When our digestive fire (Agni) is burning well our body gets the most nourishment from what we eat and drink. Like a campfire, early in the morning our Agni may just be coals or embers. If we want to rebuild our fire for the new day, we start with some dry grasses and light kindling before putting heavy logs on the flames. Similarly, when we wake up in the morning our Agni may be diminished and slow, so we want to tend that fire and build it back up before putting a heavy meal into our belly.
Here are a couple of tea recipes that are perfect for stoking our digestive fire before meals.
Spicy Ginger Tea:
- a quart of water
- a pinch of Cayenne pepper
- two handfuls of grated fresh ginger
- two teaspoons of sweetener, like, sucanat, jaggery or other sweetener
- one teaspoon of rock salt
Boil all of the above together for 20 minutes. Take the tea off the heat and add the juice of half of a lime (do not boil the lime juice).
Sip throughout the day!
Yummy Agni Tea:
- One part coriander seeds
- One part fennel seeds
- One part cumin seeds
Combine the ingredients in a jar and stir everything together. Put about 1/2 teaspoon of the seeds per cup of water in a pot or kettle. Bring to a boil then simmer for 4-5 minutes. Sip away!
Feel free to adjust the ratio to suit your taste.
