Break the curse of cold feet
How often have you been told to keep your feet warm or you’ll catch a cold? Or, on the contrary, that you can’t catch a cold by getting cold. So which advice is based on fact and which is folklore?
According to a study carried out in 2005, having cold feet can undermine your natural defences to colds and flu. Getting cold lowers the white blood cells of your immune system, opening the door to viruses. The study proved that people are almost 30% more likely to come down with the flu when their feet are cold for just 20 minutes during flu season.
With this in mind, we’ve come up with some top tips for keeping feet warm and toasty this winter.
Get moving!
Try to get some regular exercise. A brisk walk every day helps blood circulate around your body which, in turn, helps to warm up your feet.
Massage your feet
Massage some foot cream or lotion into your feet. Again, this will help your circulation and make your feet feel warmer.
Watch what you eat
Vitamin K is important as it helps to strengthen the muscles in the heart as well as the blood capillaries. It also improves circulation around your body. Ginger, fish, parsley, spring onions, apricots and celery are all good sources of Vitamin K.
Drink enough water
Did you know that if you are dehydrated your hands and feet get colder? This is because dry skin fails to maintain a good moisture balance and doesn’t retain heat as efficiently.
Make sure your shoes aren’t too tight
The circulatory system is the body’s own unique heating system and the blood pumped around your body provides a form of heat maintenance. If you are wearing shoes that are too tight this can cut off circulation to your feet and leave them feeling cold.
Wear natural socks
Natural wool and cotton socks have more textured fibres and are less tightly bound so they hold more warm air around your feet.