Overweight
overweightIf you’re like many people, you’re embroiled in a never-ending battle to lose weight and keep it off. The battle is often so tiresome and frustrating that advertisements about the latest magic pill that promises to melt away the fat and make you slim start to sound really good. And why shouldn’t they? You think, "I’ll finally be able to slip into that little black dress or designer suit that used to fit like a glove in the old days."
Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a miracle weight-loss pill. If there were, we’d all be showing off our new-found physiques. Ninety-seven million American adults are overweight or obese, and carrying around these extra pounds is putting us at risk for developing diabetes, heart disease, and cancers of the breast, ovaries, uterus, prostate, and colon. The added weight is also affecting our emotional health.
To avoid these health problems, experts say that the best action plan is to achieve a healthy weight that’s right for your age and build. The fact still remains that in order to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. You can do that by eating healthfully and exercising regularly. That means eating lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains so that your diet derives 30 percent or less of its calories from fat.
For optimal weight control, you should also get 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, or cycling five to seven days a week. Strength training or resistance training helps, too, whether you use hand weights or exercise machines. Working with any kinds of weights increases lean muscle mass, which burns more calories than fat does and speeds up your metabolism.
None of these measures is the equivalent of a magic potion, but taken together, they’re reliable weight-loss strategies. Once you adopt them, however, you may find that supplements can also work in your favor. Some nutritional and herbal supplements can help suppress your appetite, alternative medicine experts say. There are also some supplements that will help increase the rate at which you burn calories.
Fill Up with Fiber
Just as fiber-rich fruits and vegetables can help you achieve that slender waistline, so can fiber supplements. "Once you take a fiber supplement, it expands in your stomach dramatically, filling you up," says Jennifer Brett, N.D., a naturopathic doctor at the Wilton Naturopathic Center in Stratford, Connecticut. "When your stomach feels full, it sends a signal to your brain, telling it that you don’t need to eat as much. The supplements diminish those hunger pangs." The best fiber supplements for weight loss are psyllium and glucomannan because they are rich in soluble fiber, says Dr. Brett.
What’s more, these supplements have been shown to reduce the number of calories that your body absorbs from food each day, says Liz Collins, N.D., a naturopathic doctor and co-owner of the Natural Childbirth and Family Clinic in Portland, Oregon.
Several studies on weight loss have shown that fiber supplements can reduce the number of calories absorbed by the body each day by 30 to 180 calories. That adds up to approximately 3 to 18 fewer pounds a year.
Dr. Brett says that glucomannan is the best fiber supplement you can buy because it has more fiber in each pill than psyllium. Take one glucomannan pill 20 minutes before each meal, she says, or two or three capsules of psyllium or two chitin supplements before meals. Drink at least eight ounces of water with each dose to prevent constipation.
Get Lean with Chromium
Research shows that chromium picolinate, a supplemental form of chromium, can build muscle mass and reduce fat in people who exercise. The more muscle you gain, the more calories you’ll burn each day.
Chromium also helps your body turn carbohydrates and fats into energy. Moreover, it improves the effectiveness of insulin, the hormone that allows cells to pick up blood sugar that your body needs for fuel from the bloodstream. As a result, blood sugar levels are kept under control. Your energy soars, you crave fewer sweets, and your body’s sensitivity to insulin increases, which is key for successful weight loss, says Dr. Brett.
In a study at the University of Texas Health Science Center, 154 participants were asked to drink two servings daily of a protein/carbohydrate drink. Fifty-five received plain drinks, 33 received drinks containing 200 micrograms of chromium picolinate, and 66 received drinks containing 400 micrograms of the mineral. Body composition was measured before and after the study.
The study continued for two-and-a-half months. In the end, researchers found no significant changes in body composition in those who received the plain drinks. Participants who received 200 or 400 micrograms of chromium picolinate daily showed significant increases in muscle mass and reductions in body fat.
Although this study suggests that chromium picolinate can be helpful as a weight-loss aid, other studies suggest that you also need to exercise regularly while taking the supplement if you want to reduce fat and improve muscle tone. Dr. Brett suggests taking 200 to 400 micrograms of chromium picolinate daily, but doses this high must be taken under medical supervision.
An Herbal Fat Burner
In health food stores, you’ll find several herbs that claim to be the answer to all your weight-loss problems. The truth is, many don’t live up to their claims, and some are downright dangerous. Kelp is one herb, however, that may actually help whittle away extra pounds when combined with a low-fat diet and daily aerobic exercise, says Ellen Evert Hopman, a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild, a lay homeopath in Amherst, Massachusetts, and author of Tree Medicine, Tree Magic.
Kelp is a type of seaweed that’s rich in antioxidant vitamins and iodine. It is believed to stimulate a hormone produced by the thyroid gland that’s responsible for boosting metabolism, so you’ll burn more calories by the hour, says Hopman. You can also get other kinds of seaweed in your diet by adding them to soups and salads, she says.
If you take kelp, just follow the instructions on the bottle. While it’s completely safe for most people, you should check with your doctor before taking it if you have a thyroid disorder, high blood pressure, or heart problems, says Hopman.