The Skinny on Salt

In the world of condiments, salt is an important player. Salty taste heats the body due to the presence of fire element in its composition, important in cold weather.

Salt’s hydrating effect also calms the nervous system by softening and relaxing the body. Not all salt is created equal, however. Table salt is demineralized, removing its therapeutic effects. Sea salt has large molecules that are hard to digest, while pink salt has smaller molecules and bio-available minerals.

Ayurveda has long favored pink salt, and it's all I use in my cooking. Its modern trade name is Himalayan Pink Salt and it's easy to find. Enjoy it!

What’s the deal with a winter detox?

So, we know about Ayurveda and cleansing at the juncture of seasons. Why in mid-winter???

I find climate to be an environmental factor as well as a cultural factor. Culturally, many have undergone a few weeks of holiday enjoying of heavy foods, combining foods in complicated ways, and lots of sweets! While we have discussed in this space tricks for maintaining moderation, this time can mark a beginning of ama. The program I’ve developed for the New Year’s Detox is shorter and more targeted than my seasonal cleansing programs.  It is about processing holiday ama- before it gets a foothold.

“Abhyanga should be resorted to daily, it wards off old age” -Ashtanga Hridayam

As the fall moves into winter, oil massage is such a gem of a practice. There are however, a few things to note about the timing. The texts recommend oiling of the ears and feet as most important. In the event you aren’t making a self-massage happen very often, keep sesame oil by your bed and massage a Tbsp into the crown of the head and the soles of the feet nightly. Wear a light pair of socks to bed to protect your sheets.

Between meals is the time to digest.

Through experience, I have noticed the importance of spacing it out. Eating even a bite, or something healthy like a fruit, between big meals causes indigestion. Try these three tips through your holiday season and tell me how its working!

My favorite: White Christmas (as mentioned in The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook, where Bing says “grab the cow”). Yours?

HOLIDAY RECIPE ALERT. These Spiced Date-Nut Balls are a fun cookie alternative.

No sugar, no flour, digestive spices and healthful seeds. You can actually build a snowman out of this dough. ☃️

1/ 3 cup almonds

1/ 3 cup walnuts

1/ 3 pumpkin or sunflower seeds

10 dates, pitted (sub in some dried cranberries and apricots to feel festive!)

1/ 4 tsp cardamom, cinnamon

Few drops of orange oil, or 1/ 4 tsp orange zest

Food process to a paste.  Fridge it one hour.  Form into bite size balls and display on a tray.  You can roll these in coconut, hemp seed, or cocoa powder.  Get the kids involved, making balls, logs, snowmen- you can roll it out on wax paper and use small cookie cutters as well, pressing any of the above into the tops.

These tips are hard won!

I have long been a lover of celebration and have experimented and over-indulged enough to know when to draw the line! These tips are my non-negotiables for digesting big meals.

New recipe developed for Farmtrue ghee!

Check out my Butternut Tikka Masala recipe! This is different from my usual recipe, it’s a holiday special. Requires a little more effort, contains onion and lots of tomato, and has a real North Indian flavor. I think you will not regret taking the time to roast some butternut and combine it with homemade Tikka Masala and Farmtrue’s versatile Superfuel Latte mix!

Superfuel Butternut Tikka Masala

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 roasting, 25 stovetop

Total Time: [1] 1 hour 20 min

Serves: 6 servings

With chunks of butternut squash and creamy coconut milk, this Superfuel Butternut Tikka Masala showcases Ayurveda’s building tastes: sweet, sour, and salty.  The big news about this wintery tomato-based stew is the secret ingredient. Farmtrue’s Superfuel Latte Mix loads this dish with medicinal herbs and spices, making it not only satisfying and delicious but rejuvenating as well.

For roasting the Squash:

4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1“ cubes (about one small/medium squash)

2 tbsp Farmtrue traditional ghee, melted

1 1/2 tsp garam masala spice

1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Butternut Tikka Masala Ingredients:

1/4 peeled and chopped ginger root

1 serrano chili, halved and seeded

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp Farmtrue Superfuel Latte Mix

2 tbsp Farmtrue Traditional Ghee

1 medium onion, chopped

8 roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt

3/4 c canned coconut milk

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well

3 large handfuls of baby spinach

To roast the squash:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.

2. Toss the squash with melted ghee, spices, and salt.

3. Transfer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 25 minutes, until tender.

4. Broil for 2-3 minutes to brown the squash cubes.

To prepare the Tikka Masala:

1. Use a small food processor to combine the ginger, chili, Superfuel Latte Mix, and tomato paste to make the masala paste—process to a paste. If your processor is too big for the job, dice everything up small and stir to combine. The sauce will be blended later.

2. In a heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven, warm the ghee over medium-high heat.

3. Saute the onion for 2-3 minutes until it begins to brown.

4. Turn heat down to medium, add the Tikka Masala and saute, mixing well, until the spice mixture begins to brown, about 2 minutes.

5. Add the tomatoes and salt. Bring to a simmer for 20 minutes on medium-low heat.

6. Using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until smooth.

7. Stir in the chickpeas, spinach, and coconut milk.

8. Gently stir in the squash cubes.

9. Return to a simmer for 5 minutes.

10. Serve over basmati rice or with Farmtrue Stove-Top Naan Bread.

At Farmtrue, everything we do stays true to our unwavering commitment to being more connected – to ourselves, each other, and the land. Co-founders Lynn Goodwin and Kim Welch are working to modernize Ayurvedic self-care for optimal sleep, digestion, and energy: the three governing pillars of health. They produce the most honest and simple products to help honor the true you by thinking seasonally and living mindfully. It’s a sincere conviction rooted in sustainability and the ancient philosophy of Ayurveda that inspires them to eat, live, and act with more care.
Visit their website at Farmtrue.com and @Farmtrue.

🐜!!! While we tend to overdo it, and sugar has made a lot of problems for modern bodies, it isn't all bad.

Sweet taste, which is present in root veggies, grains, and fruits, is the primary building taste which nourishes the body. In balance with the lighter tastes, sweet provides fuel and building blocks for the tissues.

I love to bring my own favorites when I’m not hosting.

Kale salad, a thermos of hot tea, rice crackers instead of the oily wheaty ones, chevre instead of cow cheese. This doesn't mean I don’t eat some of the other stuff too, but I’ve got my mainstays and can enjoy smaller amounts of the other treats which may be hard for me to digest. What do you bring???