Ayurvedic Tea

This is one simple tea that can be helpful in curing cold.

1 drop Ginger extract
1 drop Cinnamon extract
1/2 stalk of Lemongrass

Steep lemongrass stalk in a cup of hot water for 10 min. To this add Ginger extract and Cinnamon extract. Add honey for sweetness if you like.
This tea really tastes delicious. Take this tea 2-3 times a day to relieve cold symptoms and congestion.

Ayurvedic herbal tea

According to Ayurveda, fever results due to the imbalance of one or more doshas ( energy fields).
One of the many ways to help your body get over a fever is by drinking a simple 3-ingredient tea.

2 drops of Tulsi extract
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 sprig of Lemon grass

Steep these 3 ingredients in a cup of boiling water for about 10 min. Strain and enjoy.

This tea is an excellent diaphoretic ( promotes sweating) and helps bring down the temperature.

Ayurveda and Spices

I have some very interesting books on Ayurveda and I like to browse through them when I have some time. Yesterday, I was reading about some Classical Ayurvedic formulas and found it interesting that a lot of them had one or more than one spice in its list of ingredients.
For example -

Hingashtak Churna - made of Asafoetida
Eladi Churna - Top 3 ingredients are Cardamom, cloves and Saffron
Lavangadi Churna - contains cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger.
Lashunadi Bati - contains garlic, cumin, asafoetida
Trisugandhi Churna - Cinnamon, cardamom

And the list goes on .
This just shows how spices play a important role in Ayurvedic medicine.

Books on Ayurveda

" The Complete book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies" by Vasant Lad

I bought this book about 6 months back. I liked how the Ayurvedic principles were explained in a very easy to understand style. This book shows how easy it is to incorporate Ayurveda in our daily life.

Ayurvedic Cooking

Ayurvedic texts state that eating right food is the key to good health.

Ayurvedic cooking is an integral part of Ayurveda. The simple thinking behind Ayurvedic cooking is to eat food that is right for your constitution and has correct balance of nutrients.
Foods are divided into six different tastes - sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, astringent. A balanced meal should include all six tastes. How does one make a balanced meal ?
Well, Indian cuisine has beautifully incorporated Ayurvedic principles in even its most simple recipes.

Let's take the example of Indian Dal (Marathi Aamti)
The tadka (seasonings) for this simple Aamti includes -

Mustard seeds - pungent
Asafoetida -pungent
Turmeric - astringent
Kokum - sour
Fenugreek seeds - bitter
Green chillies

Heat oil. Add the above ingredients. Once they pop, add cooked lentil (I used Moong Dal), add salt (salty) and little jaggery (sweet) . Garnish with cilantro.


There you have it. All six tastes in one bowl.

Tulsi

Tulsi (meaning "incomparable") is highly revered in Ayurveda and Tulsi extract has been used in Ayurvedic medicines for thousands of years. Tulsi is high in antioxidants and offers many health benefits. It is also known to build immunity and relieve stress.

Tulsi tea is easy to make and is a excellent pick-me-upper.
Just make your tea the way you like it (strong , light or black) and add 1-2 drops of Tulsi extract to it. Tulsi goes well with milk too.

On days when you feel stressed out, try having a cup of Tulsi tea.