With a chill in the air and the arrival of the Winter Solstice on December 21, it’s no wonder why they call this special time of year the “cozy season.” While chunky sweaters and soft blankets warm you on the outside, nothing quite compares to the power of comfort food to warm you from the INSIDE. At Woody’s Bar-B-Q, we’ve been specializing in the fine art of comfort food since 1980, so we’ve got the inside track on four reasons why it’s such an effective tool for chasing away the winter chill.
- Beat That Iron Deficiency – Science has shown that people who are chronically chilly may have an iron deficiency. Adding foods to your diet that are rich in iron – like lean meats – can help warm you up. Woody’s menu is packed with iron-rich foods like pork, poultry, lean beef, collard greens, and our original recipe Bar-B-Q beans. If you’re getting plenty of iron-rich foods, but your body has a hard time absorbing it, introduce foods that are high in Vitamin A (carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes), Vitamin C (dark, leafy green vegetables), and Beta-carotene (lettuce, broccoli, and peas).
- Carbs Aren’t All Bad – While refined or simple carbs often get a bad rap, complex carbohydrates are excellent tools for raising energy levels, improving digestive health, blood sugar control, and promoting thermogenesis. In case it’s a new word for you, thermogenesis is a fancy term for the body’s ability to produce its own heat. A 2011 study showed that complex carbohydrate consumption wields the power to warm you from the inside, so if you’re particularly frosty, you might want to add more whole grains to your diet or an order of beans, sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, and squash to your meal.
- Trigger the Brain’s Pleasure Center – According to Harvard Medicine, certain foods can cause a release of dopamine – a feel-good neurotransmitter, bringing an undeniable sense of comfort and reward to the person who consumes them. Foods rich in tyrosine have the power to kick in a dopamine rush. Included among them are chicken, turkey, and cheese, just to name a few. Might we suggest our popular Loaded Mesquite Grilled Chicken Breasts to put this scientific theory to the test? In addition to two chicken breasts, marinated and grilled to perfection, we top them with melted cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and Woody’s own Southern Sweet sauce. It’s sure to trigger your brain’s pleasure center and boost that feeling of goodwill.
- Nostalgia has a Heartwarming Effect – According to Scientific American, “Comfort food is food that causes the consumer to feel more psychologically comfortable.” It may be linked to a sense of home, fill you with feelings of contentment, or harness the power of nostalgic memories for a soul-soothing effect. Chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches may remind you of your grandmother, an Italian dish may call to mind your mother’s special recipe lasagna, or baby back ribs may help you recall your dad toiling over a charcoal grill in the backyard of your childhood home. Since many of our menu items are inspired by the dog-eared recipes of our co-founder’s beloved mother, they fall beautifully into the comfort food category and have become favorites among our growing fanbase of patrons.
This winter, Woody’s Bar-B-Q invites you to cozy up to some of our most popular comfort food menu items – whether dining at our table or your own. To find the Woody’s Bar-B-Q near you and peruse our menu, visit www.Woodys.com! Then come see us, and LET’S EAT!
Source: https://www.eatthis.com/6-foods-that-keep-you-warm/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20579851/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/dopamine-the-pathway-to-pleasure
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/anthropology-in-practice/understanding-the-power-of-comfort-foods/
KB 11/27/23
