Winter Diet Should Favor Warm-Natured Foods
Saying goes: "Tonify in winter, conquer tigers in spring; fail to tonify in winter, suffer in spring." Meaning, winter is the best season for bodily tonification. People should take advantage of this prime opportunity to nourish their bodies. Using dietary methods for winter health preservation is the optimal choice.
The general principle of winter dietary health preservation is: 1. Consume moderate amounts of high-calorie foods to replenish energy loss; 2. Increase intake of warm-natured foods to enhance the body’s ability to resist cold; 3. Ensure adequate intake of vitamins and minerals. That is, besides consuming appropriate amounts of grains and cereals, one should also pay attention to supplementing sufficient protein, vitamins, minerals, and moderate fats.
Traditional health theory suggests that winter favors consumption of warm-natured foods, especially those that tonify kidney yang, thereby enhancing the body’s cold resistance. Below are several suitable winter tonification methods.
1. Angelica, Ginger, and Lamb Soup: 20g Angelica, 30g ginger, 500g lamb, appropriate amount of Huangjiu (Chinese rice wine), and seasonings. Clean lamb, cut into small pieces, add Angelica, ginger, Huangjiu, and seasonings, stew for 1–2 hours. Eat meat and drink soup. It warms the center, replenishes blood, dispels cold, and strengthens the body—ideal for those with fatigue, pale complexion, cold limbs, and symptoms of blood deficiency or yang deficiency.
2. Lamb Kidney Porridge: 1 lamb kidney (or pig kidney), 100g rice, minimal seasonings. Cut open kidney, remove internal white tendons, chop finely. Wash rice, add water and seasonings, cook for 1 hour. It tonifies qi and yang, fills essence and marrow—suitable for those with weakness, sore waist and knees, cold intolerance, and reduced sexual function due to kidney yang deficiency.
3. Walnut Kernel Pancakes: 50g walnut kernels, 250g flour, a little sugar. Grind walnuts into fine crumbs, mix with flour, add water as needed, stir evenly, then pan-fry into thin pancakes. It tonifies kidney and resists cold, moistens intestines and relieves constipation—ideal for those with back pain, weak legs, lung deficiency cough, and dry stools due to lung-kidney deficiency.