Bites of Winter Well-being  

With the turn of every season, we should look towards nature to guide and prepare us for the changes that the next few months are to bring. Older people like our grandparents have followed the rhythms of the nature for their food choices for eons, and so should we. 

Here’s a guide to help you make the most of winter food, keeping you fit and building your immunity. 

Pure and ethically sourced cow ghee
Good quality ghee sourced from Gir cows is fantastic for generating heat, energy, and keeping you warm. While ghee is a superfood that can be used throughout the year, its usage in winters is crucial. Use it as a cooking medium, smother it on rotis, or add it to your bowl of rice and khichdi. It also helps combat skin dryness. 

Amla/Indian Gooseberry and fresh turmeric root
Packed with Vitamin C, amla is an immunity booster that helps ward off cold. It’s a very versatile fruit and can be made into a chutney, turned into a powder to be sprinkled over fruits and juice, incorporated into pickles, or eaten raw. Likewise, turmeric is a powerful immunity-boosting and anti-inflammatory food spice. Take a tablespoon of freshly grated turmeric with a few drops of ghee and a dash of black pepper—this is an excellent immunity shot for winters. 

Chikkis
These Indian energy bars made with a mix of peanuts, sesame, and jaggery are rich in zinc, iron, manganese, and calcium. If you can make them at home, do so because the ones commercially available often have liquid glucose, which is not good for health. 

Millets and grains such as maize, ragi, bajra
Rich in good carbohydrates, fibre and protein, these are winter superfoods that can be used in a variety of ways. Make rotis out of them or roll them into laddoos or make porridge out of them. They’ll give you energy and warmth. 

Panjiri
This dry and sweet snack is specially prepared during winters using everything that will generate 
heat in your body keeping you warm internally. There are whole wheat, millets, sattu or moong, ghee, nuts, dry fruits, cardamom, fennel seeds, saffron, nutmeg and more. 

These are just some of the best food choices for that extra bit of immunity and strength. Don’t forget the Indian masala chai with all its wonderful mix of spices that aids digestion, provides enough antioxidants and reduces inflammation. The author is a Mumbai-based holistic lifestyle coach—Integrative Medicine