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common weight loss myth is that the body inherently needs help burning fat. In reality, our bodies are already hardwired to burn excess fat; we just have to create the conditions that promote biological balance, which gives the body the chance to burn extra fat that has been stored. Following an intelligently formulated nutrition protocol is the best way to promote weight loss. However, there are several overlooked protocols that you can add to your daily ritual that can paid in placing your body in the optimal fat burning state. In installment number one of our three-part series, we will discuss a little-known practice known as cold thermogenesis, which can help balance hormones and allow the body to burn excess fat naturally.
Cold Thermogenesis
If you follow athletics or pop culture, you’ve probably heard of celebrities like LeBron James and Alicia Keys trying “cryotherapy” to help with post-workout recovery or as an anti-aging strategy.
It’s Shockingly Good for Your Health by Joe Condora
Cryotherapy treatment involves being exposed to subzero temperatures in order to activate the central nervous system and illicit a variety of beneficial biological functions. Some health benefits include decreased inflammation, cellular regeneration, and powerful (but natural) fat burning. Let’s take a moment to dig deep into the science of how cold thermogenesis is a fat-burning tool that can easily be added to your daily ritual. Behind the scenes, cold thermogenesis (exposure to cold temperatures) acts as a hormetic stressor, as well as an epigenetic trigger, that activates several different “survivor genes”. A hormetic stressor is a desirable type of stress because it follows the law “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. Below are some of the powerful fat burning effects of cold thermogenesis.
Brown Fat vs. White Fat
Just as there are good and bad dietary fats, there is good and bad fat within our own bodies. Perhaps “good fat” and “bad fat” are not the best terms to use. Instead, let’s refer to these fats as more desirable and less desirable. White fat (white adipose tissue), which is less metabolically active, is the less desirable type of fat. Located largely in the belly, waist, and thigh regions, white fat is present in higher quantities in obese people. This is the type of fat that we generally want to burn or lose. Brown fat (brown adipose tissue) on the other hand, which is more metabolically active, is the more desirable type of fat. Located predominantly in the upper back, collar bone, and shoulder regions of the body, brown fat has the ability to burn off the white fat. Stimulation of this more desirable fat has fat-burning effects comparable to exercise, which helps to burn calories. Cold thermogenesis has been clinically shown to increase the body’s ability to stimulate brown fat, keeping the white fat under control in a process called mitochondrial uncoupling. Basically, your body tries to compensate for the extreme temperature shock, resulting in metabolic upregulation, which immediately kicks you into fat-burning mode.
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