Heißmacher: That's how we warm ourselves from the inside

Frosty fingers and toes, even a cold tip of the nose - and not during the winter walk, but in the office at the desk. Many women shiver all through the cold season. Does it have to be that way? Is not there something that warms up permanently? But. Even if it seems banal at first, but one of our grandmother's advice is still a hot soup. "That's just the thing," says Dr. Petra Bartsch, Doctor of Nutrition and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in a family practice in Lübeck.

Whether tasty vegetable or hearty goulash soup - a plate with steaming stew is a good relief. But people who freeze easily should change their diet a bit in winter. The best way to do it completely is to do without cold and raw. Steamed vegetables and warm, well-cooked dishes are more effective than salads and raw vegetables. And instead of fresh fruit, a compote provides warmth.

This is not just about the short-term temperature surge on the tongue. In order to process cold and raw, the body uses a lot of energy, which it needs for its own heat balance. Experts also know that certain foods are more likely to warm the stomach and soul than others. "Tomatoes and cucumbers are very refreshing, as are kiwis and other exotic fruits," says TCM specialist Petra Bartsch.

Fortunately, there are also foods that have a warming effect, such as lamb and venison, nuts and seasonal fruits and vegetables such as apples, parsnips, fennel, white and Brussels sprouts. Also important are spices such as ginger, garlic, coriander, turmeric, basil and anise. In addition, the winter kitchen can tolerate a certain sharpness well: With an extraprise black pepper or a touch of chilli you can heat yourself up well. On the other hand, too much salt cools down.

Shivering people start the day with a warm meal in the morning. "A cereal porridge with dried apricots or raisins and spices such as clove, vanilla and cinnamon is a good basis for the day," says dr. Gerd Bigus, physician and Ayurvedic doctor of the Parkschlösschen Ayurveda clinic in Traben-Trarbach. For this you should not drink peppermint tea. Even when it is hot, the contained mint is cooling; he is therefore popular in the desert regions as a refreshment. Spiced teas, for example with cinnamon and cardamom, are better stokers.

Only short-term warming effect has mulled wine. The alcohol greatly increases the blood flow to the skin. But as the "red cheeks" give off a lot of heat, you then freeze even more. Better a spiced punch heats without alcohol.

Cold drinks should be avoided by shivering people in the winter as completely as possible, even when eating. The drink of choice is hot water. "This has a warming and harmonizing effect," says Gerd Bigus. For an extra heat boost, he recommends ginger tea. For the Ayurvedic doctor, the amount of drink is very important: "Only those who drink enough have a balanced fluid balance, which has a positive effect on blood pressure and metabolism."

In activating the metabolism, Bigus holds the key to inner warmth. "An important element of this is regular exercise and a well-trained musculature: both together provide for more blood circulation, an active metabolism and thus an effective heat production." The general practitioner Petra Bartsch agrees with this: "Clinical studies show that regular exercise permanently provides more inner warmth, so anyone sitting shivering at the desk should take a quick walk, even if it's only a quarter of an hour."