Moistening from the inside… Its not the Cold that is difficult for me to endure in Finland, it is the Dryness. Every season here (except summer) has very low humidity & the dry climate creates dryness in the body for those of us who have a dry constitution. Dryness can manifest as dry skin, dry eyes, dry mouth, dry cough, constipation. When the body is dry, heat can flare up & cause red eyes, irritability, anger, dry itchy skin, inflammation. This is worse for women over age 40, because our body is already naturally becoming dry with age.
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Moistening herbs help balance the Dry climate. Every day I drink, eat & apply moistening herbs to my body. In this post I will focus on the very nourishing & moistening root of a particular species of Asparagus known as Shatavari, and share a yummy recipe for Shatavari Sesame Honey Rose Balls. 😋
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The Asparagus root I use is Asparagus racemosus, known as Shatavari or Tien Men Dong. This is a more medicinal species of Asparagus than the Asparagus you buy at the grocery store, although that Asparagus also has some mildly therapeutic properties. Asparagus racemosus is incredibly & deeply moistening & nourishing to the body, especially the female reproductive system. She is the main female restorative herb for women in Ayurveda and is known as “she who has 1000 lovers” because this herb increases hormones that make you feel moist & sensuous. She increases all fluids of the body: milk, blood, semen, vaginal fluids & moistens dry eyes, dry lungs, dry intestines, dry skin.
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This recipe includes Sesame seeds & Honey, which are also very moistening. Cardamom is warming, making it easier to digest the cool Asparagus root.
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Recipe: 2 parts sesame seed powder, 1 part Asparagus root powder, pinch of cardamom, dried Cranberry powder, Rose infused honey or plain honey. Directions: Dry roast sesame seeds until they are fragrant and golden. Grind the roasted seeds into a powder. Mix sesame powder & Asparagus powder together. Add rose infused honey (or plain honey is fine if you do not have Rose infused honey), while stirring to form thick paste. Form into balls. Roll in cranberry powder. Enjoy up to 1 oz per day. 🌹
