Natural and Sustainable

“Winter Wellness Guide” 11 through 15 of 20

11. Have A Bowl Of Qi Soup: A thousand years ago, the Chinese started their tradition of eating a festive soup on the eighth day of the last lunar month (known as la ba) to bring about winter wellness. They beleive that winter is the time for the body to store nutrients and that eating well will bring improved health for the upcoming year, La Ba Rice Soup usually includes rice, red beans, soybeans, peanuts, walnuts, chestnuts, red dates, or lotus seeds. In chinese medical theory, these ingredients are potent anti-aging foods. Red dates, chestnuts, and lotus seeds tonify qi, the vital energy of the human body. To make the soup:
1. Choose any combination of the ingredients mentioned above.
2. Place two-thirds rice and one-third nuts, beans, dates, and/or seeds in a saucepan.
3. Add enough water to cover all the ingredients, then soak overnight. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer until the beans and rice are very soft. Take one small bowl a day.

12. Save Your Skin: When the weather cools, we turn on our heaters, drying out the air and consequently our skin. Change to a mild cleanser, like Cetaphil, Aveeno, or just a natural glycerin soap, and use it only on those areas that require washing: generally just the folds in the skin, or where skin touches skin. After washing, be sure and moisturize those areas that are prone to dryness-lower legs, hands, and forearms, and upper back-with cream-based moisturizers; the lotion based moisturizers, tend to dry the skin rather than emilliate them. These basic steps can prevent developing dry, cracked, itchy skin later.

13. Spruce Up Your Shower: After your done washing, turn off the water and put seven to 10 drops of black spruce oil in your hands. Black spruce oil is anti-bacterial and anti-infectious, and it supports the adrenal glands, which suffer when we get tired from the winter weather and lack of light. Spread the oil all over your skin from head to toe, except the mucous membrans. Always make sure to rub the oil on your abdomen, since there’s a lot of lymphatic tissue in that area. Then do 30 seconds of deep breathing and rinse off with cool water. When people follow this regimen every morning in the witner, it’s extremely rare that they get sick in any way.

14. Say “Good Day Sunshine!”: Start the day with a sunshine ritual. Get yourself a set of flatware that is bright. Like ones with yellow handles, bright yellow bowls, plates, cups and a matching teapot. Make a pot of warming ginger tea and have a steaming cup with your yellow bowl of cereal and bananas. If you rise before it’s light out and it’s dark, try eating by candlelight. Play music in the morning with a sunshine theme, like “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles. The feel is similar to that at the time of the winter solstice. Bringing light from the darkness, and warmth and positive energy as well.

15. Brighten Up: If you live in a climate that gets very gray in winter, without a lot of sunlight, create a feeling of sunlight in what you wear. The first piece of clothing you reach for in the monring, whether it’s a cozy robe or your running gear, it should be in a vibrant color like orange. It will embrace you in warmth and raise your energy level.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Support your local economy and cut fossil-fuel consumption by keeping your shopping and errand trips local. If you have to drive a ways to purchase something or to pick something up several times a week, try grouping all of those trips into one. If you drive a great distance to work, take up carpooling and cut fossil-fuel waste by half.