Feature Story

Most of us will fight the battle of the bulge at several points during our lifetime, and many of us will lose. We know diets don’t work. A diet is like a brunette dying her hair blonde once and expecting it to remain blonde permanently. Once you’re off a diet, the weight usually returns. Since many of us learn about nutrition and dieting from misleading television commercials, we are confused when our weight loss attempts are unsuccessful. The key to successful, permanent weight loss is not about counting calories or fat grams, it’s about improving metabolism. Diets that drastically reduce calories (often promising fast and dramatic weight loss) adversely alter metabolism. These diets usually cause a reduction in calorie-burning once the body has adapted to the new diet. Realistically, it’s possible to lose only one to two pounds of body fat each week. Greater reductions in weight are often the result of dehydration or muscle wasting.

What is Metabolism? Metabolism is the amount of energy (calories) your body uses (or burns) to maintain itself. Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the minimum energy required to maintain life functions while in a resting state. Energy is required for all physiological functions. The liver uses 29% of your calories every day and your heart needs 10%. Muscles use at least 18% of your calories. To calculate your BMR, determine your weight in kilograms (divide your weight in pounds by 2.2) and multiply by 24: Body weight ÷ 2.2 x 24 hours = BMR.

What is a Calorie? We use the term often, but few are able to define exactly what a calorie is. By definition, a calorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. Calories are not supplied by food, but denote how much energy is required to “burn” off the food ingested. Despite what the scale reads after eating a big bowl of pasta, to gain one pound of fat, you must eat an excess of 3,500 calories over and above what you would normally eat and burn off. 1 lb = 3,500 excess calories

Is there a magic pill? There is no such thing as a magic diet pill. Weight loss supplements contain caffeine or other thermogenic (heat-generating) substances that stimulate, and often over-stimulate, the adrenals and thyroid to burn more calories. A balanced diet based on natural foods combined with regular exercise, particularly heat-generating activities, is the best approach to reaching a healthy weight. To enhance fat-burning, a few ingredients can safely be added to a healthy regime:

B complex B vitamins are known for their help in managing stress. They help regulate cortisol, the hormone that leads to fatty deposits in our mid-section. B vitamins increase energy, aid sleep, and help break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. B complex, the combination of the B vitamins, is a critical component of a healthy weight loss plan.

ECGC (green tea extract) Epigallocatechin gallate (ECGC) is a polyphenol that works synergistically with caffeine to enhance thermogenesis. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that green tea could lead to a 43% increase in thermogenesis in adults.

Kola Nut Kola nuts contain naturally occurring caffeine. It provides the desired energy boost, but its rich phytochemical content prevents the stimulation and after-effects associated with coffee and other caffeine sources.

CLA A natural derivative of linolenic acid (Omega-6), CLA helps decrease both the size and volume of fat cells. It can increase metabolism, improve glucose tolerance, and reduce insulin.

Raising Metabolism Naturally Here are some useful tips for raising metabolism:

Begin each day with a glass of room temperature water with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon. This stimulates fat burning and digestion.
Include a protein source at breakfast to prevent cravings later in the day.
Graze all day long to prevent gorging and to balance blood sugar. The days of three square meals are gone.
Increase dietary fiber to a minimum of 25 grams a day. Fiber-rich foods are a low-calorie way to fill your tummy.
Eat spicy foods. Foods like hot peppers and Dijon mustard can help your body burn up to 40% more calories for several hours after eating.
Keep a food journal to monitor your food and water intake.
Get more sleep! Fat-burning hormones like growth hormone (GH) are produced while you sleep.
Move your body. Exercise builds muscle and generates calorie-burning heat.
Identify and avoid substances that cause allergies. Some allergies manifest as water retention and can slow metabolism.

Improving Digestion Good digestion is important for health and is a major contributor to losing weight. Improving how food passes through your digestive system, and how well nutrients are absorbed, is critical to boosting energy.

Relax before eating. Find a quiet, stress free environment to eat (which means, not at your desk!). Three deep breaths taken before the first bite will stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, the system responsible for relaxation.
Chew food carefully. It takes 20 minutes for the digestive system to signal your brain that you’re no longer hungry. You can pack away a lot of food in 20 minutes! Stop eating when you are satisfied, not when you are full.
Take a digestive enzyme before each meal. Digestive enzyme supplements help break down food and stimulate your stomach, pancreas and small intestine to produce their own enzymes.
Increase consumption of raw foods. Raw foods are rich in their own enzymes.
Drink eight glasses of water a day between meals, not with meals. Drinking with meals dilutes stomach acid impeding digestion.
Follow proper food combining principles at dinner. Dinner combinations consisting only of protein and vegetables discourage fat storage and water retention. You’ll see weight loss results much faster if you leave out the starch.

Boost Thyroid Function The thyroid gland controls your body’s temperature and, thereby, your metabolism. To produce hormone levels required to keep metabolism high, the thyroid requires trace minerals, in particular iodine and selenium. Shellfish and sea vegetables (like kelp, nori, and dulse) provide these important minerals.

Losing weight requires a positive attitude and patience. However, healthy weight management is not the result of one action, menu or supplement. Keeping the pounds off requires a combination of factors that amount to living a healthy lifestyle.

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