Today we were up in the mountains for a basketball tournament.
It was cold. Like, real cold. There was snow on the ground.
Being from the desert, I am not used to this. If sweat is not running down the back of my legs, I barely feel alive.
In the snow, my nose gets cold and chapped. I can't run fast. I am bundled beyond comfort, and I almost, almost, miss my 95 degree days.
I do not miss my 105 degree days. Let that be stated for the record.
But when it is cold, I want to warm up. I heat up my lavender rice wrap and put on my long sleeved purple pajamas and a huge sweatshirt and ballet slippers. I put a second rice wrap at the bottom of my bed so my chilly feet can be all warm when I burrow into bed.
There is a food component to this story. Bien sur.
I thought that eating salads year 'round was healthy, but- lo and behold- this may not be the case. My friend and Chinese medicine practitioner tells me that my digestion may be impaired because I am eating cold food in cold weather. I need to eat warm food in cold weather.
I 100% believe her because I am totally like that.
So I have swapped my lunchtime salads for warm and delicious soups. Sometimes I find myself chopping up a salad for lunch and I have to table this activity. Wrap up the cuttings and store for later. And get out my soup. And then I am happy, and satiated. And perhaps my digestion is even slightly better.
I want to share this with you.
Did you know that during cold weather one may be wise to eat warm foods? Similarly, in warm weather, cold foods are better digested by the body. You may already know this. I guess I did not.
It would be selfish to keep all of my favorite soup recipes to myself. In today's blog, please take a few of my favorites as a February gift. In return, I just ask you to tell me if you make them. Let me know what you think. You can hashtag Reformed Metabolics if you take a pretty picture, and I would be quite grateful.
The Recipes
Meatified is my favorite food website. She has plenty of autoimmune paleo protocol recipes, and this is the first website I direct clients to after they finish a month on my program. How easy is this recipe? Double the ingredients and freeze the extras.
This recipe is for all of my plant based amigas. It is hearty and creamy and satisfying and absolutely delicious. Enjoy for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Oh my goodness. Meat and veggies and coconut. Is there any better combo?
Wait.
Wine and cheese.
Peanut butter and honey.
Chocolate and...chocolate.
Nope. Let's stick with the meat and veggies and coconut.
This coconut bone broth soup is a great recipe to use when you are cleansing or detoxing or fasting. It has plenty of fat and electrolytes to nourish you, but few carbohydrates and little protein to impair your digestion.
Hands down, this recipe is a client favorite. I get more texts and emails and Instagrams on the Sausage and Kale Soup than any other recipe. Make it, and make it again, and make extras, and eat it for lunch, and freeze extras. Yummy.
What are your favorite soup recipes? How do you like to warm up? I would love to know!
Happy Hygge-
Jennifer