Winter Wellness, Are You Already In My Kitchen?

04 Oct Winter Wellness, Are You Already In My Kitchen?

This piece was first posted by Amber Campbell, the brewmistress (and a good friend) over at Good Buzz Kombucha. I’ve known Amber and her partner Alex for a few years now. It’s been lovely watching their business grow and getting to know them and their delicious Booch®! Hope you enjoy this read as much as I did – Jo

Do you feel frustrated that every single winter you seem to get sick and it drags on for weeks or months? Well, there is actually something to that and it’s not your fault.

As the winter months set in our bodies respond with increased inflammation. Our DNA actually changes its expression up to 23% in those cooler months allowing that pesky community of bad bacteria to take hold making us sick and leaving our bodies in a constant battle.

A study conducted back in 2015 from multiple countries with varying climates showed, that in tropical climates, people were more prone to illness and inflammation during the rainy season, and places like the UK, US, and Germany, inflammation increased during the winter months and decreased during the summer months. This study concluded, that the cooler temps and lack of sun and that important vitamin D had an impact on all forms of life.

Some easy ways to combat those little buggers are probably already hiding in your kitchen. For my family, I chop a yellow onion, mince a clove of garlic, adding a tsp of honey. Put all ingredients into a saucepan adding about 2 cups of filtered water. Bring to a boil and turn down to a slow simmer. After 15 minutes strain off the onion and garlic transferring the juice into a cup or a coffee mug that will keep it warm. Sip on this juice concoction all throughout the day.

You can also make a fresh cup of lemon and ginger tea using the juice of half a lemon and a couple of slices of ginger, pouring hot water from the kettle straight into your cup. You can add honey or drink plain. If you are feeling brave, you can also add a little sprinkle of cayenne pepper. Another quick wellness tip is drinking a teaspoon of sauerkraut juice daily (Be Nourished is my personal fave). This gets billions of beneficial bacteria into your body and helps to fight off illness.

If you are experiencing a full blown cold, it works great to boil some filtered water, add 3 drops of eucalyptus oil, place a towel over your head and over the pan. Take 5 deep breaths through the nose of the steaming water making sure you have some tissues close by. The eucalyptus kills off bacteria infiltrating your nasal passages.

All of the ingredients listed above are chock full of vitamin C, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. They all help boost the immune response and pave the way to healing.

Read study here- https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms8000