I’m a top nutritionist & this is how you can eat MORE to lose weight – including ‘unhealthy’ treats that help blast fat
WE’RE always being told that too much fat storage is bad for the body.
But there is one kind of fat that is more beneficial than the other.
“If there’s one type of fat you probably want more of, it’s brown fat and, ironically, it can actually help you burn fat,” says Mark Gilbert, Nutritionist for the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan.
Brown fat, known as brown adipose tissue (BAT), plays a crucial role in generating heat and regulating body temperature.
But it’s white fat that we have more of, which determines if we are overweight or obese.
“White fat makes up the vast majority of the fat in your body,” says Mark.
“Having too much of it is unhealthy.
“White fat’s main job is being an energy store.”
“It is literally there so that the body has stores of energy (in case we start starving).
“Humans store tens of thousands of calories in fat, so fat is a great source of energy when we aren’t getting enough food,” Mark says.
But not many of us go without enough calories very often, so we end up storing too much fat.
Brown fat is typically found in smaller amounts in the body.
Mark says that adults have small amounts of brown fat in the neck, around the collar bone, back and a few other places too, while newborn babies have a lot more as they rely on it to maintain body temperature.
Jess Hillard, sports nutritionist at Warrior, says that brown fat plays a key role in a thermoregulation.
“It helps to keep the body warm by generating heat, activating before the onset of shivering,” she says.
“Brown fat burns calories to produce heat through a process known as thermogenesis.”
This is heat produced as we digest and absorb a meal.
Wine contains a fairly notorious chemical called resveratrol… it made mice burn more fat and get leaner.
Mark Gilbert
Why is it brown?
“Because it contains more mitochondria than normal fat,” says Mark.
“Mitochondria are the energy batteries of our cells. They take the products of the food we eat and convert it into energy, while brown fat burns up that energy to create heat.”
Brown fat burns calories to make heat, so do you want more of it?
Not exactly, but there are ways to activate it so you can reap the benefits.
Mark says: “Brown fat can be activated by forms of cold exposure such as cold-water plunging.”
Repeated cold exposure (such as ice plunges) makes brown fat more active, along with other claimed benefits such as improved sleep and stress.
But instead of dunking your body in an ice bath, give these brown-fat triggering foods a try instead…
1. CHILLIES
Adding some hot, spicy chilli to your meals could help you to burn fat.
Mark says that chillies contain compounds called capsaicin and capsinoids.
These cause the burning sensation when we eat them, but they also cause us to feel hot.
“These natural chemicals trigger a specific receptor in the body that controls temperature regulation and brown fat activity,” Mark says.
Japanese researchers wrote a paper in 2020 that said chillies work in a similar way to cold water therapy to trigger brown fat.
Published in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology, it said capsaicin is a ‘potent activator’ of brown fat as it induces a rapid increase in brown fat temperature, increasing energy expenditure, aka calorie burn.
2. WINE
Ultimately, no level of alcohol is healthy, according to the World Health Organisation.
But, if you are going to drink, you might want to go for a glass of red.
“Wine contains a fairly notorious chemical called resveratrol, which has been studied for life extension and other potential benefits,” says Mark.
It was shown in one study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition to increase brown fat warming in mice.
“It did so by increasing levels of an enzyme, called SIRT1. It also made the mice burn more fat and get leaner.”
But, it’s worth keeping in mind that mice have much more sensitive and powerful brown fat activity, according to Mark.
Another resveratrol-packed option is cranberries. Add them to porridge, smoothies and salad.
3. GINGER
Next time you’re whipping up a smoothie, throw some raw ginger in for some brown fat-boosting activity.
“Various plants from the ginger family have been shown to boost brown fat,” explains Mark.
Mark explains that a Japanese study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology actually showed that in men who had high brown fat activity, a type of Thai ginger- Kaempferia parviflora extract – increased calorie burning.
“Another older study from the British Journal of Nutrition, which used Grains of Paradise, a plant also from the ginger family, similarly showed increased energy use,” Mark says.
You could add ginger to curries, hot water (for tea) and cakes!
4. FISH OILS
Fish is a super healthy food, linked to better brain health, skin and more.
But among the many health benefits of oily fish, there’s also the potential weight loss benefit.
Jess says that fish oils, particularly those rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have been shown to promote the conversion of white fat into brown-like fat.
This process is known as ‘browning’.
Research published in the journal Adipocyte showed that this was true in mice, however, more research is yet to be done in humans.
Serve a portion of oily fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel at breakfast, lunch or dinner, or you can take a fish oil supplement.
5. APPLES
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, as the saying goes. But it turns out, an apple a day could help to boost your brown fat too.
“Chlorogenic acid is a chemical found in fruits like apples,” says Mark.
“Research published in the journal Food Science has shown it can help mice avoid gaining excess fat and other studies have shown that it leads to multiple signals which turn on calorie burning, including several which are related to brown fat.”
6. TEA AND COFFEE
Whether it’s a mug of tea at breakfast or a coffee to power you through the afternoon, it’s the catechins – plant-based antioxidants – found in these drinks which could support weight loss, according to Mark.
Green tea in particular is filled with catechins.
Mark explains that tea increases energy expenditure and heat production.
“Unlike many studies that tried to stimulate brown fat, tea was shown to have this effect even when research subjects weren’t being subjected to the cold.”
Research published in the journal Obesities even found that women who were given an active chemical from tea for 12 weeks, actually increased their brown fat levels by 20 per cent.
“So considering green tea does legitimately help with weight loss, it is very likely that at least one way it does so is through brown fat,” says Mark.
Can you target fat loss to one area?
We all have those wobbly bits we’d like to change more than others.
Targeted fat loss, often referred to as “spot reduction,” is the idea that you can lose fat from a specific part of your body by focusing exercise to that area.
However, the scientific consensus is that spot reduction is largely a myth.
When you lose fat, it tends to come off in a genearl manner, spread over the body.
It is determined by genetics and hormonal factors rather than specific exercises.
However, you can focus exercise on a certain muscle which can help it to tone and grow.
This can contribute to a different look of that area, especially if you are lean (meaning there is not much fat there).
To lose fat:
- Reduce the calories you eat
- Have a balanced diet, making sure to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. These contain fibre which help you feel more full
- Do regular exercise more than you were before. This could be walking, gym classes or weights
- Stick to something long term. If your plan is too drastic, you’re more likely to give up