Winter has really come to France. With maximum temperatures between 1 and 5°C in the northern half of the country on Monday the cold is felt. To deal with it, certain gestures, based on received ideas, should be avoided. Here is a non-exhaustive list.
• Drink alcohol
You may think that drinking alcohol helps you warm up, but it doesn’t. From the Quebec government to Public Health France, everyone advises avoiding alcoholic beverages during periods of extreme cold. Indeed, “after drinking, you feel an impression of heat that is due to dilation of the blood vessels in the skin”, but “this impression is misleading because it is actually accompanied by a loss of heat”, explains Alcool- info. -service.fr website.
Drinking alcohol when it’s cold can even be dangerous, Drinkaware notes. This British alcohol awareness association points out on its website that “alcohol can affect our ability to make decisions, which can lead us to take risks that we would not take while sober.”
Drinkaware mentions, for example: “Making the decision to walk home without a jacket while it’s snowing can lead to a drastic drop in body temperature and therefore hypothermia.”
• eat fat
If winter is synonymous with a lot of raclette and fondue, these dishes are not necessary to avoid feeling cold. “The cold can cause additional energy expenditure,” Florence Foucault, dietitian nutritionist, explained to BFMTV.com at the beginning of December, but for us “the loss is less, we have clothes that allow us to be well protected”, and therefore really you don’t need a caloric surplus.
Eating richer in winter to protect yourself, “was true in ancient times, when there was no insulation and heating inside, or not enough warm clothing,” added Patrick Serog, a nutritionist doctor.
make a cure vitamin Dwhose contribution depends in particular on sun exposure, however, it may be a good idea in winter.
The national health security agency, ANSES, points out on your site that vitamin D “plays an essential role in the quality of bone and muscle tissue, as well as in strengthening our immune system”, but that “most French people do not consume enough”.
• Overheating of your house
Overheating your apartment is another winter mistake to avoid, according to Public Health France. Wanting to keep your home warm at all costs can lead to not ventilating your rooms enough or using inappropriate appliances (stove, brazier, barbecue, etc.)
This creates the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, which is responsible hundred deaths a year in Franceaccording to the Ministry of Health.
Therefore, the health insurance recommends keeping the room temperature in the apartment around 19 °C, while the heating bill may go up a lot this year.
The owner of an overheated apartment also exposes himself to penalties, which can be pronounced by a judge seizing his tenant.
Source: BFM TV
