Eating In Winter
Catherine Varchaver, Nutrition Counselor at Body and Soul Nutrition, has great wisdom about eating with the seasons. Her article Season to Season: Ode to Eating and Living with Winter, is a lovely piece echoing the energetics of winter I treat through acupuncture, by using foods appropriate to the season. I know that by eating stews, root vegetables and other warming foods during the winter, I feel stronger and more grounded than when I eat the raw and cooling foods more appropriate to summer. Food is one of the main ways we gain qi/energy, and it serves us best when we eat with intention – both in what we eat and how we eat it.
I love that there are different ways to nourish our bodies and spirits. I often recommend foods to my clients to nourish a particular energy. For example, I just saw a client the other day who injured his foot while running a 10k race. He has several other symptoms that point to a kidney deficiency, like sore back and knees, fatigue, hair loss and urinary problems. His chronic underlying deficiency laid the groundwork for this acute injury to occur. During his appointment, I treated points to strengthen his kidney energy, as well as points to nourish his spirit so he could be more resilient and healthy in general. I also recommended kidney strengthening foods such as miso, kelp, barley, kale, horseradish, parsnips, and sweet potatoes. That way he’s giving himself mini-treatments whenever he eats!
