By France Barbeau @NourishingTidbits
Self care is a big subject but we will be focusing on physical self care, because winter bike riding! Self care is about balance. Think about what you need right now, because when you leave today, you can start your first act of self care, if you haven’t yet. With drastic weather changes, your body needs extra care because the winter months can be cold and drying, you aren’t getting as much sun, we want to warm you up and make sure you are nice and hydrated.
MOVEMENT
A few minutes of movement will help you warm up and prevent injury, mimicking the movements in biking. Some movements for bike riding are leg swings front & back and side to side, arm rolls, squats, cat cows, neck rolls. Start rides out slower so your body has time to warm up joints, tendons, muscles to prevent injury and strains.
Foam rolling for warm up and cool downs, helps release tension in your muscles. Lymph flow and increasing circulation helps warm up the body by dry brushing, sauna, jump rope, trampoline/rebounder, self massage, la cross ball (to pin point specific spots).
SKIN CARE
Hydration is important. The skin is the first line of defense from pathogens in the body. Warming balm’s can be great for warming up hands and feet. Find some at the coop or make your own. I added ginger, clove bud and sweet orange to my last batch of whipped tallow. Olive oil infused with herbs or just a few drops of essential oils makes a great moisturizer.
WHIPPED TALLOW BALM (external use only)
Beef Tallow moisturizer is anti-microbial/ anti-inflammatory, great for winter skin and skin conditions like eczema, diaper rash (make sure to use baby safe essential oils) or just your regular face and body oil.
- 4-ounces grass fed beef tallow (I get mine at the coop)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (extra-virgin, cold-pressed)
- Few drops of lavender essential oil (I only use enough to cover up the tallow smell, essential oils are concentrated enough that you don’t need more than a few drops. Try lavender, it’s calming and good for your skin. Ginger is warming.)
In a double boiler add beef tallow and warm until melted, add olive oil and essential oil. Let the mixture cool for about an hour at room temperature. After an hour, whip with a hand mixture until to get a frosting-like consistency. Place in a clean jar & store at room temperature, fine to store in the fridge if you have extra.
HYDRATION
Ideally, you would drink half your body weight in ounces, so if you are 150 pounds, you should be drinking 75 ounces of water. If you are having diuretics through out the day, you have to make up for it, by drinking 1 and 1/2 more water. So if you are drinking 8 ounces of coffee, caffeine, sodas, juice, you want to add on another 12 ounces of water. Drinking enough water in a day can be hard, so I try to stay away from the diuretics. If you are eating fresh non processed foods, the water in your meals count. Drinking spring water, filtered water would be ideal. Adding lemon and sea salt helps with electrolyte balance as well as broths. I like to add bone broths/fish broth/mushroom broth for extra minerals and protein.
SLOW COOKER CHICKEN BROTH
Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon. Makes 1 gallon.
- Saved bones from 2 pasture-raised chickens fed non-GMO feed
- 1 pigs foot or hock, from hogs fed non-GMO feed and/or chicken feet and heads from 2 chickens
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 1 onion, cut in quarters (no peeling necessary)
Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and fill with filtered water. Cook overnight on low. In the morning, allow to cool. Use a ladle to remove the broth, ladling through a strainer into a 2-quart Pyrex pitcher. Place the pitcher in the fridge to cool the broth. Fill the slow cooker again with water and cook overnight on low. The next morning, allow the broth to cool and remove the bones with tongs and a slotted spoon. Ladle the broth through a strainer into a second 2-quart Pyrex pitcher and refrigerate. The first pitcher of broth should gel very well; the second will gel but less so. You may remove the fat that congeals at the top of the broth but it is not necessary. Use the broth within 3 days or transfer to containers (graded 2, 4 or 5) and freeze.
DIY IMMUNE BROTH
Borrowed from Urbanmoonshine.com
- A selection of medicinal mushrooms: 5-6 slices of reishi, 7-10 shitake, 1 large maitake, could also add in turkey tail
- 10 slices of astragalus root
- ½ bunch of celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 red or yellow onion, chopped
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- 3 quarts of water- adding a little more as
- needed while it simmers.
- 7-10 springs Parsley
- 3-5 springs of sage
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional add-ins could be: nettles, burdock, turmeric, ginger.
Combine everything in a large pot and bring to a boil. Cover, and let simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours. Keep an eye on the water levels; you may want to add a bit more. Once the time is up, remove from heat and strain through a strainer or cheesecloth. Use as is, or in soup, or freeze for later use. All ingredients can be found at the coop or health food store like The Medicine Tree or Tao Foods.
Your more likely to get sick if your lungs and sinuses are dry. Netti pot, facial steam with eucalyptus essential oil and humidifiers can help keep you lungs and sinuses moist.
FOOD
Eat breakfast high in fat and protein helps with blood sugar balance and will give you more sustained energy through out the day, as opposed to high carb.
I’d start with a 30/30/40 diet and figure out what works for me. 30 fat/30 protein/40 carbs (whole grains and veggies). Depending on your activity level, you may need more or less of those numbers. Food plays a huge role on winter activities, because it effects your energy level, your muscles, your circulation…
Eating mindfully, chew your food is easier on your digestion. If you chew your food to a soupy consistency, the enzyme salivary amylase helps break down carbohydrates to use as energy and as the food goes through your digestive system it breaks down fats a proteins. If your digestion is working properly, you absorb the nutrients better, which helps your body function better.
What should your plate look like? 1/2 veggies, grains. Eat a variety of color, cooked and raw to get a variety of nutrients. Probiotic rich food like, kim chee, saurkraut, yogurt…
Eating for the season keeps you warm. Save the salads for summer time, unless you’re having a warm salad. Eating soups and whatever foods are in season, like root vegetables, cooked vegetable, winter squashes, broths. Making soup can be easy, especially if you have a crock pot…. Makes meal planning for the week easier, unless you have some kids. lol.. you know what you’re putting in your body.
CREAMY CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM SOUP
4 servings, Chelsea at doyouevenpaleo.net
This dairy free soup uses cauliflower and potatoes to create a creamy base. Feel free to remove the potatoes and use a little more cauliflower if you prefer!
- 1 tablespoon ghee or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped (~1 tablespoon)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 5 cups broth (I used homemade bone broth)
- 1 cup yukon gold potatoes, cubed
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped into large chunks
- 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
Heat ghee in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute. Pour in broth, then add potatoes, cauliflower, thyme, sage, and rosemary. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the broth to a boil. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until the cauliflower and potatoes are fork-tender. Meanwhile, add chicken breasts to a small pot and sprinkle with salt. Cover completely with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 12 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred using two forks. Set aside. Carefully add the entire contents of the potato, cauliflower, and broth pot to a high powered blender. Add 1/2 cup mushrooms to the blender. Blend for 4-5 minutes, until mixture is completely smooth. Return the cauliflower mixture to the pot. Add mushrooms, chicken, salt, and pepper to the soup, stirring to combine. Cook over low, stirring frequently, until heated through. Serve sprinkled with fresh parsley.
Teas, tinctures and supplements would be a good vitamin boost for winter, if the foods aren’t cutting it. I generally go for nourishing teas like chamomile, calendula, milky oats, nettles. Also teas high in vitamin c, like rose hips, elderberry, hibiscus. Warming teas with ginger, fennel, cardamom and cinnamon, boost your immune system with some fire cider.
FIRE CIDER
borrowed recipe from IG: @rosemarygladstar
- ½ cup grated fresh horseradish root
- ½ cup or more fresh chopped onions
- ¼ cup or more chopped garlic
- ¼ cup or more grated ginger
- Chopped fresh or dried cayenne pepper ‘to taste’. Can be whole or powdered.
- Optional ingredients; Turmeric, Echinacea, cinnamon, etc.
Place herbs in a half-gallon canning jar and cover with enough raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar to cover the herbs by at least three to four inches. Cover tightly with a tight fitting lid. Place jar in a warm place and let for three to four weeks. Best to shake every day to help in the maceration and reserve the liquid. Add honey ‘to taste’. Warm the honey first so it mixes in well. “To Taste’ means your Fire Cider should taste hot, spicy, and sweet. “A little bit of honey helps the medicine go down……” Rebottle and enjoy! Fire Cider will keep for several months unrefrigerated if stored in a cool pantry. But it’s better to store in the refrigerator if you’ve room. A small shot glass daily serves as an excellent tonic Or take teaspoons if you feel a cold coming on. Take it more frequently if necessary to help your immune system do battle.
SPICED ELDERAPPLE CIDER
borrow recipe from IG: @thatfoodgirl, foodgirl.com
Perfect for cold weather gatherings to keep your guests healthy…cinnamon, glove, ginger and star anise are natural immune boosters and prickly ash berries are a surprise ingredient to add warmth to this tasty sipper.
- 6 Cups Apple cider
- 1/4 cup dried elderberries
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- 1” chunk fresh ginger root, sliced thin
- 1 Star anise
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 6 whole cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon prickly ash berries or bark
Simmer all ingredients together in a sauce pan and serve warm. It’s best if it simmers for at least 30 mins and wonderful served in a crock pot for gatherings. Can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator and reheated when you are ready to serve.
Hi-C Vitamin Tonic Tea
borrowed from IG: @the_medicine_tree
Protects against cold and flu
- 4 parts Rosehips
- 3 parts Hibiscus Flower
- 2 parts Lemongrass
- 1 part Cinnamon Chips
Make as much as you’d like and save in a jar. When ready to use, steep 2 teaspoons in hot water for 20 minutes. Strain in cup and enjoy!
REST & ROUTINE
Sleep is really important. Getting enough sleep with help your energy level for the day. If you can’t sleep, try calming teas, give yourself time before bed to wind down. Read a book instead of your smart phone. Do some mindful breathing. Maybe you can get a massage from your partner or self massage. Aromatherapy with essential oils can be calming. Journaling or making a list can get things out of your head so you can have an easier time settling into bed. magnesium before bed. foot bath, epsom salt bath
Developing a routine can help make your life run smoother. For example sleep better… But having your things ready the night before can be helpful. Having your keys in the same spot every time. If you plan on winter bike commuting, there are a lot of extra things to think about.
CLOTHES
Dressing for the weather is an act of self care. There’s no such thing as bad weather, but bad clothes. I think that is true for the most part. If you dress in layers, you can always tear some off. Wool hats and gloves and sweaters. Good boots are super important, bad shoes can really ruin your activities. I’m sure we all know that from experience, right? Waterproof/all weather with enough room for circulation in your toes. If all those warming techniques aren’t helping you, its okay to use hand and foot warms. Have fun outside and make sure to get some vitamin D! I would recommend taking vitamin D as a supplement in the winter since its hard to get in food and because of lack of sun to skin exposure.
BALANCE
Since self care is about balance and giving yourself what you need, it’s always going to change. If you are already a really active person, maybe you need some rest days. If you are always tired, but your activity level is low, maybe you need to add some activity in your life. Join a gym or try a new activity through community ed or continuing education. If you spend a lot of time alone, maybe make a friend date. If you are always out and about with other people, maybe try spending some time alone. Do a 30 day self care challenge and see how that works for you. If it feels good, keep doing, if it doesn’t…