This is a guest post by the awesome Ananga Sivyer in England
Have you ever felt thirsty and had dry skin, yet you drink plenty of water? If so, Ayurveda has some easy answers for you on how to quench your thirst at the root.
By the time you feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. The unwelcome effects of dehydration include sluggishness, a foggy head, headaches and excess acid in the body.
When you are drinking water, but still feel thirsty it means the deeper tissues of the body are not getting properly hydrated, it literally means that your cells are thirsty!
To get moisture to the deeper tissues of the body Ayurveda recommends boiling water for a few minutes to make it sharper and more penetrating. By heating water and making it sharper it can reach areas that cold water alone can’t.
According to ancient Ayurvedic texts, normal drinking water can take about six hours to be absorbed if the channels if the body are fairly clean and clear. Hot herbalized water takes about one and a half hours, and the addition of the herbs helps open the channels, clear mucous and toxins and cleanse the body as it hydrates it.
How to make Ayurvedic cleansing water:
Bring two quarts of water to boil in a stainless steel pan (do not use aluminium), let the water boil for 2-4 minutes, then add the following:
1/2 t. whole coriander seeds,
1/2 t. whole fennel and let steep
two 1” slices of fresh ginger root
Cover the pot for 10 minutes and let the spices soak in the water to gently release their beneficial properties.
Strain out the spices and pour the water into a thermos flask and sip throughout the day.
This recipe is thirst quenching and refreshing, it helps digestion, helps removes toxins from the body and clears micro channels that cold water along can’t reach.
For maximum benefit, sip a full glass first thing in the morning and then drink the rest at regular intervals throughout the day.
When used regularly this spiced water can help reduce headaches, sluggishness and aid digestion. It’s fine to drink regular water throughout the day when using spiced water, the two compliment each other very well. If the weather is cold you can drink the water hot straight from your flask, in warmer weather, or if your body is feeling hot, you can let it cool to room temperature first, but it will work best if it isn’t completely cold.
My comments: I’ve been a lover of drinking warm/hot water for a long time. My tummy just always feels happier with something warm in it. And it wasn’t until I first visited my Ayurvedic practitioner that I understood why eating and drinking warm is good for our digestion .
My favourite herbal brew is 1/2 tsp cummin seeds, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds. Much the same as Ananga’s recommendation above except the ginger is swapped with cummin seeds.
I highly recommended making a daily batch in a termos. Makes it easy to carry everywhere and helps keep track of how much you have sipped throughout the day
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Hi Ananya/Carole!
Thank you so much for this beautiful article. Carole, could you please tell me – what quantity of water do you add half teaspoonfuls of cumin, fennel and coriander seeds to ? And how long do you boil it for ?
Thank you for your time!
Hi Ash,
I make a thermos full (probably around 1 litre or more) (I like is strong) I only boil my water for 3 – 5 minutes and leave it for 15 minutes to brew. I sip mine throughout the day rather than drink it as per the advice of my Ayurvedic practitioner.
Organic spices are always more intense in flavour so adjust to suit your taste buds.
Hope this helps.
Thank you Carole. Much appreciated!
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[…] beverages (soft/soda drinks, coffee, tea, flavoured milk drinks) with sipping nothing else but hot water for a whole day. If that sounds too boring add a squeeze of lemon juice or make a spiced tea […]
it is true cummin seeds tone up the human body as its tamil name ‘zeeragam’ means ‘body toner’if one takes equal qantity of cmmin powder and coriander powder there will be no need for bye-pass surgery.if one takes dried cummin powder soaked in lime juice blood pressure come down 140/80 in 30 days.one can try as they from mother natre there will be no side effects
Why should you boil the water? I’ve been reading lately that keeping water, preferably spring water, just under boiling is more beneficial.
Can I crush the ginger for my water
Absolutely. xo