Which are the best Comfort Foods for Cold Weather?
Cold, dark and miserable days of winter works hazards for our health and beauty regime. Dry and cold weather, low activity level and gorging on winter goodies takes our diet and health for a toss.
The weather brings with itself lots of problems, like
- Making skin dry and rough
- Acne and flaking of the skin
- Skier’s sunburn
- Depression blues due to long , cold and dark winter days
- Lack of energy and activity
- Low immunity
The best comfort foods to fight these given problems are as stated below:
- Whole grain bread- long hours of indoor heating makes our body dry and saps up moisture from our body. Eating whole grains reduces dryness and redness, as they contain lipids which help in ‘cementing’ our skin cells.
- Egg- eating whole eggs (yolk and all) which contains biotin promotes fatty acids production- a sure shot solution for smooth skin. Try extra helping of Swiss chard too.
- Fish- dry conditions play havoc on our skin upsetting exfoliation and starting off minor inflammation. Weekly three servings of cold water fish like salmon, anchovies, halibut or arctic char- which are loaded with EPA, a soothing omega-3 fatty acid, helps fight these cold weather skin conditions.
- Watercress- it helps in releasing detoxifying enzymes and boosts antioxidant defence systems.
- Walnuts, Flax seeds and chia seeds- these power foods help in boosting ALA, an omega-3 that converts into EPA.
- Green tea- ultra violet radiation increases every 1000 foot rise in elevation, so skiers are at a risk of sunburn during winter days. Green tea helps in preventing damages done by ultra violet rays
- Lycopene rich foods- foods like tomatoes, pink grapefruits, watermelon and dark chocolates are rich in lycopene and help slightly in reducing damages done by sun exposure.
- Folate supplements- foods rich in folate, a vitamin, like spinach, asparagus, black-eyed beans and fortified cereals act as anti-depressants.
- Vitamin D rich foods- foods like fortified milk, orange juice, yogurt etc. have ample vitamin D which is essential for strong bones and proper absorption of potassium and calcium, and also has a link to our mood.
- Water- plain or mint infused water keeps us hydrated and acts as a placebo for enhancing our mood too.
