Do you like something creamy and smooth in coffee or tea? I discovered a new healthy alternative to milk. Many people avoid milk, or should, because they are allergic. Once I saw a map at New York’s Museum of Natural History showing the areas in the world where people are not lactose intolerant — a very small section of Africa, where tribes have consumed goat’s milk for generations. Some allergic reactions may include cramps, indigestion, bloating, blemishes, or mucus leading to breathing problems. Goat’s milk lacks the cow dairy protein casein, but all dairy increases “mucus.” I heard from a noted Tibetan monk doctor, Yeshe Donden, that the combination of milk and fish is “deadly.” I never found out if he meant that fish and milk cause too much phlegm or that the combination is forbidden because fish are considered sacred in some parts of traditional Tibet. There is a legendary lake there in which the fish were considered deities. Excess phlegm according to Tibetan, Chinese, and Ayurvedic medicines, underlies congested conditions ranging from asthma to cancer. Ayurveda calls it Kapha; Tibetan medicine bad-kan; and Chinese medicine might describe mucus congestion or excess fat and phlegm as resulting from low digestive qi and “dampness” (she pronounces roughly shuh.) So what’s my solution to the creamy milk problem?
Tag Archive for 'maca'
I have been honoring my need for rest, warmth and comfort as the weather is colder and days shorter. Winter is a time to nourish your dreams and imagination. Nerve-soothing oils such as sesame are rejuvenating. Apply it to your skin all over and inside the nose. Allow the rich proteins to soften your complexion and penetrate your senses with renewed vitality for 15 minutes. Then wash with warm water. If you have acne or a ruddy complexion, another fine oil to use is Argana, made from a Moroccan tree bark. It feels more cooling than sesame and is also rejuvenating. Increase warming spices such as ginger, pepper, clove, cinnamon and hing (asafoetida for bloating) unless you have an ulcer. The tastes to stress in winter, according to Ayurveda, are warming, salty and sweet, less bitter. Bitter (coffee and black tea) increase nervousness and pain.
I have been greatly enjoying adding Peruvian maca powder to my morning mild green tea or warm water. It tastes a bit like yam, a comforting root vegetable that grows high in the Andes. It stimulates the pituitary to enhance the functioning of the entire endocrine system–for enhanced energy, breath, adrenal strength, and libido. It is hormone-balancing for men and women. People in Peru eat the cooked root with meat and potatoes and also use it as an aphrodisiac. It is also said to reduce menopausal complaints. I find it comforting and mood-lifting.
