Tag: healthy

Immune Boosting Ginger & Turmeric Tea

With the season of flu and colds right around the corner not to mention that Covid 19 is still lingering around and doesn’t seem to go anywhere anytime soon it’s time to boost our immune system.

This tea is packed with immune boosting ingredients and it’s easy to make and super tasty. I like to prep a big batch and enjoy hot as well as cold. Ideally you want to drink it in the morning on an empty stomach just to make sure your body gets all the good benefits. But I also like to sip the beverage chilled throughout the day.

The key ingredients are:

Ginger is great at fighting flu or colds. It is great for your gut which helps boost your immunity

Turmeric is anti-inflammatory which really helps fighting off any inflammation processes that start in your body when you are getting sick. It helps you fight off a variety of viruses.

Lemon– we need some extra vitamin C when we are under the weather.

Honey is great in strengthening the immune system as well as relieving any pain.

Cayenne pepper is rich in a lot of vitamins like C, E , K, B6. It has metabolism boosting properties which helps our body clear off colds or the flu much faster.

Ingredients:

5 cups of water

1 piece of ginger (about 2 inches) sliced

1 lemon (using the juice and the zest)

Use a veggie peeler to remove the yellow part of the peel.

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

I usually prefer making it with fresh turmeric. But it’s not always available in my area. If you are using fresh use about the same amount as the ginger. Slice it into thin pieces, skin on. It gets messy so be careful around light clothing.

Raw honey

Sprinkle of cayenne pepper

Black pepper

Instructions:

Add water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and add the ginger, turmeric and lemon peel . Simmer for 10 minutes covered . Take out from the heat and add a crack of black pepper to make the turmeric easily absorbable. Squeeze half of the lemon into the pot. Add honey to taste in a mug and strain the tea over to make it dissolve. Sprinkle some cayenne pepper and enjoy!

Sometimes I make a double batch and store the tea in a glass bottle in the fridge for up to 3 days. Saves me so much during the week and keeps me healthy!

Easy, Healthy & Delicious Christmas Cookies recipe

The best cookie recipe that is perfect for Christmas but honestly I make them year round!

I played around with the traditional recipe and made it a bit healthier and so much more delicious. I don’t like using food coloring in my coking so I decided to decorate them with dark chocolate, nuts and coconut shreds. But if you have kids you can totally decorate them in traditional Christmas way with frosting and sprinkles.

What you will need:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar ( I use coconut sugar)
  • 1 cup oil ( I use coconut oil and it works so well with this recipe)
  • 2 tbs honey
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3 cups flour ( or as much as it takes to get a soft dough)

What you will do:

In a large bowl mix the eggs and the sugar until it’s dissolved. And then first add the oil followed by the rest of the ingredients. Mix them well and start adding the flour. I use regular mixer at the beginning and then finishing it off with hands. You need to get a soft dough consistency.

Take a small piece of the dough, put it in between 2 parchment papers and roll it. Use cookie cutters with desired shapes. Bake in pre-heated to 350 degrees F oven for about 10 min. Be careful to not burn them, they need to be light brown and soft to the touch. Check by sticking a toothpick or I use a wooden skewer. If it comes out clean they are ready. They might seem not ready at first but it’s so easy to go overboard and accidentally cook them until gold , and those extra minutes will get the cookies a little bit overdone. Not a huge deal but they will be a bit hard.

You can eat them right away but something to consider is that the longer those cookies stay the tastier they become. You can make them 2-3 days in advance so by Christmas they will be at their best!

For decorating:

I melt dark chocolate with a little bit coconut oil over a pot with water. I also grinded walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts. And use coconut flakes.

I sometimes make thinner cookies and use fruit preserves to assemble 2 together. And then add chocolate and while still hot I sprinkle the nuts or/and coconut flakes!

Enjoy

You can also watch my YouTube video on those

What to look for when CHOOSING COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENTS

I have been adding collagen supplement to my daily routine for the past 6-7 years and I really believe in its benefits. I normally take it for a month or so and then give it a few months break and then start over. When I take it I immediately notice healthier and more youthful skin, my breakouts clear and my scars diminish. The added bonus for conditioning and keeping joints healthy is amazing as well but personally I don’t really see a noticeable difference but it is a nice bonus for the long run.

The past few years the supplement got its spotlight. And as everything trendy the new marketing strategies are limitless. You can find so many different formulas and brands . The manufacturers are trying to catch the consumer’s eye by adding flavors, different types of collagen, they come in different forms (powders, pills, capsules and now even liquid) they keep adding extra verbiage on the packaging that in stead of making it easier for the consumer, it is getting really frustrating and hard to pick the right kind.

Not to mention that a lot of brands sell really poor quality products since FDA doesn’t really regulate them. So with something that goes into my body I felt really concerned and kept researching and educating myself on the topic. And I made a list of the most important things you should look for when you pick your collagen.

Types of collagen that are most common are I ,II , III.

You should pick up one that has Types l and III – those are the most important types that we need for our skin and joint health.

Finding one that has type II is not necessary vital and the ones that have many more types are just to catch your eye. Don’t get fooled that the more types it has the more benefits and effectiveness it will have.

You should look for Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides

Naturally collagen doesn’t get absorbed from our body, that is where the controversial opinions for its effectiveness come from. We just take it and it goes through our body and gets flushed out! That is why the scientists came out with hydrolyzed collagen peptides which means that the amino acids in them are broken down so the body can digest and absorb them. There is not enough scientific evidence that this really helps , but from my own experience I do believe it makes some difference!

Another thing you should look for is a Diverse Amino Acid profile at least 10. This will add a bunch to its effectiveness and help your body absorb more of its benefits.

Magnesium and Vitamin C also add a lot for its absorption.

Make sure you are getting Bovine Collagen ( comes from beef) and highly recommended Grass Fed/ Pasture-Raised.

What to avoid: What to look for:

  • Added colors
  • Artificial flavors
  • Soy
  • Non-hydrolyzed collagen
  • Artificial additives
  • Sugar

  • Hydrolyzed Collagen
  • Peptides
  • Type I & Type III
  • Bovine
  • Grass Fed / Pasture-Raised
  • Magnesium
  • Vitamin C
  • At least 10 amino acids

Another thing to avoid is Marine Collagen. Even though it is getting its popularity there is no strict rule where it should be sourced from meaning you don’t know if it comes from fish or other seafood not rich in collagen.

Make sure to save this post to Favorites, pin it on Pinterest or just take a screenshot so you can have it handy next time you shop for Collagen!!

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