On Monday I wrote a review on Adagio Teas. If you haven’t read that yet, go over and check it out.
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Tea Time with Adagio Teas
I drink tea daily. Sometimes multiple times per day. I put yerba mate in my version of Healthful Pursuit’s Rocket Fuel Latte and I’ve even started making it with matcha green tea. And I like all types of tea. Green, black, herbal, oolong, chai, white, rooibos… it’s all good. So when I got an email from Adagio Tea asking if I would like to try some of their tea I was all about that.
Bring on the tea! 
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DIY: Lemon-Ginger Tea
We almost escaped the holidays without getting sick. Almost. It’s tough because during the holidays you’re around so many people and eating foods that might not be the healthiest and not sticking to your normal exercise routine. It’s almost like inviting germs to take up residence in your body.
The Monday after Christmas, Adam started feeling a little funny and by Tuesday was knocked out with a cough and cold. He had the works, stuffed nose, sore throat, nasty cough, and achy all over. The doctor said it was a virus, but not the flu, and only gave him a nose spray to relieve congestion. So he pretty much had to ride it out on the couch for a week.
While taking care of him and seeing his misery, I knew that I had to take action to make sure I wasn’t the next visitor to the sick couch. I upped my intake of vitamin C with oranges and lemons, made sure I got turmeric in as many dishes as possible, and tried my best to exercise and eat well to make sure that I stayed healthy.
I have a little congestion, but I think I missed the worst of the virus and I’m going to chalk that up to the steps I took to ward it off. One of the things that I did was down this tea every morning first thing. You can buy lemon-ginger tea at the store, but it is so easy to make and I think that fresher ingredients make a bigger impact on your immune system.
So if you’re looking to make sure you don’t get sick this winter, try this tea in the morning and if you do feel something coming on, up your self-care routine. Take extra rest, don’t go run a marathon, but do move a little, and try to eat as much real food as possible. Your body will thank you!
Lemon-Ginger Tea- if it’s available and you can afford it, try to get organic ingredients. If not, don’t stress too much over it, this tea is still better than no tea. 
- One-quarter of a lemon (half of a half)
- 3 thick slices of ginger
- 8 oz hot water
- Optional add-ins- honey, sprinkle of cayenne, fresh or powdered turmeric (fresh tastes a little better if you can find it because powdered might not dissolve as much and leave a gritty feeling)
- Boil the water. While the water is heating up, slice and peel the ginger and put into the bottom of your mug. Slice the lemon and get any add-ins that you want.
- Once the water has boiled, let it sit for a few minutes. Then, pour it over the ginger slice and squeeze in the lemon juice. I like to put the whole lemon wedge in the water after I’ve squeezed it. Add in the honey, cayenne, or turmeric if you want and stir everything together.
- Let it steep for a few minutes and cool down before you drink it/
Friday Favorites
Hello everyone! I thought it would be a good day to update you on some of my favorite things lately, mostly because I don’t have a new recipe for you this Friday. But don’t you worry, I have plenty of new and delicious fall meals coming your way! Now onto things that I’m enjoying because I know you’re all dying to find out.
Fall-Flavored Tea
Yes, this is the season of Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Everyone goes gaga over them this time of year, and while I do enjoy a good pumpkin drink just like the rest of the country, I also like the tea that comes out this time of year. The change of seasons from warm to cold is generally also the time to change from cold drinks to warm drinks and I love sipping tea on chilly drizzly fall days. Right now my two teas of choice are Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Rooibos and Teekanne’s Cinnamon Apple Spice tea. Both have that fall spice blend going on and they make me think of crunchy leaves and other fall things. Plus the pumpkin tea comes in this awesome tin that will forever smell like pumpkin spice and what could be better than that?
All the Squash
I mentioned in my post on Wednesday that a great way to enjoy fall was to eat squash. Obviously that means I’m gorging myself on all the squash. I think that my two favorites are butternut and delicata, but I am no squash snob and I will gladly eat any squash put in front of me. The best way to eat them in my humble opinion is to roast them. Preheat your oven to 425, peel, deseed, and dice whatever squash you choose, then toss with some oil (I like to use coconut oil), sprinkle with your favorite seasoning (I like to go savory with garlic and chili powder or smoked paprika) and spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Cook for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the squash starts to get golden on the edges. Then eat as is, put on top of salads, or puree for soup or a mashed potato substitute.
Fitness Blender
While running will always be my first fitness love, I do also like to lift weights. It’s important to cross-train to prevent injuries and to add some variety to your workout routine. For the past few months I have been doing the workouts provided by the couple behind Fitness Blender. There are a ton of different workouts to choose from, whether you want to tone, strengthen, do cardio or HIIT. They have yoga and pilates and tabata style workouts. Pretty much anything your heart desires fitness wise, they provide. Their videos are simple to follow and they make sure to teach you how to properly do each exercise so you don’t hurt yourself. Plus they’re workouts are free! What could be better than free fitness? Go check them out at fitnessblender.com and do one of their videos. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Pretending to be a Model
I don’t look awkward at all….
So, I’m pretty much a professional model now don’t ya know? A few weeks back, I was asked if I wanted to start writing a health column for a local magazine. I said, uhhhh YES and I am really excited to be contributing and reaching a bigger audience. The first issue that I’ll be writing in is their Nov/Dec issue, and along with the article I included two holiday recipes. They also had me come out so they could get a headshot for the magazine and thus I am now a professional model. But not really because I had to have my sister help me pick out my clothes and do my makeup since I really have no fashion sense at all. Good thing I have her around so I don’t look like a two year old playing dress up!
Those are the things captivating my attention these days. Sometimes it’s really the simple things in life that make me happy, like tea and squash. I hope you all are having a fabulous Friday and that your weekend is awesome! I’ll see you back here on Monday!
Life Healthfully Lived 