new year

At NOURISH Evolution, we love the power of fad-free, sound nutrition strategies that have stood the test of time and nourished generations of people around the world. And we couldn’t help noticing that many foods traditionally eaten for good luck and prosperity in the new year will also get your year off to a healthy start.

Ring in the year with grapes. In Spain and parts of Latin America, revelers gobble 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight to ensure a sweet year ahead. According to Epicurious, this practice was started in the early 20th century by Spanish grape growers to encourage people to consume surplus fruit. Nonetheless, it’s a nourishing start–and it would give Lia and me a head start on our resolution to eat more fruit in 2011.

Legumes for prosperity. These swell as they cook and are thought to represent coins–and therefore good fortune in the new year–so they’re a classic new year’s food from Japan to Europe to the American South. Make a pot of our Southern-style Nourishing Hoppin’ John for a down-home celebration or our All-Purpose French Lentils (lentils being traditional in Italy, Germany and Brazil). Split Pea Soup with Spanish Chorizo and Sherry Vinegar is another option.

Greens–show me the money. Could the prosperity connection be any more obvious? Around the globe, people will be gobbling greens tomorrow, from collards in the South to kale in Denmark to sauerkraut in Germany. Try our Quick Collards or our White Bean and Kale Ragout with Turnips and Sausage, which also features lucky legumes.

Progress with pork. Pigs move ever forward as they forage for their food, so they represent progress in cultures all over the world. It’s also rich in fat, which signifies wealth. You’ll find it in many forms in New Year’s dishes–sausage, bacon, roasts. Since pork is so flavorful, we like to enjoy it in smaller portions surrounded by sumptuous veggies. Serve it up in our Super Succulent Five-Spice Pork Shoulder, Carnitas de Lia or Spiced Pork Roast.

Move forward with fish. Like pigs, fish are always moving ahead, and eating fish will help you get ahead in the new year. Cod is traditional in Europe, so try our Pan Seared Harissa-Rubbed White Cod. Or make a batch of our Hot-Smoked Sablefish to add to a Scandinavian-style new year’s smorgasbord.

Whatever combination of these foods you choose will begin your year on an auspicious–and nourishing–note. Happy (and Nourishing) New Year!

The topic of fasting may seem strange on a site dedicated to eating, but I’m going to argue that it’s apropos. Let me clarify up front, though, that I’m not offering up a fast as compensation for damage done during the holidays. Those pounds that came on during the weeks of celebration will ebb away as normal routine sets in if you’re mindful about what and how you eat (you all know me well enough to know that I don’t believe in see-sawing between extremes). Instead, I’m suggesting a fast—even for a handful of hours—part of a mindful eating practice to recalibrate yourself and enrich your awareness of how food affects you physically, mentally and emotionally.

As much as gathering to feast (which we’ve done a lot of in the past few weeks) feeds our souls and unites us to one another, fasting allows us to reconnect to ourselves. It moves us from the external to the internal, from ingestion to introspection. Richard Foster says in his Celebration of Discipline, “We cover up what is inside us with food and other good things, but in fasting these things surface.” Shockingly so, I discovered.

When I’ve fasted in the past physical hunger, ironically, was a minor part of the experience. In the first few hours of fasting I was distracted, cranky and even a bit fearful (it definitely goes against natural instinct to deprive yourself of food). But as the day wore on, the chatter quieted and my mind fell into a pensive stillness. There was an awareness there that isn’t when I’m going about my daily routine. I breathed deeper, moved more deliberately, listened more acutely. I went to new places within myself and connected dots I’d never seen before. Far from being something I do as punishment, I’ve come to think of fasting as hitting pause on daily life to take a soulful solo journey.

The How-To

There are many methods of fasting, but it need not be complicated to be effective. I prefer to fast from the time I wake up throughout an entire day, breaking the fast with breakfast the next day. But you could also fast from lunch to lunch, essentially skipping dinner one night and breakfast the next morning, resuming your meal with lunch.

Whichever way feels right to you, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, you’ll probably feel a bit depleted and emotional while you’re fasting. That’s normal. Don’t plan a lot of taxing activities—physical, mental or otherwise—on the day of your fast. I also like to have a journal nearby to capture the emotions and thoughts that ramble through my heart and head. In terms of physical preparation, eat light meals both before and after your fast, and be sure to drink plenty of water.

Will fasting make you healthier? Will fasting help you lose weight? The answer can be “yes” on both counts if you approach it not as a quick-fix for holiday binging, but as a way to become more mindful—long term—about the way you eat.

Tag Archives: new year

5 Lucky Foods for a Nourishing New Year!

Nourish Yourself in the New Year: Consider a Fast