Are you the type of person who just can't get warm in the winter? If the answer is yes, the problem may be the foods you are eating. We all need to eat for the season we are in. Different foods grow and are harvested at different times of the year. We should eat what is in season for our bodies to function properly. You should also eat what is growing in your area. There are some exceptions to this rule . We will talk about that more in another article. Right now I would like to explain why you may be cold and get you started in the right direction.
If you are the type of person who loves to eat salads, ice cream and drink cold beverages then you need to understand these are cooling foods and they are not feeding your body what it needs to produce heat (fuel). In the winter months we need warming foods and warming drinks. We need to spice it up.
Here is an example of warming foods: Oatmeal, grits, quinoa, couscous, soups, stews, beans, acorn squash, parsnips, horse radish, garlic, ginger, turnips, Turmeric and there is more. This list gives you a nice start. You can also drink things like hot water and lemon (this also helps detox the body), hot green tea, or just sip hot or warm water through the day it's actually very healthy for you.
Below is a very nice and easy recipe to make for you and your family.
Spicy Chinese Noodles & Broccoli
Start by taking your Tofu and draining. Wrap it in a clean towel on a plate overnight in the refrigerator. Then mix 3/8 cup Tamari, 3/8 cup water, 1 tbsp. ginger, 1 tbsp. garlic, 1tsp. cayenne pepper mix in a bowl and the cut up your tofu in bite size cubes and marinate for 1 hour. After the hour, bake the marinated tofu in oven on 350 degrees for 1 hour. Turn after 30 minutes. Set aside until ready to add to dinner.
Now you will need the following ingredients:
1 pound of Broccoli, 1 lb. rice pasta linguine (or your choice), 2 tbsp. dark sesame oil, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp. minced garlic, 1 tsp. red pepper flakes, you will need your marinated baked tofu, 3/8 tbsp. Tamari, 3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar, 2 tbsp. rice syrup (or brown sugar).
- Cut up your broccoli spears and you can use stems just cut in smaller bite size chunks.
- Steam you broccoli a few minutes. Don't over cook, this is a stir fry.
- Boil water and follow directions for cooking noodles from the box. You can spice it up more by adding some spices to the water it will boil in. Most pasta cooks in 7 minutes.
- While pasta is cooking, you will want to heat up a pan with the olive oil and sesame oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook about 30 seconds. Then add your steamed broccoli, marinated tofu, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and rice syrup. Stir fry this for about 1-2 minutes and the add drained pasta and stir till mixed well and serve.
This will serve 6:
This is a warming meal full of good carbs and protein. It has calcium, micronutrients and isoflavones.
If you would like any more information or just need a health coach to help you with your diet. You can contact me at ReneMatheny@yahoo.com .
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