In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. The word diet often implies the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management reasons (with the two often being related). Although humans are omnivores, each culture and each person holds some food preferences or some food taboos. This may be due to personal tastes or ethical reasons. Individual dietary choices may be more or less healthy. Complete nutrition requires ingestion and absorption of vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids from protein and essential fatty acids from fat-containing food, also food energy in the form of carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Dietary habits and choices play a significant role in the quality of life, health and longevity.

During the cold season, it is not just about how well you cover yourself with layers of woolen clothes, but also what you consume that can help you stay warm. There are certain foods, spices and drinks that you can include in your diet, which can generate heat in the body naturally. These foods and dietary additions are particularly useful for those who don’t cope with low temperatures very well, or those who may have low immunity. Such people perpetually need to accumulate body heat from external sources, but these may prove to be ineffective in low temperatures. As the mercury dips in a number of parts around the world, it is important for people to take some dietary measures to ensure that body stays warm from inside.

Here are some diet tips to stay warm naturally during winters:
1. Snack On Dried Fruits
Figs, or anjeer, is a great example of dried fruits that can help you stay warm during winters. Another excellent dried fruit to consume during winters is date (or khajoor), which is commonly consumed in India, by adding it to warm milk. Figs and dates are rich in calcium and iron and are both warming in nature. They also boost body energy.

2. Cook In Ghee
The Ayurvedic wonder ghee is a winter essential that can be used to keep warm naturally. Ghee is rich in unsaturated fat, which is responsible for keeping the body warm and also supplying it with energy, dispelling the sluggishness that is brought on by winters.

 

3. Eat More Root Vegetables
Some of the most warming root vegetables include carrots, radish, potatoes, onions and garlic. These veggies are digested slower in the body, which generates more heat. Include more of these vegetables in your winter diet to stay warm. Some of these vegetables are seasonal and fresh, and hence, are even healthier for the body.

4. Add Honey To Your Salads And Beverages
Swap processed sugar with honey as a sweetener for your winter beverages. Honey is naturally warm in nature can even be added to hot salads as a salad dressing. However, diabetics may want to exercise caution while using honey during winters.

5. Add Warming Spices To Your Food
Add spices like cloves, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, etc. to your food for extra flavour and warmth. These spices can be added to curries, teas and coffees and essentially to any wintery hot beverage.

So, apart from keeping your extremities (hands, head and toes) covered during winters, you may want to follow the above-mentioned diet tips to keep warm naturally during winters.

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Source: food.ndtv.com, wikipedia