Keeping warm and balanced during winter.
Down here in Australia winter is upon us in a big way!
If you are based in Australia you will be feeling the forces of WINTER… and with such a big seasonal change should also come some dietary change.
(and if you are on the other side of the world make sure you keep this in mind for next time winter hits!)
Such an abrupt shift in seasons can often bring about seasonal allergies, colds, flus and changes to our homormones as the body adapts to temperature, changes in sleep habits, sunlight exposure etc! So where possible we want to support our body through these changes. This can be through the use of medicinal winter herbs and spices!
There are two in particular that have an absolute plethora of benefits and can be used in an abundance of ways, lets take a deeper look into them below!
TURMERIC
Turmeric’s active compound is called curcumin and has scientifically been proven to have a long list of health benefits. Turmeric is a potent anti inflammatory and has been traditionally used in India for not only it’s culinary qualities, but also medicinally for thousands of years. It can be used to reduce swelling, pain and inflammation which is amazing for those with skin conditions, chronic inflammation and even conditions like arthritis that are aggravated by the cold. It can also assist with boosting the immune system, reducing allergy symptoms and improving mood which can often take a tumble during cooler months.
It is super easy to incorporate turmeric into the diet and you don’t need huge amounts to reap the rewards.
You will want to make sure you are working with high quality turmeric root that has been minimally processed and is organic (or else it will unfortunately not have the same medicinal benefits)
Consistent use is the most effective and a great way of ensuring consistency is to pop some into your cooking! Simple tips to add turmeric into your diet are:
- adding a ½ teaspoon when cooking rice
- making a curry (if using a paste, add an extra teaspoon)
- sprinkling some into scrambled eggs or tofu
- Have it as part of a medicinal herbal tea
Turmeric is one of the herbs I have personally used throughout my own hormone healing journey, and it greatly helped me to reduce inflammation throughout my body, so it was extremely important to me that we used the highest quality, ethically sourced and organic turmeric root in our our powerful Chaihood anti-inflammatory chai.
Try it here
TRUE CEYLON CINNAMON
True Ceylon Cinnamon is another herbal medicine that is incredible at warming us up from the inside. It has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties which makes winter the perfect time to kick up your cinnamon use (just make sure its True Ceylon cinnamon if you want the medicinal benefits!). True Cinnamon is not only great for the immune system, it’s also incredible at managing blood sugar levels and supporting gut health – two things that are so important for overall wellbeing and keeping your hormones in check, particularly if you have PCOS or insulin resistance.
Cinnamon is probably one of the easiest and most delicious spices to incorporate into your daily routine. It can be used in both sweet and savory meals and is a quick way of warming up a meal that you may know isn’t the best option during the cooler months but you find easy to prepare (we’re looking at you, morning smoothie). Adding cinnamon to a smoothie and having it at room temperature instead of freezing cold is a way to keep your healthy breakfast routine without challenging your body to something that’s harder to digest. Other ways to add cinnamon into your diet is by:
-Adding it to porridge
-Baking with it (hey there, cinnamon banana bread)
-Sprinkling it on fruit
-Mixing it into honey (for toast or tea)
-Adding it to a curry
-Adding some to a hot chocolate Putting a quill into your soup or broth (don’t forget to take it out once it’s done)
-Have it as a medicinal herbal tea
Ceylon true cinnamon is one of the many of the powerful and organic herbs we use in both Cysterhood tea (our powerful hormone balance tea) and Chaihood(our anti-inflammatory and hormone balancing Chai)
As you can see, warming up the diet doesn’t have to be a complete overhaul. It can be as simple as making a few conscious changes. After all, small conscious changes over time add up to be some of the biggest, most important changes you’ll ever make. You don’t need a lot. Just learning to work a few spices is a great place to start 😊
