Cozy Comforts
by Stacey Tress

Hello my friends. Out here in the Prairies, December through February have some of the darkest, coldest days, which include the Winter Solstice (day of year with fewest hours of daylight December 21, 2025), and average temperatures in January (Regina) being –17.5ºC, not including the windchill! I thought it best to welcome you with a “Cozy Comforts” article for this winter months’ edition of Mindful Eating.

Dark days and cold temperatures can wreak havoc on our skin, digestive system, and mental health. Our food choices can support that in many cozy ways. This article shares some of my favourite seasonal habits, supported with nutritional context, and spirit lifting recipes. Let’s keep those digestive fires burning!

What is Digestive Fire?

In Ayurveda, a specific aspect of fire is referenced by the word Agni. Agni symbolizes the transformational and digestive capabilities of fire. The relational ability of our body to “burn,” or digest, our food, and how we metabolize, or “transform,” and absorb said nutrition, requires strong digestive fire. Sally Fallon’s book Nourishing Traditions speaks heavily on how our gut health is directly related to our mental well-being, and Agni is vital for gut health.

After shovelling the snow in –35ºC wind chill, nothing speaks to me more than cozying up to our woodstove with a cup of hot cocoa and a fuzzy blanket. Do you relate to that? Fire in the winter, nothing is more comforting. It’s all very sensory, the feeling of heat, the visual of flame. Metaphorically speaking, your digestive system craves the same. Let’s dive into ways to recreate that sensation within your body.

Warming Herbs/Spices

I grew up with, and loving, the smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. My mom’s oatmeal cookies in the oven, or the pot on the woodstove with a cinnamon stick, dried cloves, and orange slices. It takes me back, that aroma wafting throughout the house, and makes me feel so cozy. Warming herbs include cinnamon, cardamon, cumin, ginger, fennel, black pepper, chillies, garlic, and turmeric, (to name some of my favourites). These herbs/spices not only help to “fire the flame” of digestive health, but offer that extra yummy sensory support.

Cinnamon: Comes from the dried inner bark of trees, varying types, from North America to Sri Lanka. The outer bark is peeled and the inner bark dried to form quills (I call them sticks). Because it is considered “warming,” it increases circulation within the body, which can allow its anti-inflammatory compounds to reduce pain and swelling. It’s rich in antioxidants, can help to neutralize free radicals, and contains source minerals like manganese, potassium, and iron. From curries to breakfast and dessert recipes, cinnamon is very versatile. It pairs well with both sweet and savoury dishes. My favourite ways to use cinnamon are in my morning oatmeal, any sourdough sweet loaf recipe, and you may remember back in 2018 when I shared my recipe, Seedy Granola, in my article, What’s for Breakfast? (article with full recipe at www.wholife.com Issue 23.5). As I grew up in Ontario with a woodstove, and now have one here in Rhein, SK, I continue that comforting tradition of putting sticks of cinnamon in that water pot

Turmeric: Turmeric comes from the rhizome (underground stem) of the Curcuma longa plant, which is native to tropical South Asia, and is a member of the ginger family. As it is a herbaceous perennial, it is grown commercially in tropical regions. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is like cinnamon with it’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Turmeric is brightly coloured and like many colourful plant-based foods, is high in phytonutrients. From a managing inflammation perspective, it’s pretty radical! (Free radical eliminating, that is.) It’s absorbed best with a companion, which is black pepper. A substance in black pepper called piperine, when combined with curcumin, has been shown to increase bioavailability by 2,000%. Turmeric has an earthy flavour and offers a depth of flavour and colour that is found in curry dishes. We make a knock-off KD for our kids using turmeric to give it that signature orange colour and add nutritional value.

Setting the Stage: From our introduction to Agni, consuming something to increase digestive fire, is just a part of the equation. One needs to set the best environment, to allow maximum metabolization and absorption. Wellness is really a whole-body approach. As I mentioned earlier, after coming in from the cold, a warm fire and fuzzy blanket are ideal, as they too, help set the stage for optimum coziness. Going back to that “fuzzy blanket” idea, one can take the concept of the blanket which offers its own unique capabilities to warm and comfort the body, and apply that to how treatments of our food can warm and comfort the digestive system. When Sally Fallon writes in Nourishing Traditions, “Raw and fermented foods are rich in enzymes and beneficial bacteria that support digestion and overall health,” she speaks to how we can assist the body in how we present foods to it (for maximum absorption). Soaking foods is another method she speaks to, and it as well, offers higher bioavailability of nutrients vs not

There is so much to offer to us during our Prairie winter season. And, FYI—that Seedy Granola can make a cutesie holiday gift. May you continue to be active, feeling good, and full of light. 

Recipes

Morning Oats

Night before preparation: 

Overnight soaking:

Combine: 

In a bowl, mix rolled oats with a small amount of warm, filtered water to cover the oats. 

Add acid: 

Stir in an acidic “neutralizer” such as whey, buttermilk, kefir, yogurt, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice. Use about 1–2 tbsp per cup of oats. I usually use my “kombucha” to pull for this acid, or apple cider vinegar.

Cover: 

Cover the bowl and let it sit on the counter overnight, or for at least 8–12 hours. For colder weather, some recommend a warm spot, or even using the oven with only the light on. 

Cook: 

In the morning, drain and rinse the oats. Then, cook them with more water or milk, and serve. They will cook much faster than unsoaked oats. 

I make myself oatmeal each morning, following this loose recipe (adjust as needed):

Ingredients:

2/3 cup filtered water

1 tsp coconut oil

½ tsp cinnamon 

½ cup soaked oats

½ tsp ground flax

1 tbsp raw honey

Directions:

In small saucepan, bring filtered water, coconut oil, and cinnamon to a boil. Turn to lowest setting. Add oats and ground flax. Cook until done and add raw honey. Top with “Seedy Granola.”

Curried Pumpkin Butternut Squash Creamy Vegan Soup

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1 pound each pumpkin and butternut squash, peeled and diced

2 shallots, diced

2–3 tbsp Thai red curry paste

2 tbsp grated turmeric root, or 2 tsp turmeric powder

4 cups vegetable stock or broth

1 can unsweetened coconut milk (can use full fat or low fat)

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Roast pumpkin and butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper at 400ºF for 10 to 15 minutes. They are done when they are fork tender.
2. In a large heavy stock pot, or Dutch oven, sauté shallot, red curry paste, and turmeric in olive oil for 8 to 10 minutes. The shallot should be soft and translucent.
3. Add vegetable broth, roasted pumpkin and squash.
4. Simmer for at least 20 minutes.
5. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, or red curry paste.
6. Add coconut milk and simmer.
7. Blend either with stand blender, or immersion blender.

Morning Turmeric Shot

Ingredients:

½ a lemon

1 orange

2 tbsp fresh ginger

¼ cup ground turmeric

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 cups water (or any citrus juice)

Directions:

Add all ingredients into a Vita-Mix and blend until done. Strain with colander and bottle up to drink. Take a shot each morning. Use the “pulp” to bake into your favourite sourdough sweet bread recipe.

Turmeric Banana Loaf

Ingredients:

Strained pulp from Turmeric Shot Recipe (about 1 cup), can add 1 ripe banana if moisture needed.

1 cup sourdough starter

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp cinnamon

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup butter

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tbsp ground flax

½ cup hemp seed

½ cup cacao nibs

Directions:

Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Beat brown sugar, eggs, ground flax, and butter with an electric mixer in a separate large bowl until smooth. Stir in eggs and turmeric blend until well blended. Stir turmeric blend into flour mixture until just combined.

Add hemp and cacao nibs until combined.

Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 60 minutes.

References

Unleash your digestive fire for gut health

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

Cinnamon: A Multifaceted Medicinal Plant - PMC

Turmeric Benefits | Johns Hopkins Medicine

Recipes

Turmeric Benefits | Johns Hopkins Medicine

Banana Banana Bread Recipe (with Video) *adapted by Tress

Turmeric & Ginger Shots *adapted by Tress

Stacey Tress lives in Rhein, SK, with her husband and two daughters. Owner of Garden Therapy Yorkton, which offers active fermentation kits for purchase (Kombucha, Sourdough, Water Kefir), and fermentation workshops. She is a Holistic Nutritional Therapist (HNT), Young Living Essential Oils Member (#2282633), Permaculture Educator, and holds a Payroll Compliance Professional Designation. To learn more, call 306-641-4239, email: stacey.gardentherapy@gmail.com, www.gardentherapyyorkton.ca, or on Facebook, “Garden Therapy Yorkton.”