OOOOOh baby is it cold outside. Here in northern Virginia, we have already had our first snow. Brrrrrr. I’m a southern California girl and as much as my soul belongs on the east coast, my body has a hard time adjusting to the frigid temperatures of winter.

Warming up has been particularly difficult this year.  My body just doesn’t regulate my temperature like it used to.  Even in November, when the temperatures were in the forties, I was frigid.  No matter how many layers I wore, I couldn’t warm up. 

Tuning into my Body’s Signals

When my Smart Wool socks weren’t doing the trick, I knew something was awry with my body. Over the last year, I have tuned into the signals my body was transmitting and I knew by body was asking for something. So I went searching for some new tools for my Radical Self Care toolbox.

This time I indulged my long standing fascination with Ayurveda, a system of traditional medicine from India, that is practiced as a complementary and alternative medicine elsewhere. Ayurveda embraces the concept of hot and cold both in the food we eat and within the body. We are not talking Fahrenheit or Celsius, but the heat or cold producing qualities of the food we eat and the temperature of our personalities and our general constitution. Employing some of the dietary and lifestyle recommendations of Ayurveda, I was able to respond to my body's signals and warm up. Now winter is a joy.

Heat Up Your Diet

The first step in owning my body's signal was to address my diet. If you have reat my previous posts, you know I have a super healthy diet. But I found that I needed to make a few tweaks to get through winter. If you are having trouble getting warm this winter, try some of these easy changes.

• Cut back on raw foods. I love my green juices so this was tough. But eating an abundance of raw foods make us cold, which is why we crave them in summer. If you live in a climate warm all year, you might not have to do this. But in places with seasons, your body may crave warmth during the winter. An abundance of raw foods can be counterproductive in winter.
• Cinnamon. I add it to just about everything – sweet potato, toast, oatmeal, and fruit. It’s easy to use and taste great. I even add a chunk to my brewing tea.
• Ginger. A tasty treat. Whether crystallized, brewed as a tea or added to your soups and other dishes, ginger will warm you.
• Turmeric. It has an earthy taste, but is easy to use. Add turmeric to your sautéed vegetables, grains or soups for a warming kick.
• Start the day with soup. When I was freezing, my inclination each morning was to eat oatmeal. Lot’s of it.  But it didn’t really seem to help. As odd as it may sound, I tried having soup for breakfast. Nothing fancy or complicated, just a simple light broth (chicken or vegetable) with vegetables and maybe some leftover rice or quinoa. I would add some turmeric and other warming spice. Soup turned out to be much more warming than oatmeal.

I saw immediate results from these simple dietary changes. But there were a few more things that can help you stay warm this winter and own your body's demands for warmth.

Pamper Your Body

• Scarves. I make sure I am wearing a scarf every time I go outside. This helps warm the air coming into your body before it hits your lungs. Also, try a bright color to brighten your spirits if you live in a dreary winter landscape.
• Hot towel scrub. For greatest benefit, try this twice a day – morning and night. Fill your sink with hot water. Take a washcloth and dip it into the water. Wring it out. While the washcloth is still steamy, scrub the skin gently. Scrub until each part is warm, rewet the cloth and then move onto the next part. Do this all over your body. It feels great, improves circulation, opens your pours and warms you up.
• Dirga or three-part breathe. Sit in a relaxed position with your back supported. Start by breathing into your belly for a few breaths. Next inhale into your belly, then inhale more air into your rib cage; exhale slowly. Repeat 2-3 times. Next breathe into your belly, then inhale more into your rib cage, then inhale more into your upper chest; take a long slow exhale. Repeat this final sequence 5 to 8 times. 
• Epsom salt baths. Baths are always great for warming you up. But adding Epsom salts helps your body eliminate toxins through your skin. Toxins can interrupt your body’s functioning and thus its ability to regulate your temperature. Don’t have a bath tub? Fill a pan with warm water and Epsom salts and soak your feet.
• Warm oil massage. Another great technique is to warm up some sesame or grape seed oil and give your self a warm oil massage before showering. Use long strokes on your limbs, circular strokes on your joints. You get the added benefit of soft skin.

Owning Your Body’s Signal

Regardless of what technique you might try, owning your body's signals is a daily practice. Effective radical self-care only results when we listen to our body’s signals and give it what it needs. It sounds simple, but it can be a challenge. Our bodies can be like a newborn. We can’t distinguish the “I’m hungry” cry from the “I’m wet” cry from the “I’m teething” cry. Part of loving and owning your body is listening to your body’s signals and learning to translate. It takes practice and lot’s of trial and error. You might have to eat a lot of oatmeal before your realize your body really needs soup.

What is your body telling you? Have you tried any of these Ayurvedic methods to warm up? What worked? What didn’t? Do you have other suggestions to share? What have you learned from owning your body's signals?