A person is quite capable of withstanding winter frosts. The trouble is that few people think of preparing themselves for the winter on purpose. But in vain! Training vessels before the cold will help to adequately survive the cold. Moreover, if you do not constantly freeze, then a prolonged winter depression is not terrible for you.
Much depends on the psychological mood and on the physiological readiness of the body for winter. I WANT recommends a few simple tricks that will help the body reconfigure and distract the psyche from dull winter thoughts. And, if that doesn’t help, then we’ll go to the market and warm ourselves with thermal underwear and knitted mittens!
Difficult start of winter
December is traditionally the most difficult winter month for the body. The day continues to shorten, the weather is like a swing - sometimes colder, sometimes warmer, and each of us does not lose hope, and maybe autumn will return at least for a couple of days. Someone, on the contrary, longs for clarity, so that snow has already fallen and established, albeit wintery, but balance. From this instability of the weather and sensations, as well as from the need to sum up the results of the year, first of all, the psyche suffers. It is very important to switch to something not related to winter. Plan your surprise events for December. It can be trips to unfamiliar cities (yes, what is there, at least - a trip to a new restaurant, club or SPA-salon), or new hobbies.
Be sure to review your diet. Poor stress tolerance and depressed mood may be due to bile stasis. It is not bad to arrange a two-week course of "gall bladder support". Drink choleretic herbs, switch to lighter food, without fried, smoked and fatty foods. Remember that with anemia, the body freezes much more. So you should also take care of the presence in the menu of foods rich in iron, such as: dried fruits, buckwheat, oats, egg yolk, liver, red meat.
Hands and feet - warm
The need to ensure that the feet and hands always remain warm, among other things, is explained by the relationship between the temperature of the extremities and the temperature of the mucosa. With cold feet or hands, the temperature of the throat drops by 2.5 degrees, which is fraught with colds.
To improve the overall thermoregulation of the body and develop a habit of cold, physiologists recommend resorting to cool baths. The first bath is filled with 37-degree water. Take it for 20 minutes. Every day the temperature of the water is lowered by one degree. The course is five weeks long. Baths are taken with two-day breaks.
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But for the arms and legs, on the contrary, warming mustard baths are shown. Mustard powder is added to hot water (2 tablespoons for every three liters) and limbs are kept in it for 10-20 minutes, periodically adding hot water. After the procedure, it’s good to rub your feet with a coarse woolen cloth (by the way, this procedure is highly desirable to do every morning), and massage your fingers well. Self-massage begins with the left hand. First, walk along the side surfaces of each finger with point pressure, then carefully rub the extreme phalanges at the nail plate. The procedure will take only 3-5 minutes, and it will benefit the whole body, because there are many bioactive points on our palms.
Choosing winter "ammunition"
Warm coats and sweaters are much easier to pick up with accessories such as gloves and hats. After all, a warm T-shirt can always be hidden under a sweater, and a woolen dress under a fur coat. While mittens and gloves have to deal with the cold one on one. And the right choice depends on how warm you will remember this winter. Have you ever wondered why people respond differently to the same winter? Someone thinks that she was unbearably cold, and someone is surprised because they think quite the opposite. Maybe it's all about what was worn on the hands and ears?
Light leather gloves, of course, are stylish and beautiful, but they do not keep the warmth of the palms for very long. Tatiana sells hats, scarves, socks, mittens and gloves at the market. In order not to freeze, she often tries on her products, and this is what she noticed: leather gloves are warm only when the street temperature is above zero. With a minus, after 7-10 minutes, the palms begin to freeze. Leather gloves with a knitted lining are a little better, but they are only suitable for good weather. You can keep warm only in high-quality mittens, so I WANT to recommend choosing them.
The cost of goods ranges from 60 UAH for simple knitted gloves to several thousand UAH. for long lined leather gloves. On average, high-quality kid gloves lined with plush (wool plus viscose) can be purchased for 400 - 500 UAH. Almost the same price - from 350 UAH. - Fleece mittens will cost. But knitted can be bought half the price. For example, knitted from a double layer of merino wool will cost about 200 UAH. For the brand, you will have to throw a few hundred more, but you won’t have to be embarrassed by the fact that you have mittens on your hands instead of gloves.
Thermal underwear deserves special attention. If you lead an active lifestyle, like outdoor walks and winter sports, it's time to get acquainted with the range. Thermal underwear allows you to keep warm, while not putting on ten different clothes. That is, you can dress in such a way as to simultaneously maintain mobility and not freeze. You will have to pay relatively little for this. A set of women's thermal underwear, including leggings and a long-sleeved T-shirt, will cost from 450 to 600 UAH. Interestingly, leggings or a T-shirt cost almost the same price, so it’s more profitable to buy “wholesale”, in any case.
A separate series on the market are waterproof socks, gloves and hats. A special technology (water-repellent things are made from acrylic yarn and micro-fibers of wool for insulation) allows for free access of air to the skin and limits the penetration of moisture. A cap that does not allow moisture to pass through will creak funny under your fingers and while moving, so before you lay out 215 UAH. for the purchase, consider this feature. The rustling of socks is not so noticeable, and they will cost approximately the same price, from 200 to 300 UAH. But remember that after the onset of frosts above -15 degrees, the heat-saving properties of socks drop significantly. Gloves will cost approximately 300 UAH. and will be indispensable for those who like to play snowballs or make a snowman. In addition, this is a wonderful gift for a beloved man, especially if he likes to get out on winter fishing or hunting.
The best way to keep warm is to eat a large pork chop or a piece of oily fish.
Not only warm clothing can save you from frost, but also proper nutrition. After all, having breakfast with oatmeal, you can freeze right on the way to work. So what should you eat to keep warm?
There are two sources of heat in the body - muscles and liver. When a person is actively moving, the muscles extract the stored energy from the digested carbohydrates and heat the body. And the liver "warms" the body when it begins to absorb proteins. However, carbohydrates accelerate metabolic processes in the body by only 3-4%, fats - by 6-7%. But proteins are broken down for a long time and difficult, and 40% of the energy stored in them is dissipated throughout the body in the form of heat. Therefore, the best way to keep warm is to eat a large pork chop or a piece of oily fish.
To help the body, you need to use spices: add ginger and pepper (and more) to meat, cinnamon and cloves to fish. It will turn out the perfect food for "heating". Proteins will give heat, and spices will not only enhance digestive and metabolic processes, but also activate blood circulation, which means that heat will spread throughout the body.
Herbalists believe that breakfast on a winter morning should be hearty and include meat. If you habitually eat oatmeal, you can freeze already on the way to work. Since beef is digested for 7-8 hours, pork - about 9, the body is warmly provided until the middle of the day. If for lunch you eat, for example, fatty fish, then you can not be afraid of the cold until you return home. But dinner should be light and consist of fermented milk products or stewed vegetables - at night the body will warm up under the covers.
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Ecology of consumption. Manor: It turns out that in some countries of Europe and Asia there is simply no central heating, but local residents do not freeze there at all in winter.
It turns out that in some countries of Europe and Asia there is simply no central heating, but the locals do not freeze there at all in winter.
Great Britain
Every Briton is heated "alone". There is simply no such thing as central heating in this country. Boilers are installed in houses and apartments - individual gas water heaters that heat water and batteries. Depending on the desire and capabilities of the owner, you can either freeze, saving on heating, or heat with might and main, heating the batteries.
As a rule, there are no batteries in toilets and bathrooms - in winter the temperature in them does not rise above 10 degrees. There will be no heating in the bedroom either - the British usually sleep in pajamas under a warm blanket. Burning all night is expensive. A timer is set on the boiler, each hour is divided into 4 divisions of 15 minutes. You set the alarm for 7 in the morning, and you program the boiler for 6:45 to wake up warm; at 8:30 you go to work - the boiler is programmed to turn off.
Heating in Britain is only a few hours a day, very economical and incredibly environmentally friendly. British physiologists have compiled a table-instruction: above 21 degrees - the temperature of discomfort, above 24 - the temperature, which increases the risk of heart attacks. The lower threshold of comfort is 18 degrees. From 16 to 18 - the temperature is normal, the risks are low, and this temperature is maintained in the winter in five million households in Britain. Electricity and gas companies (this is a competitive market, and you can choose who to buy heat from, much like you choose which gas station to fill up your car at), give a list of tips on how to stay warm in winter. And one of them is to get a cat. Because the cat is warm and does not consume electricity.
Poor residents of the United Kingdom are also somehow adapting and getting out. Some go to warm up in local libraries, where it is warm, cozy and the Internet is free.
The population is given advice on saving. For example, it is not recommended to run the washing machine "idle" - you have to wait until the tank is filled with dirty laundry to the eyeballs. It is advised to wash in cold water: it is more beneficial for linen than hot water. Turn off the computer when it is idle without work. Don't leave your cell phone on charge all night. Use energy saving light bulbs. Take a short shower instead of a long bath.
Japan
The central heating system is only in Hokkaido prefecture - the coldest part of the country. The rest of the population of Japan heats themselves on their own.
Most modern houses in Japan are heated with electric air conditioners (winter/summer) and heaters of various types: electric, oil, kerosene or gas. In the cold season, the Japanese wear warm light pajamas (the material of which includes special fibers that retain heat very well) or use electric blankets over ordinary blankets.
Electric carpets are very popular in Japan. Such a carpet resembles an electric blanket. The user can adjust the heating temperature. You can heat only part of the carpet, where, for example, you are sitting.
Another attribute of Japanese culture that is traditionally used for heating is kotatsu. It is in every Japanese home. A modern kotatsu is a table with a heating element installed under the lid. Kotatsu also existed in ancient Japan, although in those days it was called and looked somewhat different.
Traditionally, the whole family gathers around the kotatsu not only for dinner, but also for conversations, joint board games, and watching TV. Kotatsu unites the whole family from young to old, emphasizes family unity and warmth of relationships. Gathered under a common blanket, children literally learn to "not drag the blanket over themselves."
By the way, there is no heating in Japanese schools. In recreational areas there are local heating points where children can warm their hands during breaks.
Germany
In Germany, too, there is no central heating in the form in which we are accustomed to it. Here everyone warms himself. In private houses - their own boiler rooms, in apartment buildings - separate gas equipment that heats water for batteries. How much gas burned - so much and paid.
All batteries have valves with thermostats, they regulate the temperature in the room. In the living room, where the family spends a lot of time, the heating is turned on harder, and in the toilet - at the very minimum. There are even special recommendations for the temperature regime of the premises. For the hall, 20 degrees of heat is enough, for the bathroom - up to 22 degrees, in the bedrooms you need 16-18 degrees of heat. In little-used rooms (toilets, pantries, etc.), the air temperature should be 14-16 degrees Celsius.
“If circumstances permit (lack of small children), keep the temperature lower. By reducing the room temperature by 1 degree, you save up to 6% of thermal energy. Reducing the temperature from 24 to 20 degrees will provide up to 24% heat savings,” the recommendations say.
At night, the Germans often use electric sheets - a heating pad for the whole body. It turns on and off automatically.
German homeowners are increasingly willing to use biomass, firewood, wood waste pellets, heat pumps and solar panels to heat individual homes. The state supports this trend legislatively and financially. Recently, a law came into force in Germany, according to which new buildings put into operation are required to receive part of the energy they consume from renewable sources. Thanks to various government programs, homeowners who have switched to environmental fuels are compensated up to 15% of the cost of acquiring and installing new equipment.
France
There is no central heating in our understanding in France.
Instead, there are two options:
- General building heating is centralized heating in a single apartment building. It is turned on by the leadership of the house. Apartments in such houses are not equipped with heating equipment.
- Individual heating. In the bathroom, toilet or kitchen there is a device that regulates hot water. It is electric or gas.
Batteries are also connected to this device. The heat in the apartment is regulated. Electric heaters are more common than gas ones. Their main advantage is that they do not require regular and expensive checks and support, like gas ones. Their use is included in the total electricity bill.
The tariff for electricity in the country is double: full - from 7:00 to 23:00 - and preferential, that is, one and a half times less - from 23:00 to 7:00. For several decades now, the state has been encouraging citizens to save energy in every possible way. And not only with the help of the tariff policy.
A powerful lever is fiscal. All French people who carry out work on the thermal insulation of their homes, old or newly built, have the right by law to enter the money spent on the tax return. In this case, from 25 to 50% of the cost of work will be credited to them with a minus sign and may reduce income tax.
The same applies to the installation of various kinds of energy-saving environmentally beneficial equipment - solar panels, heaters with increased energy efficiency, both gas and electric. Citizens receive preferential loans for their purchase. With regard to new housing, starting in 2008, every project over 1,000 square meters must comply with the new thermal insulation requirements. Otherwise, it is not accepted and sent for revision.
Finland
Increasingly, the new Finnish house draws energy like the mythological Antaeus - from the Earth. Indeed, in the conditions of Finland at a depth of 200 meters, the temperature can reach up to +10 degrees. Finnish rocks are like giant radiators: they accumulate heat in summer and release it in winter.
In Finnish houses, a special device is installed - a heat pump. It costs, of course, not cheap, but it pays off in 5-7 years and allows you to save 30 percent or more of electricity. It is not surprising that such figures tempt owners of old houses to refurbish their homes.
The Finns made even the surrounding air work for them - imagine a refrigerator turned inside out, where the cold part is outside, and the heating system with a circulating special substance is indoors. In frosts down to -25 ˚C, this works perfectly: having spent 1 kW of electricity on work, the heat pump will produce up to 2 or even 5 kW of heat.
Such a "warm" refrigerator, or rather air conditioning, is effective for small houses - no more than 120 meters of living space. But for small houses this is a real find: no need to drill the ground and install expensive equipment. published
- Vegetovascular dystonia
- Crazy Tea Party
- Here are some more tips on how to stop being cold and start living:
The principle of Maupertuis, or least action, says that all living things strive to save their energy as much as possible. That is why we stand like idols in the cold, pulling our shoulders in and shrinking, and the most popular method of “warming up” is the absorption of high-octane liquids. Meanwhile, there are much more effective ways to stop being cold and start living. True, you will have to go against the above principle and make some efforts.
Cold as a disease factor ...
It is on the list of factors at the very last place. Don't believe? Then why, in the same circumstances, someone languishes and does not part with a handkerchief and a shawl, while someone sits in a light T-shirt and feels great? A healthy person should not shiver and freeze! Such a person is cheerful and energetic. Fell-wrung out twenty times, and no cold is terrible. It is fresh, cool for him, but he does not know what it is to warm his fingers with his breath, rub his knees when entering the room, and warm his legs in a basin of hot water and fir oil in the evenings. By the way, the last procedure is very harmful when you are so cold that you do not feel your fingers: it can even lead to blood clots in the veins of the legs. You need to warm up gradually, at room temperature. The tendency of a person to constant freezing, at any time of the year, is evidence that he has problem vessels. The main causes of the disease of the latter are a violation of lipid metabolism, bad habits and malfunctions of the autonomic nervous system. Now about everything in order ...
The main reason people get cold is fat!
It is very fashionable to talk about the dangers of cholesterol today. No wonder many contemporaries who want to maintain health and prolong life, after forty refuse animal fats. In moderation, cholesterol is even necessary, as it is involved in the synthesis of the most important substances for the body. Moreover, these amounts are really very limited: one egg yolk contains the daily norm of cholesterol. Increased consumption of cholesterol, love for fatty, fried, smoked products lead to the deposition of excess fat on the walls of blood vessels. Clogged vessels do not allow nutrients and oxygen to pass through them well. As a result, after some time, the vessels of the heart (coronary) narrow, which leads to ischemia and heart attacks, the vessels of the brain narrow, provoking the death of nerve cells up to hypoxia and strokes. Well, the narrowing of the small vessels of the limbs is, first of all, the eternally freezing and numb legs, and there it is not far from tissue necrosis. It sounds scary, but it's actually even scarier. That's just giving up fat, you will not provide yourself with healthy blood vessels and excellent blood supply. The human body is much more complex.
Do you want to stop being cold? Give up tobacco and alcohol!
The deposition of cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels is caused by a violation of lipid metabolism, which is provoked not only by the excessive consumption of fatty animal products. People who are addicted to alcohol and tobacco are even more likely to earn atherosclerosis than gluttons. Alcohol disrupts the work of all body systems, it is a poison that destroys many elements necessary for normal metabolism. Four bottles of beer a week or a bottle of wine is enough to cause fatty liver disease over the years. In addition, people who like to drink always have an enlarged heart, which also “overgrows” with cholesterol. Hypertension, provoked by regular alcohol consumption, and atherosclerosis are two diseases that always go hand in hand. The vessels on which cholesterol is deposited are inelastic, poorly pass blood with nutrients. Therefore, stagnation begins in those places where a lot of cholesterol accumulates. It is clear that trace elements are worst of all heard in those parts of the body that are farthest from the heart. The limbs of a drinker are always sluggishly supplied with blood, and therefore freeze. If, plus, you also smoke for years, it means that you are only helping cholesterol to do its dirty work. Smoking causes a sharp narrowing of blood vessels, the gaps between which are already clogged with cholesterol. One smoked cigarette - and the limbs are practically not supplied with blood for thirty minutes. People who smoke a pack a day get the coldest. But they are already so accustomed to this discomfort that they consider it the norm. Meanwhile, the solution to the problem lies on the surface: you just need to give up the daily consumption of poisons.
Well, everything is clear with bad habits and malnutrition (the tips from the articles “ How to develop a good habit" And " How to get rid of bad habits"). But let's say you're only twenty-five, you don't smoke, you don't drink, but you still feel cold all the time. Certainly at this age it's not about cholesterol. What other reasons could there be?
Vegetovascular dystonia
Many of us live in constant stress, in a hurry, become victims of our own worries about the future. Violation of the biorhythms associated with lack of sleep and an overly mobile sleep-wake schedule, as well as increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol, lead to malfunctions in the peripheral nervous system. The production and activity of the hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline is disrupted. Hence the sudden nocturnal arrhythmias and tachycardias, numbness, convulsions, and even panic attacks. A sharp constriction of blood vessels during fear and fright is caused by adrenaline, which is synthesized in large quantities during nervous tension. A person who lives in fear always has constricted blood vessels. By the way, according to statistics, more heart attacks occur in people who are dissatisfied with their social position than in successful gluttons. The vegetative-vascular reaction to stress and dissatisfaction with one's life is only the first signal that failures begin in the body. However, if you are freezing on nervous grounds, you can get rid of this in the same ways as in other cases. It is necessary to activate all processes in the body. How? More on this later. We have not yet considered the last reason why we are cold.
Crazy Tea Party
Most of us are accustomed to the fact that drinking tea at least three times a day is a common thing. We do this without thinking. But that's not all! The socially active part of the population sips coffee several cups a day in the service: to wake up, to cheer up, to pause at work. And in the evenings we are happy to spend in coffee houses, trying caffeinated drinks of different ways of preparation. Coffee and tea really instantly raise the tone, improve mood. But this is temporary. Half an hour later, the most ordinary “waste” begins, because caffeine is a drug. You get used to it, sooner or later you start to increase the doses. What makes tea and coffee so invigorating? They stimulate the production of adrenaline and norepinephrine, constricting blood vessels in parallel, making the heart beat faster. "Coffeemaniacs" are nervous people, prone to sweating and shivering, just like smokers. No wonder coffee and cigarettes go so well together. So if you think you're leading healthy lifestyle, try to eat right and do not have bad habits, but continue to freeze, stop drinking tea and coffee. A couple of months will pass - you will become much less cold.
But is it possible to change the situation when your blood vessels are already chronically constricted from harmful addictions or a nervous lifestyle? Yes, but it takes a lot of work to start improving. First of all, regular aerobic exercise is necessary. Running, walking, aerobics will start the process of thinning cholesterol. It will turn into free fats, which during training and after it will enter the bloodstream and gradually go into energy - just to warm the body. Movement is life, remember that. As long as you are moving, you will not freeze or get sick; in general, you can be sure that every cell of your body works for recovery with regular physical activity.
- It is better to keep yourself warm than to constantly look for ways to keep warm. This means that you need to regularly move, disperse the blood, saturating all the cells of the body with the energy of "melting" fat cells. When you are hot, constantly moving, no part of your body will freeze.
- Get in the habit of drinking decaffeinated warming drinks. Rooibos, hibiscus, ginger-lemon teas with cinnamon, cloves, red pepper, Indian masala tea…
- Don't dress like a cabbage. A hundred clothes and all without fasteners is not a way to keep warm. The main thing is the right materials. Natural sheep wool warms well, and many synthetic fabrics cool. For walks in the fresh cold air, purchase a suit made of modern materials (for example, membrane).
- Don't drink alcohol to keep warm. This is a deception of the body, even if you are aesthetically pleasing while drinking trendy mulled wine or grog.
- Love the contrast shower. If you are not used to such extreme things, start with a small difference in temperature and increase the “hot-cold” amplitude over the course of a month (for more information on how to stop freezing and start hardening, read the article “ Winter swimming: benefits and harms"). This is a very useful healing procedure that can be taken even with the first signs of a cold. A contrast shower is especially useful for people suffering from vegetovascular disorders.
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1. Shorten curtains and curtains .
Curtains and curtains create a barrier to the penetration of heat from the batteries into the room. The batteries are working and you're cold. If you have a boiler at home, you raise the temperature. If you have central heating, then turn on the additional heater. In order not to waste money in vain, just hang curtains in winter that will be just below the window sill in length. And floor-length curtains can be hung in the summer to protect against the summer heat.
2. Use roller blinds or blinds.
Many of us are used to using such curtains in the summer to block out the sun. But in winter, such curtains on the windows serve as another barrier to the penetration of cold from the window panes.
3. Do not use decorative battery shields.
Decorative battery screens are one of the biggest barriers to getting heat from a battery into our room. Better not to use them. And if you have already purchased them, then it is better to remove such screens for the winter.
4. Ventilate vigorously.
Heat can escape into the window. Most of us in winter avoid opening the windows completely and limit ourselves to a slightly ajar window. This is not true. The heat goes out and the house is cold all the time. It is more correct in the morning and in the evening to open the window completely for 15-20 minutes and ventilate the room well. After you close the window, fresh air will quickly heat up from the warm walls and furniture in the room.
5. Tape and seal windows
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A large amount of heat escapes from the small gaps between the window frame and the wall, and between the panes and the frame. It doesn't take a lot of money to seal and seal windows. Take the time to fix these leaks.
6. Comfortable warmth in an empty apartment is not needed.
When no one is at home - and this can be almost the entire daylight hours - reduce the temperature in the heating system. Just turn on the faucet.
7. Follow temperature guidelines.
Believe me, we throw away too much money in pursuit of excessive heat. Nobody needs twenty-five degrees in the bedroom. Doctors recommend for all rooms except the bedroom from 20 to 22 degrees. For the bathroom, this temperature rises to 24 degrees, for the bedroom it drops to 18.
8. Surround yourself with orange and yellow.
According to psychologists, warm colors in the interior can subjectively raise the feeling of warmth in the apartment up to five degrees. Experiment with lots of reds, browns, yellows and oranges in winter.
9. Use thermostatic radiators.
When you purchase radiators, take them with a thermostat. This will allow you to more flexibly and intelligently control the temperature in your home.
10.Heat-reflecting energy-saving film for windows.
Such a film, without reducing the transparency of the glass, reflects heat into the room, while reducing the overall heat loss by up to 25%. Such a film does not cost a lot of money and, moreover, in the summer it will help protect the room from the heat.
11. And last tip , select for home comfortable and warm home clothes . A beautiful home dress is, of course, elegant, but it is more practical to choose trousers and a thin sweater. So you will feel more comfortable, and with the money that you saved on heating, buy yourself something nice.