Almonds, Dates and Saffron….an Ojas combination..!

I'm a morning person, I just can't help waking early and while I'm happy to get

up and do my Yoga practice and mediation etc, what I really look forward to

my breakfast ! Possibly my most favourite meal of the day !

Yup! I'm thinking about it when i should be focusing on which leg did i step

back with during Sun Salutaion.

During mediation I find myself thinking about those succulant almonds

I soaked last night and have I got time to peel the skins and oh those

juicy Madjool dates.....

Because there's the almond milk to make first for my porridge

before I can do anything else!

I didn't like the salty stodge I had when i was a kid, it was truly revolting,

and even squishing it down the sink wasn't enough to get rid of this gloopy

gloop !! So now that I make my own almond milk, this traditional oaty fair

has been transformed into a delightful and tasty breakfast!

My friends tell me they just don't have the time to make fresh almond

milk and is it really worth all this effort?

Plumped up almonds whizzed up in the blender, turned into a lucious ,

creamy frothy milk...?

oh yeah, most definitely worth taking the time to do and it's so easy and delicious!

Add to this, juicy succulent dates and you're onto something very

special..

Adding a pinch of saffron also to this creamy Ojas boosting drink gives

it an extra special essence, as safforn is well known for its health giving

properties and is one of the most highly prized spices known for its color,

flavor and medicinal properties.

This exotic spice has long been used in traditional medicine around the

world,and modern scientific study suggests that saffron could also have a

role to play in fighting disease and preventing tumours as well as loss of

vision.

The active constituents in saffron could also help alleviate gastric problems,

heart disease, premenstrual syndrome, insulin resistance, depression,

anxiety and insomnia.

Additionally, it is also rich in many vital vitamins, including vitamin A,

folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin-C that is essential for optimum health.

Saffron , almonds and dates in combination are just about the tastiest

and most nourishing ways of building Ojas, which in Ayurveda is one of

the vital essences that promote and sustain physical vitality, mental clarity,

and overall health.

So, where was I before I got side tracked by the wonderful goodness of

Saffron ? ...oh yes, my creamy, lucious , almond elixir...

When I'm done blending the milk, I like to decant most of this creamy

milk into a bottle ( it will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days but it's so

delcious I've usually drunk it by then ! ) and keep back the rest

to be either used for porridge or to make a yummy shake.

If making a shake, then i recommend you add one bit fat juicy Madjool date...

( or a Mee - joolie as I like to call them...yes I know Ali G ...but once heard

never forgotten ! )

Sprinkle in a pinch of saffron, cardomon and cinnomon and you have

a divine shake!! I can't think of a better way to start your day !

A word about Madjools ...

Known as the king of dates, Medjools contain more potassium than bananas

a mineral known to keep you invigorated with energy. Potassium also assists in balancing

body pH, maintaining intercellular fluid balance as well as blood sugar regulation, combined with the magnesium they also contain, they both ward off cardiovascular attacks such as coronary heart disease.

Great for controlling sugar craving, their high fibre content leaves you feeling full for longer

as well as aiding your digestive system, thus helping to reduce the build up of plaques mostly associated with development of arteriosclerosis.

Useful for irritable bowel and other digestiive disorders, they aid in water absorption,

adding bulk to stools and preventing constipation.

With 18 percent of the recommended daily allowance of copper, medjool dates are useful

in the body for absorption of iron, formation of collagen, red blood cells formation, healthy nervous system as well as energy generation. High in anti-oxidants, Medjool dates play an important role in ridding the body of bad fats as well as reducing the risk of cancers,

with anti - oxidant Manganese, which serves as aco-factor for a compound known as superoxide dismutase.

This anti-oxidant is useful in the body for destroying free radicals which are damaging to

cells. The other anti-oxidant, phenols, aids in lowering high levels blood triglycerides.

So, indulge yourself....!

I sometimes like to add a spoonful of hemp powder if i'm feeling in need of

a boostof energy or pea protein powder, and to make it really indulgent, a

spoonful of raw cacao ....mmmm.......heavenly !!

I'd been doing this for a while when i thought to add all of this delightful

drink to my porridge, making it even more nutritious and packed with

energy inducing properties also, although I don't add the protein powders

as you don't really need to as the oats are energy potent enough.

Swirl some date or maple syrup on top and there you have it, the most divine