Start Your Summer Morning with a Cleansing Ayurvedic Breakfast

I'm pretty certain that I've written about ayurveda before - the 5,000 year old ancient healing system from India. Basically, there are 3 mind-body types called doshas. Today's recipe helps to balance excess kapha dosha - when you might feel bloated, congested, sluggish, depressed, stubborn, and clingy. The recipe comes from a great ayurvedic resource, Joyful Belly. The site allows you to design your own ayurvedic diet based on your mind-body needs, and it provides recipes appropriate for your diet.

Here is my version of the recipe:

• 1 grapefruit, peeled and sliced
• 1 tsp. raw honey
• 1 tsp. cold-pressed flax oil (also beneficial for kapha - less congesting than other oils)
• 1/8 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1/8 tsp. ginger powder

I just sliced the grapefruit into flat rounds, then sprinkled the remaining ingredients on top. Then I cut the grapefruit into smaller pieces, tossing the pieces to spread everything evenly. Don't forget to drink the bit of spiced grapefruit juice that's left in your plate...it's delicious and refreshing!

Although this breakfast seems light, it's actually quite filling. Grapefruit is a great way to boost your metabolism in the morning. However, if you take any prescription medications please research the food-drug interactions! Grapefruit may interfere with certain drugs, leading to toxic side effects.

While ginger is well-known for its digestive properties, I was curious to learn more about cardamom. I found that cardamom also has an impressive array of benefits.