College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

 

AYURVEDIC RECIPES

Virgin Hot Toddy


How to Make Virgin Hot Toddy

INGREDIENTS


SKILL LEVEL: EASY
2 tsp
1/2 inch
1/2 tsp
1/2 whole
1/3 whole
2 pinch
2 pinch

PREPARATION OF THIS HEALTHY RECIPE

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add sliced ginger, one cinnamon stick, 5-8 whole cloves, and 2 whole anise stars. Reduce heat and simmer your spices for 5 minutes.

2. Remove from heat. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon, and 1/3 of a small orange into your brew. Pour into mugs and add honey to taste.

3. Enjoy!

How Does This Ayurvedic Recipe Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Sweet, spicy, and piping hot, a Virgin Hot Toddy warms up your belly and brings a smile to your face on a cool, soggy day. Modeled after the classic hot toddy, the Virgin Hot Toddy uses lemon and orange and leaves the bourbon on the shelf. Whether you are fighting off a late winter cold or the gloomy sky blues, warming your hands around a steaming mug of this tried and true recipe is sure to cure what ails you.

Rich cinnamon, clove, and anise offer depth of flavor and healing properties - they all boost your immune system and improve digestion. Ginger improves circulation, warming up icy fingers and toes, while relieving muscle pain and burning toxins. On the mend? This will fix you right up. In the mood for a hot, sweet cup of something? A Virgin Hot Toddy will do just fine.

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.

Is Virgin Hot Toddy Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Virgin Hot Toddy' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.

Metabolic Nature of Virgin Hot Toddy

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

METABOLIC NATURE

Metabolic Nature

Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating them weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which biocharacteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct metabolic imbalances before you get sick. Every biocharacteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite biocharacteristic.

Find Out More

HOT

ABOUT HOT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Hot is identified by increased body temperature, metabolism, or inflammation.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOT

EASY

ABOUT EASY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY

LIGHT

ABOUT LIGHT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Lightness is identified by reduced weight.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LIGHT

CLEAR

ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR

MOBILE

ABOUT MOBILE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Mobile refers to anything that stimulates the nervous system, muscles, or activity.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MOBILE

DOSHAS

The Three Doshas / Body Types

Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.

Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.

Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.

Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.

The 3 metabolic body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).

Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.

Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.

Find Out More

PACIFIES
Kapha pacifying Vata pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Pitta aggravating

GREEK MEDICINE / TEMPERAMENTS

The Four Temperaments / Humors

Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia. They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature. Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.

Find Out More

PACIFIES
MELANCHOLIC

ABOUT MELANCHOLIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold and dry with a slow, variable or erratic metabolism. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant. Analytical, intelligent, detail oriented and creative. Prone to ojas depletion, dehydration, an overactive nervous system, and depression.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MELANCHOLIC

PHLEGMATIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A Phlegmatic has a cold and wet metabolic nature. The coldness implies a slow metabolism, the moisture that you are well-nourished. Phlegmatics tend towards sluggishness and thickened fluids, including mucus.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHLEGMATIC

SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A hot and oily nature with a moderate metabolism and a well nourished body makes Sanguine individuals vigorous, vivacious, outgoing and generous, and prone to impulsivity and self indulgence. Bullish and intense when out of balance.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SANGUINE

AGGRAVATES
CHOLERIC

ABOUT CHOLERIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHOLERIC

Other

Aromatic

AROMATIC

Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues.

SEE ALL 'AROMATIC' FOODS / HERBS

Outward

OUTWARD

Outward-moving substances stimulate circulation, push heat towards the skin, or are stimulating.

SEE ALL 'OUTWARD' FOODS / HERBS

Blood Plasma Lymph

BLOOD-PLASMA-LYMPH

Plasma (Rasa Dhatu) includes plasma, white blood cells, and lymph.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-PLASMA-LYMPH' FOODS / HERBS

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Virgin Hot Toddy
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

(see all)
Quenches Thirst

QUENCHES-THIRST

An herb or substance that relieves thirst.

SEE ALL 'QUENCHES-THIRST' FOODS / HERBS

,
Carminative

CARMINATIVE

Stimulates the release of gas. Helpful for bloating or cramping abdominal pain. Propels food downward. Carminatives typically expel gas by relaxing the muscles of the intestines.

SEE ALL 'CARMINATIVE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Digestive

DIGESTIVE

Herbs that encourage healthy digestion.

SEE ALL 'DIGESTIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Burns Toxins

BURNS-TOXINS

An herb that detoxifies by helping your body metabolize toxins, as opposed to eliminating them.

SEE ALL 'BURNS-TOXINS' FOODS / HERBS

,
Internal Detoxicant

INTERNAL-DETOXICANT

Liquefies, dissolves, decongests or dislodges internal stagnant toxins. Decongests the lymphatic system.

SEE ALL 'INTERNAL-DETOXICANT' FOODS / HERBS

Wakes You Up

WAKES-YOU-UP

Invigorates the body and nervous system, increases energy.

SEE ALL 'WAKES-YOU-UP' FOODS / HERBS

,
Numbs Anasthetic

NUMBS-ANASTHETIC

Inhibits sensation in a particular area.

SEE ALL 'NUMBS-ANASTHETIC' FOODS / HERBS

Stimulates Energy

STIMULATES-ENERGY

This category groups thyroid and adrenal stimulating herbs.

SEE ALL 'STIMULATES-ENERGY' FOODS / HERBS

,
Refreshing

REFRESHING

Stimulates and wakes up the body, leaving it feeling cool, fresh, and energized.

SEE ALL 'REFRESHING' FOODS / HERBS

Diaphoretic

DIAPHORETIC

An herb that induces sweating, often by dilating blood vessels close to the skin.

SEE ALL 'DIAPHORETIC' FOODS / HERBS

,
Refreshes Skin

REFRESHES-SKIN

Flushes the lymphatic system to cool, awaken, and revive the skin.

SEE ALL 'REFRESHES-SKIN' FOODS / HERBS

Soothes Throat

SOOTHES-THROAT

Soothes throat discomfort, including from a sore or ticklish throat.

SEE ALL 'SOOTHES-THROAT' FOODS / HERBS

,
Warms Chest

WARMS-CHEST

Warms the chest and lungs, clearing mucus and allowing for clear breathing. Often these herbs are hot, aromatic, and pungent.

SEE ALL 'WARMS-CHEST' FOODS / HERBS

,
Expectorant

EXPECTORANT

Expectorants help you eliminate mucus from the lungs. These herbs often work by increasing the quantity of mucus, or thinning the mucus. Expectorants are indicated when phlegm congests the lower respiratory tract.

SEE ALL 'EXPECTORANT' FOODS / HERBS

,
Decongestant

DECONGESTANT

An herb that reduces mucus production often by restricting blood flow to mucus membranes.

SEE ALL 'DECONGESTANT' FOODS / HERBS

Antimicrobial

ANTIMICROBIAL

An agent that kills microorganisms or inhibits their growth. Antimicrobial is an umbrella term that can be broken down into specific categories of target microorganism, such as anti-bacterials, fungals, and virals.

SEE ALL 'ANTIMICROBIAL' FOODS / HERBS

Cardiac Stimulant

CARDIAC-STIMULANT

Herbs that increase the heart rate. Useful in cardiovascular health, blood stagnation, and subjective feeling of heaviness in the chest area.

SEE ALL 'CARDIAC-STIMULANT' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:
Coumarin

COUMARIN

Moderately toxic, vascular tonic, hypotensive, and anti-inflammatory.

SEE ALL 'COUMARIN' FOODS / HERBS

,
Rutin

RUTIN

Rutin is a flavonoid with anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Commonly used to treat conditions such as varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and high blood pressure.

SEE ALL 'RUTIN' FOODS / HERBS

,
Aromatase Inhibitor

AROMATASE-INHIBITOR

Blocks estrogen synthesis by inhibiting conversion of progesterone and testosterone into estrogen.

SEE ALL 'AROMATASE-INHIBITOR' FOODS / HERBS

Foods with a Similar Nature to Virgin Hot Toddy

  • Cinnamon

    Cinnamon has these Actions in Common

    Antimicrobial, Carminative, Digestive, Soothes-throat, Burns-toxins, Decongestant, Expectorant, Stimulates-energy, Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Internal-detoxicant, Warms-chest

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard Powder

    Mustard Powder has these Actions in Common

    Antimicrobial, Carminative, Digestive, Stimulates-energy, Burns-toxins, Decongestant, Expectorant, Wakes-you-up, Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Internal-detoxicant, Warms-chest

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard

    Mustard has these Actions in Common

    Diaphoretic, Internal-detoxicant, Warms-chest, Antimicrobial, Carminative, Digestive, Stimulates-energy, Burns-toxins, Decongestant, Expectorant, Wakes-you-up, Cardiac-stimulant

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard Seed

    Mustard Seed has these Actions in Common

    Burns-toxins, Decongestant, Expectorant, Wakes-you-up, Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Internal-detoxicant, Warms-chest, Antimicrobial, Carminative, Digestive, Stimulates-energy

    LEARN MORE

  • Lemon

    Lemon has these Actions in Common

    Decongestant, Expectorant, Refreshes-skin, Antimicrobial, Diaphoretic, Internal-detoxicant, Refreshing, Carminative, Digestive, Quenches-thirst, Wakes-you-up

    LEARN MORE

  • Cloves

    Cloves has these Actions in Common

    Burns-toxins, Diaphoretic, Internal-detoxicant, Cardiac-stimulant, Digestive, Numbs-anasthetic, Antimicrobial, Carminative, Expectorant, Warms-chest

    LEARN MORE

  • Mint

    Mint has these Actions in Common

    Diaphoretic, Refreshes-skin, Wakes-you-up, Burns-toxins, Digestive, Refreshing, Carminative, Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-energy

    LEARN MORE

  • Allspice

    Allspice has these Actions in Common

    Stimulates-energy, Carminative, Internal-detoxicant, Warms-chest, Burns-toxins, Decongestant, Numbs-anasthetic, Cardiac-stimulant, Digestive

    LEARN MORE

  • Ginger (Fresh)

    Ginger (Fresh) has these Actions in Common

    Burns-toxins, Decongestant, Refreshing, Cardiac-stimulant, Digestive, Stimulates-energy, Carminative, Internal-detoxicant, Wakes-you-up

    LEARN MORE

  • Rosemary

    Rosemary has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Digestive, Warms-chest, Antimicrobial, Decongestant, Internal-detoxicant, Burns-toxins, Diaphoretic, Stimulates-energy

    LEARN MORE

  • Scallions (Raw)

    Scallions (Raw) has these Actions in Common

    Burns-toxins, Digestive, Wakes-you-up, Decongestant, Expectorant, Warms-chest, Diaphoretic, Internal-detoxicant

    LEARN MORE

Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Nature to Virgin Hot Toddy

  • Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi)

    Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi) has these Actions in Common

    Decongestant, Diaphoretic, Expectorant, Internal-detoxicant, Refreshing, Antimicrobial, Stimulates-energy, Burns-toxins, Warms-chest, Cardiac-stimulant

    LEARN MORE

  • Wild Ginger

    Wild Ginger has these Actions in Common

    Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-energy, Burns-toxins, Warms-chest, Cardiac-stimulant, Carminative, Diaphoretic, Digestive, Expectorant

    LEARN MORE

  • Osha

    Osha has these Actions in Common

    Warms-chest, Burns-toxins, Cardiac-stimulant, Carminative, Decongestant, Diaphoretic, Digestive, Expectorant

    LEARN MORE

  • Hyssop Powder

    Hyssop Powder has these Actions in Common

    Expectorant, Internal-detoxicant, Refreshing, Stimulates-energy, Antimicrobial, Cardiac-stimulant, Carminative, Diaphoretic

    LEARN MORE

  • Deodar (Himalayan Cedar, Devadaru)

    Deodar (Himalayan Cedar, Devadaru) has these Actions in Common

    Carminative, Decongestant, Digestive, Refreshing, Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up, Warms-chest, Cardiac-stimulant

    LEARN MORE

  • Breathing Exercises

    Breathing Exercises has these Actions in Common

    Expectorant, Internal-detoxicant, Refreshing, Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up, Cardiac-stimulant, Decongestant, Digestive

    LEARN MORE

  • Thyme White Essential Oil - 1/3 oz

    Thyme White Essential Oil - 1/3 oz has these Actions in Common

    Expectorant, Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-energy, Antimicrobial, Burns-toxins, Decongestant, Diaphoretic, Digestive

    LEARN MORE

  • Bellows Breath (Bhastrika Pranayama)

    Bellows Breath (Bhastrika Pranayama) has these Actions in Common

    Internal-detoxicant, Refreshing, Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up, Cardiac-stimulant, Decongestant, Digestive, Expectorant

    LEARN MORE

  • Breath of Fire / Shining Skull (Kapalbhati Pranayama)

    Breath of Fire / Shining Skull (Kapalbhati Pranayama) has these Actions in Common

    Internal-detoxicant, Refreshing, Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up, Cardiac-stimulant, Decongestant, Digestive, Expectorant

    LEARN MORE

  • Trikatu

    Trikatu has these Actions in Common

    Burns-toxins, Cardiac-stimulant, Carminative, Decongestant, Diaphoretic, Digestive, Internal-detoxicant

    LEARN MORE

  • Eucalyptus Essential Oil

    Eucalyptus Essential Oil has these Actions in Common

    Wakes-you-up, Warms-chest, Antimicrobial, Decongestant, Diaphoretic, Expectorant, Refreshing

    LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

View Other Healthy Recipes for Spring

This recipe is recommended for Spring. Check out these other Spring recipes here.
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About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy, & botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University. John, his wife Natalie and their 7 kids live in Asheville, NC

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