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Elements: Air, Water
Is every part of your body warm and cozy? Imagine you are lying on a couch in front of a fire under your fluffiest down comforter while watching your favorite movie and sipping hot cocoa. If you're any colder than that, chances are a body part or two could use some nurturing. Don't wait until you are shivering and purple lipped; get warm and cozy right now. Make your winters like the dog days of summer!
Winter, High Heeled Shoes, & Aging
It takes work to keep your body warm. We all work hard to reduce drafts in our homes during the winter. Under-dressing for winter leaks your vital energy. Something as simple as toeless high heels could create a big 'draft' in the body, sapping your strength. A cold body temperature stresses your organs and leads to early aging. The best way to stay young is to keep your vitality intact.
Blood in Hibernation
Some people get cold feet even with two pairs of socks. When your body is cold, it constricts blood vessels and pulls blood into core. Even socks can't coax the blood out of hibernation. The solution to cold feet is warming your core and oiling your skin. Oiling your skin helps hold the heat in, as long as you wipe off all the excess before going outside. A pinch of turmeric keeps circulation strong.
Cold restricts all fluid motion, slowing the body's digestive juices and drying up sweat glands. Contact with a very cold temperature, such as ice cubes, constricts blood flow even to the point of numbness. Cold stiffens muscles, condenses, and compacts. Cold stimulates the nervous system. The cold weather in autumn stimulates fat storage and creates a protective layer of fat in the skin. Animals like polar bears are large to help them retain heat.
Effects of Cold Food & Drinks on Digestion
Since cold restricts circulation, drinking or eating cold foods such as ice cream or ice water effectively shuts down digestive function the moment we need it most. If your stomach is cold it will feel heavy. For this reason, cold foods are contraindicated for all three doshas.
When you eat cooling foods your eyes will feel refreshed, your forehead will feel cool, and your emotions will feel calm.
Kapha & Vata Cold
Kapha gets cold from slow metabolism. Vata cold comes from the core, deficiency, and exhaustion. When the core is deficient, even digestion gets cold. Vata people with cold digestion may forget to eat meals. Pitta is usually warm all year round!
Cold Blood Pressure
Cold causes a slow heartbeat and pale skin. Cold causes constriction of blood vessels, hampering circulation and causing obstruction and toxic buildup. Constricted vessels then lead to a rise in blood pressure. The kidneys compensate by filtering water from the blood which causes dryness, a process called cold diuresis in Western medicine. Cold also causes weakness and loss of coordination, shivering, goosebumps, and slurred speech.
Stuffy Noses & Common Colds
Viruses thrive in colder temperatures. Since breathing through the nose makes the sinuses cool, the body stuffs up the sinuses to keep them warm whenever it is threatened by infection or cold temperatures. Many diseases in Ayurveda are named after patterns, like the aforementioned example of the common cold.
Causes of Cold
Cold can be caused by improper clothing, insufficient food, climate, dryness, lack of fat tissue, lack of exercise, anemia, slow metabolism, blood stagnation, and drinking cold water.
Treatment of Cold
Nourishment, warm spices (like cloves and turmeric), ghee, extra layers of clothing, and exercise all help warm the body. Hot showers heat the skin but are insufficient to heat the core of the body. One of the best home remedies for cold is giving yourself a warm oil massage followed by a hot bath.
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