another cold, snowy day. i have been walking on the treadmill watching johnny do his keith as pirate interpretation in pirates of the caribbean. shiver me timbers! i have 4 layers on. the room is maybe 55 degrees. as i warm up one by one the layers come off.
ah, winter. had enough of this snowy, cold weather, not planning a trip to the caribbean and spending too much time indoors? increasingly that time indoors is also at a higher temperature than it used to be. it feels great but may also have a downside-not being in the cold enough may interfere with our bodies ability to create heat meaning that it burns fewer calories and that adds to weight gain.
to make matters worse we also have 2 types of basic fat (isn't one bad enough!) white fat and brown fat. we want more brown fat as it is more active so uses more energy and some of that white fat to make heat. being exposed to the cold more often just might help make more brown fat.
research indicates a reduction in white fat and an increase in brown fat and the resulting higher number of calories burned with longer cold exposure. it is estimated that if we could activate just 3 ounces of brown fat our bodies could burn an extra 400 calories a day. that could mean approximately 3 1/2 pounds lost in a month-a cold month. but not even that cold, we are not talking sub-zero here. research has found greater brown fat activity in just 2 hours spent at 61 degrees.
not exactly a magic pill, just something to think about next time you turn up your thermostat or think that it's too cold to walk outside. i wonder if cold showers during a caribbean stay might work?
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