Friday, January 30, 2009

Day 20 - My Love of Clarified Butter (Ghee)

Today was about restocking. I was out of tea, ghee and groceries. It was time to blend another batch of herbs for my personal blend herbal tea. I was also dangerously low on ghee (clarified butter). These two things have become a staple in my Ayurvedic lifestyle. I have a new recipe from the “Eat, Taste, Heal” cookbook I wanted to try so I had to journey to the grocery store to pick up provisions.

I’ve noticed that the ghee or clarified butter helps my skin and my digestion. I happen to love the taste so I load it up on almost everything – my soups, my rice, my bread, and my veggies. I also use it to sauté my chicken and fish. I’ve made an observation that when I have at least two tablespoons of ghee per day I enjoy more of a smooth move when it comes to my bowel movements. For that reason, I make sure to keep ghee on hand at all times.

Ghee is very nourishing to the digestive tract, the skin, and the eyes. It’s a great substitute for butter and even for cooking oil. It can be used topically to moisturize the skin and can be used as eye drops to wash away impurities from the eyes. Ghee is used extensively in Ayurvedic Medicine because of its therapeutic and nutritive properties.

Ghee is super easy to make (check out my post titled “Better than Butter – The Health Benefits of Ghee”). You can also purchase it in the ethnic section of the grocery store or at your local health food store. I’ve noticed it typically costs around $7 to purchase a jar of ghee. For some of my clients it’s more convenient to buy it rather than make it. Personally, I prefer to make it myself and put my loving energy into the golden liquid.

Another great benefit of ghee is it can be added to warm mild and spiced with cinnamon, cardamom or saffron for a delicious beverage before bed. Milk and ghee is very calming and acts as a sleep aid. It’s a wonderful antidote to insomnia and to calm the mind of excessive thoughts before bedtime. I’ve noticed that I start getting relaxed and sleepy within 15 minutes of drinking a glass of warm milk and ghee. It’s absolutely delicious and extremely nourishing.

Tonight I plan to make another batch of immune soup and kitchari. My husband and I are having a craving for this meal. I think immune soup and kitchari has become our new form of comfort food. Besides, I’ve got dance shows booked for the next three nights so it’ll be nice to have a warm and nourishing meal on hand to keep me grounded.

Ten more days to go on my Ayurvedic journey. So far, I’m loving this lifestyle.

For more information on Ghee visit http://www.joytreeinc.com/page/185128219

1 comment:

  1. i love making ghee too! ^_^ though it's more of a way to use all the cream than for the sake of it. it's great that the changes in your diet has been benefical for you. Do try out a sattvik diet too. It's a wonderful experience...

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