Winter is the time when you should consume food items that raises your body temperature and make you feel warm.

The biting cold weather that winter brings along in its wake often gives rise to a number of diseases like cough, cold and fever.

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Although woollen clothes can make us feel warm for a brief period of time, our body becomes less immune and more prone to diseases if we don’t include the right amount of food items in our diet.

When the temperature drops and cold weather sets in, it is essential to fuel our body with food that can help in raising our body temperature and make us feel warm.

Celebrity nutritionist Lovneet Batra has suggested you to consume these four food items that can raise your body temperature and make you feel warm in winter-

Ghee 

Nutritionists have often sang lots of praises of the winter superfood ghee. It is essential to include loads of ghee in your winter diet as it is nutritionally superior to other oils or fats. The medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) content of ghee are absorbed directly by the liver and burned to provide energy due to which it is considered to be a nutritionally rich dairy product. Ghee exclusively contain butyric acid, a short chain fatty acid which contributes to its distinct flavour, easy digestion and stronger immune system.

Sesame Seeds

The humble til or sesame is a winter superfood so there can’t be any better way to include this nutritious edible as an old time snack in the cold winter months in the form of a laddoo. Til laddoos along with a cup of warm tea are the best way to beat the chills of the winter months. Sesame seeds are rich in fibre, thereby helping to facilitate better digestion and smoother bowel movement, and tackling the issue of constipation. Pain and inflammation are common in winters. A bioactive compound present in Sesame seeds known as sesamol is responsible for inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals

Ginger, Mulethi & Tulsi Tea

To take care of your health and your morale, there is nothing better than a homemade herbal tea made of ginger, mulethi and tulsi. Ginger is known to be good for digestive health and can stimulate thermogenesis. It is also a diaphoretic that can help your body warm from the inside out.  Mulethi in winter is essential due to the presence of a chemical named glycyrrhizin that lends this herb its sweet taste, as well as its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. Tulsi is the ultimate rescue to all winter-triggered sedentary diseases right from curing a common cold and flu to reducing anxiety

Bajra

Food items made of bajra is ideal to have in winter. Bajra has many antioxidant properties as it contains flavonoids, lignin, and phytonutrients. This helps us fight against infection, boosts the anti-ageing process and rejuvenates our skin. Try to include bajra chappatis or khichdi in your breakfast, lunch or dinner to stay warm and healthy in winter.