5 favorites for a healthy winter

We live in a world where we are regularly invaded by aggressors of all kinds: viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, poisons, etc. To fight against these intruders, our body must be well equipped because at any moment, our immune system enters the scene with its whole army to fight these undesirable.^{1, 2, 3}

Why are we more fragile in winter?

We notice that during the cold season, symptoms of colds, flu, fatigue, gastroenteritis proliferate a little more than usual. We are more vulnerable, since with each breath our body tries to warm up.

This change in temperature has an impact on our upper respiratory tract because it dries out our mucus, which is normally protective, allowing viruses and bacteria to pass through more easily. In addition, the cilia that naturally clean our bronchial tubes are less effective when temperatures drop.

Not only are we more welcoming hosts to these viruses, but the cold makes them more numerous. One factor is that limited sunlight protects these viruses from the ultraviolet rays that normally degrade them..^{1, 2, 3}

Other causes that weaken us: there is the impact of our overheated and insufficiently ventilated houses that increase the dryness of the air and the presence of undesirable elements such as viruses and microbes that cause irritation of the nasal and bronchial airways..^{1, 2, 3}

Have good living habits

Do not underestimate your lifestyle habits, as they are the basis of your immune system. A balanced diet to prevent nutritional deficiencies, a good night's sleep, physical activity, good strategies for managing stress, and avoiding smoking all contribute to maintaining a good immune system..^{1, 2, 3}

Maintaining the integrity of our gut

Gut permeability is a condition where the lining of the small intestine is inflamed, damaged and porous and allows undigested food, bacteria and viruses to enter and circulate in our blood or lymph. This is the beginning of an inflammatory cascade. Our intestine is the place where we absorb nutrients from our food and plays a role of barrier against undesirable elements (viruses, bacteria, etc.) that must be protected.^{4, 5, 6, 7}

The power of fermented foods

The potential benefits of fermentation-activated herbs

Complete bioavailability
Increase in key therapeutic nutrients
Provision of essential enzymes
Made from a living plant

Fermentation starts a life process that Living Alchemy uses to transform and perfect the active substances in its line of living plants. You will benefit from the millions of years of evolution of plants with their nutrients, active ingredients and use them as natural medicine.

Living Alchemy's herbs are organic, made from a long traditional fermentation and produced in small batches. This fermentation is done in a kombucha kefir culture with diversified strains of therapeutic microorganisms (yeast and bacteria). The last step, a cold freeze-drying (dehydration) preserves all this life of (microorganisms) and activated nutrients.

And to preserve all this vitality, the encapsulation of the products is done slowly.^{4, 5}

Living Alchemy's powerful formulas provide bioavailable vitamins and minerals, probiotics, beta glucans (action on the immune system), peptides (proteins), short chain fatty acids, nucleotides, polyphenols (antioxidants), enzymes, etc..^{4, 5}

5 favorites for a healthy winter

1) Your Flora Immunity

Some bacteria have essential functions for our immunity, so the slightest imbalance in our intestinal flora can have consequences on our health and lead to illness. A disorder that at first manifests itself discreetly, and if nothing changes, gets worse. In short, the balance of the intestinal microbiota (intestinal flora) is the source of 80% of our immunity.^{4, 5, 6, 7}

The advantages of a culture of fermented kefir-soy :

Provides nourishment to maintain the integrity of the gut
Reduces (inflammatory) markers of intestinal dysbiosis and digestive diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
Provides antioxidants

Your Living Alchemy Flora Immunity is formulated with organic European elderberry and organic acerola, a source of vitamin C:

Supports a strong immune system
Contains antioxidants to slow down or even stop cellular aging caused by free radicals
Reduces intestinal inflammation
Promotes good intestinal health

2) Your Flora Professional

The product Your Flore Professional by Living Alchemy is an organically sourced, long-fermented product from a culture of organically fermented kefir-soy with diverse strains of therapeutic microorganisms (yeast and bacteria).

Your Flore Professional is a food for the intestine. This long-fermented product is designed to replenish good bacteria and eliminate bad bacteria to restore intestinal health..^{4, 5, 6, 7}

3) Live Black Garlic

Black garlic or fermented garlic is native to Asia. It is from white garlic that black garlic is made. It is aged to create a black candied clove with a particularly mild taste that enhances dishes deliciously. There are several theories that explain that when garlic was first created, it was fermented in clay pots in the heat of the summer sun. This preparation of black garlic was ready just in time for winter, a season more prone to viruses.

Living Alchemy uses a unique fermentation process to naturally age the garlic bulbs over a long period of time to increase the amount of nutrients and perfect the active ingredients for maximum absorption while softening its smell and taste. The product ofblack garlic product from Living Alchemy offers an organosulfur compound (S-Allyl cysteine) that is twice as high and stable as white garlic (allicin).^{8, 9}

Living Alchemy Black Garlic and its approved benefits:

Promotes cardiovascular health
Improves circulation
Reduces blood lipid levels (hyperlipidemia)
Relieves symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and catarrhal conditions such as nasal congestion and excess mucus.
Regulates blood glucose levels⁴

The transformation from white garlic to Living Alchemy's black garlic is a long fermentation process lasting 90 days. This long manufacturing process increases the antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity of.^{8, 9}

Living Black Garlic is formulated with cayenne and hawthorn

Cayenne pepper is probably one of the most widely used peppers in the world, and it is the reason why it is possible to add spice to a dish without changing the flavor. It is part of the Solanaceae family, just like eggplant, tomato, chili, potato, etc.

It is its active constituent, capsaicin, which provides many benefits. For example, for people in the tropics, they understood that it allows the body to better withstand the heat that prevails in these latitudes. It also contains vitamin E and carotenoids.^{8, 10}

Other benefits :

Improves peripheral circulation
Stimulates digestion
Helps people with heart problems
Calms chronic pain
Soothes sore throats, headaches, toothaches, etc.
Helps to control weight^{8, 10}

Hawthorn is a fairly dense, vigorous, thorny shrub with smooth, light gray bark that becomes brown and rough with age. Herbalists use the leaves as well as the flowers, berries and bark. Here, it will be question of the hawthorn berry.^{8, 11}

The hawthorn fruit (C. Pinnatifida) has more than 150 compounds including flavonoids, triterpenoids, steroids, monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, lignans, hydroxycinnamic acids, organic acids and nitrogen-containing compounds.^{9, 10}

These compounds have antioxidant, cardiotonic, cardioprotective and soothing activity.

Its benefits:

Exerts a regulating effect on the cardiac rhythm
Tonicardiac
Hypotensive
Calming
Antispasmodic

Extensive pharmacological effects: on the cardiovascular, digestive and endocrine systems and on pathogenic microorganisms.^{8, 11}

4) Defense Immune Support

A blend to support a strong immune system:

Organic Shiitake mushroom, cultivated for 2000 years in China and Japan, has an immunomodulatory action
Organic Oregano: antibacterial, antiseptic, anti-infectious. Excellent for respiratory tract infections. It helps to free the bronchi.
Organic thyme: expectorant, antibacterial, fungicidal and antiviral plant
Organic garlic: Antimicrobial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antiviral
Organic ginger: Acts against fatigue and digestive problems, and is anti-inflammatory
Organic Clove: analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial

Living Alchemy Immune Support Defense promotes intestinal health and immune health.^{8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17}

5) Defense Extra Strength Immune Support

The Formula Defense Extra Strength Immune Support acts as a protection in case of immune deficiency. It is a mixture of organic fermented plants: garlic, oregano, thyme, ginger, clove.

Good immune support
Supports against colds and flus
Fights infections and yeast infections
Decreases the duration and severity of a decline in the immune system.^{4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17}

Be well-equipped to remain a good winter friend!