Well - it is Wintertime... And the weather outside is frightful. Whether ill or well we can get chilled and this is the time of year to find a solution. We can get the Chills - a sudden attack of feeling very cold. Or we can just be too cold. Symptomatically, this can be shivering, chattering of teeth and paleness, or just curled up under a blanket with cold fingers, cold toes and a very cold nose.
The Causes
Chills are most often due to poor cold tolerance, meaning one gets cold very easily and has difficulty getting warm and staying warm. This can be a sign of decreased health due to many conditions, including thyroid dysfunction, adrenal disorder, poor digestion, and chronic respiratory disorders. Chills are also one of the most common first signs of nutrient deficiencies, especially of the B vitamins. Chills are also frequently associated with a fever, especially one caused by an infection. All of these factors and their symptoms must be considered and addressed in order to effectively create long-term relief of chill symptoms. We can learn how to be warmer.
Natural Cures
A Dramatic Exercise to Reduce or Eliminate Chronic Chills: People who are easily chilled can have their circulatory and temperature regulatory mechanisms normalized by a slow progressive exposure to cold over a period of six months. In my mind, this is best begun during the summer months so as to be acclimated by wintertime. During this process, the individual should, on a daily basis, start the day in a warm bathroom standing feet only (moving the feet up and down as if marching on the spot) in cold water for 10-20 seconds. Week by week this increases to the point where, after a month, the individual is standing up to the mid-calf for a minute or so in cold water. At this point, they should end the process by sitting in the water (up to the waist) for ten seconds. Progressively, the person should reach a point where they can, after some months, lie in the bath for several minutes each morning. By this time, the circulatory and heat control mechanisms will be trained and hardened and chills will be a thing of the past. Somehow, steelhead fishing comes to mind. This is an effective method requiring will-power - lots of will-power.
Herbs: Teas of chamomile, boneset, ginger, pennyroyal, or yarrow can all help relieve chill symptoms. Adding cayenne pepper to foods can also help, because of cayenne's ability to boost circulation.
Homeopathy: Aconite is recommended for the sudden onset of chills. Other useful homeopathic remedies are Euphrasia, Nat mur., Arsen alb., Sulfur, andPulsatilla.
Nutritional Supplementation: The following nutrients can be helpful: vitamin B complex (two to three times daily with meals), vitamin C, niacin, vitamin B12, and mixed amino acids (two capsules, ten minutes before meals, three times daily). In cases of chills due to low thyroid function, thyroid glandulars are also recommended.
Alternative Professional Care
If your symptoms persist despite the above measures, seek the help of a qualified health professional. The following professional care therapies have all been shown to be useful for treating and relieving the symptoms of chills: Acupuncture (which I consider a cure for most everything physical, mental or spiritual), Applied Kinesiology, DetoxificationTherapy, Environmental Medicine, Hypnotherapy, and Naturopathic Medicine.
Common Sense When Still Cold Inside your Home.
Sometimes warmth is a matter of perception. Warm colors and textures make you feel warmer so change out your decor. Try a throw so you can snuggle under it.
Cover up your bare floors with a rug.
Stews, roasts, casseroles and soups are made for the cold weather because they cook at low temperatures for a long period of time and, of course, they warm you up going down.
Wrap your hands around a warm mug of tea, cocoa or coffee.
Open curtains and blinds during the day.
Switch to flannel sheets, a down comforter, use extra blankets.
Clean the house - the activity will get your blood pumping.
It sounds silly but wearing a hat (and socks) to bed at night, even if the rest of you is clad in skimpy clothing, will keep you warm.
Use a humidifier. Humid air feels warmer. No humidifier? Open the bathroom door while you're showering.
We've heard that, since heat rises, running your ceiling fan in reverse will push the warm air back down to the ground.
Nothing warms you up like clothing straight from the dryer.
Snuggle up with your friends, or your significant other.
Try a hot water bottle or, before you get into bed, running a hot pan over your sheets. Bags of rice or dried beans, warmed in the microwave, are another option.
Bundle up to stay warm:
· Wearing several thin layers of clothes will help you stay warm in cold weather. The warmth from your body will get trapped in the air pockets between the layers. Long underwear is particularly good for helping you stay warm and dry.
· Keep a throw blanket handy to cover your feet or shoulders, or use a fleece shawl across your lap or around your shoulders to help you stay warm. Fleece blankets and throws are particularly useful, because they are incredibly warm but lightweight and less bulky than most other fabrics.
· Wearing fleece slippers around the house can help keep your feet warm. Look for non-skid bottoms because they prevent slipping and possible falls.
· Heat from external sources can be helpful. If you use a heating pad for warmth, limit the length of time it's close to the skin to avoid a burn and always turn it off if you are sleepy. Some heating pads come with safety shut-off switches, which will turn off automatically after a set period of time. There are also wraps or pads that you can heat in the microwave. They provide temporary warmth and you don't need to remember to turn them off.
Stay warm by plugging up drafty windows and doors with inexpensive insulation and draft stoppers: Stopping drafts will not only keep your energy costs lower but will also help you stay warm and healthy. Exposure to drafts can lower your resistance to all viruses and make you feel stiff, uncomfortable and run-down. So plug up those drafts, bundle up, and increase your chances of staying well.
· If you have older windows, they might not keep the heat in very well. Plastic sheeting can be affixed over the whole window to provide a layer of insulation without blocking the light. The plastic helps you stay warm by stopping drafts as well as the cold that just seeps through the window pane itself. I just read an article about using bubble wrap to cover windows - what a great idea. Affix with water on the widow - flat side to the window.
· If you can see daylight through the edges of your doors that means they leak. You can't cover doors with plastic sheeting, but a storm door will probably pay for itself within a few heating seasons. There are also inexpensive insulation kits for doors that have foam, magnets or fleece to seal the edges, and weather- stripping to put along the bottom.
· Draft stoppers for the base of doors and windows can be found in colorful and playful designs. You can also make your own. Sew a fabric tube and fill it loosely with dried beans or popcorn kernels. Want to recycle? Cut the sleeve off an old shirt or fill pantyhose you aren't using anymore.
· If you have double hung windows, check each one to ensure it is fully closed on both the top and bottom. They sometimes slide down a little bit during the warmer months and will cause a draft if not closed properly.
How to deal with drafts you can't stop:
· Try rearranging your furniture to stay warm. If you feel a breeze on you while you sit in your favorite chair, consider rearranging the room to avoid drafts in the locations where you sit regularly.
· Ceramic space heaters are very cost-effective for heating a small area and cost much less to run than trying to heat your entire home. For safety from accidents, make sure that your heater has a timer on it or remember to unplug it when you leave the room.
· Most of us use our ceiling fans only in summer, but try using the ceiling fan when the weather is cold too. Most styles have a reverse switch on them that will push down the warmer air that collects at the ceiling to help you stay warm.
Common Sense When Outside in the Cold
Before thinking about the clothes, realize that food supplies heat to the body; the clothes provide protection so that it isn't wasted. Make sure you eat a good meal before spending an extended amount of time outdoors in winter.
Several light, comfortably fitted layers are preferable to a single heavy layer. Generally an outer, mid, and under layer suffices.
Under layer. Two-ply long johns and undershirts, (cotton on the inside for comfort, wool on the outside for warmth, are warmer than thermal-knit underwear. Two pairs of socks-a thin pair of cotton socks beneath a heavier wool pair-are warmer and more comfortable than a single thick pair.
Mid layer. For warmth and ventilation, wear a tightly woven wool shirt that opens down the front and a quilted jacket over it that also opens in the front. Pants should be of tightly woven wool, cuff-less, with plenty of room in the seat and legs, and flaps over the pockets to help keep snow out. For added ventilation use suspenders rather than a belt. A woolen stocking hat or mask-like hat will greatly reduce loss of heat from the head.
Outer layer. The main job of the outermost layer is to protect against wind, rain and snow. A parka that covers the hips and has a hood with a full-length zipper is best. If you're planning on going above the timberline or along windswept ridges, you'll need a windproof face mask. Down pants, mittens and booties are fine around camp, but are too warm for the trail. Two-piece mittens-a wool liner and a nylon outer shell with a leather palm-are better than gloves.
A good pair of boots is essential. Double boots-a felt inner liner and high-top outer boot-are warm and comfortable, but very expensive. A rugged mountaineering boot has many of the benefits of the double boot at a lower cost. Foam-insulated rubber boots will keep your feet warm, but will also make them perspire.
While down provides maximum warmth at minimum weight, wool has the important advantage of retaining its warmth even when wet.
Well - that about covers it. Literally. Whether inside or outside, there are ways to stay warm and keep warm. When all else fails - exercise.
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