Shed Those Holiday Pounds
by Aleks Strande, N.D., Ph.D.
It’s that time of the year again! You try so hard to look your best, and then…the Holidays hit. Don’t punish yourself by eating like a bird. Just because you’re watching your weight, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the foods you love with the people who are most important to you. There is no magic bullet, no single product that can bust away all body fat, but herbal supplements can help. In conjuction with regular exercise and a well-balanced diet, the following herbs and tips can assist in the achievement of healthy weight goals.
It’s important to keep in mind that herbal medicines will normalize your appetite, not suppress it and allow you to skip meals. Any weight loss achieved by skipping meals will damage your metabolism and you’ll regain the lost weight PLUS MORE as soon as you start to eat again. By stabilizing your appetite and reducing food cravings, herbs can help you regain control over both serving size and the type of food you eat. This will ensure sustained and permanent weight loss without damaging your metabolism.
As you know, body fat gets stored in adipose tissue. Once fat is stored in this tissue, it is hard to get rid of. That’s why some people just can’t seem to get rid of certain fatty spots, including “love handles” or a fatty “tire” around the abdomen. The body does possess an enzyme called hormone-sensitive lipase that is capable of breaking down fat stored in adipose tissue. But this enzyme is not especially active. This is where rhodiola rosea comes in. Extracts of rhodiola rosea have the capacity to activate hormone-sensitive lipase, thus increasing the breakdown of fat stored in the adipose tissue. In clinical studies, administration of rhodiola rosea extract, in combination with moderate exercise, produced significant weight loss.
With a couple small changes to your diet and daily eating habits, you can avoid over-eating every day of the year. Chewing slowly and thoroughly makes digestion easier. Our bodies have to work extra hard to digest all the food we just ate. That’s why we get so tired after eating a big meal. Plus, it takes your mind 20 minutes to realize that your full . Drinking a glass of water before eating also helps. Hydration is important and it will also satiate your appetite. Above all, EXERCISE! Take a walk before and after your meal. It will promote digestion and you’ll also burn calories.
It doesn’t matter whether you have slow metabolism or a thyroid problem. Combinations of liquid herbs and amino acids are very powerful and they will shed the pounds in a timely manner. Also, any problems associated with weight gain, such as anxiety, depression, pain, and fatigue. Obesity predisposes you to more diseases, shortens your life, and makes you physically and mentally sick. Remember that there is no free ride in the weight loss game. There is no pizza and ice cream diet with a slender ending. And there is no SINGLE botanical or other agent that can make accumulated pounds magically disappear. The real magic of herbs used for weight loss lies in their ability both individually and as herbal combinations to address the multiple stumbling blocks that make losing weight challenging. Just as weight gain takes time, real weight loss is slow and steady, a couple of pounds per week. But in a few months, you can have a distinctly less plump, more pleasing body.
Alex Strande, ND, Ph.D., is a naturopath and microbiologist. His primary location is in Houston, Texas. If you have any issues concerning your health, please visit us at www.simplyhealingclinic.com or call us to set up a consultation on 713.660.1420. We do long distance phone/Skype consultations with people from all around the world.