As you grow older, you may begin to notice that you suffer more from common ailments, like the cold and flu, during the colder seasons. To combat this, enjoy these simple and effective ways to ward off the cold during the colder seasons.
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4 Foods That Keep the Body Warm During Winter

Winter is fast approaching and as everyone knows too well, cold weather can be bad for the body, especially for children and seniors. Teenagers and young adults, too, are not exempt from the perils of cold weather as extremely cold temperatures can cause a lot of havoc for anyone with reduced mobility, breathing problems, circulatory conditions, and low immunity, regardless of age. Illnesses, like the flu, also happen to be more common during the cold season as germs are easier to transmit in cold air.

The good thing, however, about winter and other colder seasons is that keeping warm can help ward off the effects of cold temperatures. In this article, we are going to give you a few tips on how you can keep warm using common kitchen ingredients.

1. Ginger
Ginger is an ancient spice that has been used for centuries to help generate and maintain heat within the body. This root vegetable is commonly used in Indian and Asian cuisines, but the rest of the world seems to have embraced it and even invented more ways to incorporate it into their own cuisines.

Ginger is available in various forms - you can buy it fresh or dried, and you might even be able to find it in powdered, lozenge, or capsule form. Common foods that have ginger as an ingredient include gingerbread, ginger cookies, ginger ale, and ginger snaps.

To chase the cold away this winter, simply add ½ a teaspoon of ginger powder into a mug of hot water and enjoy. You may add some sugar or honey if you wish. If you don’t have ground ginger, you may substitute it with a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger. You will be able to find ground or powdered ginger in the herbs and spices section of any grocery store.

Possible health benefits of ginger include relieving nausea, motion sickness, loss of appetite, and pain relief.

2. Honey
Honey is yet another healthy food that is warm in nature. Other than keeping you warm and comfortable, honey may have medicinal properties that could help ward off infections that are common in winter, such as the common cold and influenza.

Raw honey naturally carries a broad range of enzymes and nutrients, which may have medicinal uses. Some of the health benefits you may derive from honey, other than it keeping you warm and comfortable, may include protection from chronic illnesses such as heart disease, obesity, and digestive problems, among other benefits.

When buying honey, go for the unpasteurized kind, as too much processing is likely to destroy most of these beneficial enzymes and nutrients. To help keep warm, add a tablespoon or two of unpasteurized honey to a glass of warm water and enjoy. Avoid hot water as it may destroy the nutrients and enzymes we are trying to preserve. Also, avoid feeding raw honey to children who are less than a year old as their bodies may not be strong enough to handle the beneficial bacteria that come with raw honey.
3. Cinnamon
Cinnamon not only helps to generate and maintain heat in the body but may also boost your metabolism. Cinnamon, just like ginger and honey, may have some medicinal uses too. Some of these benefits may include help with weight loss, digestive issues, respiratory complications, and chronic wounds, among other benefits.

To garner cinnamon’s heat-generating benefits, simply add a ¼ to ½ a teaspoon of ground cinnamon to a glass of hot water, coffee, or tea, and enjoy. Go for Ceylon cinnamon as it is believed to be healthier than Cassia. Also, avoid overconsumption as extremely high doses of the spice may cause some side effects. If you are under any medication, it is wise to talk to your doctor first before incorporating cinnamon in your diet.

4. Saffron
Saffron can be very effective in generating and maintaining body heat during the cold season. However, despite its effectiveness, saffron tends to be on the more expensive side. This can be attributed to the labor that goes into its processing. It is said that a single pound of saffron is produced from about 75, 000 flower blossoms, all of which are harvested by hand.

To keep warm this cold season, you may add a pinch of saffron to a glass of warm milk, hot tea, or water. You may also add it in porridge or a warm smoothie.

The ingredients we have looked at are easily accessible in any store across the country, and most are easily affordable. With little preparation on your side, you and your family will be able to stay warm and healthy this winter.