Winter weather is cold. In addition to wearing more clothes and taking cold prevention measures, you should also eat foods that can help prevent cold and keep warm.
Eating the right foods in winter can also help prevent cold and keep warm.
When it's cold, we always like to eat hot food. After drinking a bowl of hot soup, we immediately feel "warmed up." This is the "thermic effect of food" at work.
What to eat in winter to prevent cold and keep warm? Supplement more protein.
The "thermic effect of food" refers to the phenomenon of increased energy expenditure in the body due to eating. It is the result of the need for additional energy consumption during the digestion, absorption, transport, metabolism, and storage of food, which leads to an increase in body temperature and heat dissipation.
Which foods are best for preventing cold and keeping warm in winter?
From the perspective of the thermic effect of food, different nutrients have different thermic effects. The impact of eating carbohydrates and fat on metabolism is relatively small, about 4%-6% and 4-5% of the energy they produce respectively, and the duration is about 1 hour. However, the impact of eating protein on metabolism is greater, up to 30%, and the duration is also longer, up to 10-12 hours. This means that the thermic effect of protein is much higher than that of carbohydrates and fats, and eating more protein-rich foods can make people feel warmer more easily.
Therefore, to prevent cold and keep warm in winter, it is best to eat more protein-rich foods, such as milk, soy milk, eggs, tofu, lean pork, beef, fish, shrimp, shellfish, etc.
Supplementing protein is not always better in larger amounts.
Although eating more high-protein foods in winter can help prevent cold and keep warm, it does not mean that the more protein you eat, the better. If you neglect other types of food because you eat more high-protein foods, it can lead to malnutrition. Therefore, when eating protein, it is important to combine it with a variety of nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals to ensure adequate energy supply while also maintaining a balanced diet. This is beneficial for health.