We're honoured to have established this partnership, and stoked to write a cheque to them for $500.
Thanks to everyone who bought a bottle of Bush Fire Tonic, your support directly helps us give back to those who's wisdom and traditions have enabled us to create such a magic tonic.
If not familiar with it, our Bush Fire Tonic™ is 100% Australian made, using 100% Australian ingredients including traditional local native botanicals; lemon myrtle, round-leaf bush mint, mountain pepperberry leaf and salt bush.
Based on the wisdom of our 1st nations people, these traditional medicinal herbs are a wonderful addition for both flavour and nutritional properties. We forage and grow these herbs locally.
It is LOW FODMAP friendly and not hot or spicy like our Original Daily Master Tonic, so can be a great introduction to daily ACV consumption for those looking for a more gentle approach.
Ingredients: Raw Apple Cider Vinegar with the MOTHER, Natural Spring Water, Raw Local Pure Honey, Fresh Ginger, Fresh Turmeric, Fresh Finger Lime, Black Peppercorns, Fresh Lemon Myrtle Leaf, Fresh Salt Bush, Fresh Mountain Pepperberry Leaf, Fresh Bush Mint, Murray River Salt.
]]>
One thing we can do to promote consistency ... is KEEP iT COOL.
As a cultured food business we love supporting the drive towards healthier eating and the incorporation of fermented, living food into our diet.
Food like our FiRE TONiC, fermented mustard, along with kefirs, krauts and kimchis etc etc ... all undergo a unique fermentation process resulting in the proliferation of beneficial yeast and bacteria, which not only enhance their tangy flavour, but have many and varied health benefits.
These benefits are increasingly well recognized, however we often overlook how to best store cultured foods for optimal flavour, nutrition, freshness, preservation, health and safety.
Ironically, it's the same yeast & bacteria that make these living cultures so valuable, which also create this storage dilemma.
In this blog post, we will specifically explore the variable of temperature and the notable advantages and benefits of keeping living foods cool. This is particularly important in a country as climatically diverse as Australia.
Whilst FiRE TONiC is a robust, hard-to-kill fermented food, this one per-center can make a big difference, especially with open FiRE TONiC in warmer climates.
The short story is that keeping fermented food cool is beneficial. Store in a cool dark place and refrigerate once open for best results.
Why keep my FiRE TONiC cool?
Please note that the below principles apply to pretty much ALL cultured food.
_____
QUALITY PRESERVATION
FiRE TONiC is highly valued for its health benefits and nutritional density. This Apple Cider Vinegar tincture with a living Mother Of Vinegar and 23 other real food ingredients, has a lot going on in every bottle.
Storing FiRE TONiC in a cool place helps maintain the integrity of its beneficial living yeast and bacteria, preventing any heat degradation or over fermentation, thus prolonging its potency, vitality and effectiveness.
_____
FRESHNESS & FLAVOUR
Once opened, keep your FiRE TONiC in the fridge and it will taste as fresh as the day you opened it, preserving its unique zingy flavour and bite for years to come.
_____
OXiDATiON
Once opened, every time we use FiRE TONiC, the head [or empty] space in the bottle increases, the bigger the vessel, the bigger the head space.
Warmer air and greater head space creates higher exposure, and increases the chance of oxidation, which can dull of the flavour and zest of your FiRE TONiC.
_____
SAFETY
Once open, refrigeration prevents continuous fermentation which can create CO2 pressure, and overflow or spillage.
Cooler temperatures also create an inhospitable environment for other [potentially harmful] bacteria and moulds, minimizing the risk of contamination.
Refrigeration can prevent any vinegary odour and reduce the attraction to fruit flies [in warmer climates].
_____
LONGEViTY
Whilst fermentation increases the lifespan of perishable food, storage at a lower temperature will further extend its functional life, and preserve its freshness and flavour.
The cold temperature acts as a natural preservative, slowing down the metabolic activity of bacteria thus preventing them from multiplying too rapidly. This means you can enjoy your favorite cultured food for longer, reducing waste and saving money.
]]>Hi folks,
for the past few years I've been juggling the responsibilities of being a Husband [the easiest as my wife is such a legend], a Dad to our 4 boys and navigating our small family business through the icebergy waters of COVID 19, and all that came with it.
Spoiler alert, I lost focus on myself and how I need to be a functional, healthy, happy person to fulfill any [let alone ALL] of these roles.
I'm now 54 and whilst always sporty, I've had limited capacity, time, mobility and [to a certain extent] inclination for anything much other than social bowls recently. Years of competitive football, tennis, squash, basketball, cricket, snowboarding, surfing, and jumping of random high things into small bodies of water etc etc have taking a toll on my body.
After 14 years of nursing my left hip through post surgery life and focusing on what I could do [surfing, cycling, bowls, limited walking] rather than what I couldn't ... I thought it would be nice to fill in for my son's basketball team and did so 2 weeks running ... surprise, surprise, this was more than my hip could handle and I was basically lame for the next month.
Many broken bones, 3 plates, 28 screws, multiple dislocations, 2 hip surgeries, 3 shoulder surgeries, 1 jaw surgery and the compounding wear 'n tear of someone who [as a young person] would often mix up his amberbilities & caperbitions ... culminated this year, into making some tough decisions.
So, despite the emergency extraction of 3 front teeth on Good Friday from a latent complication with the pre-mentioned jaw surgery, I bit the bullet and booked in to see a specialist Dr Andrew Johnson.
He was very matter of fact about the possible pros and cons of hip replacement surgery and confident that should I choose to proceed, the new hip would likely outlast me.
Once I'd decided to bite the bullet, the next thing was to meet with anesthetist Dr Geoff Dixon who laid out the pain management options of a Spinal v a General Anesthetic with the former being the plan A.
He described the Spinal as having a cup of tea in the kitchen, whilst able to here the builders working in the next room and reassured me that if i wanted to be 'less with-it' that I could request that as I'd be conscious.
This didn't sound too attractive initially, as I knew what those drilling, sawing and hammering noises were in terms of the operation. After speaking to my wife however [who'd had an operation under an arm block], she re-assured me that with the edge off, you don't seem to mind any of the audible operational carpentry.
Based on this and the shorter recovery times I went for plan A, and am very pleased about this decision. On the day of the operation after the catheter was plugged into an arm vein, the Dr Geoff said "that'll be as much pain as you feel for the whole operation" ... I took this comment with a grain of salt however thankfully he was 100% correct.
I don't remember too much about the operation except for asking a few questions along the way [they mentioned that I was very chatty], hearing all the mechanical sounds I knew I would and seeing some hip imagery on the monitors.
I was blown away how good I felt for the entire procedure and how they managed to complete it in just around 1 hr. As I listened to the biological tradesmen at work, I felt very good about what they were doing, and how beneficial it would be long term.
Within a couple of hours Post Op I could feel and wiggle my toes, and any anxiety I may have been feeling immediately dissipated.
Pre and Post Op, the message was the same "keep ahead of the pain, don't chase it" ... so not realizing it was a marathon rather than a sprint, I was off to the races, clicking the little green button attached to an IV drip of morphine like it was a Space Invaders fire button.
Needless to say this made me feel terrible [groggy and nauseous] so after day one I just relied on the oral meds which were fine, though did bind me up somewhat, nothing a little Nulax didn't take care of though.
Nicole brought some Original Fire Tonic and a fresh lemon up to the ward for me so that I could make Fire Tonic [lemon & honey] teas, which were so good to have whilst still in hospital.
The very next day I was up and about on crutches and performing my newly prescribed exercises. These were a challenge however I was amazed at what I could do so soon after the operation.
Day 3 was time to remove the urinary catheter which reminded me of my vasectomy back in the day, pulling strings felt best left alone. It wasn't too bad to be honest, I'm glad they installed it whilst the spinal was active.
In Friday and out Monday, I was very ready for home by this stage. Once home Nicole has been serving up hot cups of healing collagen rich Bone Broths which are going down an absolute treat.
I've been home just over a week now and the biggest challenge seems to be getting comfortable. Any way you sit on it it's painful, there is no magic wand for this one sorry.
I've managed to walk our dog Gidgee [on crutches] 8 out of the 9 days 'Ive been home. The cheat code to this being Nicole dropping us off at the oval and me throwing the ball to her and her friends. with them doing all the running. If only she brought the ball back ... she aint no retriever and Border-Collie / Kelpies don't have days off.
One of the surprising things was the constant Post Op headaches I had for around 5 days, apparently referred pain in the brain due to pressure on the nerves from to swelling around the operation site. I was super thankful when these finished up a few days ago.
Dressings off now and 1 big 1 small scar to show for it, all healing well. I have to inject myself with blood thinners every night for 35 nights to reduce the chance of any blood clotting. Thankfully I have plenty of spare abdominal tissue at present, so am not short of injection sites.
It's too early to be recommending this procedure to anyone however all I can say is "so far, so good". I have 3 non related surgeries that I will space out over the next couple of years and by 2025, this humpty dumpty should be put back together again.
]]>_
This is our bread and butter, whether straight from the can or using our Shrub Syrups with soda, our new hand made citrus garnishes will take your bevy to the next levy.
_
Mrs Hilbilby has personally curated a number of her favourite hand made, local products into a variety of combinations, with one to suit every taste and price point. Each is significantly discounted when compared to retail prices.
Check'em out here and let us know what you reckon.
]]>We are so excited to share with you a preview of our new Bush Fire Tonic™. After been working on this for over 12 months, we cannot not wait for it to be available in winter 2022.
Bush Fire Tonic™ is 100% Australian made, using 100% Australian ingredients including traditional local native botanicals; lemon myrtle, round-leaf bush mint, mountain pepperberry leaf and salt bush. These traditional medicinal herbs are a wonderful addition for both flavour and nutritional properties. We forage and grow these herbs locally. Below is a beautiful mountain pepperberry bush planted on our block in the Otways.
Bush Fire Tonic™ is approachable, both to the palate and the pocket. It has an appealing and refreshing [citrus-like] flavour, with no real heat to speak of, perfect for those who’d like a little less fire in their tonic.
A pleasure to drink, [either straight up or as a zingy mixer], this living, energizing elixir is packed with beneficial bacteria, raw local apple cider vinegar, fresh ginger, fresh turmeric and pure local honey.
Like our ‘PREMiUM’ range, Bush Fire Tonic™ is naturally refined-sugar-free with no additives. It is also a LOW-FODMAP-friendly option, without garlic, onion, chillies, or horseradish.
Bush Fire Tonic™ is the first product in our new ‘PRiMAL’ Fire Tonic™ range, and is great value at $13.95.
Our new Bush Fire Tonic™, is inspired by the Wadawurrung People's relationship with the land and 5% of ALL sales will go to Wadawurrung Traditional Owners.
The Bush Fire Tonic™ label is takes it's colour from the below piece of indigenous art by a local Wadawurrung artist.
Stoked doesn't begin to describe the excitement we felt for our mate Kelly this month, when just 3 days shy of his 50th birthday, the 11 x world champ and GOAT of GOATs won his 8th Pipe Masters in sensational fashion ... 30 years after his 1st, describing this as "the best win of his life" [see highlights below].
We love Kelly and to quote him, he "loves his fire tonic".
Due to travel restrictions we've missed him the last couple of Easters, however we're thrilled that he might be back to visit again this year.
Kelly pictured above with Hilbilby founder Mark and soul mate Kalani Miller, has long been an advocate of Fire Tonic™, sharing it with many of his friends including Jack Johnson & Woody Harrelson, who are now also well and truly Fire Tonic™ fans. We even had to send an extra little package over to Jack in Hawaii, as Woody liked it so much he souvenired a bottle 😄.
Kelly being the sharing, caring guy that he is, encouraged his good friends at Cafe Surfanista in Cocoa Beach Florida, to stock Fire Tonic™ ... so now you can shop for Fire Tonic™ Fire Sauce™ & in FLA.
So to our first celebrated Famous Fire Tonic™ Friend AKA Mr February, we say " Hoʻomaikaʻi & Mahalo iā 'oe" ... Congratulations and Thank You!!!
We look forward to sharing a new Fire Tonic™ Friend and their story with you each month.
Kelly Kelly Kelly Kelly Kelly Kelly Kelly Kelly Kelly ... K E L L Y 😄.
]]>
Fire Tonic™ helps make the daily routine of taking apple cider vinegar [and all the well-known health benefits that come with it] a delicious ritual, rather than a chore.
There are endless ways to enjoy Fire Tonic™ here are just a few.
Fire Tonic™ is beneficial in different ways, at different times of the day, for different people. We suggest you experiment with some of these ideas to best determine your requirements and preferences.
Our general recommendation is 5-15 ml of Fire Tonic as a daily health routine. If you're feeling tired, sore, sluggish, or challenged you can up your intake to 3 times a day. From day one we’ve been flooded with reports of how Fire Tonic™ has helped our loyal customers. We’re super confident that Fire Tonic™ will become a helpful part of your daily routine.
Other than drinking Fire Tonic™ daily as mentioned above there are many other ways to use Fire Tonic in your food preparation. Simply substituting Fire Tonic™ for apple cider vinegar in most recipes will give them an extra boost of nutrition and flavour. Salad dressings, bone broths, pickling, flavoured nuts and kale chips.
Tag us in your facebook or Insta post if something is working well for you.
Storage: please keep cool and refrigerate after opening.
Here are a couple more ideas / recipes where you can play with your Fire Tonic™.
]]>At the same time, the science is telling us that "good gut health" is critical to our overall health, and relies heavily on the bio-diversity of our gut's beneficial bacteria or flora.
This is the paradoxical food road-map, we are charged with navigating for ourselves and our families. We can't afford to rely on mixed messages from the Gov't. of the day or the global faceless food corporations, who's main consideration is always the bottom line.
Thankfully we have "Real Food Champions" like celebrated Australian Nutritionist and author of Changing Habits Changing Lives Cyndi O'Meara, to lead the way and shine a guiding light for us, based on science and the practical application of good old common sense.
Cyndi is such a inspiration and made our day when she said this about us;
"When you find a food company and the owners with the same passion, love, research and ethics as your own, then you can trust them in no matter what product they bring out. Fire Tonic™ began with my favorite value added apple cider vinegar - their range adorns my pantry and I use many of them daily."
Our metabolism, brain function, immune response, and even mood is directly related to what we eat, and we [like Cyndi] believe that we should fuel ourselves with REAL FOOD.
We are at risk from constant exposure to today's nasties, and the bacterial imbalance that comes with over consumption of them, causing gut inflammation and imbalance.
Leaky gut syndrome, gluten sensitivity, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, lactose intolerance and reflux are all signs of an unhappy gut and can develop from repeated exposure to certain additives. If we do nothing, it can be a a slippery slope.
Fire Tonic™ is an all natural real food remedy using 24 fresh, local ingredients including turmeric, garlic, ginger, raw honey and horseradish just to name a few. See more in our Fresh Batch Video below.
We've been humbled by countless thankyou's from customers who's various gut ailments have significantly improved after incorporating our master tonic into their daily routine.
This is not new technology, patients of Hippocrates were enjoying the benefits of Oxymel [a rudimentary version of Fire Tonic™] way back in 400 BC as this was his general 'go-to' panacea. Read more about the history of Fire Tonic™ here.
Fire Tonic™ is good for your gut. Use daily [see how here] to increase metabolism, reduce inflammation, regulate blood sugar, balance your microbiome and enjoy the Strength & Vitality that comes with it.
]]>
It's also used to line the pipes of other Australian singers, including Lee Kernaghan and Wes Carr.
Fire Tonic™ can help lift your game and extend your time in the water? The Pro's love it ... maybe it's time for us regular Joe's to give it a crack.
Q. - What is stopping us from fueling up smart, 'fit for purpose' rather than just stick with routine, for routines sake?
A. - Absolutely Nuttin [sing it again ya'll].
As opposed to a traditional brekky which can lead to feeling sluggish and imbalanced in the water, an early morning shot of Fire Tonic™ kick-starts the metabolism, sharpens focus, energizes and warms from the inside out, without having to pee in your wetsuit [bonus eh 😉].
We've a long list of Pro's who trust Fire Tonic™ as the preferred fuel for their success eg. Kelly Slater 11 x Champ - "I love my Fire Tonic!!".
Fuel yourself like a Pro, regardless of whether or not you surf like one [yet].
When the eyelids are a bit dusty and you're prepp'n for an early morning winter sesh at Bells, you wanna feel fired up, mentally and physically ready to charge heavy bombs, not dragging yourself out the front door with the leg rope between your legs, barely able to muster up the energy to get the board in the ute.
Whether paddling out, hitting the lip, or just stuck in the soup ... surfing is a patchwork of varied and highly physical skills. Our bodies work hard, and we're highly exposed to the elements ... locals know that winter on the Victorian Surfcoast is no joke. We need to fuel ourselves for optimal performance ... treat ourselves right, we're worth it aren't we ?!?
If surfing is the pinnacle of a 'mind body' sport then our gut is critical to peak surfing performance, as it's central to our metabolic health and brain function.
Sometimes the mind is willing but the body unable, let's face it we can only stay out there for as long as our physical stamina allows.
The gut is the major component of our immune system, and Fire Tonic™ is full of gut loving bacteria, great for our overall wellness.
Below are some of the pro's who regularly call in for a re-stock and a re-stoke!
Barton Lynch
-
Navel gazing, once a neat descriptor for a spot of existential reflection, can mean so much more! Checking in with your gut and it’s needs, can dramatically improve feelings of wellbeing - from the inside out.
We must learn to listen to our gut. The gut quite literally has feelings. Fear, excitement, trepidation, anticipation, love – they are all felt in the gut. Having a ‘gut feeling’ is real. Globally, across the scientific community, the gut is having a moment. There is now much published analysis and research focussed on recognising and proving the fundamental role of the gut, to not only strong immune system, which is now widely accepted, but also mental health and emotional resilience. The entric nervous system (ENS), an extensive network of neurons, is now understood to be the ‘second brain’. The ENS operates independently of the brain and spinal cord, our central nervous system. Pretty cool stuff. Writer Adam Hadhazy of the Scientific American puts it like this, “...the little brain in our innards, in connection with the big one in our skulls, partly determines our mental state and plays a key role in certain diseases throughout the body”.
Being committed to maintaining a healthy gut is crucial to overall health. Probiotics, prebiotics, fermented foods, water, fibre, mindfulness, exercise and sleep are all imperative to maintaining gut health. Turning our collective focus to the power of the gut, is the purpose behind World Digestive Health Day, an initiative created on the anniversary of the formation of the World Gastroenterology Organisation. World Digestive Health Day raises awareness around the scale and scope of digestive issues, concerns, treatments and learnings, across the world. At Hilbilby we celebrate the growing awareness around all things gut. In honour of World Digestive Health Day 2021, it’s time to turn inward. For the greater gut.
Hilbilby is a family business specialising in traditionally cultured food and drink. Creating delicious, nutritious, health supplements designed to get your system back on track is our mission, our purpose, our religion. Hilbilby uses only organic produce, sourced locally right here in Torquay Victoria. For World Digestive Health Day on 29th May, we celebrate our Fire Tonic range.
Hand made in small batches, our Fire Tonic range is an infusion of organic and locally sourced ingredients designed to give you the nutrients and microbes to support a healthier gut. Each ingredient has been specifically selected for a particular medicinal and healing property. The heart of our range is our unfiltered apple cider vinegar tincture, brimming with the original, Mother of Vinegar. Fire Tonic is a ‘cultured’ drink. While this many infer that the tonic listens to classical music, appreciates fine dining and recites poetry by moonlight, in fact, it simply means it is alive. Cultured drinks are designed to sustain single-celled organisms called microbes, that allow your system to achieve balance.
Feeling bloated, sluggish or lethargic, easily irritated, forgetful or emotionally fractious, should not be your norm. These feelings or moods, can be attributed to poor gut health. Excess fatigue can make finding the motivation to go to the gym feel almost Herculean. Looking after yourself, takes energy and commitment. Seeking out and prepping healthy food, moderating sugar intake, getting enough sleep, minimising screen time, making time to meditate - these are just the basics and attempting to manage them all well – can add to the overwhelm of daily life.
Apple Cider Vinegar has long been thought to help aid digestion by increasing stomach acidity, reduce bloating and even reduce reflux. Low stomach acid is thought to result in food fermentation, resulting in gas production and increased levels of acid reflux. Increasing stomach acid naturally, may help reduce symptoms of acid reflux and help your system digest protein more effectively. Apple Cider Vinegar is also an antimicrobial substance, meaning it may help kill the bad bacteria in your stomach and intestines. It is these bacteria that are commonly understood to contribute to bloating. Apple cider vinegar may also inhibit the enzymes that help digest starch. Starch feeds the growth of healthy gut bacteria and therefore the right balance of healthy gut bacteria, results in a stronger immune system. Supporting and improving digestion is key to the efficacy of apple cider vinegar and our fire range tonic.
Energy and clarity are integral to wellbeing. Nurturing your gut biome, aiding and facilitating digestion and proactively addressing any gut issues can greatly improve your health. It is common for those who suffer with gut issues to assume that it is simply bad luck or bad genetics, untreatable, unresolvable. This is far from true. Turning your mind and your attention to your gut, experimenting with diet, supplements, tinctures, and cultured drinks can have a remarkable effect.
As we head into winter, there is never a more important time to strengthen our immune system. For some this involves taking well regarded supplements such as vitamins B, C and D, zinc, olive leaf extract and echinacea. Diet, exercise, sleep, rest and flu vaccinations are all integral to staving off the winter woollies. Add to that our Fire Tonic and you introduce a potent immune booster to your health maintenance repertoire.
If your gut is out of balance, then so are you. Many studies suggest an unhealthy gut microbiome can contribute to weight gain, joint pain, exhaustion and poor sleep. The herbal infusion in our fire tonic, is a metabolic stimulant designed to transform your gut microbiome giving it the rev it needs to drive towards balance. The impact of a healthy gut on overall health, can not be underestimated. Handmade at Hilbilby HQ, with organic, chemical-free ingredients gifted to us by Mother Nature, our Fire Tonics, work for your wellbeing.
Kick start Winter and celebrate World Digestive Health Day (WDHD) the right way. Go with your gut. For the greater good.
With the Original, Black label or Vegan recipe, there is an option to suit every gut. Make Fire Tonic part of your daily routine and be rewarded with a happier, healthier you. You will feel it in your gut.
Get clicking to see our Fire Tonic range and start loving your gut - https://www.hilbilby.com.au/collections/master-tonic