Season of Health
The time of year we whisper our goodbyes to the beloved sunshine earlier and earlier in the day, when the furnaces click on in our homes over and over and we find ourselves cozying up indoors either with our families, our classmates, or our co-workers.
If we’re not well prepared (and sometimes even if we are) we can find ourselves succumbing to whatever may be going around, perhaps several times over. With less sunshine, paired with the tendency for a more sedentary lifestyle indoors often in the company of “food” that if we’re being honest isn’t really food at all- with all this in mind it’s no wonder we find ourselves “under the weather” so much this time of year.
The good news? The state of your health in these seasons is up to you (for real).
In these chillier months full of merriment, let’s truly thrive!
Here we share 5 simple yet powerful ways to bolster your immune system marking this time of year (unofficially) as a season of health.
We promise the effort will be well worth it.
Mind your minerals. If you’re following the (ahem, outdated and overstated) advice to drink your bodyweight in water every day (okay, slight exaggeration), it may be time to really consider what this is doing to the essential balance of minerals in your body that are effectively running the show (psst: flushing them out!). Instead of guzzling gallons of water and spending the majority of your day in the loo, warm yourself a mug of mineral rich bone broth (recipe below!) or a herbal tea with potions to stay hydrated without flushing out all the good stuff.
Get outside and get moving. You’ve surely heard the saying “move it or lose it” and this is quite true when it comes to your health in body and mind. It’s so easy to stay inside where it’s warm and cozy yet when we do this all day every day for months at a time it’s to the detriment of our own wellbeing. Make an effort every single day to get outside in the fresh air, ideally while theres a little sun out and move what ya mama gave ya! Hey, bring that mineral rich broth along too!
Let it go. We’re not talking about the catchy tune our gal Elsa belts out. We mean taking a very real look at what is on your proverbial plate and an even more real assessment of what you can handle, what is serving you, and what you can let go of. Stress manifests in an endless myriad of ways in our body and ultimately comes with a very hefty price tag. In the spirit of holiday giving, give yourself the gift of grace and the gift of not sweating the small stuff. Prioritize and focus on what is truly important - the rest will fall into place. Promise.
Eat real food. Something that we believe should be so simple has become one of the most confusing and muddied topics of our day- what should we eat for real health? Ask 5 different people and you will surely get 5 different answers. In this season of health we invite you to shop the perimeter of a grocery store (avoid the inner aisles filled with junk!), connect with and buy from local farmers and growers as much as you can, and cook at home as often as possible. Keep in mind it doesn’t have to be grand, expensive or complicated to be nourishing and delicious. Keep it simple, keep it real.
Sleep. Sleep like your life depends on it- because it does. Prioritize deep rest in a dark room with devices off. If you find you’re someone who likes to chuckle and say “I’ll sleep when I’m dead!”, that day may be sooner than you think. Holiday parties are cool and all but knowing when to call it a night is the real flex.
Bonus: expand your home healing tool kit with homeopathic remedies. Homeopathic remedies can be used by the whole family and taken both preventatively or when in need of extra support in tandem with The Gut Lab potions. Check out our favourite homeopath, Jill Geisinger @herhomeopath for some incredible remedies to support yourself and your family all winter long.
BROTH RECIPE
Ingredients - (please use organic where possible!)
3-4lbs chicken backs and necks-feet too if you can!
12-16 cups filtered water
1 yellow onion
1 carrot
2 celery stalks
1 bunch parsley fresh
4 bay leaves
1tsp sea salt per litre of water
1 spring fresh rosemary
Method:
In a large stock pot bring bones and water to a boil. Skim off foam and turn down heat to low (your broth water should be barely simmering)
Simmer for 16-20 hours and add aromatics (herbs and vegetables). Simmer for an additional 4 hours.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
Store in glass mason jars (do not fill all the way, to allow for the liquid to expand). Enjoy frozen for up to 6 months.
Serve up a nourishing elixir by adding 1/2 tsp of immunity potion to a mug of hot broth
Sip slowly and enjoy!