Winter: Immune System Recharge Program

To follow on from our recent discussion around nervous system stress, I wanted to get a list of my favourite BBTC teas to you- that help support someone in times of stress. We know that coffee and alcohol are a “no” in times of stress but it’s so important to have some beverage alternatives to not only enjoy drinking but also to benefit the body. Read on to find out more.

The floods that have impacted the Northern Rivers region recently has left many members of our community completely traumatised. I have witnessed friends who have lost everything they own- from their house to their clothes and to all their valuables and household goods. Many are now dealing with high levels of stress and anxiety and crippling insomnia. They are replaying the flood events over and over again in their minds which is keeping them in a state of high nervous system stress. If this sounds like you or you can relate, please read on because I have some great tips!

I love my daily rituals as you know and one that I have started to incorporate this summer is walking barefoot on the ground, whether it be on the beach or just at home on our lawn. For me, it just feels great to be without shoes and the health benefits are wide-ranging- people across cultures have done this for years!

There is no better way to beat the summer heat than with a cooling and refreshing iced tea.

Spring has sprung in Byron Bay where the days are getting longer and the nights shorter. With the warmth of the spring air and flowers blooming all around us, it naturally becomes a time to “spring clean” and rid the body of impurities that have accumulated over winter. 

1. Create a Routine

Is it an old wive's tale or is there some truth that chicken soup is the cure of all ills? Read on to find out more and check out my favourite chicken soup recipe.

Runny nose, coughing, sore throat, sneezing and not feeling quite on top of your game? If the cold and flu season has taken a hold on you, it might be time to get those immune-boosting tonics out from the back of the cupboard, to give you that extra zing. My favourite nutrients to help fight infection include Vitamin A, C, E, D and Zinc. Increasing foods rich in these nutrients is also important- read on to find out more.

1. Wholefoods

It probably comes as no surprise to you then, to see “Drinking Herbal teas” as one of my top tips to stay healthy in winter. Check out my other health tips below.

There is some truth to the statement that the “early bird catches the worm”. Living in tune with nature's rhythms and cycles can set you up for a more productive and energetic day as well as reduce stressful habits.  When we rise and set with the sun, we find ourselves getting quality sleep at night and waking with less effort and it allows for a more productive use of our time. Our bodies are set to live by nature’s timer. We are offered sunlight for times when our bodies and brains are meant to be more active, and darkness when it is time to slow down and rest, so our bodies can rejuvenate...

At Byron Bay Tea Company we are strong advocates for a balanced life- where an individual’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs are met. With the busy lives that many of us lead, we all know how hard this can be hard to achieve. Read on to find out my secret on what can help you to strike the balance.

There is nothing better than cooling down with a refreshing iced tea on a long, hot summer’s day. For many of us, drinking plain old water all the time can be pretty boring. We all know that good health requires good hydration- especially in Summer- but water alone doesn’t titillate the taste buds too much does it?

Are you finding it hard to keep up with the busy pace of your life and just getting by? Working, eating, sleeping and doing this again and again, day in and day out? Many people's lives are so unbalanced with extremely long work hours, very little sleep, eating on the run, and no time to relax and unwind. I believe that stress has a major impact on people's lives on every level- physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. And, there is no one quick fix to address this!  It is obviously essential that the cause of the stress be recognised and the necessary changes made. There are also...

THINKING FOR YOURSELF is a skill that needs to be developed and nurtured- a really important skill to have right now in these times of change. Check out these tips I have below to help enrich your life by truly believing in your ideas, thoughts and opinions on big issues, rather than taking on those that are shaped by those around you. Developing this skill can help to remove fear and empower you to live the life that you want to live. So, here it goes-:

1. Aim for balanced meals and snacks with 30% protein, 40% complex carbohydrates and 30% good quality fats.

• Protein - Examples include fish, seafood, poultry, meat, eggs, dairy, soy and legumes.
• Complex Carbohydrates - Examples include grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits.
• Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) - EFAs are essential in the diet as they are important compounds not able to be synthesised in our own bodies. Found mainly in fish oils (sardines, mackerel, tuna, salmon) and plant oils (like flaxseed and grapeseed), EFAs are a constituent in every cell membrane and improve the integrity and...

Your blood is involved in many bodily functions; ranging from transporting oxygen, hormones, sugar, fats and cells throughout the body; as well as transporting wastes that need to be eliminated via the kidneys.  The functions of the blood and kidneys are closely connected. 

To get the most out of any detox it is vitally important that we start with ensuring the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal system. If the gut is not breaking down food well, assimilating nutrients and eliminating wastes efficiently- toxins can be produced and sub-optimal health results. In doing this, we need to not only make healthy food choices to assist gut cleansing (and what these are can vary depending on individual needs), but we also need to look at the way we eat.

Improving the Way You Eat

Lymphatic Cleansing

The lymphatic system is an extensive drainage network that lies just under the skin that helps the body fight infection and helps with the elimination of toxins from the body.

SPICE DREAM is a deliciously healthy and exotic Chai Latte blend with a delicate balance of sweetness and spice. With the Australian tea market bursting with chai options and variations, I found that many of the powders and syrups available were full of rubbish- milk solids, flavourings and a whole lot of sugar! I wanted to make a spicy brew that was devoid of these nasties- something that was natural and pure and in line with what we stand for at Byron Bay Tea Company.

FORTIFY is the super-charged newcomer to the BBTC range of herbal teas- a wellness tonic combining the powerful healing benefits of medicinal mushrooms and Tulsi with Cacao and a delicate blend of spices. Medicinal mushrooms have been a personal favourite of mine for years. I keep a powder on hand at all times when I need that extra zing! Fortify has been a long time in the making and involved a little trial and error to get the balance of ingredients just right. Cacao matches the richness of the medicinal mushrooms and seemed like the perfect addition to this blend. And, let’s face it- who...

Tired? Stressed? Worn-out? No milk?

I went to a seminar on the Integrative treatment of cancer a couple of weeks ago. Green tea was one of the therapeutic phytonutrients, along with Tumeric and Resveratrol, that starred on the day- due to their potent antioxidant actions.

As the days get shorter, the nights get longer and a chilly winter sets in, we need to adjust our lifestyles to match the natural rhythm of a different season. Winter is the season for “storage” in Chinese Medicine. It is the storage of winter that allows for the aliveness of Spring. It is the storage of Qi, Blood, Yin, and Yang that is important and this is done by using an appropriate diet for the cooler seasons, as well as modifying our lifestyle in other ways.

10 WAYS TO SUPPORT THE KIDNEYS IN WINTER

So many of us are focussed on what we eat and obsessively follow a particular diet whether it be Paleo, Gluten-free, Ketogenic, low GI, Blood type diet, Mediterranean, The Zone, Raw Food, Weight Watchers or Atkins…. in an effort to stay healthy and well. Whilst it is vitally important that we make healthy food choices (and what these are can vary depending on individual needs), we also need to look at the way we eat.

Long before celebrity chefs began to garnish their plates with delicious herbs, there was an ancient art called herbalism. Herbalism is having a resurgence as many households are learning the health benefits of the herbs they are consuming in their food. Not just for ourselves, but for our beautiful furry pollinators, the bees.

Eastern Traditions have been consuming tea for their health benefits long before the British popularised it in the mid-17th century. In 1211 the Japanese monk Eisai wrote:

In 1211 the Japanese monk Eisai wrote: