The Path to Winter Wellness

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, winter is time for storing energies, for resting and for stillness. This season is dominated by the slower, darker, inward-moving energy of Yin. Winter is the time to emulate the sleeping natural world, by slowing down, becoming quiet, moderating and conserving the fiery energies of Yang.

The Season for Warming Foods

Keep yourself warm and cozy with foods that warm you as they nourish you. Try replacing your morning coffee with a cup of fresh ginger tea each morning. Choose seasonally appropriate and cooked root vegetables instead of cold salads and raw veggies. Make use of warming seasonings like garlic, ginger, curries and chiles.

To keep your bones and joints flexible, be sure to include meat stews and soups made with bone broth. From Osso Buco to Gori Gomtang, just about every culture in the world appreciates the value of a good bone-based soup. Animal bones contain a wealth of valuable nutrients, including  glucosamine, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin, immune-supporting marrow, collagens, gelatins, amino acids and minerals. There’s a simple crock pot recipe for poultry-based bone broth at Further Food.

The Season of Water

Water is the element associated with the cold of winter. Remember that the power of this element lies in its flexibility and its ability to overcome obstacles by yielding to them. In the human body, water provides us with a similar power and flexibility, by maintaining well-lubricated joints and bones.

To cultivate your own watery powers this winter, exercise gently and without too much exertion. Allow your mind and your body to rest by going to sleep a little earlier at night and rising a little later in the morning. Drink plenty of water, but avoid ice water! Water is best at room temperature or even slightly warm.

The Season of Compassion

As you enter into the dark, cold winter, remember to be gentle and compassionate with yourself and with those around you. Allow yourself ample to time to rest, to reflect, and to store energy for the spring that will inevitably come.