When the Weather Turns Cold, Have this Pitta-balancing Winter Tea

Winters tend to bring with it a host of problems, and Ayurveda recommends drinking Pitta-balancing herbal teas to keep you hydrated, nourished, and satiated.

Highlights

• Herbal teas are great to beat the cold and give your body something warm and comforting.

• Cardamom (elaichi) and cinnamon (dalchini) are excellent pitta pacifiers

• Licorice (mulethi) and tulsi help eliminate ama from the body

When the temperature drops, we crave for something warm and comforting. And that’s when we tend to splurge on drinks like hot chocolate or coffee. The question is, can you satisfy those cravings without consuming extra calories? Well, according to Ayurveda, you can. The ancient science of the Vedas recommends drinking Pitta-balancing spiced herbal teas to keep you hydrated, nourished and satiated.

Here’s a quick recipe of how to make a delicious and a healthy cupful of warm goodness you can enjoy in the winters.

• Heat 6 cups of water on a medium flame.

• While the water heats, crush 4 cardamom pods including the seeds.

• Next, take the crushed cardamom, 1 cinnamon (dalchini) stick, ½ tsp. licorice (mulethi ) powder, ½ tsp. turmeric (haldi) powder and ¼ tsp. ginger powder. Add it all to the boiling water.

• Let it simmer for 20-25 min so that only half the amount of liquid remains in the pot.

• Turn off the heat and add ½ tsp. of dried tulsi leaves.

• Let the leaves steep for 5-10 min

• Strain the tea in a cup, add a tsp. of honey, stir, and serve

This tea is great for people with pitta constitutions. Cooling spices like cardamom and cinnamon are excellent pitta pacifiers. Licorice and tulsi help eliminate ama from the body. Begin with one cup a day and notice the difference.

To know more about diet and nutrition, contact a Jiva doctor today. Dial 0129-4040404 or click on ‘Speak to a Doctor’ under the CONNECT tab in Jiva Health App.