How Does Extreme Cold Weather Affect Your Body?

Winter is one of the seasons that is liked by most of you. As you are getting rid of the heat of the summer. During winter you all want to just sit on the couch under a blanket and enjoy watching television. But this is not the only thing you need to do. When it comes to mildly cold weather, it seems a bit cozy and warm. However, snow and freezing temperatures are not bearable and also put your health at risk in many ways. It means that this weather can affect your health by having certain health conditions which you need to minimize and prevent. For prevention from extreme cold weather, you need to take certain steps which protect your health. These steps can include your diet, physical activities, and others. Let’s see how you can stay safe and healthy in winter.

Introduction

The temperature is dropping and we all came across the winter season. As winter is one of the likable seasons for most people. You all feel cozy and want to cover yourself with layers of clothes, have a cup of tea, watch a movie, read a book, etc. All these things can be enjoyed in winter. But when the temperature is dropping too much like snow and freezing, your body is at risk of many health conditions which are not healthy for you. This makes your health worse. That is why make sure to be aware of it. However, some research shows that cold weather provides you with several health benefits as well which you can also need to consider. Overall, we can say that whether it is healthy or not you need to stay safe and healthy in winter.

Does winter provide you with health benefits?

In winter, all we can do is to make ourselves warm. This can be done by drinking hot tea, covering ourselves in a blanket, wearing a lot of clothes, etc. Also, this season gives you several health benefits which include-

• Boost your sleep quality- in winter our body’s circadian rhythm gets fully regulated means that our body self-regulates eating, sleeping, and activity patterns. When your circadian rhythms get unregulated then it may lead to many health problems. And when we are unable to sleep it may cause sleep disorders like insomnia which can affect our cognitive function and also increase the risk of kidney disease and diabetes.

• Enhances your appetite- whenever the temperature goes down, you may feel more hungry than usual. Some studies show that most of you tend to eat less when the temperature is high but in winter it is the opposite, which means that your appetite gets increased. That is why, if you face trouble with eating, then you can run in the cool winter just before a meal. This can help you to increase your appetite.

• Reduce the bad fat by increasing the good fat- your body stores two fats: white and brown. White is the bad one while brown is the good one. In winter, the amount of brown fat increases which works as a fuel that your body burns for energy. Also, when you feel shiver your body fat automatically gets off. Some studies show that 15 minutes of shivering in winter is the same as one hour of exercise.

• Reduce inflammation- most of you remember using ice-cold compress to a head bump after a playground accident. This is a kind of evidence that cold temperature helps in decreasing inflammation. But you should be careful about how much you need to apply for the kind of inflammation you have.

Does extreme cold weather affect your health?

We all enjoy this season, and we came across several benefits of the cold season. But when the temperature is too cold, it may even freeze you, especially in snowy areas. And brings several risks, especially for older adults. Following are the health conditions you can face during cold weather-

• Weaken immune system- in winter, you are more likely to spend your time near or in close contact with each other like in stores, malls, restaurants, etc. This increases the risk of having flu, coughs, and colds as they can easily spread.

• Heart problems- when you are outside in winter, your heart faces problems in working and keeping you warm. This may lead to a rise in your heart rate and blood pressure which can cause heart problems like a heart attack. It is more likely to happen when you already have heart conditions.

• Frostbite- is a condition in which you have a chance of damaging your body parts, mostly your ears, nose, cheeks, chin, fingers, and toes. When you have frostbitten skin, your skin turns to get white or gray and you feel hard or waxy. Also, blisters form and you are unable to move the part that is affected.

• Hypothermia- hypothermia occurs when your body temperature drops below 95°F (35°C). And when your body temperature goes this much down it may result in losing more heat than it can make. You can feel the symptoms like shivering, clumsiness, confusion, tiredness, or even urinating more than usual. It is one of the severe conditions that if it is not treated can cause death.

Several steps that you can take to stay safe and healthy in winter

As you see the various conditions that you can face during winter. That is why to stay safe and healthy, you need to take certain steps which include-

• Take extra steps- when you go to your work or school, try to park your vehicle in the farthest spot, and walk the extra steps to your office. When you get to your building, try to take the stairs instead of the elevator. However, if you work on a top floor, then stop the elevator before two or three floors then walk up to the rest.

• Keep moving- try not to be fixed in a constant position, try to take periodic breaks for a mini-workout like chair yoga, etc. Some studies show that 10 minutes of physical activity like chair yoga or lifting light weights helps in staying healthy.

• Winterproof workout- when winter comes you are being too lazy to go outside, for this, there are online workouts, videos, and apps that allow you to work out in your home. For instance, you can buy an exercise bike and go cycling, watch television or read a book.

• Reduce the signs of frostbite- you need to prevent frostbite by taking these measures which include; limiting your time outdoors in cold, wet, or windy weather; dressing in several layers of loose, warm clothing; wearing a hat or headband that covers your ears fully; wear mittens rather than gloves.

• Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning- this gas is harmful and produced by burning gasoline, wood, charcoal, etc. that is why you need to avoid it by doing these things; install a carbon monoxide detector; open the garage door before starting your car; if you have a fireplace, keep it in good repair.

• Avoid slips and falls- you can avoid slips and falls by wearing the right shoes, walking safely, staying aware, and being cautious when exiting your vehicle.

Consider eating these foods for a winter health

Food is one of the essentials that provide you with good health.

Following are the healthy foods to eat during winter:

• Root vegetables- root vegetables are the key vegetables that are found mostly in winter which include; beets, carrots, and turnips can help you to withstand the cold. Also provide you with beta-carotene, vitamin C and A which is good for your health.

• Vitamin- D-rich foods- mushrooms are one of the great sources of vitamin D. You can also consider other foods like eggs, yolks, fortified cereals, milk, and red meat. When you have a low level of vitamin D you can face more anxiety and depression.

• Oatmeal- oatmeal contains various nutrients that are essential during winter. As they are high in zinc and soluble fiber which helps your immune function and heart health.

• Soup- one of the perfect foods for winter is soup. You can use chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water as a base for your soup with a lot of vegetables. Try not to include cream, salt, and beef.

• Mood-boosting snacks- most of you crave snacks in winter. For that, you can take sweet potatoes, beets, and walnuts or you can also include spicy roasted chickpeas. But avoid sugary and processed foods like fries, desserts, etc.

Conclusion

A cold season makes you stay in your house and you feel lazy, spending most of the time on your couch. Also, this season can provide you with several benefits, as well as your health, is at risk by facing certain health conditions. That is why when winter comes you need to take certain measures that help in making you stay healthy. You can take these steps as well as try to eat healthy food as food is one of the essentials of being healthy.