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When the weather changes, our culinary cravings change too and usually the cold and dark days make us consume more fats, spicy foods and hot drinks. However, the natural tendency to eat more in winter can lead to weight gain, but at the same time, you do not want to starve yourself nor have a poor diet as it can increase your vulnerability to colds and flus.
During the cold season, you should avoid alcohol, coffee and food containing an excessive amount of sugar, such as fizzy drinks or processed foods, which only destroy the benefits gained by eating nutrient-rich food with the role of warming your body.The best solution lies in eating foods that increase the body temperature, foods with a high content of nutrients and a low number of calories.
Much of the animal foods fall into the category of “warm foods”, (they increase the body temperature): fish, chicken, beef, lamb, venison can be pretty good for the cold season, but they also contribute to weight gain, therefore you may want to pay a closer attention to the amount of meat you eat. For this reason, nutritional experts recommend as alternatives fruits, vegetables, whole grains, herbs and spices, nuts and seeds.
– Whole grains such as brown rice, oats and quinoa are rich in nutrients, fiber and phytochemicals that provide energy to keep the body warm all day.
– Beans are an excellent source of protein, which provides a high level of fiber, no cholesterol and no saturated fat that are usually specific of meat products.
– Sushi can be quite healthy depending on what ingredients are used, how it is prepared and how much you eat. SushiFork of Tulsa makes it perfect, by the way!
– Nuts and seeds are foods rich in minerals, phytochemicals, fiber and essential fatty acids. Walnuts provide the body with omega 3 fatty acids, while sunflower and pumpkin seeds provide omega-6 fatty acids.
Tip: Start your day with a rich breakfast (i.e. baked pumpkin steel cut oatmeal) which contains the essential nutrients and vitamins to energize you throughout the day. Additionally, you can have fruity or nutty bars as snacks between meals.
Fruits and vegetables consumed in winter offer the most nutrients of all food. Strawberries, oranges, pomegranates, onions, carrots, peppers, beans, cabbage, beets, broccoli, etc. all are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that strengthen and support the immune system and raise the body temperature. Ginger and garlic have similar qualities, and therefore are widely used as traditional medicines.
Tip: The digestive system produces more heat when digesting raw food than cooked food
Traditional herbs and spices such as black pepper, cumin, fenugreek, fennel, cardamom, coriander, although not very easy to find, have a major role in increasing body temperature in winter and stimulates immunity.
Tips: Herbs and spices can be used for:
– Seasoning the vegetable soups
– Flavour the teas (cinnamon)
– Ginger tea – its warming effects last longer than any other tea
– Spicy chicken soup with garlic, ginger and black pepper to relieve unpleasant symptoms caused by the cold weather.
However, if you are not a lover of Ginger Tea or you may want to replace coffee with something tastier or healthier such as Mambo Mango, White Coconut Cream, or Midnight Vanilla are few of the delicious options you can get.
What about the desserts? No matter how healthy we would try to eat (especially ladies), the dessert is always a weakness we cannot resist. However, even when it comes to the dessert there are solutions to keep you away from fats and sugars: dark chocolate. Ghirardelli is the oldest American chocolate maker that can satisfy any taste in terms of delicious chocolate flavours while keeping you healthy. Dark chocolate Mint, Dark chocolate Sea Salt and Roasted Almond are two of the many fruity and nutty chocolates that will not fail to give your body energy and sweetness.
Another choice you could opt for are fruits. They contain three natural sugars: sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. Therefore, certain fruits (like banana) give your body an instant energy boost that lasts. As a matter of fact, nutrition experts have noted that a single banana is enough to supply the right amount of energy for 90 minutes. Some of the delicious ideas you could use for your dessert are baked apples or peaches with honey and lemon juice; fresh fruit skewers with dark chocolate or vanilla-honey dip. However, nutritionists recommend to eat the fruit salads between your meals rather than as an immediate dessert and certainly, not after dinner as the carbohydrates which should be metabolized could cause you insomnia.
Last, but not least, drink enough water. The artificial hot environment we create can cause dehydration and therefore, fluid imbalance. You want to keep your skin and organs hydrated during winter as well. Although you may not feel as thirsty as you usually feel in the other seasons, you still need to check how many glasses of water you drink a day. Besides, drinking water in the winter will help you break down the fats easier while flushing toxins and regulating your body temperature.
Although all the above suggestions could also be included in your diet in every season for a healthier metabolism, nobody says you should drastically reduce the amount of meat you eat. In case you still want to include meat in your daily diet, make sure you grill or roast it rather than fry it, as you do not want to absorb unhealthy fat. Balance is the key.If you want to add such foods to your regular diet but afraid of the cost, Frugaa.com will help you find great deals on these organic products.
