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Herbal Essentials & Other Tips for Balance over the Holidays?

The last two months of the year can seem like a flurry of time passing. We pack in a lot during these last eight weeks with holidays, travel, school, finishing up a work year, and perhaps even a vacation. Although this can be an exciting time, our body may feel a little out of alignment when our routines and diet are disrupted. 

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The Autumn season in Ayurveda is a “vata season”, meaning that the dry, cool, subtle, windy and erratic qualities of fall mimic the primary qualities of the vata dosha. GROUNDING into our body, our routine, our diet and our spiritual practice is very important to stay balanced during these last months of the year. During holiday months, the three areas of our body that need the most attention are digestion, mind and mood, as these are quick to become out of balance in a vata time of year. 

Let your tea breaks be small moments during your day to calm your digestion, center your mind, or uplift your mood. 

Our Top Herbal Essentials for the Holidays: 

Digestion Support: Lemon Ginger Manuka Honey + slow cooked, warming foods.

After breakfast, lunch or dinner, enjoy a warm mug of Lemon Ginger Manuka Honey Tea to encourage healthy digestion and warm you up from the inside out. This is also a great tea to take with you when you travel to support your digestion and keep your body feeling grounded and anchored into your meal routines. 

In the cooler months, our digestion will respond better to foods that are warming, moist, nutrient rich, and slow cooked. This means that soups and stews, porridges, casseroles, roasted vegetables, warming grains, and anything from the crockpot is preferred. 

Mood Support: Three Mint + time outdoors.

If the extended darker times or holiday season is affecting your mood, keep our Three Mint tea close to enjoy any time of day. The sweet and vibrant aromatic mint combination is sure to uplift your senses and bring a bright feeling to your mood if you’re feeling a little low or despondent. 

Enjoy your tea outdoors whenever possible as time in nature has been shown to boost mood and support our mental health. Take a morning or afternoon walk in the sunshine, or spend time in a local park each day to clear your mind and notice the day around you. 

Mind Support: Vanilla Chai + one minute meditation

When your day may be a bit frazzled and your brain is pulled in too many directions, set aside 10 minutes to enjoy a seasonally spiced mug of Vanilla Chai. It’s naturally caffeine free and gives you a delicious mental uplift with ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. Sometimes we just need to step away from the to-do list, re-center our mind and have an indulgent treat to start fresh again!

Along with your tea, take one minute to close your eyes, place your hand on your belly or heart and take 5-6 deep, long breaths. Center your mind on your breath, breathing out any tension or mental anxiety. 

Establish for you: 

What parts of your routine are changing during the holiday season? Is there something you need a little more time for, or something you would like to maintain for your own sense of wellbeing? 

Take a few moments to assess your daily routine and feel into what may seem out of balance or missing. Schedule this into as many days as you can. And remember to tuck away some Pukka tea bags in your car, office drawer, purse, travel bags and coat pockets for an any-time daily moment of calm.

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Author: Lindsay Kluge

Herbal Educator, Pukka Herbs US

Lindsay is a clinical herbalist and nutritionist with a passion for bringing plants and people together. Through her work as a teacher and practitioner, she is passionate about helping people feel empowered in their health through community organic gardening, health education, and connection with nature. She has worked in clinical practiced with naturopathic doctors and MD’s alike, bridging the gap between alternative and conventional medicine to bring comprehensive, research based botanical medicine to her local communities. With an undergraduate degree in horticulture and a Masters in herbal medicine, plants are Lindsay's love language. She currently serves as the herbal educator for Pukka Herbs in the US, and teaches clinical nutrition at her alma mater, the Maryland University of Integrative Health. She is a guest lecturer at herbal medicine schools and conferences throughout the US.

Qualifications:

MS Herbal Medicine

Years of Experience:

10+ years as a clinical herbalist and nutritionist practitioner

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