With a vast drop in temperature, darker skies and rainy days, winter is the most yin of all the seasons. It is associated with the kidney and bladder organs, the color black, the element water, the emotion fear, and salty and bitter flavors.
From pumpkins and spooky Halloween decorations to Hanukkah candles, Christmas lights and hot cocoa, the holiday season is a lively time of year. Traditionally this is the time to spend with loved ones, give thanks for all that you have and indulge in comfort food. As a child, my excitement came from watching holiday cartoons and anticipating the arrival of Santa and presents.
Carrots are one of the oldest cultivated vegetables. A staple in most cuisines, the white, yellow and purple varieties were first cultivated in Afghanistan around 3000BC. The modern, sweeter and bright yellow and orange varieties were created in the Netherlands around the 16th century.
Taking my herbs is something I look forward to every day. Not only do they help me to think clearly and feel good, but I’ve learned how to make them taste delicious.
Here I have homemade hot cocoa with collagen for skin and joint health and a homemade immune tonic with astragalus and mushrooms to keep me well throughout the fall and winter season. This warm and cozy drink is very calming and I look forward to drinking it as my day winds down. No, you cannot taste the herbs.
As we move deeper into the autumn season, the foundation of our diet should be foods that are bountiful, local and ripe. Just as we rotate our wardrobe for the seasons, we should be rotating our diet as well. Most of us wouldn’t wear shorts and a tank top in the snowy winter, nor would we wear a heavy coat on a hot summer day. As such, we should reserve cold and raw foods for the warmer months, and eat warmer and cooked foods during the colder months.
Eyesight is a precious commodity that we sometimes take for granted. The American Optometric Association acknowledges that eye injuries are frequent in workplaces that expose employees to projectiles, inclement weather and chemicals. But there are also more common, and insidious, dangers to our eyes even if we work in a protected office environment or at home. Here are a few of the most prevalent, along with tips to keep your peepers protected!