Seasonal Diet

Seasonal eating Your dietary needs, and even your lifestyle habits, naturally change with the season. The changes seem obvious when we look at them, but how often do you really think about the way you eat in the summer as opposed to the winter? Or your different sleeping patterns in winter and summer? We respond quite instinctively to the natural cycles, the seasonal patterns within which we live. For example, in cycles, the seasonal patterns within which we live. For example, in cycles, in winter you need more than extra layers of clothing; you also feel the need of extra inner padding; consequently, you begin to hunger for more warming soups, stews, and hot food in general. In summer, on the other hand, you hanker for more fruits, salads, and cold drinks.

Here we look at some of the simple healthy foods you can eat to help avoid the winter blues.

Warming food and drink for the winter blues

Brown Rice. An excellent winter food, rice is a healthy, balanced grain, which makes a good replacement starch for potatoes or pasta.

Garlic Eating. raw garlic may not be the easiest thing to do, but you do get the most benefit from its potent healing and antiseptic qualities. There are other ways you can ingest garlic: you can take garlic capsules or cook it lightly in food. In its natural state , garlic is required to be a food that gives you strength. What could be better? That is just the thing you need in winter. When you are3 feeling low, with little energy, fighting off yet another invading germ, garlic can help pick you up and fight off infection.

Ginger .To reap its full warming benefit , ginger root is best ingested in the form of a tea or infusion. It helps fight colds and flu, aids digestive problems, improves a sluggish circulation, and is excellent for aches and pains, particularly those brought on by damp weather.

Oats. On top of all its health-giving, cholesterol-lowering qualities, oatmeal is essentially one of the best comfort foods there is. Warming and filling, it meets the most important criteria for a winter food.

Mustard. This spicy condiment is great for sustaining warmth. Good for preventing or treating muscular pain, you can eat mustard or mix mustard powder with warm water to use as a poultice for treating rheumatic or arthritic conditions.