In each season, nature offers us foods to help balance the qualities of the season that might throw us off balance.  For example Kapha season (Spring) is characterized by it's heavy, wet, cold and sluggish nature.  One of the things we might experience is sluggish or sticky bowel movements, but nature provides us with a perfect remedy in the form of rhubarb.  Rhubarb is light and dry with a bitter, astringent and pungent taste to counteract the heavy, wet tendencies of Kapha season.  Because it has a cooling effect on the body it's good to combine it with warming spices such as fennel, cinnamon, ginger or cardamom.  

How do you like to eat rhubarb?  I can think of several ways and you'll find lots of recipes for these on Google:  stewed rhubarb, baked rhubarb strawberry crumble, rhubarb berry muffins, rhubarb jam, strawberry rhubarb pie, rhubarb coffee cake, and rhubarb syrup.  Eat rhubarb and your root chakra will thank you :) 

​Rhubarb will be featured in my upcoming Ayurvedic Spring Green Cleanse in April where you can join others in a challenge to include as much green food as you can eat to help cleanse and balance your body and mind during Kapha season.  Don't worry, there's LOTS of green foods, and you can even modify the challenge to include just one green food at each meal.  Stay tuned for more info!  

Rhubarb is a powerful food and should be avoided by pregnant and breastfeeding women, anyone who has a tendency for gout because of it contains oxalic acid, and anyone experiencing general sense of debility or with any bowel obstruction because of it's purgative effect.  Rhubarb should be eaten in moderation by anyone experiencing dry constipation or strong anxiety.  In these latter cases add some butter or ghee to your rhubarb dishes to counteract these effects.  

​#ayurvedicgreencleanse 

This delicious buttermilk drink helps lift the heavy mood after the long winter because it's light and refreshing.  It also enhances the digestive strength and feeds the healthy gut bacteria.  

Ingredients (Serves 1):

• 1/4 cup plain organic yogurt* (or homemade)
• 3/4 cup COLD water
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
• pinch of good quality salt
• *Try to find a yogurt that doesn't have milk solids or milk protein in it because these can be hard to digest. 

Directions:

1. In a blender, blend the plain yogurt on low by itself for three minutes.  
2. Add cold water and blend again on low three to five minutes, stopping several times to collect and remove any fatty foam that rises to the top.  Repeat blending and removing foam until yogurt appears watery but cloudy. 
3. Pour into glass, add the spices and salt.  Whisk gently to mix evenly.
4. Serve at room temperature.  (Cold drink weaken the digestive strength.)

Drink and enjoy!  This buttermilk can be served with a meal to help digestion, or drink as a refreshing snack between meals.
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Tips like this will be part of my Ayurvedic Green Cleanse, coming April 2018.  It's an amazing spring cleanse focusing on green foods (and there's LOTS of them!) and other health promoting foods and drinks.  It's NOT a raw food cleanse.  Instead there's lots of cooked foods designed to lighten your weight and emotions and to remove toxins, yet feel satisfied and full at the same time.  The Green Cleanse can also be modified so only half your plate is green along with your regular food.  And even if all you can do is have one green thing on your plate at each meal that's perfectly acceptable too!  Participate according to your own level.  Stay tuned for further announcements about my  Ayurvedic Green Cleanse!