Celebrating The Lunar New Year
Our most recent podcast episode featured Christiana and Cherie discussing how to celebrate the Lunar New Year more healthfully. We discussed the different types of food that are prepared for the Lunar New Year and also some food swaps to have some healthy options at your table! Listen to the full podcast below or keep reading to find out more!
February 1 marked the start of the Lunar New Year this year. Although the Lunar New Year is also referred to as the Chinese New Year in the western hemisphere, it is also celebrated in Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and even in the Philippines. The Lunar New Year is considered a national holiday, and is celebrated by many nations, communities, and ethnicities all over the world!
Most if not all Chinese restaurants celebrated the new year, with special menus and mooncakes. Then at the end of your meal, you would receive a symbolic red envelope with coins (known as 紅包, hóngbāo). Do you know that red envelopes go only to unmarried people? If you go to the same Chinese restaurant all the time and you're there for Chinese New Year, a lot of the patrons will give the staff red envelopes during Chinese New Year. Symbolizing good fortune, red envelopes also represent happiness and good energy.
There are so many do's and don'ts during the Lunar New Year but Cherrie shared with us a couple of her favorites. First, you are not to clean during the Lunar New Year. Clean your house before the New Year but not during it because you might accidentally sweep the good luck out of your house! Another thing to keep in mind is that you shouldn't swear or say words of negativity during the New Year because that could bring you a bad fortune for the whole year. It's not advisable to cut your hair or even use sharp objects during the New Year since both might hamper good fortune.
The Lunar New Year is about ushering out the old year and bringing luck and prosperity into the new year. Many celebrations involve fireworks, red clothing, and decorations. More than anything, the Lunar New Year is all about a time to feast and a time to visit family members.
Every culture around the globe enjoys celebrating with food! As we have discussed many times, too much of anything can be bad for you. You should indulge in all your favorite treats during the holidays, but you can also include healthier options in your menu. Christiana and Cherrie also discussed some practical ways to eat more healthfully during festive times.
One way to eat more healthfully is by eating soup! Soup is great for the wintertime but it is also enjoyable during any time of the year. In Chinese culture, soup is double boiled or double steamed. Double boiling or steaming helps preserve the stock in the liquid so there will be lots of flavor in the soup. A lot of people use chicken or fish for protein, and also like to add Chinese herbs like ginger and ginseng. In addition, you can garnish your soup with a variety of healthy vegetables to give it an incredible crunch!
Do you enjoy eating dumplings during the Lunar New Year? According to Cherrie, because dumplings are half-moon-shaped, they resemble gold or silver bars. They are considered very auspicious and are enjoyed over the New Year! Although there are different kinds of dumplings, they are also a great way to get your vegetables in. You can steam, pan-fry, or deep-fry dumplings - the options are endless!
Of course, you can't have a celebration without noodles. The longer the noodle, the longer the life right? Instead of having egg noodles or rice noodles, you might want to try substituting them with buckwheat noodles. Buckwheat noodles have far more nutrient-dense, protein and are also a great way to get your fibre in!
This time of year is great for hot pot. For our friends who don't know what hot pot is, it refers to a boiling broth served at the table. You would have a cooktop and broth on the table, and each person around the table gets a mini strainer, where you cook your food one bite at a time. Every family is different for what they cook in their hotpot - for Cherrie's family, they enjoy thinly shaved cuts of chicken, pork, and beef. They also include shrimp, fish balls, lots of vegetables, and Cherrie's personal favorite, watercress. Isn't that one of the most delicious ways to enjoy a healthy family dinner? So fresh and so healthy. The broth is even richer and it's lovely to have a little cup of it after you're done.
We hope that all of these ideas will help our friends celebrate the Lunar New Year more healthfully. You should definitely indulge in your favorite meals this holiday season, but don't overdo it. We wish you all the best in 2022. To our listeners that celebrate the Lunar New Year and even those who don't celebrate it, gōng xǐ fā cái! (May you have a prosperous New Year)
*The Forever Young podcast is created and produced by Christiana and Cherrie Marie Chiu. Produced and engineered by Elisse Hill. The podcast represents our opinions and those of our guests. The content should not be taken as medical advice. It is for informational purposes only. Please consult your health care professional for any medical questions. If you like our show, please tell your friends and leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. New episodes are available every other Wednesday. Have questions? Email us at ourforeveryoungpodcast@gmail.com.
