spiced adaptogenic ghee

self-care season

Adaptogens are herbs that help the body adapt and respond to stress. For my post-concussion symptoms, I’ve been using the adaptogen ashwagandha to support my nervous system, reduce anxiety, and help calm my brain’s fight-of-flight response. Combining ashwagandha and ghee is a common practice in Ayurvedic Medicine, as the healthy fats in ghee help deliver the herb to the fat-lined nervous system.

Adaptogenic ghee is easy to incorporate into your daily routine. I especially love mixing a teaspoon into oatmeal, blended into coffee for an easy latte, stirred into golden milk, and crackers dipped in ghee for a quick snack.

Originated in India, ghee is made by evaporating off the water content in butter and then straining out the milk solids, leaving the golden goodness that is ghee. With a richer and nuttier taste than butter, ghee is prized in Ayurvedic Medicine. On its own, ghee improves digestion, lubricates connective tissue, and nourishes the nervous system. Ghee (along with other healthy fats) also improves body’s absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals.

• Good source of vitamins A, D, E, and K
• Full of healthy fats (including omega-3s) that help the body absorb nutrients
• Contains butyrate, an anti-inflammatory fatty acid that improves gut health and provides our bodies an easily digested energy boost
• As lactose and caseins (milk solids) are strained out, ghee is a good source of healthy fats for people who are lactose intolerant
• Ghee from grass-fed cows contains high amounts of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), a fermentation byproduct produced in grass-fed cow’s digested tract. CLA is anti-inflammatory, improves joint function, and provides many other benefits.

adaptogens

Adaptogens are herbs that can be taken daily to help the body adapt and build resilience to stress. All adaptogens are nontoxic at their normal dose, help the whole body manage stress, and help restore balance following stress.

Though adaptogens can do wonders to help support the body’s stress response, they are not a quick cure-all. Adaptogens will work best along with a healthy diet, good hydration, meditation, breath work, daily movement, time spent in nature, and other self-care practices.

ashwagandha

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), along with tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tobacco. Its an evergreen shrub that grows primarily in India, the Middle East, and parts of Africa. Rich in phytochemicals, the powdered root has been used medicinally in India for centuries. Though primarily cultivated in India and other Asian countries, it grows as an annual in cooler climates and requires similar growing conditions to tomatoes.

Ayurvedic practitioners often combine ashwagandha with fatty ghee or milk to help deliver ashwagandha to the fat-lined nervous system. The benefits of ashwagandha are vast and build up over time.

• Calms and strengthens the nervous system
• Increases energy and builds strength
• Supports appropriate stress responses
• Restore healthy sleep cycles
• Decreases anxiety
• Also supports immune system, heart, and thyroid function
• Considered very safe but seek medical guidance before using if you have a thyroid condition, are pregnant, or take barbiturates

Use other adaptogens and Spices

In place of ashwagandha (or in addition) use any of the following in your adaptogenic ghee:

• Maca
• Turmeric
• Shatavari
• Cacao
• Functional mushroom powder (reishi, cordyceps, chaga, lions mane)

Ashwagandha and other adaptogens often don’t have the most pleasing taste and are often mixed with other culinary spices. Flavor your adaptogenic ghee with ground cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, clove, or anise and sweeten with honey if desired.

+++When adding new foods or herbs to your diet, check with your healthcare provider to see if any of the ingredients are contraindicated for you.+++

Print Pin Recipe

Spiced Adaptogenic Ghee

Featuring ashwagandha, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom, mix adaptogenic ghee into coffee, grains, on toast or crackers, or eat straight out of the jar. Enjoy a teaspoon dose up to 3x per day.

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Course: Condiments + Sauces

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: 54 teaspoon doses

Ingredients

• ½ lb unsalted butter preferably organic and from grass-fed cows
• ¼ c ashwagandha powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cardamom

Instructions

• Clean and dry a heat-resistant jar (ex. a mason jar). Have a funnel lined with cheesecloth or cotton muslin handy.
• Place the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Melt the butter and continue to simmer as the butter bubbles and sputters.
• Cook until the sputtering stops and the ghee really starts to foam, 15-20 minutes. At this point the milk solids will separate out and collect on the bottom of the pot (though it can be hard to see through the foam- remove the pot from the stove and blow the foam out of the way to get a better look).
• Turn off the heat and pour contents of the pot through the cheese cloth-lined funnel and into the jar. The milk solids will be strained out, leaving the golden ghee in the jar.
• Add the powdered ashwagandha and other spices to the ghee and mix. Continue to stir occasionally as the ghee cools to ensure the herbs and spices stay evenly distributed as the ghee solidifies.
• Enjoy a teaspoon dose up to 3x per day.

Notes

Yields 9 oz

+++When adding new foods or herbs to your diet, check with your healthcare provider to see if any of the ingredients are contraindicated for you.+++

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