Let’s Keep it Local and Seasonal- even in Winter!

Ah, here we are in the New Year, a time traditionally reserved for fresh starts and resolutions. You may be feeling a bit heavy and sluggish after the season of overindulgence. Many of us get out of healthy habits in the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, and we may find ourselves eating more sugar, more heavy foods, or just more in general. No wonder by now our bodies are ready for a break! You may be looking around and seeing lots of people picking at salads, trying to atone for the past couple of months. We’ve come to equate “healthy eating ” and “diet ” with a lot of light, raw foods. But there’s a reason why you feel miserable when you start eating lots of salads and raw veggies in the winter. Look outside, and there’s snow on the ground. Look at the farmer’s markets and you won’t see many lettuces, tomatoes, or cucumbers. That’s because those foods are seasonally available at the time of year when they are most appropriate and nourishing for your body: late spring and summer. What the land is providing right now is far more appropriate for what our bodies need in this cold weather. Think warm, moist, slightly sweet tastes found in root vegetables, grains, and legumes.

So how can these foods compete with salads for cleansing? When you eat seasonally, your body gets what it really needs and your digestive system is able to reset. This in turn calms your nervous system, helping you feel more grounded and better able to deal with stress. And the less stressed your body is, the more efficiently it acts to burn fat and find its healthiest state. Plus, you get to eat food that makes you feel warm and cozy and tastes delicious, all while knowing how great it is for you!

This week we’re excited to be offering our kitchari again. I’ve discussed the benefits of doing a kitchari cleanse at the change of the seasons in other posts, and the start of a new year is a perfect time to rebalance yourself. Try cutting down on or eliminating sugar, caffeine, and processed foods and focusing on warm, lightly cooked vegetables and grains as well as healthy oils. We’ve loaded the kitchari (and all our other kits) up with delicious seasonal, local veggies to help you get a happy, healthy start to your year.

If you want to try the cleanse, and have everything prepped and delivered to you- jump on the al FreshCo train! You can order the Ayurvedic kit here.

If you’re looking for more ways to find balance in your body this year, or if you want more personalized advice, feel free to contact me to schedule a personal Ayurvedic consultation. You can do so at fireleafayurveda@gmail.com. Wishing you all a wonderful and healthful start to the new year!