamon or
1 small cinnamon stick
1 tsp. ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a small stainless steel pot.
Simmer over medium-high heat until steaming.
Serve with the cinnamon stick or a thin slice of lemon or simply plain.
Makes 1 cup.

IMMUNE BOOSTING CCF TEA

2 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon each: whole cumin seeds, whole coriander seeds, whole fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom, one stick of astragalus root (optional)
1 thin slice of ginger, chopped

Bring the water to a boil in a stainless steel pot. Add all the spices. Simmer ten minutes or more. Strain. Drink 2 cups per day, with love. In the fall and winter I always have a thermos full wherever I go.

This drink supports: digestion, plasma, blood, female reproduction, and ojas!

GOLDEN MILK

1 tsp. round turmeric
1 cup water
2 cups milk of your choice (almond, oat, or hoofed animal)
1 tbsp.fresh grated ginger
1 tsp. organic coconut oil or ghee 3 – 5 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
Sweeten to taste with honey or stevia

In a small stainless steel pot over medium heat, stir the turmeric into the water and cook until it forms a nice “paste.” This takes about 8 minutes. In a second medium stainless steel pot, whisk the rest of the ingredients and continue to whisk until it boils. Immediately remove the milk mixture from the heat as soon as it boils. Add the first pot to the second pot and whisk together—strain into mugs. If you’d like a little honey, now is the time to add it. Make 1 1/2 servings.

DOWNLOAD The FREE Recipe Book for more yummy, nourishing cold-weather drinks.