Eating for the seasons

Time to put away the cold bearing salads made with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. The cold drinks such as green teas and citrus juices. Time for the warmer root veggies and warmer drinks.
Its the change of the seasons and time to eat with that change.
Root vegetables such as parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, etc. and winter squashes like acorn, spaghetti, and butternut are rich in vitamins and minerals that we need during the cold, short days. These are also warming to the body unlike summer vegetables which are cooling. The last thing a person needs is to eat cooling foods on an already cold day, lowering their body temperature and their immune system.
Beverages, too, are either warming or cooling. Citrus juices such as orange juice and lemonades are cooling and are better left to that hot summer day. Green teas are also cooling in nature. It is better to move to the darker teas that are spiced with cinnamon, cloves, etc.

My favourite dishes are spiced winter squash. Its a mixture of butternut and acorn squash seasoned with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Add a little bit of butter and some honey. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes. Its even yummy for breakfast.
A root soup made with parsnips, rutabagas, carrots, onion, sweet potato, burdock and taro root. Can be made with veggie stock or meat stock. I like to add a bit of left over pot roast or chicken.
Spiced banana bread loaded with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. The recipe I have has stayed in my family for generations.

Cinnamon is not only good for leveling out blood/sugar levels, but it also removes cold/damp from the lungs that cause phlegm. Nutmeg and cloves are too an expectorant and have warming properties.