Whether you have to spend time outdoors for your job, you like to be outdoors in winter, or you have to walk to work, it is a lot more tolerable when you feel warm.
You can wear nice socks, boots, thick pants, and a nice warm coat and hat. However, you may still feel like you need to be warmer.
Did you know that certain foods will help your body sustain warmer temperatures? Megan Hall is a licensed and registered dietitian. This article will include her recommendations on what foods will help you stay warm this winter.
Megan says “In general, foods that take longer to digest can help raise your body temperature and make you feel warmer. The medical term for this process is thermogenesis, which is the process of your body producing heat caused by food metabolizing. Look for food that’s high in healthy fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Many of these foods are more complex and take longer to digest.”
Foods For Warmth:
1. Fruits and Vegetables – The best options are bananas, sweet potatoes, ginger and butternut squash. Bananas have Vitamin B and magnesium which help keep your thyroid gland and adrenal glands healthy, which will keep you warmer. Ginger is good for digestive health and stimulates thermogenesis (as mentioned above), as well as being a diaphoretic when drank as a hot tea, which means warms you from the inside out.
2. Drinks – coffee or tea help because of the caffeine and because you can drink them hot and raise your temperature from the inside. If you are sensitive to caffeine, just drink decaf tea or coffee and drink an extra cup of it hot. Also, drinking plenty of water keeps your body running as it should and help keep you warm. You must avoid alcohol in order to stay warm. Although it feels like you get warmer when you drink, the reality is your body temperature goes down.
3. Others – Red meat and Oats are two other great options. Oats have whole grains and fiber. Red meats such as lamb, beef, and some cuts of pork are packed with Iron and B12. Those with low iron or B12 in their blood are often very cold and can’t maintain body temperatures well.
Keep these foods in mind when you spend time in cold temperatures this winter.