Your winter diet should be different.
Winter is cold and dry.
Our skin gets dry, our sinuses begin to dry out, and - according to Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and other ancient medicine lineages - even our joints dry out.
If you’ve ever experienced stiff, even painful fingers and toes when it’s cold out you’re not alone - this is very common…if you have arthritis, you probably suffer greatly.
Why does the body get stiff and creaky in the winter?
This is debated, but it’s thought that this is partly due to atmospheric pressure changes tension in ligaments and the amount of fluid in joints, and partly to literal dehydration of the body’s tissues.
Dry skin is one thing - it’s definitely irritating - but when dryness infiltrates the intestinal and respiratory tracts, it can cause illness. When the skin that lines the respiratory tract dries out, the mucus lining can become hypersensitive and inflamed, forcing the production of excess mucus. As the body makes more mucus to combat the seasonal dryness, the excess mucus can become a breeding ground for undesirable bacteria.
Just like in the intestines, the body’s optimal immunity depends on the healthy balance of mucus production in the sinuses and lungs.
What do do?
Unfortunately, Western Medicine has little to advise, asides “stay warm” and “move regularly” (movement helps fluid circulate and lubricate joints). These are important, but they’re only part of the story!
Fortunately, ancient medicine does offer a few remedies, namely foods and activities that are warm, moist, heavy and oily. In fact, they say that if the dryness of winter is not mitigated by these actions, the body will dry out and we will get sick. Our ancestral diets certainly followed
Fortunately, nature’s harvest of higher protein foods and fattier foods in the winter help to balance its cold and dry extremes.
My top 10 Foods & Tips for Winter Wellness:
Bone broth is at the top of my list as one of the most important foods to eat during the winter months. Not just because it is a delicious way to warm up, but because it also contains gelatin and collagen, two all-stars for supporting a healthy mucosal lining, proper digestion, and intestinal function. Glucosamine in bone broth also assists joint lubrication and helps repair leaky gut by supporting the growth of new gut cells. Also fabulous for skin health.
Ginger is another all-star food in the winter months. Ginger gets its name from its active ingredient – gingerol. Gingerol reduces oxidative stress, is a free radical scavenger, and supports proper digestion. Ginger root is an age-old remedy for poor digestion. It can ease nausea and can help relieve stomach cramps, gas, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea, and can also promote nutrient absorption. Recent studies even show it can help thyroid imbalance!
Fibre, Beta-carotene- (orange-coloured) and vitamin C-rich foods are essential for staying healthy in the winter months: leafy green vegetables, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, and apricots. Bell peppers, snow peas, avocados, blueberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are foods that contain high amounts of vitamin C.
Zinc - plays a crucial role in healthy skin appearance and white blood cell production, which is essential for a healthy immune system. There are plenty of foods rich in zinc, including sweet potatoes, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, wild-caught fish, and dark chocolate.
Root veggies are rich in slow-release (healthy), complex carbs that help you feel full and will keep you going, without a blood sugar spike. I love them roasted or steamed, with EVOO or grassfed, organic butter, high quality salt and sometimes some herbs.
More fat - My favourite fats for winter are olive oil, avocados, butter and coconut oil.
More protein - If you’re not a vegetarian, it’s good to eat a little bit more animal meat this time of year. Organic nuts and seeds are also naturally high in protein and fat, though the protein they provide is not used as well by the body, so I always recommend supplementing with something like essential amino acids or whey if you’re not eating much meat. Seeds are somewhat preferable in the winter over nuts because they are lighter and easy to digest. Ideally, sprout and/or roast both. More ideas for getting protein this winter: spirulina, a small amount of organic yogurt (if you’re ok with dairy), and organic eggs.
8. Fermented foods support healthy gut microbial immunity and digestion during the winter months, and have been part of our ancestral winter diet for thousands of years. So ’tis the season for eating them, but always in smaller, condiment size portions. A 20-ounce bottle of kombucha is excessive. Consider these important foods, but don’t overdo them. Try eating (a little) more fermented organic sauerkraut and maybe cheese and yogurt if you tolerate dairy.
9. Fiber - Eat your veggies! You can also eat more oats, buckwheat, quinoa, and fermented grain.
10. Hydration! Most people believe that dehydration only happens during the summer days, or doing too much activity in hot and humid temperatures. However, the cold temperatures in the winter months cause your sweat to evaporate faster than it does in warmer temperatures. It’s true! You should aim to drink about ½ your body weight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 130 pounds, you should drink 65 ounces of filtered water (at the very least, more if you’re athletic). And - as anyone who has ever worked with me knows - please remember to add electrolytes once day and again if you work out!
One final point: it’s important to stay mindful of your hydration status, especially in winter, as other, unusual factors can lead to dehydration in the winter:
You are less thirsty in cold weather, so the desire to drink water is lower. However, this doesn’t mean you aren’t dehydrated.
You sweat less. Sweat is an indicator of hydration, however if you aren’t sweating you may not realize you need to drink water.
So, bottom line: eat more winter foods and drink plenty of water to help your body stay healthy in the cold winter months!
