What to Eat for Balance During Winter Solstice

By Letha Hadady

Photo courtesy of @dikopelio

Winter Solstice is the solstice marking the onset of winter, often falling on December 21st. Commonly known as hiemal solstice or hibernal solstice, winter solstice occurs when one of the Earth's poles has its maximum tilt away from the sun and happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere. As the uncommon occurrence where dark and light are equal, the winter solstice calls for balance and celebration, and gives us hope for improvement.

My Winter Solstice breakfast is keyed to bring about health, balance and longevity. It features cooked and raw foods that support digestion and immunity alike. 

  1. Part One is normally fruit, nuts and tea, as I like the fiber.

  2. Part Two is a cooked grain or other warm food, especially for cold weather.

The choice is individual based on current health needs. People with inflammatory conditions require more cold or raw foods and less animal protein,while others with weaker digestion need cooked grains and proteins to support health. Older persons, and all others who live under high stress, need to maintain a proper blood sugar and blood pressure balance.

Mushrooms are Adaptogens

Adaptogens –foods and herbs that reduce the impact of stress on our body—are excellent when added to daily meals in order to protect longevity. Mushrooms, baring an allergy, may be boiled, stir fried, added to soups or baked. Dried mushrooms are easier to store and are often less expensive than fresh mushrooms.

Maitake aka Hen of the Woods

Maitake is a tasty and nutritious mushroom that has traditionally been used in Japan and China as part of the diet to treat different ailments. Maitake looks like feathers on a hen, hence its nickname Hen of the Woods. “Maitake” means dancing mushroom in Japanese because people danced with joy upon finding it in the wild. It has incredible healing properties. It is a type of adaptogen, which assist the body in fighting against any type of mental or physical difficulty, while working to regulate systems of the body that have become unbalanced. While this mushroom can be used in recipes for taste alone, it’s considered to be a medicinal mushroom.

The mushroom grows in the wild at the bottom of Oak, Elm, and Maple trees in parts of Japan, China, and North America. It can be cultivated and even grown at home with a mushroom kit, though it typically won’t grow as well or as large as it does in the wild. 

Health benefits of Maitake Mushroom:

Compared to other mushrooms, maitake has shown better results in preventing and treating cancer and other health conditions. Maitake also has a positive effect on overall immunity. 

Maitake mushrooms are rich in:

  • antioxidants

  • beta-glucans 

  • vitamins B and C 

  • copper 

  • potassium

  • fiber

  • minerals

  • amino acids

The mushrooms are also:

  • fat-free 

  • low-sodium

  • low-calorie

  • cholesterol-free

Scientists are currently studying the unique way the mushroom supports overall health and fights illness.

Research

Maitake has been found to be helpful for treating: 

Cancer

A 2013 study indicates that maitake extract could be useful in preventing and treating breast cancer. Researchers suggest that this mushroom can fight the growth and reproduction of cancerous cells,therefore suggesting that it could also be effective in managing cancer when taken orally.

Cholesterol

Maitake powdered extract lowers cholesterol levels and increases fatty acids that provide energy. Because of this, researchers theorize that eating maitake mushrooms may help keep arteries healthy. You can make maitake powder by grinding dried maitake in a blender or coffee grinder as an additive to tea or soups. 

Type 2 Diabetes

Maitake mushroom can have a positive effect on glucose levels, pointing to the mushroom’s potential to treat type 2 diabetes in humans. 

Maitake mushroom may also be useful in treating:

  • cold and flu viruses

  • high or low blood pressure

  • immune function 

  • side effects of chemotherapy

Letha’s Simple Solstice Breakfast

My Daoist and Ayurvedic friends are up before dawn stretching, breathing, dousing themselves with oil. I am too lazy for that. My cats get me up for breakfast—their breakfast!—with meows around 7:30 to 9:30AM depending upon how much food I have left them the night before. 

Part One is a healthy, balanced breakfast- a long running tradition for me. Fiber helps to regulate digestion and keep blood pressure in check. My regular breakfast includes:

  • Sliced raw apple with the peel

  • Celery

  • Nuts 

  • Extra Virgin olive oil

  • Optional Balsamic vinegar

  • Hot gunpowder green tea.

Around 10:00 AM or when convenient, I usually have a cooked grain that has been soaked overnight to help remove irritating acids, or toast and a protein such as egg or fish.

For my Solstice weekend, I am enjoying this nutritious and tasty mushroom pancake. See the recipe here.

Letha Hadady