When the outside temperature starts to drop, the first thing you do is open up your closet and pack winter essentials? However, even if you have full sweaters, gloves, socks … they are only responsible for keeping the body warm on the outside.
What is more important is how the body produces more heat on its own, which helps you warm up from the inside out. Nutritionist Lauren Minchen from New York, USA says good nutrition can help in this regard.
Minchen shows you 6 foods that when eaten will keep your body warm during the winter. They will surely surprise you:
1. Iced coffee
Not only hot coffee, but a cup of iced coffee on a winter morning can also help you feel warmer. It sounds ridiculous, but scientists point out that it’s not the temperature of the coffee, but the caffeine that keeps the body warm. “Caffeine stimulates the metabolism, stimulates the production of fatty acids from the fatty tissues of the muscles. Therefore, it can increase your body temperature,” explains Minchen.
Plus, you can add some vitamin D-rich skim milk to your morning iced coffee. A study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition found that it helps in the production and retention of body heat. As a result, you will feel warmer inside than outside.
2. Lean meat
Even if you wear gloves, but your hands are still cold in the winter, you may be in a state of iron deficiency. Some people become deficient in iron due to a defect in the digestive system, which makes it difficult to absorb iron. Others are simply not eating enough.
Find out and discuss it with your doctor. If so, you just need to take iron supplements. Lean beef, poultry and pork loin are rich sources of iron that are low in saturated fat.
Minchen notes that while foods such as whole grains or legumes can also be high in iron, this nutrient comes from animal sources which allow the human body to absorb it more easily than a plant source.
Spinach is also a rich source of plants rich in iron. However, there is a little trick to getting more iron from spinach: Serve it with foods rich in vitamin C. For example, adding a lemon wedge, a kumquat to a spinach salad can be an effective way. to absorb iron.
3. Whole grains, whole carbohydrates
“Thanks to the remaining fiber, whole grains and whole carbohydrates like potatoes and lentils require the body to produce more energy to break them down. This required energy is greater than that.” Simple carbohydrates like sugar, white bread … “, Minchen mentioned.
“This process not only keeps you full longer, it also makes your body work harder to digest food. It is also a way to increase body temperature, ”added Minchen. This was shown in a study published in the journal Nutrition. In it, scientists observed that the body warms up after a meal rich in carbohydrates.
Even so, it’s no excuse to introduce carbohydrates into your body all the time, in such a crazy way. Nutritionists warn that if you’re not careful, winter can cause you to eat more carbohydrates and lead to weight gain.
4. Cumin (Cumin)
Although there is a popular belief that consuming hot spicy foods like chili peppers can help keep you warm. In fact, eating hot peppers will make you sweat. It lowers your body temperature.
Cumin, on the other hand, increases your body temperature slightly without causing sweating. Interestingly, even scientists have not understood the mechanism of this process. Michen says they’re still finding out.
5. Ginger
If you eat gingerbread and put it aside, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to warm up in the winter. A study published in the journal Metabolism found that this traditional spice helps the body warm up.
Scientists have also found that ginger helps you reduce hunger, a factor that plays an important role in helping you get through winter while controlling your body weight. This makes ginger a double hit. Add this spice to winter meats, soups and smoothies.
6. Banana
Bananas are a popular fruit that you can find anywhere. It’s rich in B vitamins and magnesium, “which help your thyroid and adrenal glands regulate body temperature in cold weather,” Michen explains.
Just one banana can give you 10% of your daily magnesium requirement. Plus, it’s also a healthy source of B vitamins. So adding bananas to your breakfast or using it as an afternoon snack will be the smart way to keep your body warm this winter.
