How to Stay Warm in Winter
Winter often brings coldness, yet while others feel fine, you may experience icy hands and feet, even shivering—indicating possible cold sensitivity.
Cold sensitivity, also known as cold allergy or autonomic nervous system disorder, typically presents with cold extremities, lower back pain, leg sensitivity to wind, and easy stomach chill. Other symptoms include headaches, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, difficulty urinating, and excessive sweating.
Diet:
Cold-natured foods like beer, ice cream, raw vegetables, and fruits can cool the body; avoid overconsumption, especially at night. Warm-natured foods help keep the body warm. Meats: beef, chicken, lamb; seafood: sardines, mackerel; vegetables: carrots, onions, scallions, pumpkin—all winter-seasonal vegetables are generally warm in nature; fruits: chestnuts, walnuts, apples, dates; condiments: mustard, cooking wine, vinegar, brown sugar, yellow ginger, garlic, scallions, cinnamon, mint. Develop good eating habits; quit smoking and avoid excessive alcohol.
Appropriate Exercise:
Exercise promotes muscle growth for heat production, improves hormone secretion, boosts metabolism, and helps distribute warmth throughout the body. Experts recommend walking one stop during your commute instead of just visiting fitness centers—it’s more effective.
Dressing:
Basic principle: wear thin tops and thick bottoms. Since major blood vessels surround the waist, keeping the lower body warm prevents upper body chill. Avoid tight clothing that restricts circulation. Use easily removable jackets to adjust layers for comfort.
Physical Therapy:
Bathing and massage improve blood circulation. Try a saltwater foot soak every night: fill a bucket with warm water (38–40℃) to ankle level, add half a cup of coarse salt, stir well. After 5 minutes, add more warm water to cover the knee joint (Zusanli acupoint). After 10 minutes, raise water level to the knee. Rinse feet with warm water to remove residual salt.
Proper Medication:
Vitamin E dilates capillaries and improves blood flow. Daily intake can help prevent cold sensitivity due to autonomic dysfunction. Ginkgo extract (Ganwei Su) improves autonomic function. Traditional Chinese herbal decoctions include Rehmannia glutinosa, deer antler frost, Epimedium, Atractylodes macrocephala, Achyranthes bidentata, Cinnamomum cassia, Astragalus membranaceus, Eucommia ulmoides, Sinapis alba, Cistanche deserticola, licorice root. If unsure about dosage, consult a professional.