Category Archives: Winter Recipes

Lentil Stew

This is a great recipe to stay warm in the winter. Its also an awesome recipe for post partum recovery. If you are a mom-to-be and are getting close to the end this is a great soup to make and freeze or give it to someone who is willing to cook for you! 🙂

What you need:

4 cups homemade chicken stock, preferably cooked with beet greens and/or red chard (kidney/urinary bladder)

3 carrots chopped (spleen/stomach)

3 celery stalked chopped (liver/gall bladder)

1 onion diced (lung/large intestine)

3 cloves of garlic (lung/large intestine)

1 tablespoon of olive oil or clarified butter

2 yellow zucchini (spleen/stomach)

1 green zucchini (liver gall bladder)

1 bell pepper (I used yellow) (spleen/stomach)

1/2 bag of red lentils (heart/small intestine)

1 jar of tomato sauce (heart/small intestine)

3 cups chopped kale, chard or spinach (liver/gall bladder)

Pink Himalayan sea salt, to taste (kidney/urinary bladder)

crushed black pepper (kidney/urinary bladder)

other spices to taste, I prefer the 21 spice salute from Trader Joe’s

What to do:

melt oil or butter and heat onion, garlic and all veggies (except greens) until tender, about 5 minutes. Add stock, lentils, and tomato sauce. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer and cover. Let cook for 30 minutes. Add greens just before eating, the heat of the soup will allow the greens to gently wilt. If freezing wait for stew to cool first and make sure you label and date the container. Enjoy all winter long and especially the first 4 weeks post partum. 🙂

Feeling Tired? This Could Be Why

The last 2 days we’ve been living in the clouds, literally. The fog yesterday was pretty intense. If you are feeling sluggish this could be why.

We are transitioning into winter. This is a time of turning inward and for many animals it’s also hibernation time. We’ve talked about this already. The sunless sky and all the fog is a very damp environment. It may even feel like the dampness is in your bones. Dampness in Chinese Medicine is an obstruction or blockage that can cause you to feel weighed down, it’s also mother nature’s reminder to slow down! Cold causes energy to constrict and move slow and so as much as you can let your life reflect that.

You might be thinking, “this all sounds great, but I have stuff to do.” Here are some simple ways to prepare for winter so that you can be mindful of what your body needs and realistic of your life as well.

1. Eat warming foods and spices. The season of winter is cold and is associated with the bones and low back and the color is black. Incorporate stews, soups and chilis in to your menu and add warming spices like black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, ginger etc. Look forward to some yummy winter recipes. 🙂

2. Because this is a season of turning in it is important to avoid stimulants like coffee. Also avoid damp causing foods like dairy, processed foods and refined sugar as this can contribute to fatigue.

3. Take some time to hibernate. If extra sleep isn’t possible try incorporating meditation or quiet time into your routine even if its just for 5 minutes. There is a saying that says meditate everyday for 20 minutes and if you are really busy meditate for an hour!

4. Switch up your exercise routine. Avoid high impact cardio exercise in the winter months to replenish your system.  Add restorative yoga, walking and weight training to your routine.

5. Surrender! It is few and far between the number of comments I hear of someone looking forward to the dark and cold or winter. Find beauty in the season, it is after all the balance to the summer and the sun is always shining behind the clouds! 😉