Deeply Nourishing Meals During Cool Seasons

The winter season brings with it an old deep impulse to go dormant and hibernate. We can work with these seasonal rhythms by nourishing our selves & our families with yummy seasonal foods.

While spring and summer are active times for movement and cleansing (at least here in the Northern Hemisphere) - think salads, watermelons, cucumbers and cold soups, winter calls for foods that warm, nourish and mineralize our bodies, such as soups, stews, dense foods and baked goods.

“While the natural health community often emphasizes the value of cleansing, equally or even more important are our bodies’ need for nourishing foods that build, replenish and remineralize, which is winter’s work.”

It has been said that if protein (amino acids) are the building blocks of a healthy body, minerals are the grid, and are responsible for the structure of the body at every level. So lovely cold-weather recipes will not only bring beautiful colors to lift winter spirits, but will also nourish deeply during this ‘rebuilding phase’ with flavors and minerals that warm the belly and assist cold weather digestion.

Foods that are ‘in season’ locally tend to have the components that especially support the body through that local climate & season. Here in Michigan this means roots that would be stored during cold (hopefully not too long!) winters. Look for recipes that include your favorites among these top ingredients:

**Winter squashes & root vegetables**,

such as pumpkin, butternut, acorn, Hubbard, carrots, sweet potatoes, & yams. Orange & yellow vegetables are especially rich in beta-carotene, a pre-formed vitamin A.

Vitamin A is essential for proper immune function and respiratory health, and has often been found to be deficient in people that suffer from repeated sinus and respiratory infections. The body can manufacture vitamin A when it’s supplied with ample amounts of beta-carotene rich foods, and healthy fats (including saturated) and lacto-fermented foods (containing healthy bacteria or probiotics.)
People that find themselves consistently sick in the winter may also want to consider indulging in fermented cod liver oil and organic grass-fed liver, two food sources especially rich in bio-available vitamin A.
Healthy Fats feed our brains and support healthy immune systems. Consider healthy fats such as nuts, cold pressed flax seed oil, sesame oil, olive oil, coconut oil & full fat coconut milk, fermented cod liver oil, avocado, butter, and for those that eat meat, grass-fed beef, tallow, & lard. Yes, really! See the Weston Price Foundation for more on the nourishing qualities of grassfed animal products.
Broths. Make them simply with a crockpot full of water, quality sea salt, and lots of sulphur-containing foods such as onions & garlic; their heat mellows to a rich broth with simmering. This food may also help your family members with winter skin problems such as eczema, as this naturally occurring sulphur is helps to keep oils circulating through the body and the skin hydrated.

**One true traditional ‘super food’ is bone broth,** beef, fish, or chicken.

A nutrient-dense & delicious broth can be made with an inexpensive beef cut - ox-tails, which are available from your local pastured farm source.

Warming spices, such as ginger, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, & red pepper ‘heat us up’ and supports healthy winter digestion & absorption.

Enhance soups with a small addition such as:

A strip of kelp- Seaweed supports thyroid function, breast health, metabolism and bone growth.
A strip of Astragalus- Contains very strong anti-viral properties, remove this immune supporting herb before serving.
A bunch of parsley- Chopped in, or simmered in as a bunch in the last 10 minutes of cooking and removed before serving.
Good salt- Ideally Celtic salt (any brand), or ‘Redman’s Real Salt,’ Celtic, unrefined sea salt, or (having least array of minerals) Himalayan salt, which provide essential trace minerals.
Burdock root- Chopped small in stews, this supports healthy liver, gall bladder & skin function.
A tbsp of quality gelatin- Good for hair, skin and joints.
Even the act of cooking these simmering meals can bring their own aspect of joy and healing. As the house fills with delicious tempting aromas, our physical health is enhanced when our digestive enzymes have time to get ready as our “mouths’ water,” and our heart & memories are warmed. Enjoy some experimenting this winter!