Keep Warm & Healthy With These 5 Winter Foods

December 8, 2014

You’ve layered up, put on your socks and cranked up the heater. But the body could use a little more help to stay warm and maintain its immunity levels. A simple cheat is to sync your diet with the seasonal change. Add these five food groups to your daily regime to get through winter all hale and hearty.

1. Spices
Flavor your food with a generous amount of spices such as cinnamon, cumin, paprika, pepper and ginger. Not only do these spices add flavor, but they also help boost the metabolism and generate heat. Ginger in particular, is shown to increase the blood circulation and boost the immune system and digestive health.

2. Hot Drinks
Isn’t it great to cup the hands around a warm drink on a cold winter day? Skip the beer and opt for warmer drinks such as tea, coffee, hot chocolate and mulled wine. These beverages flush out the toxins from the body and help purify the bloodstream.

3. Whole Grains
Include whole grains like quinoa, oats, brown rice, barley and buckwheat in your meals. These grains contain complex carbs that fuel the body and warm it from within. They are also a rich source of B-vitamins and magnesium that help the adrenal and thyroid glands regulate the body’s temperature.

4. Seasonal Vegetables
Stock up on fresh produce like sweet potato, pumpkin and winter squash that’s easily available in the supermarkets this time of the year. These vegetables make for a great base for warm, healthy stews, soups, and purees, and are loaded with nutrients and essential vitamins.

5. Citrus Fruits
Bright citrus fruits such as lime, orange, grapefruit, clementine and lemon can add color to your dreary winter day. These fruits are rich in Vitamin C and boost your immune system, keeping the common cold and flu at bay.

While you consume these foods, don’t forget to stay hydrated. Have you noticed how your skin and throat feel dry during winter? Your body requires a substantial amount of water this season. Our bodies are full of ions that dissolve in water, causing a stabilizing reaction that releases heat and keeps you warm.

There you have it—your grocery list is chalked out. As you shop for jackets and boots, don’t forget to pick up these foods as an added armor against the cold.