Tricks Up Amla’s Sleeves

Winters have set in and its officially time for the amla, Indian gooseberry if you want to glam it up. It's rich not just in Vitamin C but also in its ability to keep the stomach calm. Amalaki is what it is called in Sanskrit, and is celebrated for its anti-ageing properties. So if winters give you that flaky scalp, scaly skin, you know what is missing in life, the ability of the body to restore its moisture. Or to keep it simple, you are not assimilating enough nourishment from the food you are eating. This dryness is associated with ageing in Ayurveda and Amla, with its phytonutrients, antioxidants and digestive enzymes can do the trick. It’s not for nothing that Amla is an essential part of Chyawanprash, a heritage therapeutic preparation for winters, and also of the triphala. These keep your body moistened and does not let it dry out. It’s also a mild laxative so it will liberate you from waking up feeling really bloated and being constipated too.

North India, with its harsh weather, celebrates amla sherbet in winters. Another favo­urite recipe is to pickle or sun-dry amla and turn it into an inherent part of winter meals. It keeps the sweet tooth at bay and pregnant women with morning sickness will vouch for its magical effect on nausea. And before you go here’s another thing, when you sit all cooped up in the winters only to get a tingling sensation run down your thighs, calf and toes and don’t know what to do, amla is the answer again, for it’s the wonder fruit’s iron, magnesium and Vit B content which soothe the nerves.