Introduction
During the cold winter months, your body experiences various changes in energy levels, metabolism and even food preferences. While the cold, chilly winds blow outside during winter, it is important to winterize your diet by consuming warm and comforting foods.
To help you stay warm and healthy during this winter, we’ve compiled a list of highly-nutritious foods you should be eating to stay warm and healthy.
1. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a great addition to your winter diet and has been used since medieval times for its medicinal use. It is known to boost metabolism, which in turn leads to the generation of heat. It is an immune system-supporting spice that protects against colds and coughs. To get the needed warmth to combat the bone-chilling cold, you can add some cinnamon powder to your morning tea.
2. Dates
Dates, also known as khajoor, are a perfect choice to keep the body warm during the winter season and even to keep you free from winter infections. Loaded with essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber, iron, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, copper, magnesium and a lot more. You can eat dates in the morning on an empty stomach to manage seasonal cough and cold.
3. Soup
Consuming a bowl of piping hot soup is one of the best ways to ward off the winter chill. But why is soup considered to be so good in winter? Soup is not only great to help warm you up, but winter soups also have great multiple nutritional benefits. Soups garnished with a lot of vegetables like carrots, spinach, mushrooms, chicken or corn provide key vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
4. Turmeric
Turmeric is known for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It has been used since time immemorial to offer incredible health benefits during the winter season. Its application goes beyond the enhancement of the flavour and colour of the food. It also helps fight seasonal infections and provides relief from common winter sinus, painful joints, and indigestion. A pinch of turmeric taken with milk helps keep the body warm.
5. Honey
Honey is one of the best foods that will help you sail through winter comfortably. A daily spoonful of honey not only keeps you warm but also helps build stronger immunity and safeguards the body against respiratory ailments like colds and coughs at bay. All you need to take is a glass of warm water with a spoonful of honey to prepare the body against external threats and viruses.
6. Jaggery
Jaggery is a superb medicine for the winter. It is considered a warm, super food and it is a healthy alternative to sugar as it is loaded with vitamins and minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and potassium. Jaggery is considered to be a natural cure for many seasonal ailments like chronic cough, cold, throat infections, migraine, asthma, and indigestion. Consuming jaggery in winter with fresh ginger helps in generating enough heat in the body, thus keeping you warm inside.
7. Eggs
Eggs are a superfood that are a naturally rich source of vitamin D. Its weekly consumption is an effective dietary approach to prevent common colds and flu as well as to optimise vitamin D levels during the winter months when sunlight hours decline. The protein in eggs provides many benefits to the body and builds immunity.
8. Dry fruits and Nuts
Dry fruits, such as apricots, dried figs, dates, almonds, and cashews are the best foods to be consumed in winter months. Not only do dry fruits give your body the warmth it needs during winter, but it also speeds up the metabolism, and enhances your immunity to fight against diseases. They are loaded with copper, potassium, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6.
Final thoughts
Winter is considered to be a season that compromises your health. But you can boost your health with many foods that fill your body with energy and nutrition. Go ahead and be winter-ready with the above foods.
But don’t forget to pay attention to your lifestyle, too. Staying up late, working at night, eating at irregular times, exposing the body to stress and fatigue, and sleeping during the day can all affect the digestive and body rhythms – and thus have little or no effect to your health even if you add the above superfoods in your diet this winters.
