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Having learned that much
from people who have successfully shed excess pounds, we can also make use of nutritional
substances and ideas that assisted them. None of these things are a "magic
bullet", but when used as part of a well-conceived long-term plan, their inclusion
can make the difference between success and failure.
Arginine-Ornithine were first publicized when
Sandy Shaw and Durk Pearson came out with their book, Life Extension. Their studies
showed Arginine-Ornithine promote the secretion of growth hormone, decreasing body fat. It
is now recommended to take Lysine along with Arginine, to prevent the
outbreak of latent herpes, to further promote growth-hormone release, and to otherwise
balance amino acids. (top)
Vitamin C can greatly benefit and support
immune response. Especially when working-out intensely as part of a weight-loss program,
Vitamin C (with bioflavonoids) helps alleviate the heavy stress on the body,
speeding recovery from workouts and prevent bruising. It also promotes the release of
subcutaneous water, and can help speed up a slow metabolism.
L-Carnitine helps transport cellular fat,
speeding the fat-burning process. It also helps sustain energy. Often when people exercise
while including carnitine in their program, they report that their weight remains stable,
but their clothes fit better as they convert stored body-fat to lean muscle tissue.
Chromium helps the cell to handle sugar in the
system. It does this by binding the hormone insulin to the cell wall to perform its
functions. Insulin is also necessary for normal brain function, wound healing and immune
response. This function of chromium helps reduce sugar cravings, promoting normal
food-intake and normalization of weight.
The Western Journal of Medicine (Jan.'9O ) reported "Supplemental chromium is
associated with improvements of risk factors associated with maturity-onset diabetes and
cardiovascular diseases." Some symptoms of chromium deficiency are impaired glucose
tolerance, impaired growth, decreased fertility and sperm count, and nerve damage.
CoEnzyme Q-10 is an important vitamin-like
nutrient that is of great interest to researchers studying heart disease, aging, cancer, obesity,
athletic performance and other problems associated with its deficiency. CoQ-10 resembles
vitamin E and vitamin K in chemical structure. It functions biochemically much like
vitamin E in that it participates in antioxidant and free radical reactions. However,
CoQ-10 has a special biochemical role of major importance, involving the production of
energy in cells, including heart cells.
DHEA, besides it's apparent effectiveness in
reversing the biological and subjective signs of aging, has been shown in studies
to decrease the percentage of body fat, in part by blocking an enzyme that produces fat
tissue. (top)
Essential fatty acids have been researched for
years in their role as precursors to prostaglandins, which control many functions in the
body. Getting a good balance of essential fatty acids, including such oils as borage,
evening primrose, black currant, flax, fish oil, and hemp, can really make a difference in
how long meals keep one feeling full, as well as improve mood, skin and hair condition,
and general metabolism. Although too much fat in the diet has been shown to be
deleterious to health and proper weight-control, it's important to remember that there are
good oils that are, as in their title, essential, meaning, needed every
day.
Fiber, in the form of psyllium husk or as a
combination of fibers that give a range of solubility, can cut down hunger pangs and give
a full feeling. Fiber also of course helps promote excretion; it's always good to keep
things moving along. And soluble fiber can help lower cholesterol and stabilize blood
sugar fluctuations.
Garcinia cambogia contains in it's rind a
substance called hydroxycitric acid (HCA) which has been
successfully tested as an effective aid to weight-loss. It not only suppresses hunger but
also inhibits the action of ATP-citrate lyase, an enzyme which promotes the conversion of
carbs into fat.
L-glutamine has many functions in the body.
Recently it has been used to help heal leaky-gut syndrome and chronic immune problems,
because of it's importance as a fuel in the mitochondria of both the gut lining and other
cells in the body. Body-builders use it because it is a primary nutrient for muscle
growth. Recovering alcoholics and dieters have used L-glutamine for many
years as part of a program to help control sugar cravings and for mental
clarity.
Lecithin emulsifies fat, helping to break it
down so it can be excreted from the body.
Lipotropics, including choline and inositol,
methionine, and B-6, helps the body burn fat. (top)
Multi-vitamins, especially a good formula
including minerals, shore up any nutritional deficiencies which might
well be contributing to obesity and related problems such as low energy. The B
vitamins are especially important, as they are involved with the functions of
proper digestion, absorption, and metabolism of food, energy production and burning of
calories, blood sugar control, and many others.
L-phenylalanine and a related amino acid,
L-tyrosine, are precursors on the dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine
pathway. As such, they have been found to be helpful for depression and similar low-energy
states. Although defining "depression" apart from "low-energy" can be
useful for analytical purposes, it remains true that for all practical purposes depression
and low-energy go together and are often affected by the same body-mind disciplines. For
instance, Andrew Weil says that the most consistently successful "natural"
remedy for depression is taking a walk every single day! Many people have benefited their
energy levels and mental clarity by supplementing with L-phenylalanine, L-tyrosine, or
both. In addition to this natural anti-depressant effect, which can in itself help control
appetite, L-phenylalanine functions directly as an appetite suppressant,
signaling lack of hunger to the brain.
Spirulina contains vital unsaturated fatty
acids, including gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), it has many important minerals including
potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, selenium, iron, and phosphorus, vitamins including
B-12 and others of the B-complex, E, and beta carotene, digestive enzymes, chlorophyll,
and pigments that help liver function. Ounce for ounce, it provides more complete protein
than meat. This 65% easily-digested protein can in itself give a boost, especially given
the prevalence of high-carbohydrate diets. Since the protein in spirulina is high
in phenylalanine, it has also been used as an aid to appetite suppression and
weight-loss.
Enter the Zone by Professor Barry
Sears, Ph.D., has recently sparked interest in how manipulating the amount of macro
nutrients - fat, protein, carbohydrates - can create a balance in the body which naturally
corrects obesity and even disease. Although the "science" behind Sears' theories
is controversial, to say the least, one great thing about his program is that an
individual can easily test this program without needing to drastically change the items he
or she eats - just the balance of items at each meal, and within a few weeks should be
able to get a definite sense of whether or not this approach will help. I highly recommend
checking it out. We also carry Prozone by the company NutriBiotic,
a delicious drink mix that has the 30-30-40 percentage of fat, protein, carbohydrates that
Sears recommends.
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