How to Warm up Feet and Hands Fast and Naturally

Poor circulation may make you feel the cold more than others, especially in your extremities. It can make you look pale and become prone to problems such as chilblains, low energy, sluggish digestion and constipation, particularly in winter. People with poor circulation may be born with it or it can be related to stress and tension, a sedentary lifestyle, a weak or aging heart, or hardening of the arteries. The obvious way to improve circulation is to exercise as it helps move the blood and strengthen the heart. If you are smoker, you should also be aware that smoking constricts the blood vessels and encourages plaque to form in your arteries, thereby slowing the circulation. However let’s look at another short term strategy which is far easier to implement this winter which you can start today.

Food and Drink

When it comes to food and drink, the best thing you can do is avoid anything cold. Lovely hot soups with plenty of warming ingredients such as garlic, onions and leeks liberally spiced with ginger, cayenne or mustard to stimulate the circulation will warm you to the very ends of your fingers and toes. A steaming cup of ginger tea will do just as well whether you drink it, or use it as a hot footbath for 10 minutes. Ingredients rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamin E, such as nuts and seeds, whole grains and green leafy vegetables relieve constriction in blood vessels and improve blood flow. Iron and vitamin C-rich foods like watercress, parsley, apricots, prunes and blackcurrants dilate the arteries and help prevent anaemia which can increase sensitivity to cold. Omega-3 essential fatty acids such as those found in some fish, evening primrose oil and linseed oil improve the circulation and help to prevent fatty deposits in the arteries.

Zanzibar Zinger Drink

This exotic blend of tangy grapefruit and medley of spices makes a wonderfully warming drink for a cold winter’s day. Grapefruit is rich in Vitamin C and bioflavonoids which dilate and strengthen the blood vessels and improve the circulation through them. Cloves, from the beautiful shores of Zanzibar (once the most important trade centre in East Africa), as well as cinnamon and nutmeg dilate the blood vessels and stimulate the heart and circulation.

• 300 ml grapefruit juice

• 3 cloves

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup

• nutmeg to taste

Place the grapefruit juice, cloves and cinnamon in a pan and heat. Keep the mixture almost at simmering point for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain. Stir in the honey and sprinkle with a dash of nutme