Now that summer is officially over and the colder weather is upon us, most people think about grabbing the cat, the dog, their significant other and hunkering down under a pile of blankets until it ends sometime around April.
Surprisingly enough, several studies have discovered that the cold can actually be healthy. A study done last year found that “brown fat,” which is found naturally in parts of the body, can burn off other more unwanted fat. In fact, the study discovered that simply being cold activates the brown fat and could potentially cause your body to burn calories. Apparently, the brown fats help to warm the body by burning fuel (i.e. calories in the form of unwanted fats).
Also, cold weather can build closer relationships. A 2012 study found that people tend to reach out to others by phone while buried under the covers just to chat. The research discovered that phone bills skyrocket during the colder months, but so do closer relationships. Regular contact with other people is a human need, one that also promotes mental, spiritual and physical health and well being.
Furthermore, when the cold comes in, the bugs go away. This particularly applies to mosquitoes. West Nile virus cases were on the rise in 2012 and were also prevalent this past summer. Spread by the biting mosquitoes, West Nile tends to go away during the colder months because freezing or below-freezing temperatures kill off these pesky bugs as well as Lyme disease carrying ticks. Toward that end, the cold is protecting you against some serious diseases.
In addition, cold weather reduces overall inflammation and pain. A 2011 study discovered that a treatment known as cryotherapy did more to aid in athlete recovery than just plain rest. The same would be true of those who have routine inflammation – often aggravated by heat and humidity. The colder weather should relieve that pain – at least for a few months. So enjoy it while you can!
Cold weather may also allow us to escape from the ubiquitous notion of trying to fit into that bikini for yet one more summer. With the pressure off, enjoy a few foods that you might have forgotten through the summer. But don’t binge and be careful of consuming too many of those wonderful comfort foods like macaroni and cheese or meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Yet, just remember that the New Year also comes during winter and it brings you the opportunity to have a do-over!
Finally, but perhaps it’s a stretch, researchers suggested in Psychology Today that if we didn’t have cold weather, we wouldn’t appreciate the warmer days. According to these researchers, people who live where the climate never changes end up taking the warm weather for granted, implying that the frigid cold makes you love the sunny spring and summer days even more. I’m not sure about that, but I do know that those who live in the mild climate of San Diego, California never seem to complain. You can make the call on this suggestion.
Just remember, while you may not like the cold, you have to admit that at least one of these elements listed here applies to you. Hold onto it for dear life until spring breaks through sometime in March or April.
References:
Kolata, G. (2012). Brown fat, triggered by cold or exercise, may yield a key to weight control. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/health/brown-fat-burns-ordinary-fat-study-finds.html?_r=0
Phithakkitnukoon, S., Leong, T. W., Smoreda, Z., and Oliver, P. (2012). Weather effects on mobile social interactions: A case study of mobile phone users in Lisbon, Portugal. PLoS One, 7(10), e45745.
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