How To Holistically Prepare Your Body & Mind For Winter

As we move farther and farther from the sun, there are fewer signs of life and a stillness in the air. For many, this is a difficult season, filled with long dark hours and barely lit days. Nevertheless, it's a very important season.

Most Chinese medicine therapists know of the "Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon," written around 250 B.C. The text is treated as the basis for Chinese medicine and Daoist theory. In the emperor's words, winter is a time, "to stop for a moment and meditate on the passage of time, to feel time moving inside you, it is to practice the value of the winter season…this cold and dark time is exactly when love between people passes most freely, with family visits, gift giving and acts of charity to the less advantaged."

While the organs of winter are the kidney and bladder, the element is water. Yin in winter is at its maximum, which is cold, dark, and dense, while the yang, chi energy, is at its lowest. In winter our chi is stored more internally. Our wei chi, or immune energy, is also concentrated internally, so we should try not to deplete it with excessive sweating.

In doing so, we would also deplete our kidney chi, which is the root of all our energies, including that of development, growth, structure, and reproduction. This energy supplies strength to our bones, teeth, and hair, as well as fertility.

As the days of light are short, winter is a time to go to bed early and get up later. For most of us, our working hours don't change with the seasons, so the best we can do is try to go to bed earlier and therefore eat dinner earlier.

Foods should always be cooked in winter. Braising and slow-cooked stews are recommended, as well as soups. Fortunately, these can all be prepared in advance, making food preparation easier in the evening.

Soups are especially good at night as they are easier to digest. Important vegetables to eat in winter include dark leafy greens like kale, chard, and collards, as well as potatoes, pumpkin, cabbage, brussels sprouts, turnips, beets, and parsnips, to name a few.

As foods in winter need to reinforce the kidney energy, slow-cooked beef and lamb can also be beneficial. Spices are especially helpful, such as ginger, chili, cardamom, and cinnamon as they give warmth and help to stimulate digestion. These can be added to a tea, too, in addition to main meals.

Make sure you are dressed for the season. A strong wei (immune) chi can protect you when you are forced to face the elements, but warm clothing is also essential.

The area most important is the neck, as this is where pathogens, viruses, and bacteria can easily enter the body, as well as the feet, as this is where the first point of the kidney meridian begins.

If cold enters through the feet, it has direct access to the bladder and kidney. The kidneys filter waste from the blood and regulate the body's pH level.

How do you survive the festive season without coming out 10 pounds heavier, bloated, and uncomfortable? My lifesaver is enzymes and probiotics.

They will save you from digestive discomfort, but don't expect them to bring you a Christmas miracle; remember to be conscious and aware of everything you eat and drink.

Remember, this is a time to be with friends and family, not a food and drink frenzy. Enjoy your festive meal and an occasional drink, but try to avoid heavy sauces and constant snacking.