Healthfully Ever After x JRINK DC : New Recipe Collab at Foggy Bottom Store!

So remember that cool news I was hinting at with my pots on Instagram and the blog? Here it is! I've been working with JRINK, a juice shop here in DC/VA, to create new recipes for their new store in DC at Foggy Bottom/George Washington! But the coolest part is that these recipes are actually something really different for JRINK...they're hot beverages! Since DC winters have been especially harsh the past few years, when JRINK approached me about the project I knew it was a great idea. They're badass smart business women, and I can't wait to introduce you to them in a later Women in Food interview. And they have a preeeetty good sense of humor (just check out the cup sleeves). 

The launch of new product collab right now is 3 different levels of "Immuniteas". We did lots of research to find the right ingredients to help you stay healthy and fight off getting sick (these are just a handful of the studies I read. Let me know if you want a full list!) Here are some of the highlights:

Level 1

Level 1 is the most 'user friendly' so to speak. It's the right thing for you if you're trying to keep from getting sick (like when you hear someone cough behind you and die inside...). It's packed with lemon and ginger with a bit of turmeric and a few other ingredients. It's a nice 'bright' start that's packed with vitamin C. Ginger in particular is pretty cool when it comes to staying well. Not only is it an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, but there are some interesting studies that show ginger reduces the growth of histamine producing bacteria. And to touch briefly on turmeric, I KNOW you guys have heard about it recently all over. It's a hot ingredient, but for good reason. Like ginger, it's an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant but it's key here because some studies are showing turmeric's potential to work against the flu virus. As for the honey, it acts as a sweetener sure, but did you know honey also has benefits for making your throat and cough better. For real. Check out the National Honey Board for details. 

Level 2

 Level 2 is for you if you're starting to catch something (or if you just love the taste because, hello...that's a good reason too) has three really cool ingredients I want to point out including cider vinegar, rose hip and burdock root. Rose hips are another great source of vitamin C.  They're also helpful for as an anti-inflammatory and can reduce joint pain. Maybe just what you need if you can start to feel achy as you come down with something gross! As for the vinegar, you're looking at nature's anti-microbial married to something that's going to help you fight oxidative stress. It's also helpful for digestion, and you know how that can go when you start to get sick (ugh!). Burdock root is probably something new to you, so I definitely want to point out the benefits there! It's traditionally used in Chinese medicine for sore throats and colds. Boom. Now you know. 

Level 3

So hi. You're probably ordering level 3 if you're full on sick. Level 3 is definitely the most intense and powerful order. It contains many of the same base items as level 1 and 2 but also contains clove, sage and elderberry. For me the sage is a nice culinary addition from a flavor pairing stand point, but it goes far beyond that. Studies suggest that the essential oils from sage may have antimicrobial properties. Cloves you almost definitely know by scent (hello holiday baking!) but you probably didn't know that it could help your immune response. Lastly, elderberry is pretty much one of the cooler things I've read about recently. A variety of studies found that it helps reduce flu symptoms when taken within 24 hours of symptoms starting AND it can dramatically shorten the flu by a few days. 

Go get your hot JRINK now. It opens THURSDAY 11/17/15 in Foggy Bottom: 

1922 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006