Belvoir Fruit Farms

If you find yourself besieged by colds and a feeling of malaise through the winter months, now is the time to do something about it.  You’re much more likely to thrive during the difficult days of January and February if you’ve made time beforehand to build up your immune system.  Here are some tried and tested tips on how to beat those pesky winter blues.

1. Keep exercising – numerous studies have shown that moderate exercise boosts the immune system.  You don’t have to go bananas, 20 to 30 minutes of brisk walking five times a week will keep you ticking over very nicely.  It also helps to stave off depression – half an hour of moderate exercise has been proven to be as effective as taking a mild anti-depressant.
2. Grab daylight – it can help prevent the onset of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).  According to NHS Direct, about 7% of the UK population – about 4.3 million people – suffers from winter-induced depression; it usually kicks off in late autumn as the days get shorter and then improves in spring as daylight increases.  If you are in an office all day, try and walk about outside at lunchtime, or at the very least, sit by a window.  A bright-light therapy lamp is also a good investment; Lumie makes a particularly good desk lamp which looks like a normal office light, but which delivers enough bright light to keep you feeling as cheerful and as full of energy as if you had spent a day in the sun.  I used one when I worked in an office in London and it worked a treat.
3. Eat and drink well – aim for less red meat and more fruit and vegetables in your diet.  The latter are packed with anti-oxidants, which help your metabolism to function effectively. Avoid too much alcohol – it’s a depressant and clogs up liver function.

While we don’t make any health claims regarding our drinks, we never put any horrors in them like artificial sweeteners, colours or preservatives.  The methods and ingredients we use to prepare them are very similar to those used by herbalists throughout the ages – spring water, fresh fruit, spices and flowers – but with the added benefits of modern technology, including gentle pasteurization and bottling.

So, don’t think of elderflower cordial as just being a summer drink.  For generations, elderflowers have been used to combat colds and chest complaints.  Likewise, many of the ingredients of our Spiced Winter Berries cordial, such as elderberries, blackberries and oranges, are packed with anti-oxidants.