5 Best Winter Foods - Brief Article

Stay warm, strong and centered with these superfoods

More and more research shows that what we eat has a major impact on our health. In fact, studies have actually shown that certain foods lower the risk for cancer and heart disease, strengthen the immune system and increase resistance to viral and bacterial infection. To help you weather the season, we've highlighted five winter foods that will please your palate and give your health a boost.

1. GARLIC It may look fairly benign, but garlic is a potent healer. Allicin, a chemical found in this aromatic bulb, appears to deactivate viruses (particularly cold and flu bugs), fungi and many bacteria that cause disease, according to Jean Anderson, M.S., co-author of Nutrition Bible (William Morrow, 1995). And the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., reports that garlic can produce cancer-fighting interferon in the body. It's also known to lower unhealthful LDL cholesterol, thereby reducing one's risk for heart disease, adds Nikki Goldbeck, coauthor of The Healthiest Diet in the World (Dutton, 1998). But that's not all. People who ate garlic in the cholesterol-cutting studies also found that the herb markedly improved their mood.

While scientists join together to sing garlic's praises, however, they disagree on how best to eat it. Crushing it releases allicin, while sauteeing activates other beneficial compounds. The best strategy, therefore, is to eat it in a variety of ways, both raw and cooked. To counteract garlic's strong smell, try chasing it with fresh parsley or fennel seeds.

2. GINGER "Ginger has a lot of heat, which makes it quite soothing in wintertime," says Nancy Berkoff, R.D., a consultant for the Vegetarian Resource Group in Baltimore, Md. That spicy warmth you feel when you eat this root is believed to stimulate circulation and ease congestion in the throat and lungs. And this flavorful herb has long been heralded for its tummy-soothing properties (which may be why grandmothers always relied on ginger ale to soothe upset stomachs). In fact, ginger's nausea-fighting properties have been documented in at least three controlled scientific studies, notes Jean Carper, author of Food--Your Miracle Medicine (HarperCollins, 1993). "Ginger's also a natural anti-inflammatory that is worth trying in all cases of arthritis, bursitis and other musculoskeletal ailments," says Andrew Well, M.D., author of Natural Health, Natural Medicine (Houghton Mifflin, 1998).

So enjoy ginger fresh, ground, in honey-based syrups, as candied (crystallized) slices or pickled, Japanese-style. For a soothing tea, try this recipe from Weil: Steep 1/2 teaspoon grated gingerroot in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey if desired.

3. BARLEY This ancient grain is a great source of plant protein, B vitamins and fiber--both soluble (which reduces cholesterol) and insoluble (which keeps sluggish winter bodies regular). Barley also has antiviral and anticancer properties and contains disease-fighting antioxidants, notes Carper.

Pearled barley, with the bran removed, is what you'll generally find at the supermarket. Whole barley, the minimally processed type found in health food stores, takes longer to cook but is far more nutritious. For one thing, a cup of whole barley contains 14 grams of fiber, compared with just 9 grams in the pearled variety. "The trick with whole barley is to soak it overnight," says whole foods authority Richard Pierce, founder and executive director of the Whole Foods Project in New York City. "Then cook it in a lot of water, as if you're cooking pasta, which keeps the grains separate and cooks them faster."

4. SWEET POTATOES Despite their sugary taste, sweet potatoes are not high in calories (117 calories per 4-ounce serving) and they contain no fat. What they are loaded with is immune-boosting compounds. At the top of the list is beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body. This powerful antioxidant stimulates immune defenses against bacterial and viral infections as well as cancer, says Weil.

Sweet potatoes are also an excellent source of cholesterol-lowering fiber and are high in vitamin C, which is essential for warding off infection, says Earl Mindell, R.Ph.D., Ph.D., author of Earl Mindell's Food as Medicine (Simon & Schuster, 1994). In addition, the colorful vegetable packs a fair amount of vitamin E and thiamine, vital for a healthy nervous system.

Baking a sweet potato is a cinch (scrub, pierce a few times, put in a pan to catch drips and bake at 400 [degrees] F for 50 minutes). Try topping it with black bean chili, suggests Pierce, or "mixing with other root vegetables like rutabagas and turnips in a mash or make a curried soup with apples."

5. KALE This deep green, leafy vegetable is an overall strengthening food, according to Rebecca Wood, author of The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia (Penguin, 1999). "Kale eases lung congestion, benefits the stomach and is particularly healing to the liver and the immune system," she says. Specifically, kale is rich in calcium, iron and beta-carotene, and is an exceptional source of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. And like other members of the cruciferous family (such as broccoli and cauliflower), it contains cancer-fighting compounds, such as sulforaphane and indoles.