Natural Remedies Weight Loss

As General Manager of Daily Balance I get to receive lots of customer feedback regarding our products. This is great because it gives me a sense how our products are received in the marketplace.

In the last year we've introduced a number of exciting formulas--both supplements and beauty products. Trilane, our olive-based squalane formula, has been especially well received for its wrinkle reducing and firming benefits.

We've also introduced a couple of natural remedies for weight loss that have been flying off the shelves. Daily Balance Silhouette helps reduce 'false fat' (water retention and bloating), while TonaLean tackles true body fat and can help you lose up to 30 pounds in 90 days. Both formulas would be a great addition to anyone looking for a natural weight loss plan.

If you're taking one of our supplements, or using one of our beauty products, I want to hear from you! What do you love? Is something not meeting your expectations?

Also, we're always looking for new solutions and natural beauty product to offer our customers. Have a great product to reduce cellulite? Is there a cleanser that you can't live without? Let me know about it! I'd love to hear from you.

Last week the FDA announced that is was reviewing new safety information regarding reports of liver-related adverse events in patients taking the weight loss formula, orlistat. Orlistat is marketed in the United States as a prescription product, Xenical, and as the over-the-counter (OTC) product, Alli.

32 reports of serious liver injury, including 6 cases of liver failure, in patients using orlistat were submitted to FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System. The most commonly reported adverse events described in the 32 reports of serious liver injury were jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes), weakness, and abdominal pain. Hospitalization was reported in 27 of the 32 cases.

But what's most disturbing is the FDA announcement is that they're not recommending consumers stop taking the product.

I understand that women are looking for help with their weight loss plans, especially women over 40. During this time weight often begins to creep up as estrogen levels begin to fluctuate and female hormones become unbalanced.

But the liver issue, coupled with the unpleasant side effects of Alli, make it clear that this is no friendly weight loss remedy. Just go to the Alli web site and you can read all about it:

You may get:

• gas with oily spotting
• loose stools
• more frequent stools that may be hard to control

So, you may lose some weight, but you have to stick close to home, just in case you experience an "episode".

Dr. Lark advocates a far safer approach, with with a natural weight loss plan that incorporates a healthy diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.

Click here to read about Dr. Lark's latest natural weight loss recommendations.

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is one of the primary female hormones that is very important marker of aging. Research studies suggest that it is a veritable “fountain of youth” when DHEA levels are balanced and healthy in the body.

DHEA works at many levels in your body, supporting physical as well as mental and emotional functions. For example, it has been shown to lessen menopause symptoms, as well as reduce body fat.

One of the ways DHEA helps support a natural healthy weight loss is that it can influence the changes in weight and body composition that occur over time. Some researchers suggest that DHEA may decrease body fat by blocking the synthesis of fatty acids, which eventually become body fat. Others have noted that DHEA can act as an appetite suppressant and dampen the desire for fatty foods. As the DHEA story unfolds, dieters may someday find that DHEA can be an integral part of a natural weight loss plan.

In fact, in one study published in the International Journal of Obesity, 19 dogs were given increasing doses of DHEA daily. Over the six months of the study, 68 percent of these animals lost an average of three percent of their total body weight each month, without any reduction in food intake. This suggests that DHEA may affect metabolism, the process by which food is turned into energy, causing more calories to be used.

Similarly, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism monitored 10 men for body fat. The men, in their early 20’s and matched for weight, were divided into two groups. One group was treated with DHEA, a 400 mg dosage four times a day for 28 days, and the other group was left untreated. The men reported no changes in their regular activities or diet. At the end of the treatment period, it was found that among the five men receiving DHEA, their average percentage of body fat dropped 31 percent. However, there was no drop in weight, suggesting that while there was a decline in fat, muscle mass increased. No change in these measurements occurred in the untreated men.

Supplementing With DHEA

While DHEA is certainly an effective natural remedy for weight loos, it is not for everyone. According to Dr. Lark, DHEA supplementation may be most beneficial for women after menopause. Beginning dosages should range from 5–15 mg a day, then be increased by 5–10 mg a day, as needed. DHEA dosages in women should not exceed 25 mg per day.

Conversely, there is no reason for women who are in premenopause or early menopause to consider taking DHEA replacement therapy. Similarly, women with normal menstrual cycles have no need for supplementing with DHEA since their bodies are making sufficient amounts of this hormone.

If you are in the later stages of menopause and decide to try DHEA, take with food. You should also take DHEA in the morning, to reflect your body’s own production of the hormone by the adrenal glands. Plus, if you take it later in the day, it can have a stimulating effect and sometimes causes insomnia.

Note: DHEA is best used under a doctor’s care. If you elect to use DHEA without a physician’s guidance, buy the lowest-dose products available in your health food store or pharmacy, begin to use it cautiously, and do not go above 25 mg without the guidance and oversight of a physician.

I just read about some findings at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Weight of the Nation” conference that is being held this week in Washington, D.C. Experts now report that obesity costs our nation $147 billion per year in medical costs—and obese people spend almost $1,500 more on health care each year than people of average weight.

Clearly obesity has been a serious problem for many years, but what’s so disconcerting is that it’s only getting worse, as is evident by this report. Admittedly, losing weight isn’t always easy, especially as you reach midlife and beyond. It takes commitment and dedication to follow a natural weight loss plan—but it can be done. I recommend taking the following supplements, some of which provide natural appetite control and others that help boost your metabolism and help your body burn fat.

• L-carnitine is an amino acid found primarily in meat (especially beef and lamb) and dairy products, with smaller amounts also present in grains, fruits, and vegetables. Several studies have been conducted on L-carnitine and weight loss. One study in particular found that individuals who took supplemental L-carnitine every day, in addition to eating a well-balanced diet and engaging in moderate exercise, lost an average of ten pounds in three months -- a 25 percent greater weight reduction than patients who did not take L-carnitine. Additionally, participants taking the supplement reduced their body mass index by 1.5 points, and reduced their low density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol levels as well as their blood sugar and blood pressure levels. I recommend taking 1,000 mg of L-carnitine per day, in divided doses.
   
• Green tea contains polyphenols, remarkable compounds with a host of therapeutic actions. Polyphenols appear to block the enzyme that breaks down norepinephrine, a brain chemical that regulates your metabolism. The higher your levels of norepinephrine, the faster your metabolism, which in turn allows you to burn calories even more efficiently. I recommend 300 to 400 mg of green tea extract a day.
   
• Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) is an extract of Garcinia cambogia, a small, pumpkin-shaped fruit from India that’s traditionally used as a culinary spice in curry dishes and in traditional folk remedies for a number of ailments. It appears to direct calories away from storing fat and, instead, toward building muscle. In addition, HCA inhibits an enzyme called citrate lyase, which plays a role in turning carbohydrates into fat. By blocking this enzymatic process, HCA is believed to boost the body’s tendency to burn, rather than store, excess carbs. HCA can be found in a variety of diet supplements that are available at most health food stores and vitamin retailers. Some good brands include Life Extension HCA Citrimax (available at www.iherb.com) and Natural Max Super CitriMax (available atwww.nutraceutical.com).

And remember, you simply cannot lose weight and keep it off without engaging in a regular exercise program that combines aerobic and strength training, and following a healthy, mostly organic, vegetarian-emphasis diet.

Another study has recently come out on a natural remedy for weight loss, showing the importance of healthy fats in the diet of postmenopausal women. This trial involved a daily supplement of a specific type of fat called CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid. CLA is in the omega 6 fatty acid family, and has the same chemical formula as linoleic acid but with the atoms arranged in a different formation. CLA used to be abundant in the diet when beef, lamb and full fat dairy products were consumed regularly. Also, the animals that produced it ate a diet composed mostly of grass.

Today's beef and dairy sources are typically lacking this important fat because they are no longer grass fed. This is likely one of the reasons these sources are more inflammatory, and less healthy than their low fat counterparts.

In the study, researchers gave 75 healthy postmenopausal women either 5.5 grams of CLA  or a placebo supplement daily for 16 weeks. All women had a BMI of less than 35, so they were considered overweight or mildly obese.  What they found at the end of the trial was that taking the CLA supplement reduced BMI by 4 percent. While this is a modest weight loss, the exciting part is that most of the weight loss was in the lower body, where women tend to hold their excess weight. Those taking the placebo saw no change in their BMI. And keep in mind that the trial lasted only about 4 months, so presumably, fat loss would continue as has been found in other studies examining CLA.

Healthy fats are an important part of a well rounded diet, yet many women eat very little beef, lamb or full fat dairy--especially the organic forms which are the best. Taking a simple natural supplement of CLA could help women bring more of this healthy fat into the diet to help ease the creeping effect of weight that occurs especially during and after menopause.

Many women call them “their own personal summer”—and for good reason. Menopause hot flashes—sudden, intense episodes of warmth and heat—are one of the most uncomfortable symptoms that menopausal women complain about. While the frequency, intensity, and duration of hot flashes vary greatly, they usually involve sweating—mild in some women and profuse in others. These episodes are the result of increased blood flow to the brain and other organs.

Menopause hot flashes are physically draining since the body loses fluids and minerals in the process of perspiring. When they take the form of night sweats, hot flashes may disrupt sleep, soak sheets, and leave a woman exhausted and cranky. If they occur at work or during a social function, they can be embarrassing.

There are several natural remedies for menopause hot flashes, including: 

• 80–160 mg of a standardized extract of black cohosh twice a day. This dose should contain 2 to 4 mg of the active components (triterpenes, calculated as 27-deoxyacteine);
• 400–1,000 IU vitamin E; and
• 50–100 mg of soy isoflavones daily.

These nutrients are available in most health food stores, nutrition centers, and some pharmacies.