Healthy Foods that keep you warm during the Winter

As the end of the year air keeps on bringing chillier temperatures to a large part of the country, people can do more to keep warm besides wearing a coat, hat or gloves. A variety of foods for instance, can help the body stay warm during these winter months. This week, we list our five such culinary examples- ingredients and otherwise, that serve the purpose:

1. Ginger

Ginger not only helps the body stay warm, it also helps boost the immune and digestive systems. Ginger can be used in salad dressings, soups such as ginger carrot soup as well as into baked goods such as bread - which tastes great with a taste of garlic! You can even drink ginger with hot water right before bedtime to keep you snug and comfortable through the night.

2. Coconut 

Fats in general, such as coconut keep the body warm through their constant metabolization processes. Although it is not consumed directly, coconut oil can be used as a moisturizer, which will prevent the body from losing heat through dry skin. A majority of South Indian foods - particularly from Kerala - make abundant use of coconut in their cuisines.

3. Cinnamon

Although you don't want things to be too spice as spices such as cayenne can make you sweat and in fact, cause you to lose heat; certain other spices like cinnamon, cumin, paprika and nutmeg when consumed in the right quantities help increase the body's metabolism and generate enough heat to keep you sufficiently warm.

4. Hot Soups

Hot soups are savoury and an obvious choice of meal for the winter months, but the timing of them through the day is important too. A salad for instance, can be eaten during the afternoon - when the body is at its warmest. But a soup in the evening works best as it can then keep the body warm through the night.

Warm tomato soup works best, but feel free to experiment with other vegetables as well!

5. Millets

Eaten hot, millet along with other whole grains provide immediate warmth and also provide needed complex carbohydrates to fuel the body's engine. They are moreover, a great source of Vitamin B and Magnesium, which help the thyroid and adrenal glands better regulate the body's temperature during a time when they typically slow down due to the colder weather, making them an ideal winter food!

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The Geographical Diversity of Ragi

Ragi or Finger Millet first saw cultivation over 4000 years ago. Scientifically known as Eleusine Coracana, it is an annual plant widely grown as a cereal in the arid areas of Africa and Asia. Though originally native exclusively to the Ethiopian highlands, it is very adaptable to higher elevations and Ragi fields upto 2,300 metres in elevation up in the Himalayas are not an uncommon sight.

To increase yield, Ragi is often intercropped with legumes such as peanuts, cowpeas and pigeon peas, or even other plants such as Niger seeds. Statistics on individual millet species are therefore vastly divergent, but it is estimated that around 38,000 square kilometres of the world's arable land sees its growth and harvesting in any given calendar year.

India is a major cultivator of finger millet with a total cultivated area of 15870 of those square kilometres. The state of Karnataka is the leading producer of finger millet, known as Ragi in the region, accounting for 58% of India's Ragi production itself, and some of it is also exported. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and a few other states also count as major and minor Ragi producers.

Nutrition of Ragi across the globe is just as diverse as it's cultivation. It can not only be ground and cooked into cakes, puddings or porridge, but the grain is also used to mak a fermented drink (or beer) in Nepal and in many parts of Africa. Moreover, the straw from finger millet is used as animal fodder in several temperate climates.

In a niche location in North Vietnam, finger millet is also used as a medicine for women at childbirth. As a beverage too, Ragi has consistently been popular. Ragi malt porridge is made from finger millet which is soaked and shadow dried, then roasted and ground. This preparation is boiled in water and given to children, patients, and adults alike. This is a good substitute for milk powder-based beverages.

In essence - being very high in calcium, and rich in iron and fibre, and having a better energy content than other cereals, its characteristics make it ideal for feeding Ragi to infants and the elderly. In this pursuit, certain developing geographies partner with farmers and the government to help grow nutritious crops in general. For instance, the HOPE project in Africa is increasing yields of finger millet in Tanzania by encouraging farmers to grow improved varieties. This helps the community have more balanced diets and become more resilient to pests and drought and progresses the society at large.

This blog is powered by Soulfull. Soulfull now lets you have the wholesome goodness of Ragi, every morning through its deliciously Healthy Breakfast Cereals, Idlis and Dosas! The easiest way to stock up on Soulfull's array of healthy breakfast products is by visiting the e-portal at www.soulfull.in