Appetite Suppressants Aid Initial Weight Loss

Proudly displayed in bookstores across the United States are the dreaded diet books. For twelve to twenty dollars you can purchase a book that boasts to “Change your life forever! Shed those unwanted pounds! Get skinny by eating you favorites!” These books often make the bestseller list, their colorful covers looking like flab fighting super heroes. Yet with all the money spent to “get thin quick,” obesity has been at an all time high in America.

The problem today is that Americans seem to be obsessed with a quick fix. Very few of us are putting the time and effort into making healthy lifestyle changes. Instead we’re counting carbs while adding inches, busting sugar along with our egos and watching our weight go up, and down, and up again.

Most of these diets do not promote the change needed for sufficient and lasting weight loss. Many diets simply do not work. Over 90 percent of all dieters regain lost weight within a year. The only way to lost weight and keep it off is a lifetime commitment to a healthier lifestyle in general.

There are many ways to lose the initial weight. Natural appetite suppressants, cholesterol and fat reducing vitamins and diuretic herbs to reduce water retention are all safe, natural ways we can get rid off the “stuffing on the side.”

Spirulina is a blue-green algae and a wonderful appetite suppressant. It has a very high level of protein which help stabilize blood sugar. Taken half an hour before a meal, it curbs the appetite marvelously. It does take a bit to get used to, because it tastes like fish food and has the consistency of wet charcoal. I recommend mixing it with red grapefruit juice. The sweet-sour taste of the juice seem to neutralize the shock of the spirulina. Spirulina is also available in pill form.

Fennel, kola nut, flax seed, wheatgrass and kelp also work as appetite suppressants. You can integrate them into your meals or take them as supplement forms. I tend to put ground flax into almost everything I make. It has a very pleasing nutty flavor and is packed with essential fatty acids.

When combating the bulge, fat emulsifying vitamins are essential. Lecithin is the single most effective fat emulsifier. It breaks down fat so it can be removed from the body. The fats are dispersed in water and expelled from the body. This also protects against heart disease when fatty deposits in the arteries are removed. L-Cartine, L-Methionine and calcium also are great fat emulsifiers.

Unneeded water retention is an easily solved problem in regards to weight loss. All you need is a simple, safe diuretic. A tea made from equal parts alfalfa, comfrey and kelp is a safe, natural diuretic. Let it steep for about ten minutes and drink half a cup about three or four times a day. I’m not quite a fan of the flavor so I add lemon peel and chamomile. I found this tea is quite refreshing when iced.

Although losing the initial weight is important, nothing is more important that making smart, healthy lifestyle changes to keep the weight off. Calorie and carb counting is not as important as just eating the proper food. Food should consist of a balance of complex carbohydrates, proteins and some fat. This will give you steady blood sugar levels and the ability to burn fat for the long-term. Good foods for this include both complex carbohydrates and protein such as beans, brown rice, baked potatoes (watch the toppings), tofu, lentils and whole grains. If you choose to eat meat, eat skinless poultry and white fish. Never eat fried or greasy meats. Your meat should be baked or broiled.

Adopting a new and healthy way to approach food does not mean you need to eat tasteless, boring food for the rest of your life. Many delicious, healthy foods are readily available. Just keep in mind that in order to keep weight off you need to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet and to increase complex carbohydrates. Pasta and potatoes are not the evil fat causing demons you may believe them to be. These actually aid in burning fat. The exception would be in carbohydrate addiction. Carbohydrate addicts are similar to alcoholics in the manner that they respond. When a carbohydrate addict consumes carbs, it results in a release of insulin that is greater than needed. This, in turn, leads to an empty feeling, so the urge to eat sets in again. If you suspect you are a “carboholic,” consume foods high in complex carbohydrates and eliminate ALL simple carbohydrates from your diet (processed sugar, corn syrups and other high sugar foods). A great system to calm carbohydrate addiction is to eat two relatively low-carb meals and reward yourself with a third, high-carb “reward” meal.

While vitamins, herbs and healthy food are helpful in loosing weight, the most important thing when considering permanent, lasting weight-loss is a physical and mental change in the way we approach food. Dieting is not the answer. Americans need to adopt a healthy change in the way we approach food to quell the obesity epidemic. A balanced intake of food paired with regular exercise will keep us healthy and finally eradicate those pesky pounds.