Think Christmas is all about waiting for the top button of your trousers to pop while you lounge out in a mince-pie coma, completely oblivious to day and night?
We know you’re smarter than that. So smart, in fact, that you long ago planned your wellbeing Christmas escape, leaving behind the festive hustle and bustle.
But even if a wellbeing getaway doesn’t materialise for you this winter, you can still make sure Christmas is wholesome, recharging, and enhances your wellbeing.
How? Well, as is so often the case, we look to Ayurveda for the answer. And if you can’t come to Ayurveda, then let Ayurveda come to you – with five easy steps brought to you in this two-part blog post.
Ayurvedic Christmas food with all the trimmings
An authentic Ayurvedic getaway is unlikely to include turkey. Or roast potatoes. And you can guarantee there will be few (ok, no) gingerbread houses to devour one wall at a time.
But opting for an Ayurvedic Christmas this festive season doesn’t mean shunning hearty, warming food that punishes the chill and keeps you toasty. On the contrary – well-planned Ayurvedic winter dishes will make you warm and comfortable to the core.
The gingerbread house makes way for all kinds of deliciousness at Ayurvedic Christmas time. Image © Carrie Stephens
The Life Centre’s Xenia Bolomiti advocates seasonal steamed vegetables in place of raw food, and swapping cold water for lemon and ginger tea. Try soup lunches that are at once easy to digest, yet hearty and satisfying.
A few specific dishes caught our eye – great either for an Ayurvedic Christmas dinner or throughout the holiday season. Try out Joyful Belly’s acorn squash recipe, detox dal by Food: A Love Story, and, to round things off, sweet carrot halva courtesy of Ayurvedic Yogi. Now get those aprons out!
Chin-chin with an Ayurveda twist
Ayurveda in winter is all about keeping warm. Which is also, incidentally, one of the best excuses for a sip or three of good mulled wine.
And the secret to mulled wine is none other than spice. Spices, to be correct. This is where Ayurveda comes into its own. No stranger to wine as a remedy for winter chills, Ayurveda is also fantastic at unlocking not just the flavours of a myriad sipces, but their warming, healing and soothing properties too.
For inspiration, check out Joyful Belly’s spiced wine recipe, and get invigorated on the inside.
Spices are the key ingredient of mulled wine © Sara Marlowe
Not so bothered about food? No problem – you can still have an Ayurvedic Christmas with these handy ideas.
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