Part of Nature's Laboratory
Autumn & Winter Wellness Tips with Common Ground Herbals
In this blog we have chatted to Sarah Farrow, medical herbalist from Common Ground Herbals, about what advice she would give to help everyone improve their Autumn and Winter Wellness! Keep reading to find out about Sarah’s fantastic tips!
About Common Ground Herbals:
At Common Ground Herbals, we integrate traditional herbal knowledge with modern insights that address the root causes of health imbalance. Founded by Sarah Farrow BSc (Hons) Medical herbalist, bespoke herbal blends are crafted to enable a holistic approach to health, that emphasises a reconnection to nature, health empowerment, education and lasting wellbeing.
A warm welcome – We look forward to meeting you on common ground.
Tip 1 – Microbiome (Kefir)
Trying fermentation at home can feel a little scary, but water kefir is an easy and fun way to look after your gut health and immunity at home. Kefir grains are easy to buy online, and feeding them sugar water and fermenting with fruit can have some brilliant benefits. Personally, I saw a massive improvement in my gut health, and it was a great thing to do with the whole family.
Tip 2 - Nourish (soups, stews, warming foods and spices)
It is important to keep yourself warm and nourished over winter. Energetically our bodies need the warmth to keep our vitality healthy. Fire cider, as the name suggests, is a cracking way to keep our immune systems sparking over winter! Rosemary Gladstar's recipe combines horseradish, garlic, turmeric, ginger, chilli and black pepper with apple cider vinegar. Leave for a few weeks and enjoy as a morning shot or use as a dressing.
Tip 3 Movement
Gentle exercise in the winter months… The University of Bath finds that exercise over winter helps to maintain vitamin D levels, even if body weight is maintained (vitamin D is known to help support the immune system.) So, get out for your morning walks and stay connected to nature! Witness the beautiful shift in seasons, Autumn is a beautiful and vibrant time to explore outside. Collecting conkers, colourful leaves and Fungi spotting are fun ways to journal or pass time with friends and family.
Tip 4 - Rest and reflect – What did you learn this summer?
Stay creative and explore your gentler rhythms with journalling or inner reflection. Get creative and express yourself with something new. Personally, I have been using pressed flowers gathered over the summer months to create art, and gel printing. Pick something that excites you and stay enthusiastic about what’s around you. There’s inspiration everywhere!
Tip 5 - Stay connected
It can feel easy to shut away over the winter months, but staying connected with friends, family and nature is just as important as over the summer. Pick up the phone and make a date! Sometimes this can involve getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new, now the quieter months are upon us, why not try that dance class you’ve been hearing about? Or workshop your friend mentioned? Last year after putting it off for months I started attending classes at my local gym, which is a great way to keep fit and meet new people. There are lots of local wellbeing walks that take place and you can find them through the Ramblers website – This is a great way to support mental health and meet new people.
Thank you to Sarah for these great tips , and thank you to Joey Huang for the beautiful photo! We hope that these tips inspire you to take care of your wellbeing over the cold months ahead , and maybe to try something new!