Veggie Blog

Natural weight loss: eat right, keep moving

Eat right, keep moving.

You have probably read everything you need to know about how to avoid becoming overweight. The advice is simple to follow, but it is not easy for many people: around four in ten adults in the United States now have obesity, according to the CDC.

Of course, once we are overweight, we usually want to lose weight for a number of reasons, some to do with health, others with looks.

It is never too late to start. But the truth is that it is much easier to prevent putting on pounds than to try to lose them later on. And if there is one thing we all know, it is that weight gain is likely to happen if we do not take steps to stop it.

Health experts say that most people who lose weight tend to regain it. They go back to their old eating habits, even after they have learned to enjoy healthier eating, and they return to sedentary ways, even though they enjoy exercising.

But despite the forces that promote weight gain, you can stop it from happening, experts say. And there are plenty of good reasons to avoid excess pounds, reasons that go beyond vanity or social acceptance.

In fact, some health experts argue that the case against excess weight is more than cosmetic. They say it takes a heavy toll on people’s physical health.

The way to losing weight naturally

The nuts and bolts of eating right and maintaining a healthy weight are not all that complicated. Most people already know pretty well what is best, so natural weight loss is mostly a matter of putting that knowledge into practice.

A sensible way to lose weight is to stick to a diet that is rich in complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, beans and vegetables, high in fiber, moderate in protein, and low in saturated fat and added sugar.

A complex carbohydrate is a baked potato. Fat is the sour cream and butter you should not pile on it. Fiber is vegetables. Fat is the oil you should not fry them in. Protein is a serving of beans, lentils or lean meat. Fat is the gravy you should not pour over it.

Health experts also point out that dietary fat is a very concentrated source of calories. In addition, when you eat excess calories from fat, your body stores them as body fat more efficiently than excess calories from other sources.

On the other hand, it helps to avoid the so-called “fat-free” trap. Manufacturers keep coming out with low-fat or fat-free versions of their best-selling foods, but Americans keep getting fatter anyway.

One of the big delusions of the 1990s was that no fat meant non-fattening. The truth is that you often get just as many calories from the no-fat version, even if the calories are not coming from fat.

The label fat-free can become a trap if you start to think you can eat larger portions of foods that are advertised that way.

What is more, it is a good idea to answer hunger with healthy snacks. Some experts suggest spacing meals and snacks through the day, for example a nutritious snack between lunch and dinner, if that helps you avoid getting too hungry.

When you feel the urge to snack, a healthy choice such as a slice of whole-grain toast is a better alternative. Skipping meals and then snacking on whatever is at hand usually makes it harder to control your eating habits and your weight.

Remember, if you wish to lose weight naturally, you have to keep track of everything you eat and everything you do. Natural weight loss means that you do not have to use special gadgets or aids just to lose weight.

Losing weight naturally is a journey, not a fad. It takes a lot of determination and self-control to reach and keep a healthy weight.

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Herbalife weight loss products: what to know before you try them

Genetics plays a real role in obesity, but your habits matter a great deal too. Your genes can make you more likely to gain weight, but they do not decide your weight on their own.

For most of us, genes set a range for our weight, and our food choices and activity decide where we end up within it.

Nonetheless, most of us tend to put on weight as we age. And if there is one thing we cannot prevent, it is aging. But we can avoid eating more and exercising less as we get older. Above all, you need strategies for controlling what you eat, strategies that work.

Some people turn to weight loss products. These include products sold as diet pills, but also products described as herbal or nutritional. One well-known brand is Herbalife.

What Herbalife products are

Herbalife’s best-known weight loss products are meal replacement shakes, along with teas and supplements. They are not a breakthrough in herbal medicine; the shakes are mainly protein powders with added vitamins and minerals.

Popular products include the Herbalife Formula 1 shakes in flavours such as strawberry, tropical fruit and vanilla.

Users often say that the shakes taste good and are easy to use. Prices vary, and over months the cost can add up compared with ordinary healthy food.

The claims, checked

Here is a look at the advantages that are often claimed for these products.

1. Claim: you lose inches as well as pounds, and the products tone and shape the body and stop fat from coming back. No product tones the body; only exercise builds muscle. And like any diet, weight lost with shakes often returns when people go back to their old eating habits.

2. Claim: the products help you lose weight and give your cells the nutrients they need every day. A shake can replace a meal with fewer calories while providing vitamins and minerals, but it does not give everything a varied diet does, such as plenty of fibre.

3. Claim: the products taste good, which is why so many people are satisfied. Taste is a matter of preference and says nothing about whether a product works.

4. Claim: you can eat more of the foods you love without worrying about gaining weight. This is not true. You still need to eat fewer calories than you burn to lose weight, unlike what is promised for some diet pills or weight loss patches.

5. Claim: the products help you cut calories, so losing weight works better. This is the part that holds up: studies show that meal replacements can help people lose weight when they are used as part of a calorie-controlled diet.

Some products are also said to curb your appetite while you lose weight. Protein and fibre can help you feel full, but there is no magic effect. Be aware too that case reports have linked some Herbalife products to liver problems, so talk to your doctor before trying them, especially if you have a health condition, take medicine, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

The bottom line is that preventing weight gain means eating fewer calories when you are not active enough to burn them off. If you want to try these products, use them as one part of a balanced diet and an active lifestyle, which is the real key to losing weight and keeping it off.

In the end, healthy habits are what will help you reach the weight you want.

Herbalife Weight Loss Product: How to Weigh in With Lower Fat

Detox: cleansing the body inside out

Detoxification has been a hot topic for a long time. Whether to detox or not is up to you, but it helps to know what the methods can and cannot do.

Some people believe that even if you are ‘healthy’, you still need to detox. In fact, your body does this all the time: your liver and kidneys constantly break down and remove substances such as smoke, caffeine and chemicals. Supporters of detox say it helps these organs work at their best, but there is little scientific evidence that detox programs improve on what the body already does.

Detox programs are often based on fasting, said to rest the organs and help the liver push toxins out of the body, along with nourishing the body with healthy foods. Fasting and cleansing have been practised for centuries by different cultures around the world.

Some people want a whole-body detox; others want to detox just one organ, such as the kidneys, liver or colon. Kidney cleanses use herbal supplements and juices that are claimed to dissolve kidney stones, but they have not been shown to do so, and kidney stones need a doctor’s care. Liver or gallbladder flushes use oil and juice; the ‘stones’ people see afterwards are mostly lumps formed from the oil itself. Colon cleansing flushes the colon with water; it is not needed for health and can cause dehydration, cramps and, rarely, injury.

Other techniques used in whole-body cleansing include:

Fasting. Water or juice fasting for a period of time is said to reduce the toxic load in the body. There is no evidence that it removes toxins, and longer fasts can be risky, especially for people with diabetes or other health conditions.

Parasite cleansing. Pills or tinctures made from bitter herbs are sold to make the body hostile to parasites. Most people do not have parasites, and if you think you do, see a doctor for a test and proper treatment.

Contrast shower. Switching between hot and cold water stimulates circulation and many people find it refreshing. Claims that it strengthens the immune system or flushes toxins from tissues are not well supported.

Sauna, yoga, exercise, healthy eating and dry skin brushing are also promoted as ways to support the body’s natural cleansing. Exercise and healthy eating are good for you in any case; the others are pleasant but have not been shown to remove toxins.

Other detox aids

Many detox products are on sale, such as cleansing supplement packs (with easy-to-follow instructions), detox foot patches, commercially prepared detox teas, Epsom salts, multivitamins and antioxidants like Q10 and vitamin E, found in health food stores. None of these has been shown to detox the body, and some detox teas contain laxatives that can cause problems if used often.

What to expect

Effects differ from method to method.

During a detox, many people get side effects in the first few days, such as headaches, weakness, sore muscles, irritability and poor sleep. These are often caused by eating too little or by caffeine withdrawal, not by toxins leaving the body. If they are severe, stop and seek medical advice.

Some people report feeling more energetic, more clear-headed and more positive afterwards, with clearer skin and better sleep. These are personal reports; they may come from eating better and cutting out alcohol and caffeine rather than from cleansing.

Detoxing is not necessary for health, and there is no reason to do it every year. Children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people with cancer, diabetes, kidney or liver disease, tuberculosis or other chronic illness should not try a detox without their doctor’s approval and supervision.

If you decide to try a detox anyway, get advice from a registered dietitian or your doctor.

Here’s how:

Ask your doctor to refer you, or look for a registered dietitian through a national dietitians’ association or a local hospital. Check the person’s qualifications, which school they trained at and whether it is accredited, and ask how long they have been in practice.

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Induction is the first phase of the Atkins diet, and it is the strictest. The old version of this post gave rules in garbled language and made some claims about “breaking addictions” that are not backed by research. This update follows the rules that Atkins itself publishes for health professionals, and adds a few cautions so you know what to ask your doctor.

What is Induction?

According to Atkins, Induction is the first of four progressively more liberal phases, and its aim is to switch the body from burning mainly glucose to burning mainly fat for energy and to jump-start weight loss. Atkins states that Induction lasts 14 days, and in its guidance for health professionals says people stay in it for at least two weeks. It is not essential to begin with Induction. You can read the company’s own page on Phase 1: Induction.

How many carbs can you eat?

The limit is 20 grams of net carbohydrates a day, which Atkins defines as total carbohydrate grams minus fiber grams. Of those, 12 to 15 grams should come from foundation vegetables, equivalent to about six loosely packed cups of salad and two cups of cooked vegetables a day. Count the carbs in vegetables, cheese, olives, avocado and cream, too. The old post said at least 12 to 15 grams should come from vegetables, which matches this. Fruit other than avocado, tomatoes and olives, grains, legumes, starchy vegetables, milk and low-fat or diet products are off the Induction list. Note that Atkins now lists cauliflower as a foundation vegetable, even though the old post called it starchy.

How often should you eat?

Atkins advises eating either three regular meals a day or four or five smaller ones, never skipping meals, and not going more than six waking hours without eating. Each meal, including breakfast, should include 4 to 6 ounces of protein foods. There is no need to cut visible fat from meat, but you should replace it with olive oil or butter on your vegetables. Eat until you are satisfied but not stuffed. The old post said that Atkins is not a calorie-restricted diet and that you can eat as much fat and protein as you like. Be aware that portion size still affects weight, so listen to your body and your doctor.

What about labels, drinks and supplements?

Always read labels. Under FDA rules (21 CFR 101.9), a serving with less than 0.5 gram of total carbohydrate may be listed as zero, so several “zero-carb” servings can add up. Watch for hidden carbs in gravies, dressings and coleslaw. Atkins advises drinking at least eight 8-ounce portions of approved beverages a day, such as water, club soda, herb teas and, in moderation, coffee and tea. It also advises a daily iron-free multivitamin and mineral supplement and an omega-3 supplement. Ask your doctor whether these are right for you. Our post on Atkins and ketosis explains ketone strips.

Who should be careful?

Atkins says the weight loss phases should not be used by people on dialysis, and recommends consulting a physician first, as you would before any weight loss program. Low-carb eating can change how your body handles medicine for diabetes and blood pressure, so people with these conditions need medical supervision. NIDDK says experts recommend an initial weight-loss goal of 5 to 10 percent of your starting weight within six months, so be wary of promises of dramatic results. See its page on choosing a safe and successful weight-loss program.

What comes next?

After two weeks, Atkins moves you gradually into later phases, adding back foods. For help with the common errors that people make, read common mistakes Atkins dieters make and carbohydrate cravings and the Atkins diet. For the overall picture, see Atkins diet basics.

Supplements for building muscle

If you looked through your local health food store for supplements that build muscle, you would probably be amazed at how many products there are to choose from. With so many supplements available, it can be a little tricky to decide which ones will help you with your goals. There are a lot of supplements out there, although some may not be ideal for your goals.

The first thing to keep in mind is that you do not always need supplements to build muscle. Training and a good diet do most of the work, but supplements can help you speed up the process. They can support muscle growth and the recovery of your muscles, provided you work out. Among the many products available, the most popular are protein, creatine and multivitamins.

Protein

Protein is a popular supplement among bodybuilders and people who exercise. It contains amino acids, which help you build muscle. Most people who train regularly need about 1.4 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day (roughly 0.6 to 0.9 gram per pound), counting food and supplements together. Much more than that is not needed. You can get protein in pill form, as a powder or in bars. Whey protein is popular because it is absorbed quickly and contains all the essential amino acids. Soy, pea and egg protein are alternatives, and plant proteins are the choice if you avoid dairy.

Creatine

Creatine is one of the most studied supplements. It can help you perform better in high-intensity training and recover faster, and it allows you to do more repetitions with more weight. A typical dose is 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate a day. Some people start with a week of higher doses (a loading period), but this is optional, and you do not need to cycle it on and off. To get the most from creatine, follow the instructions the manufacturer has provided on the label, drink enough water, and talk to your doctor first if you have kidney problems.

Multivitamins

Multivitamins are one of the most common vitamin supplements, useful for people who are not getting enough minerals and vitamins in their normal diet. Even with the best of intentions, a busy or hectic schedule can make it very hard to eat a healthy meal. A multivitamin can help to fill the gaps in your vitamins and minerals. Protein bars and shakes are handy when you cannot eat a proper meal, but they should not replace real food.

Building muscle is something many of us want to do. It requires a combination of exercise and dedication on your part, and supplements can be a useful addition. How fast you notice muscle growth depends mainly on your training, your food and your sleep.

There are a number of brands and manufacturers to choose from, including Weider and MuscleTech. You can buy these supplements locally or online, which gives you plenty of choice and good deals. Supplements are not tightly regulated, so look for products that have been tested by an independent organization. If you exercise and are looking to add more muscle mass, supplements can help, but check with your doctor if you have a health condition or take medication.