January is a special month. In January many people, having indulged over the Christmas - New Year break, will wake up and realise that their work pants are a little snug, there sleep patterns a little less regular, and their 8am Yoga class has been replaced with a 10am coffee break. Fortunately, a trip to the store reveals rows of fresh summer fruits and from hereon it is perfectly acceptable to bring a salad to a party instead of a bottle of wine. January is the month to make everything right again; the salad month.
| Surprisingly, it can also become a month of digestive issues. Early in my career I was lucky enough to work alongside a number of nutritionists and found them very useful, however this was one thing that struck them as strange and they often turned to Chinese Medicine for answers. My advice was always the same - 'Keep your digestive system warm!' Chinese dietetics focuses on energetics just as much as nutrition. If your diet is cold and difficult to digest it will slow your digestion and therefore your metabolism. Unfortunately this includes many of the summer fruits, smoothies and salads we consider healthy. Kath Bartlett explains the issue quite well, if a little enthusiastically. My personal interpretation of the classic texts is "Everything in moderation". Have your salads and enjoy them, but try to moderate your intake of cold, raw foods. Swap iceberg lettuce for a warmer leaf (such as spinach or rocket) or try adding cooked meats and vegetables or spices to balance the energetics of your salad. | Roast Pumpkin Salad 1/2 Butternut Pumpkin, Cubed 2 Tbsp Coconut or Olive Oil 1 Tsp Cummin 1 Tsp 5 Spice 1 Tsp Nutmeg 1 Tbsp Basil Pesto 500g Spinach or Rocket leaves 100g Feta Preheat oven to 180⁰C Coat Pumpkin pieces in oil and spices and bake for 40mins on baking tray. Allow to cool for 10 mins then toss with basil pesto, feta and salad leaves. |
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