Winter Nutrition
Did you ever consider that eating what would be considered good for your constitution in summer might actually be thought of as the opposite in winter? When the weather is cold, like during a European winter, we need to be eating thermogenic foods to keep our systems running properly.
All bodily processes are warm, so most of us need warming foods in winter to maintain healthy organ function and overall wellbeing
Cooked food in winter is always better than raw, according to Chinese medicine. Cooking warms the energetics of food so focusing on soups, stews, and casseroles is great. These nourish the yin aspect of the body, build immunity and boost energy during the cold season. Fruit should be poached or stewed and spiced with anise, cinnamon, and clove so its nature becomes warming and moistening.
“All vegetables should also be steamed, cooked or roasted to aid digestion and increase the natural sweetness from the vegetable. Combing small amounts of warm food with the cold can balance the yin yang too, so if you really crave sushi for lunch, have it, but add the warmth of wasabi and a hot miso broth to start and ignite your digestive fire.
Foods that nourish your Water element for the Winter include kidney or black beans, dark green leafy vegetables, nuts such as walnuts and chestnuts, kidneys, seafood, miso, soy sauce, seaweeds, millet and barley
GINGER
In TCM ginger is the number one food used to help with stomach discomfort and food allergies. This is because fresh ginger warms your stomach energy, while rebalancing lung and immune function. Its yellow colour corresponds to the earth element (stomach and spleen) in TCM, and its sharp taste to the metal element (lung and large intestine). Ginger’s warm and activating essence can also help lessen arthritis pains, reduce inflammation, and get stagnated energy flowing again. Recipe for Immune Supporting Tea - See below
ELDERBERRY SYRUP
Elderberries naturally contain vitamins A, B, and C and stimulate the immune system. Israeli researchers found that the complex sugars in elderberries support the immune system in fighting cold and flu. They developed several formulas based on these complex sugars that have been clinically shown to help ameliorate all kinds of cold/flu. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, elderberry – called Jie Gu Mu – enters both the lung and kidney meridians, making it an excellent tonic for boosting our lung qi (immunity) and kidney qi (the powerhouse energy container for the body). You can buy some ready made syrup or make your own:
TURMERIC
Turmeric is related to ginger and has been prescribed as a food and herbal medicine for thousands of years. This orange root is packed with pungent flavours of earth, pepper and bitterness, and supports the function of your stomach and spleen. In TCM, turmeric enters the heart, lung, liver and gallbladder meridians and is used to invigorate blood, remove stagnation from the body and reduce inflammation.
“It is used for menstrual pain (often from qi and blood stagnation) and traumatic injuries and can be used topically for a variety of skin disorders including skin inflammation, bruising, insect bites and ringworm. Turmeric is also a great source of fibre, vitamin B6, magnesium, vitamin C and potassium.”
INCORPORATE BONE BROTH
Our grandmothers knew what they were talking about, seeing as how the bone broth industry has exploded. The benefits of drinking and cooking with organic bone broth have far-reaching effects on the immune system. The natural gelatin, collagen, and amino acids tend to the gut, improve wound healing, and help support the health of individual immune cells such as lymphocytes. So, there is definitely good reason to drink homemade chicken soup when dealing with a cold or the flu. And it has never been so easy with the explosion of organic bone broths on the market so pop one into your soups, stews or rice dishes. Bon appetite.
MANUKA HONEY
Quite a bit of research exists on the benefits of honey as a natural immune booster, natural anti-inflammatory agent, and antimicrobial agent. Manuka honey in particular—native to New Zealand and Australia—is even registered as a wound-care product in those countries. Manuka honey has substances that can kill bacteria topically, and when ingested, it can even work synergistically with antibiotics to improve their efficacy.
ONions
Similar to ginger, onions are warming in nature and are used in TCM as a qi tonic to counterbalance illnesses brought on by cold weather. “The white color of the onion corresponds to the metal element, and it boosts the lung and large intestine. Studies show that the sharp tasting onions, garlic, shallots and leeks are rich in sulphur, giving them their classic smell but also helping to absorb viruses, bacteria and detox the body. Onions also have the natural ability to induce urination and perspiration to help remove toxins.”
*Top tip
Always mix turmeric with fat. This spice is fat soluble, which means that it can only be absorbed properly by the body when in combination with fats. This is why you will often find turmeric mixed with ghee (clarified butter), a delicious and healthy substitution for butter. Use a pestle and mortar to mash fresh turmeric root into a paste, mix with ghee and you can use it in a multitude of savoury dishes.
IMMUNE SUPPORTING TEA
Make yourself a balancing blend by adding three or four slices of fresh ginger, a squeeze of lemon, two or three leaves of fresh mint or a peppermint tea bag (optional) and some raw honey, to taste, to hot water and allow to steep for five minutes. The sour lemon and refreshing mint boosts your liver function, while raw honey soothes and benefits the lung and large intestine.
Please note, if you suffer with heat, anxiety or insomnia, the warming properties of ginger can potentially overstimulate body and mind, therefore we recommend you avoid consuming it in the evening
