Take part: New tips every day to stay fit and healthy!
Preventive care is a fundamental building block of Ayurveda − which is why we look forward to introducing you to some healthy habits during the festive Advent season, just in time for the New Year.
An Adventscalendar with a twist
From the December 1 to 24, 2023, we will reveal effective, daily Ayurvedic practices that will gradually and sustainably strengthen your immune system − because we firmly believe that your health is the most precious gift you can give yourself.
Are you taking part? Let us know in the comments − we’re happy to help with any questions!
Process
Preparation
On days 8, 16 and 23 you will need to some ingredients and time to prepare. You can find the recipes for these days in the drop-down menus below:
Day 8: Spinach Kitchari
- for 4 persons
- 150 g peeled mung beans, yellow
- 3 large carrots
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee or olive oil
- ½ tsp coriander, ground
- A pinch of chilli powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp Asafoetida (Hing)
- 150 g basmati rice
- 750 ml vegetable stock
- 100 ml coconut milk or more vegetable stock
- 300 g baby spinach
Day 16: Escarole & Chestnut Stirfry
- for 4 persons
- depending on size, ¼-½ escarole
- 120 g chestnuts, cooked
- 1 shallot or small onion
- 1 tangerine
- Some ghee
- ½ tsp aniseeds
- 2-3 tbsp mild apple or honey vinegar
- ½ tsp coriander, ground
Day 23: Ayurveda Porridge
- for 2 persons
- 100 g oat, spelt or barley flakes, millet or similar
- Handful of nuts or seeds (e.g. almonds, walnuts, pine nuts or pistachios)
- Handful of currants
- ginger, optional
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 apple
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- ¼ tsp green cardamom
- Almond, oat or rice milk, optional
- ½ vanilla pod
Ayurvedic Kitchen
We also recommend keeping the following spices stocked in your “Ayurvedic kitchen”: Coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom seeds, cinnamon sticks, ground turmeric.
Challenges
Between 01.12. – 24.12.2023 we will update this post weekly with new challenges.
Day 1: Plan your day the ayurvedic way!
Morning: get up shortly before 6 a.m. | Gandusha | Yoga & Meditation | Abhyanga | light breakfast
Noon: main meal | brief digestive walk | no nap | active phase
Evening: light dinner | recovery phase | sleeping milk | bedtime shortly before 10 p.m.
Further information on the Ayurvedic daily routine >>
Don’t stress yourself and don’t establish too many new routines at once! Try out what feels best for you and integrate the tips from our Immune-Booster-Challenge step by step.
Day 2: Determine your Dosha types!
Do you know your Dosha constitution? Surely you have heard of the three Doshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha?
Most people are not characterised by just one dosha, but by two or even all three (Tridosha). They are therefore so-called mixed types.
Get to know yourself better and find out your Dosha with our Dosha questionnaire. To the Dosha Questionnaire >>
Day 3: Spend 15 min. in Nature!
Have you been outside in the fresh air today? Sometimes we forget how important it is to spend time in nature. No matter how busy we are, just 10 minutes outside can make a big difference in our lives!
Ayurveda suggests shatapavali. Walk 100 steps after every meal to boost your digestion and stay fit.
Day 4: Ayurvedic oral hygiene – Start the day with Gandusha!
Morning Immune-Booster
- Scrape your tongue to remove the residue that has accumulated overnight. If you don’t have a tongue scraper at home, you can also use a tablespoon as an alternative.
- Oil pulling with 1 tablespoon of Gandusha oil or alternatively with sesame or coconut oil.
According to Ayurveda, Gandusha removes metabolic waste (Ama), strengthens the gums, has an antibacterial, antiviral effect and keeps the oral cavity and throat healthy.
Day 5: Hum like a Bee!
Bhramari, the so-called bee breathing, creates a strong vibration in the body that calms the mind and has a relaxing effect.
Instructions for a Bhramari-Pranayama practice
- Come into a comfortable and upright position of your choice.
- Close your ears with your thumbs, place your index fingers gently over your browbone, middle fingers and ringfingers over the eyes, and little fingers just next to the nostrils.
- Listen to the sound of your breathing for a short while. Continue to breathe calmly and deeply, but hum like a bee as you exhale.
- Continue this exercise for 5 minutes.
Day 6: Treat your skin with an Abhyanga self-massage!
Instructions for an Abhyanga self-massage
- Use warmed sesame or olive oil. Carry out the self-massage carefully and with slow movements.
- Start with the outer ear and move to the scalp using circular movements. Then massage the entire body from top to bottom.
- Massage the joints gently and in a circular motion; the arms and legs, on the other hand, with long strokes.
- Massage the abdomen in a clockwise direction. Finally, thoroughly oil and gently massage the feet.
- Wait 15 minutes before washing off the oil with a mild soap.
A self-massage is not only a pleasure for body, mind and soul! It may also strengthen the immune system. According to Ayurveda, regular oil massages stimulate circulation, strengthen the muscles, boost digestive power and calm the nervous system. For healthy beauty from within!
Day 7: 10 Minute Meditation
As has long been established, mental health is an integral part to overall well-being. Though easily overlooked, meditation is a simple practice almost anyone can do in order to calm and re-centre the mind.
Simple Instruction for a 10 min. meditation:
- Create a pleasant and peaceful atmosphere.
- Sit in a relaxed and upright position.
- Close your eyes, relax your facial muscles and observe your inner world without commenting or interacting.
- To make it easier to detach yourself from your thoughts, you can focus your mind on an abstract object, a candle, your breath or a personal mantra.
Like the clouds that pass by, let your thoughts come and go without chasing after them. As often as the stream of thoughts and feelings pulls you away again, gently direct your focus back to the object of your choice.
Day 8: Cook a delicious Kitchari!
Kitchari is a traditional Indian dish that is considered nutritious, healing, and easily digestible in Ayurvedic cuisine. It usually consists of rice and legumes, often mung beans or red lentils, cooked together. The dish is flavoured with spices such as cumin, turmeric, ginger, coriander and other aromatic ingredients.
Cooking instructions can be found here >>
Day 9: Drink an Immune-Boosting Tea!
“CCF tea” (cumin, coriander, fennel) is a traditional Ayurvedic tea blend that balances all three Doshas and promotes digestion. Combined with the immune-boosting ingredients ginger and turmeric, this tea is both a soothing and strengthening winter beverage.
TRIDOSHA IMMUNE-BOOSTER TEA
- 1.5 litres water
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp fennel
- ½ tsp coriander
- 1 cm fresh ginger
- 1 cm fresh turmeric root or ⅓ tsp ground turmeric
Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a rolling boil. Cook down until 1 l of the liquid is left, and strain the tea into a mug.
Some benefits of the immune-booster tea:
- Cumin calms Vata and Kapha, stimulates Agni, reduces bloating, antioxidative
- Coriander has a balancing effect on all Doshas, stimulates Agni, reduces bloating, antioxidant
- Fennel calms Pitta and Vata, reduces bloating
- Ginger calms Vata and Kapha, eliminates Ama, reduces bloating, antioxidative
- Turmeric has a balancing effect on all Doshas, is antioxidative and anti-inflammatory
Day 10: Have a Relaxing Kapha Day!
Take advantage of today’s Sunday for rest and relaxation and have a Kapha day. Recharge your batteries for the pre-Christmas stress!
Day 11: Go to bed at the Ayurvedic time!
According to Ayurveda, the best time to fall asleep is at 10:00 PM during the Kapha phase, just on the cusp of the active Pitta phase meant to help our body’s metabolic processes while we sleep.
Therefore, it is best to use the Kapha time between 6:00 and 10:00 PM to do relaxing and calming activities such as Padabhyanga (Foot massage), listening to Gandharva Veda, taking a walk, and drinking soothing beverages. For optimal rest, go to bed just before 10:00 PM.
Kapha is damp, heavy, slow, solid and gentle in nature, and based on the elements earth and water. Ayurveda teaches us to use the Kapha-phases for grounding ourselves and slowing down. To keep mentally and physically fit, try to consistently follow Dinacharya, the Ayurvedic daily routine. Revisit Challenge 1 to learn more!
Day 12: Take a “Yoga-Break”!
Surya Namaskar – A greeting to the sun in winter!
The dynamic sequence of the sun salutation in combination with rhythmic breathing is both invigorating and balancing for body and mind.
This cycle fits into any daily routine; just 15 minutes and 2 square metres of space are enough to practice it.
You can find instructions for a sun salutation sequence here >>
Day 13: Drink a Sleep Milk!
SLEEP MILK RECIPE
- 200 ml fresh organic whole cow milk
- ½ -1 teaspoon sleep milk spice mix (cardamom, turmeric, nutmeg)
- 1 heaped tbsp almond powder or almond butter
- 1-2 tsp palm sugar or agave syrup (to taste)
Put all the ingredients in a pan, bring to the boil briefly and drink warm in sips one hour before going to bed. If you cannot tolerate cow milk, you can use oat or almond milk. The effect will be a little milder, but still noticeably soothing.
Good sleep is essential for the immune system! This simple Ayurvedic home remedy helps against nervousness and is traditionally recommended for problems falling and staying asleep. The sleep milk reduces Vata and Pitta in the mind and body, and calms the nerves.
Day 14: Avoid alcohol, nicotine and caffeine!
Strictly speaking, Ayurveda does not forbid the consumption of alcohol, nicotine and caffeine, but instead recommends moderation. To help balance possible excesses during this season, we challenge you to skip these stimulants and depressant for one day. Your body will thank you!
Day 15: Eat 30 g of fibre!
One of the most important principles of health and disease prevention in Ayurveda is a strong Agni, the digestive fire. In nutritional sciences, fibre is considered vital to keeping regular bowel movement and gut microbiome healthy, which is essential for our immune system. It is recommended for adults to eat at least 30 g of fibre a day.
Here are some good sources of fibre:
- 200 g chickpeas, canned & drained – 14.5 g fibre
- 2 tbsp (20 g) flaxseeds – 7 g fibre
- 150 g brussels sprouts, cooked – 6 g fibre
- 1 slice (50 g) whole wheat rye bread – 4.6 g fibre
Feel free to adapt these recommendations to your Dosha types, geographic location and season. To further strengthen Agni, Ayurveda recommends warm, cooked food well-seasoned with spices, e.g. turmeric, cumin, coriander, black pepper, ginger, and so on.
Sources
Ballaststoffe: Gut Für Darmflora und Herz, NDR
Die Ernährungs-Docs – Ballaststoffe, NDR
The Nutrition Source – Fiber, The Harvard T.H. Chan Public School of Health
Practical Ayurveda, Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre
Day 16: Eat bitter foods!
Bitters are excellent health-boosters that can be easily integrated into your daily diet. They increase the production of bile and thus support fat digestion, boost insulin production, help with weight loss, promote digestion and strengthen the immune system. In Ayurveda, bitter foods are considered to be Kapha- and Pitta-pacifying.
Our recipe suggestion: Escarole & Chestnut Stirfry >>
Sources
Bitterstoffe: So gesund sind Mangold, Chicoree und Co., NDR
Why you should be eating more bitter foods, NBC News
Practical Ayurveda, Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre
Day 17: Drink an Immune-Tonic!
Give your bodily defences a little boost by drinking this immune tonic!
IMMUNE-TONIC
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp honey*, optional
- ½ tsp pippali, optional
- mix in warm water
*Do not heat honey above 40°C, otherwise the beneficial properties will be lost. According to Ayurveda, heated honey produces Ama (metabolic waste) and should not be consumed.
Some benefits of the Immune-Tonic:
- Honey contains many antioxidants, has antibacterial properties, and is said to have a strong healing effect in Ayurveda.
- Turmeric, according to Ayurveda, can be used as a natural antibiotic, strengthens the gastro-intestinal system, and has a positive effect on the intestinal flora.
- Pippali, also known as Indian long pepper, has nerve-stimulating, rejuvenating, antiseptic, stomach and digestive strengthening, and antispasmodic properties according to Ayurveda.
Day 18: Drink 2 litres of “Ayurvedic Water” throughout the day!
Water becomes “Ayurvedic” when you boil it for 10 minutes. Drink the water warm or hot – it should never be cold! The boiled water immediately stimulates Agni, which means that food can be better processed and absorbed at mealtimes.
Day 19: Do a Bedtime Yoga routine!
Dim the lights, shut off for the night, and do this relaxing 20-30 minute Bedtime Yoga Sequence to help you fall asleep. Before you start, determine how many deep breaths equate to 1 minute – you will need this for the practice.
Relaxing Bedtime Yoga Sequence >>
Yoga, the sister discipline of Ayurveda, strengthens the muscles, improves flexibility and balance, helps with back pain, and reduces stress, which benefits heart health.
Sources
Health: 9 Benefits of Yoga, John Hopkins Medicine
Practical Ayurveda, Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre
Day 20: Your Choice!
Consistency is part of healthy routines, and routines are part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle: choose one of the Ayurvedic practices we have introduced in the last 19 days and simply repeat it.
Day 21: Avoid sweets, biscuits, cookies and junk food!
In Ayurveda, nutrition plays a decisive role in a strong immune system. A high consumption of sugar and processed convenience foods can weaken the body’s defences and promote the development of various diseases. For today, give up sweets and junk food! Skip ready meals and desserts and treat your body to nutrient-rich foods instead – and boost your immune system in the process!
Day 22: Snack a handful of superfoods!
Superfoods include cranberries, sea buckthorn and preferably amalaki, the Indian gooseberry. Amalaki is available in the form of churna, tablets or chyavanprash. Amalaki benefits: antioxidant, vitamin C, vitamin A, flavinoids, aphrodisiac, vitalising, immune-boosting, “fruit of eternal youth and beauty”.
Good to know:
- Cranberries are rich in vitamin C and are therefore real immune-boosters. They also have an antibacterial effect and help with bladder infections, among other benefits.
- The most important ingredient in sea buckthorn is the highly concentrated vitamin C. Just a few teaspoons of sea buckthorn juice cover the adult daily requirement of vitamin C, which is why the small berries by far outshadow many other citrus fruits.
- If you would like to try Chyavanprash, a common preparation of Amalaki, we recommend taking 1 tsp as a bread spread or stirred into warm milk. For other forms, e.g. tablets and churna, please follow the recommended dose.
Day 23: Have a warm “Ayurveda porridge” for breakfast!
According to Ayurveda, breakfast should be light and warm, as it falls in the Kapha phase (6-10 am), the metabolism is just starting to work and the digestive fire Agni is still weak. An Ayurvedic breakfast porridge is delicious, light and easily digestible – the perfect start to the day!
Ayurveda Porridge Recipe to recreate at home >>
The above recipe comes with a warm fruit compote, but feel free to leave it out.
Day 24: Write a Gratitude List!
Gratitude cultivates “Sattva” in the mind. In Ayurvedic psychology, Sattva is the mental constitution that embodies purity and balance. Gratitude is thus a way to positively influence our inner attitude. Even Western science is increasingly interested in the positive effect of gratitude on body and mind.
The end of the year is the perfect time to think about all the things you are grateful for. We challenge you to grab a pen and paper, and express thanks for…
- …the important people in your life
- …a little moment in your day
- …a person that has helped you
- …and something you have accomplished!
Finally, we would like to thank you for taking part in our Immune-Booster Challenge! We hope you have learnt something new and that you can carry this with you into a happy, healthy and fruitful new year.
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