5 ways to stay warm this winter

With temperatures dipping below -10°C, it’s not enough to just leave the house in a puffy coat and scarf pulled up to your eyes: You need some good ol’ fashioned warmer-uppers that will help keep you feeling cozy, no matter what the thermometer reads. 

And while you might be madly craving mac and cheese and casseroles, these suggestions below are based on science - they will actually help to raise your body temp or make you feel warmer for longer than a hot chocolate or creamy casserole.

Check out the top 5 winter warmups:

1. Tuck into a piping hot bowl of ramen or pho

Sure you could warm yourself with a nice bowl of regular soup, but since the city is bursting with ramen and pho houses, why not make it a full meal with noodles? 

That rich broth will warm you up instantly, as they often contain a warming spice or two (such as cinnamon, black pepper, curry, cardamom, turmeric). It might even help keep away that cold that’s going around.

2. Dig into hot dishes - but not too fiery!

Spicy foods give you the feeling of warmth; though don’t make it too hot – you don’t want to sweat, as that cools you down. So go for Mexican, dig into a hearty chili, or add a little hot sauce to your meal, and you’ll start to feel the warmth, inside and out.

3. Load up on ginger

Ginger gives you a warming sensation that lasts longer than ones delivered through hot peppers, so order the Ginger Chicken or Beef next time you’re out for Chinese or Thai. In the meantime, to make ginger tea at home:

1 tbsp. fresh sliced or grated ginger root
Add 2 cups of hot water
Let steep for up to 10 minutes
(optional - add honey and or lemon)

4. Fill up on brown rice

Whole grains and complex carbs, are harder to digest, which means that your body gets warmer during the process, so next time you order a salad, make it a quinoa or millet one. And when placing your order for maki, get the brown rice version. That, and a miso soup, and you’ll feel toasty and warm in no time.

5. Add iron

Foods rich in iron are a must as they help stimulate heat production. So add red meat (lean) and dark leafy greens to your meals at home. 

If that’s too much work, lucky for you, kale, rapini and spinach are on just about every menu right now, so it’s super easy to add it to your daily diet. A simple suggestion: Switch to a kale Caesar instead of the romaine version.