STOP PRESS
Christmas
and the New Year are a time to indulge in warming, spicy, cosy food and
drink. Traditionally, "good
ale and strong beerÉwith pig, goose and caponÉ minced pies and plum
porridge" along with "cheese, apples and nuts", were enjoyed to
bring us all good cheer. Christmas
and New Year celebrations were a chance to treat oneself to a variety of very
nutritious foods in the middle of winter's cold grey days and long dark nights.
Today,
the pleasure and benefit of the festivities are no less. They introduce a variety of healthy
foods like dried fruit, oranges and lemons, nuts, seasonal vegetables, oily
fish and wild game meats that you may not normally eat. These are wonderful sources of vitamins
not to mention valuable minerals.
And don't forget the occasional glass of full-bodied red wine containing
precious antioxidants!
Seasonal festivities can be
enjoyed without guilt as good seasonal food can also lift and recoup your
energy levels, especially after the wet and dull summer of 2008. As inhabitants of the Northern
hemisphere and a maritime climate, we are lucky to have a huge diversity of
healthy food available to us.
However, we are more inclined to have certain vitamin deficiencies
related to the lack of sunlight.
Long
winter nights and short grey days mean that melatonin, the 'dark' or 'calming'
hormone, is in high production and can trigger S.A.D (Seasonal Affective
Disorder). It affects many of us
in this country, leaving sufferers feeling depressed, binging on carbohydrates,
sleeping a lot and leading to a loss of libido. However, intense light and cold conditions have been found
to boost spirits. Cold exposure
apparently increases noradrenaline levels going into the bloodstream leading to
pleasure zones in the brain being stimulated and making you feel 'sexy'.
Recent
studies indicate that gradual and gentle, daily exposure to sun combined with a
nutritious diet could help avoid many illnesses and promote good health. U.V.B sunlight is essential for the
photosynthesis of vitamin D (also found in butter, eggs and oily fish) and the
formation and maintenance of normal bones and body processes like our
hormones. Deficiency can lead to
some common illnesses and diseases like osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, high blood
pressure and heart problems, even contributing to diabetes and certain cancers.
To
recharge your batteries for the New Year, avoid colds and infections and keep
aches and pains at bay, enjoy the following local, organic and seasonal foods
in your daily diets:
* Choose from the fantastic array of colours from
green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, brassicas like red and green
cabbages, Brussel sprouts, reds of beetroot, the root vegetables; turnips,
parsnips, carrots, celeriac, onions and garlic and Jerusalem artichokes.
* Steam
or use in soups, pot-roasts or stews to fight against colds and infections,
aches and joint pains like osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, general aches
and depression.
Omega
3's
* Found
in milk, nuts and seeds and oily fish like mackerel, sardines and salmon or
vegetable oils such as flaxseed and hemp.
* These
oils are excellent used to dress a daily winter salad. Omega 3's are necessary for prevention
and cure of depression, hormone production, reduction of swelling, inflammation
and pain in joints.
* Ask your butcher
for local game or free-range meat which tend to be lower-fat cuts for use in
slow-cook recipes like casseroles, stews and pot-roasts to provide
all-important vitamins like B12, minerals like iron and amino acids.
* These
play a critical role in supporting our immune and nervous systems and can be
dramatically involved in mood and depression.
So
embrace the cold times and enjoy pulling out all those healthy recipes and make
some beautiful, fresh food to light up your winter!
January
2009