Hi!
Milk is so intertwined with Ayurveda and Indian yogic tradition that it deserves a separate post altogether
Milk may also be milk from camel, goat, and buffalo, however, the most widely used milk that is considered to be essential is Cows Milk, I will explain why Cows milk is important in Ayurveda
1. As a Agarian community, cows are considered to be part of the family and taking care of cows is a part of yogic sadhana
2. Children are encouraged to play & bond with cows from a young age, so when children are in the same environment as the cow the milk that is produced is full of therapeutic, nutritional and immuno-boosting ingredients (Sattvic)
3. What has happened over time is that commercial, unethical practices of sourcing of cows milk have made it redundant & laden with chemicals (tamasic), hence more & more people are moving towards a diary free diet
4. The Native India (desi) cow is also now a rare breed , as most milk in the market is either from buffalo or a mixed BreedWhen we make medicines, we do procure milk from desi cow because milk is an essential ingredient in medicine making in Ayurveda
5. Do i prescribe milk for everyone ? No, I dont because of reasons (1-4) ,
Also, most people take milk in wrong combinations
What is a wrong combination of milk in Ayurveda?
6. Taking Milk with biscuits/cake/cookies/parantha/achaar is not recommended
7. Taking milk after or with Non-veg food is not recommended
8. Making white savoury sauce with milk is not recommended
To summarize , milk is a meal in itself, milk should not be taken with sour, salty foods, fruits, mushrooms, raddish, fish, onion & even not with tulsi
8. Taking milk in a wrong combination vitiates all Doshas and should be avoided on all accounts
How to take Milk?
9. Dates, Saffron, turmeric, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom accentuate the natural qualities of milk and make it more digestible, so if you like & can digest milk , take it with one or more above mentioned herbs/spices as a separate night -time meal
10. the Best time to take milk is in the evening or the night
