Taking the Chill Off

I know it's spring, and summer is just around the corner, but we've had some pretty cold & snowy spring days. It's got me thinking again of how I stay raw & don't crave hot food in the cold winter (& spring?) months.

I didn't make up a plan, or read a book, or ask someone what to do. These are just things I naturally do, and they work for me:

1) I eat more fat - nuts, olive oil, etc. - when it's cold.

It seems counter-intuitive that eating refrigerated or frozen pies & ice creams would help a person keep warm in the winter, but it works.

2) I eat more.

When we're cold, we burn more calories to warm up. I add seed cheese & avocado to my salads, add more oil to my dressings, eat more raw desserts, etc.

3) I eat dehydrated food.

4) I eat salty foods.

5) I eat spring mix salads with heavy dressings and avocado.

In summer, I might go for something like romaine with cucumbers, alfalfa sprouts, tomato, etc., and the dressings might be lighter, but those things are too cold/watery for me in cold weather.

6) I juice my veggies.

It makes me cold to chow down on watery geens & veggies, but I can quickly drink the juice from the veggies and then move onto something else.

7) I wash my veggies in warm water or leave them out of the fridge so they're not so cold when I eat them.

8) I use spices like cayenne & ginger.

9) I eat dried fruit.

I think I figured out why, when I learned that the treatment for hypothermia includes giving the person a "sugary drink". Fast-acting carbohydrates help the body get warm.

10) I warm fridge leftovers in the dehydrator before eating them.

11) I don't look to the temperature of my food to warm me up.

I exercise, take hot baths, put on warmer clothes, etc.