As a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture, I love discussing how to eat with the seasons! In the winter months of December, January, and February, it is important to physically and mentally support your body to promote longevity and vitality. In this article, we will discuss how to eat during the winter season and provide you with a complete food guide.
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As the days become shorter, the weather turns cold, and nature slows down to rest, so should we. We often find ourselves in the busiest time of year during the winter months, but now is the time to slow down and find rest. By following our winter guide, you restore your health for the spring season!
Winter Season Food Guide
During the winter season, it is important to avoid cold foods and raw foods. Cold and raw foods are too cold in temperature and will have a cooling effect on your digestive system. Your digestion does best when it is warm. We call it your “digestive fire”. The warmth of the stomach aids in breaking down the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins you consume. If we consume too much cold, raw food your body has to work extra hard to warm back up. Over time, this can become a bigger issue if the body warms up too much and the fire becomes a blaze! For more information on internal heat remedies check out our mung beans soup recipe. The warming effects of beverages such as water, tea, coffee, etc., should be consumed at room temperature or warm. This will help to offset the cold months of winter.
Additionally, we want to maintain a warm internal environment to counteract the cold external environment. This is accomplished by eating warm foods such a soups, stews, and roasts. Roasting root vegetables and other varieties of fruits and vegetables infuses warmth making it easier to digest and warming to the body. Slow-cooked meat provides nourishing protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals. This warmth supports the immune system and helps to prevent you from getting sick. In Western medicine nutrition, we recommend eating foods that are high in vitamin C, zinc, vitamin D, Vitamin A, and other immune-supporting foods. The foods listed below are rich in these vitamins and offer many medicinal benefits. It’s important to stay in optimal health during the cold season of winter.
The Flavors of Winter and Preparation
Now, let’s explore our holistic approach to eating seasonal foods for winter. The winter season is associated with the TCM Kidney and Bladder, which means salty and bitter foods are great! Dried foods, seaweeds, winter greens, and black beans are just some of the foods that nourish and restore our bodies during the winter season.
Here is a list of different flavored foods to add to your winter menu:
Salty Flavor
- Miso
- Soy Sauce (gluten-free available)
- Seaweeds (we like these seed oil free brand)
- Salt (I recommend this and this brand)
- Millet
- Barley
- Any food made salty by the addition of salt
Bitter Flavor
- Lettuce
- Watercress
- Endive
- Escarole
- Turnip
- Celery
- Asparagus
- Alfalfa
- Carrot tops
- Rye
- Oats
- Quinoa
- Amaranth
- Citrus Peels
- Chicory
- Leafy greens
Meals should be cooked at low temperatures for longer cooking times (think slow cooker!). Hearty soups and stews, fermented whole grains, and roasted nuts are all desirable as they provide warmth during the cold, darker days.
Ideal Cooking Methods:
- Low Heat
- Long Cooking Time
- Slow Cooker
- Roasting
- Saute
- Boil
Whenever I talk with my patients about winter cooking, they realize how amazing these foods sound and crave these winter season cooking methods! When we tune into what our body desires we give the body exactly what it wants.
Check out our winter recipes HERE!
The TCM Kidneys in Harmony
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the Kidneys and Bladder are in charge of water metabolism, energy, fertility, hearing, bones, libido, growth and development, and balanced emotions of fear. In addition, the TCM Kidneys are the foundation of Jing energy which is our longevity and vitality!
We are only born with a certain amount of Jing energy and slowly lose Jing as we age. We can deplete our Jing energy faster if we live out of balance such as overworking, eating a poor diet, excessive sexual activity, childbirth, toxins, intoxicants (alcohol, marijuana, drugs, coffee, and tobacco), excessive sugar, poor sleep, feelings of constant fear, stress, and insecurity.
Common symptoms of Kidney Imbalance:
- Bone problems and pain- especially lower back, knees, and teeth
- Hair loss, split ends, premature graying
- Hearing loss
- Frequent ear infections
- Urinary issues
- Sexual and reproductive issues
- Infertility
- Poor growth and development of the mind and body
- Premature aging
- Excessive insecurity and fear
The winter season is a great time to nourish the TCM Kidneys. If you tend to feel more cold, tired, with a low libido or back pain, you may need to nourish your kidney yang. If you tend to feel hot, have a high libido, feel dry (skin, vaginal, eyes, etc.), with night sweats, you may need to nourish kidney yin.
Foods to Nourish Kidney Yin:
- Millet
- Barley
- Tofu
- Black Bean
- Mung bean(+sprouts)
- Watermelon
- Blackberry
- Mulberry
- Blueberry
- Water chestnut
- Potato
- Wheat germ
- Seaweed
- Spirulina
- Chlorella
- Black Sesame Seeds
- Sardine
- Crab
- Clams
- Eggs
- Pork
- Cheese (Raw milk)
- Asparagus
- Sweet Potatoes
Foods to Nourish Kidney Yang:
- Cloves
- Fenugreek seeds
- Fennel Seeds
- Anise Seeds
- Black Peppercorn
- Ginger
- Cinnamon bark
- Walnuts
- Black beans
- Onion (all kinds)
- Quinoa
- Chicken
- Lamb
- Trout
- Salmon
Foods to Nourish Kidney Qi:
- Parsley
- Wheat berry
- Sweet Rice
- Raspberry/ blackberry leaf
- Sweet potatoes
- Along with a balanced diet
3 Ways to Increase Health & Vitality in the Winter Season
The human body is amazing! Following our intuition and leaning into the season of rest, winter foods, and harnessing the wisdom of ancient times allows us to balance our overall health. Here are three ways we can increase our health and vitality during the winter season.
1. Improve Digestion
Assess the health of your digestion. If you cannot digest properly, you cannot absorb the nutrients from the food to nourish your body. If you are experiencing digestive upset such as stomach pains, bloating, heartburn/ acid reflux, constipation, or diarrhea, these are major signs that your gut needs to be regulated.
Additional signs may be fatigue, insomnia, foggy brain, low libido, anxiety, depression, muscle cramps, or pain. For regulation, I highly recommend meeting with myself or another doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a holistic nutritionist, or a nutrition response testing practitioner. These specialists are trained to support digestion through diet, supplements, and herbs and will guide you in healing your digestion which will increase your jing vitality! I, Dr. Jess, am available for in-person and online consultations. Contact me HERE.
2. Eat protein and mineral-rich foods
Good quality protein is very healing! There is much to be said about the superfood benefits of organ meats, to repair the body on a cellular level. Bone broth is also rich in protein and minerals, especially when made at home.
Remember, quality matters. Make sure you are purchasing grass-fed, grass-finished meat that has been organically grown with no hormones whenever possible. Buying from pasture-raised regenerative farms or from local organic farmers is even better and supports your local farmers. I purchase my meat from Wild Pastures or US Wellness Meats.
3. Practice Gratitude
Nourishing the soul through meditation and prayer increases vitality and jing energy. Working through emotional trauma and finding peace regulates the nervous system and decreases stress in the body, which increases one’s quality of life. Constant fear weakens the kidneys. By working through that fear and stepping into courage and power, we strengthen the kidneys and our vitality!
Summary
The winter season is a time for rest and rejuvenation by supporting the Traditional Chinese Medicine Kidney and Bladder. With support from winter vegetables, protein, and mineral-rich foods, the body will be nourished for the coming seasons.
For more information, we recommend working with a licensed acupunctures who as studied Chinese medicine theory and Chinese herbal medicine. Your TCM practitioner will have more personalized recommendations to help you achieve your health goals! If you would like to work with us, contact our office at Office@theplacecalledom.com or check out our website at ThePlaceCalledOM.com.