Hot Chocolate - for your dosha type!

With the holiday season and frosty winter months, chocolate treats are a favourite...so why not try a healthier hot chocolate option suited to your body type?

According to Ayurveda, diet & lifestyle choices need to be in line with your dosha type - Vata, Pitta, Kapha.  When you eat according to your constitution and live in tune with the seasons, it is easier to find balance, and divert breeding health issues.

Hot chocolate is an all-time favourite for adults & kids alike.  Try customizing this warm comforting drink according to your dosha type.  If you're not sure what your dosha type is, there are various online quizzes such as: www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/prakriti-quiz/

Of course it is best to have a thorough assessment with an Ayurvedic practitioner to understand the subtleties of your dosha type - your current state (vikruti), your original constitution (prakruti) and everything in between.  You may be born as a Kapha type, but be manifesting Vata dosha currently. Or you may be a Vata-Pitta type manifesting strong Pitta symptoms for example.

You can still enjoy hot chocolate without knowing your dosha type, however understanding your dosha will allow you to customize it just the way your body likes ! Try the recipes below and tell us what you think:

Hot Chocolate - Basic Recipe

• 1/3 c. water + 2/3 c. organic milk (or almond, coconut, rice, cashew, soy milk etc.)
• 1 Tbsp organic cacao powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or scrape of vanilla bean (optional)
• organic cane sugar, honey, maple syrup to taste

Bring the water and milk to a boil, and add the cacao powder and simmer until well mixed. Turn off the heat and add sweetener.  Make variations according to your ayurvedic dosha type.

Hot Chocolate - Vata variations

Vata individuals do well with warmth, a little spice and healthy oils. They generally tolerate dairy well, unless there is a dairy sensitivity in which case almond milk is a great option.  Since they generally have sensitive nervous systems and may not tolerate caffeine, carob powder can replace cacao.

• Basic hot chocolate recipe (milk or almond milk)
• 1/2 tsp ghee (optional)
• Sprinkle of nutmeg, or cinnamon or clove (warming spices)
• Dash of cardamom (supports digestion)
• Whip cream (optional)
• Sweetener: honey

Hot Chocolate - Pitta variations

Pitta individuals tend to have too much heat in their system and don't do well with excessive heating spice. They need options that are cooling (not necessarily in temperature, but in quality of foods). Mint and coconut are two variations that are cooling and blend well with hot chocolate.

• Basic hot chocolate recipe (milk, almond or coconut milk)
• 1/2 tsp dried mint leaves  (boil in the basic recipe and strain)
• 1/2 tsp of coconut oil (optional)
• Sweetener: maple syrup

Hot Chocolate - Kapha variations

Kapha types do not tolerate dairy well as it leads to increased congestion. They do well with warming food and drinks, including spices. Sweets should be limited - honey is a suitable sweetener as it has warming properties. Kaphas should avoid dairy or sweets during the Kapha time of the day (6am-10pm and 6pm-10pm).

• Basic hot chocolate recipe (alternate milk or smaller proportion of milk to water)
• A pinch of cinnamon or clove powder to warm Kapha
• A pinch of ginger powder (optional)
• Sweetener: honey

If you have any other suggestions of hot chocolate variations, please write your comments below !

To learn more about Dr. Leena Athparia, ND contact Naturopathic Foundations at 905-940-2727 (Markham) or Yuri's Village at 416-466-5773 (Danforth).  A complimentary 15 min meet n greet is available to learn more how Naturopathy and Ayurveda can help you.

Do you have toxic "ama"?

Have you ever noticed that thick white coating on your tongue when you wake up?

According to Ayurveda, that coating is one of the many symptoms considered as ama - internal toxins.  Ama results from undigested and unabsorbed food that accumulates in the digestive tract, turning into a sticky substance with unpleasant odour. It is waste material that is neither excreted nor used by the body. Small amounts of ama are normal in the digestive tract - it becomes a concern when ama is not eliminated efficiently, building up in the system and spreading deeper into the tissues.

Symptoms of ama include:

• tongue coating (can be different colours depending if Vata, Pitta, Kapha are imbalanced)
• bad breath
• body odour
• congestion
• flatulence
• excess weight
• joint stiffness
• loss of appetite
• lethargy
• mental fogginess
• depression
• dull or heavy pulse
• and more

When ama accumulates in the body over time, it can become a breeding ground for colds, flu, chronic diseases and cancer. It is important to clear out am on a regular basis to maintain health.  There are many methods to support detoxification and clearing of am.  Which method depends on your constitution and requires assessment and customized treatment by your ayurvedic practitioner or naturopathic doctor.

Some tips to detoxify ama include:

• Tongue cleaning
• Proper food combining & diet for your constitution
• Avoid overeating, excessive snacking or eating when upset
• Herbal teas with spices such as cumin, ginger, coriander or herbs such as triphala
• Sweating (saunas & exercise)
• Meditation & yoga
• Restful sleep
• Abhyanga massage

Spring is the perfect time for detox though timings can be fine tuned for your constitution. Kapha types respond well to cleanses in early spring whereas Vata types respond better to cleanses in the later spring when the weather has warmed up or in the fall. When blood cleansing is needed for Pitta types, late summer is the ideal to detox excess Pitta in the blood before fall.

There is a lot of hype about detox these days.  How often to do you hear your friends talking about doing a detox or detoxing to lose weight? How often do you see ads of products for "liver detox"?  In spring, (or after holidays of indulgent eating) many people go to the health food store to pick up "detox kits".  Though these kits contain herbs & products that may contain herbs that detoxify the liver and other organs, you want to make sure you are doing the right kind of detox that you need. A liver detox in someone who has constipation will not be as effective as the toxins are not being eliminated properly.  A detox with laxatives could aggravate you if you have a sensitive digestive tract. If you are on medications, liver detoxification using herbs could impact the dose and effectiveness therefore, a detox with food or saunas may be advised.

According to ayurveda, toxic ama must be detoxified by making changes to our diet, lifestyle and supporting our channels of elimination (sweat, urination & defecation). The amount of ama increases as agni decreases.  Agni is a concept in Ayurveda which literally means "fire" and can be considered as the vitality of the body. When agni is balanced, am can easily be eliminated. When doing detoxifying, balancing the agni is central to detoxification according to ayurveda. Everyone has a different balance of am and agni, so determining what kind of detoxification for you with a qualified health practitioner is crucial for a healthy body & mind.

Tomorrow morning, as soon as you wake up, stick out your tongue in the mirror and observe. Notice if there is a coating at the back of the tongue - it may be grey, white or yellowish.  If you have that coating regularly, then you have am in your system, and it might be a time for a detox this spring!

If you have health concerns or would like to learn about what detoxification is suitable, you can book a consultation with Dr. Leena Athparia, ND or contact Naturopathic Foundations at 905-940-2727 (Markham) or Yuri's Village at 416-466-5773 (Danforth).  A complimentary 15 min meet n greet is available to learn more how Naturopathy and Ayurveda can help you.