Why do lovers, babies, yogis, and mothers-to-be give off a similar radiance? Their skin is glowing; they’re smiling; they’ve got that lovely sparkle in their eyes. They’re beaming with vitality—literally. According to Ayurveda, vibrant individuals have ample amounts of ojas: the juice of life, the pure essence of all bodily tissue, and a source of happiness and immunity — nourishment that promotes health, creativity, well-being, and spiritual strength.

Because of the stresses of modern life, most of us could use an extra dose of ojas. Here are five tips to help you feel the vitality and inner strength you need to live a truly productive, joyful life:

1. Eat foods with high natural energy that are ojas-building: Fresh, whole foods that have been ripened by the sun contain the most vitalizing energy. Avoid overprocessed, refined foods, alcohol, and stimulants, and incorporate these cell-building foods into your diet instead. Think avocado, dates, leafy greens, basmati rice, oatmeal, ghee, mung beans, almonds, pistachios etc.

2. Eat locally grown foods: Locally-grown foods are higher in prana, because they don't have to be shipped or stored and can be bought tree-ripened. There is another reason to eat locally-grown foods — they mirror the ratio of the five fundamental element levels in the climate in which you live.

3. Drink almond milk: Because almonds are super-rich in ojas, this drink will nourish and energize you.

4. Recharge yourself: Because stress depletes ojas, relaxation replenishes it. Here are a few Ayurvedic lifestyle tips: Get regular exercise (but don’t overdo it); go to bed on time & get about eight hours of sleep, and spend time with yourself; and avoid multi-tasking, sensory overload, chronic stress, and bottling up emotions.

5. Self-massage: A body massage with oil nourishes the nervous system in addition to keeping your skin supple and smooth. Each night before you go to bed, rub a few ounces of warm, organic, unrefined oil all over your body with special attention to the ears, nostrils, and feet. This nourishing routine will make your muscles melt, and you’ll sleep like a baby.

6. Cook with energizing spices: Cooking with spices makes the food more digestible which enables your digestive system to pull more nutrients from the foods you eat and therefore, create more energy. So have fun with ginger, turmeric, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, hingvastak, nutmeg, cinnamon etc.

7. Try the following boosting recipes below