Golden Moon Milk
There is no need to be fearful of food. That being said, food intolerances/allergies often come from a lack of understanding and awareness concerning how to eat, cook, and prepare certain foods. Dairy is a big one! This can be attributed to the fact that dairy in our modern culture is often mixed with eggs, tomatoes/nightshades, beans, meat, and fruit, eaten cold and aged far too long that the salt content increases pitta creating way too much heat in the body.
I can promise you that you will not be sensitive to dairy if follow the Ayurvedic guidelines and principles. Also, it is important to note that not all dairy digests the same way. Cheese, milk, and yogurt have very different qualities and affect our body and digestion in different ways as a result.
Here’s a breakdown for you:
Dairy
Most dairy is sweet, cool and heavy. Some dairy is sour and warming, such as buttermilk and yogurt. Cheese is sour and cooling. In moderation, dairy is balancing for all doshas and in excess it clogs the srotamsi. It can increases mucus so if excess kapha is present it should be minimized. Sweet dairy is especially balancing for vata and pitta, and sour dairy should be used in moderation if pitta is in excess.
Dairy is sattvic, nurturing and nourishing. It builds the dhatus, especially rasa, meda and shukra, increases ojas and calms the mind and nerves. Have dairy in small quantities, at room temperature or warm. Raw dairy is much easier to digest than processed. Pasteurized dairy is rajas leaning toward tamas.
Butter is congestive and not recommended. Added salt increases its heavy, congestive nature.
Buttermilk, takra in Sanskrit, is sour, sweet and astringent with sour vipaka. Some say the vipaka is sweet. It has warming virya. Freshly made buttermilk from raw milk contains bacteria similar to the human digestive tract. It enhances digestion and absorption, has a diuretic quality, reduces constipation and promotes immunity by replenishing intestinal flora better than a commercial probiotic. Small amounts, such as ½ cup per serving, are recommended at room temperature.
Cheese is sweet and astringent with sweet vipaka. It is heavy and cooling. It comes in a variety of forms and too much of any type causes constipation. With any cheese, it is important that it is from an organic source and in its whole form, meaning without reduced fat content. Salty cheese aggravates pitta. Aged cheese is mold and not recommended as it can upset the natural balance of intestinal flora. Most commercial cheese is rajasic and made with rennet from cow’s intestines. It is best to know your source and ingredients, or better yet, make your own fresh paneer from whole milk. Paneer is the easiest cheese to digest. Cream cheese has milder properties in general and is also easy to digest. Cottage cheese is sweet and cooling and when fresh is easy to digest. Goat cheese is astringent and will aggravate vata in excess.
Ghee is sweet, cooling and tridoshic. It soothes the nerve synapses so that nerve firing is smooth.
Kefir is sour and warming. It is sourer than buttermilk and yogurt and can easily take pitta to excess. It is lighter than yogurt but heavier than buttermilk. It improves digestion and absorption and increases appetite.
Milk is sweet and cooling. It is heavy and highly sattvic when fresh. It should only be consumed in whole form, meaning without reduced fat content, as the processing causes it to lose its dwanda. It is nourishing and building for ojas and the brain, nerves and dhatus. It is calming, supports elimination, strengthens the mind and memory and increases contentment.
Milk may be boiled first for easier digestion. Use raw, organic milk whenever possible.
Goat’s milk is astringent and warming and will aggravate vata and pitta in excess.
Sour cream is sweet and sour with sour vipaka. It is warming, stimulating and in excess causes acidity.
Yogurt is sweet and sour with sour vipaka. It is warming. When made fresh, it contains bacteria similar to the human digestive tract. It should be consumed in small amounts, ½cup per serving, at room temperature.
Try this beautiful Golden Moon Milk recipe:
Add small amounts of these to one cup of milk
1 Chopped date***
1 Chopped almond***
Saffron (1/2 tsp)
Ghee (1–2 tsp)
Cardamom (1/8 tsp)
Add 1/8tsp turmeric or a combination of turmeric and black pepper (16 parts: 1 part)
Optional: Once the milk, herbs, foods, and spices are cooked and off the flame, add 1 tsp of raw honey.
***Dates and almonds are exceptions & can be combined with milk without disturbance. See the food combination list here.
Also, be sure to peel the skins off the almonds (blanch in hot water for 1 minute for easy removal). The skin is hard to digest and weakens agni.
Drink one cup of Golden Moon Milk each night for three months to rebuild ojas levels to support sleep, immunity, and overall well-being. This may be the yummiest, most nourishing drink you will ever have!
