Delicious healthy hot drinks for winter to boost and heal your body during the winter

Slowly but surely, winter is creeping up on us all once again. During this time of year, the chill is perhaps the most prevalent thing that makes us really feel the power of the cold weather. Frost will come early in the morning which will either wake you up quicker or force you to give into the temptation to stay in your warm bed for longer. All throughout the day, even the sun will get duller and the sunshine less powerful, eventually bowing down to the bitter cold. It’s times like these that we find a good hot drink of something that’s beneficial to our bodies and minds will hit the spot and satisfy us. Often the natural thought it to have a big home-cooked meal that’s going to heat up our insides and give us the energy to face another tomorrow. However, drinks that have medicinal qualities concentrate the nutrients, minerals, and vitamins we need, allow them to be digested in liquid form, which will, in turn, enter our system much quicker. Therefore as part of a healthy breakfast, these drinks should be catered for and given more priority if we’re going to look for something healthwise when it comes to helping our bodies maintain our internal anatomy.

Cinnamon punch hot cider

Even if you’re not someone who likes the taste of cider, this drink takes away the usual bitterness you find with ciders, and basically, makes this into a hot apple juice with a twang. Cinnamon sticks are added into a saucepan of cider that been slowly simmering, giving it a slightly spicy uplifting punch. The cider is simmered until the alcohol has been cooked off, which is where the bitterness leaves the drink. You can add a splash of black pepper if you wish, and a decent portion of nutmeg shavings, both will give the drink a few more layers of flavor. The cinnamon sticks help to bring alleviation to the heart after you’ve had a meal. If you have a little fat in your arteries, the spice also helps to break these cells down, increasing blood flow and the ability to take deeper breaths with less pressure on your chest. The apples that make the cider themselves have plenty of antioxidants in them and also help to relax your muscles after a long day at work. This medicinal drink will also help to keep your mind sharp as it also helps to relax the brain, which makes this a prime choice for something to ingest just before you go to bed.

North Asian gut health

As the cold sets in our bodies will start to want more and more in terms of energy to keep ourselves warm. This means that our gut will need to work overtime as the more calories and meals we consume, the support our digestive system needs. Shilajit is a paste that’s found in the Himalayas, which is found north India, southern Nepal region of the world. If ground into a fine paste, and added to hot water, and then gently dissolved, it can help men with their testosterone levels. It’s also known to help performance by supporting cell regeneration which is key for the winter as more strain is put on our bodies to maintain a level of mobility. Read more about shilajit here, and you can see how it also helps the heart against long-term damage, while also giving you more memory functionality. Shilajit can also support your body by helping it to age slowly and prevent cell damage which may otherwise cause your bones to feel the effects of wear and tear. Regulating the body’s hormones and propping up the immune system are other ways in which this medicinal drink can help to keep your internal body in tip-top condition.  

Mulled wine for the senses

This medicinal drink is often seen as just a party piece during the colder weather but actually, makes use of some great herbs and spices. The basics you’ll need are a good slightly sweet red wine because you need to counterbalance the other wave of flavors that will attempt to overpower the grapes. Next, you’ll need a good shaving of nutmeg to give it that slight boot. A cinnamon stick to sharpen the aftertaste a little. Raw orange peel is the star of the show, which should be planted into the saucepan as it is and not chopped up finely. A touch of dried basil to give it that leafy touch, and then a generous few bay leaves to give it a bold and full earthy tone. You can add sugar at some point if you wish, but this might make the mulled wine a little too sweet for some, so add to taste. You can, of course, add a red chili as well if you want the lips to tingle after each sip. However, this should be finely chopped or more preferably blended into a fine paste. The herbs and spices overall help the immune system in different ways. The chili will help your digestive system to be more proficient as well as clear out your colon which can help to relieve you from feeling a bloated. The wine itself is good for the heart and helps to lower your blood pressure, the basil and the bay both act as anti-inflammatory helping the blood vessels.  

Medicinal drinks are far too often overlooked as something that should come a far second to a good hearty meal during the winter time. However, the concentration of nutrients and benefits that a drink gives to the body allows the benefits to be absorbed far quicker and much more sufficiently by the digestive system. Even if you don’t like alcohol, the way the mulled wine and hot cider are made burns off the bitterness and leaves behind a smooth taste of the grapes and apples. With the addition of herbs and spices, you have multiple layers of flavor to the medicinal qualities you are drinking. Helping to support your immune system, and not forgetting your heart all these drinks will boost your body from the inside out and help to stave off the negative effects of the colder months.