Fall into Winter with Soups and Stews

Hearty soups and stews keep us strong throughout the winter.

I love this time of year.  Fall and Thanksgiving quickly recede as we start getting snow and colder weather–and the change can be abrupt here in Steamboat Springs. My husband and I just returned from Mexico where I went for the week-long Essentrics Symosium (sign up for my newsletter if you want more details). When we departed December 2nd, the ground was mostly brown and a week later, we just finished skiing our first powder day in over a foot of freshies; woo-hoo!

To stay strong and healthy throughout the winter, I highly recommend soups and stews with lots of vegetables on a regular basis.  Be sure to start with some combination of garlic, onion and ginger which I call The 3 Musketeers for your immune system in my book, Take Back Your Body. I like to saute one or two of those in a little olive oil to start and I’m a big believer in the power of bone broths (preferably homemade, but there are good organic versions at the health food store).  Add a little apple cider vinegar to pull more of the calcium from those bones and for the details on the many health benefits of bone broths (and a host of other awesome health topics), check out the Weston A. Price Foundation, a non-profit I support. But I do have a yummy Ginger Carrot vegetarian soup recipe on page 51 of TBYB. 😉

Regardless of whether you choose vegetarian options, all types of root vegetables are a healthy addition to our wintertime diet and provide a variety of color to please your eye, as well as nourish your body. One of the best things about soups and stews is you can make a big batch and store extra in your refrigerator or freezer for a quick and hearty meal at the end of a long day.  Most of them actually taste better when reheated and can be in a meal all on their own.

These nutrition choices can help you stay healthy this winter and I have one more tip to ward of colds and flus: never touch your face when you’re out in public and wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and hot water!