Written by Dr. Kim Drolet L.Ac. Many spices are also herbs with medicinal properties, and Nutmeg is no exception. Known as Rou Dou Kou in Chinese medicine, nutmeg is known to warm the stomach and digestive system, promote the circulation of Qi, and stop diarrhea (the chronic kind from “weak digestion” not diarrhea from a stomach flu or food poisonings). Nutmeg is beneficial for almost everyone to “warm the stomach” and strengthen digestion during the colder months. This is partially why cultures, including American culture, gravitate to warm spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, in the desserts and sweets associated with the winter holidays. It’s good to stay warm and you are encouraged to eat some nutmeg this Winter season.
Find a Recipe and Cook with Nutmeg this Season
I encourage you to find at least 1 recipe with nutmeg, and cook something homemade. When you do, see if you can notice how the odors and eating make you feel warm and cozy. Online there are a million recipes using nutmeg, so Google your heart out. If you are trying to veer away from sweets this season, don’t limit your search to only desserts and sweets. For example, I found this fantastic sounding Swedish Meatballs recipe that incorporates nutmeg. I’m challenging myself to cook this dish in the next 2 weeks as a way to help myself branch out from just using nutmeg for sweets. This recipe also contains cardamom and pepper (known as Sha Ren and Hu Jiao in Chinese), both of which are also warming to the stomach and digestive system.
Comments