With warmer weather and more daylight hours comes the sloughing off of winter and heavier clothes. But sometimes our enthusiasm to welcome in spring is when we can catch that unexpected last winter cold. A great trick to bolster your immunity while stimulating your metabolism can be found in a few simple ingredients: fresh lemons, cayenne pepper, maple syrup, and hot water.
In a cup of hot water, add the juice of half a fresh-squeezed lemon, a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper, and no more than a teaspoon of maple syrup to pull this stimulating drink together. The vitamin C of the lemon provides a great dose of antioxidants to help bolster your immunity, while the warm and stimulating effects of the cayenne help to stimulate the movement of mucus out of the body and fire up your metabolism. Maple syrup is a delicious and lower-sugar alternative to honey known for its health-boosting mineral content.
An added bonus of cayenne pepper is the presence of capsaicin. It stimulates the nerves of the stomach that produce digestive juices. Whether you like to drink this on a regular basis or just when you feel a tickle in your throat, it’s a healthy, natural way to support your health. Some people even do a yearly cleanse of this concoction for several days, called the master cleanse (remember to always check in with your physician before embarking on any type of cleanse).
A great yoga posture to accompany this digestion-stimulating drink is called, appropriately, “wind-relieving” pose, or Pawanmuktasana. Begin by laying on your back with your legs extended. Draw your right knee up toward your armpit, holding onto your shin or under your knee. Take a few breaths here, and on each exhale squeeze your leg into the right side of your abdomen, stimulating your ascending colon.
Gently release your leg down and draw your left leg up, the knee pointing toward the armpit again. Repeat several breaths, hugging in on the exhale to stimulate the descending colon. Release your leg down, then draw both knees up toward your chest, hugging the tops of your thighs down onto your entire abdomen to also stimulate the transverse colon. Three to five breaths here help stimulate the colon and encourage any gas out of the body.
Until next time, keep it real and keep your digestion stimulated.