Terms to Learn: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) and White adipose tissue (WAT)
Cold Therapy sounded like a bunch of hokey to me until I learned the benefits of Brown adipose tissue (BAT) while reading my favorite guide: Keto. BAT is beneficial because it helps burn calories and unhealthy White adipose tissue (WAT). Cold stimulates BAT to burn excess fat and glucose for energy! (source: Keto.)
Ways to activate brown fat:
- Suck on ice cubes
- Take cold shower, or end your shower with cold water
- Lower your climate control dial by 5 degrees F.
- Use ice packs on your back or neck for 30-60 min at night when your insulin levels are higher.
Wait, what is WAT? WAT is stored body fat. So to review, BAT burns WAT.
What are other benefits of cold therapy? Other benefits of Cold Therapy are:
- Boosts immune system
- Enhances sympathetic nervous system
- Lowered inflammatory proteins
- Improved circulation
- Alleviate autoimmune disorders
- Trains micro muscles within your blood vessels to work more efficiently
- Shrinks mitochondria, making them more efficient
Source:
