Anyone suffering from this condition?

It’s the end of February – the holidays are a distant memory and spring still feels so far away. It’s the time of year when my clients all suffer from the same condition, one that sweeps the nation. It’s a condition I have coined “the February Funk”, when we feel gloomy from super cold temperatures and minimal sunlight.

I’ve learned to welcome this time of the year, using it as a chance to end my work day a bit earlier, read more books on my snuggly couch, and go to bed on the earlier side. But as the winter months go on and there seems to be no end in sight, I know my energy, and likely your energy, can often start to dip. During this period, I start reaching for energizing foods to naturally lift my spirits and body (especially since I still have so much running to do!). Start adding these foods to your repertoire now (and share the love!), and you’ll see the first blooms of spring in no time.

Top 3 Energizing Winter Foods

Oysters

Loaded with vitamin B12, you should start slurping these sexy suckers STAT. Oysters have actually been around for more than 200 million years (that’s some serious ancestral food) and have a long (very long) history of being a prized food for consumption. Often referred to as the “food of love” for their aphrodisiac like properties, oysters will also give you one of the highest concentrations of bio-available (your body has an easier time absorbing the nutrients) zinc of any food in addition to protein, iron and selenium.

Sprouts

I think sprouts are so awesome I literally wrote an entire article about them for Your Bella Life magazine! Sprouts will always be one of my top go-to energizing foods because they are quite literally their own little life force – the very sprout and beginning of a new plant. You consume that energy when you consume sprouts. Sprouts additionally have high concentrations of antioxidants, trace minerals, protein, live enzymes and fiber!

Flax Seeds

Flax seeds are loaded with heart-healthy omega-3 AND omega-6 essential fatty acids in a nutrient dense, fiber packed bio-available form. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are part of the energy process of oxygen flow. More oxygen in your body = more energy for you. When consuming flax, be sure to use flax meal or freshly grind your own seeds (a coffee grinder works great; just wash and grind some rice to clean before grinding the flaxseeds) as your body can’t digest the seeds in their full form.

I hope these foods help nourish you through the shorter days and wintery snow. Do you have any foods you would add to the list? Share them in the comments section below! One last tip: Vitamin D levels (which help fight the blues) can often drop dangerously low during winter months. Ask your doctor to check your levels, or play it safe by taking a supplement or investing in a vitamin D happy lamp.

See you at the Oyster Happy Hour!

P.S. Robyn’s Cooking Club is next Wednesday night, February 27th and I have exactly 4 spots left!  Join the fun today.