Winters have arrived in their full glory and with holidays just around the corner, it’s a perfect time to cozy up with family and friends over rounds of delicious food, chatter and hot drinks. While tea and coffee remain the all season favourites, there is a general tendency to overdo these beverages during the winter season. This is to be avoided because although these drinks do make up for comfort drinking, too much indulgence can cause more harm than good because of their caffeine content. At SKK Ayurveda, we recommend the following ayurvedic winter tea recipe, especially made with Ajwain seeds, also called carom seeds as vata & kapha tend to aggravate during winters, causing lethargy, slowed digestion etc. So, the idea is to balance these two doshas to achieve optimum health.
Ingredients
1/4 teaspoon ginger (fresh grated)
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (ground)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ajwain (carom) seeds
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 cup boiling water
Preparation
Mix the ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns and ajwain seeds together.
Boil the water and then add it to the herb and spice mixture.
Steep the tea, covered, for five minutes.
Strain and discard the herbs and spices and serve warm.
What a Vata & Kapha Imbalance Does To The Body
In Ayurveda, the most trusted, ancient medical science, an imbalance in one of the three constitutional body types or doshas (Vata, Kapha or pitta) disrupts the flow of the body’s energy and may lead to disease. Herbal medication, yoga, meditation, and diet are some of the techniques used in Ayurveda to balance a person’s dosha.
A vata or kapha imbalance may cause constipation, anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, tiredness, a poor memory, etc and this imbalance tends to get aggravated even more during the winter season.
Ayurvedic practitioners often recommend a herbal tea containing warming spices and herbs thought to be beneficial during winters, such as ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Before You Try This Winter Tea
If you are experiencing any new symptoms (such as constipation, anxiety, insomnia, tiredness), it’s important to talk to your ayurvedic practitioner. Self-treating and avoiding or delaying conventional care can have unfavourable results. Also, a person with pitta dominant prakriti may have this tea with caution. Again, it’s best to check with your ayurvedic practitioner before consumption.