Can the 'Ice Hack Diet' Really Help You Lose Fat? We Asked a Dietitian
When it comes to weight loss, it seems like there's always a new diet trend to try. The "ice hack diet," for instance, has been gaining popularity for its unique yet simple concept. What is this eating regimen all about? It essentially calls for consuming cold foods to cool down your body's temperature from the inside, claiming to promote weight loss.
We spoke with a registered dietitian who breaks down everything to know about the ice hack diet, how it works, and its potential effectiveness in melting body fat.
What is the ice hack diet?
"The believed process behind the ice hack diet is that it is thought to promote weight loss by cooling down the body's temperature from the inside," says Lena Bakovic, MS, RDN, CNSC, from Top Nutrition Coaching.
Now, you may be wondering, "Do I only eat ice on this diet?" Not quite! Bakovic says the diet involves incorporating and consuming more cold-temperature foods.
"One can definitely include ice on this diet! Any cold foods and/or beverages can be included as long as they don't exceed the estimated daily caloric requirements/deficit calculated to promote weight loss," Bakovic explains.
As the name suggests, hot foods are not part of this diet.
"Like a cold plunge or ice bath, which lowers body temperature from the outside, consuming cold foods on this diet aims at lowering body temperature from the inside," Bakovic adds. "Some people believe that [by] doing this, metabolic rate and function [increase], which in turn can accelerate weight loss."
Can the ice hack diet help you lose weight?
To understand the ice hack's diet effectiveness in weight loss, let's first talk about cold exposure.
According to research findings published in the International Journal of Circumpolar Health, cold exposure, namely taking a quick plunge in cold water, can help burn calories and body fat. In addition, cold exposure can be beneficial to overall health, as it positively impacts stress, diabetes, insulin resistance, and other diseases associated with growing older.
Needless to say, research supports the effectiveness of certain cold exposure methods for weight loss.
"If, by following this diet, a caloric deficit is consistently achieved, then weight loss will be a likely result, and it may not necessarily be due to the ice content or cold food consumption," Bakovic tells us. "More research is definitively required to support the theory that cooling the body from the inside increases metabolic rate and function."
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