“You are what you eat” – I’m sure everyone has heard that at some point. It turns out that this saying is more than just a simple saying. We’ve always been told to watch our diets, to “eat healthy”, and we’ve learned from mainstream media about what is considered healthy or unhealthy – except, there is a lot more underneath the surface that we might not be aware of!

Chinese New Year Binging

Chinese New Year and the act of snacking – these two typically go hand-in-hand with each other. Everyone loves CNY snacking, and I’m pretty sure some of us, even the most sensible of adults, have binged on snacks over the past week. Once again, this goes back to the idea that we are what we eat: if you’ve snacked sensibly, that’s great! (disclaimer: snacks in moderation are okay) If you’ve been binging, there’s no shame in that – you’ll just have to pay extra attention to what I’ve got for you!

A Very Special Valentine’s Day

The great thing about this week (despite the break being over) is that one of our team’s favourite celebrations is coming up – that’s right, we’re talking about Valentine’s Day! This V-Day is special for us, because we’re celebrating it with the lovely We Are Cultured!

What is We Are Cultured? Well, we’d like to think of them as your gateway to a healthier life through a healthier gut!

Now you may be asking, what does a “healthier gut” have to do with this? I’m sure all of us have heard of the term “probiotics”, and I’m certain that these are the most common associations that come to mind: yogurt, the probiotic cultured milk drink, Yakult, and the concept of “healthy”. That’s exactly where We Are Cultured’s area of expertise lie – with their range of Teabiotics, or probiotic teas, We Are Cultured is a true believer of the healing power of probiotic cultures, fortifying your gut one good microbe at a time!

Here’s the great news: as part of our Valentine’s celebration with We Are Cultured, Hook Coffee is bringing you a special bundle that combines the best of both worlds – great tasting coffee and that essential probiotic boost!

Good Bacteria 101

Let’s get some basics out of the way: you might not know this, but there is a connection between your brain and your gut’s microbiome – that is to say what’s in your gut has a great influence over how you think and feel. Put simply, a healthy gut equals a healthy mind!

Next, it’s safe to say that some of us neglect the fact our skin is the largest organ in our bodies – what’s going wrong on the inside will show on the outside. Let’s also not forget that because it’s on the outside, your skin tends to suffer the most damage, visible or not. This is why it is imperative to lessen the burden on your skin: feed it with only the good stuff, and it’ll take care of the rest of you!

Fun fact: did you know that coffee improves your health by diversifying your gut’s microbiome? This should come as good news to all of you hardcore Hook Coffee drinkers, because apart from helping your food go down, the microbes in your gut also shield you from the bad stuff, like harmful bacteria. In short, the more coffee you drink, the more diverse and powerful your gut becomes!

Now, it’s time for us to factor in We Are Cultured’s Yang Teabiotic. We’ll begin with Probiotics 101: probiotics provide our bodies with essential good bacteria that lines our guts against toxins, and prevents issues such as inflammation and indigestion, among others. This is a crucial concept to grasp – we should seek to prevent, not look for a cure!

Unlike most probiotic supplements, the Yang Teabiotic isn’t pasteurised, which means that the essential good bacteria comes alive. Yang also has an edge over probiotic alternatives, being packed with a relatively high percentage of good bacteria, making it an efficient solution.

One of Yang’s key ingredients is organic yacon root. Yacon root serves as a prebiotic, a source of fuel for probiotics to work their magic. You can see how this ingredient is a key player now – Yang fills your gut with probiotics, and the yacon root gives it the strength it needs to go further for you!

Yang gets its namesake from its dominant ingredient: ginger. If the term Yang sounds familiar, it’s because of its famed association with the term Yin, both of which are concepts in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In TCM, ginger is a yang food, foods that warm and nourish your body. Apart from its warming properties, ginger also eliminates intestinal gas and soothes your gut. It’s also an antioxidant, bolstering the Yang’s probiotic properties.

Hook Coffee’s Post-CNY Detox Guide

Now that you’re fully aware of what coffee and probiotics do on their own, let’s put the pieces together: we’re talking about a probiotic-coffee concoction to flush out the byproducts from your excessive CNY snacking!

Remember that special bundle I mentioned? It’s really a combination of the best of both worlds: Hook Coffee and We Are Cultured Yang Teabiotic! This concoction is really simple to make. All you need is a Hook Coffee drip bag and half a sachet of Yang Teabiotic.

First, brew a cuppa! You know the drill: Add 150ml - 170ml of water that’s off the boil to one drip bag. We’ve chosen Sweet Bundchen and Speculose Your Mind – these are tried and tested with the best palette in-house, and will guarantee you a warm, sweet and spicy cup of Joe. Next, remove the spent bag and add half a sachet of Yang Teabiotic and stir well. Feel free to add more for an extra spicy kick! Finally, add We Are Cultured’s organic coconut sugar to taste. Voila! You’re now one cup closer to a healthier gut and a healthier life!

Now, we’re not suggesting that this bundle is your one-stop solution for a 100% healthy gut, but it’ll certainly give you a headstart! Much like how you’ve got to constantly work on something to become proficient, it takes more than just a one-off consumption of this goodness to kick your body into a state of healthy overdrive. Commit to healthy lifestyle choices and take care of yourselves – that’s solid, time-tested advice. Also, why not grab a cuppa while you’re at it?

Get Hooked!