Skinned almonds are sattvic and build ojas. Ojas is loosely translated as nutrition. Under conditions of stress and high vata the sympathetic nervous system (flight and fight) redirects blood from the digestive tract to the brain and muscles. When the digestive tract lacks blood the ojas and nutrition of almonds is inaccessible.

In almond chai, nutmeg is a nervine that calms Vata and activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). Spices also encourage blood to stay in the digestive tract. The result is a rasayana that even Vata can digest.

Pitta and vata pacifying. Rose petals are cooling, healing pitta physically. Pitta people are delicate emotionally. Rose petals please the sense and pleasing pitta helps them spiritually and mentally.

Milk is the ultimate rasyana (rejuvenator) because it contains all the nutrients needed for growth and development of a baby. Unfortunately for most, however, cow's milk is also difficult to digest.

Milk causes gas in vata individuals with weak agni (digestion) and mucous for kapha. Gold milk, on the other hand, is readily absorb-able by vata and actually destroys mucous in kapha.

Here's how: Cinnamon and cardamom stimulate digestive fluids and break up stomach mucous making the milk easy to digest. Once digested, nutrient dense milk has a tendency to cool, congeal and clog the blood. When circulation stagnates the lungs, sinuses and all empty cavities fill up with fluids especially mucous. This kind of mucous lodges deep in the lungs and can be very difficult for kapha individuals to expectorate.

Turmeric heats and thins the blood and honey liquefies mucous. Thin blood circulates freely making the whole body warm blooded for colder winter months!

Lastly, cooked milk breaks up difficult to digest molecules. While raw food experts say raw milk contains helpful digestive enzymes Ayurveda recommends cooking all milk before eating. There is no right answer. Try both and find out what your body prefers!