The concept of detoxifying the body has become popular in the modern era. But if we take a closer look, we’ll find that Ayurvedic vaidyas have been touting the benefits detoxification for thousands of years. Unlike modern detoxification goals, however, when using Ayurveda for detox , you are not limited to the digestive system and body — to function smoothly, effectively, and without impairment, the body, mind, and spirit must all be in harmony. Ama , Agni and Detoxification If we look at digestion through an Ayurvedic lens, we would understand that finding balance through the right kinds of foods, a centered lifestyle, and de-stressing techniques would all contribute to good health. The Sanskrit word for this harmonious state is Agni , the first word written in the Vedas. Its antithesis is Ama , which points to a toxic buildup. Ama results not only from dietary issues, but also from emotional, mental, and spiritual imbalances. Fortunately, Ayurveda has a prescription that has
Indian
kitchens and kitchen gardens come stocked with plenty of herbs and
spices that we use to flavor our food and dishes with alacrity – and
sometimes with quite a heavy hand as many a tourist who has tasted
Indian food has paid testament to with watery eyes, a runny nose and a
tongue that seems to be on fire!
That said, many of these herbs
and spices find mention in ancient Ayurvedic texts, for as Hippocrates
so rightly said, food is medicine. And we’ll reach for those herbal teas
when in need – to alleviate coughs and colds, calm down the monthly PMS rage and even help that unstable stomach.
Sometimes
though, you do get bogged down with a dry cough that simply refuses to
quit and leaves you with a sore throat, an irritated audience and a
voice that rivals Kermit’s – and not in a good way. Most Indians, at
this stage, rely on kadha, or karha, a tea or
concoction where herbs and spices are boiled, usually in water, to
extract all their benefits – which is then cooled a bit, but served warm
and can also be stored in the fridge and then reheated and sipped on
3-4 times in a day.
So here’s a kadha that really works on dry, persistent cough and a sore throat that simply refuses to get better, medicines be darned.
Ayurvedic Cough Concoction or Kadha
- 4-5 bay leaves (tej patta) (in a pinch, you can also use the leaves of the cinnamon tree or even allspice)
- 2-inch piece ginger (adrak), peeled and crushed for maximum efficacy
- A 4-inch stick of licorice (mulethi)
- 10-12 peppercorns, crushed (kali mirch)
- 4 green cardamoms (elaichi), crushed
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- 5-6 crushed holy basil leaves (tulsi)
- Honey (shahad) to taste
Boil
3 cups water and add in everything but the honey. Simmer for 10-15
minutes, till the water level has halved and is dark green/brown in
color. Strain the water and discard the herbs and spices. Measure about
50-100ml of this concoction, and sip it warm. In case you find this too
hot (read: spicy) for your taste, add in 1 teaspoon honey to sweeten
before you sip. You can have this twice a day in summers or four times a
day in winters – all the herbs and spices used in this herbal “tea” are
pitta inducing. In summers they may unnecessarily cause too much heat
in the digestive system and have an adverse effect. In winters, this
becomes an advantage.
We hope this helps soothe your cough, alleviate that sore throat and also help in curing away that flu
faster as its spiciness will help in dissolving and expelling any and
all congestion. Happy healing to you, and do let us have your thoughts
about this kadha recipe in the comments section below.
Namaste.
Article by Rima J. Pundir
https://basmati.com/2017/05/17/sip-kadha-colds-ayurvedic-herbal-tea 
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