I take supplements — and no matter how much this country seems to want to push prescribed drugs over vitamins (SMDH), I am forever gonna take them…because I notice a difference when I don’t. That’s not to say that I don’t 1000 percent agree with research that says that you are far better off consuming a balanced meal on a consistent basis than assuming that you can eat all of the fast food that you want, so long as you take a vitamin gummy every day. Indeed, there is nothing like fresh and healthy meals when it comes to providing your system with what it needs to function at an optimal level.
I think that’s why wellness shots are such a big deal right now — they are drinks that have fruits and/or vegetables and/or herbs and/or spices in them that can give you more of what many supplements can in a convenient way and a shorter amount of time as well.
Are you curious to learn more about what a wellness shot is and if it is something that you should actually invest in? If that is indeed the case, you have come to just the right place.
What Are Wellness Shots, Really?
There Are Shots. Then There Are Wellness Shots.
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Before getting into what a wellness shot is all about, have you ever wondered what a “shot,” drink-wise, is considered to be, period? If you happen to be an alcohol consumer, you probably know that a shot is when you drink something like vodka or tequila in a much smaller glass; however, were you aware of what the standard size is? In this country (because yes, it varies based on where you are), it’s approximately 1.5 ounces.
Well, along these same lines, a wellness shot is a small amount of juice that is loaded up with certain ingredients that are specifically designed to (especially) give your body a real boost — and yes, they tend to be around the size of a “traditional shot”: 1-2 ounces a piece. The method behind the madness with them is the blend of their ingredients are designed to complement your taste buds as well as your system while providing you with some all-natural immunity and energy nutrients at the same time.
Although wellness shots are not designed to be a substitute or alternative to consuming full meals and having a consistently healthy diet, more and more people are seeing them as a viable pick-me-up on a variety of different levels.
The key is making sure that you drink the kind that contain ingredients that you aren’t allergic to, that you consume ones that are as all-natural as possible (think drinking 100 percent juice vs. juice cocktail), that you run your intentions by your doctor if you happen to be on any prescribed medications and that you don’t throw wellness shots back like water.
For one thing, juice still has sugar in it; plus, there is such a thing as going overboard — even when it comes to taking in too many vitamins and minerals at one time.
Benefits of Common Wellness Shot Ingredients
What Certain (Main) Ingredients in Wellness Shots Can Do for You
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Okay, so aside from the size, what makes a wellness shot different than, say, drinking some good old-fashioned OJ? Good question. Since wellness shots are about immunity and energy more than anything else, many of them contain a concentrated amount of certain ingredients.
The more popular ones? Seven of them are listed below:
1. Ginger:
Although ginger is derived from the same plant that cardamom and turmeric come from, it is technically classified as a spice because herbs come from leaves of plants. Its warm and spicy flavor not only intensifies the taste of dishes but it also helps to relieve morning sickness, motion sickness and nausea; reduces bloating and gas; decreases bodily inflammation; supports digestion; soothes menstrual discomfort; lowers cholesterol levels and can even help to fight off certain fungal infections.
2. Turmeric:
Turmeric is pretty pungent, there’s no doubt about that. And, as far as seasonings go, though, its earthy mustard-marries-ginger taste makes it popular in a lot of Indian dishes. Your body will appreciate turmeric because the compounds in it (known as curcuminoids) are great at pushing antioxidants through your system while helping to reduce inflammation; fight cancer and heart disease; delay aging; reduce depression-related symptoms, and reduce soreness after working out.
3. Echinacea:
Slightly bitter. Slightly sweet. A little on the earthy side. That’s probably the best way to describe how echinacea will impact your palate. It’s an herb that does your body good because it’s full of antioxidants; can reduce feelings of anxiety; is able to decrease symptoms that are related to eczema; may help to lower your blood sugar levels, and it contains anti-inflammatory as well as immune-boosting properties. Another bonus with echinacea is it can help to speed up the healing process of the common cold too.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar:
Super sour apples — that’s probably the easiest way to describe what apple cider vinegar tastes like. And honestly, as someone who likes sour stuff, you’d have to try it to get just how much it will make your face twist and turn. It’s worth it once you know all of the good things that apple cider vinegar can do for you, though. For starters, apple cider vinegar can help you to lose weight. It can also help you to manage your blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Other things that are dope about apple cider vinegar is it can help to increase antioxidant levels in your system, balance the pH levels in your skin and kill harmful bacteria that may be lurking around in your system.
5. Wheatgrass:
I ain’t got no lies to tell you — wheatgrass? It pretty much tastes like…grass. Still, when it’s mixed in with other stuff, you barely notice it, so…there’s that. Anyway, it’s another popular ingredient in a lot of wellness shot brands because, for one thing, it’s packed with so many nutrients that it’s actually considered to be a superfood. And with that being the case, wheatgrass helps to give you energy; improve digestion; fight inflammation; detox your system; treat obesity; lower your blood pressure, and naturally prevent as well as treat type 2 diabetes.
6. Elderberry:
Taste-wise, elderberries are a little hard to explain. They’re like sorta sweet meets tangy meets earthy meets floral. Either way, it will always benefit you to get some of these berries into your system because they can help to regulate your blood pressure; manage diabetes; strengthen your immune system; improve your memory; strengthen your lung and respiratory health; decrease coughing; soothe a sore throat, and even slow down the signs of aging.
7. Acerola Cherries:
If you’ve never heard of Acerola cherries before, another name for them is West Indian cherries. Although they look a lot like cherries, they actually aren’t cherries at all; they’re a fruit that comes from a tropical shrug that is far more tart than cherries are. Health-wise, Acerola cherries are good for you because they are a wonderful source of vitamin C, providing you with close to 2,000% of the Daily Value (DV) that you need per serving.
So, if you’re looking for something that will significantly boost your immunity, reduce inflammation and improve the quality of your skin — look no further than these cherries right here.
Can You Make Wellness Shots at Home?
5 Easy DIY Wellness Shot Recipes
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Even though there are plenty of wellness shot brands for you to choose from, if one of the main things that came to your mind after reading all of this is, “Hell, seems to me that I can just make these myself” — for the most part, you would be absolutely correct. Just make sure that you don’t skimp on the quality of ingredients because that is what really makes a wellness shot totally worth your while.
That said, for your convenience, I’ve included a few DIY recipes that you can try at home:
Ginger & Turmeric Wellness Shot
150 grams of fresh ginger
2 oranges
2 lemons
1/2 teaspoon of black peppercorns
About 200 ml water
2 teaspoons of turmeric powder
Full recipe details here
Easy Detox Wheatgrass Shot
1 tbsp of wheatgrass powder
⅓ cup of water
1 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)
Full recipe details here
4-Step Pineapple Ginger Wellness Shots
4 cups of diced pineapple
2 peeled lemons
1 peeled orange
1 cucumber
1 cup of diced celery
5” knob ginger, peeled and diced
2 cups of packed spinach
1 cup of parsley
1 cup of coconut water
Full recipe details here
Gut Support Shot
1 cup of pineapple, juiced
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
¼ cup of coconut water
1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Full recipe details here
DIY Vitamin C Shots
4 oranges, peeled and chopped
1 lemon, peeled and chopped
1 yellow bell peppers, cored and chopped
1 teaspoon of Acerola cherry powder (optional)
Full recipe details here
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Do I personally think that wellness shots are worth the hype? Health-wise, yeah, to a certain extent. Cost-wise? Well, do some comparison shopping. LOL.
Either way, now that you know what they are and that you can go the DIY route, it certainly can’t hurt to try one or two of ‘em. Now that you know what they can do for you…how could they not be worth — pardon the pun — a shot?
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Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
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Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
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