Good Ways to Beat the Winter Blues
Vitamin C for good immunity
- Vitamin C is a vitamin humans cannot manufacture. We get vitamin C only through a diet rich in fruits and veggies. Citrus fruits are of course the best source of vitamin C.
Interestingly, most citrus fruits are harvested in warmer climates in the winter. Think Florida oranges in the winter and grapefruits in the early spring. The immune-health, tissue-building, and mood-supporting benefits of vitamin C are a wonderful prescription from nature to ward off the winter woes.
In Ayurveda, the citrus fruit of the Amalaki tree is one of the richest sources of natural vitamin C. Interestingly, this citrus fruit has an anti-acid effect in the digestive system, unlike most citrus fruits, which have a strongly acidic digestive effect.
Avoid Winter Weight Gain
- No snacking between meals.
- Only drink water from supper to breakfast each day. For best results, aim for a 13-hour fast each night.
- Make supper smaller and earlier (before 6pm).
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Lentil Soup for a Healthy You this Winter
Make lunch the main meal and relax while eating – no eating on the go or in a hurry.
- As you become a better fat burner, you can try skipping supper to make the nighttime weight loss fast even longer.
Exercise Outside and Get More Sun!
- Walk, bike, play tennis…just get outside!
- A preliminary studyfound that exercise under bright light (such as outside!) improved general mental health, social functioning, depressive symptoms, and vitality, while exercise in ordinary light improved vitality only.
Get More Involved in your Community—Gather for Fun and Learning and Food!
Listen to Music and Open the Curtains for more light
Plan fun activities and/or trips to look forward to
Use aromatherapy. Using essential oils daily enhances psychological and physical well-being. The inhaled aroma from these “essential” oils is widely believed to stimulate brain function.
Eat Seasonal Fall and Winter Foods (Winter Food List-Below)
In Winter months eat more foods that are Sweet, Sour, Salty / Heavy, Oily, Moist, Hot: such as soups, stews, steamed or roasted veggies, and more fat and protein.
_Eat less foods that are Pungent (Spicy), Bitter, Astringent / Light, Cold, Dry: such as salads, smoothies, cold foods and beverages, crackers, chips and salsa.
*An asterisk means that this food is a Winter Superfood. If you like it, eat more of it.
Choose Organic and non-GMO when possible. Eat more of your favorite foods from this list.
| Vegetables | FRUIT | SPICES | NUTS & SEEDS |
| Cook all vegetables and add a healthy oil, such as ghee, and warming spices. Favor root vegetables:
Artichokes, hearts *Avocadoes *Beets *Brussels Sprouts *Carrots *Chilies Corn Fennel Eggplant, cooked *Garlic Ginger Hot Peppers Leeks Okra Onions Parsley Potatoes, mashed *Pumpkins Seaweed, cooked Squash, Acorn *Squash, Winter *Sweet Potatoes *Tomatoes Turnips OILS Most (healthy) oils: *Almond *Avocado *Olive *Coconut *Flax *Mustard *Olive *Peanut *Macadamia *Sesame *Walnut Legumes Mung bean Lentil Garbanzo Beverages Alcohol in moderation Warm teas, low caffeine, Tulsi Green tea, Coffee in moderation Warm water w/lemon Herb teas |
Favor sweet, sour or heavy fruits. Eat fruit separately from other foods. Serve warm: Apples, cooked
Apricots *Bananas Blueberries Cantaloupe, with lemon Cherries Coconuts, ripe Cranberries, cooked *Dates *Figs *Grapefruit *Grapes Guava *Lemons *Limes *Mangoes Nectarines *Oranges *Papayas Peaches Pears, ripe *Persimmons Pineapples Plums Strawberries Tangerine MEAT & FISH All meat, eggs and fish are good: Beef/lamb Chicken Pork/Egg Crab/fish Duck Venison Turkey |
Most spices and herbs are good:
*Anise *Basil Bay Leaf *Black Pepper Caraway *Cardamom Cayenne Chamomile *Cinnamon Clove Coriander *Cumin Dill *Fennel Fenugreek Garlic *Ginger Horseradish Marjoram Mustard Nutmeg Oregano Peppermint Poppy Seeds Rosemary *Saffron Sage Spearmint Tarragon Thyme *Turmeric CONDIMENTS Favor sweet, sour and salty tastes: Carob Dulse Fermented foods Lemon or Lime Mayonnaise Pickles Sea Salt Vinegar |
*Almonds
*Brazil Nuts *Cashews Coconuts *Filberts *Flax *Macadamias *Peanuts, raw *Pecans *Pinons *Pistachios Sunflower *Walnuts DAIRY All dairy is good, ideally at room temperature or warm (such as boiled milk). Favor raw or vat-pasteurized. *Butter *Buttermilk *Cheese *Cottage cheese *Cream *Ghee *Kefir Milk, not cold Non-Dairy substitutes (almond milk) Sour Cream Yogurt SWEETENERS Sweeteners, in moderation: Honey – Raw *Maple Syrup *Molasses Sugar, Raw *Stevia WHOLE GRAINS Most grains are good. Best eaten warm, moist and with a healthy oil: *Amaranth Buckwheat Millet *Oats *Quinoa *Rice, Brown Rye/Wheat |
When we adjust our diet and lifestyle to match the season, health promoting digestive microbes dramatically change. Winter microbes support balanced immunity, digestion, mood, energy, blood sugar, weight, sleep – and much more. In the Ayurvedic tradition , winter is also associated with the qualities of ‘Vata’, which are cold, air, dry and light.
Tips for food Preparation during winter months
Soak all nuts and grains:
- Oats, rye, barley, wheat and quinoa should always be soaked (or fermented).
- Buckwheat, rice, spelt and millet can be soaked less frequently.
- Whole Rice and whole millet contain even less phytates so it’s not necessary to always soak.
- Flax seed does not require soaking if eaten in small amounts
- Use broth and stock generously –soups, stews, quinoa etc. Or drink a cup often during winter months.
- Eat good fats and cook your vegetables (not raw in winter)
To Stay Strong and Healthy:
- Follow our Winter Grocery List for foods and tips that are the most nourishing during the cooler and dryer Vata months of winter.
- Start your day with 1-2 capsules each of ashwagandha (adptogenic herb) and/or turmeric. Children take 1 of each.
- To keep your ears lubricated and thus prevent infections, place a few drops of warm Lymphatic Massage Oil in each ear.
- Get your vitamin D levels checked with a blood test, and optimize if need to.
- 80% of the body’s immunity is in the digestion. Support with winter foods.
Daily Routines for Winter:
- Self-massage with warm Lymphatic Massage Oil or raw sesame oil to balance your nervous system and detox your lymphatic system.
- Simple meditation for coping with stress, anxiety and depression.
- Exercise in the morning to increase circulation, mood and immunity.
- Follow a regular rhythm of sleep, exercise, mealtimes and rest.
- Sleep with a warm mist humidifier to keep your sinuses clear.
- Perform Neti by irrigating your nasal passage with warm salt water.
Signs of Excess Vata During Winter:
- Occasional insomnia, stress, worry, occasional constipation, colds and flus, joint pain.
- If you experience some of these signs, follow the above guidelines for a balanced Winter!
And lastly…
- Get quiet. 8. Don’t look back
- Start anywhere. 9. Give more hugs
- Lean into it. 10. Feel gratitude!
- Open your heart.
- Keep busy.
- Schedule play.
- Ask for help.
