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Tag: health benefits of turmeric

5 Ways You Can Detox Everyday

Posted on by flourishweb

Detoxifying your body daily will give your organs and microbiome the boost they need to work optimally every day. By turning our favourite daily detox tips into habits, your body will feel noticeably lighter, brighter and ready for anything.

1. Eat natural anti-inflammatory foods

If your body is inflamed – whether due to injury, stress or inflammatory health conditions – it could definitely benefit from a detox.

Incorporating more natural anti-inflammatory foods into your diet will help to reduce the inflammation levels in your body. Foods that fight inflammation include tomatoes, spinach, avocado, blueberries, almonds and turmeric.

Having studied the health benefits of turmeric, we understand the power that this golden spice contains. That’s why it’s the key ingredient in our Turmeric Blend, a health supplement specifically formulated with natural ingredients to reduce inflammation within the body.

2. Take prebiotic supplements for gut health

Digestion and detoxing go hand-in-hand. Giving your gut the tools it needs to efficiently digest and remove harmful toxins from the body means packing it full of prebiotics.

Prebiotics feed the probiotics in your gut, an abundance of which helps to maintain a healthy and balanced microbiome. Eating prebiotic-rich foods like chicory root and green bananas will help to keep your gut healthy, cleansed and ready to digest.

If you don’t have any prebiotic-rich foods on hand, taking prebiotic supplements regularly – like our Prebiotic Blend – will give you the nutrients your gut and body need to detox and thrive.

3. Give your body a liver cleanse

As the body’s filtration system, the liver has a huge job to do in separating out toxins from nutrients and removing them from the body. In order to detox every day, you need to eat foods that support detoxification and give your body a liver cleanse.

Beetroot is a powerful source of nutrients that help to cleanse your liver by speeding up the body’s waste excretion process. We use beetroot powder in our Dailly Detox blend to target liver function and improve the organ’s filtration rate.

4. Drink water

We need water to survive. By staying hydrated, our body has a much easier time performing its natural functions and processes.

Drinking water regularly aids digestion, promotes smooth joint movement, regulates body temperature and removes waste and harmful toxins from the body – which makes it quite the detoxifying drink!

5. Sweat it out

Sweating helps to remove heavy metals and harmful toxins from the body – a process aided by water, so make sure you’re drinking lots of it.

There are many different ways you can sweat the toxins out, so simply choose your favourite. Try doing some intensive exercise, taking a hot yoga class or relaxing in a sauna. The choice is yours!

Get your detox on

Detoxifying your body reaps a myriad of rewards. By detoxing every day, you will have more energy, improved digestion, easier movement and a more upbeat attitude. Sounds like a detoxifying dream come true!

Natural Remedies for a Better Night’s Sleep

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A good night’s sleep gives your body time to rest and recuperate in preparation for the coming day. But when your sleep cycle is out of whack, it can throw everything else out of balance, too.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, there are a number of things you can do to help improve your sleep and fall back into a natural rhythm. We’ve listed our favourite natural remedies for improving your sleep below.

Drink turmeric tea before bed

With all of the health benefits of turmeric packed into our Turmeric Blend, we already know the power of this enticing spice.

Not only is turmeric a powerful natural anti-inflammatory, but it also helps to aid digestion. This is crucial to your sleeping pattern because if there’s food in your stomach, your body will delay melatonin production (more on this soon) and it will take you longer to get to sleep.

Speed up your digestion and counteract your body’s natural response with a cup of turmeric tea before bed. The turmeric will help to get things moving along, prevent you from having to go to bed on a full belly, and ensure that your melatonin production happens on time.

Get your sunshine hours in

Melatonin is a hormone that makes you feel relaxed and sleepy, and it’s pumped through your body at night to help you sleep. Healthy melatonin production is easy – all you need to do is get your daylight hours in.

The production of melatonin is intrinsically linked to your body’s natural cycle of waking and sleeping.

In order for your body to know when it’s time to wake and time to sleep, you need to absorb as much natural light as possible during the day. That way, your body will know when to release larger amounts of melatonin throughout your system (at night) to help you sleep.

Change your diet

The food you put into your body has a huge impact on how your body functions. When it’s loaded with unhealthy food, it can’t work at optimal capacity. Instead, you can expect to see poorer digestion, decreased mood, ongoing fatigue and bad sleep patterns.

Transitioning over to a natural anti-inflammatory diet that consists of nutritious, balanced meals and healthy snacks will help to keep your body functioning optimally and improve your sleep – as well as other physical and psychological aspects of your life.

The team at Flourish are passionate about our plant-based diet because of how positively it has impacted our own – and especially our co-founder, Chris Ashton’s – lives.

Get moving

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: exercise is beneficial for your health in so many ways. Not only does regular exercise make you stronger and fitter, but it also helps to improve your mood, aid digestion, increase your energy levels and promote better sleep.

Aim to get moving – whether it’s for a walk, run, cycle, strength training or other type of fitness – for at least 20 minutes a day.

Due to pre-existing injuries, health conditions or general preference, you may find that high-impact exercise is not for you. If this is the case, opt for some low-impact alternatives.

Yoga is a calming, low-impact exercise that has been shown to improve sleep quality with regular practice.

Get a better night’s sleep

Whether it makes you feel irritable, tired, unable to focus or hungrier than usual, a poor night’s sleep can impair your waking existence in many ways. We recommend trying out these natural remedies to improve your sleep quality and feel more energised and tranquil during the day.

Healthy Eating Tips While Working From Home

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Working from home has become the norm for many of us and we’re experiencing a whole range of benefits as a result.

However, having our desk so close to the pantry can make it easy to fall into unhealthy habits. The good news is that maintaining a healthy diet while working from home is absolutely possible. We’ve shared our tips on how you can make healthy eating at home work for you.

Drink water

Water is an important part of your diet and many of us aren’t drinking enough of it in our day-to-day lives. Oftentimes, when people feel hungry or start to crave food, it’s actually because they are thirsty. So drink up your water!

Drinking water provides our body and mind with many benefits, including improving our skin, preventing dehydration-related headaches and aiding our digestion.

You don’t have to worry about measuring your water intake (unless you want to), but rather try to simply be aware of how much water you drink throughout the day. Always have a water bottle or full glass nearby so that you can take a few gulps before turning to food.

Caffeine-free herbal tea is a great alternative to water for keeping you hydrated. We recommend mixing in a teaspoon of our natural anti-inflammatory Turmeric Blend with your next lemon or ginger tea.

Stock your fridge and pantry with real food

By eating a healthy, balanced diet loaded with nutritious food, we feel more energised and are more productive in our work. Not only does plant-based food help to keep us full and satiated for longer, but it also produces the mental clarity we need to focus on the job at hand.

The food you eat can either negatively or positively influence your mental health, which is why it’s important to make the healthy food choice as often as you can.

Do this by keeping your fridge stocked with fruits and vegetables, your pantry packed with nuts, seeds and spices, and your Flourish health and prebiotic supplements front and centre.

Plan or prep your meals ahead of time so that when lunch rolls around, you’ve got a healthy meal ready to go.

Keep healthy snacks on hand

Working from home makes mindless snacking a very easy habit to fall into, but it isn’t a good one – especially when the snacks you’re munching on are sugary, fried, high in salt or carb-heavy.

Being so close to the pantry doesn’t help with the mindless munching. Take matters into your own hands and ensure that the snacks being stocked in your home are healthy ones. It’s much easier for you to reach for fruit, carrot sticks or protein bars if they are the only available option.

We love to have a mix of sweet and savoury treats on hand for snacking, such as almonds, apples and homemade sweet potato crisps. We’ve listed some of our favourite snacks below.

It’s all about making the right food choices

Staying healthy while working from home comes down to a simple choice. You can either eat food that helps you flourish or consume unhealthy food that doesn’t (we recommend the former!).

By incorporating these healthy food tips into your daily routine, working from home will be a much healthier and energising experience for all.

5 Natural Ways To Reduce Stress

Posted on by flourishweb

Living in a modern, fast-paced and technologically-advanced world has a bigger impact on stress than you might think. There are numerous variables that can lead to stress, including workload, home environment, social interactions and even the technology we so love.

Because stress can negatively affect your health – from high blood sugar and a suppressed immune system to autoimmune conditions and depression – it’s important to adopt practices into your life that may help to reduce your stress levels.

1. Eat a natural, anti-inflammatory diet

When you’re under a lot of stress, your body produces higher levels of cortisol, the stress-response hormone designed to alert you to danger. Too much cortisol in the body for an extended period of time may cause inflammation.

To counteract your body’s inflammatory response to stress, start eating natural anti-inflammatory foods like spinach, avocado, berries, dark chocolate and turmeric.

Made with 100% natural plant-based whole foods, our Turmeric Blend is specifically formulated to reduce inflammation in the body and ease the joint pain and other symptoms associated with it.

2. Do gentle exercise

Exercise is a good way to relieve stress, but the type of exercise you’re doing matters. High intensity workouts actually contribute to raising your cortisol levels – which, for a stressed-out body already filled with the stuff, isn’t good.

Gentle exercise like walking, yoga or moderate cycling won’t increase your cortisol levels, but it may still help to relieve your stress and even release endorphins to make sure you feel good both physically and mentally afterwards.

An interesting aside, just 8,000 steps per day helps to keep your metabolism burning.

3. Breathe deeply and meditate

Being under a lot of stress may make you feel overwhelmed during your waking hours and even while you sleep. To combat the overwhelming effects of stress, try introducing a calming meditation practice to your daily routine.

Apps like Headspace offer guided meditation which may be a helpful tool for those of you who are new to the practice or just like having a soothing voice in your ear. Yoga and focused breathing are also forms of meditation that may help to reduce your stress.

4. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep

Sleep plays a key role in improving your general health and wellbeing. If you’re not getting enough zzz’s each night, you are more likely to become stressed during the daylight hours.

People need roughly 7-9 hours of sleep per night in order to feel rested and ready for the day ahead. To help prevent stress, make sure you’re getting enough sleep and giving your body the time it needs to rest.

5. Minimise your screen time

As much as we don’t want to hear it – and especially during a time when watching tv, scrolling through socials or reading the news might be your only form of entertainment – too much screen time may cause and exacerbate stress.

Not only is too much screen time attributed to stress, but it may also lead to long-term problems with vision, sleep impairment, negative rewiring of the brain, and a heightened experience of anxiety or depression.

Reduce your stress naturally

While your stress levels may be directly influenced by your workplace or personal life, there are a number of ways that you can work towards reducing the pressure you feel naturally.

By exercising regularly, eating right and taking time away from the screen to breathe, you may be in a much healthier headspace and able to better combat any stress that comes your way.

Fight stress-related inflammation with our Turmeric Blend

Foods To Fight Cold & Flu Naturally

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Not only is food the main source of energy, but it can work as a natural medicine, too. When you’re fighting a cold or the flu, eating the right foods will help you exponentially on your road to recovery.

We’ve listed 5 of our favourite healing foods that help to relieve the symptoms of cold and flu and shorten its overall duration.

Turmeric

The health benefits of turmeric go far beyond the anti-inflammatory properties that the golden spice is known for.

Turmeric’s curcumin is not only a natural anti-inflammatory, but it also has anti-infective properties that can help to fight viruses, bacteria and fungi – including those that result in a case of the common cold.

By taking our Turmeric Blend daily, you may lower your body’s inflammation levels and give your immune system the boost it needs to keep you in optimal health throughout the winter season.

Vitamin C-rich fruits

Everyone knows that you should eat oranges and lemons when you’re sick, but many of you might not actually know why. Fruits like lemons, oranges, grapefruit and limes all contain vitamin C, which helps to reduce the severity of the common cold, as well as it’s duration.

Capsicum and kiwifruit are also a wonderful source of vitamin C, which you can easily add into your stir frys, salads or smoothies.

One of our favourite go-to drinks for soothing cold symptoms contains just 3 ingredients: honey, lemon and hot water. Simply mix a teaspoon of honey with some freshly squeezed lemon juice in a mug of hot water, and add a lemon slice or two to garnish.

Manuka honey

Native to New Zealand, manuka honey makes a marvellous home remedy for a sore throat due to its antibacterial properties – properties that traditional honey does not contain.

The antibacterial and antiviral properties in manuka honey help to reduce inflammation in the back of the throat while also fighting against the bacteria that cause you to feel pain in that area.

After sipping on one of our favourite lemon and honey drinks, you’ll notice that your throat feels soothed and less raw. This is because manuka honey doesn’t just fight harmful bacteria – it also coats the inner lining of the throat, relieving the pain you experience there.

Garlic

Like turmeric, garlic contains natural anti-inflammatory properties. However, what makes it such a powerful flu combatant is the sulfur compounds it forms after being chewed, crushed or chopped.

Not only do these compounds help to reduce the duration of colds, but they also help to prevent you from getting sick in the first place. Get your daily garlic fix with our favourite pasta alternatives.

Ginger shares manuka honey’s ability to relieve sore throats, as well as turmeric and garlic’s natural anti-inflammatory properties.

However, what sets this spice apart from the rest is its antimicrobial properties. These properties make ginger a food primed to help fight infections – including those like the sore throat-causing cold and flu.

Rest and recover

While there are many beneficial foods that can help to relieve the symptoms and shorten the duration of the common cold, the most important thing to do when you’re sick is to rest, stay hydrated and sleep.

Move away from the screen, put your work aside, curl up in bed and let both your mind and your body rest. Allow your body to focus on fighting the infection and healing, and not on anything else.

Put it all together as a preventative by making an oxymel. An oxymel is a herbal tonic used as natural medicine made from a mixture of honey and vinegar – though it can include other ingredients, too.

Making your own oxymel at home is easy. Simply take some manuka honey, add crushed ginger, garlic, grated fresh turmeric and a little finely diced capsicum. Crush these ingredients together to form a paste and then add it to lemon juice and warm water. Drink up!

Prepare your body for the flu with our Turmeric Blend

Probiotics and Prebiotics for Gut Health

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The relationship between probiotics and prebiotics is a close one, with each being a popular topic in their own right in today’s nutritional conversations.

While the two sound similar, it is important to understand their differences when embarking upon your new health journey and choosing between probiotic or prebiotic supplements.

The difference between probiotic and prebiotic supplements

Probiotic and prebiotic supplements perform two very different tasks within the body.

Probiotics

Probiotics are the healthy bacteria that live in your gut and make up your gut microbiome which, much like a fingerprint, is unique to each of us.

Today, we know there are almost 1500 different probiotic species that call our gut microbiome home. We each have unique levels of bacteria in our gut, and the probiotic species’ that need topping up through supplements will vary.

Most probiotic supplements only contain a small number of probiotics – which means that by taking one, it is unlikely you will replace the specific species in your microbiome that needs to be restored.

When you take the same probiotic day after day, it is also very easy to overpopulate a species and throw the gut microbiome – and the healthy bacteria that live there – out of balance.

Prebiotics

Probiotics need food to survive, but they don’t eat just anything – and that’s where prebiotics come in. Prebiotics are the food that probiotics eat.

With over 1500 different species of probiotics in the gut, it can be hard to know which are running low and need topping up. By taking prebiotic supplements, you can rest assured that every species will be fed – and not just some of them.

There are many prebiotic whole foods you can eat including chicory root, green bananas and garlic that will all help to replenish the probiotics in your gut.

For a tasty treat your gut will love, try our Gut Blend Bliss Balls. Combined with 2x heaped teaspoons of our Prebiotic Blend, they make a sweet snack for you and an even sweeter snack for your microbiome.

Chicory root: a prebiotic whole food

Eating foods that your gut loves will help you to maintain a healthy balance of probiotics within it. Chicory root is one of those foods, and because of the inulin fibre it contains, it’s the key ingredient in our Prebiotic Blend.

The health benefits of chicory root are numerous, but the main reason we love it is because it’s a tasty source of food for the probiotics in your gut.

Caring for your health means caring for your gut

Emerging studies are showing that the gut is more important than we ever believed it to be. There is a significant connection between our gut health and mental health, and who knows? Maybe someday soon science will surpass folklore in telling you to listen to your gut.

Improving your gut health is imperative to improving your overall health. Our Prebiotic Blend will feed the probiotics in your gut to ensure a healthy, happy and balanced microbiome – and a healthier, happier you!

Improve your gut health with our Prebiotic Blend

The Health Benefits of Turmeric For Autoimmune Diseases

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Did you know that all disease starts with inflammation? In fact, it is one of the drivers and main symptoms of most autoimmune diseases, from Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis to Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Inflammation typically appears as swelling or joint pain, but can present itself in many ways and can also be silent.

When it comes to autoimmune diseases, the natural anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric can help – and that’s why we’ve made it the main ingredient in our Turmeric Blend.

Turmeric, along with 12 other natural whole-foods, work in harmony to reduce inflammation and the pain that comes with it.

For someone with an autoimmune disease, the natural anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric can truly make a difference in day-to-day life.

What are autoimmune diseases?

Autoimmune diseases all have one thing in common, which is that they cause your immune system to attack the healthy cells within your body.

In this condition, your body cannot tell the difference between those cells that keep you healthy and functioning, and those that are foreign and potentially dangerous. All of this confusion leaves your body at the mercy of a mistaken immune system.

Turmeric has the ability to assist the immune system to regulate or modulate itself, and this helps place the autoimmune condition into remission.

The following are a list of autoimmune diseases that a natural anti-inflammatory like turmeric could help:

  • Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, which attacks your thyroid, the small gland at the base of your neck responsible for metabolism, growth and development.
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis, which causes swelling around the joints that leads to redness, stiffness and joint pain.
  • Graves Disease is another autoimmune condition affecting the thyroid gland. It causes an overproduction of thyroid hormones and can result in hand tremors, weight loss, a swollen thyroid and puffy eyes.
  • Psoriatic Arthritis affects only those who already have psoriasis, causing inflammation of the joints as well as scaly skin patches and a flaky scalp.
  • Crohn’s Disease inflames the bowel, affecting the digestive tract and resulting in diarrhea, weight loss and abdominal pain.
  • Multiple Sclerosis affects the central nervous system. By causing severe nerve damage, it can sever the communication link between the brain and the body.

Our personal experience with autoimmune disease

Co-founder of Flourish, Chris Ashton was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2003. Upon receiving his diagnosis, Chris began researching what lifestyle changes he would need to make in order to minimise the impact of MS on his life.

With a Master of Business Administration, a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and a Bachelor Health Science (Nutritional Medicine), Chris’ methodical brain helped him to see and understand the impact of food as medicine.

Using this knowledge – including all of their research and further studies into autoimmune disease – the Flourish team understands the intricacies of autoimmune disorders.

They know what can help to significantly reduce, and in some cases even reverse, the inflammatory symptoms associated with autoimmune conditions.

How the health benefits of turmeric can help

It is not the turmeric itself that has anti-inflammatory properties, but the curcumin component within it. The remaining nutrients in the spice help with absorption, utilisation and protection from the curcumin itself so that the body is able reap its anti-inflammatory benefits.

Like all foods, turmeric is best consumed in its natural form in order to fully reap all of its nutrients. We always recommend staying away from curcumin extracts – and extracts in general – because mother nature intended turmeric as a whole food.

Turmeric contains over 300 different phytonutrients which work together to ensure that all of them are put to use within the body.

By only taking curcumin as a single extract, you won’t receive all of the health benefits of the whole food, and it may even have harmful effects on the gut.

Because a key driver of autoimmune disease is inflammation, treating these diseases is about finding a way to reduce the inflammatory levels in your body.

Our Turmeric Blend harnesses the health benefits of turmeric and its natural anti-inflammatory properties to relieve painful inflammation and reduce the many associated symptoms of autoimmune diseases, which can include a multitude of ailments from joint pain to digestive issues.

Choose a plant-based diet

If you really want to quell the effects of an autoimmune disease, the best advice we can offer is to transition over to a plant-based diet.

Highly processed foods like refined sugars, refined flours and refined carbohydrates all cause inflammation in the body, as does consumption of red meat and dairy.

By cutting out processed foods like lollies, chocolate, fried food, breakfast cereals and bread – and replacing them with whole foods that fight inflammation like fruits and vegetables – you will have a much better chance of reducing the impact that an autoimmune disease can have on your everyday life.

By making positive lifestyle changes that last and embracing natural anti-inflammatory herbs like turmeric, you have the power to change your life for the better – just like Chris did!

A natural anti-inflammatory like turmeric has the power to heal.

Best Plant-Based Proteins

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Why do we need protein?

The world is fixated on the word ‘protein’. But where do you get your protein from if you’re following a whole food plant-based diet?

Protein is a macro element found in food – both in plants and in animals. Despite what the influential dairy and meat industries might have you believe, proteins are not just found in animal products. In reality, all plants are made up of proteins too.

Proteins help to build and repair our muscles, skin and internal organs. They also produce enzymes and hormones and help our immune systems to fight off infection. Loaded with vitamins and minerals, the list of benefits that proteins provide is long.

How much protein do we need?

When following a plant-based diet, it is important to eat plants that are high in protein. By eating plants with a higher protein content, you won’t have to graze all day like a gorilla or a cow in order to consume all the protein your body needs to repair, rebuild and grow.

As a growing human (e.g. a child or an athlete building muscle mass), we need 0.8 grams of protein per kilo of body weight. However, to simply maintain and repair our bodies as an adult, we really only need 0.4-0.5 grams of protein per kilo of body weight.

Here’s an example for putting these numbers into your day-to-day: 1 bowl of porridge is 7-8 grams of protein, and 100 grams of potato is 100 grams of protein.

The best sources of plant-based proteins

It’s important to note that animal proteins are pro-inflammation, which means that the more you consume, the higher your level of inflammation. Stick to plant-based protein and you won’t have to worry about inflammation overload.

Protein can be easily obtained from an entirely plant-based diet. Some plant-based foods are much higher sources of plant proteins, such as the following:

Chickpeas

Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas are the main ingredient in our Flourish hummus recipe, and they make for a delicious curry or salad.

A great source of plant-based protein, chickpeas also contain several vitamins and minerals including iron, folate, manganese, phosphorus and copper – all of which work together to keep your body in harmonious health.

Lentils

With up to 9 grams of protein per 100 grams, lentils are pretty high on the list of plant-based protein sources. These legumes are also packed with fibre, and like chickpeas, they contain numerous healthy vitamins and minerals.

Try incorporating lentils into your next veggie soup, or using them as the base for homemade lasagna. Both meals are perfect for keeping you warm this winter!

Vegetables

Vegetables are, and have always been, an excellent source of protein. There are a whole lot of tasty veggies that pack a protein punch, many of which are classics:

  • Green peas
  • Asparagus
  • Broccoli
  • Brussel sprouts
  • Bean sprouts
  • Spinach

Most of these veggies are easy to dish up with your favourite meals, but if you’re unsure or haven’t tried them before, it’s easy to look up a simple recipe for inspiration.

For example, brussel sprouts mightn’t be very popular, but sautee them with some pine nuts, sea salt and garlic, and you’ll wonder why you weren’t eating them sooner.

Nuts and seeds

Like vegetables, there are plenty of nuts and seeds around that are packed just as full of protein. These include:

  • Hemp seeds
  • Chia seeds
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Almonds
  • Pistachios
  • Cashews
  • Hazelnuts
  • Walnuts
  • Brazil nuts

Many of the nuts in this list can be made into nut butter, which makes a tasty treat when spread over some apple, banana or toast.

It’s also worth noting that chia seeds are exceptionally protein-heavy, as just one tablespoon contains up to 2 grams of protein. You can add chia seeds to smoothies, soups or salad, and there’s always the option to whip up a classic chia pudding.

Oats

Namely known for their vital role in the making of porridge, oats are a surprisingly high source of protein, with 10 grams of protein to every 100 grams of oats.

Oats are also a significant source of fibre, and studies suggest that they offer a number of health benefits including lowering cholesterol and promoting the feeling of being full after eating.

Protein is an important part of a healthy diet

Not only do proteins build and repair muscles, produce enzymes and hormones and boost our immune system, but they are also a significant energy source.

While too little protein can lead to shrinking muscle tissue, a build-up of fluids in the feet and ankles, and an iron deficiency in the blood, too much protein can be just as harmful. Finding the right balance of protein for any diet is an important element to be aware of.

There is a huge range of plant-based veggies packed full of protein, including nuts, legumes, vegetables, grains and more. To ensure you’re consuming enough protein whilst on a plant-based diet, all you need to do is eat the right foods to give you that boost.

Best Natural Anti-Inflammatory Herbs

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Herbs that help to reduce inflammation

When it comes to finding a natural anti-inflammatory, you might not have to look any further than the herbs and spices in your pantry.

While many of us already know about the health benefits of turmeric, there are numerous other common herbs and spices that have incredible natural anti-inflammatory properties.

By themselves, these herbs and spices aren’t likely to have much of an effect. However, when taken in conjunction with a plant-based diet and whole food, plant-based supplements, you may just start to see the symptoms associated with your inflammation – whether that be fatigue, pain, or infection, to name a few examples – improve with the use of these natural anti-inflammatories.

Flourish natural health supplements are made with premium, medicinal grade ingredients

Whilst the ingredients we use in our natural supplements are common to people’s pantries, the specific grade we use in our blends is less common.

Our ingredients are of a therapeutic nature and dose, which means that the grade of turmeric, cinnamon, chicory root and other whole foods we use is not the same as what you might find in your kitchen cupboard or on the supermarket shelf.

By using premium, medicinal grade ingredients, our health blends contain the highest quality nutrients that work together to effectively target and improve inflammation, liver function and digestive health.

Turmeric

The health benefits of turmeric are many, and the ancient spice is well known for its natural anti-inflammatory properties.

Turmeric’s active ingredient, curcumin, is the component that allows the spice to act as a natural remedy to reducing inflammation.

Our Turmeric Blend is a natural anti-inflammatory that harnesses the power of turmeric’s curcumin, as well as 12 other plant-based whole foods, to target, reduce and relieve inflammation in your body.

Ginger

Ginger is another spice known for its natural anti-inflammatory properties, having been used as a folk medicine for hundreds of years.

Studies have shown that ginger acts in much the same way as COX-2 inhibitors, which are a type of drug used specifically to treat and relieve inflammation.

Cinnamon

Often used in baking or sprinkled over a cappuccino, cinnamon is a popular spice that doubles as a natural anti-inflammatory.

These natural anti-inflammatory properties come from the polyphenol antioxidants that cinnamon is packed with, which may help to protect against disease and keep you in optimal health.

Try adding cinnamon to your next smoothie, bowl of porridge or hot drink – ideally, black tea, coffee or hot chocolate. A woody spice with a sweet and spicy aroma, it tends to work best with sweet dishes.

Cloves

While research on the natural anti-inflammatory properties of cloves is rather limited, one study shows that the spice does contain anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial and anticancer properties.

You can infuse whole cloves into warm drinks like tea, or use powdered clove in baked and savoury meals.

Green tea

Renowned for its myriad health benefits, green tea has been used in China for thousands of years – and has since been shared with the rest of the world.

Green tea is another herb containing the antioxidants polyphenols, which have strong natural anti-inflammatory properties, and can also help to improve and treat digestive issues and diseases including diabetes.

Black pepper

Black pepper is a popular spice that can be found in most kitchens in Australia – and in other parts of the world, too. Piperine, one of the chemical compounds of black pepper, may help to fight the early stages of inflammation.

Not only does it contain natural anti-inflammatory properties, but black pepper also has antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. When used with turmeric, it helps to enhance the spice’s anti-inflammatory effects.

Garlic

Closely related to the leek, onion, shallot and chive, garlic is another spice (technically, it’s actually a vegetable) whose medicinal properties have been used for thousands of years.

Research has shown that not only does garlic have natural anti-inflammatory properties, but it also has additional benefits – garlic is well known for its ability to fight the common cold by acting as an immune system booster.

It also contains antioxidants that may help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, as well as active sulfur compounds that can help to reduce blood pressure.

Incorporate these herbs and spices into your diet

Not only do these herbs and spices have natural anti-inflammatory effects on the body, but each of them is also a healthy (and delicious!) addition to any meal.

Fighting inflammation in your body is about embracing a diet filled with natural-anti inflammatory foods. Here at Flourish, we know that adopting a whole food, plant-based diet can significantly improve your health.

Our all-natural health blends – and more specifically, our Turmeric Blend – can help to boost your health and relieve inflammation throughout your body.

Fight inflammation with our Turmeric Blend

How Gut Health Affects Mental Health

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The global conversation around mental health

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 450 million people worldwide currently suffer from mental health disorders. In their lifetimes, 1 in 7 Australians will experience depression, and 1 quarter of the country’s population will experience anxiety.

Mental health disorders have become a global conversation, and there is a lot of research being done to identify the cause. Studies are beginning to show the significant connection between gut health and mental health, and how the two are intertwined.

The gut-brain connection

Also known as the gut-brain axis, the connection between the gut and the brain is a strong one. There is a bidirectional link between the two, which means that communication goes both ways – the gut can send and receive messages to and from the brain, and vice versa.

Interestingly, we can often feel emotion in our gut. Whenever you experience “butterflies”, or the feeling of being “sick to your stomach”, your brain and your gut are actually communicating with one another.

The gut microbiome refers to the community of bacteria in your intestines. When these bacteria are healthy and balanced, they work in harmony with the rest of your body.

However, when your gut microbiome is unbalanced, it has the power to negatively influence your brain – and thus, your mental health.

Food and mood go hand-in-hand

Research is making it clear that the food you consume can directly affect your mood. Foods that are high in sugar can give you a quick high followed by a crash, and carb-heavy, processed foods can put you to sleep.

It is no surprise, then, that certain foods can either boost or lower your mood.

Signs that your gut health could be affecting your mental health

Gas and bloating

If you are experiencing gas and bloating after a meal, it could be because your gut microbiome has become unbalanced and the bad bacteria within it has taken over.

This unbalance can be caused or worsened by excessive alcohol consumption, medication, antibiotics, external stress or a poor diet.

People who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are likely to have associated mood disorders and anxiety. With a whole-food, plant-based diet, you can replenish the good bacteria in your gut, rebalance your microbiome and ease any IBS symptoms you may be experiencing.

Food intolerances or allergies

Allergies or intolerances to food can cause your stomach much discomfort, and can often lead to other afflictions like brain fog and fatigue.

While you might not be aware of any intolerances, it is important to determine whether certain food types may be harming your gut. By removing any foods from your diet that cause your body distress, you can boost your gut health and improve your mental health as a result.

Constant fatigue

When Candida albicans (a naturally-occurring yeast found within our bodies) overruns the gut, fatigue is just one of the many ways it can affect you – and your mental health. Because Candida albicans live off sugar, they cause intense sugar cravings.

These cravings, when succumbed to, will cause an initial spike in energy, followed by a crash that will only leave you craving more sugar for another energy boost. Poor quality sleep can also be a factor, as studies have shown that the gut microbiome can affect sleep regulation.

To help fight fatigue and give yourself an uninterrupted night’s sleep, ensure that your diet contains all of the necessary nutrients to keep you feeling energised and healthy – both mentally and physically.

Your gut health may be affecting your mental health

The food you eat has the power to take over your gut microbiome, which can bend your brain and your body to its unbalanced will. Our Prebiotic Blend feeds the good bacteria in your gut, strengthening your microbiome and improving your overall health and wellbeing.

By opting for a whole-food, plant-based diet, you can take one step further to restoring a healthy balance to your gut microbiome and improving your mental wellbeing along the way.

Improve your mental health with our Prebiotic Blend