Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has different prescriptions for each season and, in the cold winter months, suggests warming foods to counterbalance the cold and damp of the west coast climate.

Cortes Island resident Janine Maila is a distance TCM instructor at École Setsuko in Montreal. She weaves TCM principles into her acupressure practice and recommends:

• Choosing warming and drying foods, such as root vegetables, whole grains, meats and spices like ginger and cinnamon
• Avoiding physically cold foods, as well foods which cause dampness, dairy and sugar being the biggest culprits
• How the metabolic fire is affected by cold and damp, and the chain reaction that weakens the immune system
• Ideas for eating well through the holiday feasts, including food combining tips

And, finally, to be sure to relax and enjoy your meals!

A longer conversation on this topic can be found on CKTZ's Dec. 3 Folk U show.

Tune into the CKTZ News interview below: