Want to Lose Weight? Activate Your Brown Fat
November 27, 2016 | 3,668 views
Share
Aside from the common type of fat found in our bodies, researchers found that there’s another type of fat that may help with weight loss: brown fat. Researchers are now studying this fat in the human body and how it can benefit people’s wellbeing.
What Is Brown Fat?
Unlike white fat, brown fat helps in the depletion and the burning of calories. It also promotes weight loss. Brown fat is usually present in the neck and other parts of the body, and is responsible for temperature regulation.
The highest amount of brown fat was found in newborns, and it was observed that the amount of brown fat is depleted at we get older. Aside from age, there are other factors that influence the amount of brown fat in your body, like your body composition and blood sugar balance.
Studies Done on Brown Fat
Experiments have also been done to observe how brown fat is activated in order to burn more calories. Studies showed that brown fat is activated when you are exposed to low temperatures. This is because brown fat is usually responsible for keeping body temperature balanced. Researchers also say that 50 grams of brown fat can be responsible for burning up to 20 percent of your daily caloric intake.
The ability of brown fat to burn calories is not an entirely foreign concept, though. Researchers found out that brown fat is actually derived from muscle, explaining the close function of the both of them.
The increasing interest of researchers on brown fat has led to other experiments. Scientists have located a sort of main switch that may cause a higher production of brown fat. They have also found out that a protein, BMP-7, promotes the production of brown fat.
But if you’re considering this, I would suggest that you go for a more natural way. Studies suggest that you can actually increase your brown fat by merely exercising. Mice were observed to release an enzyme called irisin, which helps in the production of brown fat. This may also be applicable to humans because the protein is also found in the human body.
Ice Therapy in Activating Brown Fat
Tim Ferriss published a book, "The Four-Hour Body," which mentions that ice therapy works in activating your brown fat and helping you burn white fat. By activating your brown fat, it may lead to almost 300 percent more fat burning in your body. As mentioned above, it is usually activated by exposing your body to frigid temperatures.
However, I do not advise that you expose your body to the cold without any transition. Do not go straight to ice baths if you are not used to this method because it may have repercussions to your health. There are other ways to activate your brown fat. Some of these include drinking ice water every morning, putting an ice pack on your upper back and upper chest for 30 minutes and taking cold showers.
Boost Your Metabolism by Following These Recommendations
If weight loss is your primary goal, you can boost the speed that your body burns the calories and carbs you ingest through these methods:
Most people do not know that sugar is addictive. It doesn’t only promote weight gain, but it also causes your blood sugar to spike, making you susceptible to various health problems. Sugar and grains cause leptin and insulin resistance which causes your body to alter your eating pattern and how you burn fat. Avoiding these types of food will help your body make your metabolism faster.
- Eat a healthy snack when you get hungry.
Cravings usually revolve around sugary treats and high-calorie foods, so avoid snacking on these. But the next time you feel your stomach grumble, go the other way and go for healthier snacks to quench your hunger.
- Exercise, exercise, exercise.
A well-rounded exercise routine will help your body burn excessive calories and fat, allowing you to lose weight.
- Incorporate intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting helps your body digest and absorb nutrients by having sufficient intervals between your food intake. The limited amount of time for food intake allows your body to relax and avoid the stress of digesting too much food for longer periods of time.
Our bodies have natural processes that help us reach our ideal weight, and the existence of brown fat is just one of these. But if you want to lose fat and employ a healthier type of living, remember that a consistent amount of discipline is needed. For more information about brown fat and weight loss, read “Activating Your Brown Fat May Force Your Body to Burn 400-500 Extra Calories/Day.”