When the cold gives energy

Stick your nose out into the street and feel the frost sting. Listen to the snow crunch under your feet. Admire the openwork hoarfrost, snowdrifts and spruce branches burdened with snow … But let’s not pretend: not every one of us is delighted with winter. And this is not only a matter of taste – not all of us feel good with the advent of cold weather. There are many explanations for this. So, according to naturopathic doctors, a lot depends on the type of our physique and personality type. One type can be attributed to people who are strongly built, obvious extroverts. Full of strength and energy, they often prefer frost rather than heat. The other type – people are rather lean, prone to introversion, more prone to stress. They are more likely to feel chilly and can hardly endure cold days. Of course, in its pure form, such types are rare: most of us, to one degree or another, combine the features of both. It is only important to understand which of them prevails and how we personally can use the properties of cold to our advantage.

Some like it colder

“With the advent of autumn, I come to life,” admits 46-year-old Lyudmila. – And in the summer heat I feel terrible, I can neither pack up nor really relax. The cold does not discourage me, but on the contrary, invigorates: the blood runs faster through the veins, even thoughts become clearer. Weather lovers can often boast of what we call an “active lifestyle.” “Winter adds vigor to me, because nature itself seems to challenge us,” Ludmila reflects. – It’s just nice to get out of the apartment, overcoming drowsiness and laziness! At this time of the year, my friends and I go skiing to the forest every weekend. From the frosty air all the senses are aggravated. It seems to me that I see better, I feel deeper, in general, I really live. And of course, the cold provides a great opportunity to feel in contrast all the beauty of warmth and comfort: “When I return home, I pour myself a mug of thick hot cocoa and, wrapped in a blanket, I sit on the sofa with my favorite book. I would not exchange such pleasure for any beaches in the world!”

Read more:

• Aromatherapy in winter

Contrary to stereotypes

But what if all this is not about us? If, with the advent of inclement weather, a series of colds begins, your mood drops and you want, without getting out of the house, to plunge into hibernation in order to wait for spring? Well, then, most likely, we belong to a number of people of a different type. But this does not mean that we should cross out the winter months from life. It is better to dress warmly, but you should not sit locked up all day – it would be a shame to deprive yourself of the gifts that winter has prepared for us. After all, the cold season is part of our familiar climate, to which we have adapted since childhood. “Seasonal changes in air temperature are necessary in the same way as the change of day and night, because our body obeys the periodic weather changes that are characteristic of our place of residence,” recalls Ekaterina Yanovskaya, meteorologist at the Weather and Man laboratory at the Russian State Hydrometeorological University. “Both yogis and Tibetan doctors have always considered the change of seasons necessary to strengthen strength, health and longevity,” agrees nutritionist Anna Rozova, a specialist in natural and Tibetan medicine. “In winter, it’s more useful for us to stay in our native snowy land than to leave “from winter to summer” to warm seas.”

The change of seasons trains our immunity and adaptability. Frost acts as a mild stress, but it is beneficial for the body, as it stimulates its vital functions, especially the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. By the way, doctors know: the greatest number of influenza and ARVI cases occurs during a thaw, at a temperature of about 0 ° C, but their number decreases when real frosts hit. The fact is that at temperatures below 0 ° C, the activity of viruses and bacteria decreases. “Cold neutralizes many allergens,” says Matluba Gaffarova, an otorhinolaryngologist and allergist at the MedikCity clinic. – So, dust mites (one of the main household allergens) die already at temperatures below +10 °C. Therefore, it is useful to hang bedding and clothes in the cold, and put children’s soft toys in the freezer at night.

Freeze … to health

“A huge number of cold receptors are located on the human skin, irritation of which through the nervous system affects the entire body,” explains Larisa Nikolaeva, a therapist at the MedikCity clinic. “First of all, cold improves the process of thermoregulation – maintaining a balance between the external environment and the body.” This is what hardening is based on. If you approach it wisely, without fanaticism, then it gives a lot of useful effects. “Vessels and capillaries are strengthened, arrhythmia decreases and heart rate becomes less frequent, pulmonary ventilation, metabolism, blood composition (production of erythrocytes and leukocytes), the state of the immune system improve, muscle strength increases, the efficiency of nerve cells increases, the excretory function of the body increases”, – continues Larisa Nikolaeva. Due to its vasoconstrictive effect, cold increases the rate of blood and lymph circulation. This is especially good for the legs: after hardening with cold, it becomes easier for them to endure the constant heating coming from the “warm floor” system or summer asphalt, from which they swell. In addition, the cold encourages our body to burn calories. If you do not strive to compensate for them in excess, then both the frost on the street and hardening procedures will help us maintain harmony.

Read more:

• New Year and depression: where is the connection?

caring cold

Frost will not harm the skin either, if you take care of it competently, using a nourishing and moisturizing cream. However, “moisturizing the skin before leaving the house is possible only at a temperature outside the window of at least -5 ° C,” notes Tamara Korchevaya, cosmetologist, director of the Danae Center for Medical Cosmetology. “In more severe frosts, it is better to use daytime protective creams” (see also on this page). Frost blushes our cheeks, tightens pores and even gives a slight tightening effect. It is not surprising that modern cosmetology uses different types of exposure to cold. The goal is to create a thermal shock, that is, a strong decrease in temperature for a minimum time. This guarantees the desired cosmetic effect: narrowing and then dilation of blood vessels gives a powerful impetus to skin circulation and improves complexion. “For example, many people are familiar with cryomassage with liquid nitrogen, which improves peripheral blood supply, awakens dormant capillaries,” says Tamara Korchevaya. – All metabolic processes are accelerated, and the necessary vitamins, amino acids and trace elements enter the skin. Tired, flabby, pale skin seems to wake up and begin to breathe. In addition, there are many reflex zones on the face: by doing cryomassage, we affect the entire body as a whole. Such vascular gymnastics is useful for both young and mature skin.

Time relax

For our ancestors, winter was a time of rest: it was experienced together with nature, like plants and animals. So, according to the ancient Chinese medical treatise Huang Di Nei Jing, the task of winter is understanding and peace, and therefore it was recommended to go to bed early and get up after sunrise. And although we have not been able to afford such a natural rhythm for a long time, it still makes sense to “slow down” a little for this period. According to Tibetan doctors, winter is the best time to accumulate strength, which can bring benefits and pleasure to people of any warehouse. A time of spiritual clarity and unhurried walks – especially if the sun peeps through the clouds. The most important thing is not to overcool. “It is important that our winter clothing allows you to keep your legs, lower back, ears, respiratory organs and ears warm,” emphasizes Anna Rozova. Traditional Chinese medicine also advises to take special care of the lower back, believing that it is at its level that the reserves of our vital energy are located. And to protect yourself from the winter blues, eat more grains and germinated seeds (alfalfa, lentils, soybeans). They contain the substances necessary for the body, which will best help us meet the invigorating winter cold.

Does the weather affect us?

Although the first observations about the influence of weather on human health were made in Antiquity, only relatively recently has the science of biometeorology appeared, which studies the interaction between atmospheric phenomena and living beings – people, animals and plants. “Our research has shown that an urban dweller is, on average, three times more sensitive to weather changes than a rural dweller,” says meteorologist Ekaterina Yanovskaya. – In frosty weather, the condition of the cores improves, in patients with hypertension, blood pressure may decrease. But more often with the advent of cold weather, chronic diseases of the joints become aggravated. It is known that in winter, as a rule, remission of mental ailments and diseases of the nervous system occurs. As for the headache, it happens in different ways – depending on its causes. “Normal headaches (associated with osteochondrosis, overexertion) can intensify in winter,” explains Maxim Gudel, a neurologist and acupuncturist. – Specialists distinguish even “cold” headaches. But from experience I can say that in the winter months there are fewer patients with complaints of insomnia. The main thing is to sleep in a cool, ventilated room.