Cold Thermogenesis for Weight Loss?

As you know, I am always interested in the latest health information and do my research to make sure it’s something I think is beneficial and also something I can educate my clients about.

My journey into sustaining a healthy body and mind over a decade now has brought me to an awareness of a few bio-hacking techniques that have “upped” my game and has added to an overall feeling of doing great things for my body. One of these techniques is called cold thermogenesis. I have been practicing it throughout this past winter. Cold thermogenesis is heat production stimulated by exposure to cold temperatures. It is a unique kind of fat that can generate heat by burning the regular white fat (adipose tissue) found on your stomach, hips, legs and buttocks. This has mitochondrial effects in cranking out more ATP. The main function of mitochondria is to produce energy for the cell. Cells use a special molecule for energy called ATP. The ATP for the cell is made within the mitochondria. Think of the mitochondria as the power plant of the cell. The mitochondria produce energy through cellular respiration.. breathing!

My initial attempt at cold thermogenesis was putting my face into a bowl of ice water. Ooh, it was not easy but I stayed with it.. doing it every few days. I also took hot/cold showers (which I do every time I take a shower these days). After I wash up, I take a deep breath, turn the faucet to cold and do some deep breathing for about 20 seconds before I turn the faucet back to hot. I keep it hot for 10 seconds and then back to cold for another 20 seconds. I alternate between hot and cold for 10 seconds hot/20 seconds cold for about 5 minutes and I’m done. I cannot tell you how invigorating it is and how much easier it has become for me to do this. It’s definitely worth a try!

I also started layering less this past winter when taking my dog for a walk. I did wear a hat and gloves but would wear a tank under my coat and even take my coat off if the sun was out and stand in the sunlight for about 5 minutes (which is a long time when the temps are below 20 degrees!). Sometimes I would take my shoes off and stand in the grass staring at the sun.

As I continue on my health journey, I will blog about various craziness I incorporate into my life. Actually, for me I love learning about the health benefits of different modalities and am always game at trying them out.

So, this is just another tool you might want to add to your routine that may help not only with more energy, healthier mitrochondria but also may just help you shed a few pounds. I say, “try it out.”

Stay curious,,

-C