- Peta Stange
- 18 Comments
When it comes to weight loss, the attitude towards body fat is starting to change thanks to a startling discovery on the three different types of fat; white, beige, and brown fat.
- White fat stores any excess energy, especially sugars, usually around the belly and internal organs.
- Brown fat burns energy to produce heat but tends to be limited to the neck and chest in adults.
- Beige fat is white fat that is turning brown.
Brown fat actually contains blood vessels that transport oxygen and nutrients to it. Therefore, increasing your circulation feeds more energy into the brown fat which may subsequently increase the amount of energy that you burn as opposed to storing it in the white fat.
Some health experts suggest it may be possible to stimulate brown fat and encourage white fat to transform into beige fat, although testing on humans is somewhat limited to certain demographics, often with very small sample size.
Despite the small human sample size, research performed on rats and human tissue in the lab shows the chemical pathways and various other complex mechanisms that our body uses to burn and convert fat which has enabled scientists to test which compounds perform better.
Fat Burning and Converting Plants and Ingredients
- Caffeine stimulates the production of a type of adrenaline that triggers our bodies to break down fat. It also reduces the accumulation of fat, increases circulation, boosts your metabolism, and stimulates hair growth. Most products tend to have a 3% concentration of caffeine in them.
- It is suggested that the combination of caffeine and the tea catechins found in green tea work together to oxidate and burn fat, which produces heat and stimulates circulation. It was found to decrease white fat in mice.
- Capsaicin and capsinoids are found in hot and sweet peppers such as chili and cayenne peppers. These alkaloids can activate brown fat and assist with the transformation of white fat into beige fat.
- Menthol, found in mint, activates a receptor that is sensitive to cold. This receptor is also found on the surface of fat cells and studies have shown that menthol can trigger brown fat to produce heat as well as promote beige fat formation.
- The roots of white hellebore contain resveratrol. This compound is the building block that basically signals white fat to eventually turn into brown fat.
- Rosemary and Hercules’ club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis) were both shown to increase micro-circulation and may be beneficial for cellulite treatment.
- Cod liver oil is a fantastic source of vitamin A as well as vitamin D and Omega-3. Vitamin A helps to thicken the skin, stimulate collagen, and gives your skin a firm, plump texture. Cod liver oil is readily absorbed by the skin and helps to activate brown fat and is strongly linked to the development of beige fat. It’s a viable alternative to retinol which is a common ingredient in most fat-burning creams which can result in UV sensitivity. There are also odorless options.
Ingredients:
- 5 teaspoons of coffee grounds
- 1 teaspoon of green tea leaves
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- ¾ cup of
high absorption carrier oil such as olive or soybean. - 1 ounce (28 g) of beeswax
- 5 tablespoons of white hellebore root powder
- 1 tablespoon of matcha green tea powder
- 1 tablespoon of cod liver oil
- 10 drops of mint or peppermint essential oil
- 10 drops of rosemary essential oil
Method:
- Place the ground coffee, green tea leaves, chili, cayenne pepper, and carrier oil into a jar and set the jar in a pot of hot water (100 °F). Allow the herbs and spices to infuse into the oil for at least 3 hours (the longer, the better).
- Strain the infused oil, which should measure approximately half a cup. Pour it back into a glass jar that is big enough to fit a beater or whisk and place it back into the hot water (140 –150 °F).
- Add the beeswax and stir until it has melted. Test the consistency with a cold spoon. Then remove the jar from the hot water and allow it to cool for 10 minutes, then SLOWLY add the white hellebore root powder and matcha powder (if available) while beating or whisking the mixture until it becomes silky and creamy (about 5 minutes). Wait another 10 minutes for it to cool further and then stir in the cod liver oil and essential oils.
Application:
Apply liberally to thighs, belly, hips, and other target areas. Avoid applying near the eyes due to the peppers.
Comments for Succes
Topical treatments have significantly higher absorption rates through the skin when hair is present. Studies have shown that many beneficial compounds, including caffeine, can be transported deeper and quicker into the skin via the hair follicle and subsequently, closer to the fat layer underneath.
Add any of the ingredients listed above to your diet. Many of them work just as well, if not better for fat burning when consumed. Turmeric is another great ingredient for fat burning and is best added to your diet instead of staining your skin and nails in a cream.
Technically it is possible to promote brown fat by spending an extended amount of time exposed to cooler environments, between 61 – 66 °F (16 – 19 °C). This is because brown fat is naturally activated by lower temperatures, however, some research has shown that a cold shower every day isn’t enough time to accumulate brown fat; the most successful studies involved exposing participants between 2 – 8 hours a day!
This is certainly not a magical cream that burns fat in the blink of an eye. Most treatments require at least 6 months of use to see any improvements and the most successful studies on humans included a regular exercise routine and a strict diet.
You may also like:
How to Make A Weight Loss Tonic
8 Best Essential Oils for Weight Loss
DIY Anti-Cellulite Body Cream
DIY Colon Detox with Ingredients You Have in Your Kitchen Right Now
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18 The Lost Herbs Comments
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The Lost Herbs
Admin
Reply to Eliza
3 years ago
Hi Eliza,
Thank you for your continued support.
I’m glad to hear you liked our recipe. Can’t wait to hear your feedback 🙂
Many blessings and good health!
Reply
Hi Nicole! This is great! I love my books, too but your videos and this highlighting certain things makes it easy for someone like me who works around the clock. Question – Is white hellebore different from the hellebore that I’m growing for the beautiful leaves and flowers in my yard in part shade?
Thanks!
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The Lost Herbs
Admin
Reply to Linda
3 years ago
Hi Linda,
The plants should be identified in their environment, by looking at all their parts (leaves, flowers, color, root). This article might help with the identification: https://gardenerspath.com/plants/flowers/hellebore-varieties/
There are also some useful apps out there to help you identify plants but always double-check the result! Good ones to try include Picture this, PlantNet, and PlantSnap.
I hope this helps.
Many blessings and good health!
Reply
Mary
3 years ago
Is there a way to substitute the cod liver oil to make this vegan?
I would love to be able to use this. Thank you
Reply
The Lost Herbs
Admin
Reply to Mary
3 years ago
Hi Mary,
Cod liver oil is one of the best sources of retinol (vitamin A1), which most fat-burning cream contains. Retinol is only sourced from animal products and unfortunately, its vegan cousins; beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin are poor substitutes since they convert to retinol inefficiently, in fact, it takes 24 times more vegan sourced cousins compared to cod liver oil.
In addition to this, the vitamin A group (i.e retinol and its vegan cousins) is notorious for loosing up to 50% concentration when dried. This means potentially 48 times more dried leafy greens in order to substitute the cod liver oil! That’s a lot of dried spinach or chard to infuse into oil, but I guess it’s possible… When you infuse the oil, try to use as little oil as possible and really compact the jar with your dried plant material. I doubt it will provide the same potency, but it’s worth a try. Good luck!
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Cherie
3 years ago
Thank you for this! Any tips on where to buy the white hellebore root powder? Looks like it is pretty hard to source.
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The Lost Herbs
Admin
Reply to Cherie
3 years ago
Hi Cherie,
Thank you for your interest in our work.
The white hellebore root powder is indeed pretty hard to source, but if you cannot find it with your local herbal store, try Etsy and eBay. You’ll definitely find it there.
Many blessings and good health!
Reply
The Lost Herbs
Admin
Reply to Julia Kelly
3 years ago
Hi Julia,
A typical lipoma is made up of enlarged white fat cells. If it was also superficial and didn’t penetrate too deep below the skin and into the muscle, then the cream would probably work just as well as when used on any other white fats cells.
The problem comes when the type of lipoma is unknown. Some lipomas are already made of brown fat (usually around the organs) and others are buried deep in the muscle. The cream would have a very limited effect on these types.
I hope this helps.
Many blessings and good health!
Reply
Melinda
3 years ago
I want to be sure I get the ingredients right: you call for “coffee grounds” in the ingredient list which I take to mean spent ground coffee. In the method you do call them ground coffee which I think of as unused. I assume you mean the latter (as caffeine is one of the substances that help burn fat)?
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The Lost Herbs
Admin
Reply to Melinda
3 years ago
Good catch Melinda! You are totally right! The cream calls for ground coffee, not the aftermath of a good cuppa in the morning.
Many blessings and good health!
Reply
Christie Viktorin
3 years ago
I could not find how long to keep this cream on a selected application area. How long before rinsing off or can it stay on? Is there a frequency in usage you recommend?
3
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Shawn D
2 years ago
I too am interested in the length of time this poultice should remain on the skin as CHRISTIE VIKTORIN queried on Oct. 6th. Please address. Thanks.
Reply
2 years ago
Hello, I want to thank you for all your great recipes. But I have a question, is Moroznik Hellebore Root Powder the sane as the white hellebore root powder needed for this cream? Thank you and have a blessed day.
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Ginny
1 year ago
I just want to know how long to keep it before rinsing off, how often to use and for how long it will take to show the results.
Reply
1 year ago
Hi I am from Canada and I am having a hard time finding white hellebore root powder, I have looked on Etsy and Ebay, do you know where I could find.
Thanks Norma-Jean
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Wendy
Reply to Norma-Jean
6 months ago
Hey Norma-Jean, I’m in Michigan and am having the same problem finding White Hellebore root powder. DId you ever find any and if so where? Thanks, Wendy
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