Recently, temperatures have dropped sharply, and many people have added thick clothing, but it's still hard to ward off the cold. In fact, eating cleverly can also help you "stay warm". Heat-producing foods - fresh rice and flour.
Low temperatures can affect the human body's endocrine and digestive systems, accelerating the metabolism and breakdown of the three major nutrients—protein, fat, and carbohydrates—and increasing energy consumption. Therefore, in winter, it is advisable to appropriately increase the intake of these heat-producing nutrients, such as staple foods and sweets with a small amount of sugar, or high-quality proteins and fats like fish and dairy products. Additionally, B vitamins are beneficial for normal metabolism, so it's good to eat more fresh rice and flour, fruits, and vegetables, and try to eat more coarse grains. Warming foods - mutton.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, foods like mutton, dog meat, longan, chives, walnuts, and millet have the effect of warming the body and replenishing Qi. Eating more of them can improve the body's ability to resist the cold. Conversely, it's best to eat less of cooling or cold-natured foods such as duck, crab, banana, cucumber, watermelon, pear, mung beans, and rock sugar. Minerals - Calcium and Iron.
Supplementing with foods rich in calcium and iron can also improve the body's ability to resist the cold. Feeling cold is related to a deficiency of minerals in the diet, especially calcium, which affects the flexibility and excitability of the heart muscle, blood vessels, and muscles. Therefore, in winter, it's a good idea to eat more calcium-rich foods like dairy products, soy products, and dried shrimp. Many women, in particular, feel very cold. In winter, even in a heated room, their hands and feet are often ice-cold. Insufficient iron intake is one of the main reasons. Women who feel cold can appropriately consume more iron-rich foods, such as liver. Additionally, the human thyroid gland secretes a hormone called thyroxine, which has a heat-producing effect. Thyroxine is composed of iodine and tyrosine; while tyrosine can be synthesized by the body, iodine must come from external sources. Therefore, in winter, it is advisable to eat more iodine-rich foods such as kelp, seaweed, and shellfish. Root vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, lotus root, green onions, and potatoes contain a large amount of minerals, and regular consumption can also enhance the body's ability to resist the cold.