If you come to Canada from a country that does not receive chilling cold, your first winters in Canada can be pretty challenging. It is vital to give your body the warmth that it deserves during the cold weather during this time. If not, you might end up falling sick, forcing you to spend most of your winter season in bed, trying to overcome the cold-borne diseases.
Why, may you ask? If you are not cut for the extreme cold, you will see that your body’s metabolism slows down to conserve energy and simultaneously keep your body warm with the decline in temperature. It is one of the key reasons why a lot of you may be feeling lethargic and sleepy during the winters.
To deal with it, you can add some foods to your diet, especially during the winter season, to keep you warm and accelerate your energy levels. Let us address these winter foods, one by one.
Grapefruits
Ranked at the top of our list is Grapefruits. These are juicy, sweet, and highly delicious. It is a seasonal fruit, usually ripens in January, and is dense in Vitamin C.
‘Vitamin C is necessary for strengthening your immune system, helping you heal from injuries faster, and fortifying your bones,’ points out Brian, an educator who offers online assignment help in Brisbane.
The good thing about Grapefruits is that they have a high Vitamin C content and are also rich in Vitamin A. You can top it with some sugar to make it fairly less acidic. Alternatively, you can even use cottage cheese as a topping.
Honey
It is warm in nature and can be a great addition to your diet to keep you warm during the chilly winters. This is also one reason you should not consume a lot of honey during the summer months. Honey is an excellent addition to your diet to keep cough, flu, and cold at bay. It strengthens your immunity too. You can add some honey to warm water and sip it every day during winters, first thing in the morning, to keep yourself warm.
Kale
‘Kale is a green leafy vegetable and is one of the healthiest vegetables. It is also a great inclusion in your diet in the colder months,’ suggests Noah, an educator who offers python homework help.
The good thing is you can easily find cold in winter weather, as during the colder months, Kale thrives. Kale is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family, which includes all the cold-tolerant plants, such as turnips, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. Even though Kale can be easily harvested around the year, it usually prefers colder weather. Surprisingly, Kale can also withstand snowy weather conditions.
Furthermore, Kale is versatile green and incredibly nutritious. It is loaded with fiber, minerals, vitamins, powerful plant compounds, and antioxidants. Only a cup of Kale can cater to your daily recommended dose of Vitamin A, K, and C. Kale is also a great source of manganese, calcium, B vitamins, magnesium, and potassium. Flavonoid antioxidants, such as kaempferol and quercetin, known for their anti-inflammatory properties, are also found in Kale.
In addition to protecting you from the harsh winter weather, Kale can also protect you from certain kinds of cancers, such as esophageal cancer and lung cancer.
Root vegetables
If you do not know what root vegetables are, you can understand them as the vegetables, which grow below the ground surface, such as sweet potatoes, turnip, and radish.
‘As the digestion process of the root vegetables is slower, they do a great job at generating more heat and keeping the body warmer,’ points out Stacey, an online python tutor.
You can consume the root vegetables as a salad or make a warm soupy stew from them.
Pears
Pears do not have Vitamin A, C, and D in them, but they are an excellent dietary fiber source. Fiber tends to boost digestion and lower cholesterol levels. It can also help with weight loss. So, if you wish to lose some winter weight, you can add this winter fruit to your diet as your perfect evening snack.
Brussels Sprouts
Similar to Kale, even Brussels Sprouts are nutrient-dense and are a part of the cruciferous vegetable family. The presence of the small, cabbage-like heads of this plant develops, particularly during the colder weather. They can comfortably hold up and thrive even during the winter months. Consequently, they are a must-include food in your winter diet. Though these are small, they are rich in nutrition. These are also a great source of Vitamin K. Only a cup (156 grams) of Brussels sprouts can cater to one-hundred and thirty-seven percent of your daily Vitamin K requirement. Vitamin K is great for your heart and bone health. It is also great to better brain function. Moreover, Brussels sprouts are also rich in Vitamin A, B, and C and minerals, such as potassium and manganese.
Further, they are also a good source of alpha-lipoic acid and fiber, both of which stabilize your blood sugar levels. Thus, it is a great inclusion in your diet during the winters.
So, these are the six most essential foods that you need to add to your diet to survive your first winter in Canada.
As an Amazon Associate, Icy Canada earns from qualifying purchases.
