Cold showers, not just for teenage boys anymore...

I read a lot. Always have. When I'm on a kick I read about what's kickin. So, for obvious reasons I have been reading a lot of weight loss oriented stuff. I have subscribed to several newsletters (shocking), bought several books (even more shocking), and do my fair share of GOOGLE searches (God bless the Internet). This next little tidbit came across from a newsletter run by a certified (for what it's worth) nutritionist and professional physical fitness trainer. WARNING... My next statement will lead to Google-ing. Apparently, NASA figured out that you can lose weight by taking cold showers. Or more specifically, alternating hot for 10 seconds and cold for 20 seconds for a total of 5 minutes. Now, I have an innate fear of being cold, so this approach doesn't really appeal to me. Like, I will do whatever it takes, wear whatever it takes, and huddle where ever I need to to stay warm. My shower knows no other setting other than all the way on hot and for as long as my hot water heater will hold out. But, according to the space cadets, messing with your thermo-regulation will accelerate weight loss, and by a pretty good percentage, something like 30% more fat loss if taking cold showers. I'm not a proponent of quick fixes, they are usually expensive, don't last, and aren't all that good for you. And I am speaking of all the fad diets, pill fixes, and anything that basically doesn't involve hard work and self control. But, I honestly can't come up with a downside of trying this other than getting cold, which like I said, is not my cup of tea. I liken it to magnet therapy, it may or may not do anything but it darn sure isn't going to hurt ya and may only cause slight and short-lived discomfort. So, who knows, maybe the guys over at NASA are onto something... Maybe there is a cold shower conspiracy... Maybe I should start reading about something else. I guess the moral of today's story is go have a cold one!!