Yeah! It's Freezing!

What a perfect time for it to be this cold - after the holidays! Your body responds to the cold by trying to keep warm, and one way is to burn your BROWN FAT - intramuscular fat that you have managed to hang on to from birth to now (hmmn, this is a good thing?). Brown fat is heat producing, calorie burning fat that babies need to regulate their body temperature, and most goes away as you get older. So take advantage of getting out a little at a time - your body will shiver, your blood vessels will constrict, and your blood will go deep inside to keep your organs warm. Shivering is actually a voluntary small muscle contraction that generates heat - which requires energy (hence, the burning of brown fat), and raises your metabolism (which burns calories). All of this, of course, can help you lose a few extra pounds, as long as you don't rush inside and eat fondue sitting in front of the fire for most of the day. This unfortunately will just result in abdominal fat, which doesn't help ANYTHING! Remember to dress for the cold weather, and go out for short intervals - when your blood goes deep inside your body, there's not much to keep your fingers, toes, or ears warm, so the fluid around these parts freezes, resulting in frostbite. Don't forget your mittens! Melissa