It is that inevitable time of year once again, yes, that cold, miserable, time where the beautiful warmth of summer has abandoned us to this forsaken season of frigid death. We are robbed of the suns invigorating rays, left to make our way through these dark murky months of depression. Like an asphyxiating grasp upon our neck winter bears down with its great power of darkness, we struggle to survive; to break free of this unrelinquishing grasp. But every effort is for not, all is in vain as this hellish noose tightens. Time seems to stop, cold, death, dark, it is inescapable. Days turn to weeks months never ending, winter is a taskmaster that drives us at whips end; on and on compassion is not known to this inhumane beast. Then in that moment when we feel all is lost and we are to give ourselves over to this engulfing power of cold, a flame ever so small burns deep within just enough to give strength that we may endure.
This then begs the question: (Given the time of year)
Why Are You Women Always So Cold!!!
After some intense Google searching I found two solid explanations. The first of course is short, to the point, scientific and makes incredible sense. The second is much more drawn out and quite frankly seems to be mixed with a bunch of conjectures and hear say.
You be the judge:
#1
Recent biological studies have shown that men have blood running through their arteries, whereas women have pure hormones running through their arteries and veins.
these have chemical properties similar to anti-freeze, so a woman's hormones can still be running full force even as her temperature is dropping and thus can have cold feet at the same time she is rolling over in bed with hormone-induced headaches.
this behavior has been a mystery for many centuries and was only cleared up recently on a research whim. it had always been simply assumed that women have a circulatory system similar to men's and no one had bothered to check.
#2
Women do seem to like a higher ambient temperature than men. Popular belief holds that men have a "higher metabolism," which may be broadly true but in itself explains nothing. The medical literature offers more detail, but even the experts don't agree. Leading theories:
Women have a higher ratio of surface to volume than men and thus shed heat faster. The reasoning here is that heat generation is determined by volume (radius cubed), while heat dissipation is determined by skin surface area (radius squared). The smaller your size, the lower your heat generation/heat dissipation ratio, and the colder you are. Probably part of the answer--see below.
Men have more heat-generating muscle mass. Muscles are well supplied with blood vessels. The more muscle, the more blood flow and the more warmth.
Women have a higher vasoconstriction threshold temperature. Vasoconstriction is the process by which, as the external temperature falls, blood flow to the skin is restricted in order to divert blood to internal organs, thus maintaining core temperature. The theory: as ambient temp falls, women shut off blood flow to the skin sooner in order to provide more warmth to their unborn babies, so they feel colder. Interesting idea but as yet unproven--though women do seem to have lower skin temperature when exposed to cold.
Women get colder during menstruation. Supposedly this is due to anemia, hormonal changes, etc. However, most studies haven't shown much difference between menstruating and nonmenstruating women in terms of heat response. As you say, female aversion to cold doesn't seem to be confined to a particular time of the month.
The most persuasive research (for example, "Comparison of Thermoregulatory Responses Between Men and Women Immersed in Cold Water," Tikuisis et al,
Journal of Applied Physiology, October 2000) suggests that varying male/female response to temp is largely a result of size and body-fat percentage, not some fundamental biological difference. Men have a higher metabolism only in the sense that a big car uses more gas than a little one. (To be fair, you can find studies that point to a different conclusion--as I say, the experts disagree.)
I hate blogger sometimes! I can't get my text to go to the top!!!! Anyway.... Here is my holiday post, very late I know but I am less than motivated to blog right now. The pic at the top is of jack with one of his favorite christmas presents, that's right, a flashlight. Too bad it's already broken but he loved it while it worked!
We got Jack this cute trike for Christmas, he doesn't know how to pedal it yet, but we're working on it. (our house really had no decorations this year, again, not motivated)
Jack opening his stocking. He loved that part. He really loved opening all his gifts and everything, he would get tired of it after a bit but then would come back full force. He's not in his Christmas p.j's because I had to work that morning so we didn't open gifts until two.
Christmas eve. I just have to laugh at how horrible this pic is of Reid and I!!! You can't really tell when it's all small. Don't judge us.
fam on Christmas eve.
jack loved rolling the pool balls back and forth across this table. cheap entertainment.
We took Jack sledding for the first time. He really wasn't too sure about it. He just mostly wanted to be held, but he laughed at everyone else going down the hills.
And lastly here is Reid, Jack and the abominable snowman.. I mean me. Boy, pregnant+fluffy sweater= a pic I wish I could forget :) I guess it's not too bad.
