WELLNESS--It’s wintertime and the cold outside air affects our bodies. Adding cold raw foods on top of the already cold winter weather can be tough on the system. Our bodies are more drawn to warming foods instead of cooling during the cold months. When people here warming they often think of the actual temperature of food, but what we are talking about here is the constitutional temperature of the food. Let me explain.
Take for example spicy food. Even if you eat the food cold, spicy food is still internally warming to your organs and entire system. The other most obvious warming foods are onions, garlic, ginger and alcohol.
The most cooling foods are leafy greens, cucumbers, watermelon, sushi, fruits and vegetables. Certain drinks are cooling as well like Kombucha and certain teas. Here’s a complete list of warming and cooling foods.
Patients often ask me about how to eat in the winter months, and the best way is to cook your foods and steam your vegetables. If you do insist on raw veggies, be sure to add a little bit of ginger or some pepper to help to warm them up and balance out the cooling effects.
There is no magic diet for any of us. Our bodies are the labs and we are the experimenters. I can’t tell you to avoid all salads and raw veggies all winter long. What I can tell you is to listen to your body and notice what it is telling you. When you drink that green juice in the winter, does your digestion still work efficiently, or are you getting gas and bloating and possibly loose stool? I hear all the time how difficult it is for people to know how and what to eat, but the truth is, our bodies have infinite wisdom and if we pay attention and listen to them we will see that we already know exactly what we need.
Questions to ask yourself in regards to your diet are; am I getting a lot of gas after I eat? Are my bowel movements formed and normal, or do they tend more towards loose? Do I deal with constipation instead of loose stool, and if so, do I need more oils and water in my diet? Do I have enough energy to get through my workday and my daily workout?
Keep in mind that the raw food movement touts that we are destroying the enzymes and cooking out the good when we steam and cook food. The reality is if we are not able to digest that raw food, there is no point in eating it in the first place. Steaming and cooking it, while it may reduce the enzyme and vitamin levels, allows our bodies to break down that food and use it as energy.
(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)
-cw
Winter Warning: Salads Can be Dangerous to Your Health
