When the temperatures drop, we all shift.

We wrap up in chitenges or hoodies, soak our feet in warm water, and reach instinctively for what brings us comfort. In this cold season, that comfort often comes in the form of thick soups, hot porridge, sweet chai, maheu, or a heavily salted beef stew served with steaming nshima.

It’s easy to dismiss these habits as harmless or even nostalgic. After all, what’s a Zambian winter without a hearty meal or a hot drink that reminds you of your grandmother’s kitchen? But what if I told you that these familiar flavours, particularly the salt and sugar hidden in our winter meals, could be doing more harm than good?
What if the very foods that keep us warm are quietly straining our hearts?

Why Cold Weather Changes Our Cravings

In winter, we move less and feel more tired. Our bodies burn more energy just to stay warm, and our mood can drop due to fewer daylight hours and disrupted routines. As a result, we crave what gives us quick energy and emotional relief – often in the form of salty and sugary foods.

Sweet drinks give us a temporary spike in energy. Salty relishes or soups satisfy cravings for depth and warmth. But these ingredients also impact our blood pressure, blood sugar, and heart function, especially when consumed in excess. Let’s be honest, it’s very easy to do so when it’s freezing and load shedding has thrown off your meal routine.

Hidden Risks

For many people in Zambia and across the southern African region, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still seen as a condition that affects “older men” or “those overseas.” But recent data tells a different story. High blood pressure is becoming more common in women, young adults, and people who live in high-stress environments — especially those juggling multiple roles, caring for extended families, or dealing with health conditions like diabetes.

Heart disease doesn’t always announce itself loudly. It starts quietly…with fatigue, chest tightness, or headaches we dismiss. It builds with every teaspoon of salt, every sugary cup of tea, every sedentary day spent indoors.

Salt: The Silent Ingredient

During the cold months, our meals tend to be heavily salted – whether it’s a broth cube in every pot or that final sprinkle over vegetables. What most of us don’t realise is that Zambians consume nearly double the recommended daily salt limit.

Salt retains water in the body, increasing blood pressure. Over time, high blood pressure thickens artery walls, making the heart work harder and increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease.
It’s not just the salt we add at the table, it’s hidden in bread, stock cubes, processed meats, and many packet soups we rely on when power cuts make cooking from scratch hard.

Sugar: Comfort That Backfires

Sweet drinks and porridge are winter staples. Whether it’s milky chai, sweetened thobwa, or a hot cup of maheu, we often reach for sugar when we’re cold and tired.

But sugar overload leads to spikes in blood glucose and triglycerides, contributing to weight gain and insulin resistance – two major risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

If you live with diabetes, these fluctuations are even more dangerous in winter, when your blood sugar may already be harder to control due to inactivity or skipped meals.

The Winter & Heart Health

So what happens when you combine more salt, more sugar, less movement, and more stress? You create the perfect storm for cardiovascular strain.
Let me paint the picture:
• You skip your morning walk because it’s too cold.
• You boil sweet tea to give yourself a “boost.”
• You heat soup with two stock cubes because it tastes richer.
• You spend hours indoors, maybe working or caring for kids, barely hydrating.
This becomes your new normal. But over weeks and months, your blood pressure rises, your blood vessels stiffen, and your heart becomes overworked – all without any obvious symptoms.

There’s a dangerous myth that heart disease is a “man’s condition.” Yet in many parts of Africa, more women than men die from heart-related conditions, often because they are misdiagnosed or dismissed when symptoms appear less dramatic than chest pain.

Women tend to present with fatigue, anxiety, nausea, or jaw pain. These are signs that don’t always scream “heart attack” but can signal serious cardiovascular issues.

Add the emotional weight many women carry – caregiving, financial pressure, hormonal shifts – and winter becomes even riskier.

Solutions

The good news is: we don’t need to abandon our comfort foods. We just need to refine how we use them.
Here are some heart-conscious tweaks anyone can make:
Cut Down Salt Gradually
• Use half the amount of broth cubes you normally do.
• Add garlic, ginger, lemon juice, or chili to flavour your food instead.
• Taste first! Don’t automatically reach for the salt shaker.
Sweeten Smartly
• Use cinnamon or nutmeg in porridge for natural warmth.
• Reduce sugar in tea slowly — your taste buds will adjust.
• Try rooibos or green tea without sugar — both support heart health.
Move Gently, Even in Cold Weather
• Do simple stretches indoors.
• Dance to music for 15 minutes.
• Take a break from your desk and go for a short brisk walk in the late morning sun instead of at dawn.
Hydrate & Eat Whole
• Drink warm water with lemon or ginger.
• Add leafy greens, beans, and sweet potatoes to soups for potassium.
• Choose roller meal nshima or mixed maize meals when you can.

Final Thoughts

This cold season, I invite you to think beyond warmth and cravings. Think about your heart, your quiet engine carrying you through each day.

You don’t need expensive health checks or supplements. You just need knowledge, small shifts, and self-trust. Because our culture offers both the challenges and the solutions…if we’re willing to look closely.
May this winter be the one where you protect your peace, nourish your body, and honour the strength of your own heart.

Stay warm, and stay well.

(Kaajal Vaghela is a wellness entrepreneur, sportswear designer, and diabetes health consultant with over three decades of lived experience managing Type 1 diabetes. As the chairperson of the Lusaka branch of the Diabetes Association of Zambia, she is a passionate advocate for breaking down myths and building awareness about diabetes. For more information, check out: www.kaajalvaghela.com and for any feedback: [email protected])