During the cold winter, people should follow three principles in their daily diet to achieve warmth, cold resistance, and moisture retention. First, it is important to supplement with foods that are heat sources to increase energy supply and improve the body's tolerance to low temperatures. Such foods include carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, with a particular emphasis on foods rich in high-quality protein, such as lean meat, poultry, eggs, fish, milk, and soy products.
Second, one should consume more foods containing methionine and inorganic salts to enhance the body's cold resistance. Methionine provides a series of methyl groups necessary for cold adaptation through a transfer process. Cold weather increases the excretion of creatinine in human urine and accelerates fat metabolism. The synthesis of creatinine, fatty acids, and phospholipids, and the release of heat through their oxidation in mitochondria all require methyl groups. Therefore, during winter, it is advisable to consume more foods rich in methionine, such as sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, yeast, dairy products, and leafy vegetables. Additionally, medical research indicates that a person's sensitivity to cold is closely related to a deficiency of inorganic salts in their diet. Thus, winter diets should include more root and stem vegetables, such as carrots, lilies, yams, lotus root, as well as green vegetables and Chinese cabbage, because these parts are richer in inorganic salts. The level of calcium in the body directly affects the flexibility and excitability of the myocardium, blood vessels, and muscles, and supplementing with calcium can also improve cold resistance. Foods rich in calcium include: milk, soy products, dried shrimp, seaweed, fat choy (black moss), and sesame paste.[美食中国]
Third, one should eat more foods rich in Vitamin B2, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C to prevent conditions such as angular cheilitis, cheilitis, and glossitis. Cold weather enhances the body's oxidative functions and causes significant changes in vitamin metabolism, easily leading to symptoms like dry and chapped skin, angular cheilitis, and cheilitis. Therefore, the diet should include a timely supplement of Vitamin B2, which is mainly found in animal liver, eggs, milk, and legumes; foods rich in Vitamin A include animal liver, carrots, pumpkin, and red-fleshed sweet potatoes; and Vitamin C is primarily found in fresh vegetables and fruits.