What you should and shouldn’t eat, drink during Houston’s arctic freeze

HOUSTON – It’s cold in the Houston area and a lot of people are at home today or just simply not outside due to the frigid temperatures.

You may find yourself snacking more than usual and indulging in delicious comfort foods that are high in sugar and starches. According to health experts, even this innocent behavior can be concerning.

• Hypothermia: Warning signs to look for during this week’s hard freeze

“If we are snacking or where you were eating a lot of things that require a lot of digestion, we’re diverting a lot of our blood flow to our digestive system, which then makes you more susceptible to frostbite or to cold hands and feet,” Dr. Steffanie Campbell, an Internal Medicine physician at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, explained during an interview on KPRC 2+ Tuesday morning.

• Warning signs of frostbite and who is most at risk

Dr. Campbell urges snackers to make sure they’re consuming things that are already warm, such as:

• Broths
• Soups
• Hot cocoa, and
• Tea

Campbell said to avoid the following during cold weather days:

• Large amounts of caffeine
• Alcohol
• Foods and liquids that will make you not notice signs of hypothermia

Father, daughter amongst thousands stuck on Hardy Tollway for more than 6 hours during arctic freeze

Hypothermia occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it.

• Stay warm: List of Houston-area warming centers open during this week’s hard freeze

Warning signs include:

• Confusion
• Difficulty speaking
• Sleepiness
• Stiff muscles
• Shivering

In the case where someone is dealing with hypothermia, move the person indoors and replace any cold, wet clothing with dry coats or blankets.

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