It's one thing to be a raw foodist in the warm south, but eating raw food in a cold climate is a seasonal challenge that can be overcome.

Why Do You Feel Cold?

As your body gets healthier, it will automatically start to stay warmer! As toxins are released in transition to 80-100% raw food diet, there can be a colder feeling in the body. Raw foodists do seem to have a slightly lower body temperature but that, in my opinion, is due to the body not always working so hard at digesting cooked foods. So I believe it is cook foodists that have the unnatural slightly higher body temperature.

Top 10 Raw Food Tips To Keep Warm In Cold / Winter Climate

1. Exercise. Do some first thing in the morning to get your body going and try some lighter exercise (yoga, stretching) before dinner to keep the metabolism boosted until bedtime

2. In very cold winter climates below 32F, try cayenne pepper and cloves in socks and gloves.

3. Add more heating spices to food such as cayenne, ginger, peppercorn and garlic.

4. Warm food up to 115F for 2-3 minutes. Just stir and when it becomes warm to touch to avoid destroying the enzymes. Occasionally if you are going to cook foods, cook at a lower temperature, which preserves much more nutritional value and avoids exploding out of their natural colloidal form! Lower temperature for 10 minutes or more versus cooking high temperature for 2-3 minutes. Example: broccoli – when it starts to turn dark green or is warm to the touch, turn off the heat. High temperature cooked and the broccoli will be to soft and hot!

5. Dry Skin Brushing – increases circulation – can be down 2 times a day.

6. Put cold foods from the fridge in dehydrator/oven for few minutes to make it room temperature or just leave veggies out at room temperature for 30 minutes or more before eating. Put foods on warm plates.

7. Put warm sauces and salad dressings over room temperature salad.

8. Drink warm beverages: herbal teas, veggie tea (see below), apple cider, lemon water, ginger slices in hot water (with lemon), cacao chocolate drink with raw nut milk. Click Here, for my Vegetable Tea recipe.

9. Take kelp, dulse or some form of sea veggies or spirulina or moringa to make sure your thyroid is balanced and getting iodine. Best to take in the mornings!

10. Avoid Cooling and add more Warming foods

Warming Foods:

• Fruits: durian, cherries

• Veggies: most dark greens

• Most raw fat foods: avocado, nuts, seeds, dried coconut flakes,

• Herbs: maca, ginseng

• Spices: cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, ginger, garlic

• Superfoods: Moringa, Spirulina

Cooling Foods – minimize or avoid:

• Veggies: cucumber, celery, iceberg lettuce

• Fruits: melons, apples

• Avoid most dried fruits or at least soak in warm water for a few minutes to reconstitute.

Stay warm on raw foods, and your health will benefit!

Wayne Gendel