Help, I’m always cold!!!
Can you relate? If you feel cold all the time, there could be a variety of influences. While this would have to be diagnosed by a medical provider, common causes can include anemia, hypothyroidism, eating disorders, hypoglycemia, poor circulation, and other imbalances.
I personally experience cold hands and feet due to my circulation and heart rate always being low and slow. It’s the worst feeling and SO uncomfortable. I want to curl up in a blanket and not leave the house!
Above and beyond getting your labs checked to understand the root cause, here are the things I do in order to keep myself warm and comfortable. These tools help me spend more time with my family enjoying outdoor sunshine and fresh air as much as I can in the cold winter months.
1. Warming foods like soup! Nona lim brand is available in some grocery stores, or I've shared a delicious homemade butternut squash soup recipe below. I also love to sip warm broth - Bonafide is an organic option for my vegans and vegetarians, or Brodo and Epic brands for my meat eaters! It’s incredibly soothing and healing for your gut lining too.
2. Lymphatic Massage - get a lymphatic massage, exercise, and help detox the body all in one workout. Exercise and supporting your lymphatic system improves circulation. You can also give yourself a lymphatic massage with a dry brush!
3. Hawthorn Berry Tea - this has been used for centuries for heart health and is rich in antioxidants. Try Heart Health Tea by Traditional Medicinals.
4. Cryotherapy - wait a second…didn’t I just say I hate the cold?? Yes, but hear me out! Taking a brief cold shower, ice bath, or stepping in a Cryo machine may feel uncomfortable for those few minutes, but the payoff is amazing. Once your body returns to homeostasis, you are flooded with an increase in blood circulation, endorphins, and nutrients throughout the body. Plus Cryo is FUN - you can listen to your favorite song while you’re being coached through. It’s over in a pinch.
5. Vitamin E - improves circulation by widening the blood vessels. Get your Vit. E from food sources like olives, nuts, pumpkin seeds, spinach, mustard greens, kale, broccoli, parsley, etc.
6. Dark Chocolate - 70% or more raw cacao (not conventional milk chocolate!). This helps boost flavonoids which increase circulation. Make a homemade hot cocoa with your favorite nut milk and monk fruit drops or organic maple syrup, or eat a couple small pieces of rich dark chocolate for all the benefits. You’ll feel a mood boost too.
What did I miss? Do you find any additional tools helpful for when you are cold? I’d love to hear!
Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
- 1 tablespoon Bariani olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced white onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- 4 cups cubed butternut squash (I get pre-cubed to cut down the time)
- 4 cups vegetable broth or bonafide provision bone broth
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup Native Forest coconut cream
- Garnish
- Coconut Aminos
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
- Cooked Brown Rice / cauliflower rice
Instructions~
In a pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook until soft, 5-6 minutes. Stir in ginger and cook for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant.
Measure in squash, broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until squash is extremely soft.
Puree soup using an immersion or regular blender.
Return to pot (if using regular blender) and add coconut cream.
Divide soup into two bowls (with rice or cauliflower rice, if using) and top with a swirl of coconut aminos and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
