It’s common for friends and acquaintences to reach out and ask me for cookie recipes, favorite cake recipes, recipes for what to serve at their next dinner party or how to use up the bumper crop of apples in their backyard.
But this past month, I’ve received more requests for how to cure colds than any thing else. And, when the requests have come knocking – this tea is what I suggest. No surprise, everything you need to kick that cold and heal is already in your pantry.
Kayasham is a generic term for a modality of medicine in Ayurveda; not quite a tea, a kayasham is a decoction made by boiling herbs and spices in water, then consuming the infused water. This particular kayasham is very powerful – not something you want to drink leisurely to relax yourself like many of the “cold remedy” teas you’ll find on the grocery store shelf. This recipe will draw on all of the most beautiful, super-spices in your pantry.
If you’ve heard me speak about the power of the Six Tastes, you’ll know that our bodies are nourished by foods – not just for their macro- and micro-nutrient compounds, but for their subtle bioenergies revealed in the flavors we taste. Each of the spices in this tea contains one of the Six Flavors, and each of these spices has a thermogenic impact on the body, meaning it increases the heat. This is very helpful when you’re trying to ward out bacterial and viral invaders, and clear congestion. Sipping this warm kayasham – which warms in every way – is what’s going to kick your cold to the curb. (Without side effects, medicine head or a cold-syrup hangover!)
My best recommendation is to make yourself a big batch at the onset of your cold, keep it in a thermos – with you at all times – and sip a few ounces every 30 minutes. This tea is quite strong, and I like to double-down on the cold-busting power by also making Turmeric-Honey which is a miracle for sucking up snot and congestion as well.
Don’t forget to strain the decoction well as it’s not very pleasant to drink spice sludge, and don’t forget to REST!
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