The Yoga Diet: Better than Butter

Make butter better for you

In fancy restaurants clarified butter is the golden delicious stuff that you dredge a nice juicy piece of lobster tail in. It looks great but tastes even better. So if you use butter to cook—and if you don’t have a health problem a little butter is okay—we suggest making the Ayurvedic swap to ghee. Clarified butter with a different name and surprising medicinal magic.

Clarified butter results when butter is cooked on low heat. What this means is the water completely evaporates. What you see in the process of heating butter is a foam --or the milk-solids—rise to the top. What stays is a healthier alternative to butter. Not only do you have to use less (a liquid goes farther than solid)—ghee is a nonhydrogenated oil (less-likely to gunk up arteries) that does not promote free radicals like store-bought butter. “At the end of the process, ghee represents purely the oil present in butter—only the fat, so it has the same fat content as butter but it’s easier for your body to absorb,” says Tomasko. Ghee, when kept in a glass jar away from moisture and utensils, won’t spoil for years because it’s been stripped of its water.

The true benefit of ghee is its medicinal value, says Tomaskin, even though its golden color is invoked like gold by poets. Because the butter is purified it is easier to digest. “Ghee is believed to be a carrier that delivers and aids absorption of herbs, nutrients or other substances deeper into the body’s tissues,” she says. Ghee is also said to build ojas, a substance responsible for the body’s immune system. According to Ayurveda, ghee is easier to digest than butter. Some say ghee is even okay for the lactose intolerant.

These 5 everyday recipes incorporate ghee where you would use butter or an artificial oil substitute. They include additional ingredients that bring your dosha back into balance. Beneath each recipe you will see which dosha the dish is recommended for or how to adapt the meal for you.


More Ghee Recipes:
Apple Cardamom Pancakes
Baked Mac and Cheese
Filet of Sole with White Wine Sauce
Power Snack Bar
Shrimp Scampi

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