We have the lovely Kate Levins from Brunchfastclub sharing on our blog foods that warm the constitution of your body and improve your circulation to prepare for the Winter months!
I initially first met Kate when she came along to one of our Balmain group training sessions! I shortly became aware of her absolute infectious passion for health and wellness and very much resonated with her holistic values. I had to have her share with us over at the BV community!!
Kate is a final-year student of holistic nutritional medicine, a recipe developer, writer, speaker and lover of whole foods. Kate runs regular workshops on all things nutrition and we are looking forward to having Kate run workshops for us at BareVitality in the near future (so stay tuned)! A plant based eater herself, Kate is passionate about sharing the details on how to enjoy the balanced, varied, well-planned and energy-yielding diet she thrives on. Her blog Brunchfastclub is a great resource for healthy and delicious recipes, insightful tips and nutrition advice- Check it out 🙂
Foods To Warm The Constitution Of Your Body – Kate Levins
To me, there’s absolutely nothing worse than being cold.
If you read or follow Ayurveda, then you’ll understand what I mean when I say that I am a true Vata; I’m really prone to being cold, especially in my hands and feet.
Sound familiar?
Vata or not, when the temperature drops after the long Sydney Summer, our extremities suffer! Sitting on your hands and jumping on the spot while wiggling your toes can only warm you up so much… What really makes a difference is to warm your body up from the inside out.
To do so couldn’t be easier, or more delicious. You see, the foods we choose to eat absolutely determine how our bodies feel; physically, mentally and believe it or not, temperature-wise. If you think about the nature of certain foods you eat, like a cucumber for example– it’s watery, crunchy, cooling, refreshing, soothing, etc. This in contrast to a roasted pumpkin, which is substantial, soft, warming and dense. Which would you prefer to eat in the middle of Winter? The answer might seem obvious to some, but others are not as in tune with what type of food, or nourishment our bodies would benefit from most.
In Winter, we need to eat foods which stimulate circulation and warm up our bodies from the inside out. Believe it or not, some foods are classified as ‘circulatory stimulants’, so you’re in luck!
What on earth does circulatory stimulant mean?
Well, it literally stimulates the circulatory system– home of our heart and blood vessels whose job it is to pump blood, oxygen and nutrients around our body; clearly a pretty important job. Circulatory stimulants improve the quality of our blood flow, ensuring it travels down, around and into all our nooks and crannies, especially our fingers and toes, which tend to take a beating every time Winter rolls around.
There are many foods, herbs and spices we can include in the diet to help to warm the body up from the inside out. Often Nutritional or Naturopathic health remedies are a bit horrible tasting, or bland, but my list of circulation-boosting foods are all delicious, commonly available and easy to include in the next meal, snack or tea you make.
You might even like to try the warming hot chocolate recipe included below– it’s become an almost daily ritual for me 🙂
Ginger
A beautiful rhizome plant that is warming in nature– even the smell is spicy and warming. Ginger is a circulatory stimulant and helps to promote sweating, which is great when we’re cold. Ginger is great for boosting the immune system also and works as a preventative measure for the common cold and nasal congestion; it literally liquefies mucous, allowing it to exit the body.
Chillies
Green, red, ghost chillies, cayenne, chipotle; pick your poison! One small bite of chili is enough to feel its warming power. Like ginger, chillies also stimulate circulation, promote sweating and even help to alleviate pain by bringing heat to aching muscles or joints.
Coconut Oil
Yes, another thing coconut oil is fantastic for… It helps to boost the metabolism due to its make up of medium chain fatty acids. Boosting the metabolism, also referred to as our body’s digestive fire, helps to increase body temperature while maintaining its stability.
Matcha
This powdered green tea is an adaptogen that it works directly on our adrenal glands. The adrenal glands produce many of the body’s hormones, including the stress hormones cortisol. Adaptogens work by relaxing the adrenal glands and improving the body’s ability to deal with things like stress, and temperature changes. They help to maintain homeostasis within the body, which includes maintaining a comfortable body temperature.
Warming Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk of choice (I like coconut best)
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tsp coconut oil, melted
1 medjool date, or 1/2 tsp honey
1 tbs raw cacao powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
1/4 tsp reishi mushroom powder (optional)
pinch cayenne pepper (optional, but recommended) pinch Himalayan salt
Method:
1. Combine the milk, boiling water and coconut oil in a mug until coconut oil has melted, then add to the blender.
2. Add all remaining ingredients and blend on high for 40-60 seconds.
3. Pour into a mug, dust with a little extra cinnamon and enjoy!
Thank you Kate 🙂
You can connect with Kate:
- 03/06/2016
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- ayurveda, coconut oil, ginger chillies, hot chocolate recipe, matcha, nutritionist, Winter
