Monday, December 12, 2011

Brr! Open Door's Top 5 Ways to Stay Warm (inside and out)




  1. Wear a hat; Growing up I heard over and over again- "Wear a hat! You lose 80% of your body heat through your head!" Now that I'm older, and have internet access, I know that this isnt' totally accurate. It is true, however, that the more warm things you wear the warmer you are, and really hats are just cool. Put a hat on anything and it's instantly better. Case in point:





  2. Move around; Get that blood moving in whatever way says 'fun' to you. We here at Open Door are in favor of dance parties and flash mobs. Have a boring mid-winter office party coming up? Don't just stand around shivering and making small talk- liven it up with an impromptu lucho libre wrestling match! (I know a place you can get a good deal on some handmade masks)




  3. Hot Cocoa; Not only is hot cocoa unspeakably delicious in nearly all it's forms, it's also good for you. In the 16th century, hot chocolate was used to treat liver disease. Which may sound silly, but even modern science (SCIENCE!) has found all sorts of real, good stuff in cocoa. Flavanoids, antioxidants, phenylethylamine are all found in hot chocolate and can help with artery health, digestion and even your mood.(1) Plus, it tastes awesome.




  4. Share the love!(and the body heat); Sheep have the right idea. Standing close to other people helps to stay warm. One North Carolina study found that hugging actually triggers your brain to increase oxytocin (feel-good hormone) and decrease cortisol (stress hormone) and even lower blood pressure. (Again, SCIENCE.) Huddling up to strangers at the bus stop might get you a few stares, though, so stick with friends.






  5. Support a cause you care about; This time of year we are innundated with ads and commercials telling us to buy! more! things! It's easy to get caught up in it all and even easier, for me, to get all scroogey and angry about. Take a break from the rampant consumerism and use your resources to buy from a nonprofit you care about. Your loved ones will end up a unique gift with a story behind it (other than 'I elbowed strangers in the face for this deal!'), you'll feel good knowing your money is going to someone who needs it, and gift giving will be an enjoyable experience again. Magical.





(1)info found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_chocolate . Note: I am not anything even close to a doctor or scientist. All recommendations made in this post are based on tastiness and the internet.

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