During vata season, the cold and dry qualities in the environment start to show up in our body. Dry skin, dry gut (backed up!), a bone chilling feeling, and maybe a sense of feeling unsettled or ungrounded are all very common this time of year. The best way to balance vata is to bring in the opposites: warm, moisturizing, and unctuous.
Some people can’t digest dairy, but it could be the how and not the what that’s causing problems. Ayurveda looks at cold, homogenized milk as a very difficult to digest gut bomb that could end up as ama (toxins), and raw milk that’s heated and dusted with digestive spices as a nourishing tonic. Milk is on a very short list of sattvic foods: foods that enhance a creative and peaceful mind. It’s also considered a sweet taste that balances vata and pitta.
After a brisk walk outside this is a super cozy drink for you to sip on the couch in a giant blanket, maybe in front of a fire or a few candles and some Boston Pops Holiday music.
Ingredients for 2:
3 cups raw cow’s milk, or any dairy free milk you like
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2-3 T cacao powder
2 T maple syrup
Heat up milk in a saucepan on medium heat and add spices. If using raw cow’s milk, bring to a low boil and simmer for a couple minutes, very careful not to let it boil over (don’t leave the kitchen!).
Turn off heat and add cacao and maple syrup. Blend with a hand blender to mix. If you don’t have one then use a whisk, or you can blend all ingredients in a blender first and then heat up in the pot.
Pour into mugs and sprinkle with nutmeg.