Winter nutrition: should seasonality be taken into account?

Have you ever experienced that in winter or in the cold season you are drawn to something hot, liquid or oily? Most people notice little bodily changes and changing eating habits as winter approaches. And this is no accident.

Our body is arranged in an amazing way, and in order to support all vital processes, it deftly adapts to changes in nature. But in order to help him easily rebuild, it is necessary to follow certain rules of nutrition in the winter. Following them, you will be able to remain energetic, vigorous and healthy in winter.

Principles of the winter diet

1. Increase the amount of healthy fats in the diet, add warm cereals, meat dishes and rich soups. Food should be warming and satiating.
2. Add more spices. They have a powerful warming and anti-inflammatory effect, which is especially important during the spread of infectious and viral diseases.
3. Serve cooked warm vegetables. Stewing, roasting and boiling are ideal for winter.
4. Skip fasting and cold juices and smoothies until spring.
5. Use unrefined oils every day.
6. Consume more healthy immune drinks containing ginger, sea buckthorn, cranberries, rose hips, currants and lemon.
7. Add fermented foods such as sauerkraut, garlic, tomatoes, radishes, and other vegetables to your diet.
8. Opt for seasonal winter vegetables such as pumpkin, carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, sprouts, Brussels sprouts, leeks, and onions.
9. Eat more abundantly than in summer, eat more high-calorie foods. Thus, you can maintain the energy potential of the body.
10. Reduce or eliminate dairy products altogether.

Foods to include in your winter diet

• ginger
• warming spices: turmeric, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, fennel
• butter and ghee
• vegetable oils: sesame, linseed, mustard
• cereals: buckwheat, spelled, corn, brown or black rice, quinoa
• legumes: mung (Asian beans), lentils, chickpeas
• seasonal vegetables
• vegetable and bone meat broths
• sauerkraut
• warm cooked meat and fish

Example of a winter menu

Your winter diet might look like this:

Breakfast: whole grains with oil, nuts and seeds, or egg dishes with cereals and healthy fats: avocado, caviar, cod liver, salted fish. It is also good to include a warming drink based on ginger and spices in breakfast.

Lunch: meat or fish in a warm form with thermally processed vegetables and herbs. You can also add cereal with butter as a side dish or sauerkraut.

Dinner: hot soup, borscht, fish soup, broth or vegetable stew with legumes or meat. After dinner, you can drink herbal soothing tea.

Our body is very sensitive to changes in nutrition, therefore, following the principles of a winter diet, you will get excellent health and mood.