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Hello winter! The time of year where we get to enjoy legwarmers, endless pots of tea and snuggles under the doona. Unfortunately for many it is also the season of colds, coughs and run down immune systems. This is  where our heroes of the plant kingdom jump into action and present their warrior swords to us and help us kombat disease and stay on our A-game through the colder months.

Do you want to know some of our favourite superhero herbs to keep you Thriving this winter? Of course you do 😉

  1. TURMERIC – yep, this decades superstar of herbs. It’s in the limelight everywhere you look – and let me confirm that its for good reason. I know Turmeric Lattes are all the trend right now ( and yes we make an EPIC Turmeric Latte at Elixiba!) but Turmeric is so much more than a trend. From its anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-anything bad properties to its rich immune enhancing ability it is an all round top herb for winter. It is warming to the digestion but not to overheating or over stimulating… at all times of the day it’s just a wonderful, versatile, colourful herb that makes you feel like the sun is radiating from within you. You might notice that most turmeric blends these days come with a little pepper in them as well, this radically increases the adsorption of Turmeric and makes it more bioavailable to your body – so make sure you add those little peppercorns to your turmeric mixes. Turmeric can be used in soooo many ways to keep your winter days warmer! Fresh turmeric in hot water as a gentle tea, juiced fresh and made as a concentrate with equal parts lemon and then pop 50ml into your water bottle. Add a little turmeric powder to any of your savoury dishes for an anti inflammatory kick or put it into your sweets for some yellow colour with all the good benefits 🙂 ps. Did i mention we have house made turmeric kimchi that is absolutely to LIVE for!! Annddd… drumroll PLEASE.. We have our very OWN Turmeric-Ginger beer… umm YES, what could be better than winter warming herbs to strengthen the digestion fermented in to a delicious refreshing beer??? Nothing.. The answer is nothing could be better than that.. And you can ONLY get it in store.
  2. GINGER – oh this humble spice of such un-acknowledged delights. Similar to turmeric in its gentle warming properties it is another versatile, delicious plant that is incredibly wonderful for you body. Ginger is one of the best digestives around  and simply having a fresh ginger tea can relieve nausea, stimulate digestion ( before and after a meal), warm up your body, fight off a cold and brighten your day! I know i was paying homage to the Turmeric Latte above – but STEP ASIDE TURMERIC – if you haven’t tried our Gingerbread Latte then you haven’t yet fulfilled your winter warrior mission. Yeah, its really is like gingerbread in a cup – warming the cockles of your heart. Side note – does anyone else ever wonder what the cockles of your heart are??? And why we want to warm them? The “cockle” refers to the four chambers of the heart and as you all know our heart is associated with the house of our emotions. So the reference of “warming the cockles” is related to that warm and fuzzy feeling when something pleasant happens to us….Let me digress… Ginger… what a staple plant superhero in our lives!! If you are feeling that little winter bug coming on then simmer up a few inches of ginger on the stove, add the juice of a whole lemon and sweeten with some A grade maple syrup and a pinch of cayenne pepper for a flu busting winter warmer. If i had to list everything i love about ginger and everything you could do with it i would be ranting for days – so just put it in everything you make this winter and your digestion will love you for it ;p
  3. GOTU KOLA – Hailed for its antiviral and anti-bacterial properties, Gotu Kola is a perfect winter wellness herb for boosting your immune system and staying strong. Got a little tickle in the chest coming on? Steep some Gotu kola and licorice root in a tea and let it relax and nourish your respiratory system. It is a wonderful herb for the mind, memory, focus and concentration which is of course always helpful – but especially in winter when you are feeling a little dull and don’t want to get out of bed.. Gotu Kola gets your mind active and running – though i do also recommend hitting the gym to get your body running as well in the cold months. I’ll let you in on a little secret. We use Gotu Kola in our secret and famous chip spice to help your mind stay healthy… eat chips, get smart – how awesome is that!!
  4. GINGKO  BILOBA – This wonderful ancient herb ( there are some alive today that are over 1000 years old!) get blood circulating through the body. Winter time for most of us is about hibernating and slowing down. This can mean that we are not moving our bodies as much and our extremities get cold faster in this chilly weather.  Gingko helps our blood to circulate to all parts of our body including our brain and private parts 😉 Combining gingko with a gentle stimulating herb like ginger will circulate the warmth and if you add some gotu kola it will circulate that antiviral mind clearing goodness. In fact we have a beer ( yes another amazing herbal brewed blend) that is called Brainstorm that contains Gingko along with some other focus enhancing herbs to help your brain activate – come and have a round of these with your next business meeting and see what epic ideas pop up.

 

Well, that’s just a few of our favourite winter wellness herbs.. As for foods that will keep your body happy this winter go for warming and nourishing meals to keep you healthy.  We have a tendency to get dry skin in winter with the cold winds and dry air. If you keep up your intake of healthy fats such as sesame oil, coconut oil, avocado and flax your skin will love you for it. Choose cooked spiced up dishes such as your favourite curry, soup or roast veg to warm you up from the inside out. Ditch the salad for a side of steamed greens with some garlic and sesame oil to keep your body thriving.

 

For nourishing winter warming food and decadent lattes book in for you vegan experience at Elixiba

Sunshine Coast  (07) 5443 9880

Gold Coast (07) 5562 1407

Byron Bay (02) 6685 6845

www.elixiba.com

 

PS – get your last minute bookings in for our $10 “Butter” Jackfruit Curry night this wednesday June 6th ! BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL for this creamy nourishing curry night.

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