You can take the following actions to safeguard yourself from a cold wave:

Layer your clothing

Wearing layers of clothing is one of the best ways to defend yourself from a cold wave. Your body retains heat when you layer your clothing, which keeps you warm. To keep your head, hands, and neck warm, you should put on a hat, gloves, and scarf.

Keep dry

Wearing wet clothing can make you feel colder, so make an effort to stay dry by donning a waterproof outer layer and avoiding strenuous activities. Change into dry clothes as soon as you can if your clothing becomes wet for any reason, including rain.

Remain indoor

If it’s too cold outside during a cold wave, try to stay inside if you can. If you must be outside, keep your time there to a minimum and take frequent breaks to warm up.

Warm up your house

Make sure your house is airtight and well-insulated, and keep the thermostat at a comfortable setting. Use draft stoppers on doors and windows to prevent drafts, and shut your blinds and drapes at night to keep the cold out.

Keep hydrated

Because you don’t naturally feel thirsty in cold temperatures, you can become dehydrated even throughout the winter. One must include hydrating foods like fruits, vegetables, and soups in their diet in addition to drinking 7-8 glasses of water every day. You may feel colder and be more likely to catch a cold if you’re dehydrated.

Eat healthfully

To keep your body warm and energized, eat hot, nutritious meals and snacks. As they might cause dehydration and a chillier sensation, alcohol and caffeine should be avoided.

Winter is the time to stay away from processed, refined foods, sweets, high-fat foods like butter and cheese, and deep-fried dishes.

Maintaining healthy eating routines can help you beat the wintertime blues in the following ways:

Select wholesome complex carbohydrates.

Consuming complex carbohydrates raises the body’s serotonin levels. As a result, aim to consume complex carbohydrates such as whole grains like oats, broken wheat, red rice, brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat bread as well as millets like ragi, jowar, bajra, and kodo.

Steer clear of processed and simple carbohydrates.

It’s important to consume as little sugar, sweetened beverages, desserts, chocolates, and refined foods as possible. Examples include maida, white bread, white rice cakes, cookies, pizza bases, hamburger buns, momos, and samosa.

Consume inflammatory-reducing foods.

Foods with anti-inflammatory characteristics are crucial to eat during the winter because they can stave off diseases like the common cold, cough, flu, and viral infections that affect many people, especially children.

Vitamin D

Serotonin levels are kept stable, and depression brought on by the winter blues is prevented. The best sources of vitamin D include daily exposure to sunlight for 15 to 20 minutes and the consumption of fortified cereals, eggs, and milk.

The fatty acids omega-3

It is quite healthy, especially in the winter. In addition to offering protection from sickness and inflammation, it aids in overcoming the winter blues. Some of its sources are salmon, sardines, anchovies, eggs supplemented with DHA, avocado, flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C aids in boosting immunity, which helps to ward off viral illnesses. Its sources include sweet lime, lemon, orange, kiwi, guava, amla, strawberries, and tomatoes, among others.

Zinc

A zinc shortage can cause the flu, colds, and other viral illnesses that are common in children. Zinc is an essential part of WBC that aids in the fight against infections. Meat and meat products, pumpkin seeds, beans, and fortified cereals are some of its sources.

ADVANTAGES OF GHEE

Ghee has several excellent advantages in cold weather, including:

1. Keeps you warm: Ghee is renowned for keeping people warm during the winter. Ghee has a high smoke point, making it perfect for cooking in cold climates. Additionally, it has a taste that is neutral and lets the flavors of your dish come through. It can be used in sabzis or as a teaspoonful on rotis.

2. Enhances digestion and gut health: There is substantial evidence that the nutritional content of ghee includes gastric fluids that help in digestion. Enzymes included in gastric juices aid in the breakdown of food into simpler molecules. So, a teaspoon of ghee would not only make your roti softer but also make it easier for you to go to the bathroom.

3. Treats cold and cough: According to Ayurveda, ghee is beneficial in treating coughs and colds since it possesses anti-inflammatory and antibacterial characteristics. A few warm drops of pure cow ghee applied to the nose can instantly relieve discomfort.

4. Moisturizes your skin from the inside out: Ghee works to moisturize your skin membranes from the inside out in addition to being an excellent natural moisturizer when applied topically. Ghee contains necessary fats that keep your skin nice and elastic. Additionally, it moisturizes dry hair and scalp.

ADDING GHEE TO YOUR DIET: SUGGESTIONS

In any season, ghee is a great supplement to your diet, but the winter months are particularly advantageous. Here are several methods for including it in your diet.

– For chapatis: A nice place to start is by brushing your roti with ghee, but be careful how much you use.

– Use ghee instead of refined oil to cook your vegetables. Using ghee to cook your vegetables could be another healthy option. Because ghee has a high melting point, it is effective at absorbing plants’ fat-soluble elements. Vegetables are stir-fried in ghee for a tasty and nutritious side meal.

– Ghee can be used in baking recipes as a healthier substitute for butter. For a special treat, you can use it to make homemade popcorn. Add ghee to oatmeal or pancakes for flavor and nutrient boosts.

– You can make a morning beverage by blending one teaspoon of ghee with raw turmeric. Ghee can also be added to tea or coffee in the morning. It can also be spread on oatmeal or toast in the morning.

– Just before serving, add a teaspoon of ghee to the soup or dal. For added flavor and nutrition, you can also add it to cooked rice, quinoa, or other grains.

Why Do Some People Feel More Cold Than Others?

A research was recently conducted to find out the possible reasons of why some people tend to feel colder than the rest of the people around them. Here are few of them –

1. Lower Fat Content – People who are generally fat or healthy experience less cold because of excessive fat content in the body which helps to keep them warm. On the other hand, skinny people have very less fat content due to which they are not able to retain much heat.

2. Hypothyroid – If you are fat and still feel cold, another cause could be hypothyroid. This means that you have less amount of thyroid hormone in the body which doesn’t enable you to retain much heat inside the body.

3. Gender – In the study it was also found that females tend to feel colder than men. This is only because of genetic differences between the two sexes.

4. Bad Sleeping Habits – If you are too lazy then too your body can not retain much heat due to which you would feel cold. It is important to have a proper defined sleeping cycle and also some physical activity on a daily basis. This can help the body remain warm.

HOW IS THE VIRUS BEHAVING AS OF NOW?

According to experts, all the respiratory diseases like common cold and flu are likely to spread more in the winter season. They seem to survive better in the cold temperatures and spread at a rapid rate. In a study, it was found that in winters coronavirus would spread fast in temperate zones of the world. However, no evidence has been found for the same yet and it is a mere prediction. On a whole, experts think that covid-19 is in no way related to temperature and might behave the same way as it has been till now.

HERE IS WHY INDIANS SHOULD BE CONCERNED:

Dr. Shashank Joshi, Dean, Indian College Of Physicians, has said that a second wave of coronavirus might hit the country in the winters. Efforts were made to contain the spread of the virus via lockdown which was only partially effective. More measures need to be taken in order to control the spread of the novel coronavirus in winters. It can be done by maintaining social distancing norms as stated by the government. Masks and sanitizers would play a crucial role too. It is also the responsibility of citizens to contribute in the process by following the guidelines. We, together, can stop the spreading of the virus, no matter the season.