People say to me all the time: “I could eat raw vegan - but what about during the winter season?”

I also hear people say…”I need hot food! It’s too cold for fruits and vegetables! Raw food is cold!”

I have many tips for people who want to try to eat more fruits and vegetables during the chillier months, or for people who want the benefits of a raw vegan diet that live in colder climates.

Raw food doesn’t have to be cold. It can be room temperature or higher as long as it’s under 118F/47C - which is actually quite hot! You can also have warm tea if you want a quick way to warm up!

Here are several tips to stay raw and to keep warm during winter months:

• Morning workout or movement to help warm the muscles in the morning - this will keep you warmer for the rest of the day

The best way to start your day and warm up is through exercise - even if you get out in cold or rainy weather, you WILL warm up! You might even get too hot! You can also workout indoors and break a sweat - this will help your metabolism and internal “heater” - and of course after you finish, you can do the next step, which is…

• Warm showers or bathing

I love a long hot bath! There are so many more ways to warm up than with cooked food! Baths are a great luxury in the fall and winter months, and you can make them into healing experiences with music, oils, scents, salts, or bubbles.

• Sweating (sauna, hot yoga, etc. steam room at gym)

All of these can warm you up and also are satisfying and relaxing, with the bonus of burning calories and improving health and flexibility!

• Home sauna

I love my infrared sauna! Along with warming you up, it has so many healing properties  - here are just a few! You can get a regular stand-up sauna, or a sauna blanket (takes up less space and is more affordable)!

1. Detoxification
2. Weight loss
3. Relief from sore muscles
4. Relief from joint pain/arthritis
5. Clear and tighter skin
6. Improved circulation
7. Help with chronic fatigue
8. Better sleep
9. Relaxation

• Bundle up

This is crucial and also an opportunity to learn beautiful layering techniques with clothing! So many people love “sweater weather,” so enjoy the benefits of being warm and stylish at the same time!

• Portable heater

Space heaters are everything when you are feeling cold! You can also get rechargeable hand warmers to put in your pockets if gloves are not enough! Make sure you have a little heater nearby if you are cold at work, your desk - anywhere you spend a lot of time.

• More walks

As mentioned above, getting your heart rate up is so key to staying toasty! Most people are more sedentary in winter, but having some cold exposure and getting into your aerobic heart zone will help you deal with the cold.

• Candles (even seeing this fire stimulates a sense of warmth)

There are so many beautiful scented candles in the colder months - autumn-inspired scents, and then holiday scents - use them when having a nice meal, a bath, being cozy with friends or your partner, and so on. If you have a fireplace, even better!

• Spicy foods like hot peppers, ginger, cayenne pepper, etc.

These foods will help spark your internal fire - food doesn’t have to be warm or hot to warm you up - sometimes spices are enough! Plus they have so many beneficial health properties to boot!

• Sweet dehydrated snacks

Since in a lot of places there are fewer fruits and vegetables available in winter, it’s time to enjoy making dehydrated snacks. You can buy them pre-made, or if you have a dehydrator, you have endless options to create your own! It’s a fantastic way to get more veggies and seeds in your diet, especially things like flaxseeds which have tons of omega-3!

• Raw but warm foods like soups, tea, etc.

Raw food does not have to be cold! You can make warm soups in a high-speed blender like a Vitamix - if you blend long enough it will warm it up! Just keep things under 118 degrees Fahrenheit and it will retain all the nutrients and enzymes of the food. Warming things in a dehydrator will also help!

• Dance parties! Move to keep you warm! 

Who doesn’t love an excuse to dance??

• Seasonal fruit in cold weather season

There are loads of special winter-time fruits you can get into! Pomegranates, tangelos, Ataulfo mangos, and other citrus fruits…depending on where you live and what is imported at the time. Try some new items you may have never had before. Get creative!

• Breathwork to help stimulate heat in the body

There are many guided breathwork tutorials out there to help deal with cold exposure - these can also help to calm you and warm you even if you’re not in an ice bath! Brrr.

• Warm conversations with others, and laughter

This is a no-brainer! Winter is for family and friends and cozy times. Enjoy some healthy snacks together, build a fire, get blankets, and enjoy the company.

• Snuggles or cuddles with loved ones

Body warmth always works!

• Cuddle your fur babies

Your pets need warmth, too!

• SAD Lamps

Lack of light in the winter months can really get people down, and that can be helped with full-spectrum light! This is very important for hormone regulation. Make sure you also get some daylight as soon as possible after you wake up, and throughout the day. It will make a huge difference to your mood, but also your ability to fall asleep at night.

• Supplements

Don’t forget to take a Vitamin D supplement, and also get your blood checked to see if you have any deficiencies! Since we naturally get Vitamin D from the sun on our bodies (mostly torso, arms, and legs, not face and hands), so many people in the world lack this crucial vitamin through winter, and even the rest of the year. 

As you can see, there are so many more ways to be warm, mentally and physically, than eating hot cooked foods. You can enjoy warm (and even slightly hot!) raw foods, get physically warm with external methods, cuddle your loved ones, get warm beautiful clothing items, and experiment with fruits and vegetables that are available in the winter season that you may have never had - getting to know these foods will help you look forward to winter a little bit! Don’t forget specific winter activities, too - pack up some fruit, veggies and dip, dehydrated goodies, go skiing, sledding, snowboarding, or other fun snow activities (if you have snow!)

Sending warmth and love to you all this winter!