Heat up this Winter

This February, let’s turn the heat up, way up.

(written for South Etobicoke News, February 2024 Natural Health and Wellness Column)

The coldest day of the year is usually in February and this year is no exception, according to Farmer’s Almanac. When celebrating Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, Family Day or just good old Groundhog Day (hoping for early spring anyone?), turn up the heat naturally! To cope with this extra long (that’s right Leap Year!) month, take on the February ‘Turn up the Heat’ challenge.

Did you know that February 29th is celebrated as National Time Refund Day? All your Pisces friends finally get an extra day in their birthday sign to celebrate. On the flip side, who can we blame for adding another day to our winter? With winter dragging on, it is all the more reason to learn how to turn up the heat in our body, the way nature intended.

Heat up, how?

How can you increase your internal heat this winter? And, in turn successfully take on the ‘Turn up the Heat’ challenge?

Heat up this Winter – Way UP

The fastest way to turn up your thermostat is to exercise. But before you groan and dismiss this sage advice, read on. Exercise can be a brisk walk outdoors – yes outdoors. The cold air does the body good. Add on extra steps by skipping the escalator or elevator and do stairs instead. Regular exercise stimulates heat in the body.

You don’t have to become a gym rat.

Just get off the warm, cozy sofa and get all your steps in. Your body generates heat from exercise, any exercise. If you add in some weights, you can increase your metabolism 5 to 15 times your resting metabolic rate. This ‘burn’ continues for several hours in your body, which means you feel warmer overall AND you are also burning more calories. It’s really win-win if you plan on celebrating this month’s festivities with a night out!

Ready to embrace a more radical approach? You could go all in and embrace the coldest month in the coldest way possible: ice baths. Take the polar dip to the next level and dip into a bathtub full of cold water and ice once a week. It may be time for you to join all the Wim Hof lovers out there. Plunging your body into an ice bath or just tolerating a cold shower for 2 minutes activates your brown fat thermostat and turns up the heat. This heat lasts for several hours and help your brown fat respond better and faster. Set the timer and just do it.

Time is on your side. Put the timer on and do it.

Or avoid the agony of freezing baths and…get hotter naturally by creating healthy fat in your body. That’s right I just said make more fat! Choose brown fat. Your body actually contains a very small percentage of brown fat compared to white fat, yet the brown fat (also called brown adipose tissue) is needed to help you stay warm. It is activated in cold temperatures. Studies also suggest that fruits like apples and dried fruits can stimulate the production of brown adipose fat – though the jury is still out on this one. What if…there is another way to reduce white fat and make it more ‘productive’. Read on.

Enhance your thermoregulation in the most enjoyable way: eat your heat. If you have not yet enjoyed Winterlicious, the annual Toronto Festival of Winter Dining is the perfect venue for you. With over 200 restaurants across the GTA offering Prix Fixe (a complete meal at a set price) between January 26 to February 8, there’s no time to lose.

Your Mission is..

Your mission is to turn up your heat by selecting at least 3 restaurants that offer hot, spicy, well seasoned foods! You know, this is a sure fire-way (pun intended) to beat the winter blahs, speed through February and enjoy every moment. For all the foodies out there, you are encouraged to hashtag your favourite Winterlicious meals with #LiciousTO. By the way, February 4th is officially National Homemade soup day. Your bonus health challenge this month is to find a favourite new eatery that serves up the best ‘homemade’ style soup with chilies , cayenne or ginger. Ginger Pho anyone?

Thermogenics anyone?

Spices that heat up your body are called thermogenic. Whether you eat them in a Piquant Pad Thai or enjoy them in a Spicy Matcha Latte, they help your body produce heat through metabolic stimulation. Though there is no magic potion to help you lose weight, increasing thermogenic foods in your diet, combined with regular exercise is the powerhouse combo this February. Hot on the heels of well-intentioned January resolutions, this can be your hottest and healthiest month if you choose wisely. Start with these top heat inducing spices in your every day diet: black pepper, cayenne, ginger, cumin and turmeric.

Need more convincing to spice up your life? Some studies have shown that green tea and spicy chilies (and other foods with capsaicin) may activate thermogenesis or trigger fat oxidation. Oxidation is the browning of white fat. Combine regular exercise with spicy meals and your January resolution to be healthier is guaranteed to be a success.

Turn up the heat and you will have winter beat in no time at all. Let me know how your February ‘Turn up the Heat’ challenge turns out. Email me at monika@healingmuse.com with your experience.