TheKavaFlow
Kava Podcaster
Hi All!
I just received a message from a seemingly new member of the KavaForums, and I wrote a massive letter that I feel should be shared. Kava can sometimes feel like a fickle mistress, and I really want to spread the gospel of kava to all who need it. Here are my thoughts -- take it or leave it
Kava can sometimes be a little tricky, and there's a ton of myths out there about the best way to do things, the proper way, etc. A few quick notes:
1) Always drink kava on an empty stomach. I normally drink kava after I've fasted for 3-4 hours, and know when I'm ready because I'm slightly hungry.
2) You'll want to drink kava a half cup at a time. These are considered "shells" around here. You'll normally have 4-5 shells each time you drink kava (if you mix it strong like I do). Drink a shell every 20 minutes until you're satisifed.
3) Kava doesn't taste good, so I mix it strong so that I don't have to drink much of it to get me where I want to go. My preference shouldn't overrule yours, though. If you find it too strong or thick, water it down. In Fiji, they drink it SUPER watered down, whereas in Vanuatu they drink it quite thick. All personal preference that you'll eventually come to.
4) The drink, kava, is really just water with kava particulates that sink down to the bottom of the bowl after being prepared. Every time you want to drink another shell, be sure to mix the water around so that the kava at the bottom ends up in your drink.
5) If you have any issues with the taste, I find that a liquid coffee creamer, like Coffeemate, is the absolute best flavor enhancer. You'll probably end up using more than your health would like you to, but it works very well!
6) I always chase a kava shell with a little water to swish out the kava flavor, and a piece of fruit or chocolate to drown out the kava after-flavor. Ginger products are also quite good chasers.
7) Buy medium-grind kava from a reputable vendor found here at the forums. Micronized or instant kavas complicate this conversation a bit, so if you're a newbie, I would recommend just sticking with medium grind and purchasing a strainer bag. Nut milk bags on Amazon work very well.
As far as the process, I do have an old video on YouTube that gives the basic process, but I'm a simpler guy these days with less time to mess with it. Here's what I do now, and it's super easy:
1) Take 2/3 cup of kava and put it in your strainer bag in a bowl.
2) Get your tap water as hot as it'll go, and then put two and a half cups of water into the bowl with the strainer bag filled with kava.
3) Making sure no kava comes out of the top of the bag, use your fingers to massage the bag in the water. Your goal here is to get as much fine kava powder out of the bag and into your water.
4) Periodically, squeeze the kava so that the oils come out of the larger pieces of kava in the bag. Hot tap water aids in this extraction.
5) You'll want to knead the bag and squeeze for a little while. Sometimes I go into a zen moment and knead for 15 minutes without realizing, other times I do it for a short 3 minutes and call it a day. It's up to you, but the goal is to just get all the fine particulate into the water, and the oils extracted from the large pieces left in the bag (these are called makas).
6) Cool down your kava with a cup or two of ice. Again, you'll find out how much you'll want to dilute with the more kava you drink.
7) Drink 1/2 a cup of the resulting kava drink every 20 minutes or so. My normal kava session will last about an hour and a half to two hours.
8) To reduce any nausea after, or the next day, I will almost always have something substantial to eat afterwards. A full meal, PB&J sandwich, whatever it is -- and a big glass of water.
One other thing to note -- people will often talk about "reverse tolerance", but I think it's a complete myth. I've never prepared kava for someone who didn't feel it. Follow these steps and drink kava on an empty stomach and you'll get there. What people call reverse tolerance, to me, is most likely not understanding what kava is supposed to feel like. It's not like being drunk; it's a gentle feeling that uplifts your mind a bit and helps you relax. If you're expecting to be blown out of the water, that's not what kava is. Sit down with a good book, sit on the porch with some lemonade, and drink some kava.
I hope this helps! Sorry for it being such a novel, but I so strongly feel like many people can benefit so greatly by utilizing kava that I want to help however I can. If anyone has questions, feel free to reach out.
Much Love,
Morgan
I just received a message from a seemingly new member of the KavaForums, and I wrote a massive letter that I feel should be shared. Kava can sometimes feel like a fickle mistress, and I really want to spread the gospel of kava to all who need it. Here are my thoughts -- take it or leave it
Kava can sometimes be a little tricky, and there's a ton of myths out there about the best way to do things, the proper way, etc. A few quick notes:
1) Always drink kava on an empty stomach. I normally drink kava after I've fasted for 3-4 hours, and know when I'm ready because I'm slightly hungry.
2) You'll want to drink kava a half cup at a time. These are considered "shells" around here. You'll normally have 4-5 shells each time you drink kava (if you mix it strong like I do). Drink a shell every 20 minutes until you're satisifed.
3) Kava doesn't taste good, so I mix it strong so that I don't have to drink much of it to get me where I want to go. My preference shouldn't overrule yours, though. If you find it too strong or thick, water it down. In Fiji, they drink it SUPER watered down, whereas in Vanuatu they drink it quite thick. All personal preference that you'll eventually come to.
4) The drink, kava, is really just water with kava particulates that sink down to the bottom of the bowl after being prepared. Every time you want to drink another shell, be sure to mix the water around so that the kava at the bottom ends up in your drink.
5) If you have any issues with the taste, I find that a liquid coffee creamer, like Coffeemate, is the absolute best flavor enhancer. You'll probably end up using more than your health would like you to, but it works very well!
6) I always chase a kava shell with a little water to swish out the kava flavor, and a piece of fruit or chocolate to drown out the kava after-flavor. Ginger products are also quite good chasers.
7) Buy medium-grind kava from a reputable vendor found here at the forums. Micronized or instant kavas complicate this conversation a bit, so if you're a newbie, I would recommend just sticking with medium grind and purchasing a strainer bag. Nut milk bags on Amazon work very well.
As far as the process, I do have an old video on YouTube that gives the basic process, but I'm a simpler guy these days with less time to mess with it. Here's what I do now, and it's super easy:
1) Take 2/3 cup of kava and put it in your strainer bag in a bowl.
2) Get your tap water as hot as it'll go, and then put two and a half cups of water into the bowl with the strainer bag filled with kava.
3) Making sure no kava comes out of the top of the bag, use your fingers to massage the bag in the water. Your goal here is to get as much fine kava powder out of the bag and into your water.
4) Periodically, squeeze the kava so that the oils come out of the larger pieces of kava in the bag. Hot tap water aids in this extraction.
5) You'll want to knead the bag and squeeze for a little while. Sometimes I go into a zen moment and knead for 15 minutes without realizing, other times I do it for a short 3 minutes and call it a day. It's up to you, but the goal is to just get all the fine particulate into the water, and the oils extracted from the large pieces left in the bag (these are called makas).
6) Cool down your kava with a cup or two of ice. Again, you'll find out how much you'll want to dilute with the more kava you drink.
7) Drink 1/2 a cup of the resulting kava drink every 20 minutes or so. My normal kava session will last about an hour and a half to two hours.
8) To reduce any nausea after, or the next day, I will almost always have something substantial to eat afterwards. A full meal, PB&J sandwich, whatever it is -- and a big glass of water.
One other thing to note -- people will often talk about "reverse tolerance", but I think it's a complete myth. I've never prepared kava for someone who didn't feel it. Follow these steps and drink kava on an empty stomach and you'll get there. What people call reverse tolerance, to me, is most likely not understanding what kava is supposed to feel like. It's not like being drunk; it's a gentle feeling that uplifts your mind a bit and helps you relax. If you're expecting to be blown out of the water, that's not what kava is. Sit down with a good book, sit on the porch with some lemonade, and drink some kava.
I hope this helps! Sorry for it being such a novel, but I so strongly feel like many people can benefit so greatly by utilizing kava that I want to help however I can. If anyone has questions, feel free to reach out.
Much Love,
Morgan