TURMERIC TEA PACKS A PUNCH

Cold and flu season is back. In fact this past week alone I ran into several individuals, a business and a hockey team who were all more than a little under the weather. Having half your staff or almost half your team down and out for the count does not make for a productive work day and it certainly won't help win any games.

Typically fall and spring (it did seem like sprng like last week...) seem to be the times when viruses dig in and take hold. Fall, when people start moving back indoors, kids go back to school, etc., means there are simply more people more often in close quarters and confined spaces with less fresh air. From now through until spring, I feel, is the time when immune systems are at their lowest. Staying indoors and generally being less active over the winter, combined with multiple holiday meals, treats and celebrations, beginning with Thanksgiving and ending with Easter, creates ideal conditions for viruses to take hold.

Although we can't get a do-over on the holiday season, there are a few things we can do going forward to build and strengthen our immune systems and give ourselves a fighting chance against the next round of viruses. Detoxing the body and reducing inflammation is a great place to begin.

There's nothing like a nice hot cup of tea to take care of the chills and warm you from the inside out. Why have regular tea that does very little for your health when you can have your own blend that detoxifies, energizes and strengthens the immune system? One of my favourite blends is turmeric tea - hot water with a fresh lemon wedge, fresh chunk of ginger, cinnamon stick, 1/4 tsp turmeric and honey or stevia to sweeten. Let steep at least 3-4 minutes. Add a pinch of chilli powder for a flavour change and to spice things up.

Besides tasting good, each ingredient comes with its own set of health benefits. Put them together and you have an amazing immune boost. Hot lemon water, even on its own is a natural detox, helping to remove waste and toxins from the body. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory, aids in digestion and helps relieve nose and throat congestion. Cinnamon, also an anti-inflammatory, kills bacteria and relieves muscle soreness and stiffness. Turmeric is very popular right now and rightly so. Along with having antioxidant properties, it helps control blood sugar and can offer relief of arthritis. Sweetening up your “tea” is optional of course and depends on your palette. Besides being a tasty sweetener, honey can help alleviate allergies, is a natural energy source, boosts memory and if you do happen to have a cold, acts as a natural cough suppressant. The extra pinch of Chili powder not only adds a flavor kick, but helps increase metabolism and aid in digestion. I bet you never thought you could get that many health benefits from your favorite mug or tea cup.

Good health doesn't just happen, it's created. And as with all great things, it doesn't happen over night it happens over time. It's about doing more things more often that have more benefit. Like the tea. Chances are, if you have a doozie of a cold, don't expect one cup of turmeric tea (or anything else for that matter) to do the trick. However, having several cups per day over the course of your cold will help you recover more quickly than without it. And continuing to drink it in as part of your daily routine is one way to make sure your body is constantly flushing out toxins, increasing anti-oxidants, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress and killing bacteria so that next time cold and flu season hits, it won't hit nearly as hard. Heck, it may even miss you altogether.