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! 

Each Ayurvedic body type (dosha) has their particular strengths and weaknesses.  Also, because health begins in the digestive tract, you also want to know what imbalances exist in your digestive system. For example you might be a Vata body type but have a Kapha-type digestive imbalance.  That can all be determined through detailed questionnaires included with my Ayurvedic Food Lifestyle Program.  Here I will give you a little taste of each body type (dosha), their digestive challenges and some basic steps to take to alleviate problems. 

Vata's body type is generally light, thin, and sensitive.  Inside, the intestinal skin (i.e. the lining of the intestinal tract) can also be sensitive.  Vata-type digestion regularly involves indigestion, constipation, gas and bloating.  The appetite can vary in strength during any given day and they can lose their appetite easily.  The dry and cold qualities of vata can lead to enzyme deficiency, along with poor nutrient absorption and sometimes undigested food in the stool.  Other people wonder how a vata person can eat so much and not gain weight.  It's because their body sometimes isn't able to extract enough nourishment.   Vata types should always take time to relax and eat with a stress free mind to aid digestion.  Also it's important to eat foods that are warm, moist and oily to counteract the cold, dry nature of their constitution. 

Pitta's body type is strong with medium build and a fiery or passionate temperament.  Pitta-type digestion is hot and strong, with strong appetite and hunger pains.  No problem with low stomach acid here!  In fact there can be a tendency towards hyperacidity and burning sensation in the stomach.  Food can often be digested too quickly so there can be a tendency to have loose stool.  Because of the strong digestive fire, food might move through too quickly.  Pitta-type digestion can handle foods that are more difficult to digest, such as raw foods.   Pitta types need to slow down to eat and take time to chew their food well to calm their overactive digestive system, eat lots of cooling green foods and avoid hot spices. 

Kapha's body type is heavy and dense and digestion tends to be slow and boggy.  The heavy, oily nature of Kapha-type digestion can create excess mucus in the stomach.  This mucous coats the food and interferes with enzyme production and so the digestion slows down.  The stomach acid can also be low, leading to fermentation in the stomach and acid reflux.  There might be an urge to burp but it's difficult to release the gas because of the mucous.  There is a tendency to have sludgy bile and even gallstones and weight gain because of the heavy, static nature of kapha.  The stool could also be thick and sticky or you might notice oil sitting on the water in the toilet after a bowel movement.  There could be a type of constipation caused by lack of peristalsis where the colon doesn't contract well to move the poop along.  Kapha types need to eat warm and light non-oily foods with lots of stimulating spices to counteract the cold and dense constitution. 

Learn more with my free Ayurvedic Tips for Better Digestion .  Click the highlighted link to get your copy.