The benefits of life in a cold climate
I suspect you are very keen to know how to encourage subcutaneous white fat to turn beige and thereby encourage weight loss, insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular health. Let’s dig in.
Environmental tools:
The research tells us that intermittent exposure to the cold turns white fat to the metabolically attractive beige fat. The beige fat then burns glucose and fat to produce heat and maintain our body temperature. This is why turning the heating down, ending your shower on cold and cold water swimming can be so beneficial.
When we exercise our muscles produce “myokines” including the beautifully named irisin. These myokines stimulate the conversion of white fat to beige fat and thereby contribute to optimal health and body weight.
There is a catch: be aware that the “beiging” is not permanent and will reverse quickly if intermittent cold exposure and regular exercise stop.
Food tools:
The research suggests that the following nutrients encourage the beiging of white fat:
capsaicin (found in chilli peppers, cayenne pepper, jalapenos)
curcumin (found in turmeric)
carotenoids (found in carrots, pumpkin, squash, sweet potato, leafy greens)
quercetin (found in onions, asparagus, tomatoes, green tea, green peppers, apple skin)
chrysin (found in honey, chamomile, mushrooms, carrots)
luteolin (found in pepper, celery, thyme, mint)
anthocyanins (purple sweet potato is a superstar here)
omega 3 (found in sardines, mackerel, salmon, nuts, seeds).
The magic gap:
Regular readers and clients will know that one of my favourite tools for securing health gains is to organise eating into proper meals. Once again, the research tells us that intermittent fasting is a winner, turning white fat into the more desirable hue of beige.
Final thoughts:
I hope that you are inspired by this article to make small changes to what you eat, how often you move and the amount of central heating you use. These easy wins can combine to help you feel significantly better.
There is also a genetic component here which we will consider next time. Any questions, put them in the comments below.
