This is one of many beautiful, colorful, vibrant, nature loves you recipe sheets you receive as part of our upcoming Ayurvedic Summer Cleanse. From August 9-15, this 5 day Cleanse with 1 day Prep at the front and 1 day Transition at the end gives you recipes for all 7 days, plus Yoga practices, a meditation, group calls and daily motivation, plus a facebook forum to share, connect, inspire.
If you can’t wait, head on over to Kate’s 3 day Cleanse going on now. Then come back and join us in August. Invite your friends, too. We have room for plenty and it’s always more fun with your loved ones.
I love this Summer Cleanse so much I want everyone to have it. In fact, I love it so much and love you so much that I am going to give it to three of you for free. Just leave a comment below letting us know what you love about summer, and we will pick a winner in a random, double-blind drawing.
Are you ready for mind-blasting freedom, clarity and vibrance? Let’s join together and heal the world!
Loving life, loving summer, loving you ~ Namaste!
~
Congratulations to Kate, Nicole and Nathalie who will receive the Summer Cleanse as a gift!
We are just finishing up our 21 Day Spring Clean Challenge, and I thought you, along with some of my fellow “Cleansers,” might like a simple way to stay the course. This hummus is so easy and quick to prepare, yet makes a nourishing, hearty meal, even while detoxifying. In fact, it was my family’s lunch today served up with arugula, radicchio, zucchini and sun-dried tomatoes for dipping, along with gluten-free “superseed” crackers and olives. They loved it, never knowing they were eating “Cleanse” foods. I hope you like it, too.
Cannellini Hummus
1.5 cups organic cannellini beans, cooked
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 T vegan mayonnaise (make your own)
1 t dijon mustard
1 t tahini
3 hearty shakes of aleppo pepper
pink salt to taste 1 t lemon juice, optional
Put everything in your electric blender and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add a spoonful of fresh lemon juice if you think it needs more salt. Serve with fresh vegetables.
Why change it up and make Hummus with Cannellini? What’s wrong with good old-fashioned Garbanzo?
It’s true, garbanzo beans do make delicious hummus. But, they can be difficult to digest. In many cases (think Vata) they cause gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort, even constipation. Any Cleanse, to be successful, should strengthen, and not confuse digestion. Mung beans, cooked in Kichari, are the ideal bean for that. In our 21 Day Cleanse, Kichari is a central component. Now that we are almost complete, though, this hummus is a nice variation on the theme.
If you want a simple cleanse you can do anytime, try making up some kichari with lightly steamed vegetables and feast on that for a day, or two, or three… You’ll find many recipes for kichari around my blog ~ here, and at the bottom of the “Basics” page here, for example.
I wish you extraordinary health and wellness so that you are able, in the most vibrant way possible, to taste all the joy, intelligence and love Mother Nature has to offer you.
Thank you for visiting this site, and for being so dedicated to life, light and love! Jai Ma!
What about you? Are you welcoming Spring with a bit of a clean-up, clean-out? What is your favorite way to invite in Spring, and enjoy the season’s energy of renewal?
Not too long ago, my Ayurvedic mentor/doctor had me add a little something to my evening routine, and it has made all the difference.
It was all about, well, a delicate subject… proper elimination. The formula he gave me came in tablets from India, which would be hard for anyone to replicate at home. Fortunately, in her Ayurvedic Fat Fighters series on Doctor Oz, another western doctor with Ayurvedic expertise, Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary, touts something she calls a “Triphala Treat,” which offers similar benefits.
Dr. Kulreet’s Triphala Treat is just 1 t ground flax seed, 1 t psyllium husks, 1/2 t triphala powder. If you stir this into almond milk warmed with cardamom, and a little honey if needed, you will have a sweet natural laxative tonic that is also rejuvenative, detoxifying, dosha-balancing, and sleep-inducing. In fact, the Charaka Samhita, one of the great treatises on Ayurveda, states, “One who fully knows how to use Triphala can rectify any imbalance.”
You can purchase Triphala powder from many healthy food stores where it is usually sold in tablet form, which can be ground into powder. I prefer Banyan Botanicals, because their products pass the highest standards for integrity, safety, sustainability. Plus, Banyan sells Ayurvedic herbs in powder form, according to tradition.
This tonic is to be enjoyed in the evening as a “bedtime treat.” In fact, if you are already making this Deep Sleep Tonic in the evening, just add the Triphala Treat directly to your blender and keep it running for a minute or two to will gently warm your tonic, without having to heat it on the stove. It saves a lot on cleanup.
The tonic is generally tri-doshic, but Pitta seems to find it most helpful. Pitta is heat with water. Hot water rises and evaporates. The earth element pulls that heat down, and in the case of this recipe, down and out. Addressing the third stage of digestion ~ elimination, it’s a tonic that helps you wake up feeling lighter, balanced, regular, free.
I’d love to do an informal survey to find out how beneficial this is on a broad scale, so if you try it and like the results, let us know with a simple “yes” in the comment section below. If you know your dosha, add that too. Knowledge is power. Together we can make our lives, and in that the world, a healthier place for all.
Have you ever been to Bhaktifest? It’s a beautiful thing. In addition to Kirtan day and night, fabulous Yoga classes overlooking the desert, divine Yogis everywhere, and a reunion of so many friends, what I love so much about these Festivals is that, more than anywhere outside of Rishikesh, you are surrounded by people who do things that really stir your soul and make your heart sing.
Things like: Combine Classical Indian Dance with Yoga…
Matteo Girard Maxon of Ancient Organics straining ghee upper right | Photos: Ancient Organics
Our master teacher Dr. David Frawley says, “The mind is like a wick. Knowledge (Jnana) is like the flame, but Devotion (Bhakti) is the oil (ghee). Without the oil to sustain the flame, it will merely burn up the wick. So too, a mind that does not have that flow of grace or devotion, can be burned up or dried out by the flame of knowledge. We must remember to keep our Soma flowing.”
Photo: Ancient Organics
Since Bhakti is like ghee, how appropriate that this golden nectar has a central presence at a Festival devoted to Bhakti. Having now sampled it, I can say that Ancient Organics Ghee is the very taste of Soma, the flow of Soma made manifest.
You can make ghee at home, of course, but every now and then it is wonderful to have someone make it for you, especially when it is mindfully small batch brewed, nutty in taste and so authentic.
While at Bhaktifest, I picked up a jar of Ancient Organics’ Niter Kibbeh, a ghee cooked with North African spices. It’s fabulous with everything, and would make a unique hostess gift.
Niter Kibbeh Ghee
Matteo Girard Maxon, co-founder of Ancient Organics, is offering a full 16 ounce jar of this Soma to one of our readers. All you have to do is comment below. I’ll randomly pick a name/winner next week. Ancient Organics will ship directly to you.
Beginning the day with ghee!
One thing that kept us returning to the Ancient Organics booth was their Rose Lassi. It was nourishing, cool comfort in that high desert, high summer, dry heat.
Rose Lassi
I’ve tried making it at home, and ended up coming up with two versions. The first is according to Matteo’s instructions, at least so far as I remembered. The second is quick and easy.
It was my first time making rose syrup, and I wanted to make it as healthy as possible, so I adapted it a bit. Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear if you think you can improve upon my efforts.
Roses, organic or wild-crafted, 1 dozen
Coconut Sugar, 1/2 cup
Ghee, 1 teaspoon
Water, 1 cup
For the Lassi:
Full-fat Yogurt, 1 cup (or your favorite non-dairy alternative)
Rose Syrup, 1/3 cup
Rose Water, 1 teaspoon
Cardamom powder, 1 good strong shake
Himalayan Pink Salt, 1-2 hearty pinches
Raw Honey, 1 tablespoon
Water, 1/4 cup
Making the Syrup: 1. Rose Petals, 2. Water, 3. Coconut Sugar, 4. Heat
To Make the Rose Syrup:
Put the ghee and coconut sugar in a 1-quart sauce pot, and stir together until melted and combined. Add the petals of all 12 roses and cover with water. Bring to a boil and turn heat down to keep at a light, slow simmer. Stir occasionally until the mixture reduces to a brown, thin syrup, about 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool.
I skipped the blender and put it straight into a glass jar but you have to shake, shake, shake!
To Make the Lassi:
In a blender, add the yogurt, rose syrup, rose water, spices, honey and water and blend on a low speed just to break up the yogurt and make it liquidy and smooth. Depending on how you like your lassi, you might want to add more water for a thinner consistency. Taste, adjust to your liking, and serve.
Keep refrigerated for up to three days.
Ancient Organics Rose Lassi was really pink while mine turned out more creamy in color
If that seems like too many steps, you can try this simpler version. It’s almost as good.
Simple Rose Lassi
1 cup of your favorite creamy Yogurt
1 cup water
1 t Rose Water
1 T Raw Organic Honey
1 good shake Cardamom
1 pinch Pink Salt
Petals of 1 Rose
Put it all in a blender and give it a good whirl. Adjust cardamom, rose water, pink salt until it is absolutely like drinking heaven. Enjoy!
With the simpler version, I used red rose petals to give it more color
So, why is Rose Lassi good for you, especially in high sumer, the high desert, or if you have high Pitta? I’ll leave it to the experts at Maharishi Ayurveda to explain, which they do beautifully here.
Yogurt is also great for balancing Vata, and as we enter Autumn, our Vata season, I find myself just craving it. If you’d like to learn more about right diet for Autumn, I invite you to join us for our ten day Autumn Cleanse coming up on October 5th. You can learn about it and register here.
Deep Yoga at Bhakiftest| Photo: Owl
But back to Bhakitfest…
Deep Yoga at Bhaktifest | Photo: Owl
Bhava made this video of our classes at Bhaktifest, which were so juicy thanks to all the Yogis who arrive so ready to give and to love.
Deep Yoga at Bhaktifest | Photo: Owl
We are going to be teaching again at Shaktifest next May. Tickets are half price though September here, if you’d like to join us for this festival of heart. Also, Floracopiea is offering a free webcast today of Dr. Frawley talking about Soma: The Nectar of Rejuvenation. You can access that here.
Carolyn sent over a basket of figs yesterday. She has a huge fig tree out behind her house, so the basket she sent over was correspondingly large. My first thought was, “Goodness, such beauty!” My second was, “Carolyn is so divine!” Third thought? “We will never get through that many figs.”
So I tossed a few handfuls in the blender and made a Fig Smoothie. Like Carolyn, divine!
Version 1
On my first go, the only fruit was figs. But it needed a bit of the sour and maybe astringent taste to help round out the flavors, so I added a plum and some blueberries. Once it all came together, it caught my breath. The colors, that dapple of deep purple dancing with sparkles of gold, make it as beautiful as it is nourishing.
Version 2
Cardamom Fig Smoothie
Figs, 2 handfuls
Blueberries, 1 handful
Plum, 1
Lime, Juice and a bit of zest
Water, 1/2 c
1/2 t Vanilla Extract
Cardamom, dash or two
Medjool Date, 1-2
Option 1: Replace plain water with coconut water or coconut milk.
Option 2: If you don’t have dates, add a teaspoon of maple syrup.
Put everything in the blender and mix on high-speed a little longer than usual to be sure everything is well macerated.
Enjoy!
Thanks to Carolyn for this inspiration and bounty!
~
While we are mentioning Carolyn, her good friend and my favorite Gluten-free Recipe Renovator, Stephanie Weaver, is running a fun and fabulous Blog Hop as a way of connecting, raising awareness and generating funding to publish her book,Golden Angels: Lessons in Love and Lesson from Buddy Girl and Daisy May.Here is her Kickstarter page. I have had a read and love this book. It is an important healing tool for anyone who has suffered from loss and grieving. I hope you will take a minute to have a look.
Be sure to check out the many contributors, too, who have offered great and gorgeous recipes to help Stephanie in her campaign ~ Dog Days of Summer Blog Hop.
Have you been feeling the heat? On those days when hot, hot, hot becomes a threat, try this refreshing, quenching, hydrating, nourishing, cooling, delightful “cocktail.” With its pretty pink sparkle, it’s also perfect for picnics or summer celebrations!
My Mum texted yesterday to tell me she’s just finished up the remains left over from a family gathering we had last weekend. “Still delicious!” she wrote. So whip it up ahead of time, and keep it in the fridge. That way you will have it when you need it most. Apparently it will keep for a couple of days.
You could also skip the sparkling water and just drink it as a smoothie.
Watermelon Sparkle
Watermelon, 2.5 cups cubed
Cucumber, 1 inch peeled
Water, 1/4 cup
1 Lime, juiced
Mint, 5-6 fresh leaves
Cardamom, 1 pinch
Pink Salt, the teeniest tiniest pinch (optional)
Sparkling Water
Put all ingredients, except the sparkling water, in a blender and puree until completely liquified. Fill a glass halfway with this watermelon smoothie. Top up with sparkling water, garnish with a mint leaf, and enjoy.
Two weeks ago I posted summer ideas for breakfast, and last week, it was a fresh summer salad for lunch. So it seems in the natural order of things to offer you now a bit of dinner inspiration for summer.
I love the intelligence of Mother Nature! Every season she offers us foods to balance her changes. In summer now, she bountifully provides cool foods to counter her hot weather: Cucumbers, Melons, Summer Squash, and herbs such as Dill, Mint, Cilantro.
Yesterday morning I went out to our little food garden and gathered up some of those fresh summer vegetables, blending them all together last night to make this exquisite little soup.
The beauty of this is that there is no cooking required. Reminiscent of the old-fashioned elegance of chilled soups such as Gazpacho and Vichyssoise, yet updated with inspiration from the thoroughly modern practice of Juicing, this dinner is easy to make, easy to serve, easy to digest. It is also: good for your liver, pitta-pacifying, emotionally balancing, peacefully purifying, and, did I say cooling?
Summer’s Garden Soup Serves 2
1 Cucumber
1/2 Zucchini
2-3 Tomatillos
1 handful Cherry Tomatoes
1 small Avocado
1 few leaves of whatever green you have on hand: Kale, Arugula, Sorrel, Mizuna, etc.
1 handful Cilantro
1 sprig Dill
1 leaf Mint
1 Lime, juiced
1/4 – 1/3 c. Water
Pinch of Sea or Pink Salt, to taste
Put everything in your blender and mix until the consistency is smooth. Serve in bowls, garnished with slices of cherry tomatoes and dill, and sprinkle with lime juice. Eat slowly so you can taste all the flavors. It is complex, subtle, and delicious!
Options
Vata: Drizzle Olive Oil, stir in Yogurt, and/or add chopped Almonds to your soup bowl.
Pitta: Perfect! Could add toasted sunflower seeds for a satisfying, sweet crunch.
Kapha: Add 1 clove garlic and/or a tiny piece of fresh green pepper (serrano, jalapeno) when blending.
What do you like to make in the summer to chill, refresh and renew?
Wishing you a beautiful summer.
Thank you, dear friends.
Namaste!
In Ayurveda, Spring is the season of purification. For me, there is no better place to witness the lessons of Spring, and to learn about ourselves as dynamic and integral aspects of nature than in our own humble garden.
Perhaps the greatest joy of Spring is watching the seeds bud. Seeing those two flaps rise up out of the soil, open out to the sun, and days later reveal the head of a new unique plant is my version of a thrill.
Fenugreek is Kapha-reducing, thus beneficial for spring, especially spring allergies. Its leaves are great in Saag; the seeds are ground for spices and medicine in Ayurveda.
We have lavender everywhere. It is calming to Pitta, and blooms just in time to ease us into Pitta’s summer season.
When my niece was here she helped us clean out and plant our Spring beds, including the installation of a drip irrigation system.
After hours of hearty toil in the garden, we came in and “irrigated” ourselves with this purifying Spring Green Smoothie.
Detox Protein Smoothie Serves 2
1 Apple, cored and chopped
1 T VitaMineral Greens (or Spirulina/Chlorella powder)
1 c Apple cider (or unfiltered juice)
1 handful raw sunflower seeds
1 t Coconut Oil
1 t Raw Honey
dash of Turmeric, Cardamom
Blend ingredients together for a couple of minutes until the consistency is smooth. Drink at room temperature. Enjoy!
Isn’t Spring a joyful reminder of Mother’s Earth’s loving nature?
With St. Patrick’s Day falling on a Sunday this year, it occurred to me that some of you might appreciate a remedy for recovery come Monday.
This healing tonic matches the color of the day, and points to the Ayurvedic call in this season for a Cleanse. It’s laced with shamrocks, too, for fun – but also to add brightness in color and flavor.
The Shamrocks, also known more commonly as Clover, are optional. But if you are like us and have it growing all over your garden this Spring, toss in a handful to augment the magical, “luck of the Irish” benefits. Then you could call this hangover remedy, a “Shamrock Shake,” and continue your holiday celebrations, even while you recover. It is kid-friendly, too!
Shamrock Shake Hangover Remedy Serves 2
1 Banana
6-8 leave Kale, with stems
10 Brazil Nuts
1/3 c Aloe Vera Juice
1 c Almond Milk
1 T VitaMineral Greens (optional)
1 t Coconut Oil
1 t Turmeric
A few pickings of fresh Shamrock (White Clover), leaves and flowers (optional)
Toss it all in a blender and mix until it is very thoroughly blended. Drink at room temperature. Best on an empty stomach.
Clover is a natural alterative, or blood purifier, used by traditional poeple across North America and Europe. It is “rich in minerals and vitamins that help with decongestion and (which) stimulate the liver and digestion. While most alteratives contain bitter compounds, Clover is unique because it is sweet and tasty,” writes acclaimed herbalist Rosemary Gladstar.
Clover makes a great tea. So if you want to skip the Guinness, but still celebrate, you could enjoy instead an old-fashioned cup of “Shamrock Brew:” Simply boil up a few cups of water, add clover leaves and flowers, reduce to a low simmer, and steep for ten minutes.
Speaking of green, my annual Spring Cleanse begins next weekend. If you would like to join us to greenify your body and mind, please visit my website to register or learn more. If you can’t wait to get started, you’ll find a Spring Green Detox Tonic I wrote up for Elephant Journal here.
Speckled with spices for warming, grounding delight
I declared one of the days earlier this week a Day of Bed Rest, and spent my waking hours working with my computer in the comfort of pj’s, pillows and privacy; no clocks, no appointments, no deadlines, no rush. It is Autumn, after all, the season of Vata, giving us permission to shut it all off, dial it all down, turn it all in, stay home, build a fire, and, once in a while even, pass the whole day in bed!
Luxuriating in the spaciousness of life without time, I surrendered ~ and found myself nourished by time off, time away, time to myself.
For lunch that day, I indulged in an Autumn-balancing, Vata-reducing, grounding, warming, deeply restorative and utterly gorgeous, golden Pumpkin Smoothie.
Autumn’s Golden Color
It made me think that Autumn is gold for a reason: the bounty of this season is so rich!
It is a simplified and Ayurvedafied recipe inspired by Oh She Glows and suggested by a very wonderful and deep Yogi Pamela Hunt Cloyd. Try making this yourself and see if it doesn’t just make you feel golden.
Pumpkin Smoothie
2 T Chia Seeds
1 c Pumpkin Puree (easy to make or in a box from Pacific)
1 Banana
1 c Almond Milk (make your own or sugar free from your favorite food supplier)
1/2 c Almond Meal (you can also make your own by soaking, rinsing then grinding your almonds)
1/2 c Coconut Milk
1 coin Ginger, peeled (or 1/2 t Ginger Powder)
1 t Vanilla Extract
1 t Cinnamon
1/4 t Nutmeg
1 Pinch Clove, optional
2 Dates, optional
maple syrup to taste, optional
Soak the Chia Seeds in 1/4 cup water overnight, or at least for one hour. Put all your ingredients in your power blender and blend until very smooth and very creamy. Add chopped Dates for more sweet body, or maple syrup to flesh out and unite the flavors.
Then slip into your silky sumptuous self and sip slowly.
Beauty and Nourishment for my Beloved
~
What a reminder that Food is Love!
Lisa’s adorable daughter enjoying her Pumpkin Smoothie!
At first look, this Breakfast Smoothie is a blush-colored beauty! But at first taste, it is a bit of a surprise: the kind of surprise that yanks you by the collar, drags you from bed, alerts all five senses, concentrates the mind, and shouts, “Wake up!”
When you go back to check, Really?, the second taste gives you a shudder. The kind of shudder that shakes off sleep, powers up the daylight, revs up your juices, sends that blush of beauty to your face, and stirs all the cells in your body to declare “Yes, I am Alive!”
After that, it is delicious.
If this is a helpful way to start your day, here is how to make it. I adapted it from Whole Living, who add fresh ginger ~ a pungent and, therefore, great for Spring, but too much for me. I replaced it with cinnamon ~ also pungent, but gentler ~ and added Honey. Otherwise, the grapefruit was overwhelming.
Gorgeous Ingredients
Spring Detox Smoothie
1/2 Grapefruit, peeled
1 cup Strawberries
1/2 Apple
1 t Honey
1 dash Cinnamon
Put the fruit in a VitaMix or powerful blender. Add 1 cup water and liquefy. Add honey and cinnamon. Blend another 10 seconds, and pour into glasses. Makes 2 servings.
from Whole Living
I served this to guests when they arrived at my recent Spring Detox Cooking Class at Casa De Luz because the grapefruit offers a light, bright, energizing way to get more of the bitter taste in your diet, which in turn will give you a healthier, happier Spring.
Would you like a free lunch at Casa De Luz? It is our hip, new, North Park, Vegan, communal Eatery and they are giving a nourishing soup, salad and main course for free to one person who comments below about your love for Smoothies, Juicing or Casa De Luz. I’ll pick a name from the comments on Sunday, and announce it here. So please let us know what you do to stay healthy in Spring and come back to visit Sunday.
Have you ever wondered what to eat in the morning? Ever felt tired of the “same old?” Dry cereal and cold milk lost its Mojo for you?
Personally, I never had much taste or enthusiasm for breakfast as a daily habit. Sure, breakfast as event is an inspiring way to begin any day. “Daddy’s Pancakes” on a Saturday, Brunch with extended family on a Sunday, fresh croissant at a place like the Darshan Bakery in Encinitas, bagels at the beach with friends ~ these are breakfasts to get up for.
But everyday breakfast, the one the pundits all say we absolutely must have, that leaves me wanting to go back to bed. And shouldn’t breakfast be just the opposite? Shouldn’t it give you fire, energy, pizzazz? Shouldn’t breakfast start your day the way you intend to live it?
Because I think breakfast should absolutely be one more great reason to get up in the morning, I make it sparkle, I make it fun, I make it lavishly green, I make it portable (why stop when the day has just begun?), and I make it right after Yoga practice while I am still dancing, singing, lovingly greeting the day. These, I call “Green Goddess Mornings.”
Tara: Green Goddess of Compassion
“What do you have for breakfast?” a client asked today, gently requesting I post the recipe here. Of course, with Green Goddess Mornings, nothing is ever the same. If it were, it wouldn’t be a Green Goddess Morning, would it?
Here, however, is an example of what breakfast could look like on any given day ~
GREEN GODDESS MORNING GLORY
2 Servings
1/2 cup Sparkling water (doesn’t have to be fizzy: “flat” water is fine)
1/2 cup Pomegranate or Hibiscus Juice
1/2 cup Aloe Vera Juice
Fresh juice of 1 Lemon
2 heaping tablespoons of Spirulina
2 Kale leaves, spine removed (beet leaves, brocoli florets, celery are also great)
1/2 of a Banana
1 heaping tablespoon Coconut Oil (or Walnut Oil)
1 heaping tablespoon ground Flaxseed (I like Bob’s as they are able to preserve vital nutrients often lost in the grinding process)
1 tablespoon Honey
1 dash each of Cinnamon and Turmeric (some days I also add a dash of either Cardamom, Cayenne, or Ginger)
Put everything together in a Juicer or Blender and give it a good mix. Pour into your favorite, most beautiful, most inspiring glasses ~ because you deserve it, and serve.
Green Goddess Morning Glory Shake
For its deep color and coconut speckles, it is gorgeous. As a meal, though, its rich green has been known to frighten! If it looks scary to you, adjust the measure of honey, thank it for its green Goddess potency, and it will be delicious.
I suggest, too, that before drinking, you tell your Green Goddess Shake exactly what kind of day you would like to have. Who knows? All great and true Goddesses have infinite power. Maybe she can restore the breakfast Mojo!
Green Goddess Mornings
I chose the painting above, Goddess of the Forest, by visionary artist Teressena, as it looks like the dawning of the day ~ Divine Mother bringing us the sun. Currently, Teressena, who uses images from her meditations, is working on a series of Goddess paintings that delve deeper in the universal consciousness of the divine feminine and the mysteries of the sacred. A reproduction of her Goddess on canvas can be purchased here, or here for a reproduction on paper.
Every year, at some point between Christmas and New Year’s Day, there comes a morning when you wake up and the first thing you hear is, “Enough!”
It is only a voice in your head, of course, but it is powerful, insistent, and every bone in your body knows it’s right.
Enough! Enough with the excess. Enough with the crowds. Enough with the parties, the merriment, the recaps and resolutions. Enough with the sugar. Enough with the cream. Enough with the foods you said “enough” to last year. Enough with it all!
The new year is dawning. It’s time to pull it together. Time to get healthy and pure.
When this day comes, when you vow to reduce, when simple is more than enough, our Deep Detox Drink is a great way to get started. It stands on its own as a potent detoxifier, and gives a robust kick-start to any cleansing or dietary regime.
Here is how to make it:
Squeeze one half a lemon into a blender or shaker with 1/2 cup water, one heaping tablespoon of Spirulina, 1/2 cup Aloe Vera juice, three shakes of Turmeric, a dash of black pepper and a spoonful of honey, or more to taste. Give it a good shake and drink on an empty stomach.
You can drink this before breakfast, to replace a meal, or in regular intervals as a juice fast for up to three days. The efficacy of this drink comes from the power of bitter-tasting ingredients to reduce mass, purify tissues, and eliminate toxins. If you are pregnant, this is not for you. If you are weak, frail, have a chronic illness, or feel mentally ungrounded or unstable, please consult a health professional first.
Deep Detox Drink: The Remains
Ayurveda has much to say on the subject of physical and mental detoxification. One of the leaders in the field, Maharishi Ayurveda, has more suggestions for you to consider on their website.
Your belly will say, “Thank you,” when you complete your meal with Lassi, a yogurt-based drink that keeps your digestive fires blazing and your immune system strong.
Seeking a Vegetarian response to Egg Nog, I stirred 1 cup of fresh Yogurt, made from raw milk given by grass fed cows (I like St. Benoit), together with 1 cup Water, 6 pitted Medjool Dates, 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup, 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract, three good shakes each of Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Clove powder, and a tiny dash of Sea Salt and fresh ground Black Pepper.
Less water and more dates would make it a thicker blend. You could also add a few raw skinned almonds or cashews for a thicker consistency.
Put all this in the blender and mix it on High Speed until it is good and frothy, then serve it as an after dinner “digestif.”
It is so delicious I think I’ll call it New Year’s Lassi next week, and keep on drinking it right into the new year!
Summer Smoothies :: Download the PDF for your Kitchen
Food: A Love Story 