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The Benefits of Brown Fat for Weight Management

Did you know that there is a type of fat that helps you burn energy and lose weight? It’s called brown fat, a heat-generating fat that burns energy instead of storing it. According to recent research, brown fat may have an important role in proper weight management.

Based on animal studies, researchers concluded that 50 grams of brown fat can burn about 20 percent or more of your daily caloric intake. A previous article on WebMDreports:

“Kirsi A. Virtanen, MD, PhD, of the University of Turku, Finland, and colleagues analyzed brown fat in five young men. One of the men had about 2.2 ounces of brown fat. If the brown [fat] in this example were fully activated, it would burn an amount of energy equivalent to approximately 4.1 kilograms [9 pounds] of fat over the course of a year, the researchers calculate. And that’s a low estimate, as this assumes only 50 percent activation of the brown fat.” (link)

“No wonder people are anxious to tap into the fat-burning capabilities of brown fat!” exclaimsDr. Joseph Mercola.

What Is Brown Fat?

Brown fat is located in the neck area, around blood vessels (to help keep your blood warm), and marbled in with white fat in visceral fat tissue.

“Human newborns have a supply of brown fat to keep warm, but by adulthood they lose most of their stores of it,” explains Dr. Mercola.

However, a new study revealed that the brown fat still present in adults can be activated when exposed to cold temperatures. The men who participated in the study burned more calories when cooled. They also lost white fat, which causes obesity. According to the authors:

“This boosts the possibility that calorie combustion in brown fat may be of significance for our metabolism and, correspondingly, that the absence of brown fat may increase our proneness to obesity – provided that brown fat becomes activated not only by cold but also through food-related stimuli.” (link)

The study also states that there are certain groups of people that tend to have more brown fat than others:

• Young people have more brown fat than elderly people
• Slender people have more brown fat than obese people
• People with normal blood sugar levels have more brown fat than people with high blood sugar

Can Cold Temperature Help Activate Your Brown Fat?

Many studies have claimed that cold temperature can increase brown fat activity in people. For example, a Swedish research published in 2009 revealed that cold-induced glucose uptake was increased by a factor of 15 percent. To get the results, the researchers dipped the subject’s foot in an ice bath while using positron-emission tomography (PET) to measure the findings.

A similar study by researchers in the Netherlands confined their subjects in a 16 degrees Celsius (or 61 degrees Fahrenheit) room for two hours, and also found an increase in brown fat activity.

Dr. Mercola says: “Needless to say, researchers are excited about the potential for a medical intervention that can help people develop more brown fat. But I would be cautious of any solution in a pill form. Instead, I’d suggest trying out some of the non-invasive methods that have been found to promote brown fat production and its activation.”

One possible option is exercise, which was found to help convert white fat into brown fat in animal studies. Time magazine reports:

“During exercise, the animals’ muscles released a newly discovered enzyme called irisin, which triggered the conversion. It’s not clear whether the same phenomenon is true in people, though humans do have the same protein. However, the brown fat that is easily observed in humans tends not to be the kind that is derived from white fat.” (link)

Can Ice Therapy Also Work?

Tim Ferriss, author of The Four-Hour Work Week, says that brown fat can also be activated when you are exposed to frigid temperatures. In his book The Four-Hour Body, Ferriss says that your fat burning can potentially increase by as much as 300 percent if you add ice therapy to your dieting strategy.

Ferriss’ Ice Therapy uses ice to cool down your body, activate the brown fat, and help you burn more calories. He recommends the following techniques (from easy to “hardcore”):

• Put an ice pack on your upper back and upper chest for 30 minutes daily
• Drink about 500 milliliters of ice water every morning
• Take cold showers
• Immersing yourself in ice water (bathwater and ice cubes) up to your waist for 10 minutes, three times a week.

Dr. Mercola advises: “Do advance slowly! It may be inadvisable to go straight to the ice bath if you’re not used to it!”

Other Ways to Improve Your Metabolism

Dr. Mercola also recommends strategies other than ice therapy to improve your metabolism for better weight management:

• Avoid sugar (particularly fructose) and grains because they cause insulin and leptin resistance. These directly affect your hunger levels, your fat-burning potential, and your weight.
• Eat healthy meals and snacks to satiate your hunger.
• Implement a well-rounded exercise program that includes strength-training and high-intensity interval training.
• Banish stress and negative emotions using tools like mediation, prayer, and theEmotional Freedom Technique (EFT).

“The goal is to establish a healthy relationship with food, one that will keep you satisfied, nourished, and slim, all at the same time,” reminds Dr. Mercola.

Source: http://www.drmercola.com/weight-loss-2/benefits-of-brown-fat-for-weight-management/

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Dr. Mercola and the “Food Babe” Talk About Making Smart, Healthy Food Choices

Posted on October 18th, 2013 by admin  |  4 Comments »

Dr. Joseph Mercola is always eager to meet other people who share his beliefs and passion on natural health, particularly on healthy eating. Just recently, he interviewed Vani Hari, also known as the “Food Babe.”

Dr. Mercola and Vani say that the state of the US food industry today is alarming and severely affects people’s health. Therefore, people must now learn to make smart and practical food choices – and the best way to start is to switch to an all-organic, wholesome diet.

A Woman on a Mission: Who Is the “Food Babe”?

Vani is a blogger and food activist in Charlotte, North Carolina. In Hindi, her name means “voice” – an appropriate title, as she is now an influential food activist who is always eager to share her ideals and thoughts with other people.

Vani’s journey into natural health began at age 22, when she started working with one of the top consulting firms in the country. During that time, she was frequently traveling, and her health deteriorated – she gained 25 to 30 pounds and developed appendicitis. That was when she realized that the vast majority of the foods in the US are filled with toxic ingredients that are having a severe impact on her health.

She decided to start eating organically, and, spurred on by her friends and co-workers who wanted to learn more, started blogging about her discoveries in 2011.

Vani’s blog, FoodBabe.com, is now well-known worldwide for its insightful and informative exposés on conventional American foods, as well as helpful tips in eating a wholesome, organic diet. Vani also published a series called “Food Babe Investigates,” where she digs deeply into the products sold by major food companies like Subway, Kraft, and Starbucks.

Vani has become an inspiration to many people around the world because of her “lead by example” style of activism. One of her most celebrated achievements was her participation in the Democratic National Convention. During Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s speech, she stood up with a makeshift “Label GMOs” sign in the front row, and drew massive media attention.

Mercola.com was one of the first natural health websites that Vani visited when she was just switching to a holistic lifestyle. She admires Dr. Mercola for being a brave pioneer in educating the public about the flaws of Western medicine and the conventional American diet.

Try These Healthy Eating Tips from the Food Babe

Vani and Dr. Mercola both believe that one of the most powerful ways to create change is to demonstrate your beliefs – show others how you changed physically, emotionally, and mentally because of your healthy diet and lifestyle. Vani says it is important to do this from a loving and giving standpoint, not from a critical or judgmental one. Share your knowledge, but don’t preach or impose it on other people.

Vani shares these other helpful eating tips you can incorporate in your lifestyle:

• Look for healthy “replacement” foods. There are ways to replace the unhealthy processed foods in your diet with equally satisfying, wholesome foods that will support rather than wreck your health. For example, instead of eating potato chips or sweets in-between meals, Dr. Mercola recommends snacking on a handful of raw nuts, such as pecans or walnuts.
• Swap out your local grocery. Local grocery stores are usually loaded with cheap but unhealthy processed foods. You can find better – and healthier – deals at health food stores like Earth Fare or Whole Foods.   You can also find healthy, wholesome foods at farmer’s markets, local co-ops, and community supported agricultures (CSAs).
• Buy healthy ingredients online. If you can’t find an ingredient or food product locally, try searching for it  online in health stores. Just make sure to buy it from a reputable manufacturer.
• When eating in restaurants, don’t be afraid to ask about the ingredients in your meals. Just make sure to ask politely and in a positive way. Better yet, eat at restaurants that use  wholesome, organic ingredients.
• Throw an “organic dinner party.” Invite your friends or family members to your home to try organic foods. This will make them realize that organic, healthy foods can taste great, and inspire them to eat healthy.

Like Dr. Mercola, the Food Babe shares her insights and knowledge about healthy eating and healthy lifestyle tips to educate and motivate people to reach optimal health.

http://www.drmercola.com/health-tips/dr-mercola-and-the-food-babe-talk-about-making-smart-healthy-food-choices/