Cuisine
The best way to stay warm during winter and avoid winter colds is to eat warm, cooked food, avoid too much raw food and use plenty of warming spices in your cooking. Chilli may be a little too warming for most of us but ginger, garlic, black pepper, turmeric and cayenne pepper are just perfect!
Spa
Most of us don’t sweat very much during the winter months. As a result, our skin can become inactive and clogged up with a variety of toxins. Regular Saunas in winter not only warm us up, improve circulation, and encourage weight loss; they also help to remove toxins and restore the skin’s elimination abilities.
Fitness
It may sound obvious, but one of the keys to staying motivated about exercise during winter is to dress appropriately. The freezing-overheating-freezing rollercoaster of outdoor exercise is uncomfortable but may also initiate the onset of colds and flu. To avoid it, be sure to dress in layers, particularly focusing on protecting your hands, feet and ears.
Yoga
Yoga is a fantastic way to warm up in the winter months! The most warming poses are simple standing and squatting Asanas. These postures help to activate the liver/spleen and metabolism points in the legs, instantly generating heat in the body. You need only hold them for 3-5 breaths to notice a difference. Sun salutations are also very warming, are wonderful for circulation and they only take a short time to practice each day!
Ayurveda
If you suffer from the cold and poor circulation, Ayurveda recommends regular massage with cold-pressed sesame oil before your shower in the morning. Put your oil into a small bottle, heat it up in a mug of boiling water and then apply liberally to your body. Massage into your skin for 5-10 minutes, concentrating on the joints and then have a warm shower. It takes no more time than moisturising after a shower…. and you’ll be amazed how warm it keeps you throughout the day – like a heater under your skin! (In the summer you can do the same but with coconut oil which is very cooling).
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Did you know that miso soup with spring onions is an ancient Chinese Medicine remedy for colds? So when you start to feel a bit under the weather with the onset of a slight fever or sore throat, turn to miso! To make miso soup simply buy miso paste from your local supermarket or Asian grocer and follow the packet instructions – then add finely sliced spring onions for 5 minutes during the cooking process.