Tips for Winter Eating + 2 Easy Meals

The energy of winter is deep and potent. With rest, there is work going on, but inside, energy is collected and held in reserve. This deeply nourishing Yin time gives us the needed energy, vision, and purpose with which to emerge into spring - a season of growth, renewal of spirit, and fresh starts. Winter, the season of water, is a crucial time to nourish our innermost being.

This connection between our body and the powerful, mercurial force of the water element can be explored in many ways. Physically, our bodies are composed of roughly 60-70% water, varying due to age, sex, and hydration levels. In the energetic body, there is a correlation of the body as earth, the symbol of water as emotions, air as mind and sun or fire with the soul and spirit. Early winter is characterized by dry, windy, cold weather and dry heat inside of our homes, which dries the skin and tissues of the body, making us especially prone to dehydration. Hydration is important to not only physical health, fatigue, and pain levels, proper hydration is crucial for our mental health as well (and in the dark, cold, shorter days of winter our caring for our mental health becomes even more paramount). Two of the first signs of dehydration are crankiness and lethargy. In fact, a study by the University of Connecticut's Human Performance Laboratory tested "total mood disturbance" of participants during hydrated and dehydrated states, evaluating factors like tension, depression, fatigue, vigor, confusion, and anger. When participants were rehydrated (after being dehydrated), their total mood disturbance improved.

Winter foods will nourish yin and fluids while keeping the digestive fire going strong. Cooking foods slowly for a longer period of time at a lower temperature like bone broth-based soups, hearty stews, and slow cooked foods will generate warmth without drying or overheating the body. Choose to eat more cooked foods as too much cold or raw foods will chill the digestive system and dampen the digestive fire. If you are experiencing excess dry in your body use methods like stewing or poaching. If you are experiencing more dampness in the body use drier methods like baking and roasting. Slowing down to eat, savoring the undistracted (or less distracted) process of cooking and eating will help the body-mind assimilate both the nutritive qualities and the water content of what we consume.

Signs and symptoms of weak digestive fire:

• Cold

• Fatigue

• Slow, sluggish digestion

• Loose stool

• Weight gain

• Low body temperature

• Weakened immunity

• Autoimmunity

• Allergies

Baked Potato or Baked Sweet Potato

A simple baked potato is so nourishing, hearty without being heavy, and filled with vital nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin B6, and potassium. They are a good source of folate, niacin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and manganese. To get the most out of the potato, you should eat the potato skin as well as the flesh, as some micronutrients are more concentrated in the skin. To make the skin really delicious, the keys are to bake at a high temperature and to season the skin well - as the potato cooks, the salt will permeate the interior and season the flesh as well.

• Preheat the oven to 425’

• Rinse and scrub your potato in cold water, pat to dry.

• With a fork, poke several holes in the potato (otherwise it might explode in the oven!)

• On a baking sheet, drizzle 1 tbsp of olive or avocado oil on, rub to cover the skin, and sprinkle heartily with sea salt over the entire surface.

• Place in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, depending on size, rotating about halfway through. Test with a pairing knife by gently inserting into the potato - when it is cooked completely, the the knife should slide out easily.

• Once cooked, remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Slice open lengthwise, fluff the insides with a fork, and top to your heart’s delight.

Topping Ideas

Sour cream/plant based sour cream, chives, mushroom bacon, chili (we like Annie’s for a quick meal), steamed broccoli crowns, roasted kale, shaved brussels sprouts, soft boiled egg, tempeh, roasted chickpeas, avocado, arugula, tahini + sesame seeds, yummy vinaigrette or sauce (see below), anything else that sounds good to you!

Buddha Bowl

Grain and quinoa bowls are simple, satisfying, and endlessly adaptable and can be a great clean out the fridge meal. Begin with a bed of grain or quinoa, cooked according to package instructions in water or bone broth, add a mix of satisfying warm veggies and protein, then top with a yummy dressing (a few favorite recipes below). Eat!

Topping Ideas

Roasted root vegetables (beets, brussels sprouts, and squash are delish!), mushroom bacon, steamed veggies (broccoli crowns, kale, carrots), soft boiled eggs, tempeh, tofu, edamame, shredded beets or carrots, roasted chickpeas, avocado, crushed peanuts or cashews, arugula, green herbs (cilantro, parsley, dill), a little feta cheese…

CharlotTe’s Punchy Ginger-Scallion Vinaigrette

• 1 tbsp grated ginger

• 3 clove garlic, grated

• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped fine

• 3 tbsp honey or agave (v)

• 4 tbsp soy sauce or Tamari (gf)

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar

• 2 tsp sesame oil

• 1 Cup avocado or olive oil

  Blend together in a high speed blender or combine in a bowl and let sit while you prepare the rest of your meal.

Savory tahini sauce

• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from one lime

• 3 tablespoons avocado oil

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari (gf)

• 2 tablespoons honey or agave (v)

• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

• 1-inch square piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves

  Blend together in a high speed blender or combine in a bowl and let sit while you prepare the rest of your snack.

Macerated Shallot Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

• 1 small shallot, peeled, finely minced (about 1/4 cup)

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon honey or agave (v)

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• Coarse salt and ground pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano, (optional)

  You guessed it : Blend together in a high speed blender or combine in a bowl and let sit while you prepare the rest of your meal..