By Sylvia Anderson, AHJ Editor -- Published: August 24, 2009
An increasing number of weight loss drugs and supplements are being recalled due to their link to health problems. One that received a great deal of attention recently was Hydroxycut. Hydroxycut is marketed as a fat burner and considered to be a low cost diet aid. It was recalled by the FDA due to liver injuries resulting from the drug, some leading to death. Keep reading to find out more about the health dangers of Hydroxycut!
There were 14 different Hydroxycut products initially recalled by the FDA. They include the following:
* Hydroxycut regular rapid release caplets
* Hydroxycut caffeine free rapid release caplets
* Hydroxycut hardcore liquid caplets
* Hydroxycut Max liquid caplets
* Hydroxycut regular drink packets
* Hydroxycut caffeine free drink packets
* Hydroxycut Hardcore drink packets
* Hydroxycut Max drink packets
* Hydroxycut Liquid shots
* Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs
* Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
* Hydroxycut 24
* Hydroxycut Carb Control
* Hydroxycut Natural
All of these products have been recalled by the FDA and deemed unsafe for people to take. Anyone who is taking these products should stop immediately as they have led to liver damage. One 19-year-old man reportedly died after using the product. There were 23 reports of liver damage and elevated liver enzymes due to this product. The death of the 19-year-old man, according to the FDA, occurred in 2007 but was not reported to the FDA until March, 2009.
According to the FDA, Hydroxycut contains herbal extracts as well as other ingredients. It has not yet been determined by the FDA which components of the product are causing the liver damage. In addition to liver damage suffered by some who used the product, other health problems have also been linked to Hydroxycut. They include kidney problems, muscle damage and cardiovascular problems.
The company that makes Hydroxycut stated on their website that millions of people have tried the products over the years but that they are voluntarily stopping sale of the products. A spokesman for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, which is an association for dietary supplementation, defended the products stating that it does not prove cause and effect. The FDA, however, has recalled the products and advised any consumers who are using the products to stop taking them immediately. No reports have been issued from the dietary agencies that support these products as of yet.
Those who are trying to lose weight are better off to use natural methods of achieving weight loss and weight control than by taking dangerous weight loss supplements which contain harmful ingredients. This has been proved time and time again as various weight loss supplements have been recalled by the FDA and deemed to be unsafe. Hydroxycut is one of a long list of weight loss products that have been recalled due to adverse health effects. In recent years, other products have been recalled and some of them have resulted in serious injury or death to the users.
Anyone who is using the Hydroxycut products should take them back to the point of purchase, according to the FDA. This will insure that they are not taken by anyone else.
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Always consult your physician before buying or taking fat burners. Not all herbal fat burner works for everyone, so better ask your doctor what suits you best. Always exercise, have a healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle.
Resources of Herbal Fat Burner
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Natural Herbal Fat Burners
Today there are many companies with their own brand of fat burner. Some of these fat burners are herbal and provide a partial solution to your weight problem. For many, an herbal fat burner is useful to jump start a weight loss regimen. Herbal fat burners are a natural method to assist your body in shedding unwanted weight.
Herbal fat burners is a successful method of losing weight that has been around for several centuries. This method of weight control has worked in Asian countries for generations.
Herbs such as Ma Huang and Ginseng from China have been used by the Chinese to lose weight for hundreds of years. Hoodia, from Africa, in its plant form was used as a stimulant and appetite suppressant. Hoodia has been used for long periods of time without any serious side effects. Problems begin once you add chemicals.
Different Types Of Herbal Fat Burner
Herbal fat burners come in different varieties. Most common is the pill form. These can be either liquid or gel capsule. For the most part they are easily digestible.
Another type is sublinguql which goes underneath the tongue. Herbal fat burners of this type are commonly tinctures of an herbal extract mixed with a carrier. This is delivered straight to the blood stream. There are two small problems associated with this method. The first is that it doesn't taste very good. The other is that altering the tincture will alter the effects of the herb.
Also, some herbal fat burners are topically applied directly to the skin. In this case, the fat burner works to break down the fat directly.
Some herbal fat burners can be very effective. The average person can probably expect to lose 5 to 10 pounds in the first month and perhaps 2 to 5 pounds per month after that. The side effects, when they occur at all, are very mild. Side effects would include sweating, trouble sleeping or constipation. In most instances it's only necessary to cut your dosage in half to eliminate the side effects.
Herbal effective fat burner may require a little research on the buyers part, read the ingredients carefully and do not exceed the recommended dosage. All things being equal an effective fat burner can be easily taken and effective in a weight loss program.
As always, if you have any medical conditions or are being treated by a medical professional, it's best to consult your physician first.
--------
Having a sexy body takes time to achieve it. But if you work hard on it by exercising and having a healthy lifestyle you can definitely achieve it. Yes, there is no shortcuts to lose weight! Just be patient and try herbal fat burner!
More on Herbal Fat Burner Click here
Herbal fat burners is a successful method of losing weight that has been around for several centuries. This method of weight control has worked in Asian countries for generations.
Herbs such as Ma Huang and Ginseng from China have been used by the Chinese to lose weight for hundreds of years. Hoodia, from Africa, in its plant form was used as a stimulant and appetite suppressant. Hoodia has been used for long periods of time without any serious side effects. Problems begin once you add chemicals.
Different Types Of Herbal Fat Burner
Herbal fat burners come in different varieties. Most common is the pill form. These can be either liquid or gel capsule. For the most part they are easily digestible.
Another type is sublinguql which goes underneath the tongue. Herbal fat burners of this type are commonly tinctures of an herbal extract mixed with a carrier. This is delivered straight to the blood stream. There are two small problems associated with this method. The first is that it doesn't taste very good. The other is that altering the tincture will alter the effects of the herb.
Also, some herbal fat burners are topically applied directly to the skin. In this case, the fat burner works to break down the fat directly.
Some herbal fat burners can be very effective. The average person can probably expect to lose 5 to 10 pounds in the first month and perhaps 2 to 5 pounds per month after that. The side effects, when they occur at all, are very mild. Side effects would include sweating, trouble sleeping or constipation. In most instances it's only necessary to cut your dosage in half to eliminate the side effects.
Herbal effective fat burner may require a little research on the buyers part, read the ingredients carefully and do not exceed the recommended dosage. All things being equal an effective fat burner can be easily taken and effective in a weight loss program.
As always, if you have any medical conditions or are being treated by a medical professional, it's best to consult your physician first.
--------
Having a sexy body takes time to achieve it. But if you work hard on it by exercising and having a healthy lifestyle you can definitely achieve it. Yes, there is no shortcuts to lose weight! Just be patient and try herbal fat burner!
More on Herbal Fat Burner Click here
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Do You Want To Have A Leaner Body?
Insider Bodybuilding Secrets EXPOSED!
Discover the secret formula to transform your body into a Lean, Mean Muscle Machine!
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Thursday, August 20, 2009
Pros of the Herbal Life
Before you even begin to think about making that life-changing switch to going herbal, you should first know what herbal products are.
Herbals are subsumed under the tag name of botanicals. Products that are made of botanicals or herbals are clinically known as phytomedicine. There are many different kinds of these phytomedicine. Now, before you can start thinking about using herbals as your Herbalife Diet supplement, you should know that there are some qualifications before a product can be considered as such.
• It should be labeled as a dietary supplement. Well, the bottle should be properly labeled. If you're only beginning, it wouldn't hurt to check the label and know what it is that you are buying! All herbalife products are properly labeled so you don't have to worry that you're buying something that isn't right for you.
• It should contain one or more dietary ingredients. These dietary ingredients can be vitamins, amino acids, minerals, other herbs. Meaning, your herbal supplement can only be called that if it has these ingredients.
• It should be taken through the mouth. These dietary supplements can take the form of pills, capsules or even syrup. If they ought to be taken in a different way like through injection, then they are strictly NOT dietary supplements.
• It is intended to supplement the diet. This means that your herbal supplement is not a replacement for food. You should still continue your healthy diet as you take your herbal supplements.
COST. Herbal supplements are much less expensive than medicine. Imagine, buying a bottle of aspirin for headaches and compare that with buying a whole pack of herbal tea or a bottle of herbal tea concentrate. The problem of headaches is that of stress which manifests itself through an aching head. However, if you really want to take away stress, you should try relaxing. Take a break by fixing yourself a cup of tea. Since you'll be sipping your hot tea slowly, you get to relax yourself.
ACCESSIBILITY. The truth is, the herbal supplements are really much more accessible since you don't need any prescription from your doctor. Also, herbal supplements can be sold in grocery stores. You don't need to look for a drug store in order to purchase your herbal fix. The herbal life products need not be difficult nor expensive to attain.
It's true that the lack of scientific proof is a huge mark against the use of herbal products. However, when you will take a look at testimonials of people who have been living the herbal life, you know that despite the lack of scientific proof, it works for some people.
When you think about it, what is really needed is a balance of caution and belief. For any endeavor, whether it's a special diet that you want to practice, you never really know if it will give you great results. All you have to do is to be cautious, try not to push yourself too hard and be optimistic that a positive change will happen to you.
Mike Calamus, a well known dealer from New York has revealed the platform of herbal products with affordable prices. He is a direct shipper from the owned and operated warehouses of herbalife. Feel free to visit his website at http://www.herbalwell.com to get superior health for lifetime.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Calamus
--------
In choosing the right herbal supplements for you, you should choose the one that fits your body. You should check your doctor first before taking herbal supplements. Herbal fat burner will help you lose weight on the natural way so make sure that the supplements your taking is good for your health.
More on Herbal fat burner Click here
Herbals are subsumed under the tag name of botanicals. Products that are made of botanicals or herbals are clinically known as phytomedicine. There are many different kinds of these phytomedicine. Now, before you can start thinking about using herbals as your Herbalife Diet supplement, you should know that there are some qualifications before a product can be considered as such.
• It should be labeled as a dietary supplement. Well, the bottle should be properly labeled. If you're only beginning, it wouldn't hurt to check the label and know what it is that you are buying! All herbalife products are properly labeled so you don't have to worry that you're buying something that isn't right for you.
• It should contain one or more dietary ingredients. These dietary ingredients can be vitamins, amino acids, minerals, other herbs. Meaning, your herbal supplement can only be called that if it has these ingredients.
• It should be taken through the mouth. These dietary supplements can take the form of pills, capsules or even syrup. If they ought to be taken in a different way like through injection, then they are strictly NOT dietary supplements.
• It is intended to supplement the diet. This means that your herbal supplement is not a replacement for food. You should still continue your healthy diet as you take your herbal supplements.
COST. Herbal supplements are much less expensive than medicine. Imagine, buying a bottle of aspirin for headaches and compare that with buying a whole pack of herbal tea or a bottle of herbal tea concentrate. The problem of headaches is that of stress which manifests itself through an aching head. However, if you really want to take away stress, you should try relaxing. Take a break by fixing yourself a cup of tea. Since you'll be sipping your hot tea slowly, you get to relax yourself.
ACCESSIBILITY. The truth is, the herbal supplements are really much more accessible since you don't need any prescription from your doctor. Also, herbal supplements can be sold in grocery stores. You don't need to look for a drug store in order to purchase your herbal fix. The herbal life products need not be difficult nor expensive to attain.
It's true that the lack of scientific proof is a huge mark against the use of herbal products. However, when you will take a look at testimonials of people who have been living the herbal life, you know that despite the lack of scientific proof, it works for some people.
When you think about it, what is really needed is a balance of caution and belief. For any endeavor, whether it's a special diet that you want to practice, you never really know if it will give you great results. All you have to do is to be cautious, try not to push yourself too hard and be optimistic that a positive change will happen to you.
Mike Calamus, a well known dealer from New York has revealed the platform of herbal products with affordable prices. He is a direct shipper from the owned and operated warehouses of herbalife. Feel free to visit his website at http://www.herbalwell.com to get superior health for lifetime.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Calamus
--------
In choosing the right herbal supplements for you, you should choose the one that fits your body. You should check your doctor first before taking herbal supplements. Herbal fat burner will help you lose weight on the natural way so make sure that the supplements your taking is good for your health.
More on Herbal fat burner Click here
Monday, August 17, 2009
The Top 5 Healthiest Fat-Burning Foods (some may surprise you!)
If you want to lose body fat faster, try incorporating these 5 healthy super-foods into your diet & regular meal plans.
by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs
grass-fed beef healthier than grain-fed beef
1. Grass-fed beef or bison (NOT your typical grocery store beef!) - I know most people think that red meat is unhealthy for you, but that's because they don't understand how the health of the animal affects how healthy the meat is for consumption. Keep this in mind -- "an unhealthy animal provides unhealthy meat, but a healthy animal provides healthy meat".
Typical beef or bison that you see at the grocery store is raised on grains such as corn and soybeans. Soy and corn are NOT the natural diet of cattle or bison, and therefore changes the chemical balance of fats and other nutrients in the beef or bison. Grain-fed beef and bison is typically WAY too high in omega-6 fatty acids and WAY too low in omega-3 fatty acids.
grass-fed steaks, healthy fat burning foodOn the other hand, grass-fed beef from cattle and buffalo (or bison) that were raised on the type of natural foods that they were meant to eat in nature (grass and other forage), have much higher levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and lower levels of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids (that most people already eat way too much of) compared to grain fed beef or bison.
Grass fed meats also typically contain up to 3 times the Vitamin E as in grain fed meats.
Not only that, but grass-fed meat from healthy cattle or bison also contain a special healthy fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in MUCH higher levels than grain-fed meat. CLA has been proven in scientific studies in recent years to help in burning fat and building lean muscle (which can help you lose weight!). These benefits are on top of the fact that grass-fed meats are some of the highest quality proteins that you can possibly eat... and this also aids in burning fat and building lean muscle.
Grass-fed meats are a little harder to find, but just ask your butcher or find a specialty grocery store and they usually have cuts available. I've also found a good site to order grass-fed meats online - http://healthygrassfed.2ya.com
avocados - healthy fats and high nutrition
2. Avocodos - Even though these are typically thought of as a "fatty food", it's all healthy fats! Not only is this fruit super-high in mono-unsaturated fat, but also chock full of vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, and antioxidants.
Also, I think guacamole (mashed avocados with garlic, onion, tomato, pepper, etc) is one of the most delicious toppings ever created, and you can be happy to know that it's also one of the healthiest toppings you can use on your foods. Try sliced avocados or guacamole on sandwiches, burgers, scrambled eggs or omelets, in salads, or as a side to just about any meal.
The quality dose of healthy fats and other nutrition you get from avocados helps your body to maintain proper levels of hormones that help with fat loss and muscle building. Also, since avocados are an extremely satiating food, eating them helps to reduce your appetite in the hours after your meal. Say goodbye to junk food cravings and bring on that lean body!
Free Tips for Losing Stomach Fat & Eating Healthier
* Discover the top 12 fat burning foods you didn't know
* Exercises that burn more fat than cardio
* Also get a free metabolic rate calculator to determine your personal metabolism
Thanks for your request. The fat loss tips and metabolism calculator will be emailed to you within the next 20 minutes.
In the meantime, please continue reading this page.
eggs - another healthy fat burning, muscle building food
3. Whole Eggs, including the yolk (not just egg whites) - Most people know that eggs are one of the highest quality sources of protein. However, most people don't know that the egg yolks are the healthiest part of the egg... that's where almost all of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (such as lutein) are found in eggs.
Egg Yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg. In addition, the yolks contain ALL of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as ALL of the essential fatty acids. Also, the protein of whole eggs is more bio-available than egg whites alone due to a more balanced amino acid profile that the yolks help to build.
Just make sure to choose free-range organic eggs instead of normal grocery store eggs. Similar to the grass-fed beef scenerio, the nutrient content of the eggs and the balance between healthy omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids (in excess) is controlled by the diet of the chickens.
Chickens that are allowed to roam free outside and eat a more natural diet will give you healthier, more nutrient-rich eggs with a healthier fat balance compared with your typical grocery store eggs (that came from chickens fed nothing but soy and corn and crowded inside "egg factories" all day long).
nuts - more healthy foods to burn fat
4. Nuts: Walnuts, Almonds, Pecans, Macadamia, etc -- Yes, this is yet another "fatty food" that can actually help you burn fat! Although nuts are generally between 75-90% fat in terms of a ratio of fat calories to total calories, this is another type of food that is all healthy fats, along with high levels of nutrition such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Nuts are also a good source of fiber and protein, which of course, you know helps to control blood sugar and can aid in weight loss.
Nuts also help to maintain good levels of fat burning hormones in your body as well as helping to control appetite and cravings so that you essentially eat less calories overall, even though you're consuming a high-fat food. My favorite healthy nuts are pecans, almonds, and walnuts, and by eating them in variety, you help to broaden the types of vitamins and minerals and also the balance of polyunsaturated to monounsaturated fats you obtain.
Try to find raw nuts instead of roasted nuts if you can, as it helps to maintain the quality and nutritional content of the healthy fats that you will eat.
Also, try to broaden your horizons beyond the typical peanut butter that most people eat, and try almond butter, pecan butter, or macadamia butter to add variety to your diet.
healthy berries - a superfood for fat loss and a lean body
5. Berries - including blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and even the "exotic" Goji berry: Berries are a powerhouse of nutrition... packed with vitamins and minerals, and also some of the best sources of antioxidants of any food in existance. Berries also pack a healthy dose of fiber, which slows your carbohydrate absorption and digestion and controls your blood sugar levels to help prevent insulin spikes (which can stimulate fat gain).
Get creative and mix up your berry intake by using the basics -- blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries... but also get adventurous and give a more "exotic" berry a try, such as Goji berries (which are one of the most nutrient-dense berries on the planet).
I like to add berries to my yogurt and cottage cheese mixtures, as well as oatmeal or oat bran, salads, or just taking a bag of mixed berries and mixed nuts with me for the day as a mid-day healthy snack!
I hope you enjoyed this look at some of the healthiest fat-burning foods you can possibly eat. I could list a ton more, but wanted to give you my favorites for now!
--------
Wow! Losing weight is not that bad. You can still eat some of the foods you like, like beef. These fat burner foods can help you easily lose weight. So, continue reading and discovering tips on how to have a slimmer body by Herbal fat burner.
More information about fat burning foods Click Here
by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs
grass-fed beef healthier than grain-fed beef
1. Grass-fed beef or bison (NOT your typical grocery store beef!) - I know most people think that red meat is unhealthy for you, but that's because they don't understand how the health of the animal affects how healthy the meat is for consumption. Keep this in mind -- "an unhealthy animal provides unhealthy meat, but a healthy animal provides healthy meat".
Typical beef or bison that you see at the grocery store is raised on grains such as corn and soybeans. Soy and corn are NOT the natural diet of cattle or bison, and therefore changes the chemical balance of fats and other nutrients in the beef or bison. Grain-fed beef and bison is typically WAY too high in omega-6 fatty acids and WAY too low in omega-3 fatty acids.
grass-fed steaks, healthy fat burning foodOn the other hand, grass-fed beef from cattle and buffalo (or bison) that were raised on the type of natural foods that they were meant to eat in nature (grass and other forage), have much higher levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and lower levels of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids (that most people already eat way too much of) compared to grain fed beef or bison.
Grass fed meats also typically contain up to 3 times the Vitamin E as in grain fed meats.
Not only that, but grass-fed meat from healthy cattle or bison also contain a special healthy fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in MUCH higher levels than grain-fed meat. CLA has been proven in scientific studies in recent years to help in burning fat and building lean muscle (which can help you lose weight!). These benefits are on top of the fact that grass-fed meats are some of the highest quality proteins that you can possibly eat... and this also aids in burning fat and building lean muscle.
Grass-fed meats are a little harder to find, but just ask your butcher or find a specialty grocery store and they usually have cuts available. I've also found a good site to order grass-fed meats online - http://healthygrassfed.2ya.com
avocados - healthy fats and high nutrition
2. Avocodos - Even though these are typically thought of as a "fatty food", it's all healthy fats! Not only is this fruit super-high in mono-unsaturated fat, but also chock full of vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, and antioxidants.
Also, I think guacamole (mashed avocados with garlic, onion, tomato, pepper, etc) is one of the most delicious toppings ever created, and you can be happy to know that it's also one of the healthiest toppings you can use on your foods. Try sliced avocados or guacamole on sandwiches, burgers, scrambled eggs or omelets, in salads, or as a side to just about any meal.
The quality dose of healthy fats and other nutrition you get from avocados helps your body to maintain proper levels of hormones that help with fat loss and muscle building. Also, since avocados are an extremely satiating food, eating them helps to reduce your appetite in the hours after your meal. Say goodbye to junk food cravings and bring on that lean body!
Free Tips for Losing Stomach Fat & Eating Healthier
* Discover the top 12 fat burning foods you didn't know
* Exercises that burn more fat than cardio
* Also get a free metabolic rate calculator to determine your personal metabolism
Thanks for your request. The fat loss tips and metabolism calculator will be emailed to you within the next 20 minutes.
In the meantime, please continue reading this page.
eggs - another healthy fat burning, muscle building food
3. Whole Eggs, including the yolk (not just egg whites) - Most people know that eggs are one of the highest quality sources of protein. However, most people don't know that the egg yolks are the healthiest part of the egg... that's where almost all of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (such as lutein) are found in eggs.
Egg Yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg. In addition, the yolks contain ALL of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as ALL of the essential fatty acids. Also, the protein of whole eggs is more bio-available than egg whites alone due to a more balanced amino acid profile that the yolks help to build.
Just make sure to choose free-range organic eggs instead of normal grocery store eggs. Similar to the grass-fed beef scenerio, the nutrient content of the eggs and the balance between healthy omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids (in excess) is controlled by the diet of the chickens.
Chickens that are allowed to roam free outside and eat a more natural diet will give you healthier, more nutrient-rich eggs with a healthier fat balance compared with your typical grocery store eggs (that came from chickens fed nothing but soy and corn and crowded inside "egg factories" all day long).
nuts - more healthy foods to burn fat
4. Nuts: Walnuts, Almonds, Pecans, Macadamia, etc -- Yes, this is yet another "fatty food" that can actually help you burn fat! Although nuts are generally between 75-90% fat in terms of a ratio of fat calories to total calories, this is another type of food that is all healthy fats, along with high levels of nutrition such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Nuts are also a good source of fiber and protein, which of course, you know helps to control blood sugar and can aid in weight loss.
Nuts also help to maintain good levels of fat burning hormones in your body as well as helping to control appetite and cravings so that you essentially eat less calories overall, even though you're consuming a high-fat food. My favorite healthy nuts are pecans, almonds, and walnuts, and by eating them in variety, you help to broaden the types of vitamins and minerals and also the balance of polyunsaturated to monounsaturated fats you obtain.
Try to find raw nuts instead of roasted nuts if you can, as it helps to maintain the quality and nutritional content of the healthy fats that you will eat.
Also, try to broaden your horizons beyond the typical peanut butter that most people eat, and try almond butter, pecan butter, or macadamia butter to add variety to your diet.
healthy berries - a superfood for fat loss and a lean body
5. Berries - including blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and even the "exotic" Goji berry: Berries are a powerhouse of nutrition... packed with vitamins and minerals, and also some of the best sources of antioxidants of any food in existance. Berries also pack a healthy dose of fiber, which slows your carbohydrate absorption and digestion and controls your blood sugar levels to help prevent insulin spikes (which can stimulate fat gain).
Get creative and mix up your berry intake by using the basics -- blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries... but also get adventurous and give a more "exotic" berry a try, such as Goji berries (which are one of the most nutrient-dense berries on the planet).
I like to add berries to my yogurt and cottage cheese mixtures, as well as oatmeal or oat bran, salads, or just taking a bag of mixed berries and mixed nuts with me for the day as a mid-day healthy snack!
I hope you enjoyed this look at some of the healthiest fat-burning foods you can possibly eat. I could list a ton more, but wanted to give you my favorites for now!
--------
Wow! Losing weight is not that bad. You can still eat some of the foods you like, like beef. These fat burner foods can help you easily lose weight. So, continue reading and discovering tips on how to have a slimmer body by Herbal fat burner.
More information about fat burning foods Click Here
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Fat Burners
In the last 20 years, there has been an explosion of diet pills and diet products promising to melt fat away with minimal effort. Yet over the past 20 years, obesity rates have sky-rocketed 60%. Makes you wonder if there really is a magical pill that can rev up your metabolism and melt pounds away without effort. Is there such a wonder pill? No!
The key to losing body fat is reducing calorie intake and engaging in regular aerobic activity. The key to revving up your metabolism is to eat at frequent intervals throughout the day (not starve yourself) and to do resistance training to build muscle. Muscle burns more calories at rest, thus boosting your metabolic rate slightly.
Most fat burner supplements are bogus. For instance, research has shown over and over that chromium picolinate and l-carnitine (two common ingredients in popular fat burner formulas) have no effect on weight or body fat loss. The few supplements that have been found to help with fat loss play only a very minor role in the overall process. Without appropriate eating and exercise modifications, along with the supplements, they are sure to fail. Unfortunately, advertisements suggest otherwise… "Simply take this revolutionary product and watch the pounds melt away without exercise and without dieting!” Sound too good to be true? It is!
Read on to learn…
* Whether the active ingredients in fat burner products are effective and safe.
* Are the new “ephedra-free” products really better and safer alternatives?
* What are the keys to losing body fat and keeping it off for good?
* Is there a genetic limit to how lean and shredded you can get?
Ephedrine, Caffeine, & Aspirin (the old “ECA stack”)
What are they?
Ephedrine is a powerful stimulant that is chemically related to amphetamine (“speed”). It occurs naturally in several plants, such as ephedra (Ma huang) and the heartleaf plant (Sida cordifolia). Until its recent ban in 2004, it could be found in many popular “energy” drinks, fat burner pills, herbal preparations, and a variety of “natural” weight loss products.
Caffeine is also a powerful stimulant--one that most students are very familiar with! It is found in coffee, tea, many soft drinks, chocolate, coffee-flavored ice cream, yogurt, and candy, some over-the-counter medications, and many dietary supplements marketed for increased energy and fat loss. It is often disguised in herbal products under the names “kola nut, guarana seed, or green tea extract.” All of these herbs contain caffeine.
Aspirin (or acetylsalicylic acid) is not a stimulant. But, it is often added to fat burner products because it appears to reduce urinary excretion of ephedrine—thus keeping it in the blood longer and prolonging ephedrine’s stimulating effects. Salicin (which is chemically similar to aspirin) can be derived from willow bark and is often added to herbal preparations.
How do they affect your body?
Ephedrine and caffeine stimulate the sympathetic nervous system by increasing levels of certain brain chemicals (or neurotransmitters) such as norepinephrine. Norepinephrine (or noradrenaline) triggers the body’s stress response, causing a wide array of stimulant effects that prepare the body to “fight or flight” from a physical or emotional stressor. These stimulant effects include: increased heart rate, increased blood pressure (by constricting blood vessels), expanded airways, increased mobilization of fatty acids, and slightly increased resting metabolic rate (RMR)--all efforts to boost oxygen and energy supply to muscles so that they can “fight or flight” a stressor. Norepinephrine also acts on a region of the brain called the hypothalamus that helps to regulate appetite.
Because of these powerful effects, herbal ephedra (or Ma huang) has been used in Chinese medicine for more than 5000 years as a decongestant; and synthetic ephedrine is approved by the FDA for use in many over-the-counter medications for relieving asthma, hayfever, and nasal congestion. In fact, ephedrine is very effective for these purposes because it helps to open up airways. Some research also indicates that ephedrine may help promote fat and weight loss because it increases RMR slightly and curbs appetite. Further, when caffeine is taken with ephedrine, the thermogenic (or metabolic-boosting) effect is doubled!
What about caffeine taken alone? Caffeine, when taken alone, has a slight thermogenic effect and a slight appetite-suppressing effect. But, it does NOT appear to have any significant effect on weight or fat loss when it’s taken without ephedrine. However, taking caffeine one hour before exercise, does seem to enhance endurance. Thus, it may allow you to train longer and harder so you can burn more body fat that way. As many students already know, caffeine is a well-known (and well-studied) physical and mental invigorator. It improves alertness, reduces fatigue, helps improve memory and reasoning, and enhances subjective feelings of vigor and energy. In fact, caffeine is superior to ephedrine in this regard. However, caffeine taken alone will do nothing to increase fat or weight loss.
Are there any risks to taking them, either alone or in combination?
Ephedrine
Ephedrine has a long list of negative side effects. These include: increased blood pressure, arrhythmias (heart rate irregularities), insomnia, nervousness (anxiety), tremors, headaches, seizures, heart attacks, strokes, and even death. These dangerous side effects are worsened when ephedrine is combined with other stimulants such as caffeine, synephrine (which comes from the fruit and root of Citrus aurantium or bitter orange), yohimbine (which comes from the bark of the yohimbe tree) and aspirin (as in the common “ECA stack,” ephedrine, caffeine, aspirin combination).
In fact, ephedrine was linked with over 2200 reports of adverse effects, including numerous deaths, before the FDA banned it as an ingredient in dietary supplements in 2004. While you will no longer find ephedrine in popular weight loss formulas, it can still be found in over-the-counter medications and traditional Chinese medicine.
Note to College Athletes: It’s especially important that you avoid ephedrine-containing products because ephedrine is banned by several athletic associations, including the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). Use of these products may result in disqualification from your event.
Caffeine
High caffeine consumption can also have negative side effects, including nausea from increased stomach acid secretion, muscle tremors, heart palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, and headache. However, these side effects are mostly a concern for people who are not used to consuming caffeine on a regular basis or for people who exceed their usual dose. Also, caffeine is a diuretic, so if you're not a regular consumer, it will stimulate greater fluid loss through you urine and increase your trips to the bathroom. While this is not too convenient when your sitting in lectures and labs all day, it certainly won't hurt you as long as you consume extra water throughout the day too. Probably the biggest risk with caffeine is that it exacerbates ephedrine’s side effects. So, it’s best to avoid combining the two stimulants together.
When consumed sensibly, caffeine offers a beneficial boost in energy and may have a positive impact on mental and physical performance. If you choose to consume caffeinated products, keep these helpful tips in mind:
* Know your personal limit. Caffeine tolerance is a very individual thing. Some people experience adverse effects with very small doses, while others feel fine even at very high doses.
* Regardless of your tolerance level, keep your daily intake under 300 mg (click here for more info on the caffeine content of common foods and beverages). If you have built up a tolerance to higher amounts, it's time to cut back. People who need that much caffeine to get through the day may be masking an underlying medical problem that causes extreme fatigue or depriving their bodies of its most basic needs for food, rest, and/or play.
* Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration.
* Make sure you consume adequate calcium on a daily basis. Caffeine slightly increases urinary calcium loss. While this is not very significant for people who consume plenty of calcium in their daily diets, it is significant for people who do not.
* Avoid caffeine after 3 pm if it is interfering with the quality of your sleep.
* Do not take it with ephedrine or other stimulants.
Note to College Athletes: In the athletic world, caffeine is considered a “controlled or restricted drug.” In other words, caffeine is not banned, but there are strict limits on how much an athlete is allowed to consume before an event. The legal limit set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is a urinary caffeine level up to 12 mcg/mL following competitions. However, athletes can consume a very large amount of caffeine before reaching this limit (i.e. 4-5 mg/lb. of body weight, or approximately 600-750 mg taken an hour before exercise!).
The New “Ephedra Free” Alternatives
After the ban of ephedra in 2004, dieters are now turning to new weight-loss substances. Two of the most popular are Citrus aurantium and green tea extract.
Citrus Aurantium
Citrus aurantium (also known as Bitter Orange) is a product mainly extracted from the peels of manadarin oranges, seville orange juice, and certain types of potatoes. Small amounts of it are commonly used to flavor orange marmalade and various liquors. As a weight-loss product, it is not well studied. But one of its primary active ingredients, synephrine, acts similar to ephedrine in the body.
Like ephedrine, synephrine stimulates the sympathetic nervous system's "flight or fight response" and works on the neurotransmitters in the brain that suppress appetite. However, it appears that synephrine has a weaker effect on the cardiovascular system than ephedrine, so it may pose less of a risk. Still, many scientists say that when combined with caffeine and other substances commonly found in weight-loss products, synephrine could lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes and be just as dangerous as ephedrine. As a result, most health professionals agree that the risks of synephrine far outweigh any potential weight loss benefits.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract is probably the safest component of the new ephedra-free supplements. Recent studies suggest that green tea may play a role in stimulating thermogenesis (i.e. fat burning) and increasing calorie expenditure. This may be partly due to the caffeine content of green tea, or it may be due to an interaction or synergistic effect between its high content of catechins along with the caffeine. Green tea contains several catechins, most notably epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Catechins are known to increase levels of the brain chemical norepinephrine, which stimulates the sympathetic nervous system’s “fight or flight response.” In addition, catechins have potent antioxidant activity (which may account for green tea’s protective effect against heart disease and cancer).
In high doses, green tea extracts with high amounts of caffeine may result in heart palpitations, insomnia, and other negative effects of high caffeine consumption. But, otherwise, it is safe. Since it’s still not known whether EGCG (or some other single isolated compound) is solely responsible for green tea’s many potential health effects, it is wise to consume the entire herb (by drinking green tea) rather than relying on a supplement.
Keys to losing body fat and keeping it off for good!
* The only way to lose body fat is to create a calorie deficit, either by eating a bit less and/or exercising a bit more. But, be sensible! Very restrictive diets, as well as excessive amounts of exercise, can backfire and contribute to poor physical and emotional health and increased risk of weight re-gain! Click here for more info about the negative effects of restrictive eating.
*The key to revving up your metabolism is resistance training and increased muscle mass. The metabolic boost that comes from having more muscle mass on your body is far greater than the small, temporary rise that comes from stimulants in fat burner products.
* Learn how to control your appetite naturally and without risk. Eat every 3-5 hours to avoid getting overly hungry. Include a good protein source with meals and snacks to boost your satiety, or fullness, after eating. Choose high fiber carbohydrates, which supply extra bulk without extra calories. Drink plenty of water. And, finally, discover your non-hunger triggers to eat, and learn how to manage your emotions without food.
* If you are at least 30 lbs. overweight and your health is at risk due to your excessive body fat, then prescription medications (like Meridia or Xenical) may be considered as an adjunct to a sound eating and physical activity program. In these cases, the risks of having excessive body fat may outweigh the risks of the medication. And, because they are available by prescription only, a physician will always be carefully monitoring you—which is not the case with over-the-counter weight loss pills and dietary supplements. Ideally, you will also have the opportunity to work with a dietitian, trainer, and/or therapist to improve your lifestyle habits. Otherwise, the weight will be rapidly regained after the medication stops.
* If you are not overweight (i.e. just looking to shed 5 or 10 pounds), there is NO evidence that any weight loss supplement or prescription drug is going to have a significant effect. All the research that has been done with these products has been done with people who are significantly overweight. Further, in this case, the risks of taking the supplements seem to far outweigh any potential benefits.
Can Supplements Overcome Your Genes?
Dietary supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry that feeds on people's false hopes and desperate efforts to achieve something that, for most people, is an unrealistic body ideal. The amount of muscle you can put on and the amount of body fat you can lose is restricted to a great extent by your genetics and your body type.
Further, to maximize what you CAN achieve (given the constraints of your genes) takes a lot of work! It’s not as simple as just taking a supplement. To achieve your personal best requires a balanced eating plan and a consistent physical activity program. It takes time, patience, and effort to develop and implement these two things.
The models you see in fitness magazine ads didn’t get there by just taking the supplements they are promoting. They got there with a combination of 1) genetic endowment, 2) a very rigid eating plan (often unhealthfully rigid!), 3) hours of hard training every day (often to the point of compulsive!), and in many cases 4) illegal anabolic steroids and/or surgical procedures like liposuction and breast enhancement.
Consider a male fitness model who is HUGE (weighing in at 250 lb), but who is completely shredded with only 3% body fat. With this very low level of body fat, this much muscle mass is not possible to obtain naturally without the help of illegal, dangerous anabolic steroids. There is a physiological limit to how much lean muscle mass a man’s frame can hold, given a certain percentage of body fat. In order for him to gain more lean muscle mass, he would have to also gain more fat mass. Most men simply cannot be that BIG and be that LEAN naturally.
Consider a female fitness model who is super lean (with only 12% body fat), but has HUGE breasts. With this very low level of body fat, this much breast tissue is usually not possible. After all breasts are made of fat!
The supplement industry is making lots of money; while consumers are getting more and more obsessed about their weights, diets, and exercise regimens and more and more frustrated, depressed, and angry because they are not able to achieve the stunning results displayed in the ads. Worse yet, hundreds of thousands of consumers are putting themselves at risk, conducting a large-scale experiment on themselves with supplements that have questionable long-term safety.
Consider putting your time, energy, and money in better places. Enroll in a nutrition class, invest in a couple of sessions with a personal trainer, or buy a new outfit that highlights your best features. You’ll feel better and look better too!
Sheri Barke, MPH, RD
COC, Student Health & Wellness Center
Rev. 2005
--------
Herbal fat burners are safer than other diet pills. Just combine it with healthy lifestyle you'll definitely lose weight in the natural way.
More on herbal Fat Burner Click here
The key to losing body fat is reducing calorie intake and engaging in regular aerobic activity. The key to revving up your metabolism is to eat at frequent intervals throughout the day (not starve yourself) and to do resistance training to build muscle. Muscle burns more calories at rest, thus boosting your metabolic rate slightly.
Most fat burner supplements are bogus. For instance, research has shown over and over that chromium picolinate and l-carnitine (two common ingredients in popular fat burner formulas) have no effect on weight or body fat loss. The few supplements that have been found to help with fat loss play only a very minor role in the overall process. Without appropriate eating and exercise modifications, along with the supplements, they are sure to fail. Unfortunately, advertisements suggest otherwise… "Simply take this revolutionary product and watch the pounds melt away without exercise and without dieting!” Sound too good to be true? It is!
Read on to learn…
* Whether the active ingredients in fat burner products are effective and safe.
* Are the new “ephedra-free” products really better and safer alternatives?
* What are the keys to losing body fat and keeping it off for good?
* Is there a genetic limit to how lean and shredded you can get?
Ephedrine, Caffeine, & Aspirin (the old “ECA stack”)
What are they?
Ephedrine is a powerful stimulant that is chemically related to amphetamine (“speed”). It occurs naturally in several plants, such as ephedra (Ma huang) and the heartleaf plant (Sida cordifolia). Until its recent ban in 2004, it could be found in many popular “energy” drinks, fat burner pills, herbal preparations, and a variety of “natural” weight loss products.
Caffeine is also a powerful stimulant--one that most students are very familiar with! It is found in coffee, tea, many soft drinks, chocolate, coffee-flavored ice cream, yogurt, and candy, some over-the-counter medications, and many dietary supplements marketed for increased energy and fat loss. It is often disguised in herbal products under the names “kola nut, guarana seed, or green tea extract.” All of these herbs contain caffeine.
Aspirin (or acetylsalicylic acid) is not a stimulant. But, it is often added to fat burner products because it appears to reduce urinary excretion of ephedrine—thus keeping it in the blood longer and prolonging ephedrine’s stimulating effects. Salicin (which is chemically similar to aspirin) can be derived from willow bark and is often added to herbal preparations.
How do they affect your body?
Ephedrine and caffeine stimulate the sympathetic nervous system by increasing levels of certain brain chemicals (or neurotransmitters) such as norepinephrine. Norepinephrine (or noradrenaline) triggers the body’s stress response, causing a wide array of stimulant effects that prepare the body to “fight or flight” from a physical or emotional stressor. These stimulant effects include: increased heart rate, increased blood pressure (by constricting blood vessels), expanded airways, increased mobilization of fatty acids, and slightly increased resting metabolic rate (RMR)--all efforts to boost oxygen and energy supply to muscles so that they can “fight or flight” a stressor. Norepinephrine also acts on a region of the brain called the hypothalamus that helps to regulate appetite.
Because of these powerful effects, herbal ephedra (or Ma huang) has been used in Chinese medicine for more than 5000 years as a decongestant; and synthetic ephedrine is approved by the FDA for use in many over-the-counter medications for relieving asthma, hayfever, and nasal congestion. In fact, ephedrine is very effective for these purposes because it helps to open up airways. Some research also indicates that ephedrine may help promote fat and weight loss because it increases RMR slightly and curbs appetite. Further, when caffeine is taken with ephedrine, the thermogenic (or metabolic-boosting) effect is doubled!
What about caffeine taken alone? Caffeine, when taken alone, has a slight thermogenic effect and a slight appetite-suppressing effect. But, it does NOT appear to have any significant effect on weight or fat loss when it’s taken without ephedrine. However, taking caffeine one hour before exercise, does seem to enhance endurance. Thus, it may allow you to train longer and harder so you can burn more body fat that way. As many students already know, caffeine is a well-known (and well-studied) physical and mental invigorator. It improves alertness, reduces fatigue, helps improve memory and reasoning, and enhances subjective feelings of vigor and energy. In fact, caffeine is superior to ephedrine in this regard. However, caffeine taken alone will do nothing to increase fat or weight loss.
Are there any risks to taking them, either alone or in combination?
Ephedrine
Ephedrine has a long list of negative side effects. These include: increased blood pressure, arrhythmias (heart rate irregularities), insomnia, nervousness (anxiety), tremors, headaches, seizures, heart attacks, strokes, and even death. These dangerous side effects are worsened when ephedrine is combined with other stimulants such as caffeine, synephrine (which comes from the fruit and root of Citrus aurantium or bitter orange), yohimbine (which comes from the bark of the yohimbe tree) and aspirin (as in the common “ECA stack,” ephedrine, caffeine, aspirin combination).
In fact, ephedrine was linked with over 2200 reports of adverse effects, including numerous deaths, before the FDA banned it as an ingredient in dietary supplements in 2004. While you will no longer find ephedrine in popular weight loss formulas, it can still be found in over-the-counter medications and traditional Chinese medicine.
Note to College Athletes: It’s especially important that you avoid ephedrine-containing products because ephedrine is banned by several athletic associations, including the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). Use of these products may result in disqualification from your event.
Caffeine
High caffeine consumption can also have negative side effects, including nausea from increased stomach acid secretion, muscle tremors, heart palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, and headache. However, these side effects are mostly a concern for people who are not used to consuming caffeine on a regular basis or for people who exceed their usual dose. Also, caffeine is a diuretic, so if you're not a regular consumer, it will stimulate greater fluid loss through you urine and increase your trips to the bathroom. While this is not too convenient when your sitting in lectures and labs all day, it certainly won't hurt you as long as you consume extra water throughout the day too. Probably the biggest risk with caffeine is that it exacerbates ephedrine’s side effects. So, it’s best to avoid combining the two stimulants together.
When consumed sensibly, caffeine offers a beneficial boost in energy and may have a positive impact on mental and physical performance. If you choose to consume caffeinated products, keep these helpful tips in mind:
* Know your personal limit. Caffeine tolerance is a very individual thing. Some people experience adverse effects with very small doses, while others feel fine even at very high doses.
* Regardless of your tolerance level, keep your daily intake under 300 mg (click here for more info on the caffeine content of common foods and beverages). If you have built up a tolerance to higher amounts, it's time to cut back. People who need that much caffeine to get through the day may be masking an underlying medical problem that causes extreme fatigue or depriving their bodies of its most basic needs for food, rest, and/or play.
* Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration.
* Make sure you consume adequate calcium on a daily basis. Caffeine slightly increases urinary calcium loss. While this is not very significant for people who consume plenty of calcium in their daily diets, it is significant for people who do not.
* Avoid caffeine after 3 pm if it is interfering with the quality of your sleep.
* Do not take it with ephedrine or other stimulants.
Note to College Athletes: In the athletic world, caffeine is considered a “controlled or restricted drug.” In other words, caffeine is not banned, but there are strict limits on how much an athlete is allowed to consume before an event. The legal limit set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is a urinary caffeine level up to 12 mcg/mL following competitions. However, athletes can consume a very large amount of caffeine before reaching this limit (i.e. 4-5 mg/lb. of body weight, or approximately 600-750 mg taken an hour before exercise!).
The New “Ephedra Free” Alternatives
After the ban of ephedra in 2004, dieters are now turning to new weight-loss substances. Two of the most popular are Citrus aurantium and green tea extract.
Citrus Aurantium
Citrus aurantium (also known as Bitter Orange) is a product mainly extracted from the peels of manadarin oranges, seville orange juice, and certain types of potatoes. Small amounts of it are commonly used to flavor orange marmalade and various liquors. As a weight-loss product, it is not well studied. But one of its primary active ingredients, synephrine, acts similar to ephedrine in the body.
Like ephedrine, synephrine stimulates the sympathetic nervous system's "flight or fight response" and works on the neurotransmitters in the brain that suppress appetite. However, it appears that synephrine has a weaker effect on the cardiovascular system than ephedrine, so it may pose less of a risk. Still, many scientists say that when combined with caffeine and other substances commonly found in weight-loss products, synephrine could lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes and be just as dangerous as ephedrine. As a result, most health professionals agree that the risks of synephrine far outweigh any potential weight loss benefits.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract is probably the safest component of the new ephedra-free supplements. Recent studies suggest that green tea may play a role in stimulating thermogenesis (i.e. fat burning) and increasing calorie expenditure. This may be partly due to the caffeine content of green tea, or it may be due to an interaction or synergistic effect between its high content of catechins along with the caffeine. Green tea contains several catechins, most notably epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Catechins are known to increase levels of the brain chemical norepinephrine, which stimulates the sympathetic nervous system’s “fight or flight response.” In addition, catechins have potent antioxidant activity (which may account for green tea’s protective effect against heart disease and cancer).
In high doses, green tea extracts with high amounts of caffeine may result in heart palpitations, insomnia, and other negative effects of high caffeine consumption. But, otherwise, it is safe. Since it’s still not known whether EGCG (or some other single isolated compound) is solely responsible for green tea’s many potential health effects, it is wise to consume the entire herb (by drinking green tea) rather than relying on a supplement.
Keys to losing body fat and keeping it off for good!
* The only way to lose body fat is to create a calorie deficit, either by eating a bit less and/or exercising a bit more. But, be sensible! Very restrictive diets, as well as excessive amounts of exercise, can backfire and contribute to poor physical and emotional health and increased risk of weight re-gain! Click here for more info about the negative effects of restrictive eating.
*The key to revving up your metabolism is resistance training and increased muscle mass. The metabolic boost that comes from having more muscle mass on your body is far greater than the small, temporary rise that comes from stimulants in fat burner products.
* Learn how to control your appetite naturally and without risk. Eat every 3-5 hours to avoid getting overly hungry. Include a good protein source with meals and snacks to boost your satiety, or fullness, after eating. Choose high fiber carbohydrates, which supply extra bulk without extra calories. Drink plenty of water. And, finally, discover your non-hunger triggers to eat, and learn how to manage your emotions without food.
* If you are at least 30 lbs. overweight and your health is at risk due to your excessive body fat, then prescription medications (like Meridia or Xenical) may be considered as an adjunct to a sound eating and physical activity program. In these cases, the risks of having excessive body fat may outweigh the risks of the medication. And, because they are available by prescription only, a physician will always be carefully monitoring you—which is not the case with over-the-counter weight loss pills and dietary supplements. Ideally, you will also have the opportunity to work with a dietitian, trainer, and/or therapist to improve your lifestyle habits. Otherwise, the weight will be rapidly regained after the medication stops.
* If you are not overweight (i.e. just looking to shed 5 or 10 pounds), there is NO evidence that any weight loss supplement or prescription drug is going to have a significant effect. All the research that has been done with these products has been done with people who are significantly overweight. Further, in this case, the risks of taking the supplements seem to far outweigh any potential benefits.
Can Supplements Overcome Your Genes?
Dietary supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry that feeds on people's false hopes and desperate efforts to achieve something that, for most people, is an unrealistic body ideal. The amount of muscle you can put on and the amount of body fat you can lose is restricted to a great extent by your genetics and your body type.
Further, to maximize what you CAN achieve (given the constraints of your genes) takes a lot of work! It’s not as simple as just taking a supplement. To achieve your personal best requires a balanced eating plan and a consistent physical activity program. It takes time, patience, and effort to develop and implement these two things.
The models you see in fitness magazine ads didn’t get there by just taking the supplements they are promoting. They got there with a combination of 1) genetic endowment, 2) a very rigid eating plan (often unhealthfully rigid!), 3) hours of hard training every day (often to the point of compulsive!), and in many cases 4) illegal anabolic steroids and/or surgical procedures like liposuction and breast enhancement.
Consider a male fitness model who is HUGE (weighing in at 250 lb), but who is completely shredded with only 3% body fat. With this very low level of body fat, this much muscle mass is not possible to obtain naturally without the help of illegal, dangerous anabolic steroids. There is a physiological limit to how much lean muscle mass a man’s frame can hold, given a certain percentage of body fat. In order for him to gain more lean muscle mass, he would have to also gain more fat mass. Most men simply cannot be that BIG and be that LEAN naturally.
Consider a female fitness model who is super lean (with only 12% body fat), but has HUGE breasts. With this very low level of body fat, this much breast tissue is usually not possible. After all breasts are made of fat!
The supplement industry is making lots of money; while consumers are getting more and more obsessed about their weights, diets, and exercise regimens and more and more frustrated, depressed, and angry because they are not able to achieve the stunning results displayed in the ads. Worse yet, hundreds of thousands of consumers are putting themselves at risk, conducting a large-scale experiment on themselves with supplements that have questionable long-term safety.
Consider putting your time, energy, and money in better places. Enroll in a nutrition class, invest in a couple of sessions with a personal trainer, or buy a new outfit that highlights your best features. You’ll feel better and look better too!
Sheri Barke, MPH, RD
COC, Student Health & Wellness Center
Rev. 2005
--------
Herbal fat burners are safer than other diet pills. Just combine it with healthy lifestyle you'll definitely lose weight in the natural way.
More on herbal Fat Burner Click here
Monday, August 10, 2009
Are There any Herbs Which Really Burn Fat?
According to experts, the weight loss industry is a multi-million dollar business. Despite what companies would like you to believe, there are no shortcuts to weight loss. Exercise is still the best fat burner known to man, and a good diet can do miracles when it comes to weight loss. Over the last decade, however, scientists have discovered that some herbs can push the body to burn fat faster. None of these herbs alone will act as a fat burner, but adding them to the diet can help speed up your metabolism and reach your goal faster.
Green tea has long been considered a powerful fat burner. Studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that people drinking five cups of green tea a day burned an average of five percent more fat than people who did not drink any green tea at all.
Another much-studied herb that can be used as a fat burner is bitter orange or Citrus aurantium, which is sold in natural food stores as a food supplement and a way to speed up your metabolism. Bitter orange has shown no side effects, which makes it a great choice for people with high blood pressure, who could not normally take many fat burning herbs in the market, as many of them cause a heart rate increase.
A fat burner you may not have considered is dandelion. This herb, often considered a weed by gardeners, can help the body break down carbohydrates faster and help regulate blood sugar, which in turns controls appetite and cravings. Herbs that make your body "hot" also can act as a fat burner. This includes cayenne, which stimulates the metabolism and accelerates digestion.
Some herbs that are touted as an effective fat burner do little more than increase your heart rate. Many of them may be dangerous, including ephedra and herbal laxatives such as senna and buckthorn. No matter why you are considering taking an herbal fat burner, always research your choices well. If you have questions or are not sure that something is safe, ask your doctor.
--------
Yes, there is. Herbal medicines can truly burn your fat. There are lots of herbal medicines that are safe to use in able for you to lose weight. Eating organic foods can also help.
Herbal Fat Burner Informations
Friday, August 7, 2009
One Town Gets Children to Live a Healthy Lifestyle
Sari Harrar
"The school cafeteria had given kids -- even kindergartners -- whole fruit at lunch, and Ben was so excited he brought his home to share with his brother, his dad, and me. He called it 'The Family Fruit,'" recalls Ben's mother, Anna Huckabee Tull. Her son, who used to eat few fruits, and only after his mom had peeled and sliced them for him, was suddenly thrilled to have an entire apple. "Ever since, he's arrived home with fruit almost daily. And he started eating things I never thought he'd try, like tangerines and pears. I was blown away."
That was just the beginning. Thanks to Shape Up Somerville -- a groundbreaking antiobesity program in Somerville, MA, spearheaded by public schools, local government, and Tufts University -- the Tull family not only eats more healthily, they've begun biking around town for fun. And Ben, now in third grade, has started packing his own healthy snacks to earn extra points in a classroom good-eating competition. "We had wanted to be health-conscious, but Ben's led the way for the whole family," says Tull, 43.
Five years ago, when Somerville launched the battle for its children's health, the odds against the city of 77,000 seemed insurmountable. Almost 45 percent of its first, second, and third graders were overweight -- 50 percent higher than the national average. The high-speed commuter traffic thundering through on its way to nearby Boston and the lack of open space (95 percent of Somerville's four square miles is developed) meant that kids had few opportunities for physical activity. Most ate far fewer than the recommended five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The unofficial Somerville High School lunch? Cool Ranch Doritos and blue Gatorade.
But the Shape Up Somerville program worked. Kids got closer to their ideal weights, grew healthier, and actually enjoyed it. During the first year, 2003-04, students in grades 1, 2, and 3 gained, on average, about one pound less as they grew than children in other comparable towns. The shift sounds small, but to the scientists, it's remarkable. When the best news about kids' obesity we've had in 25 years was May's report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that skyrocketing rates may have leveled off, Somerville bucked the national trends -- within the program's first school year of operation. And while the study focused on younger elementary schoolkids, the wholesale changes the town made likely benefited every child in the system, right up through high school.
The program never used the words "fat," "diet," or "weight loss" with the children. "Strong, powerful, and healthy. That's what the kids told us they want to be," says the study's principal investigator, Christina Economos, Ph.D., the Friedman School at Tufts University New Balance chair in childhood nutrition. "So those were the words we used and that parents can use, too, when they talk about healthy food and activity." Besides, this really isn't just about weight. "Exercise keeps bones and muscles strong and helps kids focus in school," she explains. "Nutrients like calcium, fiber, and all the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in fruit and vegetables protect against a wide range of diseases." Developing a strong, powerful, healthy sense of self could even discourage a child from drug and alcohol abuse in adolescence, research in teens suggests. And when a child reaches the teen years at a healthy weight, he's less likely to be overweight in adulthood, which in turn lowers his risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even some kinds of cancer as he gets older.
Shape Up Somerville's not-so-secret weapon: the three simple principles by which its kids now live.
* Consume fewer fatty snacks and sugary soft drinks.
* Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy.
* Get more physical activity.
But the genius of the program lies in how the town got its kids to embrace the kinds of healthy behavior that most children wouldn't agree to even on Mother's Day. Read on for how you can make these transformations just as appealing and permanent at your house.
Step One: Jettison (Most of) the Junk
Supersweet soft drinks. Cookies. Greasy potato chips. Cupcakes at fund-raisers and class parties. School-day snacking in Somerville, as in many towns across America, meant sugar, saturated and trans fats, and oversize portions. "But we changed all that," says superintendent of schools Tony Pierantozzi. The new snack norm: baked chips on the older kids' à la carte menu; a small cookie or pudding as dessert only occasionally in the elementary schools. And the district scaled back the number of party days to limit kids' sugar intake.
The program also persuaded 21 local restaurants to offer healthier choices -- low-fat milk, side dishes of fruits and vegetables, and smaller portions -- and designated the participants as Shape Up Somerville-approved eateries. "Our favorite Chinese restaurant was on the list," says Somerville parent Susan Kamin, 48: "It's good to know you can get healthy takeout from a place where your family already likes to eat."
Taking a stand against the toxic food environment in which kids (and adults) live is crucial. "The empty calories in snack foods and soft drinks mount fast," Economos says. "There might be 300 calories in a large soda. But a 50-pound second grader uses just 30 calories when he walks a mile. Burning it all off is nearly impossible."
Try This at Home
Make your house a healthy-snack zone. "Talk with your kids about why it's important to eat mostly healthy food and save sweets and fatty food for treats, then set limits together," Economos advises. Here's how:
* Don't demonize dessert: "It's part of the variety you should have in your diet," says Mary Joan McLarney, Somerville's public schools food-service director. "But we keep portion sizes for sweets small and only offer them once a week." Try reducing everyone's serving sizes at home -- and endorse the idea by being visibly satisfied with your own helping. By doing so, you'll help equip your kids to make healthier choices even when you're not there.
* Prep healthy grab-and-go foods: Place them strategically in the fridge and cabinets for supereasy munching options. A few Somerville-tested ideas: low-fat yogurt; veggies with a little low-fat salad dressing; applesauce; a handful of whole wheat pretzels, sunflower seeds, and baby carrots; even easy-to-prepare low-fat turkey or taco roll-ups, made with low-fat cheese.
* Stop stocking sugary drinks: A single can or bottle of soda, sweetened tea, or fruit punch can pack 200 to 300 calories. Make water, herbal unsweetened iced tea, and fat-free or 1 percent milk your household's default drinks. You'll cut hundreds of useless calories out of your child's day almost effortlessly.
* Know when to bend the rules: Surprisingly, kids can still buy chocolate milk at lunch in Somerville's schools. "Many children don't get the three servings of dairy products they need each day during these crucial bone-building years," says McLarney. At 150 calories, an eight-ounce carton of chocolate milk has about 40 more calories than plain low-fat. She judged the compromise worthwhile -- and you might, too, especially if you stick with one serving a day and cut back on other treats.
* Send fruit or favors for school fetes: Take a stand against high-calorie party fare by providing grapes or nonfood treats like colored pencils, fun erasers, or cartoon-character stickers. The kids will adjust: Most Somerville students aren't even aware that their party fun food is unusually healthy.
Step Two: Make Healthy Food Its Own Reward
The mouthwatering aroma of tomato sauce filled the kitchen at the West Somerville Neighborhood School one morning last spring as the staff prepared for lunch. Cafeteria employee Linda Russell chopped mountains of fresh green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers for salad. Ripe apples and oranges were heaped next to the cafeteria line. When the lunch bell rang, students loaded their trays with salad, fruit, milk, and low-fat pizza or turkey sandwiches on whole wheat bread -- without a word of complaint.
Those healthy lunches had a rocky start, though. In 2003, when the district halted sales of the chips, cookies, fruit punch, and sports drinks that were popular with students, snack revenues plummeted by about 50 percent, McLarney admits. "If you were a kid with $1.80 in your pocket, would you buy a Powerade and chips or a sandwich and a salad?" she asks rhetorically. "But sales are better than ever now -- with an even higher percentage of kids buying food from the cafeteria."
The school district's secret to finding healthy foods kids love is simple: Ask them. Students taste-tested dozens of recipes. When steamed broccoli got a universal thumbs-down, the food-services team rolled out new variations. "We now serve lightly steamed broccoli with lemon zest, garlic, and a little olive oil and Parmesan cheese," McLarney says. "We wanted to create a buzz about vegetables." The kids aren't shy about praising what whets their appetites, even when it surprises them. At a recent taste test, Samantha Fitzgerald, now a third grader at the West Somerville Neighborhood School, never expected to like the bean, cheese, and broccoli wrap sandwich: "But it was so good, I ate seven pieces!"
Try This at Home
Get kids to eat between five and nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day, plus several servings of whole grains. Here's how:
* Detox your kitchen: "You're the policy maker in your own house, so be proactive," says Economos, who's also the mother of a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old. "Decide to stock mostly healthy foods and snacks so you don't have to say no all the time." And let your kids eat their fill -- as long as it's of fresh fruit.
* Tempt their taste buds: It's OK to add a little healthy fat (such as low-fat cheese, low-fat salad dressing, or olive oil) or the crunch of a baked, whole-grain chip to "sell" a healthy food to your family. McLarney's staff developed a vegetarian chili that they could barely give away, she says. "Finally, we melted a dab of low-fat mozzarella on top and served it with low-fat, whole-grain baked tortilla chips. Today, it's a popular item."
* Enlist kids to help in the kitchen: "The elementary schoolers shucked hundreds of ears of local corn one morning, then ate it at lunch. They still talk about it," McLarney says. Helping with food prep gives kids a sense of pride about their product, and may make them more partial to the results. Learning kitchen skills also helps prepare kids for a future of healthy cooking.
* Conduct your own taste tests: Offer your child just a nibble of a new food, instead of forcing her to eat a whole serving. If the healthy food isn't a hit, just change the preparation or presentation and offer it again. Better still: Test-drive a new food when your child has friends over. "If one kid is enthusiastic, everyone wants to try it," McLarney notes. Letting kids decide for themselves gives them a sense of control -- and the thrill of discovery.
* Grow your own (or visit a vegetable garden): "Seeing food grow, and then actually eating it, is exciting for kids," says McLarney. Schools in Somerville now grow herbs, tomatoes, and peppers in raised garden beds on tiny swaths of school property that were once pavement, and she uses the crops that are produced in the students' lunches, making a point of playing up the many fresh, "homegrown" ingredients.
Step Three: Up Your Children's Activity
The Somerville YMCA faced challenges from Shape Up Somerville that have stymied many parents: finding innovative places for active play, and getting everybody -- not just athletic, competitive kids -- moving.
The Y's smart solution: "If you don't let kids know it's exercise, they'll participate," says Joe Pinto, YMCA youth-services director. His staff helped organize an after-school "just for fun" league in which teams played games like bombardment (a gentler version of dodgeball) and, later, soccer and basketball. "Even the nonathletic kids started to enjoy the competition after a while," he says. And with no room for a playground, the younger kids played jumping games indoors, building up eventually to a friendly broad jump competition with their parents. The effects have reached beyond kids' physiques. "My son is more independent now, and he's more interested in whether whatever he's doing is healthy and will help him grow stronger," says mom Sirleia Lartey, who attended the jumping meet with her son Kelven Polite, age 8.
Try This at Home
Follow the 1-to-2 rule: Kids need at least one hour of physical activity every day, and no more than two hours of screen time -- watching TV, playing video games, or using the computer recreationally. Here's how to fill that offscreen hour:
* Expand your idea of exercise: If your kid's not interested in high-stress team sports, find an activity that fits his personality and interests, such as swimming, horseback riding, skateboarding, or simply a lower-key sports program (call directors of town and local leagues to judge the level of play). And don't be surprised if increased confidence makes your kid more comfortable with competition. "Some kids from the YMCA program were inspired to try out for the varsity high school sports teams," Pinto says.
* Make it easy: Gather outdoor sports and play equipment like balls, racquets, skates, skateboards, and sidewalk chalk for hopscotch in one handy location. The Tull family now makes a point of keeping their bicycles tuned and tires pumped, so they're ready to ride whenever the urge strikes them. And scope out nearby parks, biking and hiking trails, and playgrounds ahead of time, so you'll have ideas ready for Saturday afternoons or for a quick outing after dinner.
* Use the great indoors: A hopscotch mat, a CD player, and some danceable tunes -- even a roll of painter's tape -- can turn a cold, rainy afternoon into a fun movement marathon, especially for a group of youngsters. Try the Somerville YMCA jumping game: Tape a starting line on the floor, then have each player leap from a standing position; mark their landing spots with tape labels to see who gets farthest. Jumping burns calories and boosts heart rates, and the impact helps build strong, healthy bones in growing children, says Economos.
* Work out together: Susan Kamin exercises with her son Charlie, 11, to fitness videos several times a week. "We try different videos, some for adults and kids, others that just look like they'd be fun to do," she says. "It's good for both of us."
Shape Up Your Hometown
What made such a stunning difference in Somerville, says Economos, was "a lot of people making smart, small changes." But Somerville's not the only city whose citizens have banded together for the common good. Neighbors nationwide have made thoughtful improvements that benefited their communities -- and you can, too.
* Revive Walking to School
This Community Made It Happen: Fairfax, CA. Deirdra Rogers organized one of the nation's first Safe Routes to School programs at the town's Manor School. In two years, the number of pupils who walked or biked to the elementary school rose from 21 percent to 38 percent.
What You Can Do: After scoping out an appropriate route, start a "walk to school day" once a week in your neighborhood. If you live farther than walking distance from school, drive partway and then walk the remainder with your child. For information on starting your own local program to develop good walking routes to your local schools, visit saferoutesinfo.org.
* Upgrade School Food
This Community Made It Happen: Upper Adams School District, PA. Three years ago, phys ed teachers Jane Little and Deborah Yargar-Reed asked their elementary school principals for the OK to suggest some healthy changes to the food-services director. The result: Menus now include baked potato chips and fresh fruit in place of sweet desserts. The cafeteria transitioned kids from white to whole wheat bread by replacing just one slice in a sandwich with wheat.
What You Can Do: Recent federal nutrition guidelines may already have brought more fruit, veggies, and whole grains to your local school breakfast and lunch menus. But these healthy meals may face competition from high-calorie drinks and snacks still sold in or near many schools. Organize a Just One More campaign at your kid's school: For this program, started at the Sparta (NJ) Middle School, children make healthy pledges, including a promise to eat one more serving of fruit or veggies a day. Or consider approaching your district's food-services director and school board about spearheading a drive to switch to healthier school snacks. For ideas, check the Alliance for a Healthier Generation Web site, healthiergeneration.org.
* Blaze New Trails
This Community Made It Happen: Moses Lake, WA. Volunteers here worked with local officials to plan more trails and better access to the existing paths in the lakefront town -- with more work slated for the future.
What You Can Do: Sign up to build trails in a park near you, so there will be more places for kids' exploration. Or offer to map out bike lanes or bike trails in your town -- approach your town's parks-and-recreation board to see where your help is needed most. Bonus: You'll get exercise yourself while helping to keep others healthy.
Other Resources to Improve Kids' Health
* Snacks from Shape Up Somerville: A list of healthy grab-and-go munchies and snacking tips from Somerville Public Schools Food Service Department.
* Find Out What's Happening In Your State: Action for Healthy Kids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving nutrition and physical activity by focusing on changes in schools, tracks progress on these issues nationwide.
Additional reporting by Kate Schmier
------
Now it's time to teach your kids to eat healthy foods. Introducing them with herbal fat burner method in an early age can reduce their risk to acquire diseases.
Learn more on children's herbal diet
"The school cafeteria had given kids -- even kindergartners -- whole fruit at lunch, and Ben was so excited he brought his home to share with his brother, his dad, and me. He called it 'The Family Fruit,'" recalls Ben's mother, Anna Huckabee Tull. Her son, who used to eat few fruits, and only after his mom had peeled and sliced them for him, was suddenly thrilled to have an entire apple. "Ever since, he's arrived home with fruit almost daily. And he started eating things I never thought he'd try, like tangerines and pears. I was blown away."
That was just the beginning. Thanks to Shape Up Somerville -- a groundbreaking antiobesity program in Somerville, MA, spearheaded by public schools, local government, and Tufts University -- the Tull family not only eats more healthily, they've begun biking around town for fun. And Ben, now in third grade, has started packing his own healthy snacks to earn extra points in a classroom good-eating competition. "We had wanted to be health-conscious, but Ben's led the way for the whole family," says Tull, 43.
Five years ago, when Somerville launched the battle for its children's health, the odds against the city of 77,000 seemed insurmountable. Almost 45 percent of its first, second, and third graders were overweight -- 50 percent higher than the national average. The high-speed commuter traffic thundering through on its way to nearby Boston and the lack of open space (95 percent of Somerville's four square miles is developed) meant that kids had few opportunities for physical activity. Most ate far fewer than the recommended five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The unofficial Somerville High School lunch? Cool Ranch Doritos and blue Gatorade.
But the Shape Up Somerville program worked. Kids got closer to their ideal weights, grew healthier, and actually enjoyed it. During the first year, 2003-04, students in grades 1, 2, and 3 gained, on average, about one pound less as they grew than children in other comparable towns. The shift sounds small, but to the scientists, it's remarkable. When the best news about kids' obesity we've had in 25 years was May's report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that skyrocketing rates may have leveled off, Somerville bucked the national trends -- within the program's first school year of operation. And while the study focused on younger elementary schoolkids, the wholesale changes the town made likely benefited every child in the system, right up through high school.
The program never used the words "fat," "diet," or "weight loss" with the children. "Strong, powerful, and healthy. That's what the kids told us they want to be," says the study's principal investigator, Christina Economos, Ph.D., the Friedman School at Tufts University New Balance chair in childhood nutrition. "So those were the words we used and that parents can use, too, when they talk about healthy food and activity." Besides, this really isn't just about weight. "Exercise keeps bones and muscles strong and helps kids focus in school," she explains. "Nutrients like calcium, fiber, and all the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in fruit and vegetables protect against a wide range of diseases." Developing a strong, powerful, healthy sense of self could even discourage a child from drug and alcohol abuse in adolescence, research in teens suggests. And when a child reaches the teen years at a healthy weight, he's less likely to be overweight in adulthood, which in turn lowers his risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even some kinds of cancer as he gets older.
Shape Up Somerville's not-so-secret weapon: the three simple principles by which its kids now live.
* Consume fewer fatty snacks and sugary soft drinks.
* Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy.
* Get more physical activity.
But the genius of the program lies in how the town got its kids to embrace the kinds of healthy behavior that most children wouldn't agree to even on Mother's Day. Read on for how you can make these transformations just as appealing and permanent at your house.
Step One: Jettison (Most of) the Junk
Supersweet soft drinks. Cookies. Greasy potato chips. Cupcakes at fund-raisers and class parties. School-day snacking in Somerville, as in many towns across America, meant sugar, saturated and trans fats, and oversize portions. "But we changed all that," says superintendent of schools Tony Pierantozzi. The new snack norm: baked chips on the older kids' à la carte menu; a small cookie or pudding as dessert only occasionally in the elementary schools. And the district scaled back the number of party days to limit kids' sugar intake.
The program also persuaded 21 local restaurants to offer healthier choices -- low-fat milk, side dishes of fruits and vegetables, and smaller portions -- and designated the participants as Shape Up Somerville-approved eateries. "Our favorite Chinese restaurant was on the list," says Somerville parent Susan Kamin, 48: "It's good to know you can get healthy takeout from a place where your family already likes to eat."
Taking a stand against the toxic food environment in which kids (and adults) live is crucial. "The empty calories in snack foods and soft drinks mount fast," Economos says. "There might be 300 calories in a large soda. But a 50-pound second grader uses just 30 calories when he walks a mile. Burning it all off is nearly impossible."
Try This at Home
Make your house a healthy-snack zone. "Talk with your kids about why it's important to eat mostly healthy food and save sweets and fatty food for treats, then set limits together," Economos advises. Here's how:
* Don't demonize dessert: "It's part of the variety you should have in your diet," says Mary Joan McLarney, Somerville's public schools food-service director. "But we keep portion sizes for sweets small and only offer them once a week." Try reducing everyone's serving sizes at home -- and endorse the idea by being visibly satisfied with your own helping. By doing so, you'll help equip your kids to make healthier choices even when you're not there.
* Prep healthy grab-and-go foods: Place them strategically in the fridge and cabinets for supereasy munching options. A few Somerville-tested ideas: low-fat yogurt; veggies with a little low-fat salad dressing; applesauce; a handful of whole wheat pretzels, sunflower seeds, and baby carrots; even easy-to-prepare low-fat turkey or taco roll-ups, made with low-fat cheese.
* Stop stocking sugary drinks: A single can or bottle of soda, sweetened tea, or fruit punch can pack 200 to 300 calories. Make water, herbal unsweetened iced tea, and fat-free or 1 percent milk your household's default drinks. You'll cut hundreds of useless calories out of your child's day almost effortlessly.
* Know when to bend the rules: Surprisingly, kids can still buy chocolate milk at lunch in Somerville's schools. "Many children don't get the three servings of dairy products they need each day during these crucial bone-building years," says McLarney. At 150 calories, an eight-ounce carton of chocolate milk has about 40 more calories than plain low-fat. She judged the compromise worthwhile -- and you might, too, especially if you stick with one serving a day and cut back on other treats.
* Send fruit or favors for school fetes: Take a stand against high-calorie party fare by providing grapes or nonfood treats like colored pencils, fun erasers, or cartoon-character stickers. The kids will adjust: Most Somerville students aren't even aware that their party fun food is unusually healthy.
Step Two: Make Healthy Food Its Own Reward
The mouthwatering aroma of tomato sauce filled the kitchen at the West Somerville Neighborhood School one morning last spring as the staff prepared for lunch. Cafeteria employee Linda Russell chopped mountains of fresh green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers for salad. Ripe apples and oranges were heaped next to the cafeteria line. When the lunch bell rang, students loaded their trays with salad, fruit, milk, and low-fat pizza or turkey sandwiches on whole wheat bread -- without a word of complaint.
Those healthy lunches had a rocky start, though. In 2003, when the district halted sales of the chips, cookies, fruit punch, and sports drinks that were popular with students, snack revenues plummeted by about 50 percent, McLarney admits. "If you were a kid with $1.80 in your pocket, would you buy a Powerade and chips or a sandwich and a salad?" she asks rhetorically. "But sales are better than ever now -- with an even higher percentage of kids buying food from the cafeteria."
The school district's secret to finding healthy foods kids love is simple: Ask them. Students taste-tested dozens of recipes. When steamed broccoli got a universal thumbs-down, the food-services team rolled out new variations. "We now serve lightly steamed broccoli with lemon zest, garlic, and a little olive oil and Parmesan cheese," McLarney says. "We wanted to create a buzz about vegetables." The kids aren't shy about praising what whets their appetites, even when it surprises them. At a recent taste test, Samantha Fitzgerald, now a third grader at the West Somerville Neighborhood School, never expected to like the bean, cheese, and broccoli wrap sandwich: "But it was so good, I ate seven pieces!"
Try This at Home
Get kids to eat between five and nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day, plus several servings of whole grains. Here's how:
* Detox your kitchen: "You're the policy maker in your own house, so be proactive," says Economos, who's also the mother of a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old. "Decide to stock mostly healthy foods and snacks so you don't have to say no all the time." And let your kids eat their fill -- as long as it's of fresh fruit.
* Tempt their taste buds: It's OK to add a little healthy fat (such as low-fat cheese, low-fat salad dressing, or olive oil) or the crunch of a baked, whole-grain chip to "sell" a healthy food to your family. McLarney's staff developed a vegetarian chili that they could barely give away, she says. "Finally, we melted a dab of low-fat mozzarella on top and served it with low-fat, whole-grain baked tortilla chips. Today, it's a popular item."
* Enlist kids to help in the kitchen: "The elementary schoolers shucked hundreds of ears of local corn one morning, then ate it at lunch. They still talk about it," McLarney says. Helping with food prep gives kids a sense of pride about their product, and may make them more partial to the results. Learning kitchen skills also helps prepare kids for a future of healthy cooking.
* Conduct your own taste tests: Offer your child just a nibble of a new food, instead of forcing her to eat a whole serving. If the healthy food isn't a hit, just change the preparation or presentation and offer it again. Better still: Test-drive a new food when your child has friends over. "If one kid is enthusiastic, everyone wants to try it," McLarney notes. Letting kids decide for themselves gives them a sense of control -- and the thrill of discovery.
* Grow your own (or visit a vegetable garden): "Seeing food grow, and then actually eating it, is exciting for kids," says McLarney. Schools in Somerville now grow herbs, tomatoes, and peppers in raised garden beds on tiny swaths of school property that were once pavement, and she uses the crops that are produced in the students' lunches, making a point of playing up the many fresh, "homegrown" ingredients.
Step Three: Up Your Children's Activity
The Somerville YMCA faced challenges from Shape Up Somerville that have stymied many parents: finding innovative places for active play, and getting everybody -- not just athletic, competitive kids -- moving.
The Y's smart solution: "If you don't let kids know it's exercise, they'll participate," says Joe Pinto, YMCA youth-services director. His staff helped organize an after-school "just for fun" league in which teams played games like bombardment (a gentler version of dodgeball) and, later, soccer and basketball. "Even the nonathletic kids started to enjoy the competition after a while," he says. And with no room for a playground, the younger kids played jumping games indoors, building up eventually to a friendly broad jump competition with their parents. The effects have reached beyond kids' physiques. "My son is more independent now, and he's more interested in whether whatever he's doing is healthy and will help him grow stronger," says mom Sirleia Lartey, who attended the jumping meet with her son Kelven Polite, age 8.
Try This at Home
Follow the 1-to-2 rule: Kids need at least one hour of physical activity every day, and no more than two hours of screen time -- watching TV, playing video games, or using the computer recreationally. Here's how to fill that offscreen hour:
* Expand your idea of exercise: If your kid's not interested in high-stress team sports, find an activity that fits his personality and interests, such as swimming, horseback riding, skateboarding, or simply a lower-key sports program (call directors of town and local leagues to judge the level of play). And don't be surprised if increased confidence makes your kid more comfortable with competition. "Some kids from the YMCA program were inspired to try out for the varsity high school sports teams," Pinto says.
* Make it easy: Gather outdoor sports and play equipment like balls, racquets, skates, skateboards, and sidewalk chalk for hopscotch in one handy location. The Tull family now makes a point of keeping their bicycles tuned and tires pumped, so they're ready to ride whenever the urge strikes them. And scope out nearby parks, biking and hiking trails, and playgrounds ahead of time, so you'll have ideas ready for Saturday afternoons or for a quick outing after dinner.
* Use the great indoors: A hopscotch mat, a CD player, and some danceable tunes -- even a roll of painter's tape -- can turn a cold, rainy afternoon into a fun movement marathon, especially for a group of youngsters. Try the Somerville YMCA jumping game: Tape a starting line on the floor, then have each player leap from a standing position; mark their landing spots with tape labels to see who gets farthest. Jumping burns calories and boosts heart rates, and the impact helps build strong, healthy bones in growing children, says Economos.
* Work out together: Susan Kamin exercises with her son Charlie, 11, to fitness videos several times a week. "We try different videos, some for adults and kids, others that just look like they'd be fun to do," she says. "It's good for both of us."
Shape Up Your Hometown
What made such a stunning difference in Somerville, says Economos, was "a lot of people making smart, small changes." But Somerville's not the only city whose citizens have banded together for the common good. Neighbors nationwide have made thoughtful improvements that benefited their communities -- and you can, too.
* Revive Walking to School
This Community Made It Happen: Fairfax, CA. Deirdra Rogers organized one of the nation's first Safe Routes to School programs at the town's Manor School. In two years, the number of pupils who walked or biked to the elementary school rose from 21 percent to 38 percent.
What You Can Do: After scoping out an appropriate route, start a "walk to school day" once a week in your neighborhood. If you live farther than walking distance from school, drive partway and then walk the remainder with your child. For information on starting your own local program to develop good walking routes to your local schools, visit saferoutesinfo.org.
* Upgrade School Food
This Community Made It Happen: Upper Adams School District, PA. Three years ago, phys ed teachers Jane Little and Deborah Yargar-Reed asked their elementary school principals for the OK to suggest some healthy changes to the food-services director. The result: Menus now include baked potato chips and fresh fruit in place of sweet desserts. The cafeteria transitioned kids from white to whole wheat bread by replacing just one slice in a sandwich with wheat.
What You Can Do: Recent federal nutrition guidelines may already have brought more fruit, veggies, and whole grains to your local school breakfast and lunch menus. But these healthy meals may face competition from high-calorie drinks and snacks still sold in or near many schools. Organize a Just One More campaign at your kid's school: For this program, started at the Sparta (NJ) Middle School, children make healthy pledges, including a promise to eat one more serving of fruit or veggies a day. Or consider approaching your district's food-services director and school board about spearheading a drive to switch to healthier school snacks. For ideas, check the Alliance for a Healthier Generation Web site, healthiergeneration.org.
* Blaze New Trails
This Community Made It Happen: Moses Lake, WA. Volunteers here worked with local officials to plan more trails and better access to the existing paths in the lakefront town -- with more work slated for the future.
What You Can Do: Sign up to build trails in a park near you, so there will be more places for kids' exploration. Or offer to map out bike lanes or bike trails in your town -- approach your town's parks-and-recreation board to see where your help is needed most. Bonus: You'll get exercise yourself while helping to keep others healthy.
Other Resources to Improve Kids' Health
* Snacks from Shape Up Somerville: A list of healthy grab-and-go munchies and snacking tips from Somerville Public Schools Food Service Department.
* Find Out What's Happening In Your State: Action for Healthy Kids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving nutrition and physical activity by focusing on changes in schools, tracks progress on these issues nationwide.
Additional reporting by Kate Schmier
------
Now it's time to teach your kids to eat healthy foods. Introducing them with herbal fat burner method in an early age can reduce their risk to acquire diseases.
Learn more on children's herbal diet
Ethiopian Review
The makers of natural weight-loss products use a wide range of plant and animal extracts, vitamins and minerals that they promise will speed metabolism, suppress appetite, make you feel full and convert fat into muscle. Some of these ingredients are sold individually, but the bestsellers of the weight-loss category are often diverse and constantly changing combinations touted as "proprietary formulations."
The labels rarely clarify the contents. Where details and dosages are provided at all, they are frequently presented as a bewildering mix of Latin plant names, trademarked monikers for a company's own mix of ingredients and, often, invented words that sound scientific but mean nothing to chemists or pharmacologists. Hydroxycut's "Hardcore," for instance, touts its "norepidrol intensity focus blend" as an aid to focus and attention. Another supplement, TheraStress, declares that its active compound of "adaptogens" helps fight weight gain brought on by stress.
For consumers seeking full disclosure, these labels may as well declare the product is made of genuine atoms.
The following are among those ingredients most frequently used in these formulas, along with what's known about their possible effects — good and bad.
Caffeine
Seldom acknowledged on the labels of dietary supplements promoted for weight loss, caffeine is almost uniformly their key ingredient. Its sources are many and extremely varied: green tea extract (or Camellia sinensis), guarana, yerba maté and kola nut to name a few.
Consumer Lab's 2005 review of dietary supplements for weight loss measured caffeine levels in two popular weight-loss products still on the market — Zantrex-3 ("The Ultimate Ephedra Replacement") and Xenadrine EFX. Zantrex-3 was found to have 1,223 milligrams of caffeine in a day's recommended dosage — equivalent to 30 cans of cola. Xenadrine EFX was found to have less — 448 milligrams — but still 1 1/2 times the caffeine associated with adverse effects such as heart palpitations and sleep disruption.
In studies, high doses of caffeine have been shown to decrease appetite, but the effect doesn't last long. The chemical also acts as a diuretic, prompting the release of retained water, which leads to short-term weight loss.
"There is some evidence" that caffeine can contribute to temporary weight loss, says Barbara Corkey, an obesity researcher at Boston University who directs the Boston Obesity Nutrition Research Center.
"What caffeine can do is stimulate lipolysis, the breakdown of lipids, and that should, in theory, have a beneficial effect. But in practice it's useless: The body is very smart about compensating for that. . . . so it's not a long-lasting, permanent effect."
Bitter orange
After the FDA banned the sale of ephedra and other products containing ephedrine in 2004, marketers of dietary supplements for weight loss widely proclaimed extracts from the peel of bitter orange (Citrus aurantium) "the next ephedra." They may have been more accurate than they intended.
Bitter orange (also called Seville orange and sour orange) is touted as an energy-enhancing fat burner, boosting the metabolism and exercise endurance, as was ephedrine. There is some evidence that, like ephedrine, it may cause slightly more weight loss than diet and exercise alone. Like ephedrine, it is frequently blended in formulations with large doses of caffeine.
And the active ingredients in bitter orange extract — synephrine and octopamine — are related to ephedrine. Synephrine was used in Europe for 30 years as a treatment for mild asthma. As a result, says State University of New York at Stony Brook microbiologist Dr. Arthur Grollman, a large body of evidence indicates that synephrine raises heart rate and blood pressure, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
A small study by UC San Francisco researchers tested two products that contained bitter orange extracts — Advantra Z and Xenadrine EFX — on 10 healthy adults. Their findings, published in September 2005 in the American Journal of Medicine, found that single doses of both products boosted heart rates 11 to 16 beats per minute over normal baseline heart rates.
The NIH's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine says there "have been reports of fainting, heart attack and stroke in healthy people after taking bitter orange supplements alone or combined with caffeine." It adds, "there is currently little evidence that bitter orange is safer to use than ephedra."
Hydroxycitric acid
The ingredient from which the Hydroxycut name was originally drawn is a derivative of the Malabar tamarind, or Garcinia cambogia. Used in traditional medicine to treat high cholesterol, it is touted as an agent that interferes with fat metabolism and possibly suppresses appetite. Its prospects were considered sufficiently promising that the pharmaceutical giant Hoffman-LaRoche in the 1960s committed significant funds to develop it as a possible weight-loss pill. The company dropped it, however, when rat studies showed that, at doses that appeared effective at reducing fat deposits, hydroxycitrate caused "potent testicular atrophy and toxicity."
Conjugated linoleic acid
Frequently included in products that promise to help dieters transform fat into lean muscle mass, CLA is a polyunsaturated fat found naturally in milk and meat and derived from the oil of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) seeds. One product that touts its power — Phosphacore — says that Carthamus tinctorius "may work to safely break up and flush away unhealthy adipose (fat) cells."
There's no good evidence that that's so in humans.
Sometimes recommended to patients with high overall cholesterol levels, CLA also appears to lower HDL ("good") cholesterol. And while patients with diabetes were once thought to benefit from taking CLA supplements, further studies have not borne that out. In fact, there is some evidence that for obese people, taking in too much CLA can contribute to a prediabetic state. One study found that CLA can prevent some human cells from taking up glucose and fatty acids. That could increase blood sugar and lipids in the blood and raise the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Cortisol blockers
Tinctures of golden root (Rhodiola rosea) or other herbs, such as rose root, are widely marketed as weight-loss aids on the argument that stress — which causes the release of the hormone cortisol — can lead to weight gain and, particularly, to the accumulation of belly fat. In 2007, the Federal Trade Commission charged the marketers of two products — CortiSlim and CortiStress, with making false and unsubstantiated claims about their product's weight-loss properties, leading to a multimillion dollar settlement. But many products still make the claim.
There is no evidence that blocking cortisol causes weight loss, or that herbal remedies lower cortisol levels, according to the Mayo Clinic's Katherine Zeratsky, a dietitian. In fact, the accumulation of fat due to high levels of cortisol appears to happen only in cases where there is an underlying medical issue, such as Cushing's disease, or as a side effect of certain drugs.
Antioxidants
Glutathione, green tea extracts and, more recently, the Brazilian açai berry are among the many sources of antioxidants marketed in supplements as an aid to weight loss. In test tubes, antioxidants called flavenoids and phenolic acids have been found to cut the production of triglycerides in mouse fat cells. But their weight-loss properties in humans haven't been rigorously tested yet. Antioxidants are thought to reduce cell damage that can lead to cancer growth, which also leads to their widespread marketing as an aid to detoxifying diets.
Research suggests that glutathione taken orally is not well absorbed across the gastrointestinal tract. In a study in which very large doses of oral glutathione were administered to humans, researchers concluded it was not possible to increase circulating glutathione to levels that could have any clinical benefit. Extracts of green tea and the increasingly popular açai berry, at least, may differ from glutathione in that there is evidence they are taken in through the gut and do make it into the bloodstream. But whether it helps to neutralize toxins or fats once there remains an open question.
Chitosan
The chemically cleansed product of grinding up the shells of shrimps, crabs and lobsters, chitosan is a powder that has been used in the water-purification industry for years: Sprinkled on top of holding tanks, it binds to lipids, or fats. Fats and oils can thus be skimmed off easily. This has led to the claim that supplements containing chitosan have amazing "fat magnet" qualities, absorbing dietary fat before it can be absorbed into the gut and flushing it away. In addition, chitosan is touted as a source of fiber, which may contribute to sensations of fullness when consumed with a meal.
But does chitosan act in the body in the same way it does in water-purification plants? Three human clinical trials found no difference in weight or serum cholesterol levels between subjects taking chitosan supplements and those taking a placebo after three-to-eight weeks. While chitosan is generally considered safe, it could be dangerous to anyone with shellfish allergies.
Hoodia
A succulent plant native to the Kalahari Desert in Africa, hoodia (Hoodia gordonii) is chewed and eaten by San Bushmen to reduce their hunger and thirst during long hunts. This back story has raised hoodia to mythic levels in the world of weight-loss supplement marketing.
In a September 2004 study published in Brain Research, scientists injected p57, thought to be the active ingredient in hoodia, into a region of rats' brains thought to govern appetite. They found reduced activity there.
In 1998, the drug maker Pfizer purchased the right to develop p57 for $21 million, but abandoned the quest for a hoodia drug in 2003. Unilever, which makes Slim-Fast meal-replacement products, recently dropped plans to fortify its products with hoodia. A former Pfizer scientist has warned that in extracting p57 from hoodia, researchers at Pfizer found that some components could not be removed that had "unwanted effects" on the liver. In an April 26, 2005, letter to the New York Times, scientist Jasjit S. Bindra warned that dieters "should be wary of using" hoodia until its safety has been better established.
Iovate's voluntary recall of Hydroxycut products, notably, did not include its hoodia formulation — an indication that the FDA has not found evidence of serious danger.
Aristolochic acid
Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) is among a family of plants widely used in Chinese and traditional medicine for stomach ailments, to restore a woman's energy after the birth of a child, to treat cough, allergy and breathing problems, and in some weight-loss formulas.
Aristolochic acid, says Grollman, "is one of the most potent human carcinogens ever known." Declaring the substance to be both cancer-causing and toxic to human kidneys, the FDA in 2001 advised the U.S. dietary-supplements industry not to manufacture products using the chemical and banned its importation. But a 2003 letter to the FDA from UC Berkeley's Carcinogenic Potency Project identified 112 herbal products still available online that contain, or were likely to contain, aristolochic acid.
The danger of aristolochic acid came to light when more than 100 women participating in a weight-loss program in Belgium developed kidney damage and urinary tract cancers. All had been prescribed an herbal weight-loss remedy that contained it. Though banned throughout Europe and in Japan, Aristolochia extracts continue to be used widely in China. Any product bearing the species name "Aristolochia," "Bragantia" or "Asarum" should be avoided.
By Melissa Healy | latimes
------
Yes! No need to undergo surgeries to have the body you wanted. All you need is herbal fat burner. Go and try those herbal methods.
Learn more on Herbal Fat Burner
The labels rarely clarify the contents. Where details and dosages are provided at all, they are frequently presented as a bewildering mix of Latin plant names, trademarked monikers for a company's own mix of ingredients and, often, invented words that sound scientific but mean nothing to chemists or pharmacologists. Hydroxycut's "Hardcore," for instance, touts its "norepidrol intensity focus blend" as an aid to focus and attention. Another supplement, TheraStress, declares that its active compound of "adaptogens" helps fight weight gain brought on by stress.
For consumers seeking full disclosure, these labels may as well declare the product is made of genuine atoms.
The following are among those ingredients most frequently used in these formulas, along with what's known about their possible effects — good and bad.
Caffeine
Seldom acknowledged on the labels of dietary supplements promoted for weight loss, caffeine is almost uniformly their key ingredient. Its sources are many and extremely varied: green tea extract (or Camellia sinensis), guarana, yerba maté and kola nut to name a few.
Consumer Lab's 2005 review of dietary supplements for weight loss measured caffeine levels in two popular weight-loss products still on the market — Zantrex-3 ("The Ultimate Ephedra Replacement") and Xenadrine EFX. Zantrex-3 was found to have 1,223 milligrams of caffeine in a day's recommended dosage — equivalent to 30 cans of cola. Xenadrine EFX was found to have less — 448 milligrams — but still 1 1/2 times the caffeine associated with adverse effects such as heart palpitations and sleep disruption.
In studies, high doses of caffeine have been shown to decrease appetite, but the effect doesn't last long. The chemical also acts as a diuretic, prompting the release of retained water, which leads to short-term weight loss.
"There is some evidence" that caffeine can contribute to temporary weight loss, says Barbara Corkey, an obesity researcher at Boston University who directs the Boston Obesity Nutrition Research Center.
"What caffeine can do is stimulate lipolysis, the breakdown of lipids, and that should, in theory, have a beneficial effect. But in practice it's useless: The body is very smart about compensating for that. . . . so it's not a long-lasting, permanent effect."
Bitter orange
After the FDA banned the sale of ephedra and other products containing ephedrine in 2004, marketers of dietary supplements for weight loss widely proclaimed extracts from the peel of bitter orange (Citrus aurantium) "the next ephedra." They may have been more accurate than they intended.
Bitter orange (also called Seville orange and sour orange) is touted as an energy-enhancing fat burner, boosting the metabolism and exercise endurance, as was ephedrine. There is some evidence that, like ephedrine, it may cause slightly more weight loss than diet and exercise alone. Like ephedrine, it is frequently blended in formulations with large doses of caffeine.
And the active ingredients in bitter orange extract — synephrine and octopamine — are related to ephedrine. Synephrine was used in Europe for 30 years as a treatment for mild asthma. As a result, says State University of New York at Stony Brook microbiologist Dr. Arthur Grollman, a large body of evidence indicates that synephrine raises heart rate and blood pressure, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
A small study by UC San Francisco researchers tested two products that contained bitter orange extracts — Advantra Z and Xenadrine EFX — on 10 healthy adults. Their findings, published in September 2005 in the American Journal of Medicine, found that single doses of both products boosted heart rates 11 to 16 beats per minute over normal baseline heart rates.
The NIH's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine says there "have been reports of fainting, heart attack and stroke in healthy people after taking bitter orange supplements alone or combined with caffeine." It adds, "there is currently little evidence that bitter orange is safer to use than ephedra."
Hydroxycitric acid
The ingredient from which the Hydroxycut name was originally drawn is a derivative of the Malabar tamarind, or Garcinia cambogia. Used in traditional medicine to treat high cholesterol, it is touted as an agent that interferes with fat metabolism and possibly suppresses appetite. Its prospects were considered sufficiently promising that the pharmaceutical giant Hoffman-LaRoche in the 1960s committed significant funds to develop it as a possible weight-loss pill. The company dropped it, however, when rat studies showed that, at doses that appeared effective at reducing fat deposits, hydroxycitrate caused "potent testicular atrophy and toxicity."
Conjugated linoleic acid
Frequently included in products that promise to help dieters transform fat into lean muscle mass, CLA is a polyunsaturated fat found naturally in milk and meat and derived from the oil of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) seeds. One product that touts its power — Phosphacore — says that Carthamus tinctorius "may work to safely break up and flush away unhealthy adipose (fat) cells."
There's no good evidence that that's so in humans.
Sometimes recommended to patients with high overall cholesterol levels, CLA also appears to lower HDL ("good") cholesterol. And while patients with diabetes were once thought to benefit from taking CLA supplements, further studies have not borne that out. In fact, there is some evidence that for obese people, taking in too much CLA can contribute to a prediabetic state. One study found that CLA can prevent some human cells from taking up glucose and fatty acids. That could increase blood sugar and lipids in the blood and raise the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Cortisol blockers
Tinctures of golden root (Rhodiola rosea) or other herbs, such as rose root, are widely marketed as weight-loss aids on the argument that stress — which causes the release of the hormone cortisol — can lead to weight gain and, particularly, to the accumulation of belly fat. In 2007, the Federal Trade Commission charged the marketers of two products — CortiSlim and CortiStress, with making false and unsubstantiated claims about their product's weight-loss properties, leading to a multimillion dollar settlement. But many products still make the claim.
There is no evidence that blocking cortisol causes weight loss, or that herbal remedies lower cortisol levels, according to the Mayo Clinic's Katherine Zeratsky, a dietitian. In fact, the accumulation of fat due to high levels of cortisol appears to happen only in cases where there is an underlying medical issue, such as Cushing's disease, or as a side effect of certain drugs.
Antioxidants
Glutathione, green tea extracts and, more recently, the Brazilian açai berry are among the many sources of antioxidants marketed in supplements as an aid to weight loss. In test tubes, antioxidants called flavenoids and phenolic acids have been found to cut the production of triglycerides in mouse fat cells. But their weight-loss properties in humans haven't been rigorously tested yet. Antioxidants are thought to reduce cell damage that can lead to cancer growth, which also leads to their widespread marketing as an aid to detoxifying diets.
Research suggests that glutathione taken orally is not well absorbed across the gastrointestinal tract. In a study in which very large doses of oral glutathione were administered to humans, researchers concluded it was not possible to increase circulating glutathione to levels that could have any clinical benefit. Extracts of green tea and the increasingly popular açai berry, at least, may differ from glutathione in that there is evidence they are taken in through the gut and do make it into the bloodstream. But whether it helps to neutralize toxins or fats once there remains an open question.
Chitosan
The chemically cleansed product of grinding up the shells of shrimps, crabs and lobsters, chitosan is a powder that has been used in the water-purification industry for years: Sprinkled on top of holding tanks, it binds to lipids, or fats. Fats and oils can thus be skimmed off easily. This has led to the claim that supplements containing chitosan have amazing "fat magnet" qualities, absorbing dietary fat before it can be absorbed into the gut and flushing it away. In addition, chitosan is touted as a source of fiber, which may contribute to sensations of fullness when consumed with a meal.
But does chitosan act in the body in the same way it does in water-purification plants? Three human clinical trials found no difference in weight or serum cholesterol levels between subjects taking chitosan supplements and those taking a placebo after three-to-eight weeks. While chitosan is generally considered safe, it could be dangerous to anyone with shellfish allergies.
Hoodia
A succulent plant native to the Kalahari Desert in Africa, hoodia (Hoodia gordonii) is chewed and eaten by San Bushmen to reduce their hunger and thirst during long hunts. This back story has raised hoodia to mythic levels in the world of weight-loss supplement marketing.
In a September 2004 study published in Brain Research, scientists injected p57, thought to be the active ingredient in hoodia, into a region of rats' brains thought to govern appetite. They found reduced activity there.
In 1998, the drug maker Pfizer purchased the right to develop p57 for $21 million, but abandoned the quest for a hoodia drug in 2003. Unilever, which makes Slim-Fast meal-replacement products, recently dropped plans to fortify its products with hoodia. A former Pfizer scientist has warned that in extracting p57 from hoodia, researchers at Pfizer found that some components could not be removed that had "unwanted effects" on the liver. In an April 26, 2005, letter to the New York Times, scientist Jasjit S. Bindra warned that dieters "should be wary of using" hoodia until its safety has been better established.
Iovate's voluntary recall of Hydroxycut products, notably, did not include its hoodia formulation — an indication that the FDA has not found evidence of serious danger.
Aristolochic acid
Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) is among a family of plants widely used in Chinese and traditional medicine for stomach ailments, to restore a woman's energy after the birth of a child, to treat cough, allergy and breathing problems, and in some weight-loss formulas.
Aristolochic acid, says Grollman, "is one of the most potent human carcinogens ever known." Declaring the substance to be both cancer-causing and toxic to human kidneys, the FDA in 2001 advised the U.S. dietary-supplements industry not to manufacture products using the chemical and banned its importation. But a 2003 letter to the FDA from UC Berkeley's Carcinogenic Potency Project identified 112 herbal products still available online that contain, or were likely to contain, aristolochic acid.
The danger of aristolochic acid came to light when more than 100 women participating in a weight-loss program in Belgium developed kidney damage and urinary tract cancers. All had been prescribed an herbal weight-loss remedy that contained it. Though banned throughout Europe and in Japan, Aristolochia extracts continue to be used widely in China. Any product bearing the species name "Aristolochia," "Bragantia" or "Asarum" should be avoided.
By Melissa Healy | latimes
------
Yes! No need to undergo surgeries to have the body you wanted. All you need is herbal fat burner. Go and try those herbal methods.
Learn more on Herbal Fat Burner
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