Winter Harmonization + Bone Broth Recipe
Winter is a season of colder temperatures, more time indoors, and less time for exposure to natural light. Tis the season when many animals go into hibernating after filling their bellies and hiding a back stock of goodies from Fall foraging. Before industrialization and the development of modern amenities accessible to us nowadays, humans had followed suit with our animal kin to store up and ration food, water, and other supplies for sustaining warmth to survive the winter. Many of us don’t shift our patterns of activity very much when the seasons change. We expect our physiology to follow suit with these imposed demands and operate just as effectively as it had been during the preceding season. Could these expectations be part of the problem contributing to the increase in mortality trends from cardiovascular and respiratory causes that we see during winter months?1–4
Nature invites us to harmonize with its rhythms by providing signals conducive to getting more sleep, staying home and resting, cooking hearty and warming foods, and spending time reflecting on the past year while preparing for the next on that is soon to start. Most bodily functions, including body temperature regulation, metabolism, blood pressure, and sleep-wake cycles, follow a 24- hour circadian rhythm that is controlled by central and peripheral physiological clocks.5 Light exposure and food cues influence these clocks to the time of day and synchronize them to regulate physiological processes that effect our overall health.5,6 Abiding by and honoring the natural rhythm of the environments in which we live to optimize our physical and mental wellness is an important theme of both Naturopathic and Chinese medicine.
Winter represents the most Yin aspect in Chinese medicine, which is consistent with dark, cold, slow, inward energy. This is compared to the Yang of summer whose energy represents light, hot, quick, expansive qualities. Winter is associated with the Kidneys, which hold our body’s most basic and fundamental energy, and function to filter waste, maintain acid-base homeostasis, reabsorb vital nutrients, and balance water & electrolytes within the blood. The kidneys also secrete hormones that play a vital role in immune function, blood pressure regulation, and the maintenance of strong bones. This vital organ system is also one of our peripheral clocks that regulate our physiological health.
There are simple and nourishing ways that we can shift our nutrition, sleep-wake cycles, activity levels, and hydration to best support kidney health and overall wellness during winter. Creating and consuming bone broths, which are powerful tonics that contain an abundance of nutrients and healthy fats, to support bones, increase our kidney vitality, and boost our immune system during cold and damp climates. Planning short activities outside in the cold, such as brisk walks, sled riding, snow shoeing, skiing, or hiking can stimulate vascular and lymphatic circulation and boost immune function.7 Rest is imperative for revitalizing the kidney, which is why some animals hibernate during this season. Since humans don’t hibernate, alternative activities that we can engage to support revitalization of kidney energy include self-reflective practices such as meditation, journaling, Tai Chi and Qi Gong. Sleep and internal reflection are very helpful in relaxing the mind, calming our emotions, and raising our spirits. Everything about the Winter invites us to evaluate and gently shift our habits and patters of daily activities. Maybe it’s time we start considering the wisdom of nature and leveraging our resources to realign ourselves to a more harmonious pattern with our environment.
1. Tunstall-Pedoe H, Kuulasmaa K, Amouyel P, Arveiler D, Rajakangas - AM, Pajak A. Myocardial infarction and coronary deaths in the World Health Organization MONICA Project. Registration procedures, event rates, and case-fatality rates in 38 populations from 21 countries in four continents. Circulation. 1994;90(1):583-612. doi:10.1161/01.CIR.90.1.583
2. Keatinge WR. Winter mortality and its causes. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2002;61(4):292-299. doi:10.3402/IJCH.V61I4.17477
3. Antunes L, Silva SP, Marques J, Nunes B, Antunes S. The effect of extreme cold temperatures on the risk of death in the two major Portuguese cities. Int J Biometeorol. 2017;61(1):127-135. doi:10.1007/S00484-016-1196-X
4. Analitis A, Katsouyanni K, Biggeri A, et al. Effects of cold weather on mortality: results from 15 European cities within the PHEWE project. Am J Epidemiol. 2008;168(12):1397-1408. doi:10.1093/AJE/KWN266
5. Douma LG, Gumz ML. Circadian Clock-Mediated Regulation of Blood Pressure. Free Radic Biol Med. 2018;119:108. doi:10.1016/J.FREERADBIOMED.2017.11.024
6. Karatsoreos IN, Bhagat S, Bloss EB, Morrison JH, McEwen BS. Disruption of circadian clocks has ramifications for metabolism, brain, and behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011;108(4):1657-1662. doi:10.1073/pnas.1018375108
7. Palmer BF, Clegg DJ. Metabolic Flexibility and Its Impact on Health Outcomes. Mayo Clin Proc. 2022;97(4):761-776. doi:10.1016/J.MAYOCP.2022.01.012
Homemade Bone Broth
Bone broth can be made at home or sourced at your local natural food grocer. I like Kettle and Fire or Pacific Foods brands, which you can add fresh rosemary, thyme, and garlic to and heat on stovetop for about an hour to infuse the broth with herbal flavor and nutrients.
Recipes for homemade broth is here:
Ingredients
• 3 stalks celery
• 2 large carrots
• 2 onions, chopped if very large, use only 1
• 2 pounds beef or chicken or pork bones that have cartilage and some meat on them i.e. knuckle bones, shank bones, oxtail, rib bones, femur bones – bones can be purchased directly from butcher at low cost (or left over bones from chickens)
• Bunch of fresh thyme
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 4 springs rosemary
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder (optional)
• Other optional add-ins include cloves, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, whole star anise. Instructions
If bones are uncooked, place on baking sheet and bake in a 350-degree oven for ~1hour. If bones are already cooked, just place them into the pot. Add all ingredients to a large pot (or pressure cooker) and add enough water to just cover the bones. Let it boil and once it boils, turn it off so you can skim any scum that may have surfaced. (This is optional but some believe it to be helpful in keeping the taste pure. Sometimes I do it and sometimes I don't. Totally up to you.)
If using pressure cooker like InstantPot, put it on the pressure cooker setting on high for 3 hours and allow the pressure to naturally release when it's done.
If using a regular pot over the stove, let it simmer for 12-16 hours.
If using a slow-cooker, let it simmer for 12-16 hours.
Strain the cooked broth, allow to cool and store in sealed Ball jars within refrigerator to keep the liquid gold you've just made.