Raw Food in Winter

Conscious living · Nutrition

Living food in the cold season too

Many people believe raw food is only something for summer. For a long time I thought so too – until I noticed that it is less about whether I eat raw, and more about what I choose. Fresh, unheated foods keep their vitamins, enzymes and their whole liveliness, because the heat of cooking takes none of it from them. That is exactly what I value – all year round.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, foods are ordered by their thermal nature: from cooling to warming. In winter my body needs more yang, more inner warmth. For me that does not mean giving up raw food, but consciously reaching for warming things – for grounding root vegetables, hearty winter herbs and warming spices. That way my nutrition stays alive and still carries me warmly through the winter.

Warming root vegetables

What grows underground in winter is, according to TCM, grounding, nourishing and by nature more warming than delicate summer fare. Root vegetables in particular can be wonderfully enjoyed raw – finely shaved, grated or as a carpaccio with good oil:

• Sweet potatoes – surprisingly mild and sweet when thinly shaved
• Carrots – grated with a little lemon and ginger
• Celery – aromatic and filling, finely sliced
• Beetroot – earthy, rich in minerals, glowing
• Cabbage – as a fine raw salad, well kneaded through

Winter herbs & nuts

Greens grow in winter too – you just have to know what to look for. These native wild herbs are astonishingly rich in protein and minerals and bring fresh green into the dark season:

• Winter purslane – mild, juicy, full of vitamin C
• Chickweed – tender and rich in vitamins
• Ground ivy – spicy, use sparingly
• Blackberry leaves – rich in minerals, also as a tea
• Dead-nettle – mild, fine in a salad

Nuts and seeds are, for me, the warming, filling base: almonds, cashews, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. I like to soak almonds in water overnight – afterwards they are no longer so dry, they become softer and for me simply much tastier. During soaking the seed wakes from its dormancy, the enzyme phytase becomes active and breaks down part of the phytic acid. How effective this really is with nuts is genuinely debated among experts – for me it is mainly about taste and digestibility, and there I clearly feel the difference.

Better to avoid in winter

Two things I consciously leave out in the cold season – not out of strictness, but because I have noticed that they don’t do me good then. Dried fruits draw water from the body; they make me dry and thirsty rather than nourished. And tropical fruits such as oranges, bananas or pineapple have, according to TCM, a strongly cooling effect. In the south, where they grow and the sun burns, that makes complete sense – there they cool pleasantly. In our cold climate and in the middle of winter, however, they tend to draw warmth out of my body. I enjoy them again when the sun stands higher.

For me, raw food in winter is not deprivation but a mindful listening: what does me good right now, what warms me, what makes me feel nourished? I listen to my body instead of following a rule – and that is exactly what makes eating so alive for me.

This text reflects my personal experiences and does not replace medical or nutritional advice.