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
porridge ever and nothing like the stodge I was raised on !
Namaste ....
