As the weather turns colder my cravings for hot soups, stews, and teas grows more and more! According to Traditional Chinese Medicine this is quite normal. It’s pretty much the way our body tells us what it needs in order to survive in freezing cold weather. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that the universe is a balance of yin and yang energy, and that all living beings follow the course of nature. As the seasons change, the proportions of yin and yang in our bodies also change. In winter the body’s yang energy becomes hidden inside the body, and the warm yang energy becomes far removed from the extremities of the body, such as the hands and the feet. Therefore, to maintain the balance of yin and yang, we should make some changes to our diet. According to Dr. Jenny Fan, an acupuncturist and herbalist in Milpitas, California, “Our bodies are instinctively expressing the fundamental principles of winter—rest, reflection, conservation and storage. It is important to nurture and nourish our kidney qi.” Think about how people used to followed the cycles of nature in ancient times. In winter, days are short and nights are long, so people rest more and conserve energy for the upcoming spring. They also ate seasonal foods. They couldn’t eat fruit and leafy vegetables, so peoplele ate whatever was available. The ancient Chinese emphasized eating warming foods. For example: These are all the best superfoods for winter according to traditional Chinese medicine. However, you don’t need to go overboard and start eating a whole lot more. Remember, everything in your diet should still maintain a healthy balance of yin and yang. The recommendation is only to eat proportionally more. Please comment below and share any other superfoods we should try this winter. I’d love to check out your suggestions. In the meantime stay warm, and happy eating!
CiCi Li is the host ofCiCi’s Food ParadiseonNTD Television. Join her for food adventures and discover the endless wonders of Food Paradise. You can stay in touch with her onFacebook.