BUILD

Muscles are the ultimate internal heaters. Muscles burn fats and sugars and release heat in the process. The more muscle → the more fats and sugars are burned → the more heat. Men are generally at an advantage here, as they naturally have more muscle mass than women.

What about your fat percentage? You could say that fat insulates and therefore you are less likely to be cold. This is partly true – a thin layer of fat certainly helps to retain body heat. However, fat does not generate heat, so the key is still to increase muscle mass. What’s more, you don’t need extra fat for warm hands – there’s no fat in your fingers anyway.

MOVEMENT

Your body is made to move. These days, we sit still more often and for longer – working at the computer, relaxing with a tablet, phone or in front of the television. In your spare time you might like to read a book or laze around on those lovely summer days. There’s nothing wrong with any of that, but it doesn’t benefit your circulation.

Perhaps you’re moving less and you haven’t noticed it? If so, an hour or two at the gym won’t help.

It is important to exercise as much as possible throughout the day. Try to cycle to work if you can, get up from your desk and take a walk, even if it’s just to the kettle, use the stairs instead of the lift, make it a routine to take a short walk during your lunch break or after dinner.

LACK OF SLEEP

Your body cools down when it’s time to sleep. Do you sleep too little and feel excessively tired? If so, you will often be cold. Why do you cool down when you’re tired?

That’s a little trick caused by your body. Your body then tells you to find a warm place to get some rest. That warm place is important because when you’re asleep, the heat from inside your body attempts to find a way out. The heat goes through your skin. As such, the blood flow in your skin increases significantly while sleeping. If you were to sleep in a cold environment, your body might cool down too much. Sleeping under a warm blanket in a cool environment with fresh air is the best approach.

Are you a poor sleeper? Check out the tips below on how to improve your sleep, rest your body and have warm hands.

• It is impossible to fall asleep comfortably with cold hands and feet, so take a warm bath before bed, take a hot water bottle to bed with you or use electrical socks or an electrical blanket   
• Take a magnesium tablettwo hours before going to bed – during times of stress and higher body strain, you can derive a lot of benefit from doing this.
• Take frequent short breaksthroughout the day.
• Use a fine, soft sleeping mask. Not only does this help to block out the light, but some gentle pressure on your eyes is pleasant.
• Use earplugs, such as fine soft wax balls.
• Do you and your partner sleep in the same bed? Use separate duvetsso that you don’t wake one another up when turning over.
• Before going to sleep, read a relaxing bookand fantasise about how the story will unfold as you fall asleep. You’ll drop off in no time at all.
• Do some relaxation exercisesbefore bed – your body will feel calmer once you have stretched your muscles out a little.
• Listen to a meditationor put on some soothing bedtime music. All can be found on Youtube.

RAYNAUD’S PHENOMENON

A typical feature of Raynaud’s Phenomenon is cold hands and feet. The sudden contraction of your blood vessels (provoked by cold, stress or certain emotions) will reduce the blood flow in your body.

Your hands and feet are at the very ends of the circulatory system, so your body has the most difficulty getting the blood all the way to your fingers and toes.  

With Raynaud’s Disease, your fingers and toes will firstly turn white, then blue, then purple or red. You can take the Raynaud’s self-test to check if you may have this condition.

THYROID

The most common symptoms of a slow-acting thyroid are blood pressure problems. Reduced blood circulation means that you will quickly suffer from cold hands. The cause can be hereditary, but stress, a crash diet or a deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals can also play a role.

Do you suffer from brittle nails, dry skin, (mild) bouts of depression, joint pain, difficulty getting a good night’s sleep and an inability to think and act quickly? Then it is important to give your doctor a ring.

IRON DEFICIENCY

Iron helps in the production of haemoglobin, which is a substance that in turn triggers the production of red blood cells. And yes, red blood cells are important, because they transport oxygen in the blood. A deficiency can lead to a variety of symptoms. The main symptom is fatigue, but you may also look pale, suffer from shortness of breath, heart palpitations and cold hands and feet.

One in five women who menstruate suffers from anaemia. Pay close attention to your nutrition. Iron is mainly found in meat and fish, so it is additionally important that vegetarians and vegans watch their iron intake. Eat plenty of legumes, nuts, apple syrup and vegetables like spinach, kale, beets, asparagus, broccoli and rocket. Vitamin C improves the absorption of iron while calcium inhibits the absorption of iron, so a piece of fruit with your meal is a good idea!

B12 DEFICIENCY

Vitamin B12 also helps in the creation of red blood cells. A B12 deficiency can cause all manner of unpleasant symptoms, such as general fatigue, problems with balance, concentration disorders, tingling and sometimes cold hands and feet.

Vitamin B12 is mainly found in products of animal origin, including meat and fish but also eggs and milk. B12 can also be found in dried seaweed and algae, but this variety is not easily absorbed by the body.

For vegetarians and vegans, taking additional B12 is a must.