Anti-cold weather recipe

It’s here… the cold has arrived.

And it is quite normal given the calendar and the approach of the end of the year celebrations. In some cities of France, morning frosts have reappeared and on some mornings you can feel that snowflakes are not far away.

Unfortunately, this seasonal drop in temperature is also accompanied by a shortening of the days in the northern hemisphere until the winter solstice on December 21. It is a scientifically proven fact: the duration of sunshine plays a key role in our well-being. More sunshine, more energy, less sunshine… less energy and therefore more spleen.

It’s true that leaving home when it’s still dark and returning when it’s already dark is not always very motivating.

So it is only natural that many of you international students are starting to feel the effects of being away from home, the nostalgia for your home country suddenly becoming more intense.

We don’t have a magic wand to bring up the temperatures, the sunshine and make your loved ones appear, but let us give you the few ingredients of a decidedly anti-cold recipe.

1. Put on a few spoonfuls of well-chosen textile fibers

Even though it may seem obvious, the first thing to do against the cold is to protect yourself from it. Beware of the received idea of “more is better”, by piling up pairs of socks for example. This often has the opposite effect: you prevent your blood circulation from doing its job properly and in the end, the cold sets in.

Technology is often a good thing. Today, there is a multitude of ultra-efficient technical fabrics to chase away the cold easily and even (yes, I promise) with elegance (Heattech, Damart, X-warm, Thermolactyl…). Moreover, natural fibers such as velvet, wool or silk are naturally insulating and thus protect better from the cold.

The cold rushes in where it can, that is to say often at the level of fingers, ears, head. If you haven’t already done so, don’t hesitate to invest in a pair of gloves, a hat, a necklace or a scarf. They are available at all prices, in all colors and materials.

2. Sprinkle in some accessories

Keeping warm when you’re out and about as well as at home can also be made easier by using a few inexpensive but highly effective accessories.

The hand warmers for example are small devices that you can slip into your pockets to instantly warm your hands. Radiating heat for about 5 hours, these heaters are often reusable with a simple dip in hot water.  They also exist in electric version with charger.

The traditional hot water bottle, today competed by the hot water bottles with flax seeds or cherry pits also allow, with all the sizes and all the forms, to warm you at home or outside, with the help of a few seconds of microwave oven or a kettle. Slipped inside your bed a few minutes before going to sleep, the hot water bottle will definitely help motivate you to go to bed.

A little more expensive or cumbersome, there are also a number of comforters, pillows, slippers or other electric heating devices that may be able to soften your winter nights. However, be careful to check the consumption before buying: the bill can quickly climb!

3. Add a little bit a lot of fat

Now is the time to try local culinary specialties, dishes in sauce, raclettes, tartiflettes, croziflettes and other cheese-based dishes. If these dishes can leave you cold when it’s hot, they have the magical power to comfort bodies that are tested by the cold in winter. In addition, they are traditionally eaten in groups, which easily creates the opportunity to gather at each other’s homes in the warmth of a fireplace when it is cold outside.

In the same idea, hot drinks or meals such as tea, herbal tea, coffee, rooibos, soup are always a good way to warm up from the inside.

4. Finish with a dash of cinnamon

Rather than waiting for winter and night to pass, why not take advantage of it? Winter is also the time when cities display their most beautiful light effects with architectural lighting that rivals in poetry as soon as night falls, offer Christmas markets with intoxicating spice scents, display store windows with magical decorations…

It’s dark and cold, but don’t let that stop you from going out and living this winter life, which transforms every home into a cocoon of softness that we love to find again.

In any case, just as after the rain comes the good weather, after the winter comes the spring. Live your experience in France to the fullest – those little things that may be different from the habits of your home country but that will, I’m sure, make this journey unique.