Slimming Herbs

This morning I was looking up the most frequently asked philosophical question in the Western world. Turns out that "Do I look fat in this dress?" is the question that has stumped philosophers (all male) for the last 2,000 years, or at least since the invention of writing, so I guess we can tackle it here.

Maintaining proper weight can be a lifelong challenge. Americans spend billions every year on weight loss gimmicks, pills, and plans that show a dismal 5% long-term success rate.

Scientists who study obesity deem it a chronic health condition. They say that it must be managed, like high blood pressure or diabetes. There's no easy cure. But being overweight puts you at higher risk for diabetes, osteoarthritis, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Still, even modest weight loss will reduce these risks. Dropping only 5 to 10% of your total pounds may lower blood pressure, raise good cholesterol and improve blood sugar balance. The end result may be an appreciably increased life span.

Most of the time, weight gain is due to lifestyle factors- diet and exercise. Studies show that dietary changes alone only sometimes reduce weight, and exercise, by itself, seldom offers more than modest benefits. It's common knowledge that the combination of better diet and regular exercise is the best way to lose weight and sustain the loss.

Weight problems are complex. No single chemical or herb simply can solve the problem by itself. Natural remedies promote weight loss, along with a sound, balanced health program. Effective weight loss is a slow, steady progression.

Thermogenesis- turn up your internal thermostat

We are all the descendents of famine survivors. Our prehistoric ancestors lived during times of alternating food bounty and scarcity, and they needed an efficient way to store fuel for the lean times. When nutrition was abundant, their bodies adapted by storing fat. In times of severe deprivation-when they "dieted," not by choice -the fat could then be for fuel and heat production. This survival adaptation is still with us today.

When you diet, cutting your caloric intake, you are signaling to your body that you are in the lean times. Your metabolism slows and you start storing fat. As everyone knows, you will eventually lose weight with this deprivation. The problem is, you'll lose not only the unwanted fat, but also vital lean body mass.

Thermogenesis is the production of heat in the body when you burn food. But thermogenesis slows down as we age. Probably the leading theory in metabolic weight control today involves the upping of food burning to use up excess calories through body heat. Many leading herbal candidates for weight loss work in this way. Here are some hot ones to add to your weight management program:
• Green tea
• Gimger
• Cayenne
• Black pepper
• Clove
• Cinnamon

Then there's appetite. Turns out that there is an herb that will reduce your cravings, suppress your body from turning food calories into fat, and help burn fat for fuel. Malabar tamarind (Garcinia cambogia) is a small fruit that grows in South Asia, where the fruit is called "kokum". Though used in native cuisine to prepare sour condiments, this herb has only recently drawn the attention of modern researchers as a fat-loss remedy.

Garcinia fruit resembles a small yellow or reddish pumpkin, with a distinctive sweet, acidic taste. When completely ripe, it is too sour to eat fresh. It contains 16-30% hydroxycitric acid by dry weight, along with other fruit acids. Sprinkled over food, or dried and used in curries, it is used as a spice as one would use limes or tamarinds. With kokum, the food is said to be more "filling and satisfying".

The rind of Garcinia contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which, when extracted from the fruit, increases energy, lowers appetite, and inhibits the conversion of sugars in to fat, and it does all this without stimulating the central nervous system.

HCA does not prevent hunger, but causes early satiation, and therefore the early and more satisfying conclusion of meals. The desire for sweets also is diminished. Unlike caffeine and other energizing weight loss products, HCA is not a stimulant, although some users report improved energy levels.

Have you had success with any other weight management routines? Let us know!