Five ways to winter resilience with the Herbal Dispensary

PLENTY OF PLANTS

Put down the packets and pick up the plants! Eating with the seasons provides the mind and body with the nutrients needed to maintain resilience. For example, during the winter months nature provides us with vitamin C and antioxidant rich fruit & vegetables such as kiwifruit, mandarin, and capsicums.

Focus foods around warmth and grounding, including plenty of herbs and spices such as ginger, cayenne, turmeric, cinnamon, pepper, and cumin. These help to promote circulation and blood flow, which can slow in winter.

SLEEP

Be guided by the darker nights to switch off and wind down earlier in the evening. As you rise, make your bed and expose your eyes to natural light. Sleep is undeniably crucial to health and healing, a time in which some of our deepest repair takes place. Thus, cultivating a little routine here goes a long way towards building resilience and staying well.   

MOVE

Keep moving! Movement is crucial to keeping your immune system strong, managing stress, anxiety, and maintaining mental wellbeing. Welcome the day with a brisk walk or jog, or yoga. Find a form of movement that you enjoy and make it part of your regular routine.

LOVING AWARENESS

Bring mindfulness to your moments, fall in love with the mundane, and focus on what you are grateful for. Factor in some me-time, figuring out what you enjoy or what relaxes you. Balance this with time spent being present with your pals. It’s easy (and normal) to hibernate during this time of year, however connection and sense of belonging is fundamental to our health and wellbeing.

A HERBAL HAND

Herbal medicine acts to activate and restore the body in it’s innate ability to heal. Our resilience depends on the ability of our bodies to adapt to and respond to stress, be it physical, mental, emotional, environmental, or otherwise.

Our Medical Herbalists are available 7 days a week to prepare personalised formulas, supplement and self-care recommendations.

The Herbal Dispensary and Organic Food Store. 6 Wallis Street, Raglan Ph: 07 825 7444.