Bergamot is known for its mood-boosting abilities; it can reduce stress, promote calmness, and lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone). It’s also a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, and traditionally used to treat low mood & depression.
Winter is the season we’re more likely to experience symptoms like low mood or depression, and even less resilience to stress. Since bergamot ripens between December and March, it gives us the stress-reducing and mood-boosting benefits when we really need it most! This is just another reason why eating seasonally is so beneficial; nature knows what we need, when we need it, and always provides.
If you tend to feel low in the darker, colder months, you can use bergamot regularly to help lift your sprits, along with focusing on specific diet and lifestyle practices like the ones I provide to my health coaching patients, and anyone who comes for a seasonal health consultation.
This recipe is essentially a homemade earl grey tea, using seasonal, fresh bergamot peel, which you may be able to find at your local market or farm shop. My local farm has also reliably advised me that bergamot is great in G&T! (yes I’ve tried it, and yes it’s great.)
INGREDIENTS
– 1 fresh bergamot
– 1 litre water
– 2 black teabags
METHOD
– Peel the zest from the bergamot, and dry it out (in a dehydrator, in the airing cupboard overnight, or turn the oven to 100C and dry them for 20-30 mins until the edges start to curl and slightly brown)
– Once dry, boil the water and make a pot of black tea
– Add the peel to the tea and leave to steep for 10-15 mins, or overnight to enhance the flavour
– Enjoy straight away, or if you infused it overnight, add a little to hot milk for a mood-boosting milky earl grey tea or reheat when you want to drink it.
How are you looking after your mind & mood this Winter?
More Winter Recipes
Leave a Reply