Beat the Heat With These Summer Ayurvedic Recipes That Keep You Cool
I’m in Sebastopol, California this week – studying advanced Ayurveda with my beloved teacher, DeAnna Batdorff, at her fabulous Ayurvedic treatment center, the dhyana Center.
Our first point of study is RASA – Sanskrit for the luminous virtues of a healthy lymphatic system. I talked about lymphatic health in my Facebook Live video a few weeks back. Here’s that video for your viewing pleasure…
The Magic of Moving Your Lymph!
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More About Rasa
In Ayurveda, rasa has many meanings. It means essence, vitality, flow, and nectar. Rasa is the initial taste when something is placed on your tongue.
The six rasas of Ayurveda are sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent and astringent.
Each taste has a particular effect on the body – it either cools you down or heats you up. Most of us want and need cool relief from the summer heat. The tastes of sweet, bitter, and astringent are the best ones for that.
Sweet because it’s cool and nourishing. Bitter because it pulls inflammation out of the body. Astringent because it rids the body of excess mucous and fluids not needed for radiance. Check out these tastes in action through a few of my favorite summer drink recipes!
Here’s a favorite Summer Ayurvedic Recipe that highlights the taste of sweet:
Mango Lassi
1/2 cup plain, organic, whole milk yogurt or kefir – cow, sheep, goat, cashew or coconut
1 cup water
1/4 cup rosewater, optional
1 cup fresh mango chunks
1/4 teaspoon Cardamom
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup, optional
In a blender, combine all the ingredients until smooth.
Here’s a favorite Summer Ayurvedic Recipe that highlights the taste of astringent:
Pomegranate Shake
1/2 Cup Fresh Unsweetened Pomegranate Juice
1/2 Cup Plain Water, Rose Water or Coconut Water
1 Unripe Banana
1 Cup Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries or Kiwi
2 teaspoons Raw Honey
In a blender, combine all the ingredients until smooth.
Here’s a favorite Summer Ayurvedic Recipe that highlights the taste of bitter:
Aloe Vera Mocktail
1 Cup Aloe Vera Juice
1 Cup Young Coconut Water
1 Cup Cucumber
2 teaspoons Fresh Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Raw Agave Nectar (optional)
Combine the aloe vera juice, young coconut water, and cucumber in a blender. Strain the cucumber pulp through a fine mesh strainer. Add the lime juice and optional agave.
And one more because it’s just so great for summer…
Hibiscus Sun Tea
1/4-Cup Dried Hibiscus Flowers (Jamaica Flowers)
2 Cups Distilled or Spring Water
16-ounce Clean and Sanitized Clear Glass Mason Jar with Lid
1 Lime, thinly sliced
Raw Agave Nectar or maple syrup to taste
Put the hibiscus flowers and water into a clean and sanitized mason jar. Screw the lid on tight and place the jar outside in full sun or in a sunny windowsill. Let the tea steep for 2 to 4 hours. The sun’s energy will heat the water just enough to make tea! Serve with slices of lime and sweeten to taste with raw agave nectar.
Love this kind of thing?
You may also like my other blog post; Your Ultimate All-in-One Ayurvedic Breakfast Guide.
Learn more about what would most nourish YOU and your body!
Get on a call with me to learn more about Nourishment School – my newest offering and year-long Ayurveda course.
