Warm Up Your Food And Spice Up Your Life This Winter
It's getting cold in much of the U.S. right now and in some parts it is downright frigid! I've been getting lots of correspondence from freezing folks inquiring about staying warm on a raw diet as the mercury drops to unspeakable levels! When it's cold outside our bodies need a little extra help staying warm on the inside. Have no worries, my friends, I am not going to tell you to cook your food! There are lots of other ways to warm up your meals while maintaining your raw vegan lifestyle.
Remember, raw does not necessarily mean cold. Heating your food to 115 degrees Fahrenheit is perfectly acceptable and you can do this in a dehydrator. There are lots of free recipes available on the internet including a whole recipe section on ChefTinaJo.com. If you want to go gourmet or learn how to make delicious comfort foods like the best raw gooey macaroni and cheese out there, check out my books in the ChefTinaJo.com store.
What is winter without soups? Nothing warms me up like a nice warm bowl of hearty soup on a cold winter morning! You can make quite a variety of soups quickly and easily in a high speed blender. Again, check out the recipe section on my website for a few fantastic winter soup recipes! (http://cheftinajo.com/recipes/soups.html)
Spice things up! Spices such as ginger, clove, cinnamon, curry, turmeric, annatto, chili powder, paprika, nutmeg, and saffron warm you up from the inside out. Think about it, just a touch of some of these spices will make you sweat! Eastern medical traditions say that consuming these warming spices help keep blood and energies (qi/prana...) circulating, improve the immune system, and speed up your metabolism all resulting in a warm and toasty you! Warming spices can be added to juices, smoothies, salads, soups, or just about any dish you can think of. I love ginger, clove, and cinnamon with a dash of coconut nectar in a cup of hot water. Geez, I almost wish it were cold enough to have a cup right now!
Consume lots of root vegetables. Root vegetables are also considered to be warming foods in eastern traditions; things like yams, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, onions, and garlic. Many of these veggies are delicious blended into soups. For a super warming meal, choose a variety of spices and blend them with one or more root vegetables for a hearty winter meal.
Fatten Up! The fact is that fat keeps you warm. It is quite literally the fuel that your body burns to keep itself warm. That holiday weight gain isn't just about eating too much, it's also your body storing up a little extra fuel for those cold winter nights. Foods that contain good fats are nuts, seeds, coconuts, avocados, and olives. Oils made from these foods too are obviously a wise addition to a winter diet.
Avoiding the excess consumption of cold foods is obviously as important as eating warming foods. Some of these are just obvious such as not adding ice to beverages and don't eat frozen grapes and bananas all winter long. Just about all raw fruits and vegetables are considered cold foods so don't eat a huge bowl of melon for lunch. If you eat lots of salads like I do, be sure to include some root vegetables and add some of those warming spices to your salad dressings. Dehydrating fruits will also make them warmer both figuratively and energetically. The act of blending and juicing is also considered warming. Again, add warming spices, nuts and/or root vegetables for a more warming effect.
Of course, nothing says cozy warm to me like a nice warm cup of hot chocolate! Warm up some almond or coconut milk and mix in some cacao powder, a pinch of cinnamon, and a dash of coconut nectar if you like it sweet. Curl up by the fire and...Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!
Make Life Delicious,
Chef Tina Jo
Remember, raw does not necessarily mean cold. Heating your food to 115 degrees Fahrenheit is perfectly acceptable and you can do this in a dehydrator. There are lots of free recipes available on the internet including a whole recipe section on ChefTinaJo.com. If you want to go gourmet or learn how to make delicious comfort foods like the best raw gooey macaroni and cheese out there, check out my books in the ChefTinaJo.com store.
What is winter without soups? Nothing warms me up like a nice warm bowl of hearty soup on a cold winter morning! You can make quite a variety of soups quickly and easily in a high speed blender. Again, check out the recipe section on my website for a few fantastic winter soup recipes! (http://cheftinajo.com/recipes/soups.html)
Spice things up! Spices such as ginger, clove, cinnamon, curry, turmeric, annatto, chili powder, paprika, nutmeg, and saffron warm you up from the inside out. Think about it, just a touch of some of these spices will make you sweat! Eastern medical traditions say that consuming these warming spices help keep blood and energies (qi/prana...) circulating, improve the immune system, and speed up your metabolism all resulting in a warm and toasty you! Warming spices can be added to juices, smoothies, salads, soups, or just about any dish you can think of. I love ginger, clove, and cinnamon with a dash of coconut nectar in a cup of hot water. Geez, I almost wish it were cold enough to have a cup right now!
Consume lots of root vegetables. Root vegetables are also considered to be warming foods in eastern traditions; things like yams, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, onions, and garlic. Many of these veggies are delicious blended into soups. For a super warming meal, choose a variety of spices and blend them with one or more root vegetables for a hearty winter meal.
Fatten Up! The fact is that fat keeps you warm. It is quite literally the fuel that your body burns to keep itself warm. That holiday weight gain isn't just about eating too much, it's also your body storing up a little extra fuel for those cold winter nights. Foods that contain good fats are nuts, seeds, coconuts, avocados, and olives. Oils made from these foods too are obviously a wise addition to a winter diet.
Avoiding the excess consumption of cold foods is obviously as important as eating warming foods. Some of these are just obvious such as not adding ice to beverages and don't eat frozen grapes and bananas all winter long. Just about all raw fruits and vegetables are considered cold foods so don't eat a huge bowl of melon for lunch. If you eat lots of salads like I do, be sure to include some root vegetables and add some of those warming spices to your salad dressings. Dehydrating fruits will also make them warmer both figuratively and energetically. The act of blending and juicing is also considered warming. Again, add warming spices, nuts and/or root vegetables for a more warming effect.
Of course, nothing says cozy warm to me like a nice warm cup of hot chocolate! Warm up some almond or coconut milk and mix in some cacao powder, a pinch of cinnamon, and a dash of coconut nectar if you like it sweet. Curl up by the fire and...Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!
Make Life Delicious,
Chef Tina Jo
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