WINTER TIPS from Golden Door

Winter is a great time to sit by the fire, drink warm drinks, eat nourishing warm foods and get lots of sleep.

In nature winter is a timeof slowing down and there can be more exposure to cold temperatures and wind creating dry skin as moisture is evaporated from the body. There’s a number of simple ways we can minimise the ravaging effectsof winter on our bodies.

Here’s my top-tips!

1. Cook warm foods – use onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, pepper, oats/rice porridge, eggs, sweet potato, zucchini, squash, tomatoes and cooked grains like Quinoa.

2. Include oils in your diet - use olive oil, macadamia oil and coconut oil when cooking.

3. Try an oil Massage – for dry, rough and cracking skin - massage Lukewarm oil into the skin starting at fingers and feet working towards centre of the chest, leave 15 mins to soak in and then rinse in a warm shower. Best oils are black sesame oil, almond, olive or macadamia oil.

4. Drink spiced turmeric milk – warm 250 mls of almond milk, 2 teaspoons of ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon grated ginger plus a pinch of black pepper. Use maple syrup or honey as a sweetener. Yum

5. Enjoy a hearty breakfast – to keep you going all day, try out our Brown Rice Porridge below.

Brown Rice Porridge With Zesty Lime & Coconut

“Simple & delicious! We love serving this porridge for breakfast during winter; it’s a huge hit every week with guests. It is an interesting twist to a really traditional style breakfast. Plus brown rice is a wonderful source of dietary fibre for improved gut health and magnesium which boosts heart health!” James Knight, Executive Chef

Recipe:

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 cups of cooked brown rice

2 tablespoons organic maple syrup

Finely grated zest of ½ lime

3 medjool dates, pitted (optional)

1 ½ cups coconut water

¼ cup coconut milk

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

To serve: 125g fresh berries or 2 bananas, sliced

Method:

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until well combined.

Transfer to a saucepan and gently heat over medium,-low heat.

Serve with fresh berries or sliced banana.

Chef’s Tip: You can replace lime with orange or lemon zest.Use fresh young coconut flesh and water instead of tinned coconut milk and water.■