Eating raw in a cold climate

Engage in exercise. By exercising you warm up your body, increase your metabolism and this will help you during the cold winter months. Exercise will also help you to have a clearer mind, which will allow you to make healthier food choices.

Eat more carbohydrates. You will need a greater amount of fuel to keep your body warm enough, so eat some extra calories, if needed.

Avoid cold food. Always eat your food at room temperature or warm it up. Take the food you are going to eat on a particular day out of the fridge in the morning so that it is not too cold for you to eat. You can also warm up your food in a dehydrator, a blender or even a slow cooker.

Drink warm water. You can gently warm your water up in a pan. Try mixing coconut water in with warm water for coconut tea. You can also slice a few pieces of apple, pear or banana and pour warm water over them. Allow it to brew for a few minutes and you will have a sweet fruity tea!

Keep warm and always dress appropriately! If need be, wear an extra pair of warm socks and a warm jumper at home to keep yourself warm.

Keep your house warm. If you feel cold, turn up your heating a bit higher so that youlive in a comfortable temperature. An adequate level of wintertime warmth for a living room is 21°C/70°F.

Apply some oil to your skin. For example, sesame oil works great to warm your bodyduring the winter.

Consider doing hot yoga or going to the sauna as a way of keeping warm, if this is something that is appropriate for you.

Dental hygiene checklist

o Rinse your mouth out after every single meal that you eat. Keep a glass of with water in your bathroom. If you are out and about, either make a trip to the bathroom or just swirl some water around your mouth wherever you are.

o Floss your teeth preferably after each meal and at least once a day, in the evening.

o Avoid eating dried fruit as is. Pre-soak them in water over night and blend them with other fruit into a smoothie. Be sure not to snack on dried fruit like many people do.

o Be careful eating citric fruits, like oranges, pineapples or kiwi fruits, for example. Always use a straw to drink any citrus juices that you have so they don’t wash over your teeth when you drink them. Do not eat very acidic fruits on a regular basis. Washing your mouth out after these kinds of meals is very important.

o Meal frequency. Eating fewer meals in a day is best for aiding proper dental health and this is all to do with the bacteria in your mouth.

o Brush your teeth at least twice a day for around 4 minutes each time. This will give 1 minute of brushing time to each quadrant of your teeth, twice a day. Use a soft toothbrush.

o Use a tooth pick to go around the edges of your teeth to remove any stubborn food residues. We recommend applying some oil, such as coconut oil to your teeth first, then waiting a minute or two and then working your way around your teeth with thetooth pick.

o Don’t brush your teeth straight after any meal, but to wait ideally 1 hour before doing so. Brushing straight after your meal can cause damage to the tooth enamel, which will be especially soft and vulnerable after a meal of citrus fruits.