Winter wellness tips

Winter wellness tips

It's that time of year when we are most inspired to take a look at our health and habits and create new positive resolutions for the year ahead. Whether you've decided to improve your diet, go organic or finally start that class you've had your eye on, we have 5 suggestions that may help you feel great and beat the winter blues!

Boost your immunity: Avoid catching nasty bugs this winter by helping to keep your immune system strong and healthy. You can do this by supplementing daily with vitamin C, zinc, eating a varied diet filled with leafy green vegetables, and exercising regularly even in the cold! It's also important to make sure you're getting enough sleep, doctors advise a solid 8 hours is the ideal for our bodies and brains to fully function.

Green Tea: The perfect caffeine alternative if you are planning to cut down on coffee this month. It actually has a higher level of caffeine than coffee however our body can process it better than our favourite caffeinated drink. It is also full of antioxidants and rich in polyphenols which help with inflammation as well as a great stimulation for the brain! 



Try making your own matcha latte with our premium and ceremonial grade matcha powder:
https://www.detoxtrading.co.uk/matcha-green-tea-powder.htm


To make a matcha latte, just mix one teaspoon of matcha with your favourite milk, heat in a pan then whisk for the full frothy effect. Sweeten with honey or agave syrup.


Vitamin D: The sun is in short supply at this time of year, so its important to give your body a steady supply of vitamin D. You can buy vitamin D tablets, or try adding more mushrooms to your diet which are rich in vitamin D. There is a high level of vitamin D in almond milk.

Take up a new hobby: Stimulate and excite your mind by taking up a new hobby, whether its knitting, rock climbing, or learning a new language this will challenge you and give you something to look forward to. 






Ashwagandha: A wonderful adaptogen which can help to fight feelings of anxiety, stress or depression. If you feel like you need a little extra lift to see you through to spring, this popular superfood can give you the support you need. 

December News Bulletin

December News Bulletin

We hope you are all enjoying the festive season and looking forward to Christmas and 2019!

We're happy to announce that we have finally got a few products back in stock that we know a lot of you have been patiently waiting for, and an exciting new product in stock. We want to introduce our new superfood starter pack. We’ve also included our top recommendations for staying healthy and flu free over the winter, read on below to find out more. 

You will be pleased to know that we now have organic Panax Ginseng, organic Aronia powder and Rehmmania powder back in stock. We know many of you have been waiting a while for these products. Get your orders in now for delivery before christmas. 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Detox Trading team!

Check out our latest newsletter video

  New in Stock  

Coconut Milk Powder

 

The perfect dairy alternative, this organic coconut milk powder is GMO free and produced from freshly squeezed coconut mik. It retains much of the nutritional value of fresh coconut milk, and has an incredible flavour and aroma. The perfect addition for your kitchen cupboard.

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 New in Stock 

Superfood Starter Pack 

Our starter pack contains what we consider to be the essential selection superfoods for overall health and wellbeing. It contains organic ashwagandha powder, orgnic spirulina powder, organic raw cacao powder, organic coconut oil and organic maca powder. If you are new to superfoods and not sure where to start, this is the one for you. It is packaged in a sustainable kraft gift box with eco friendly packaging so also makes a beautiful gift. The pack comes with a 'How to' guide outlining the potential benefits and how to use each product.

 Detox Trading Health Tips for the winter 

The winter brings a variety of bugs, and it can be easy to feel like you are constantly fighing off a cold. We have chosen our top superfoods to help boost your immunity and stay healthy this season...

Chaga: An incredible all round immune booster, it also has anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties. It also helps detoxify the blood and liver, and is an adaptogen so is the perfect support for the body and the mind throughout the winter months. 

Camu Camu: The largest natural source of vitamin C, our camu camu is 7% vitamin C- one of the highest on the market. It can be difficult to get enough vitamin C in the winter months, and it is a vital ingredient to help the body's immune defence. Camu Camu is also extremely high in antioxidants and can also help with chronic fatigue and depression. 

Oregano oil: It is known to have a whole range of health benefits important during the cold and flu season such as being an anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and is also loaded with antioxidants. 

Alongside taking daily supplements, make sure you get enough sleep, eat a balanced and healthy diet (as much as possible!), and exercise regularly to keep you healthy and happy this winter. 

Christmas Opening Times 

Our opening times will be affected during the christmas period, we will be open until 21st december then closed until 2nd January, when we'll be back in the office for business as usual. We will however be shipping out orders in between Christmas and New year.

 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Detox Trading Family 

Tips to help support a healthy brain

Our brain can sometimes be taken for granted, however it is one of the most important organs of our body. It’s our main source of storage for memories, learning and functioning on a daily basis.

We’ve put together a few tips to help you support the mind, and keep it active and healthy. 

 Sleep

Getting a solid 8 hours of sleep a night will help your brain to process the days events. New research has suggested that the brain actually spends the time we sleep removing toxins from the brain that have built up during the day- a type of housekeeping. A good sleep will help your brain to create new memories, and concentrate throughout the day.  

 Get physical

Even its its going for a short walk in nature, our brain benefits from physical exercise. Research has suggested that regular intensive exercise can improve the size of our hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and new learning. Exercise also produces endorphins which help to maintain good mental health. 

 Diet

Eating a balanced diet full of leafy green vegetables and omega 3,6 and 9, can help to support healthy brain function. Try to cut out eating too much sugar and alcohol as these can affect how well the brain is able to learn new things. 

 Managing Stress

Stress can have a serious detrimental effect on our brain, allowing some self care and relaxation will help to relieve this. Allowing yourself to take regular time out to do the things you love and that will nourish you is vital. 

 Meditation

A few minutes of meditation a day has been proven to help reduce mental health issues and improve clarity of mind, memory and focus. This can also be in the form of a regular yoga practice.

 Keep the brain active

The brain is a muscle, which thrives when it is being used. A great way to do this is to pick up a great book, practice sudoku or do the daily crossword to keep the muscle going.

 Supplements

Daily supplements can help to support brain function, here at detox trading I like to take

our organic Gotu Kola which improves blood flow to the brain and Lions Mane which is known for increasing memory. I can already notice a significant difference!

Why we love dried berries

Dried berries such as goji berries, goldenberries (Inca berries) and mulberries are a fantastic addition to your store cupboard. They make delicious snacks throughout the day, and can also be added to a number of different recipes for sweetness and extra nutritional value. Provided the berries are processed naturally, and there are no nasties added to them, they are a fantastic way to up your antioxidant intake. They are our healthy snack of choice here at Detox Trading. 

Take a look at some of the reasons why we love these delicious berries, and we've included our very own berry and cacao granola recipe as well...

GOJI BERRIES 

Goji berries, also known as 'wolfberries' have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. Traditionally they have been used for an array of issues ranging from mood lifting to eye, liver and immune system health. Goji berries have an extremely high nutritional value for such a small berry. The berries have an abundance of antioxidants, trace minerals and 18 amino acids (11 of which are essential). Every 4 ounce serving of dried goji berries provides 10 percent of your recommended daily intake of protein.

Goji berries also contain the following:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin A
• Iron
• Fibre
• Zinc
• Selenium 
• Potassium
• Unsaturated fatty acids
• Phytochemicals (polysaccharides, zeazanthin, lutein)

You can use goji berries as a healthy snack on their own, sprinkle them on your breakfast cereal or smoothie, mix them in with salads or use them in baking. 

Potential benefits of goji berries:

• Immune system support due to high antioxidant and vitamin c level. 
• Healthy looking skin as a result of beta carotene.
• Help to stabilise blood sugar levels
• Liver tonic and support

GOLDEN BERRIES

Golden berries, also known as Incan berries or cape gooseberries are a delicious balance between sweetness and tart. These berries originate from South America and belong to the same family as the tomato and the aubergine. They are bursting with nutrients and antioxidants, helping to reduce oxidative stress and the amount of free radical cells in the body. They have a higher level of vitamin A than other berries, with a lower amount of sugar making them a healthy addition to your diet. 

Try adding golden berries to your breakfast porridge or smoothie, salads or use them as an ingredient in baking. 

Potential benefits of Golden Berries:

• High antioxidant content could help prevent certain diseases
• Presence of withnalolides (also present in ashwaghanda) could help with inflammation, and could help the body cope with stress
• They have a very low sugar and calorie content making them a wonderful snack

MULBERRIES

Black and white mulberries are a true superfood, they not only taste great, but each type has its own special benefit for our health. Both black and white mulberries are another great source of antioxidant rich food

White mulberries have a distinctive sweet caramel flavour, and a chewy fig like texture. They have an unusually high protein content for a berry, and also contain high levels of vitamin C, fibre and calcium. They have traditionally been used to help treat diabetes and lower cholesterol level. 

Black mulberries are rich in protein and iron, which can help to increase energy levels by delivering oxygen rich blood cells throughout the body. They also contain vitamin K, vitamin C, fibre and potassium. 

Potential benefits of mulberries:

• Studies are underway to test whether they can help lower cholesterol levels in the body
• Support liver health
• Could help stabilise blood sugar levels

Mixed berry and cacao granola recipe

Ingredients 

1kg rolled oats

100g goji berries

100g mulberries

100g golden berries

150g cacao nibs

50g coconut flakes 

80ml coconut oil

½ tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp cacao powder
200g extra virgin coconut oil
150 ml honey or agave syrup (add slightly more for a sweeter tooth!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g of almonds or other nuts of your choosing
50g flax seeds

This is a basic recipe which you can experiment with, by adding different ingredients and quantities to suit your taste.
The oil and honey will help the oats to crisp up and cluster, so adding more will give you more crunchy clusters.

• Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper and preheat the oven to 200C.
• Mix the oats, agave/ honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract in a bowl and make sure all the oats are well covered.
• Add the flax seeds, nuts, cinnamon and cacao powder and mix well. 
• Add the oats to the baking trays, spreading as thinly and evenly as possible (this helps to make the granola more crispy).
• Bake in the oven for 20-30 mins or until golden brown. 
• Let the granola cool on the baking trays.
• Add the berries, coconut flakes and cacao nibs and mix well. 
• Store in airtight glass container, (make sure the granola is completely cool before storing them as otherwise it may go soggy).
• Enjoy with your favourite nut milk!

Detox Trading supplies premium quality organic superfoods, all certified by the UK Soil Association. Our family-run business is committed to selling affordable superfood products whilst maintaining their certified organic status and supporting a healthy lifestyle. 

Reasons to go organic! 

Organic food is on the rise, which sounds silly to say, because there was a time when organic food was just, well, food. Before the over use of pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers, antibiotics and growth hormones, food was grown and farmed with the help of some well seasoned manure, good soil, a few tricks of the trade and little else. 

Thankfully, due to food movements like Clean Eating and Raw Foodism, initiatives from the Soil Association and tv shows highlighting exactly what is in our food, there is an increasing awareness and popularity of the benefits of farming, buying and eating organic. The benefits not only have a positive impact on your health, but are better for wildlife, the global environment and ecosystem, our local soils, the nutritional value of what we eat, and of course, the taste! 

Check out below all the reasons going organic can benefit you, your health and the planet! 

You are what you eat

• Choosing organic is an easy way to avoid pesticides, herbicides and many additives and preservatives

• Organic standards prohibit GM crops and GM animal feed 

• Organic, free range farming bans the routine use of antibiotics and drugs on animals

Pesticides

• Organic food and farming uses virtually no pesticides

• Pesticides can remain in the food we eat after cooking and washing

• Pesticides can pollute water, the environment and the human body

• Weed killers are banned on organic farms

Nutrition

• Organic farming affects the quality of the food we eat

• There is a higher level of Omega 3 in organic milk and meat due to grass fed animals

Animal Welfare

• Organic farming has the highest standard of animal welfare - including free range, living conditions, food quality, transport and slaughter

• Animals are raised without the routine use of antibiotics 

• Animals are raised in conditions that suit their natural behaviour and are fed a mainly organic diet

Wildlife

• Intensive farming practices are responsible for the decline and possible extinction of wildlife species

• Fungicides and herbicides are damaging to wildlife

• Organic farmland supports more wildlife than non organic by producing less CO2 and dangerous waste 

• Organic farms are havens for wildlife and provide homes for bees, birds and butterflies. On average, plant, insect and bird life is 50% more abundant on organic farms

Environment and climate change

• Organic means working more with nature, not against it, minimising disruption to the natural environment

• Organic farming takes account of local and regional balances and encourages the use of on-site resources

• Organic farming enhances soil life, natural soil fertility and water quality

• Organic farming can help combat climate change and reduce pollution through its ban on chemical pesticides which release harmful greenhouse gases. Instead there is a reliance on healthy fertile soil and crop diversity

• If all UK farmland was converted to organic farming, at least 1.3 million tonnes of carbon would be taken up by the soil each year – the equivalent of taking nearly 1 million cars off the road

• If half of all farming in the European Union converted to organic by 2030, we could cut almost a quarter (23%) of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions 

Soil

• Organic farms have healthier soils, building soil fertility naturally with the use of compost and clover

• Soils store more carbon than the atmosphere and all of the world’s plants and forests combined, which means that soil is one of our most important weapons in the fight against climate change

• It takes a hundred years for just one or two centimetres of topsoil to form, and soil that is lost to pollution or erosion will need hundreds or even thousands of years to recover on its own

• Over the last 40 years almost a third of the world’s arable soils have been lost to erosion or pollution

• Organic agriculture helps reduce our dependence on mined phosphate, a non-renewable resource that is becoming increasingly scarce and expensive