Toastie Tootsies
Choosing the right shoes
The circulatory system is the body's own unique central heating system and the blood pumped around your body provides a kind of heat maintenance. Wearing tight shoes can cut off the circulation to your feet, leaving them feeling cold.
Healthy Diet
Vitamin K is important; it helps to strengthen the cardiac muscles in your heart as well as the blood capillaries. It also improves circulation around your body, including your feet, therefore keeping them warmer. Ginger, fish, parsley, salad, spring onions, apricots and celery are all good sources of Vitamin K.
Keep Active
Regular exercise - whether it be a brisk walk, cycle or run - helps keep the heart healthy and strong and so more efficient at pumping blood around the body.
Pamper Your Feet
If you have very cold feet it's important not to warm them up too quickly, such as with a hot water bottle or against a radiator - in the worst case scenario you could end up with chill blains. The most effective way is by bathing your feet in warm water or using a foot spa. This will warm up your feet slowly and naturally and also keep them hydrated from the outside, improving circulation.
Drink Plenty of Water
When you are dehydrated your hands and feet get colder too, as dry skin fails to maintain a good moisture balance and so does not retain heat.
Wear Natural Socks
Cheap, synthetic man-made fibres are so closely woven together that there are no air pockets in which to retain your natural body heat. Natural wool and cotton socks have more textured fibres and are less tightly bound so they hold more warm air around the feet.
Moisturise
Lanolin helps to retain moisture in the skin, helping to improve blood flow and therefore, retain heat.