Improve the Quality of Your Sleep with this Homemade Ayurvedic Sleep Aid
December 18, 2013You likely have countless personal goals to achieve throughout the day and not enough time to accomplish them, even sacrificing sleep to get a little more done. However, you may actually get more done by increasing your time sleeping.
Enhance your memory for school or work; heighten your alertness while operating machinery and driving; improve your health by reducing inflammation and blood pressure; increase your creativity and immunity while lowering stress and losing weight; you can do all this by simply getting more sleep. But sometimes that’s easier said than done.
Whether you find it difficult to fall asleep in the first place or you wake up too early and can’t get back into dreamland, you’re not alone. Sometimes we need help getting to sleep, and that’s where these two recipes come in handy. This homemade almond milk is delicious on its own or added to your own recipe, but it’s great with the ingredients down below for a nice, warm sleep aid.
Honey Vanilla Almond Milk
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 6 cups filtered water, divided 2 cups and 4 cups
- 1–2 tablespoons raw organic honey or 2 medjool dates (soaked)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Soak your almonds for at least 1 hour, or as long as overnight, in 2 cups or so of filtered water. If you can get your hands on some unpasteurized almonds, sprout them if possible.
- Drain your almonds and place them in a blender with 4 cups of filtered water. Blend on high speed for one minute or so, depending on your blender’s power.
- If you wish, strain the liquid using a nutmilk bag or cheesecloth and wring out moisture from remaining almond meal. You can also just leave the ground up almonds in the milk, just be sure to stir it up well before use.
- Return the strained milk to the blender and add vanilla extract and honey or dates. Blend well and store your almond milk in a glass container for up to 7 days in the refrigerator. Or until you’ve used it all up in your Sunwarrior Shakes!
- Take a few extra minutes and dehydrate the remaining almond meal either in a dehydrator or in a 200 degree oven, run through a grains processer to refine any clumps, and use in your favorite baked goods!
Ayurvedic Sleep Aid:
Blend 1 cup Honey Vanilla Almond Milk with 1 scoop Vanilla Sunwarrior, ½ teaspoon Saigon Cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, and a few grates of nutmeg for an Ayurvedic and protein-rich way to head off to sleep. Warm it slightly and sip slowly.