Piscine, is a swimming pool in French. Come summer, the word takes on a whole new meaning and friends begin to talk about meeting up for a Piscine - a glass of rosé with ice cubes in it.
As the temperature goes up, ice cubes make their way into our water, orange juice, coffee and even wine!
Here is why ice in our drinks as a habit could be damaging to our health in the long term…
Jatharagni in Ayurveda is a concept that can be loosely translated as a function of our body that enables digestion, absorption and conversion of food into energy. This is a transformative force in our body!
A nurtured and balanced Jatharagni is at the root of sound health and nothing messes it up like ice cold drinks.
Think of the Jatharagni like a steady candle flame. Now think what pouring a glass of ice cold water will do to this flame! Lack of appetite, bloating, fatigue, lethargy, weight gain… are some common symptoms of a weak Jatharagni.
So what are some ways in which we may ditch the ice cubes but stay hydrated and cool off in summer?
Here are five low effort drinks which will bring your body temperature down, nurture your Jatharagni and are a lot more fun for your taste buds than ice cold water.
Takra, a cooling probiotic drink:
Mix 1/4 cup yogurt (milk or plant based) with 3/4 cup water. Blend for a minute. The fat will rise to the top and look foamy. Spoon out the foam.
For some natural sweetness and cooling you may add a generous pinch of cardamom powder, rose water or mint leaves.
Image by Mario Raj on Unsplash.
Mint and lemon juice:
To a glass of water, add one table spoon of mint leaves, a teaspoon of lemon juice, a pinch of rock salt and sugar. Blend and strain before you drink.
Pomegranate juice:
Pick a sweet deep red pomegranate. Cut the top crown and make 4-5 vertical slits to open up the fruit and separate the seeds. For two cups of seeds, add one cup of water.
Blend and strain the pulp. Add a pinch of salt, fresh mint to taste and you are good to go.
Tender coconut water and sugarcane juice are great options too if locally available to you.
These are best had at or just a little under room temperature. Drinks are best a upto 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after a meal, so that your digestion is un interfered with.
Now, I do enjoy a good Piscine with friends once in a while! When I do, it is a treat. It is a choice made from a place of awareness and experience of how my body and mind respond to the choices I make.
Do you have a favourite summer treat?
Until next week, stay hydrated!
Love,
Gayatri
Wellbeing is a balancing act between how you eat, play, work and rest. Yoga and it’s sister science Ayurveda show us how to achieve this balance.
I am an Indian born Yoga and Holistic Health Educator. I live in Paris and work 1:1 with clients around the world.
Healthy Hedonism is me making this ancestral wisdom practical and pleasurable to you.
More about me and my work: gayatridevi.co