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.
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.
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.
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-...
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.
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: