Paying closer attention to your health during holidays and colder months doesn’t mean that you can’t cozy up with a hot cocoa or enjoy your grandmother’s famous pot pie. Incorporating more spices and herbs into your routine won’t alter your everyday routine or schedule in a big way, but it will make a huge impact on your overall health and well-being.
10 Spices & Herbs for Winter
No matter where you live, here are 10 great spices & herbs to keep you feeling great and your body functioning well during the winter months.
Not only is cinnamon a delicious and delightful spice to consume in colder months, but it’s packed with functional benefits. Cinnamon is a naturally antimicrobial spice, and is great at stimulating our digestive fire. Weak digestion can lead to toxicity and inflammation, which weakens our immune response. With cinnamon being a more common spice, it can be very easy to incorporate into your everyday routine. Sprinkle it in your tea or coffee, over fruit, or even in your go-to spice mix for meat.
Ginger is another wonderful antimicrobial spice. There is some debate around whether ginger is a spice or an herb, but that’s not as important as understanding why to consume it. Ginger has a warming quality to it, making it especially great for winter time. It can help to activate metabolism, optimize digestion, and boost immunity. We love making ginger tea, but there are so many great ways you can get creative with it!
It’s hard to come across a pantry without thyme! It’s an incredibly versatile and powerful spice known for its circulatory-enhancing, digestive firing, and antimicrobial effects. Think about these incredible benefits next time you spice your food with it! People tend to associate thyme with a more savory taste profile, but it’s actually a quite gentle and earthy flavor—even sweet at times. Don’t shy away from adding it to your next herbal tea in addition to spicing your vegetables with it!
You may associate this powerful berry with a cold, frozen acai bowl. In fact, you can consume it in many other ways! Acai juice and powder can be added into yogurt, warm cereal, tea (can you tell we love tea?!), and even soups. It’s become quite popular for its antioxidant properties, but it’s also bursting with flavonoids and vitamin C. All of which are key in helping fight inflammation, and boosting immunity.
Pro-tip: Did you know our tonics can be heated up and enjoyed warm?? Our Turmeric Radiance tonic is so comforting on a cold night.
Rosehips, not to be confused with rose itself, is actually the flowering fruit of the rose bush. It’s rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, and is great for reducing both inflammation and oxidation in the body. These are key properties to helping fight off infection and boosting immunity. Rosehips don’t take on the floral, botanical flavors of rose. It actually has a much tangier, tartness flavor to it—similar to hibiscus.
Slippery elm bark is a great plant for winter months, especially if you suffer from a dry cough or sore throat. This is because slippery elm is a type of plant called demulcent, that helps to moisten and soothe the body. It helps to fight inflammation, and hydrate irritated mucous membranes in the throat. In addition, it can help to soothe upset stomachs or recover from a stomach flu. This goes back to its moistening and hydrating effects, helping to heal the lining of the gut and repair water loss.
Lemon is another wonderful plant that is rich in antioxidants, flavonoids, and of course, vitamin C. Its assortment of antioxidants are the building blocks for a strong immune response, and are wonderful to have on hand all year-round. Lemon is a delicious addition to warm water in the mornings, mixed with other herbs for salad and vegetable dressings, or squeezed into your favorite tea!
Elderberry is a more widely known immune booster, and is prevalent in many medicinal tonics and over-the-counter remedies around the world. Elderberry is great for replenishing and refreshing the body, it helps to reduce inflammation, and is a delicious way to help boost immunity. Other ways to enjoy elderberry include adding a powdered form of elderberry to smoothies and soups, adding our Elderberry Defense tonic into a mocktail spritzer, and more!
Last but not least, is linden leaf! Linden leaf has been used in traditional and folk medicine for centuries. It’s great for reducing anxiety and calming the nerves—a great hack for hosts, before big holiday parties, and family gatherings. Consuming regular doses of medicinal spices and herbs like linden leaf are a great way to nourish and build the immune function in the body, particularly around the winter months.
