People who live in the upper Midwest may relate more to this post than others.
I found a nice article on CNN on winter myths. A rare one because it did not try to convince me that I may have some dreadful disease that I have never heard of. :-)
Here are a few myths that bolster and shatter my winter self!
Myth: You lose most of your body heat through your head
Contrary to the findings from one 1950s Army study, most of your body heat doesn't escape through your noggin, according to Vreeman. "In the now-infamous study, volunteers visited the Arctic with their heads exposed. However, the rest of them was outfitted in gear designed to protect against the cold, so it's logical that they lost most of their body heat from their heads," she says.
If you go outside without gloves, you'll lose a disproportionate amount of heat through your hands.
So I wasn't "unnecessarily cheap" resisting buying an expensive winter hat all these years! On the other hand, my balding head is not why I feel colder :-(
Myth: Cold air can make you sick
Despite being called the common "cold," lower temperatures alone won't make you sick. In fact, the exact opposite is true. "Cells that fight infection in body actually increase if you go out into the cold," says Dr. Rachel C. Vreeman, MD, co-author of "Don't Swallow Your Gum! Myths, Half-Truths, and Outright Lies About Your Body and Health." It's your body's way of combating the stress of freezing temps.
Plus, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, cold viruses grow best at about 91 degrees; if you're outside in the cold, your nostrils are surely colder than that.
That is a myth alright--I almost never fell sick walking to college in the dead of Minnesotan winters. Illinois on the other hand is a completely different story. Maybe a combination of cold air, kids with runny noses and sneezing students conspire to make you sick...
Myth: You shouldn't exercise in the cold
Get ready to crawl out from under your comforter and run into the great (and yes, cold) outdoors. According to research published in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, in cold temperatures, race times are actually faster -- and quicker paces burn more calories in less time. Plus, that harder, faster workout can spike your endorphin levels -- which, according to a review in Environmental Science and Technology, are already increased just by you being outside.
One would need those endorphins badly should one slip on ice though...
Myth: You don't need sunscreen in the winter
Forget bathing suits. Department stores should stock sunscreen with the toboggan hats. "Because the Earth's surface is closer to the sun during the winter months, we are actually exposed to more harmful rays without even realizing it," says Dr. Robert Guida, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City.
What's more, snow and ice can both reflect up to 80% of harmful UV rays so that they can hit the skin twice.
Like always I'm going to pretend there is an evolutionary existential reason for my natural fur :-) Although nature does seem to think my head is well insulated and protected already...
Myth: Cold temps cause hair loss
Chilly weather might actually help you hold onto your hair. In one University Hospital of Zurich study, researchers followed 823 women for six years and found that they lost the most hair in the summer and the least in the winter.
It might be evolutionary -- just think how thick your dog's fur gets in the winter. Still, dry scalps grow unhealthy, brittle, and breakable hair, so if your head gets itchy on cold, dry days, you might need to invest in a scalp-protecting shampoo for the season, Vreeman says.
So WHAT is the reason for the untimely demise of my previous and naturally reshaping coiffure???
Myth: Drinking alcohol warms you up
Alcohol makes you feel toasty on the inside, but that's because it causes your blood to rush toward your rosy-red skin and away from your internal organs. That means your core body temperature actually drops post-sip, Vreeman says.
What's more, alcohol actually impairs your body's ability to shiver and create extra heat.
Aha! To all those Indian parents who take/provide a sip of brandy as a cure for cold! And to most of the upper Midwestern "casual drinkers"!
In other words, your geographical location, your little ones and your idle behind is making you sick, and alcohol won't help! I'm waiting with bated breath for the next polar vortex.
Myth: Cold air can make you sick
Despite being called the common "cold," lower temperatures alone won't make you sick. In fact, the exact opposite is true. "Cells that fight infection in body actually increase if you go out into the cold," says Dr. Rachel C. Vreeman, MD, co-author of "Don't Swallow Your Gum! Myths, Half-Truths, and Outright Lies About Your Body and Health." It's your body's way of combating the stress of freezing temps.
Plus, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, cold viruses grow best at about 91 degrees; if you're outside in the cold, your nostrils are surely colder than that.
That is a myth alright--I almost never fell sick walking to college in the dead of Minnesotan winters. Illinois on the other hand is a completely different story. Maybe a combination of cold air, kids with runny noses and sneezing students conspire to make you sick...
Myth: You shouldn't exercise in the cold
Get ready to crawl out from under your comforter and run into the great (and yes, cold) outdoors. According to research published in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, in cold temperatures, race times are actually faster -- and quicker paces burn more calories in less time. Plus, that harder, faster workout can spike your endorphin levels -- which, according to a review in Environmental Science and Technology, are already increased just by you being outside.
One would need those endorphins badly should one slip on ice though...
Myth: You don't need sunscreen in the winter
Forget bathing suits. Department stores should stock sunscreen with the toboggan hats. "Because the Earth's surface is closer to the sun during the winter months, we are actually exposed to more harmful rays without even realizing it," says Dr. Robert Guida, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City.
What's more, snow and ice can both reflect up to 80% of harmful UV rays so that they can hit the skin twice.
Like always I'm going to pretend there is an evolutionary existential reason for my natural fur :-) Although nature does seem to think my head is well insulated and protected already...
Myth: Cold temps cause hair loss
Chilly weather might actually help you hold onto your hair. In one University Hospital of Zurich study, researchers followed 823 women for six years and found that they lost the most hair in the summer and the least in the winter.
It might be evolutionary -- just think how thick your dog's fur gets in the winter. Still, dry scalps grow unhealthy, brittle, and breakable hair, so if your head gets itchy on cold, dry days, you might need to invest in a scalp-protecting shampoo for the season, Vreeman says.
So WHAT is the reason for the untimely demise of my previous and naturally reshaping coiffure???
Myth: Drinking alcohol warms you up
Alcohol makes you feel toasty on the inside, but that's because it causes your blood to rush toward your rosy-red skin and away from your internal organs. That means your core body temperature actually drops post-sip, Vreeman says.
What's more, alcohol actually impairs your body's ability to shiver and create extra heat.
Aha! To all those Indian parents who take/provide a sip of brandy as a cure for cold! And to most of the upper Midwestern "casual drinkers"!
In other words, your geographical location, your little ones and your idle behind is making you sick, and alcohol won't help! I'm waiting with bated breath for the next polar vortex.
