Welcome Winter Solstice
HELLO first day of Winter! I welcome you with open arms, because this medicine gives us the tools to embrace the season. As I write this post, I’m watching snow fall from my window for the first time this year. It is indeed a very magical moment here in Seattle!
The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, or in other words the least amount of daylight we’ll receive all year long. This means that 阴 Yin is at its peak, while 阳 Yang is at its lowest point. Good news, we can support and strength our Yang Qi with the foods and drinks we consume! Warm natured and cooked foods are the best at this. Even hot drinks will do the trick. Black tea, mulled wine, hot cider, and even hot water… yes simply heating water between 120-150°F can benefit your yang.
Why is yang qi so important? Well, it promotes physiological processes in our body such as blood circulation, temperature regulation, and digestion to name a few. Are you with me on this? If so, continue reading to learn preparation methods and foods you can use to supplement yang. I promise you’ll even have some already in the pantry!
Foods and Spices:
Meat: Chicken, beef, lamb, salmon, shrimp
Legumes: Black beans, lentils
Nuts/Grains: Walnuts, oats, quinoa
Vegetables: Cabbage, kale, mustard greens, onions, parsnips, squash
Condiments/spices: Vinegar, mustard, cloves, ginger, garlic, cayenne, chives, anise seed, black peppercorn, cinnamon bark
Cooking methods:
Cook foods at lower temperatures for longer (crockpots are perfect for this)
Stir-frying or sautéing: add oil to a heated skillet, then add pungent ingredients such as onions, garlic, ginger before adding the main ingredients
Broiling: Using this dry heat method, meat and vegetables will cook quickly in their own liquids
Roast nuts and seeds before consuming or adding to recipes
Combine any off these foods to make a delicious and nutritious meal this winter season!
One last thing I want to share with you is a recipe I created for homemade hot apple cider using warming Chinese medicinals. It was so comforting and delicious that I decided to make a large batch so I could reach for it in a moments notice whenever the desire hit. The ingredients warm and tonify yang, stimulate digestion, and boost the immune system but feel free play around by adding or omitting according to your preferences.
Sources:
Pitchford, P. (1993). Healing With Whole Foods. Berkley, CA: North Atlantic Books.
Homemade Apple Cider
— About 12 pounds of a variety of apples; Seeds removed, juiced, and 100% pulp kept
— 4-6 cups of water to thin the juice
—15g grams astragalus (huáng qí), 9g dried orange peel (chén pí), 6g licorice rot (gān căo), 1Tbsp cloves (dīng xiāng), 6-9 cardamom pods (shā rén), 3 slices of fresh ginger (shēng jiāng), 2 cinnamon sticks (guì zhī); add to a spice bag
Combine all ingredients into a large stock pot, cover, and simmer for 4 hours on low heat. The house will smell amazing, your gut will love you, and you’ll want to thank me later.