As seen on MyYogaOnline.com
Do you have a favorite meal that leaves you feeling cranky and crabby? (if so, read on for the homemade Chai Tea recipe below!)
Many of us react to certain foods. Often the reason for it is that we have a food sensitivity, like gluten- or lactose intolerance, or an intolerance to night shades, our yummy peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant.
We might also be allergic to certain foods, like sesame seeds, nuts, shellfish, and other items.
The obvious and smart thing is to stay away from these foods. There is just no way to justify risking your life for a peanut butter cup.
Some foods that are not on the obvious allergen list can still cause a lot of trouble and heartache. Or tummy ache. What about the uncomfortable gas formation in our intestines after eating beans? And the belching and heartburn that comes with cucumbers or bell peppers for some people?
Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and broccoli can cause painful indigestion.
These are just some of the obvious and noticeable effects “difficult” foods can have.
What about the “silent” culprits?
Did you know that heavy and hard to digest foods like dairy, nuts, and even bananas can form mucous in your system that doesn’t just affect your digestion, but can also make you more susceptible to respiratory issues and allergies?
The ancient Indian medical science Ayurveda recognizes that some foods can cause toxic buildup in our system, this is called Ama, while some foods are difficult to handle for certain body types (Doshas).
One type may inherently have a stronger digestion, while the next tends to accumulate toxins more easily, and yet another type tends to suffer from gas and intestinal trouble more often then not.
Apart from breaking down which foods exactly are best for which type, and which foods just turn into trouble makers, Ayurveda suggest that a quality in food that makes the food hard to digest and hard on your system can be counteracted by using the right herbs and spices with it.
Lets take milk as an example. Apart from being lactose intolerant and wanting to stay away from milk, boiling the milk and adding spices can counter the mucous forming quality of milk.
That is a reason why Chai tea is used often in Indian cuisine. Many of these negative effects of milk have been altered with the delicious treatment of boiling it and the generous adage of spices.
Fabulous Homemade Chai Tea Recipe
To make your own Chai Tea pour 6 cups of water into a pot, add 1 Cinnamon Stick, 1 heaping tbsp Cardamom Seeds (without pods), 1/4 tsp Whole Black Peppercorns, and 1/4-1/2 cup finely sliced Fresh Ginger.
- Bring to a boil and let it simmer for half an hour. In a separate pod bring 3 cups of milk to a boil and set it aside. Bringing the milk to a boiling point is important, it will make it easier to digest.
- Dry roast 6-8 tsp of Loose Black Tea in a frying pan over low heat until it starts to move in the pan. Add the tea and 1/3 cup of Turbinado Sugar or Succanat to the spice water.
- Strain the tea, pour it back into the pot, add the scalded milk and very briefly bring it to a rolling boil.
If you are indeed lactose intolerant try this Chai Tea recipe with Almond- or Rice Milk. In this case don’t bring the milk to a boil, just heat it up.
The spices do a wonderful job of breaking through the heavy and difficult to digest qualities of the milk. This is such a delicious option, not only in the winter but also in the spring when you crave something sweet and nurturing but don’t want to deal with a heavy load on your system.
You see, choosing the right spices can make any food more easily digestible, but not only that, it never hurts to add a little extra Spice To Your Life!
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends and give it a “Like”. For DoshaFit® News and updates join the Newsletter below.
Claudia Richey
Claudia Richey is a Victoria, B.C. based Personal Trainer and Ayurvedic Practitioner. She is passionate about sharing her unique approach of training and eating according to ones Body-Mind Constitution with other health professionals as well as using it on an ongoing basis with her own clients to help them reach their goals!
