Tips for a Raw Vegan Winter
It may seem more difficult to stick to Meatless Mondays during the holiday season, especially if you’re striving to add more raw foods to your diet, but we’ve got some tips to keep you on track. Kristen Suzanne is here to share her game plan for making this winter a delicious, healthy, and kind one!
When the colder months arrive, I think of two things: staying healthy and staying warm. There are many ways to accomplish both – with a raw vegan diet!
Let’s start with the immune system. If there’s a time to stay healthy and keep the immune system strong, it’s now. While people are congregating more indoors to stay warm, traveling more because of the holidays, as well as letting their diets slip with sugar-laden foods and alcohol from all of the parties and gatherings, it can become an easy breeding ground for illnesses like the flu. Apart from the obvious hand washing, getting plenty of rest, etc., there are a few tricks for helping to keep the immune system nice and healthy.
Go Organic!
In addition to being better for the environment, organic produce contains more nutrients than conventionally grown food and this is the time of year to make sure you’re getting just that. Some people spend extra money on medicine, doctor visits, and being sick. Not me… my health is my priority so I don’t mind spending extra money for organic food, which helps me stay healthy and avoid spending on those other things in the long run.
Get Extra Greens!
Greens help alkalize the body and they’re loaded with superior nutrition. The easy way to get extra greens in your diet is to drink fresh organic green juice and green smoothies during the holidays. I sometimes add a green powder to the mix for extra oompf! Getting your greens in liquid form helps give the digestive system a rest, which can be beneficial for healing and rejuvenating the body. Go Greens!
Stay Hydrated!
When I’m drinking plenty of green juices and green smoothies, and eating a High Raw (or all Raw) diet, then staying hydrated comes easily. However, it doesn’t hurt to keep the fluids coming. A great way I easily add more hydration to my daily diet is to start and end every day with a nice cup of warm water with a squeeze of fresh organic lemon in it. Always filtered tap water (through a high quality filter), and never in plastic bottles. (I carry my water on-the-go in a reusable glass bottle or aluminum sports bottle.)
Probiotics Are Great!
During the holiday seasons, when everybody finds themselves a little busier, possibly more stressed, and surrounded by hordes of sniffling, sneezing, busy, stressed people… I take precautions and take probiotics. This gives my digestive system plenty of friendly bacteria… helping me stay healthy.
Fermented Foods Rock!
Fermented foods such as raw (unpasteurized) sauerkraut and kim-chi (pronounced “kim chee”) are quite popular around the world. They’re a staple in my diet year round and I generally consume about a 1/4 cup per day, or at least every couple of days. Fermented foods are low in calories with plenty of fiber, and they’re filled with a rich supply of vitamins and minerals. Plus, they help build up and maintain friendly bacteria in the body. All of these benefits are important… especially around the holidays.
I make my own sauerkraut from organic cabbage that I get from the farmer’s market. It takes about a month (or longer if desired) to ferment in my stoneware fermentation pot, so I make plenty of this when cabbage is in season. Then, I store it in my refrigerator for the months to come. If you don’t want to make your own, you can purchase delicious raw, organic, unpasteurized sauerkraut online from Gold Mine Natural Foods or Rejuvenative Foods, and sometimes your local Whole Foods Market has it.
Want to stay warm during the colder months while eating a raw vegan diet? No problem!
Here are a few tips:
1. Warming Spices!
During the colder months, it’s a great time to start spicing up your life in the food department. Some easy ways to do that are with spices like ginger, garlic, horseradish, curry, and cayenne pepper. Add some to the next green juice, green smoothie, raw soup, or salad that you enjoy. See how it gets your circulation flowing. Yowza!
Another favorite trick of mine for warming up is with organic miso soup – yum! (There are soy-free varieties of miso, too. My favorite brand is South River Miso.) Miso soup isn’t Raw, but miso has living components that are excellent for digestion and healing. Every time I have a warm cup of miso soup, I feel the lovely warmth spread in me from head to toe, literally in minutes.
2. A Dehydrator Warms Wonderfully!
Dehydrators are a great kitchen appliance for warming up your Raw foods. Dehydrating takes a little planning, of course, because you’ll need to warm your food for a couple of hours to get a nice soft warmth without destroying nutrients. One of my favorite raw vegan meals to warm in my dehydrator is raw vegan lasagna – Mmmmm.
3. Whirl a Little Longer in Your Blender!
Your blender (especially a high-powered blender) can be used to warm up Raw foods such as soups, nut/seed milks, and can even be used to warm up smoothies a bit to take the chill off. All you have to do is blend the ingredients for longer than you normally do, paying attention not to let them get too warm. A good temperature test is using your finger. Make sure your blender is OFF(!), and dip your finger into the mixture periodically to check the temperature. If it’s not too hot for your finger, it still has its nutrients.
Get Your Booty Movin’!
Exercise is great for getting blood circulating and warming you from head to toe. I keep a rebounder near my desk and jump on it every few hours for about 10 minutes to warm my body. Stay toasty in the winter and burn calories – a win-win! Another great (and cheaper) option is to use a jump rope.
Dress Warmer!
Sounds obvious, but it’s true! Treat yourself to a pair of fluffy organic cotton (or hemp) socks and an extra sweater. Layer up with your clothes. We keep extra blankets around the house this time of year, too, so staying warm is nice and easy – without having to keep the thermostat too high and wasting energy.
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