Unusual Ways To Burn Calories

Franziska Spritzler has a BSc in nutrition and dietetics. She is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with expertise in carbohydrate-restricted diets for diabetes and weight management, she writes:

"6 Unusual Ways to Burn Calories
Burning more calories can help you lose and maintain a healthy weight. Exercising and eating the right foods are two effective ways to do this. However, there are also some more unusual ways to boost the number of calories you burn. Here are six unconventional ways to burn calories.

1. Cold Exposure
Exposure to cold temperatures may help boost your metabolic rate by stimulating brown fat activity in your body. In addition to mainly white fat, your fat stores are also made up of small amounts of brown fat. These two types of body fat have very different effects.
White fat promotes inflammation, insulin resistance and fat storage. By contrast, brown fat increases calorie burning and may be helpful for losing weight and controlling diabetes.
A few ways to obtain the benefits of cold exposure include slightly lowering the temperature in your home, taking cold showers and walking outside in cold weather.

Bottom Line: Exposure to cold temperatures has been shown to stimulate brown fat activity, which increases the number of calories you burn.

2. Drink Cold Water

Water is the best beverage choice for quenching thirst and staying well hydrated. Drinking water has also been shown to temporarily boost metabolism in studies of normal and overweight adults and children. What’s more, some studies suggest that you may be able to maximize this effect by drinking cold water.

Bottom Line: Drinking cold water has been shown to temporarily boost calorie burning. However, the strength of this effect may vary by individual.

3. Chew Gum
Chewing gum has been shown to promote feelings of fullness and reduce calorie intake at snacks. There’s also some evidence that it may help speed up your metabolism.

Bottom Line: Chewing gum appears to increase metabolic rate when consumed after meals or between meals.

4. Donate Blood
Donating blood may save the life of someone in need. In addition, having your blood drawn increases the number of calories you burn, at least temporarily. When you donate blood, your body uses energy to synthesize new proteins, red blood cells and other blood components to replace what has been lost.

Of course, donating blood isn’t something you can do every day. In general, you need to wait at least eight weeks between blood draws in order to replenish your blood supply.

Also, research suggests that donating blood may offer several health benefits, including lowering inflammatory markers, increasing antioxidant activity and reducing the risk of heart disease. But most importantly, whenever you donate blood, you are potentially saving lives.

Bottom Line: In addition to helping save lives, donating blood temporarily increases the number of calories you burn and provides other health benefits.

5. Fidget More
Exercising burns calories and helps you stay fit. However, more subtle forms of physical activity can also boost your metabolic rate. This concept is known as non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), which includes fidgeting. Fidgeting involves moving body parts in a restless manner. Examples include repeatedly bouncing a leg, tapping fingers on a table and playing with rings. Other ways to benefit from NEAT include taking the stairs, using a standing desk and cleaning.

Bottom Line: Fidgeting has been shown to increase the number of calories burned while sitting and standing, especially in those who are overweight.

6. Laugh Often

They say laughter is the best medicine. Indeed, research has confirmed that laughter may improve many aspects of mental and physical health, including memory, immunity and arterial function. In addition, laughing also burns calories.

Bottom Line: Laughing on a regular basis is still a great way to improve your overall health and make you happier as well."

Franziska's full article with all information / research links is here

We bring a variety of articles, studies etc. plus recent news/views and recipe ideas to this blog, we hope something for everyone to read and enjoy.

Please note, not all may be suitable for you.

If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan