This is a guest blog written by Elizabeth Montgomery – holistic nutritionist in London, UK.

When it’s cold outside, it is generally thought that eating cooked foods is the best way to keep warm. But is this really the optimal way to eat? It may be surprising, but many leading nutritional experts actually promote eating raw foods during winter as a crucial part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

So why eat raw foods when it’s cold outside? The answer is because raw foods are prized for their high antioxidant content, immune system supporting properties and ability to alkalise your body (helping to stave off cold and flu viruses). The key here is to include the right kind of raw foods into your diet – along with key spices – which helps to ensure that your body stays warm. Here it must be said that it doesn’t mean that only raw foods are to be eaten – just added into a varied diet to help boost your health during the colder months.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, winter is the season that’s associated with deep yin, or feminine, energy which is reflected in the cold short days and long dark nights. Winter corresponds to the water element, and activates the kidney and bladder region of the body. The delicate kidney organs in particular must be nourished, supported and protected, since it’s very easy for them to go out of balance at this time. Physically, the kidneys are related to the health of the hair on our head, teeth, knees, bones and sexual vitality. They are the centre of our Jing, or life force energy, which determines the amount of energy we have available throughout our lives. The kidneys also correspond to the emotion of fear, and willpower, along with the colours dark blue and black.

The good news is, it’s actually very easy to support our bodies and boost immunity with healthful raw food meals when it’s cold outside. As long as we tune into the winter seasonal rhythm and adjust our lifestyles accordingly with the following tips:

Beneficial Wintertime Practices

Nourish your energy centre

The kidneys are the body’s energy centre and are supported by foods that contain the blue, black or burgundy colour spectrum. For example, kidney beans, beetroot, black beans, black sesame seeds, and seaweed are all beneficial especially during the colder months. Salty foods also correspond to the kidneys and can help to build up their life force during winter – when used appropriately. But, rather than using rock crystal salt for cooking, or at mealtimes, go for much healthier and gentle alternatives such as: celery seasoning, tamari sauce or mineral rich seaweed sprinkles.

Enrich your drinks

Water is crucial for numerous bodily functions and help the kidneys to flush out toxins. It’s important to stay hydrated throughout the day by drinking plenty of pure water along with herbal teas that help give extra warming properties to the body. Experiment with drinking warming fresh grated ginger and lemon before meals – which also helps digestion. Cloves added to hot water are also very warming and work a treat to help support the kidneys and boost circulation on cold winter days. Additionally, help your body to remain warm by adding supportive spices such as turmeric, or ginger, to an alkalising Spicy Green Juice.

Yang vegetables

Root vegetables that grow beneath the earth hold yang, or masculine, properties and are warming for the body during winter. Parsnips, for example, hold exceptionally high amounts of nourishing minerals and vitamin C – the great immune boosting vitamin – helping to make it possible to survive the long winter months. They contain vitamins from the B-complex group and age defying antioxidants from the poly-acetylene group. This means they are anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and may have cancer protective properties. Parsnips can be served roasted and make a healthy alternative to mashed potatoes. Or, try them grated raw (which ensures the vitamin C content is not destroyed by the cooking process), mixed together with beetroot for a colourful wintertime salad.

Tune into the season

The winter season requires practices that conserve our energy. The long cold dark nights require us to go to bed a bit earlier, and to rise a bit later, which helps to keep us in tune with nature’s rhythm. It’s a good time of year to observe one’s dreams and to incorporate practices like meditation, to help quiet the mind and go within. It’s also wise to include gentle stretching exercises first thing in the morning, and last thing at night, to help ward off the contractive effect of the cold weather.

Embrace Fermented Raw foods

Fermented foods are gaining popularity although they’ve been around for thousands of years.  Probiotic rich, they feed and nourish the microbiome in the lower intestinal tract which is now widely accepted as the centre of the human immune system response. If you’re unfamiliar with these types of foods then you first might like to try unpasteurised sauerkraut, or dill pickles. These are two very common probiotic rich foods – full of good bacteria – which in turn will, help to your boost immunity. Other delicious fermented raw foods to enjoy during winter are: miso soup, coconut based yogurt, coconut kefir and low sugar kombucha drinks.

Warming spice and all things nice:

• Cinnamon:  warming, has a strong affinity for the kidneys and helps stabilise blood sugar
• Garlic: acts as a natural antibiotic and antibacterial in the blood stream
• Turmeric: a natural antioxidant, with anti inflammatory properties and aids liver detoxification
• Cayenne Pepper: helps relieve chills, coughs, congestion and contains vitamin C
• Ginger: garlic of the east, valued for it’s antibacterial, warming and kidney supportive properties
• Horseradish: acts as a strong decongestant, also good for the digestion of fatty foods
• Black Pepper: warming, with digestive, antiseptic and antioxidant properties
• Cardamon: acts as an expectorant, assists with cleansing respiratory passages
• Cloves: soothing, anti-septic, warming, anti-inflammatory and aids digestion

As you can see, there are a number of ways you can include into your diet delicious raw foods during winter to help boost your immunity and overall health. Here’s to staying warm when it’s cold outside!

Take control of your health and well-being through conscious dietary and lifestyle adjustments with Elizabeth Montgomery – holistic nutritionist in London.