3 Herbs For The Winter Blues

It’s November and wintry weather will make its appearance soon. Already our bodies are adapting and can use a little help starting to acclimate to less vitamin D and colder temperatures. Being indoors more means that we are more likely to pick up illness and less sunlight means our mental health can struggle. Luckily mother nature provides many remedies. Below you will find my 3 favorite herbs for winter mental health wellness and the most effective ways to use them so you can get the most benefits from our plant allies and make this winter your best yet! Make sure to always check with your doctor, naturopath and/or local herbalist before adding any plants or supplements to your routine.

Wellness Profile: Chaga

Chaga is a fascinating fungus that has the potential to assist the human body on so many levels. When I was first diagnosed with Lyme’s disease, chaga tinctures and tea helped me weather the battle my body was raging. It was so lovely to have a medicine that tasted good too! It has a dark tint to it like coffee and because it shares similar compounds to vanilla beans, it has an underlying natural sweetness that is incredibly delicious. I used to cook mine on low in a crockpot over night and instead of coffee, I’d have chaga with nut milk and honey. It was so comforting and nourishing that I became a little bit obsessed with it and so began my chaga research journey.

Homemade Chai: A hug in a cup

As the seasons start to shift and the cooler weather arrives I have a go to recipe that stays in my fridge nearly all winter-chai tea concentrate. Sure, you can buy it at the store but there is nothing like homemade! It fills the home with the delicious scents of cinnamon, anise and cardamom lending your home that homey, cozy quality that we all need during the long winter, especially here in Vermont. Below is my recipe that I created based on my personal taste. Feel free to play with this recipe and make it your own. Maybe you like a little more spiciness or perhaps more sweet.