You may keep health issues at bay over the winter by eating foods like amla, ghee, bajra, dates, millets, almonds, mustard, and cruciferous vegetables.
Are you prepared for the cold weather by having your blankets and sweaters ready? A diet that helps you stay healthy and warm all through the winter is an essential item on your list. Certain health problems, such as arthritis, and skin problems, such as dryness, eczema, and psoriasis, may be made worse by the arrival of winter.
“Maintaining healthy skin, hair, and joints in the winter requires a robust immune system. Arthritic people hate winter because the cold makes their joint problems worse. Similar to how dry skin, eczema, and psoriasis flare up in the winter, “YouCare – All About YOU by Luke Coutinho’s Holistic Lifestyle Coach, Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine.
A healthy diet that includes foods like amla, ghee, bajra, dates, millets, almonds, mustard, and cruciferous vegetables will help you avoid health issues that tend to flare up in the winter.
“There are several options for satisfying the body’s demand for a nutritional shift during the chilly winter months. In order to stay healthy and fight off illness this season, your diet will play a crucial part. Even if we eat these winter-only superfoods, we still need to eat a varied, healthy diet year-round “In the words of Dr. Siddhant Bhargava, Co-Founder of Food Darzee and Fitness and Nutritional Scientist.
Coutinho and Bhargava have proposed the following 10 winter superfoods, all of which are delicious and may help mitigate the negative effects of the cold season on your health.
1. Ghee
An readily digested fat that may provide quick heat and energy to keep you warm, pure and responsibly obtained A2 ghee is one of the best options. Moderate ghee usage has also been shown to reduce dry, flaky skin. Coutinho recommends switching to ghee in the winter and using it in place of butter in cooking or adding it to roti, rice, or khichdi.
2. Sweet potatoes
Shakarkandi, also known as sweet potato, is a seasonal treat that is not to be missed. It is readily available across the nation, particularly in the winter months, and it is a good source of fibre, vitamin A, and potassium. “Constipation may be cured, immunity can be strengthened, and inflammation perhaps reduced with regular ingestion. Daily beta-carotene requirements may be met by eating only one serving. It helps the body get all the vitamin C it needs, which aids in building up resistance to illness. It tastes well roasted or cooked in milk “to paraphrase Bhargava.
3. Amla
The lowly Indian gooseberry stands alone among foods high in vitamin C for its ability to stave against illness. Murabba, pickles, sweets, chutneys, juice, or even just eating it plain with some black pepper powder are all great ways to consume amla, as mentioned by Coutinho.
4. Dates
They’re a healthy alternative to refined sugar and may improve the flavour of many baked goods. Furthermore, they have several positive effects on health. As an added bonus, they help those who suffer from arthritis. “The therapeutic properties of dates come from the fact that they are rich in nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Dates’ high calcium content might help you maintain healthy bones and teeth even on less-than-ideal weather days. Further, it plays a crucial part in warding off bone-related diseases including osteoporosis and arthritis “according to Bhargava.
You won’t be as tired and sluggish throughout the chilly winter months if you include it in your morning and evening snacks. Dates provide nourishment to the skin and help maintain its hydration level, among its many other advantages, even during the dry months of winter.
5. Jaggery
An excellent source of heat, this sugar substitute is far better for you. Those suffering from anaemia will benefit greatly from its high iron content. Keeping your iron levels up in the winter is especially important because iron helps red blood cells adhere to oxygen. Because of a lack of iron, the body is unable to use as much oxygen, making the person feel colder. According to Coutinho, jaggery is also an effective lung cleaner that may help individuals in heavy pollution and winter haze areas.
6. Millets
Millets have several beneficial properties, including being low in glycemic index, rich in fibre, and nutrient dense. “To sum up, you should include all winter millets into your diet. Ragi, the ideal winter dish, can keep you toasty enough even in the dead of winter. As it contains an amino acid that suppresses hunger, eating it may aid in weight loss. Ragi is high in dietary fibre and may aid digestion. It has also been shown to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, sadness, and sleeplessness.
Bajra’s high levels of fibre and vitamin B make you feel warmer in the winter, and it also aids with muscular development. You may also use it to get thick, smooth hair with no frizz. It’s used in several Indian dishes, including bhakri, thalipeeth, and more “The author Bhargava claims.
“You can’t beat the warmth of a bajra dish in the winter. This old-fashioned grain boosts circulation and health because to its high fibre content. Bajra may be used to produce a variety of foods, including rotis (flatbreads), laddoos (Indian candy), crackers, and khichdi (a lentil and rice dish). Those who are not concerned about their intestinal health could switch to winter cereals like bajra, maize, ragi, etc “According to Coutinho.
7. Cruciferous vegetables
Even if you didn’t enjoy broccoli as a kid, you’ll probably become a fervent fan of the healthy vegetable once you discover its many benefits. Vitamin C in broccoli acts as an antioxidant that reduces the appearance of wrinkles.
Because of their high levels of fibre, vitamins, minerals, and protective antioxidants, broccoli and cauliflower are excellent choices for warding against cold and flu throughout the winter. “Both of these vegetables are excellent for boosting immunity since they are high in vitamin C. Moreover, they are helpful in regulating blood sugar, promoting digestive and heart health, and are a great source of dietary fibre “”, Bhargava argues.
8. Root vegetables
This time of year, nature generously offers us with a variety of root vegetables. Beta carotene, fibre, potassium, and manganese, as well as most of the B vitamins and antioxidants, may all be found in root vegetables. Like, say, sweet potatoes, beets, yams, turnips, and carrots. Coutinho claims that these veggies have a calming effect on the mind and body and help keep us firmly planted on the ground.
9. Nuts
Consuming nuts, which are naturally warm and hot, on a daily basis in the winter helps to maintain a healthy neurological system and cardiovascular system, as well as a healthy mind and heart. Almonds and walnuts, for instance, are good for your heart because they decrease LDL cholesterol, stabilise your blood sugar, and quell inflammation. Walnuts are an excellent supply of Omega-3 fatty acids, while almonds are a good source of vitamin E, antioxidants, and magnesium. If you’re looking for something light to eat in between meals, Bhargava recommends picking up a bag of almonds.
10. Mustard leaves or Sarso ka saag
For Indians, the winter season means a steady diet of Sarso ka saag and makke ki roti, two comfort foods that help keep us warm when the weather outside is frightful. Vitamins K, A, and C, along with other antioxidants, and a wide range of minerals are abundant in this combination. According to Bhargava, it has a crucial function in increasing resistance to illness and has positive effects for those with cardiovascular disease, asthma, and menopausal symptoms.
