Feeling chilly? Eat chilli (and other hot stuff)!

Icy feet? Blue hands? Aching ears? Winter can trigger chilblains, Reynaud's disease and other circulation problems, like sheer f-f-f-freezingness! As the causes of blood-flow issues are not always clear, prevention and/or treatment of symptoms is key. A major antidote to cold-induced conditions is soothing warmth.

Outer warmth… Thermal undies and layered clothing can help prevent heat loss. Fleece-lined gloves and warm socks keep hands and feet toasty. Hats with ear flaps, padded coats and silk and woollen scarves trap body heat. At night, winter duvets, hot-water bottles and thick bed socks can warm a cold bod, thaw extremities and shield a partner from the chilling shock of a sub-zero foot.

…inner fire Boosting circulation internally can help prevent and treat symptoms of poor blood flow. Stop puffing, start moving Smoking constricts blood vessels, impeding circulation and cooling hands and feet. Quitting helps restore normal blood flow. Daily exercise – even a well-wrapped-up walk to the shops – can warm you up in the short term and facilitate free-flowing blood in the longer term. Sprinkle a little cayenne pepper between shoes and socks to stop feet icing over outdoors. Avoid any cuts/abrasions and mouth and eyes! Nuclear plants Roy Swank MD discovered that after a typical high-fat meal, red blood cells become sticky, bind together and aggregate to form clumps large and tough enough to obstruct circulation in small capillaries throughout the body.

A low-fat diet, conversely, aids blood flow. John McDougall MD finds a low-fat, starch-based diet eases circulation within hours, once dietary fats have stopped coating and clumping blood cells. His programme also relaxes blood vessel spasms, which might help Renaud's symptoms, and contains enough calories for inner warmth. Some foods and drinks work overtime to light our fires. Ayurveda recommends root vegetables, hot soups, stews, hearty grains, heavy fruits and spices in winter. Warming spices include cardamom, cayenne, ginger, cinnamon, garlic, horseradish, cumin, mustard seed, cloves, salt, chilli peppers and black pepper. Mustard greens, rocket, watercress, nuts, seeds and seaweeds are helpful, too. Beetroot (aka beet) juice is a good source of nitrates, which the body converts to nitric oxide (NO), a compound that relaxes blood vessels and enhances circulation. As cooking deteriorates nitrates, fresh raw beetroot juice (diluted with milder-tasting juices) is best, either home-made or from The Hopsack's juice bar. (If you're rushing, why not try a Beet It shot?) Other good sources of dietary nitrates include spinach, radishes, lettuce, celery and Chinese cabbage. Most nuts contain arginine, a precursor to NO. Supping Thanks to a nice piece of Hopsackian lateral thinking, customers have been finding Solgar Thermogenic Complex (formulated to aid weight loss) excellent for boosting circulation, soothing chilblains and thawing icy paws. Containing svetol green coffee, green tea, cayenne, choline, inositol, methionine, bioperine and chromium, Thermogenic Complex helps stimulate the body's natural ability to generate heat.

Taken together… …these strategies should help slide you from the red-purple-blue spectrum to pinky-orange! Warming winter brews Hot Dawg Rooibos Chai 1 rooibos teabag 1 Yogi Classic Cinnamon Spice teabag 1 teaspoon (or to taste) coconut palm sugar Organic milk or organic unsweetened soya milk Steep teabags in boiling water (teapot or covered mug) for a few minutes until strong. Add sugar and milk. Wrap hands around mug. Enjoy. Warming Ginger Zinger from Embody Health on Facebook Ginger warms you up, irons out stiffness and throws a punch at colds and 'flu. Centrifugal and twin-gear juicers extract ginger juice more efficiently than single-auger types, so adjust amount to suit... 1/2 lemon 1/2 cucumber 2 carrots 1/2 inch ginger Juice. Drink. Yum! 🙂

NB If you are on medication and/or have Reynaud's disease or another medical condition, please consult with your GP before taking supplements.