Hour 66 Ayurveda – Food Staples II

Milk and Ghee

Properties and Benefits of Cow Milk

1. Taste & Effect:
   • Sweet taste and sweet Vipaka (post-digestive effect).
   • Heavy, slow, unctuous, cold in nature.
   • Cold potency: Calms the mind and provides pleasantness to the senses.
2. Health Benefits:
   • Nourishes the body, dhatus, and ojas, promoting mental clarity, intellect, memory, and wisdom.
   • Acts as a natural aphrodisiac and supports easy movement of the intestines.
   • Helps with excretory functions and improves lactation.
   • Restores energy and relieves fatigue, dizziness, excess thirst, and hunger.
   • An instant rejuvenator, especially for lean and debilitated individuals.
3. Effects on Doshas:
   • Increases Kapha dosha.
   • Best for pacifying Pitta and Vata doshas.
   • Helpful in treating conditions like bleeding disorders, ulcers, heavy menstrual bleeding, and urinary tract diseases.

Properties and Benefits of Buffalo Milk

1. Characteristics:
   • Heavier than cow milk and has more cooling properties.
   • Requires a strong digestive fire (Ati Agni) for proper digestion.
2. Health Benefits:
   • Especially beneficial for Pitta-related disorders.
   • Recommended during the summer season as part of Ritucharya (seasonal regimen).
   • Combining buffalo milk with rock sugar helps to cool the body and provide nourishment.
3. Considerations:
   • Suitable only for those with strong digestive power.
   • Should be consumed with caution for those with weak Agni.

How to Use Milk :

1. Medicinal Milk for Heat-Related Issues:
   • 50 ml of cow milk with 200 ml of water, boil with 5 grams each of Khus Khus root, Red Sandalwood, and Dried Coriander Seeds for 10-15 minutes, filter, and consume.
   • Helps with issues like excess heat, loss of sleep, anxiety, and ulcers.
2. Sleep-Inducing Milk:
   • Warm milk with a pinch of turmeric and cardamom.
   • Induces good sleep.
3. Milk for Growth and Strength (for Kids):
   • 100 ml of milk boiled with 10 grams of Ashwagandha root.
   • Improves growth, metabolism, strength, energy, memory, and intellect.
4. Best Time for Milk Consumption:
   • Ideal to consume half an hour before sleep.
   • Adding a pinch of turmeric helps prevent cough issues.
   • Avoid milk if allergic to it, or if there are Kapha problems, indigestion, or obesity.

Properties and Benefits of Cow Ghee:

1. Characteristics:
   • Sweet taste and sweet Vipaka (post-digestive effect) with warming potency.
   • Provides vitality and increases body strength and endurance.
   • Increases Agni (digestive fire), in contrast to milk, which decreases it.
   • Highly Sattvic: Promotes longevity, mental clarity, and physical resilience.
   • Soft, oily, and synergistic, benefiting the body’s tissues and overall nourishment.
2. Health Benefits:
   • Balances all three doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha).
   • Promotes longevity, intellect, memory, and enhances skin clarity.
   • Delays aging and promotes ojas (vital energy).
   • Improves digestion, has anti-toxic effects, and promotes overall health.
3. How to Use Ghee in Daily Life:
   • Add 1 teaspoon of melted cow ghee to food to promote Agni, digestion, ease intestinal movement, prevent constipation, dryness, and nourish dhatus (tissues).
   • For lack of appetite, take ½ teaspoon of ghee with 1-inch crushed ginger and a pinch of rock salt.
   • Use externally for mouth ulcers, wounds, and skin dryness like cracks and chapped lips.
4. Precautions:
   • Avoid ghee in conditions like jaundice, hepatitis, fatty liver, and excess ghee consumption can cause indigestion or diarrhea.
   • Avoid ghee in cases of cold, cough, or indigestion.
   • In case of excessive ghee consumption, a warm drink or a cup of fat-less buttermilk can help.
5. General Guidelines:
   • Small quantities of ghee are medicinal for all, but excess can lead to health issues.

Process to Prepare Ghee at home (Traditional Bilona Method)

1. Boiling the Milk:
   • Begin with fresh cow milk. Boil it thoroughly to ensure it is clean and safe. Let it cool to room temperature.
2. Preparing Curd (Dadhi):
   • Add a small amount of curd (starter) to the cooled milk and mix well.
   • Allow it to ferment undisturbed in a warm place for 6–8 hours or until the curd is fully set.
3. Churning the Curd to Extract Butter (Navaneeta):
   • Once the curd is ready, churn it using a whisk or traditional wooden churner (Mathani). Add a small amount of water to ease the process.
   • During churning, butter separates from the buttermilk (Takra). Collect the butter and transfer it to a clean container.
4. Storing Butter for Ghee Preparation:
   • The collected butter can be stored in a clean vessel and kept in the refrigerator daily until you have accumulated a sufficient quantity.
   • Once a considerable amount of butter is gathered, proceed to prepare the ghee.
5. Heating the Butter to Make Ghee:
   • Place the butter in a heavy-bottomed vessel and heat it on a low flame.
   • As the butter melts, water content will evaporate, and a frothy layer will form.
   • Continue heating until the froth subsides, and the liquid turns clear with golden residues settling at the bottom. This is the ghee.
6. Straining the Ghee:
   • Remove the vessel from heat and allow the ghee to cool slightly.
   • Strain the ghee using a clean muslin cloth or fine sieve to remove any solid residues.
7. Storing the Ghee:
   • Store the ghee in a clean, airtight container made of glass or stainless steel. Keep it in a cool, dry place for long-term use.

Conclusion

Milk and ghee, particularly from cows, hold a revered position in Ayurveda due to their nourishing and therapeutic properties. Milk, with its sweet taste and cooling nature, serves as an excellent rejuvenator, supporting overall health, promoting mental clarity, and pacifying Vata and Pitta doshas. It is versatile in its usage, offering benefits ranging from enhancing digestion to aiding in sleep and energy restoration. On the other hand, cow ghee, with its warming potency and Sattvic quality, acts as a powerful balancer of all three doshas. It strengthens the digestive fire, supports tissue nourishment, and enhances vitality and longevity. Properly prepared and consumed as per the Agni (digestive power of the individual), both milk and ghee contribute significantly to holistic health and well-being, embodying the essence of Ayurveda’s approach to balanced living.