Husband-and-wife team Nandini and Yusef Austin of the Cocktail Architect are food and drink experts. They create cocktails for the likes of Colin Cowie and his star-studded clientele, including the Big O. That’s Oprah, in case you didn’t catch on.  This January, Nandini, who is also an Ayurveda expert, has the ultimate reset drink. No, this is not a get-thin-quick scheme. Instead, it’s a permanent lifestyle shift based on 5,000-year-old principles of health.  This is Nandini’s Ayurveda drink recipe that’s not only healthy, but tastes darned good too. 

A New Year, An Improved You 

Whether it’s to be more organized or to learn a new language, New Year’s resolutions are ubiquitous. And unsurprisingly, according to the pair behind the Cocktail Architect, over 70% are health- and fitness-related goals.  That’s why Nandini came up with food and this Ayurveda drink recipe, that are easy to make at home.

But in our all-or-nothing, immediate-results-driven culture, many of our goals are unsustainable. Resolutions often call for fasts, cleanses, elimination diets and intense exercise regimens. We all know that these protocols are impossible to stick to. Therefore instead of arbitrary and extreme measures, Nandini and Yusef call on us to take a different approach.

Ayurveda – The Knowledge of Life 

Most of us receive our wellness advice from photoshopped advertisements of insanely toned people selling products and services. While it can be tempting to dream about looking like an Instagram fit-fluencer, their quick fixes aren’t going to actually improve your health. However, Ayurveda will. Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old holistic health system.  In Sanskrit Ayurveda means “knowledge of life.” It’s a tried-and-true model to find the best and healthiest way to be you.

Ayurveda is all about balance among the body, the mind, and the environment. When you manage each of these three components, you achieve optimal health. This doesn’t necessarily mean a sugar-free diet or intense daily weight training though. Everybody is different and needs different schedules and regimens, and Ayurvedic principals embrace that each of us in unique.

Your Dosha 

Ayurveda prescribes enhancements to each person’s individual diet based on the different doshas, or energies, that contribute to a person’s makeup.  Recommendations to balance energy and happiness include adding or limiting certain spices and fresh produce.  It all depends on an individual’s combination of doshas.

Instead of busting your butt in the gym every day or forcing yourself to eat salad at every meal, try making a change that will actually last. Especially while it’s still dry January, do something for yourself and make the commitment to a balanced, healthy change you can actually stick to. For starters, try this Ayurvedic drink recipe that can become an easy and delicious nightcap replacement that you can feel really good about.

Nectar of the Gods: An Ayurveda Drink Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup of warm water
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions

This Ayurveda drink recipe cannot be easier.   In a blender, combine all the ingredients.  Pour into a crystal glass and garnish with an edible flower.