Tuesday, July 8, 2008

The Easy Way To Lose Weight Quickly, Healthfully, and Permanently

The Missing Ingredient Most "Experts" Never Tell You About

Are you perfectly content with the shape of your body or do you need to lose some weight? Do you want to lose those extra inches that spoil your looks and is dangerous to your health? If so you are not alone. Health officials now report that we are fatter than ever before! One out of every three adults is overweight.

At any given moment, 35% of Americans are attempting to lose weight with only 5% achieving and maintaining their weight-related goal. It's become clear that excess body fat is a risk factor in cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and some cancers. In fact, it's estimated that over 300,000 deaths each year are linked to obesity. Obesity can also take an emotional toll, leading to self-hatred, a poor self-image, and depression.

The "Experts" Are Wrong?
The 'experts' have always touted three pillars of weight loss:

1). Eat a sensible diet.

2). Maintain a program of regular exercise.

3). Adopt a healthy, 'I can do it' attitude.

While all these things are very, very good, you've probably already tried this approach (as millions of Americans have), yet have gotten even fatter! If that was all there was to it, there wouldn't be so many millions of people, who eat low fat foods, exercise, think 'positive', but are still fat! Most people just can't seem to follow those simple rules for very long.
Something must be missing.

There's got to be a better way....
one that really works!

The "Missing Ingredient"
If weight loss is your goal and you want to look and feel great forever- it just got a whole lot easier! There is something that has been largely ignored by the masses. For permanent, healthful, fast weight loss, the 'missing ingredient' that works for everybody (absolutely every body) is....specific types of nutritional supplements.

It's No Magic
With all the hype in the weight-loss industry, it's no wonder people are skeptical. Most products are just not going to live up to the many ridiculous claims. There are simply no magic pills. There are, however, certain nutrients that can help with reducing appetite and sugar cravings, regulate blood sugar and mood swings, increase energy and muscle tone, etc. In this article, you will discover precisely which nutritional supplements that might be right for you.
But, before we get into that, let's review the basics.

The "Basics"
Practically everything you eat and drink contains calories, except for water. The protein, carbohydrates, and fat in foods supply the calories. Carbohydrates and protein each provide 4 calories per gram (about 1/2 of a teaspoon), while fat has more than double that amount, (9 calories) in a gram.

Every 3500 calories you eat, that you don't burn off, winds up being stored as one pound of fat. Researchers have pointed out that Americans are eating 230 calories more each day than they did in 1978. If not burned off, that can result in a one-pound gain every 15 days or 24 pounds for the year

Lifestyle Tips to Adopt

Get off to the 'write' start.
Start keeping a food journal, tracking the food you have eaten and all the activities you do daily. You don't have to do it forever. Just do it for a week or so. You'll be amazed at what it will do for you. Research has shown that everyone underestimates the amount they eat by 20 to 50%, while overstating the amount they exercise by around 50%! Keeping a running tally will help you stay honest.

Get moving
Exercise is critical to successful weight loss. It not only helps you burn calories, but changes your body composition. By building lean muscle mass, your body is a better fat burner. Try to do some type of aerobic exercise four to five times a week. If you are just starting, you might choose to begin with a walking program. Set a goal of 10 minutes every day.

After the first week, add 5 minutes. As you become stronger, continue to add 5 minutes a session, until you reach about 45 minutes. Consider 'strength training' also. This helps you to build muscle mass, which speeds up your metabolism and burns fat. Of course, always check with your health care provider before beginning an exercise program.

Know that you have the ability to control what goes into your mouth. Also, focus on the benefits of weight loss. Keep in mind why you want to lose weight and how it will make you feel when you have done it. Those thoughts will keep you going on days when you're feeling a little discouraged.

Eat Smart
Read food labels. The 'Nutrition Facts' panel and ingredient listing on all food products tells you about the foods you're eating along with the calories and nutrients they provide.

Increase your intake of fiber by eating more fruits and vegetables. Fiber-rich foods are more filling and sustain you for longer periods of time, delaying hunger. Aim for at least three fruit servings and four vegetable servings a day. Concentrate on green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and spinach. Be careful to limit your intake of starchy vegetables, watch out for potatoes, turnips, peas, and lima beans, as they are more similar in nutrients and calories to bread and other starches.

Limit the amount of starchy foods you eat (bread, potatoes, rice, pastas, corn, peas, popcorn cereal) to only two or three servings daily. Eat only whole grains and cereals (e.g.: brown rice, whole wheat bread, amaranth flakes, etc.) as they are rich in fiber, which adds satiety.

Keep your intake of saturated fat, trans-fatty acids and hydrogenated fats, low. Fat has 9 calories per gram, compared to protein and carbohydrates, which has only 4 calories per gram. Fat is almost two-and-a-half times more fattening!

Remember to include essential fatty acids in your diet, since your body doesn't make them. Omega-3 fatty acids from cold water fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, and tuna) are a good source. If fish isn't your thing, flaxseed oil is also a rich source. They help to boost metabolism, helping you burn more calories. As an additional benefit, they have an anti-inflammatory effect on your system.

Include some protein rich foods in your diet. They have a higher thermic value, meaning more energy is required to digest, absorb and metabolize protein than fats or carbohydrates. When you consume protein, it increases the temperature of your body's furnace (the body's energy processes) by about 15-25% compared to fat which increases metabolic rate by about 3-5%, and carbohydrates by 6-10%.

Decrease refined food and processed foods- everything that comes in a package. Processed foods drain nutrients from the body without replenishing them.

Go light on the caffeine. Stimulants containing caffeine (caffeinated soda, coffee, and tea), wear the body down and can exhaust your adrenal glands, resulting in fatigue.

Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. This will help you feel full, plus flush the toxins out of your body that result during the breakdown of fat. Since dehydration also results in fatigue, water is an important contributor to energy.

Space your meals throughout the day. Having a mini-meal every two to three hours, helps to keep your blood glucose and insulin levels steady. Skipping meals not only lowers your energy levels, but it also weakens your resolve.

Watch your portion size of all foods. Although the foods you select may be healthy choices, they still provide calories. Since 3500 calories equals one pound, to lose one pound a week, you'd have to decrease your caloric intake by 500 calories a day. Or, burn 250 calories through exercise and decrease your caloric intake by 250 calories.

Specific Vitamins, Minerals, & Herbs That Help You Lose Weight
Taking the right kinds of nutritional supplements, while engaging in a weight loss program, is absolutely critical to your success!

As you reduce your intake of food, you also take in less nutrients. Your body needs the support of a steady supply of vitamins and minerals to fuel your weight loss and to build muscle. It also needs the nutrients that can help make the weight loss process faster and easier, and to give yourself the willpower you need- so you'll be able to say 'no' and mean it!

Take the right supplements and kiss 'Dieting' goodbye forever!

Chitosan
This product is a polysaccharide derived from "chitin". Chitosan is found in plankton and the shells of shellfish such as shrimp, lobster, and crab. It's a naturally occurring plant fiber, but unlike other plant fibers, is has the ability to bind fat, acting like a fat sponge in the digestive tract.

Like plant fiber, it is not digestible, so has no caloric value. It helps you lose weight by binding fats in the digestive tract, so fat is not absorbed, but rather is excreted from the body. However, since this product binds all fat, including fat-soluble substances like vitamins A, D, E, and K and healthy fats, (for example omega 3 fatty acids), Chitosan should be taken at a separate time from vitamins, minerals, herbs, and any medications.

It is not necessary to take this product with every meal-take only with high-fat meals. Taking three (3) 500mg capsules with a large glass of water, right before a high-fat meal can eliminate between 12 to 18 grams of fat.

Chromium
This mineral plays an important role in carbohydrate and fat metabolism. It's also part of the glucose tolerance factor, which regulates production of the hormone insulin, a important blood sugar regulator. Swings in insulin levels lead to food cravings and they signal the body to store excess calories as fat. 200 to 400mcgs is recommended.

Dandelion Root
Acting as a mild and safe diuretic, this herb helps to eliminate excess fluid from the body, enhances fat metabolism as well as the removal of wastes from the body.

Green Tea Extract
Green tea has been widely used for centuries, both as a beverage and medicinally, especially in Asia. Its antioxidant capacity has been found to be 200 times stronger than vitamin E. Green tea is a polyphenol that has antioxidant and health enhancing properties. It helps to protect against the toxins released from stored fat.

It also fights the free radicals constantly generated during the fat burning process.Depending on the potency of the extract 200 to 400mgs would be recommended.

The flavonoids in green tea may also have weight-loss enhancing activity. By altering the body's use of norepinephrine, a chemical transmitter in the nervous system, flavonoids increase the rate of calorie burning. Green tea also helps to prevent food cravings by regulating blood sugar and insulin levels. When green tea is not decaffeinated, it gives you a slight energy boost.

Glucomannan
This bulking agent, a type of fiber, tends to produce a sense of fullness, which results in fewer calories being consumed. In one study, when 1.5g (that's 1500 milligrams) of glucomannan was consumed before breakfast and dinner, weight loss resulted in overweight individuals who were not following a special diet. Just be sure to take this supplement with a glass of water!

Hydroxy-citric acid (HCA)
This herb, extracted from the rind of the Garcina cambogia fruit, has been shown to reduce the conversion of carbohydrates into stored fat by inhibiting lipogenesis, the process that converts ingested carbohydrates to fat for later use. Animal research indicates that HCA suppresses appetite as well. In order to be effective you would need to take between 1500 to 2,000mgs.

Kelp
Kelp is a sea vegetable that helps accelerate your metabolic rate, making your body a more efficient fat-burning machine.

Milk Thistle
Milk thistle is an herb that will help your liver, your major detox organ work efficiently and effectively during the weight loss process. That's important because more toxins flood your system as fat is released from your body.

L-Carnitine
This amino acid helps your body more efficiently metabolize stored fat. It accomplishes this by helping transport fat into the cells where it is burned for energy. It also naturally maximizes your energy levels and reduces food cravings. You would need to take between 1000 to 2000mgs. Beware of most weight-loss products that contain very small amounts.

Zhi Shi (citrus aurantium)
Preliminary research has shown that AdvantraZ , the trademarked extract of zhi shi (Citrus aurantium), is an exceptional alternative to mahuang as it results in weight loss, without known side effects. The synergism of five co-existing agents, called adrenergic amines: synephrine, N methyltyramine, hordenine, octopamine and tyramine; produce a powerful thermogenic, or fat burning effect.

The beauty of this ingredient is it raises metabolic rate, without affecting heart rate or blood pressure; which is the drawback of ephedra. It's also been shown to increase physical performance by making fat available for energy. This herb has also been shown to maintain or even build lean muscle mass during the weight loss process.

Preliminary research shows this herb induces a significant increase in metabolic rate. Even though the subjects in the study did not exercise, it still enhanced the thermogenic (calorie burning) effect of the meal

Pyruvate
This compound, which occurs naturally in the body, supports weight loss by increasing the resting metabolic rate, so you burn calories more efficiently. Once again, according to the studies, you would need to take it in high amounts, at least 6 grams (that's 6,000 miliigrams).

Rhodiola rosea (Rosavin)
Rhodiola rosea is one of the most fascinating medicinal species in the world, although it is largely unknown in the United States. The most biologically active ingredient, rosavin, standardized at .6-1%, provides its therapeutic benefits. This herb enhances physical performance and increases endurance by accelerating recovery from fatigue.

Since it raises the level of serotonin to the brain, it helps to ward off depression. It also is an adaptogen, which helps bring the body into balance after a stressful event.

Rhododendron caucasicum
This herb has strong antioxidant and health promoting properties. The active constituents include flavonoids, anthocyanidins, proanthocyanidins, pheylpropanoids, and various other phenolic compounds. This herb has fat-blocking properties, similar to Orlistat (commonly known as Xenical), without the negative side effects. The high levels of polyphenolic antioxidants in this herb inhibit the activity of the lipase enzyme, the fat splitting enzyme, without affecting other digestive enzymes.

Clinical research has shown the effectiveness of combining Rhodiola Rosea and Rhododendron caucasicum. In a study of 45 women, aged between 21-42, with an average weight of 170 pounds, 200 mg of Rosavin (which includes a combination of Rhodiola rosea and rhododendron caucasicum) was given three times a day for 12 consecutive weeks. For the first six weeks, the average weight lose was 5-6 % (8.5 to 10 lbs.), but it reached as much as 14 % (24 pounds) by the end of 8 weeks. The most notable fat reduction was around the waist, which was reduced on average by 11.5 %. It appeared from the test results that fat reduction started selectively from the fattiest parts of the body first.

Siberian Ginseng
Siberian ginseng plays a role in stabilizing blood sugar. It also enhances energy, overall physical and mental endurance, and strengthens the immune system. This adaptogen helps the body deal with stress by supporting the adrenal glands.

Phenalgin
Phenalgin contains a brown seaweed, concentrated in chlorophyll and carotenoids, a type of antioxidant. It's energy-boosting effects, plus thyroid support, enhance weight loss.


References

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Griffiths DW The inhibition of digestive enzymes by polyphenolic compounds. Adv Exp Med Biol 1986;199:509-516.

Halsted C. Is blockage of pancreatic lipase the answer? Am J of Clin Nutr 1999;69:1059-60.

Lissner L et al.Review of dietary fat and obesity: evidence from epidemiology Eur J Clin Nutr 1995;49:79-90.

Ivy JL et al. Effects of pyruvate on the metabolism and insulin resistance of obese Zucker rats. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59:331-3

Kurlom VA et al. Chemical composition and pharmacological properties of Rhodiola rosea. 1986;Chema and Pharm J (Moscow) 1986;20(100: 229-235.

Lowenstein JM Effect of hydroxycitrate on fatty acid synthesis by rat liver in vivo. Biol Chem 1971;246:629-32.

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