How to Make Ancient Wellness Taste Good

The best type of wellness tastes good…because it doesn’t make it feel like homework, something you need to do, no, you MUST do or else!! And when these herbs need to be used consistently over time to really start to gain their benefits, it’s even more important that you build that habit of wanting what’s good, quickly.

Why would something good for me taste good? This question alone tells so much about how we’ve trained ourselves to think something “healthy” automatically can’t taste as good as something indulgent. Why do they need to be mutually exclusive? It really is possible to make what’s considered “healthy” food tasty and I’m not just saying make a better dressing for salad. I’m talking diversity in flavor, texture, and cooking methods, because cultures have been cooking with health in mind and developing these techniques for centuries.

So now that we’re on the same page, let’s talk about making a soothing fall drink that is one of my favorite basics in my Chinese winter first aid kit, an aid kit with herbal recipes designed to help me survive through the seasonal colds and flus.

One of my favorite things to keep stocked this time of year are ginger, cinnamon, and my lemon mint plant to create a drink that warms you against the chills and dryness of the changing seasons. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, autumn is the season of the lungs, who will be weak to dryness. This is the drink I turn to when that first tickle hits the back of my throat, or when I feel a cold creeping in after a long, windy day. It’s simple, deeply comforting, and built on ingredients that have been used for centuries to warm the body, boost circulation, and ease the symptoms of seasonal colds and flus.

This tonic is built around cinnamon and ginger, two powerfully warming ingredients in Traditional Chinese Medicine that help dispel cold from the body and get your qi flowing. Red jujubes (Chinese red dates) nourish and gently boost energy while supporting the immune system and adding a deep sweetness to counter the gingery spice. Add in lemon mint and honey if the throat is feeling sore, to help bring out a soothing effect. Here’s how to make it but if you want me to explain it - i’ve got this on Instagram and TikTok: