There are a far too many herbal weight loss supplements on the market to do a comprehensive survey of all them. These products come in a variety of forms including pills, teas and patches. Are any of them any good or can some of the ingredients do you serious harm.

Herbal weight loss product are usually sold as food supplements rather than medicines – this means that they do not have to undergo rigorous safety testing and, providing their claims are carefully worded, the manufacturers do not have to prove their claims.

In this article I have looked at some of the popular ingredients that are included in these products.

Acai Berry

The acai berry has been surrounded by an amazing amount of hype claiming that it can do everything from accelerating weight loss to curing diabetes. The acai berry is the fruit of the acai palm, a native of Brazil. The berries themselves contain very high levels of antioxidant which has led to them being called a “superfood”. The level of antioxidant makes acai a worthwhile part of a healthy diet but to date their is no scientific evidence that they can aid weight loss. It is debatable what nutritional value remains after the berries have been processed for inclusion in diet supplements – it is probably better to have them in a smoothie or drink the juice.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Vinegar has been believe to assist in weight loss for a long time. There are some studies of the effects of apple cider vinegar but results are preliminary. In a study of 11 people with type 2 diabetes it was shown to reduce blood glucose levels by 4-6%. Studies in rats have shown that it may be able to reduce blood pressure and help with high cholesterol, but these studies have not progressed to human trials. Laboratory studies have suggested that apple cider vinegar can kill cancer cells. In 2005 a study showed that it can make people feel fuller when taken with food, although this is probably true of any type of vinegar, as the vinegar used in this study was white vinegar.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant and can make you feel for energized. However, in order to significantly increase your calorie usage you would have to consume a very large amount of caffeine. Caffeine also has a diuretic effect; this means that it will cause the body to lose a larger quantity of water than it normally would thus increasing the need for fluid intake.

Chromium Picolinate.

This is a synthetic compound (so not exactly herbal). It is reported to regulate blood sugar levels and promote the burning of carbohydrates and fats. The balance of evidence is that chromium picolinate is safe, after earlier fears that it may be linked to DNA damage and cancer. The Food Standards Agency in the UK advises that most people can get the chromium they need from a healthy, balanced diet but for those who wish to supplement their diet with chromium the maximum level recommended in 10mg per day.

Garcinia Cambogia

Garcinia Cambogia is a native of Indonesia. It has a yellowish, pumpkin shaped fruit and has been used in traditional Indian medicine for oedema, delayed menstruation, constipation, intestinal parasites, rheumatism and bowel complaints. The extract and rind of the fruit is also used as a curry condiment.

It has been claimed that extracts of this plant (primarily the fruit) are an appetite suppressant, although there is no evidence to support this. The fruit contains hydroxycitric acid which is potentially damaging to the liver. This ingredient is used in the weight loss supplement Hydroxycut which has been linked to liver failure and death.

Gymnostema Pentaphyllum

Gymnostemna Pentaphyllum also known as Jiaogulan or Southern Ginseng. It is usually consumed as a herbal tea it is believed to increase the body’s resistance to stress, anxiety and fatigue. It is also been shown to have antioxidant properties and act as a tumour inhibitor. In human studies it has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels.

Green Tea Extract

Green tea and other exotically named products such as Wulong tea have long been promoted as assisting with weight loss; there is no strong evidence to support this although most types of tea derived from camellia sinensis (including “normal” black tea) do have good antioxidant properties.

A lot of research to date has focused on a flavonoid called epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG; most of this research has not yet progressed beyond laboratory studies and they human trials that have been conducted have been badly designed.

A lot of herbal diet products contain green tea extract and EGCG; there is no evidence that this is going to do anything at all. You’re better off just drinking tea.

Gymnema Sylvestre

Gymnema Sylvestre is a herb native to the tropical forests of southern and central India where it has been used as a treatment for diabetes for nearly two millennia. It has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels when used for an extended period of time. It also appears to reduce sugar cravings although the effects are short lived at around fifteen minutes.

Hoodia Gordonii (Hoodia)

Hoodia gordonii is a leafless, succulent plant which grows naturally in South Africa and Namibia. It has long been known by the indigenous populations of these areas as a treatment for indigestion and small infections. However, it is also used to suppress appetites when making long hunting trips – and it is this later use that has sparked interest. There have been attempts to manufacture the active ingredient in Hoodia Gordonii but work on this was stopped due to problems synthesizing it; although there are also suggested of unwanted effects on the liver being caused by components that could not easily be removed.

There is only anecdotal evidence that Hoodia works as an appetite suppressant in humans and studies in other animals have been inclusive, some suggesting that it would be very difficult to consume enough of the active ingredient to have any effect.

Hoodia gordonii is a species threatened with extinction if international trade is not monitoted and it is illegal to export from Africa without the appropriate CITES certificate being issued by the proper authorities. A BBC report from January 2008 suggests that Hoodia gordonii is facing extinction due to the interest in it.

Senna

Senna is a herbal laxative and is found in many herbal weight loss products including some weight loss teas. Senna works by stimulating the colon but can cause dehydration and colon problems. There is also absolutely no evidence that it promotes weight loss.

St. John’s Wort

St. John’s Wort is the plant species Hypericum perforatum and is most widely known as a treatment for mild and moderate depression and may be useful for the treatment of alcoholism. It has not been shown to have any properties directly related to weight loss.

St. John’s Wort should not be taken in conjunction with other anti-depresents or triptans (a group of medications used in the treatment of migraine and cluster headaches). Evidence also suggests that St. John’s Wort induces certain enzymes in the liver, this causes drugs that are metabolized by these enzymes to be metabolized more quickly leading to lower concentrations of the drug and reducing their effect. The list of drugs that interact with St. John’s Wort in this way include oral contraceptives, warfarin, ciclosporin, amitriptyline, various anticonvulsant drugs, simvastatin, alprazolam, various HIV treatments, digoxin and theopyllins.

Please note that this list is not exhaustive, if you are planning on taking St. John’s Wort (or anything containing St. John’s Wort) and are on any other medication you should check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting the St. John’s Wort.

It is also recommended that St. John’s Wort should not be used in pregnancy or when breast feeding as there is no evidence of safety.

Rhodiola rosea

Rhodiola rosea, also called Golden Root, Roseroot, Aaron’s Rod is a plant that grows in cold regions of the world. It has been shown to be effective in treating mild to moderate depression; studies on whether Rhodiola improves physical performance have proved inconclusive.

Withania Somnifera

Withania Somnifera is a plant in the nightshade family having yellow flowers and red fruit. It has been reported to have anti-carcinogenic effects in animal cell cultures but has not been reported to have any particular effects in relation to weight loss.

These are just a few of the more common ingredients, it is important to remember that these herbal weight loss products are not licensed as pharmaceuticals and are not rigorously tested. In a recent BBC report some diet pills imported from outside the UK were found to contain amphetamines, which are a controlled drug and can have detrimental health effects.

In conclusion, very few of the ingredients that appear in herbal weight loss products have been shown to have any effect; in many cases there have been some studies conducted but often these have not progressed beyond the laboratory. Where human trials have been conducted they have not been well designed, randomized trials. The only thing that is going to guarantee weight loss is burning more calories than you consume.

For more information visit http://www.freedietonline.co.uk

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Learning to take bite-size chunks is much more manageable that taking on larger and sometimes overwhelming weight loss goals. Take small incremental steps towards your goal. Concentrate on just losing small amounts of weight at one time, five pounds is a great incremental goal. When you lose the first 5, celebrate, then decide if you want to work on the next five right a way or do you want to practice using your maintenance tools for a while and let your body adjust to it’s new weight. Practicing maintenance throughout your dieting program will help to instill habits that will keep you from back sliding when you get to goal. It also helps push back the all or nothing diet or binge mentality that many of us have. So when it comes to the size of your goal keep it small enough to chew on.

Take Small Actions And Steps Toward Your Incremental Goal And It Will Lead You To Your Larger Goal.

Concentrate on just losing small amounts of weight at one time. Five pounds is a great incremental goal. When you lose the first 5, celebrate, then decide if you want to work on the next five right a way or do you want to practice maintenance tools for a while and let your body adjust. Both are fine and practicing maintenance throughout your dieting program will help to instill tools that can keep you from back sliding when you get to goal. It also helps push back the all or nothing diet or binge mentality that many of us have. Another reason not to focus on a large amount of weight to lose at one time is because it can be overwhelming and defeating. Learning to take bite-size chunks is much more manageable and allows you to be creative as well.

Sack Sabotaging Thoughts.

“It’s OK to eat this because I’m celebrating.” “I don’t have time to work out.” ” I’m too tired and had a bad day at work.My family is really bugging me and picking on me I deserve some cake.” Do these excuses sound familiar? These kind of thoughts can derail your best health and weight loss efforts. When you catch yourself making self-defeating excuses, squash them down by saying or thinking, “I really will enjoy being thinner, healthier and more energetic this summer, especially in my bathing suit at the beach” or ask yourself a question to put your mind to work in a manner that supports your efforts.

You can do this by asking “what can I do to keep with my exercise and nutrition today when my day gets hectic and I start to make excuses?” By asking ourselves these types of questions our brains starts to go to work to find the answers that support our weight loss efforts. Our brain reacts to our thoughts so when we send it a message like “I deserve a quarter-pounder with cheese and French fries” it will start to process the information and search for answers as to why you deserve it. It will come up with images of the things that took place to drive you to eat the cake or ice cream. It will pick out pictures and thoughts that support our bad day giving us the permission we seek to go off program. Everything is cause and effect and if we can feed ourselves with the right thoughts our brain will search for the answers that support us.

Ditch That All-or-Nothing Mentality.

Instead of ditching your diet and exercise plan when things go out of sync, have a plan ‘B’ ready and waiting in the wings. Being flexible can be your greatest ally in a wellness and weight loss program. When things go amuck and schedules need to change look over your upcoming week and learn to tweek it and restructure how to make everything fit. Make flexibility part of your lifestyle and ditch the rigid attitude. Learn to be happy with a shorter version of the big picture on the days when something comes up. If you find you have had a little too much birthday cake at the office then pull back a little at dinner or add some time to your workout, don’t use it as an excuse to blow the day. Having an all or noting attitude can defeat you before your even out of the gate, if you can look at your weight loss program as being successful with 70 percent of your goals achieved in any given day then you can call it a win. If you can do that then all the little things add up to big results. Nothing in life is a sure thing other than death and taxes so don’t hold yourself up to a standard that doesn’t exist. Instead take a steady route to your success. Everything we do when broken down is done in small steps.

Don’t Let Curve Balls Throw You.

Everyone plans their dieting and workouts around the perfect day and as soon as something goes off course they ditch the diet and exercise first. Instead assume the non perfect day and have plan ‘B” ready, willing and able to be implemented. If your get stuck at work late one day and won’t have time to cook healthy then just keep some healthy frozen dinners at hand in the freezer or a list of healthy take out in your glove compartment. If you have to go to your son’s baseball game and can’t get to the gym then walk laps around the field with light hand weights while he is not at bat. If it’s raining out and you can’t go for a walk pop in a light exercise walking tape. For every curve ball there is a home run waiting to be hit. Think about how great it will feel to hit it.

To eliminate the number one obstacle that is holding you back from your best body I would like to invite you to gain free instant access to a free report on the body, mind & self sabotage connection as well as an opportunity to join our free weight loss coaching calls at http://www.well-sense.net
From Patrice Ruggieri – The Weight Loss & Wellness Coach.
http://www.well-sense.net/

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To successfully lose weight in a sustainable manner, the approach can make all the difference. An effective approach is to set appropriate targets (objectives to be more or less long term and daily), to choose good ways to implement and monitor its progress towards achieving these objectives by adjusting the means according to the results.

SELECT appropriate targets

Have realistic expectations on the time required for weight loss reduces the risk of abandoning the effort.

How to set realistic goals?

- Getting to the idea of losing relatively slowly

Most experts agree that losing 5% to 10% of its original weight may be achievable. So for a weight of 90 pounds, a goal is reached 5 to 9 pounds.

A realistic goal is to lose one half to one kilo per week to stay healthy.

- To calculate

Allows the calculation to be realistic about the time required. For a loss of 10 pounds, consider a program of at least 3 months.

For a loss of 20 pounds, at least six months will be needed.

This requires a reduction target of 500 to 1000 calories a day either by eating less, doing more exercise or both. One kilogram equals 7700 calories. Thus a change of 500 calories per day, compared with the daily need to maintain weight, can lose a kilo in 2 weeks (500 * 15 = 7500).

- Set short term goals

Focus on stages like losing 2.5 pounds versus 10 pounds to help stay motivated (e). The daily goal is to get through the day by not eating too much or even succeed to insert a step in the day.

Losing weight slowly helps maintain weight loss for at least one reason: it gives time to adopt new behaviors that will be needed for weight maintenance.

Focus on changing habits every day, not just on weight loss, can make all the difference to reach its goal.

SELF-SUPERVISE

- Monitor progress

It is important to note its weight on a regular basis to monitor its progress. Be weighed daily or at least very regularly, while learning to take account of natural variations, allows to adjust the power or the level of daily exercise to achieve its purpose.

- Make the right adjustments

Keep a food diary can double weight loss

Lose weight without dieting: 10 strategies supported by research

Lose weight: two expert advice

- Re-evaluate the need to target

If you are not able to reach your goal, it is probably too high in relation to your eating habits and your level of energy expenditure.

There are learning to make a better choice for food and resources to implement to succeed in changing habits in daily life.

If weight gain continues, it would be beneficial if the goal becomes the maintenance rather than weight loss. When this goal is reached, it will gradually add small changes.

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It’s hot outside. You don’t feel like cooking. You just want a nice refreshing drink to cool you down and fill you up. Well, you can have that – and lose weight at the same time. Weight loss shakes are your answer to delicious, nutritious weight loss in the summertime.

Once you understand the basics of a weight loss shake, you’re limited only by your taste buds when it comes to the endless combinations you can try. But, first, let’s go over what makes them weight loss shakes and not just plain old, high-calorie milkshakes.

1. Weight loss shakes rarely, if ever, use milk in the recipe. And if they do, it’s skim milk, soymilk, or skim milk powder.

2. The refreshing coldness of a weight loss shake comes from crushed ice or frozen fruits – not from ice cream, or even sorbet.

3. A weight loss shake is meant to be a replacement for a meal, dessert. There is nothing on earth you can drink with a meal that will make you lose weight.

Those are the basic rules. Your weight loss foundation should be as follows:

• Cold water
• Crushed ice
• 2 tablespoons skim milk powder, if you want a creamy consistency
• 1 tablespoon flax seed oil or wheat germ (for added health benefits – they don’t change the taste at all!

Once you get those elements, all you need is a blender and you’re good to go. Just add the ingredients you love best, whip it up in the blender, and pour into a glass to enjoy your weight loss shake.

Most people have their weight loss shakes in the morning – you get all your vitamins, and a healthy dose of natural sugars to get your metabolism jump started, without the mid-morning coma-inducing aspects of bread products or the gassy effects of milk with cereal.

Even out of season, you can buy bags of frozen berries and keep them in the fridge to dump into the blender for a frozen treat. You can also cut up your fruit beforehand and freeze it as well.

For an extra dose of protein as well as great flavor, add a tablespoon of low-fat peanut butter to a banana shake. Try it. It’s delicious.

If you’re partial to pineapple, substitute the skim milk above with coconut milk or even pieces of coconut, for a daiquiri taste that’s hard to beat.

Make sure not to cheat by getting your smoothie or shake at Starbucks. Starbucks tends to use sugary syrups and other ingredients that boost up the calorie count, which defeats the point of calling it a weight loss shake.

Want the “crunchy stuff” that is popular in some milkshakes? Drop in a few nuts to the mix, and voila.

If you’re a chocolate addict, no need to despair. Carob powder will give you that chocolate taste you love, without sacrificing calories or fat.

Most fat loss diets are like an empty-headed, unfocused hostage negotiator-useless.

Fat loss diet plans are everywhere and sometimes expensive.

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