Healing Winter Foods

As Hippocrates said, “Let food by thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food” (460-377 B.C.). Hippocrates clearly understood the power of food. Thousands of years later, here we are almost completely disconnected from what we are putting into our mouths. As a society, we need to rebuild our understanding of food and how it affects our body, mind and soul.

You have likely heard the phrase “you are what you eat.” What this phrase depicts is the fact that the food you eat becomes your cells, your tissue, your bones, your organs. Your food becomes YOU! The quality of the food you put into your body is the quality of performance your body will have.

While the body needs all the different nutrients it receives from your food, there are certain “key” elements missing from the average American diet that are contributing to the overpopulation of sickness and disease. Below is a list of key elements and the foods that contain them that can significantly improve your overall health and well-being.

Antioxidants (vitamins A, C and E; flavonoids and polyphenols (like grape skin and seed); lycopene; lutein; lignin; selenium; coQ10 and glutathione) – Help protect your blood cells from damage.

Healing Winter Foods: Apples, berries, citrus, red grapes, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, tomato, garlic, ginger, nuts, whole grains, tea and dark chocolate.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Help prevent against cardiovascular disease, improves brain function and is an essential element for cell-to-cell communication, which can control whether or not you get sick.

Healing Winter Foods: Fish (like salmon), nuts, seeds, soy beans, tofu and some vegetables to a lesser degree like Brussels sprouts, collard greens, green beans, kale, romaine, spinach, strawberries, turnip greens and winter squash.

Fiber – Helps prevent against cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, digestive disorders, gallstones and kidney stones

Healing Winter Foods: Apples, artichoke, avocados, bananas, berries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, corn, dates, figs, mung beans, nuts, peas, sweet potatoes, turnip greens, whole grains

OTHER KEY ELEMENTS:

Magnesium – Helps stabilize heart rhythm and blood pressure and flow; maintains proper muscle function (relaxing); improves calcium absorption and insulin response; reduces anxiety, depression, fatigue, hyperactivity and aggression; relieves back pain, headaches and constipation; decreases asthma symptoms and more!

Winter Foods: Artichokes, bananas, beans (best in spring and summer), broccoli, figs, fish (Halibut and Tuna), nuts, prunes, pumpkin (seeds best), sweet potatoes and whole grains

Vitamin D – Helps prevent cancer and Alzheimer’s, increases utilization of calcium, reduces inflammation, boosts immune system, helps with insulin secretion and regulates blood pressure.

The BEST way to get vitamin D is 20-30 minutes of sun exposure every day!

Winter Foods: Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines), beef, liver, eggs. You can also eat “fortified” foods; but it is not the same as consuming pure vitamin D or getting sunshine.

Other Helpful Winter Foods:

Garlic is antiviral and antibacterial

Ginger and peppermint help eliminate digestive issues

Lemon helps detoxify and purify the body

Cherries are natural pain relievers

Pineapples and ginger are naturally anti-inflammatory

Consuming these “healing foods” on a regular basis can significantly improve your health and overall quality of life. They are delicious and nutritious, and should be a staple in every home during the winter months. Click here for our Hearty, Vegetarian Chili recipe. Enjoy!