What is the Brown Fat Revolution Diet?

The Brown Fat Revolution diet was created by James R. Lyons, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon and author of the book of the same name.

The basic theory behind this diet plan is simple: the body contains both yellow and brown fats.

Yellow fats are the ones you don’t want, as they make you overweight and can lead to high cholesterol and other health problems.

Brown fat is the fat right under your skin and is the type of fat you want to increase because it keeps you looking lean and youthful by plumping your skin and helping your body stay in shape.

The Brown Fat Revolution has one unique goal: help you maintain (or increase) the amount of brown fat in your body while getting rid of as much yellow fat as possible.

The Science Behind It

Lyons’ brown-fat theory is actually well supported in the scientific community. In newborns, brown fat is an essential part of metabolism regulation, used to control calorie burn and also to help regulate body temperature.

However, the amount of brown fat in the body diminishes as you get older. Until recently, scientists didn’t believe this had any impact on adults, but new research is changing that view.

In a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers explored the role of brown fat in metabolism in adult women. They found that “the amount of brown adipose tissue is inversely correlated with body-mass index.” This means women with a higher percentage of brown fat in their bodies had a speedier metabolism and a lower overall body fat percentage.

How the Program Works

The Brown Fat Revolution diet is a very simple program to follow. The core of the program lies on alternating between “carb days” and “protein days.”

On carb days, you can eat a variety of whole grains, starchy vegetables, foods made with whole-grain flour, and all types of fruits. On protein days, you’ll focus on lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, and fish. You’ll also add unsaturated fats such as avocados and olive oil to your meal plan.

While the diet plan comes with plenty of recipe and food suggestions, there’s no measuring and no counting involved. The one rule regarding food that you cannot break is that you must eat six meals a day. The idea is, eating often will work to control appetite, so your portions will naturally end up being smaller as a result.

The Fitness Connection

Two of those six meals must be eaten right before and right after a workout. The Brown Fat Revolution diet also recommends short workouts (no longer than 30 minutes) that focus on your core muscles, as well as a number of weight training and resistance exercises.

These workouts are meant to help you become stronger, improve posture, and help rev up your metabolism.

Forbidden items on the program include artificial sweeteners, flavors, and preservatives. This means all meals must be prepared from scratch and processed foods should be avoided as much as possible.

Caffeine and alcohol are fine in moderation.

SOURCES