Principles of a Winter Diet

Wintertime Nourishment 🍲

Chinese Medicine proposes that we will feel our best if we live according to the seasons. In the Winter, it is our Water that shines! Right now, we are in the best season to reflect on our health, conserve our energy, and build our strength. The stillness of nature calls us to bring our energy inward, be patient and introspective.

Principles of a Winter Diet:
→ Ultimate goal: Preserve and protect our reserves of Qi. Conserving our Qi helps us to remain healthy when Spring arrives.
→ Warm, slow-cooked meals + stews
→ Bitter, sinking, contracting foods to match the inward energetic of winter. Don’t disperse Yang energy!
→ Strengthen Kidney Qi, warm Kidney Yang & nourish Kidney Yin
→ Strengthen Spleen Qi + Yang, our digestive fire. Don’t let dampness accumulate.
→ Counter cold + promote circulation + build blood

Foods to Include:
→ Steamed, roasted or sautéd dark colored veggies + root veggies, in-season produce
→ Eggs, fruit, seeds (walnuts, flax, sesame, chia), legumes (kidney beans, black beans, aduki beans, black soybeans), beef, lamb, chicken and duck
→ Warming foods and spices
→ Just like the Kidneys (Jing) represent the root of life in Chinese medicine, seeds contain the essence of a plant’s life and hold its potential for growth*

Check out our website for delicious Winter recipes!

As with any medicine, everyone has a different body type, so ask your acupuncturist or schedule a health + wellness coaching to find out what foods would be best for you this season. ✨