Do You End up Eating Worse in the Winter?
Do You Crave More Carbs?
Happy February <<First Name>>!
When winter comes, it's only natural to start craving warmer and heavier foods, foods that help us "stock up" and (sometimes) gain weight for the winter. Despite that, most of us still try to eat healthily.
When you think about healthy eating, salads and green vegetables usually come to mind. But how about adding a little more variety to your plan? Especially in the winter!
Roots like carrots, sweet potatoes, and turnips are a rich source of nutritious complex carbohydrates. Instead of upsetting blood sugar levels like refined sweet foods do, they help regulate them.
Why Eat More Veggies?
Long roots - carrots, parsnips, burdock, and daikon radish - are excellent blood purifiers and can help improve circulation in the body. Round roots - turnips, radishes, beets, and rutabagas - nourish the stomach, spleen, pancreas, and reproductive organs.
Which root vegetables do you eat most?
If you're like most of the world, it's carrot and potatoes. Here are a few others to explore:
- Beets contain an abundance of antioxidants and are highly detoxifying.
- Burdock is considered a powerful blood purifier. This long, thin veggie is a staple in Asian and health food stores.
- Celeriac, also known as celery root, is rich in fiber and with a respectable amount of antioxidants.
- Jicama is crunchy and refreshing and contains a generous amount of vitamin C. It's a favorite in its native Mexico and South America.
- Onions are rich in antioxidants and other phytonutrients, making them prized for their ability to strengthen the immune system.
- Parsnips, which look like giant, white carrots, boast a sweet earthy taste. They also have plenty of fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, niacin, thiamine, magnesium, and potassium.
- Radishes are an excellent source of vitamin C. They are also rich in calcium, molybdenum, and folic acid.
- Sweet Potatoes contain unsurpassed levels of beta-carotene and are also rich in vitamin C, phytonutrients, and fiber.
Excited to add more roots to your diet?! Here's a fun, easy recipe:
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