december2016

Stay

Warm:

Coffee

Drinking something warm raises your

core body temp. But there’s a little-

known, crucial caveat: You have to be

bundled. The hot bev makes you sweat,

and if that sweat is allowed to evaporate,

it will actually make your colder. You’ll

want to skip the hot toddy too. Don’t be

fooled by the warm, fuzzy feelings you

get with the first few sips: Alcohol actu-

ally lowers your body temperature.

Become a baker

Just because you’ve vowed to stay away

from that thermostat dial doesn’t mean

your apartment has to feel arctic. Luck-

ily your home has another heat source:

the oven. Using it will heat up your

Falling temps signal the start of sweater season,

holiday baking extravaganzas, and pumpkin spice

everything, but they also bring an unfriendly guest:

sky-high heating bills. Americans spend anywhere

from $600 to $2,000 to heat their homes in the win-

ter—natural gas is typically least expensive, while

electricity puts the biggest dent in your wallet. It’s

enough to make us wonder: What ever happened to a

good old (read: cheap) wood fire?

Whether you’re stuck in a drafty office building all

day or simply want to slash that heating bill, there

are plenty of low-tech ways to keep warm without

cranking up the thermostat or busting out the space

heater.

kitchen quickly. Plus you’ll be left

with a fresh-from-the-oven batch

of chocolate chip cookies to

combat any residual chills.

Light up

Obviously, lighting a fire

is a good way to keep

warm, but you don’t

need a roaring bonfire to

heat things up. Light a

few candles around your

immediate workspace or

at the dinner table to keep

those finger tips toasty. You

can even DIY your own tea-

light heater. The added ambiance

doesn’t hurt either.

Get close

Cozying up with your special someone

is a surefire way to warm up. For opti-

mal heat sharing, ditch the layers. It may

seem counterintuitive, but skin-on-skin

contact is the most efficient way to share

body heat—it’s also the most fun.

Break out the hot water bottle

Skip the electric blanket, which will

jack up your electric bill, in favor of a

more low-tech bed warmer: the hot wa-

ter bottle. If you don’t want to run to the

drug store to buy one, you can also heat

up a package of dried beans or rice in

the microwave for a minute, wrap it in

a pillowcase, and slide it between your

sheets for a few hours of warmth.

Cover your floors

Stay Warm: Cover floors

Nothing gives you the chills like walk-

ing around on freezing floors, and no

amount of fuzzy socks can really protect

you from that ice-cold bathroom tile

in the a.m. Cover any bare floors with

rugs this winter, and you’ll be walking

warmer all season.

Get a move on

There’s a reason you start sweating

when you exercise. Physical activity

raises your heart rate, gets your blood

pumping, and raises your core tempera-

ture. Just because you’re taking a rest

day doesn’t mean you have to sit around

like an ice sculpture.

Go for

a walk, do

some

jump-

ing

SEXY GLAM

MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2016