Are your hot drinks affecting your gut?
How many hot drinks do you consume a day and what are they?
Us Brits can get through a shocking amount of tea and coffee and with a nation now largely working from home, through boredom, convenience and to stop snacking this has probably increased dramatically. Often though, this consistent drinking is having an effect on our digestive fire and mixing messages in our body making it difficult to recognise true thirst and hunger.
This directly implicates how we digest our food.
We should be leaving at least a 1 hr gap before eating after we drink, as our digestive fire can be dampened if consuming fluids before our meals. A weakened digestive fire can cause bloating, gas, a build up of Ama (toxins) as food isn’t broken down and assimilated properly, it also requires far more energy so we can experience energy slumps and fatigue.
A weakened or impaired digestive fire is the root of all disorder so it so important to address these habits.
It also really depends on what drinks you are consuming.
Vata: non caffeinated drinks, warming, grounding, calming, nourising
Recommended Herbal Teas: Camomile, lavender, ginger, lemongrass, liquorice, Chai, fennel, Golden Milk - Find the recipe here, Nutmeg Nighttime Tea - Find the recipe here
Pitta: cooling, soothing, pacifying,
Recommended Herbal Teas: hibiscus, rose, camomile, fennel, liquorice, dandelion, nettle
Kapha: invigorating, heating, stimulating, clarifying
Recommended Herbal Teas: CCF tea (Cumin, Coriander, Fennel), ginger, lemongrass, Chai, Turmeric + Black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, Matcha, black coffee
How are your drinks making you feel? Have you ever thought about it? Why not take a moment the next time you make your brew, to sit, enjoy and observe.
Let me know what you find!
