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Winter meal in progress. Root vegetables. Yams, onion, apples (going into a stew). Kale, to be steamed, dressed with chives, mustard seed, warm olive oil, sprinkle of seasame seeds and walnuts. (We were going to show you the finished product - but, whoops!-we ate it before we remembered to photograph it! Tasty, too.)

Warming Foods - for the Winter Season
by Kathryn R. Burke

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT! Think about it. When was the last time you saw a fat farmer? Now consider the folks you saw chowing down at the "all you can eat buffet" or supersizing at the local Mickey Ds shoveling in the transfats, triglycerides, "French" fries, breakfast fries, massive sugary soft drinks and mystery-meat burgers in fluffy white buns. Equally interesting, think about the ladies lunching at the big city fern bar, picking at a tiny green salad and washing it down with a glass of white wine. They might be skinny, but do they look any healthier than the fatties at the fast food table?

Not really. Our bodies need the right fuel to maintain us, and the more optimal that fuel, the better energized we are, the more efficiently we operate. Remember those old cars that ran on "hi-test" fuel, and the knocking sounds the engine made when you pumped the tank full of cheap low-octane gas. (OK - that's a ways back, but if you didn't have one, it's a safe bet your parents or grandparents did.) Point is, for optimal efficiency, humans, animals, even machines work best when properly fed and cared for.

When? For us, the human aspect of that equation, the secret to longevity and healthy, happy lives comes down to what we put in our bodies. And "when" we put it there. Season's Harvest, Patty Painter reminds us that: foods are seasonal, just like the weather; if you loosely base your diet on what grows at the time of year you are likely to eat it, you will feel and look better. So how does this work in January in the San Juans? With high altitude and low temperatures (really low this year!) you need to burn a lot of energy to stay warm. And you do this how? By ingesting warming foods. And nature, bless her, provides them.

What? Root vegetables, like carrots, yams, potatoes, onions, garlic, are naturally sweet and filled with energizing vitamins and antioxidants. Fish, especially salmon, which is extremely high in omega 3s, and lean animal protein, like chicken (without the skin), beef, lamb, elk, venison, and buffalo are all excellent energy-producing foods and sources of protein and "good" fats. If you don't eat meat, beans are another energizing protein source. Seasonings like ginger, mustard seed, black pepper also add warming qualities to your diet. And you can always incorporate local fruit—apples, pears, even peaches from Palisade are still around in limited quantities—and of course, if you froze or canned them, from your own supplies. Apples, like root veggies, keep a long time in cool places, like your garage.

Meat. Will eating meat increase the risk of cancer or heart disease, or clog your arteries? Not necessarily. "Meat fats have been recently 'cleared' as not causing dreaded diseases. Consider the Eskimos who live on practically 100% fat and have no heart disease! It's a good rule of thumb, though, to avoid fat meat, and stick to lean and organic. Animal fats store chemicals and hormones, and it's the chemicals, not the fat - that are the' bad guys', Artifical and hydrogenated fats are the killers. And the hormones pumped into non-oranic meats wreck havoc with your body's natural hormones. Bottom line, stick to organic, and don't fry it. Broil, grill, or bake it and whenever appropriate, add garlic while cooking, even grilling, you significantly reduce or even reverse that risk. Add onions, too, and you're really set. Numerous studies suggest that including generous quantities of both garlic and onions in your diet cut the risk of most common cancers. Both also boost your immune system and help you fight winter colds and flu. (See chart at end of article.)

Combining foods This suggests that combining foods is the secret to healthy winter eating. Recent studies have proven this is true. Consider the hearty winter stew. What's in it? Usually beef, potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic—the perfect winter meal. Serve it with a warm "salad" of wilted greens, such as spinach and kale, dressed with mustard or dill in a little olive oil, and a nice whole grain bread dipped in a little olive oil.... oh my! You're sure to feel good. (If you're using virgin olive oil, don't heat it, although it's OK to warm or cook with regular olive oil—so long as you don't let it get too hot.)

Wait! The warn say: potatoes are fattening; avoid "white" starchy foods. Well, that depends on how you eat them. Potatoes are fattening...when they're fried in oil, slathered with butter, glopped with sour cream, and cheese. And they're not if they are baked or broiled, organic potatoes with the skins on, maybe tossed in olive oil with a black pepper, parsley or dill - all good winter seasonings.

Don't eat meat? If you don't eat meat, remember that beans are another excellent protein and energy source. Dried beans keep well, and don't need to be "fresh-picked" to be nutritious. Ditto corn, which has significant properties that help reduce Alzheimer's and other cognitive impairments. Eggs are a good brain food, too. Eggs are high in choline, a key component of many fat-containing structures in cell membranes—which account for an unusually high percentage of the brain's total mass. Over 90 percent of Americans are deficient in choline - perhaps obvious to some of us if you watch the news?

Salmon - miracle food Topping the good health list for warming winter foods is salmon. Like garlic, it is truly a miracle food. Extremely high in omega fatty acids, just two servings a week can lower triglycerides, help prevent and control high blood pressure. Just three servings a month reduces risk of heart attack and stroke. (Related article). Traditionally a summer fish, increased production of farm-raised salmon has made it available fresh (or fresh-frozen) in local supermarkets year round, so there’s no excuse not to include it in your winter diet. Besides being tasty and easy to prepare, it’s a lot more fun to eat than fish-oil capsules—although in a pinch, they'll do. You shouldn't eat salmon or other Omega 3 fatty fish every day.

What about my arteries? If you consume a diet rich in meat and eggs, will you increase your cholesterol levels? Nope, they should go down, provided you are sticking to lots of protein and not “augmenting” your diet with lots of sugar- and fat-based foods (common at holiday time when we garbage up on cake, candy, cookies.) Fact: if you eat a high protein diet eggs and lean meats, and get your fiber primarily from vegetables (no cold cereal and easy on the bread), you will actually see your cholesterol and triglycerides drop!

Comfort foods? A caveat here about so-called “Comfort Foods.. A big bowl of mac and cheese or spaghetti and meatballs, or a plateful of heavily buttered toast with blanketed in strawberry preserves is not comfort food. Bottom line, these are stroke-causing, heart-attack inducing, lead in the belly. Foods like that fill you up with stuff that is likely to stick around for awhile - causing intestinal discomfort like gas, constipation, heartburn. True comfort foods warm you up and give you energy during the digestive process as they quickly move on through making room for another energizing, warming meal.

Seasonal foods & Good Health. The good news is that no matter what the temperature or date on your calendar, there’s something good to eat that’s good for you. Think like a farmer, check with local growers, and shop at stores like Season’s Harvest where the staff is knowledgeable, food products locally grown, and shelves are stocked with organic fresh foods of the season.

With a little care about what you put in it, your body will reward you by keeping you healthy and happy all winter long. Properly prepared - warming “winter” foods help prevent cancer and greatly reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and most cancers, and provide excellent, natural boosts to your immune system when you need it most. Best of all, warming, winter foods are fun to eat!

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Resources:
Online:

Google “seasonal eating colorado”
What are the benefits of Eating Foods in Season? (whfoods.com)
What’s Fresh in Colorado in January (nrdc.org)
Colorado Winter Fruits & Vegetables (about.com)
Northern Colorado Food Incubator, seasonal eating (noco food incubator)
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver ( Seasonal Vegetable chart (cuesa.org)
'Eskimos Prove an All-meat Diet Provides Excellent Health," Vilhjalmur Stefansson. Reprinted from Harper's Monthly Magazine, Nov. 1935.. Biblelife.org.
Medicine: Fats & Heart Disease. Time Magazine, Nov, 1956. time.com

In print
Haas, Elson M. Staying Healthy with the Seasons. Celestial Arts, Berkeley, CA 1981.
Kingsolver, Barbara, with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Harper Collins, 2007
Pritchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods.Heartwood Institute; Revised edition. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA 1993.
Galeone C, Pelucchi C, Levi F, Negri E, Franceschi S, Talamini R, Giacosa A, La Vecchia C. “Onion and Garlic Use and Human Cancer.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Nov; 84(5):1027-32. 2006. PMID:17093154.
Pollan, Michael. "Omnivore's Dilemma. (low-fat diet).

Excellent print references are available by topic at whfoods.com

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Got a story or a good link you would like to share? If you have a story 500 words or LESS, edited and spell-checked, or a great link, please e-mail it to us: articles@ridgwaynaturalfoods.com We won't promise to publish your story or link, but we will take a look at your submission.

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