Feeling a little chilly these days? The wisdom of Chinese medicine provides us with insight on how to stay warm from the inside out. In Chinese medicine, patients experiencing general coldness, even on days that aren't especially chilly, are said to lack vital heat. Often this inherent chillier constitution is a sign that there is internal cold. This may seem like common sense, and it also begins to describe how to treat this symptom. To negate cold, we require heat. We need to seek that out through food and drink, daily activities and other lifestyle factors.

Plants that take longer to grow (carrot, parsnip, cabbage) are generally more warming than those that grow quickly (lettuces, radish, cucumber). Often plants grown with chemical fertilizers mature more rapidly and are therefore cooler than their organic counterparts. Raw food and food eaten cold is more cooling than cooked food. How food is cooked may also influence its quality. Instead of microwaving, try using the oven and other "slow-cooking" methods. Lastly, the way we manipulate our food such as finer chopping and blending can create warmth, as can chewing more thoroughly.

Be sure to consume plenty of warm drinks. If you feel a cold coming on, ginger tea with a pinch of lemon and cayenne may help. Many herbs are warming in ­nature such as ginger, cayenne and cinnamon, ginseng, cumin and sage. Use these spices alone or in combination.
Regular exercise is a great way to improve your metabolic rate and heart function, thereby enhancing circulation and infusing you with warmth. For this reason exercise is often recommended in the morning as a healthier pick-me-up alternative to a coffee! Ideally, light weight training followed up by aerobic exercise best invigorates our blood and ­lymphatic (drainage) system. Strenuous exercise can actually be depleting and may ­worsen cold symptoms during an active infection. Instead, try ­incorporating more yoga and stretching, tai chi, qi gong and ­other breathing techniques to your workout routine.

If you are experiencing cold symptoms, there may also be underlying circulatory or endocrine issues to address. Be sure to talk to a qualified health-care professional.

--MJ Atkins, ND, Peninsula Naturopathic Clinic, Sidney, BC (250) 655-1660

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