Ice Water
As I sit here on a cool, almost to the point of cold, Sunday afternoon I am reminded of a recent conversation that I had that may very well prove relevant for today. The recent conversation started with a question from a friend of mine, who is often challenging my mental capabilities and between us there are many theories exchanged though often questions left unresolved. This particular one though has an answer. The question was something to the effect does an ice cold glass of water use more energy from your body that one served at room temperature?
My gut feeling for the answer to the question was yes. My theoretical answer was also yes. My theory was based on the fact that, while most people hibernate inside during the winter months, I had always felt it was easier to lose weight during the winter. My reasoning was that during the winter months when I have been out feeding and doing those farm chores that were required, I was also burning a lot more calories to keep my body warm. Compared to doing those same chores during the summer, the amount of energy spent is less from your own bodies reserves, because there is no need to burn extra calories to keep you warm. In fact, you heat up and beyond the level required during the summer months, but unfortunately your body does not use extra energy to keep cool.
Science actually proves this out very nicely if you think about just what a calorie is. Fundamentally it is the amount of energy unit equal to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C at 1 atmosphere pressure, and yes, for those that generally do not use the metric system, if you are counting calories you are indeed. So, given this, if you drink ice-cold water compared to the same volume of water at room temperature, you know your body has to raise the temperature of the water once consumed.
So, for those of you wondering, from a diet stand point, yes indeed. Drinking your minimum recommended eight glasses of water at an ice-cold temperature will result in an additional seventy calories burned by your body on water that contains no calories itself. Of course my immediate thought went to ice-cold beer would have a similar effect, though at a much higher calorie consumption, but still, with a light beer (not that I would generally consume such) at the end of six you are at a net of roughly five beer’s worth of calories consumed if they are ice-cold. What a diet plan!
Ok so i am SOOO with you on the ice cold beer diet plan. When do we start?? : )
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