Why Are My Feet So Cold?

It’s started.  The aging process, I mean.  All of my life I’ve had hot feet and I always thought people who complained of having cold feet because there were times I’d do just about anything to cool off my piggies.

And then it happened.

My feet started to get cold.  And not just in the winter.

I’d been told all of my life that one day when I was older my feet would get cold and I’d wish for the days of hot feet.  Pish!  “It’s all a big lie” I thought.  Nope.  It’s for real.

It seems like there are days that no matter what I do, I can’t get my feet warmed up.  I’ve tried wearing wool socks and tucking them under covers, but nope.  Still cold.

In my search to find out how to warm up my feet, I actually stumbled on some interesting information as to why women struggle with cold feet as they age.

There are many theories as to why women suffer from cold feet and cold hands.  Women actually have a more evenly distributed fat layers, providing internal insulation but while our  blood supply is working hard to protect our inside organs, it means that less blood is flowing to our hands and feet.

The skin on our feet is thinner than the feet on men so it’s really hard for us to stay warm.  The next time you’re around your grandma, sneak a peek at her feet.  You’ll notice that the skin on her feet looks really thin.  That’s because as a woman gets older, the skin on our feet gets thinner.

Lucky us.

So what are some ways that you can keep your feet from feeling so cold or how can you warm them up if they become frigid?

Avoid alcohol or caffeine- if you’re like me, you’re probably like “um, no.”  I couldn’t survive without coffee.  Actually, I think the world couldn’t survive if I didn’t drink coffee.  But anyway, alcohol and caffeine increase blood flow to the skin, so while you might feel warmer, your body is losing heat

Back away from the heels- I’m sorry to tell you this, especially if you’re a lover of heels, but you might want to put them away in the closet.  If you wear tight shoes (like those cute heels you just got on sale), this can cut off the circulation to your feet, leaving them feeling cold.

Watch what you eat- this seems to be the answer to every ailment known to mankind.  So why don’t we follow through with it? Vitamin K is important to women because it improves circulation around your body, including your feet, therefore keeping them warmer. So how do you get a good dose of vitamin K? By eating ginger, fish, parsley, salad, spring onions, apricots and celery. K.

Exercise regularly- yeah, I don’t like this one so  much either, but you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. Regular exercise helps keep the heart healthy and strong, and so more efficient at pumping blood around the body.

Use a foot spa- doesn’t this sound nice?  If you have very cold feet, it’s important not to warm them up too quickly, such as with a hot-water bottle or against a radiator because in the worse case scenario, you could end up with chilblains (chilblains are a tissue injury that occurs when a predisposed individual is exposed to cold and humidity). The most effective way is bathing your feet in warm water or using a foot spa. This will warm up your feet slowly and naturally, and also keep them hydrated from the outside, improving circulation.

Drink a bunch of water- When you are dehydrated your hands and feet get colder, too, as dry skin fails to maintain a good moisture balance and so does not retain heat.

Wear natural socks- cheap, synthetic, man-made fibers are so closely woven together that there are no air pockets to hold in your natural body heat. Natural wool and cotton socks have more textured fibers so they hold more warm air around the feet.