6 foods that keep you warm in winter

Winter is the right season to get a tasty feel of foods that your body needs to charge itself to sustain the cold

It’s almost that time of the year when you will feel tempted to warm your belly. Winter is the right season to get a tasty feel of foods loaded with nutrients, antioxidants and immune-boosting powers that your body needs to charge itself to sustain the cold.

As compiled from Health Magazine and Eat This! Health, here are six food items that will keep you warm and cozy on chilly days.

Oatmeal



Make flavoured oatmeal your first meal of the day. As it gets colder, it’s the right time to bring out oatmeal. Oats contain whole grain fibre and plant-based protein, just one bowl of which helps curb your hunger. Chilly weather makes you lazier and forces you to spend more time in bed. Oatmeal contains a powerful starch called beta-glucan, which revitalises the energy within you.

Iced coffee



You read that right. As unbelievable as it may sound, iced tea will keep you toasted on a cold morning. While it may seem paradoxical, it’s not the hot temperature of the coffee that warms you up, it’s the caffeine. According to a nutritional study, caffeine increases metabolism by stimulating the release of fatty acids, which in turn increase body temperature. Give it a shot and you’ll feel warmer inside out.

Hot chocolate



Curling up with a cup of scrumptious hot chocolate is the best way to warm yourself up. Mix the sugary chocolate powder with milk and add marshmallow chunks to your cup of hot cocoa. If you’re a big chocolate fan, melt two squares of chocolate and stir them into regular or almond milk. For health-fanatics, the best way to satisfy your sweet tooth is by adding dark chocolate to your drink instead of regular milk chocolate.

Brussels sprouts



Stocking your fridge with these mini cabbages may just help you fight cold this fall. In addition to being packed with fibre, brussels sprouts contain high levels of Vitamin C. The leafy green veggie will definitely help reduce cold symptoms. The bitter taste in some sprouts may fright you away, but roasting them in olive oil will help squeeze out their sweetness.

Ginger tea



If you’re thinking of reaching for a cup of tea, opt for ginger tea. Ginger contains thermogenic properties that keep you warm. Owing to its heating powers, ginger may also boost metabolism. Researchers found that men who consumed ginger tea felt less hungry during the day. Fight your body aches this winter season by incorporating this beverage into your daily routine.

Bananas



This popular fruit is rich in B vitamins and magnesium, two elements that help the thyroid and adrenal glands regulate the body’s temperature in cold weather. One large banana serves up to 10 per cent of the day’s requirement of magnesium and a healthy dose of B vitamins. Add it to your breakfast cereal or eat it with two tablespoons of natural peanut butter for an afternoon snack. Make a peanut butter and banana pancake to add more magnesium and B vitamins to your plate. Keeping this in mind, there’s no way you’ll fall victim to flu and the blues this winter.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th, 2015.

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