consciouseating
Healthy Foods
for the Holiday Season by Michelle O’Shaughnesy
Winter is a season for colds and fl u. Drinking Stinging Nettle Tea helps alleviate sinus congestion. I love it so much that I make a pot of it and it is the base for my “Breathe Easy” Soup. You can make tea or you, too, can make a big pot of soup. Instead of adding stock, add tea instead. Place 5 tea bags in a gallon of water, let them steep for about 15 minutes, remove tea bags and add to soup.
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Holy Basil or Tulsi is another herb I like. It is an adaptogen; it helps if you are stressing out because it nourishes your adrenals. It also tonifi es your lungs so if you are prone to getting sick during this time, try some Tulsi tea from any health food store. The brand is called Tulsi because they all are based on Holy Basil but some of them have other things like green tea. My favorite is Tulsi with sweet rose: a nice blend of holy basil, chamomile and sweet rose. Holy Basil can also be added to soups or when cooking grains. I like mixing it with the Stinging Nettle because one helps with allergies and congestion while the holy basil tonifi es the respiratory system. Another food to add to your winter cooking is Daikon Radish: a funny white
radish that looks like an albino carrot. I won’t make too much fun of it because this root breaks up mucus and phlegm and helps us breathe. You can add it to soups or you can add it when you are cooking greens. Mixing a white root vegetable with your kale or collard greens really makes them pop and keeps everybody breathing better. Another benefi t: this radish also breaks up fat. If you are trying to lose weight before or after the holiday season, Daikon Radish is a nice compliment to your dish. You can eat it raw grated in a salad, juiced or even pickled like they do in Korea. It is a main staple of Japanese cuisine (maybe why they don’t have such a weight problem).
Other spices that help to clear the sinuses are Mustard and Horseradish. These
two herbs cause the sinuses to open and they push anything that is blocking them out. Onions, Garlic and all our root vegetables are in season now. Because of their high sulphur content they help to keep us well. These great foods readily available will keep us healthy without having to buy decongestants or allergy medicines that just put a Band-Aid on the symptoms. These wonderful herbs and foods will (pun intended) get to the “root” of the problem. Use them and have a blessed holiday season!
22 Central Florida natural awakenings
ere come the holidays with the fun of friends and family. It can be a time both joyful and stressful. Here are some pointers on how you and your family can stay healthy and really enjoy the season.
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