Why am I always cold?

Why am I always cold?

Temperature is a funny thing, where some of us are wired to run a little hotter and some of us are often chilly.  As a toddler my oldest son, for example, would forever be taking off his mittens and unzipping his coat because he was sweating in the middle of winter!  Eventually, I figured out that he simply needed fewer layers to be comfortable.  

Quite often women are of the cooler type, until perimenopause, but men can also feel that way too.  As we move into the colder months that feeling of chilliness can be exacerbated.  Of course, you know me, I'm always excited to share with you what this symptom might mean and what you might be able to do to help recalibrate and come back into balance.  

Reasons for being cold:

• Hypothyroidism
  Our thyroid glands are like our bodies speedometer, telling us to slow down or speed up metabolism, which in turn can make us colder or warmer.  Always feeling cold, even when others are clearly comfortable, can be a sign to look further at your thyroid function.  Iron deficiency can also go along with an underactive thyroid, more on that in a moment.
  
  
• Circulation
  The quality and flow of our blood is also related to feeling hot or cold.  Having a lower heart rate can be a part of it, so can low iron or vitamin B12.  You can read more about iron deficiency here.
  
  
• Mitochondria
  Mitochondria are like the little energy producing powerhouses within every cell.  If our mitochondria are not running at full speed or if we have fewer of them, we'll see fatigue and also a progression towards many different diseases (cancer, metabolic syndromes, cardiomyopathy, obesity, neurodegenerative conditions, fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue), since mitochondria are involved in RNA/DNA processes, detoxification, as well as synthesizing cholesterol, hormones and hemoglobin.  Various things can slow down the ability of our mitochondria to work effectively, like the CoQ10 depleting statin medications, or can impact the ability for nutrients and signals to enter the cell and reach the mitochondria.  I'll save the rest of that conversation for another day.
  
  
• Lack of light, or the "wrong" kind of light
  Very simply, melanin, the thing that gives our skin pigment, absorbs visible and invisible light and produces energy.  The quality of our light sources, with natural light being the best and blue light from screens being the worst, will dramatically change our energy levels.  Vitamin D is another element here, as is circadian rhythm because natural light will cue our other hormones to rock into daytime or nighttime modes.
  
  
• Body composition 
  Muscle tissue is more dense with mitochondria and is more metabolically active, which generates more energy.  Conversely, adipose tissue can provide insulation, but there's a difference between white fat (the type we think of generally) and brown fat, which is more compact.  Babies have brown fat to keep them warm because they can't shiver, but adults have a little bit as well.  Brown fat is named that because of the colour provided by the density of mitochondria, again those little energy producing engines of the cell are important.

What can we do?

• Cold exposure
  - Cold plunges are popular right now, but contrast hydrotherapy (alternating hot and cold water showers) are another way to access this temperature treatment
  - Going outside in the winter for a few minutes without a jacket or with our neck exposed will awaken mitochondria and also increase brown fat composition -> sometimes I will do this on a winter morning when I take my dog outside
  - If you are already chilly, this might sound like torture, but if you start with short amount of times gradually, it really does help improve temperature regulation
  
  
• Healthy light & heat sources
  - Natural light is best, even on a cloudy day
  - Incandescent and full-spectrum light bulbs indoors
  - Red light devices have tremendous healing benefits as well
  - Fire is a great source of red light
  - Sauna - any kind, we have an Infrared sauna at the clinic
  
  
• Optimize circulation
  - Movement is a great way to facilitate blood flow
  - Investigate your thyroid, iron, B12, copper, fibrinogen and other factors that indicate healthy blood flow and treat accordingly
  - Touch therapies and acupuncture are also great strategies
  
  
• Build muscle
  - Strength training will increase the amount of muscle on the body, and muscle is dense with mitochondria which will produce energy, the more metabolically active our tissue the more heat we generate
  - Eat sufficient protein to maintain muscle mass, this often means 100 grams per day
  
  
• Mitochondrial support 
  - Depending on the cause of mitochondrial dysfunction, there are multiple ways to support their function: CoQ10, NAC, ALA, Carnitine, NADH, B Vitamins, Antioxidants, Hydration, are all good examples.  There are some great combination products out there to help.
  
  
• Wrap your kidneys
  - Traditional Chinese Medicine tells us that keeping our kidney area wrapped up in the wintertime will help us to stay warm - use an undershirt, scarf, or there are fancier garments you can buy.

Staying warm in the winter can be a challenge for some of us, but if we listen to our bodies we can find ways to come back into balance.  I look forward to some cool, sparkly days to come!

Dr Christa
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