Beverages to Warm Your Soul
Do you have any suggestions for caffeine-free beverages to warm me up as the weather cools?
Yes! There’s something wonderful about a steamy medley of flavors in your favorite mug on a cold day. And I’m a huge fan of caffeine-free options that you can enjoy anytime! Here are a few that also boast some powerful ingredients that can help keep you healthy as the season changes.
Golden Milk: Hailing from India, this blend of water and your favorite dairy or non-dairy milk with turmeric and spices is earthy and grounding. Sweeten with honey or maple syrup and add a touch of pepper, ginger and/or cinnamon. Turmeric has been shown to have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Add pepper, which helps the body absorb those benefits, for the perfect synergy. Ginger and cinnamon provide impressive antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of their own—along with great flavor and a warming sensation.
Molasses Lemon Elixir: The Master Cleanse fad diet may have put this combo on the map, but I suggest you ditch that and try blackstrap molasses and lemon juice in warm water for a comforting dose of nutrients. Blackstrap molasses contains many vital minerals and vitamins such as iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin B6. The lemon juice offers vitamin C to aid in the absorption of the iron and cut the pungent taste of the molasses. Together, they’re a cup of coziness.
Dandelion Tea: You’re probably most familiar with dandelion as the stubborn weed that loves to pop up in your yard. What you may not know is that traditional herbal medicine practices value the dandelion plant for a wide array of therapeutic properties. Dandelion contains antioxidant-rich vitamin A and bitter compounds which may help with digestion and our body’s natural detox pathways. All parts of the plant have beneficial components, so experiment with the different tastes of the leaf, the root, and a combination of both. You can find a variety of dandelion teas in the specialty tea aisle!
Mindful Eating: Focusing on the Sensory Experience
Fall is full of sensations: the scents of spices and firewood; the feel of a crisp breeze or the lingering warmth of sunlight; the sounds of leaves crunching underfoot and a crackling fire. It’s a perfect time to use all of our senses with the concept of Mindful Eating.
Mindful eating is as simple as it gets— we’re born with the ability, we just need to recalibrate! To practice this, we just need to slow down and become aware of details that create sensory experiences with food. How does mindful eating help? To start, it encourages portion control and helps pre- vent overeating. Mindful eaters are forced to slow down and enjoy each bite without distractions.
Begin by noticing the nuances of
the food you’re about to eat. Before you take the first bite, take note of the aroma, the texture, and then the taste, which may change across your tongue.
Here’s an exercise to help us re- discover the power of our senses using a small piece of chocolate or
a raisin: • How does it feel between your fingers? • How does it look? • How does it smell? • After taking a bite, let it rest in your mouth for a moment. How does the texture change as the enzymes in your mouth begin to break it down? • How does it taste? Does the taste change in different parts of your mouth? • How does it sound as you chew?
It may sound like a lot of work, but tuning into your senses becomes second nature with practice and can result in greater en- joyment of the food we eat. Slowing down also allows our brain time to catch up so that we get the cue that we’re reaching fullness and don’t need any more food.
www.savoryonline.com | October 2019 73
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