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Herbalism

5 Ways to Stay Healthy in Cold Weather

January 8, 2014 by amanda 2 Comments

This week, as arctic air grips the nation, we are all trying to find ways to stay warm and healthy. In traditional cultures, especially Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda, much importance was placed on maintaining balance in your body. When it is cold outside, it is especially important to keep your body warm. With a few small changes, you can make a big difference.

Avoid Cold Drinks

When you drink something cold, your body has to spend a lot of extra energy bringing it up to a usable temperature. In TCM, they use the mental image of your digestion being like a fire. Drinking or eating something cold is like throwing cold water into a hot pan. It creates a bunch of steam and requires a large amount of energy for the pan to become warm again. That’s not a good thing when you’re trying to keep your body functioning at its best.

Instead of iced drinks, consider drinking your water warm or at room temperature. Better yet, make some nourishing herbal infusions, and warm your body while also giving it tons of vitamins and minerals!

Avoid Raw Fruits and Vegetables

I know. This one can be shocking at first. January is a time when Americans LOVE to start juice fasts, raw food diets, and all sorts of cold-natured eating plans. However, when you look at what people traditionally ate during the winter, it is warming food that is easy to break down. These foods help nourish your body through the cold months.

Instead of eating your veggies raw, lightly stir fry them. If you are in the mood for fruit, try baking or simmering it. I like to chop up apples, throw in pumpkin pie spice and a little water, and simmer it together on the stove until the apples are soft. From there, you can eat it as-is, or mash it up a little and serve it like applesauce.

Eat Warm Stews and Slow-Cooked Foods

When fall arrives, we naturally seem to start craving slow-cooked foods like stews and roasted vegetables. Winter is a perfect time to eat these heavier foods that don’t appeal during the hot summer months. Some favorites meals around our house are this Harvest Blessings Soup or a Dutch Oven Pork Roast (or any roasted meat, for that matter.)

For warm breakfasts, consider making oatmeal overnight in the crockpot, or a delicious congee. Congee is a nourishing food used in TCM. It is kind of like a rice pudding. We love ours with goji berries and a little maple syrup.

Use Warming Herbs in Your Food

Consider how you season your foods, and choose spices that will warm your body rather than cool it. Some great choices include ginger, cloves, cardamom, and turmeric. Try to keep the spice level at “medium” or below. You want your food to be warming, but not so hot that it makes you sweat and ultimately cools your body.

Get Moving!

Finally, I know that cold weather can make you want to hibernate, but movement is one of the best ways to warm your body and keep things from getting stagnant. Take this as a great excuse to get up, turn on some music, and dance around the living room with your kids.

 

I hope these tips help you and your family stay warm this winter. Spring will be here before we know it, and then it’ll be the perfect time for all of those cleanses and fasts. πŸ˜‰

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Filed Under: Herbalism, Nutrition

Making your own elderberry syrup

January 22, 2013 by amanda Leave a Comment

It is that time of year again. Flu season is upon us. Boo!

We’ve been fortunate to avoid illness so far this year, and I think that our homemade elderberry syrup has been a huge help. Over this past week, I’ve had several friends say that they want to make elderberry syrup, but they aren’t sure where to start. I thought I’d share how I make mine, plus some tips that I’ve learned along the way. πŸ™‚

Elderberry syrup is such a great way to support your immune system. You can use it to prevent or help fight off colds and flus. Nutritionally, it packs a punch, containing vitamins A, B, and C, plus lots of antioxidants, potassium, beta carotene, calcium and phosphorus. You might’ve seen the study going aroundΒ that shows how well elderberry reduces flu symptoms. Recent studies have also shown that elderberry supplementation can cut the duration of flu symptoms by half.

The process of making elderberry syrup is very easy. You are going to make a decoction out of the elderberries, strain, add honey, and you’re done!

Now, for the details:

First, you will obviously need elderberries. If you are fortunate enough to have an elderberry shrub/tree nearby, then you can use fresh ones. If you don’t have fresh elderberries, I am a huge fan of Mountain Rose Herbs. Their products are high-quality and fresh, which is so important. You don’t need much to make a batch, and Mountain Rose Herbs allows you to order small amounts — starting at just 4oz.

Once you have your elderberries, you’ll want to make a decoction. A decoction is much like a strong tea that you then simmer to reduce the total amount of liquid. To make the elderberry decoction, combine 1 cup of fresh or 1/2 cup of dried elderberries with 3 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring this to a gentle boil, reduce the heat and then simmer for 30 minutes. At this point, your decoction is done! Woohoo!

Next, smash the berries and strain the mixture. Don’t forget to compost the leftover berry mush. πŸ™‚

Finally, allow the liquid to cool and add 1 cup of honey (raw and local, if possible). Bottle it up in a glass jar, and you’re done!

Your elderberry syrup will last 2-3 months in the fridge. Take 1 tablespoon daily to help keep illness away (or 1 tsp for kids.) If you are already sick, you can take 1 teaspoon every 2-3 hours. (And don’t forget that babies can’t have honey until they’re a year old.)

When I make my initial decoction, I like to add a stick of cinnamon (which is strained out when I strain the berry mush.) You could also add whole cloves or fresh, organic ginger. My kids love the taste of the cinnamon with the berries. As always, don’t feed honey to young children.

Happy remedy-making!

Homemade Elderberry Syrup

1/2 cup dried or 1 cup fresh elderberries
3 cups water
1 cup honey (raw and local, if possible)
Optional: cinnamon stick, cloves, or ginger

Bring the elderberries, water, and optional spices to a gentle boil. Simmer for 30 minutes, until liquid is reduced by about half. Smash the berries and strain the liquid into a glass jar. Once the liquid cools, add the honey and store refrigerated for 2-3 months.

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Filed Under: Herbalism

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