Plants to Keep You Warm

Already my last article of the year! How quickly it went by! I wanted to finish with a useful article that will serve you well and keep you thinking about me in the coming weeks.

Wrapped in multiple layers of clothing, sitting by the fire, my feet in layers of stockings and blankets, I stare at my blank screen and ask myself: “but what the heck am I going to write about today?”.

I’m the kind of person who’s always cold. It takes a lot of persuasion to get me out of my house in winter, and I never have enough warmth in my little body. As I was about to put my hot pack in the microwave, an idea came to me: are there any plants that can help me keep warm?

So here I am, back after a bit of research! As you can imagine, I’ve found a few things, otherwise this article would have a great hook, but it would be very disappointing in the end!

Why Am I So Cold?

I’m not a doctor, I’m not a traditional medicine practitioner, and I’m not a miracle product saleswoman. I’m a biologist. So I’m going to explain what’s going on in your body to make you feel cold in general. If you suffer from a particular condition, as usual, refer to your healthcare professional.

First, you need to know that you’re a warm-blooded animal: you produce heat. That’s right! Plants make oxygen, warm-blooded animals make heat. Plants get their energy from the sun, and we get it from our food. We transform the calories we ingest into heat. Boom! Already, if you’re the kind of person who skips meals, like me, you have an answer.

Then your body distributes the heat through the circulating blood. It’s the blood that stores the heat and carries it to your fingers, toes, ears… In short, everywhere you feel cold. So poor circulation or thick blood can “make you cold”. When the main organs are at the right temperature, the body doesn’t necessarily produce extra heat: help your circulation, and it won’t have a choice but to work a little harder.

Now that we know absolutely EVERYTHING there is to know about heat in the body (I’m awarding you all a certificate as pseudo temperature doctors!), we can move on to plants!

What to Eat?

Eating hot food has only a temporary effect. Yes, it’s comforting, but after five minutes, that warmth is gone! It’s really your body that produces most of the heat. But not all foods are created equal! Aim for starchy foods like root vegetables and oats. They digest slowly, much more so than leafy greens, for example, and give your body many more calories and heat.

In addition to calories, certain vitamins and nutrients are also said to have “warming” properties. In my research, I found several sites promoting the sulfur compounds found in garlic, onions and mustard. However, I haven’t found any scientific source attesting to sulfur’s effectiveness in generating heat, especially as these compounds are often destroyed during cooking. Still, these foods are full of other good anti-cold properties!

Selenium and zinc, found in legumes and cereals (rice and oats, not Lucky Charms!) should also be included in the diet, as they support the thyroid gland, which is responsible for regulating your entire body, including heat management.

Capsaicin also has a warming effect: pepper and chilli contain it. In addition to giving the impression of burning heat on the tongue, this molecule makes the body believe that it is hot, and therefore that it must evacuate this heat by increasing blood circulation!

Come on people: eat spicy!

You can also help circulation with several types of seeds: pumpkin, flax, sesame, etc.

Mushrooms may also have an effect, according to some non-scientific sites, but I haven’t found anything on the scientific side. At a certain point, I feel like saying that you simply have to eat a balanced and varied diet. Giving our bodies different nutrients is always good. It gives it everything it needs to function.

What to Drink?

I’m the champion of the hot drink. What could be more comforting than holding a warm mug between icy fingers? Hot chocolate, tea, herbal tea, coffee… butter rum! (Although alcohol doesn’t actually warm you up.)

In a nice big cup, with a pretty garnish and a cookie plate, please! Delivered to my rocking chair, preferably. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: I’m actually 82!

But like a hot meal, the warmth it gives your body is minimal. So add one or more secret ingredients to your infusion to give your body a warming that lasts. Many spices and seeds work wonderfully well in tea or coffee, and have a vasodilatory effect.

(Advanced temperature pseudo-doctors use this term to refer to blood circulation. It means that the veins dilate, and so, because they’re less “tight”, blood circulates more. It’s just a more complicated word for getting the blood to the tips of your toes).

I’ve already mentioned chili, but alongside it, ginger has a special place in my winter infusions. Cinnamon, cloves, aniseed, nutmeg… Take notes, that’s my gingerbread recipe too! All these spices and many more have wonderful virtues for fighting the cold and the winter microbes, so use them everywhere!

When it comes to herbs, thyme is a must, but oregano, bay leaf and rosemary are also a must (I’m talking about beverages, but all these spices can also be added to your recipes!) Herbs and spices, while not great calorie producers, contain many chemical compounds that have a huge influence on many things in your body!

If it smells or tastes strong, as a general rule, there are powerful compounds in it that do you a lot of good… (Or are toxic, but you won’t find that at the grocery store!) Check your spices: is your cinnamon stale and doesn’t smell much anymore? There are probably fewer good compounds in it… Use more!

Tea and coffee, meanwhile, are also full of good things for your body, when consumed in moderation. If you drink 10 cups of coffee a day, that’s probably a bit too much! But at just a few cups, caffeine stimulates the system and, although the vessels don’t dilate, the increased heart rate and activity in general can help to warm up.

One beverage you MUST NOT neglect: water. Yes, it’s very important to stay well hydrated. If your insides look like raisins, it’s hard for your blood to circulate. Despite all the good nutrients in the world you could eat, the digestion and absorption by your body could be less efficient.

In short, ginger tea, a glass of water, spiced coffee, a glass of water, a muy muy caliente burrito with extra rice, extra beans, extra vegetables, extra hot sauce, a glass of water… And in theory, you’re ready to spend the day skiing!

What to Wear?

Onions and pepper!

(Don’t hide onions in your pockets… it was a joke in reference to the expression dressing “with layers of onion”. To keep your heat in, creating multiple layers is a better option than putting on one huge coat, hence dressing like an onion).

There’s an old trapper’s trick I want to share with you. Putting pepper in your boots keeps your feet warm!

Good warm boots won’t be too tight. You should have room to wiggle your toes. It’s that pocket of air that warms up: it’s what keeps your toes comfortable.

To warm up this “air pocket” even more, you can add pepper to your boots! As you walk, the peppercorns rub together and produce a little heat. You have to rub two pieces of wood together for a long time before you get enough heat to make a fire, but heat is undoubtedly created, so why not use physics in your boots too?

Some people talk about pepper improving blood circulation, but I haven’t found anything about this among our scientific friends, but coarse pieces of pepper rubbing on or under the soles of your shoes with every step has a definite effect!

Stay Warm This Winter

I hope these few plants will help you warm up in 2025. Give them a try and let me know in the comments if they helped! For me, ginger and chilli are two big hits!

I wish you a very happy new year, dear gardeners! Lots of love, beautiful plants and, above all, good health thanks to your new-found knowledge of pseudo-temperature medicine! See you in February!