Beat The Winter Blues: Stay Warm By Increasing Natural Body Warmth
To stay warm during the cold Winter months can be a challenge for many. Even though homes and offices may be heated, normal daily tasks throughout the day can result in regular exposure to colder temperatures. Exposure to cold air can drastically reduce our body temperature, so follow these 10 easy tips to increase your own natural body warmth and stay warm throughout Winter.
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Wear Warmer Clothing
It might sound obvious at first, but wearing extra layers of warmer clothing can really help make you feel warmer. Putting on a few extra thin layers of clothing will trap more heat rather than using one thick jumper. Also be sure to pay attention to your feet, hands and head as these body parts can lose a lot of body heat. Wear gloves as well as thick fluffy socks and warm shoes or sheepskin lined boots. Depending on the situation, choose a beanie or an appropriate hat to keep your head warm.
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Drink Warm Beverages
Drinking a warm cup of herbal tea or a hot chocolate warms up your belly. Just grasping the warm beverage can also help to warm your hands. Be careful not make drinks too hot, as this may actually trick your body into trying to cool itself down.
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Get Moving
A quick burst of exercise helps to warm up the body. Go for a quick jog around the block or do a set of jumping jacks on the spot. Heat is created when your muscles start using the stored energy supplies within the body to create movement.
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Snuggle
Cuddle up with a family member, a friend or even the family pet. Sharing body heat is a great way to create body warmth quickly.
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Have A Warm Shower
Have a nice warm shower and wash yourself with an oil based product such as baby oil or almond oil. After your shower, rub in layer of oil to help reduce heat loss through your skin.
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Change Your Sheets
Flannelette sheets are a great bedding choice for Winter. They are gentle on your skin but are heavy enough to keep you warm and prevent heat from escaping.
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Dry Your Hair
Use a hair dryer to dry your hair quickly after your shower. Wet hair and skin causes the body to lose extra heat through the evaporation process so try to dry your body and your hair as quickly as possible.
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Go Nuts!
Eat foods that are high in healthy fats, such as nuts. Creating a healthy lining of fat under the surface of the skin is the body’s natural way of creating a layer of ‘insulation’ against the cold during the Winter months.
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Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol
Caffeine and alcohol may make you feel warmer at first because they increase the blood flow to the skin. You may feel like your hands and feet are getting warmer, but this is actually because you are losing heat and your core body temperature is reducing. Try drinking decaffeinated or herbal drinks if you want to increase your core body temperature.
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Add Extra Heat!
Keep a folded blanket on the couch for night time snuggles in front of the TV. A hot water bottle or a wheat bag may also come in handy for really cold evenings.
Stay Warm!
While you are all rugged up and feeling warm, know that by following these tips to maximise your own body warmth you are also helping the environment (and your wallet) by saving on power. Take some time out to read 10 Ways To Warm Your Home In Winter to stay even warmer this Winter!
