As the cold weather approaches, we struggle to keep our bodies warm by packing layers upon layers of clothes to fight the crisp, biting wind outside. But these layers of scarves, gloves, and socks only protect us from the cold outside, and our inside body temperature may not feel as warm. It is important to keep our bodies warm from the interior as well as exterior. There are several foods that can easily be incorporated into your diet to ensure your body feels prepared and ready for the winter weather.

Seeds – Pumpkin, sesame, fennel, and flax seeds are popular winter warming foods. You can eat pumpkin seeds as a snack or add fennel seeds to many dishes – either way, they’ll help your digestive system warm up your body.

Spices – There is a great variety of spices that can help you in the cold weather, such as black pepper, turmeric, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, and ginger. All of these spices enhance immunity and increase body temperature. Ginger is a hot, fragrant spice that is usually incorporated in herbal remedies to fight nausea, headaches, a cold, and a variety of other conditions. It can be also added to any dish for some spice. A fresh ginger root can be added to tea or water with lemon and honey. Cinnamon can also easily be included in your diet by sprinkling some in your favorite hot tea or coffee or in baked goods.

Onions and garlic – Not only do they keep the body warm, but they keep the body healthy by lowering cholesterol. Adding these to your diet is a simple way to fight the cold.

Honey – Honey can be added to just about anything in replacement for sugar as a natural sweetener.

It’s fairly easy to add any of these ingredients to any of your meals. Remember to eat raw foods (but not necessarily cold foods) because more heat is produced through digesting raw foods than cooked foods. The warming effects of these foods will help you feel toasty and comfortable in the upcoming winter season and will help you face the bitter cold.