Health Synergy with Irina

The Challenge: 365 days of plant based lifestyle

Day 1, 364 days to go. This was not as difficult as I expected, everything went according to plan despite my stellar procrastination technique. After an hour of searching for my perfect socks, lucky sports bra and resizing the strap to my heart rate monitor I actually did it, I ran!

On my way home I started feeling a little off, coughing, runny nose and a mild headache. Luckily I knew of a remedy that works really well for that, and even more important I actually had all the ingredients. Hibiscus tea with goji berries aka wolf berries and Manuka honey. Why these three you ask?

I am all about natural remedies; however they need to be based on scientific research and preferaby based on sizable human trials, not just a few lab rats.

Hibiscus tea has been studied and proven to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and  have fever-reducing, pain relieving and spasm- inhibiting activities (1).

Wolf berries are high in Vitamin C and are known for many health benefits, from improved eye sight to controlling the release of sugar in the blood. Due to the high level of antioxidants they provide immune system support by fighting harmful free radicals and inflammation (2)

Manuka honey has been used for its amazing wound healing properties since Roman times and in 2016 has been FDA approved to be used as wound care dressing. A research team at Hadassah School of Medicine found that the antiseptic and anti-inflamatory properties present in manuka honey can also help reduce inflammation and provide relief from sore throat in cancer patients who developed bacterial infection post radiation.

I hope you are convinced that this tea concuction deserves a try! The recipe is really simple: 1 Tbs of manuka honey, 1 cup of Hibiscus hot tea and add 10-15 goji berries. Don’t forget to eat the hydrated goji berries after you had the tea, that is the best part.

Like with any home remedy, caution must be taken if you are taking prescribed medication, vitamin C can interfere with medication absorption and can be toxic taken in excessive amount so you would need to check with your doctor.

References:

1. Dafallah AA, al-Mustafa Z. Investigation of the anti-inflammatory activity of Acacia nilotica and Hibiscus sabdariffa. Am J Chin Med 1996;24:263-9

2. Amagase, H., & Nance, D. M. (2008, May). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-         controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (goji) juice, GoChi [Abstract]. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 14(4), 403–412. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18447631