feeling cold

[Leenie]

Hi everyone. We are just entering Fall here in New England and I am finding that I am feeling very chilled. I have been doing macrobiotics for about 6-7 months so this is my first winter. I find myself searching my pantry for high fat nuts/seeds just an hour or two after eating a full meal. I do not feel hungry, but cold. I have always kept the heat around 68-70 degrees in the winter, so this is not a factor. Considering that by February we'll be around 0 degrees outside, my whole body will be blue/gray not just my feet! Actually, my feet are colder to the touch than the wooden desk that my keyboard sits upon.

On the plus side, I have so far managed to avoid the virus that has run rampant through my sons' preschool, in spite of being coughed and sneezed onto for 2 weeks.

Any suggestions would be great. I have been cooking my rice in a pressure cooker and have made several bean casseroles that are baked in addition to pressure cooking the beans. My weight is about the same it is every fall (I plump up a couple of pounds over the summer and lean out over the winter), so I still have the insulation I did last year.

Thanks for your suggestions,
Leenie

[lysia jones]

Hi Leenie, I too am chilled going "nuts" and craving fish and meat. I feel maybe more salt may help if you dont eat meats. I find my hands feet and hips are cold. Exersise may be an option- I know I have been slacking on that aspect. Good counciling would be nice but pricey. My advice get moving! Make great soups. Love, Lysia

[Leenie]

I will give the more salt a try. I made miso soup for breakfast today and it seemed to have helped a little. I don't eat any meat/fowl etc. only fish about 2x a week on days when I don't have much time to cook (fish is macrobiotic fast food). Since I was an ovo-lacto vegetarian for 26 years prior to started macro (other than fish during my pregnancies/nursing) fish is as far as I'm willing to go.

I haven't been as regular with the exercise as I could be. I'll just have to try to be a little more diligent.

Thanks for the suggestions,
Leenie

[tofumania]

hello leenie!

I find that adding a little ginger to soups and food helps me feel warmer...
Soba noodles are very good to make you feel warm too....


And ,yes exercisising makes a great diference , even if you just walk vigurously for 30 minutes a day you will feel much better!

[Klara]

Have you warmed up yet, Leenie??

I didn't get a feeling for what you're specifically eating? Are you getting more into roots and letting go of the fruits? Or cooking longer? Did this also happen when you were eating ovo-lacto?

I found that amongst the people I know, those with heart conditions seem to chill faster. Or it could be something else in your condition?

Klara

[Leenie]

Tofumania~ I have been adding a little ginger to some of my meals. I haven't had soba for some time now, so it looks like a good choice for lunch today.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Klara-

As heart disease runs in both my parents' families, I have a full physical (traditional American medicine) done every other year. Last year everything checked out fine. I have been exploring the idea of going to the KI for an evaluation (about 2 1/2 hours away), but I have a high need 4 year old and have no one to watch him or to come with me to help manage him. My husband and I are polar opposites, so he is not hugely supportive of macrobiotics partly because he likes to eat out and this severely limits his choices on where we can go (Chinese/Thai). He's a meat and potatoes guy, and I'm sure on a first name basis with the folks at BK or McDonalds even though I still make his meals in addition to mine and the kids.

As for what I have been eating...I have almost every day some sort of stew with chickpeas/beans/lentils with root veggies coupled with short grain brown rice and a side of veggies (kale, broccoli, cauliflower etc.). I probably eat something like 20% beans, 30% veggies, 45% grains and 5% miscellaneous nuts, fruit, condiment etc.

I am not a big raw salad eater except for the summer. I do find that occasionally after a meal I might want something a little sweet, so I grab a small handful of organic raisins or 2-3 dried prunes. I choose a good portion of the recipes I use out of Christina Pirello's book 'Cooking the Whole foods way' and the rest from various other marco books. I seem to be on a sesame seed kick now and am putting toasted ones on my veggies, eating up the gomasio, and even bought a 'kelp crunch' bar (sesame seed, brown rice syrup and kelp) for myself while searching for 'acceptable treats' for my son for Halloween.

I do not eat alot of sea veggies; other than when I cook beans I put 1/3-1/2 a piece of kombu in the pressure cooker with them, make miso soup using 4-5 pieces of wakame and using dulse flakes as a condiment. I have tried several recipes for arame and hiziki and can only eat a little before I feel a bit nauseated. The smell is a bit strong for me. I do still try to make and eat something at least once a month.

I suppose that I am not seeking out being warm (like snug in a blanket), just comfortable without feeling I need to have a hot cup of tea in my hands, having goose bumps and shivers or 3 layers of shirts on. In the past I have been fairly comfortable. Warm only happened in pregnancy and when I was doing some pretty hard core weight training (think of Cory Everson/Monica Brant but not remotely in their league) for ~8 years prior to my last child. Speaking of him, he's up and I have to go.

Thanks again for your insight.
Eileen

[Leenie]

Well, I've just about incorporated everything I can into feeling warmer and I think it was just a matter of transitioning into winter mode (we had an early cold start), modifying a few meal patterns and the biggest one...exercise!

I picked up Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Budokon DVDs (bundle pack at Gaiam) and have added them to my morning. Wow...what a difference!!!!

With the Qi Gong, my hands became ice cold during the session, which I don't know if this is a common side effect. However, afterwards, I felt like I drank 3 pots of expresso I was so incredibly energized. I've always had a bit more energy than most people and with the Qi Gong I feel like my energy level is back to where it was 20+ years ago.

I've found Tai Chi to be a more calming, centering and balancing routine. I have yet to try the Budokon, as it appears much more intense and I've not done alot of exercising except for running around practicing soccer with my son. I'll just work up to it.

Thanks again to all of you for your helpful suggestions.
Leenie

[lysia jones]

Thanks Leenie, you are an inspiration. Maybe I should get some tapes too as it is so cold it sort of immobilizes me. Lysia