There are two types of fat in your body: white and brown. White fat makes up most of all of the fat in your body, and is basically where all the excess calories we consume are stored. Brown fat, on the other hand, burns calories to produce heat, and depending on how much heat you need to produce, that can many, many calories burned! It is normally located along the sides of your neck and in your upper back between the shoulder blades. The amount of brown fat you have weighs almost nothing and doesn’t contribute to those bulges and rolls you may have. Blame all of that on white fat.
For weight loss, we want to burn more calories than we consume. Exercise and eating less helps, but you can also activate your brown fat to help the process. A study by Swedish researchers found that when you’re exposed to colder temperatures and to ice water, preferably directly to your skin, the calorie burning power of brown fat deposits on the body increases. No exercise needed (but if you exercise in cooler temperatures, even better!).
Ursolic acid is also able to increase brown fat and muscle mass as well as improve your tolerance for glucose. Apple peel is a great source of ursolic acid, along with cranberries, blueberries, and several herbs including oregano, thyme, lavender, holy basil, bilberry, peppermint leaves, and hawthorn.