With the chaos happening outside right now, we thought: What better time to publish our first Lifestyle Blog post?
A little something to warm you up and soothe your soul, not to mention give your immune system a hearty boost.
If you're working the front lines, anywhere.. retail, grocery, medical.. anyone with the public; we salute you. Thank you for your sacrifice and risk; to keep everyone fed and safe. We're not health experts over here ~ Suniela Beach is an outdoor lifestyle brand, specializing in high quality portable shade ~ but we are a bit nutty about health, family life, self care, and travel. We're super excited to start sharing more great content with you!
Thinking of you all, and our Suniela fam around the globe.. Stay safe 💛
Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably like the rest of us, sitting inside, peeking out the windows.. wondering the best way to keep ourselves and our families safe.
Here's a good place we all can start: OUR HEALTH!
God forbid any of us gets sick.. all we can do is fight it with our own immune system. And - of course - practice social distancing to be a good human!
Now's the time to give your defences a good boost!
Here's a great & easy recipe for a self care saviour, our cold & flu busting Immunity Tea.
With simple and affordable ingredients, you can make this by the batch and keep it at a low simmer on the stove, topping up your mug throughout the day. You can also store it in the fridge, ready to quickly reheat. If you're feeling bold, you can take a shot or two every morning to keep a strong immune system all the time. That'll wake you up!
With fresh grated ginger, golden turmeric, and just a hint of fiery cayenne, this tonic is so warming and delicious. You'll want to drink it even when there's no global pandemic! But especially now. Like right this minute! This tasty potion will instantly make you feel better, warming your insides and your soul... while delivering a potent kick to your immune system.You can skip straight to the easy recipe at the bottom; or scroll down to learn more about what goes into this powerful elixir.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR gives this drink it's warm, apple undertones... taking you back to those cozy days of fall when life was normal. Don't forget to take a moment to enjoy the tasty little escape from reality. Smile, think about something you're grateful for.. Put some positive energy out there :)
Make sure you buy unfiltered, preferably organic, vinegar with 'the mother' - that's the great stuff full of good bacteria and enzymes. As an added bonus, it will improve digestion, and can even help with weight loss.
GINGER is an antioxidant powerhouse, naturally boosting your immune system, an anti-inflammatory, and also a pain reliever. It can reduce gas and improve digestion, and relieve nausea and stomach pain, all while tasting amazing!
The active ingredient gingerol is believed to help people with osteo and rheumatoid arthritis, by easing pain and inflammation.
Drinking ginger tea during cold & flu season gives your body some extra protection, while also soothing symptoms like aches & pains, and upset stomach.
TURMERIC is a powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and also a good source of iron. Curcumin - the substance responsible for its vibrant yellow/orange colour - is shown to boost cognitive functioning, cardiovascular health, and is used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine to treat chronic pain, digestive disorders and inflammation.
*Always add some black pepper to any recipe with turmeric, as it enhances curcumin absorption by up to 2000%.
HONEY - Raw & Unpasteurized - Good quality honey is packed with antioxidants, boosts immunity, and has antibacterial properties. The perfect thing to put in your body when colds, flus, (and now covid-19) are lurking outside. It's also a great sore throat soother and natural cough suppressant.
**Get the good stuff here. Usually a 1 kg jar has the best price, and it has a long shelf life. It's really important to let your drink cool a bit before adding the honey, to avoid pasteurizing it. Pasteurizing kills all the nutrients. While you're adding this to your drink - pop a spoonful in your mouth too! Yum, and so good for you.
LEMONS are rich in vitamin C, one of the main ingredients in any immune system supplement, and have been shown to reduce severity of cold symptoms. Vitamin C is also essential for helping your body absorb the iron from the turmeric in this recipe. (Any time your iron source is from a non-animal source, you should have some vitamin c with it).
VITAMIN D - Bonus ingredient! Otherwise known as the sunshine vitamin - it's something else you can use to boost your immune system - go for a walk in the fresh air or just sit on your balcony with your face and hands in the sun. (Or more skin, if you can!)
Our bodies need sufficient vitamin D in order to produce antimicrobial proteins, which kill viruses and bacteria. Researchers have found that sunshine can help reduce flu infections, a fact proven over a hundred years ago during the great flu pandemic of 1918. If you're like us, living in a cold northern climate - you can still bundle up and reap the benefits. And if you really can't get the real thing, take a supplement; but remember - nothing beats the actual sun beaming on your face!
*If you're lucky enough to live in a warm climate, head on over to a quiet beach or park. If you're somewhere hot, don't forget your Suniela shade cabana; there's a fine line between healthy sun exposure, and the risk of sun damage.
*** Try to use the same ingredients, but - we know the grocery stores are a bit crazy right now. If you can, support smaller mom & pop style shops; you'll be helping a small business through a difficult time, and you might also have better luck finding the groceries you need.
If you only have dried ginger, not fresh, you'll still get some of the beautiful health benefits.. but keep in mind that only fresh ginger has been shown to help protect the respiratory system. The taste profile will also change, but hey - boosting the system is the goal here anyway, not just flavour! It will still be hella tasty.So don't stress; adapt as necessary, even just a few of these ingredients will boost you up.
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups water
3" nub of ginger, peeled and finely grated
3 tsp. turmeric
sprinkle of black pepper
4 tsp. apple cider vinegar (with 'the mother')
a few good shakes of cayenne, more if you like it spicy hot
METHOD:
Add all ingredients to pot.
Heat at medium high, stirring occasionally, until just below boiling.
Reduce heat to a low simmer, for 15 - 20 minutes.
Stir occasionally to infuse maximum flavour and nutrients.
Strain into a mug. Add honey and lemon juice to taste.
**Save the remaining strained ginger & turmeric for the next batch, it will take just a bit longer to infuse, but these ingredients go a long way!
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