Supplements for Weight Loss - Hope or Hype?

You have made an important decision to shed some weight. You've stocked the kitchen and fridge with healthy food. You have joined a gym and you are ready to go! Nothing can stop you now!

Then your body tells you "I'm hungry!" You disregard it, convincing yourself to have some self-control. Later the voice in your head says again, "I'm really hungry!" And once again you tell yourself you're not going to cave into temptation. Another hour passes and suddenly, you feel beat, crabby and really, really hungry! At this point, you suddenly attack that last doughnut in the pantry and with remorse, stuff it into your mouth! And thus begins the first roller coaster ride of low blood sugar and hunger followed by high blood sugar and an insulin surge that generates plunging blood sugar again, all causing to impulses, cravings and binges. Suddenly that 20 pounds you want to lose feels like a giant lead weight around your neck. You are displaying physical dependence on sugar. You can't live with it and you can't live without it!

Well, there is good news. We now know the biochemical basis of carbohydrate and glucose metabolism much better than in the past. It turns out that many of us are genetically challenged with the efficient metabolism of carbohydrates, especially refined sugary foods. We store glucose as fat easily and constantly crave sweetness as our blood sugars move around. This is the reason smart supplements are actually necessary to help retrain our metabolism and curb the physical symptoms of sugar rushes and crashes that doom us before we even get begin!started! I'm going to share 3 smart supplements that everyone should consider when starting to eat healthy and manage weight.

1. Chromium - chromium is a trace mineral found in many foods such as romaine lettuce, onions, tomatoes, whole grains, bran cereals, green beans, broccoli and potatoes. Chromium is responsible for escorting glucose from your blood stream into your cells, mainly your muscles. Your muscles and cells can then burn the glucose as an energy source to fuel the activity of your metabolism and muscle mass instead of storing it away as body fat. However, many of us are lacking in chromium. Diets high in packaged and processed foods almost always do not provide significant amounts of chromium. The processing of foods takes away chromium along with other essential vitamins and nutrients. Even measuring the amount of chromium in foods is tricky. The instruments just aren't that good yet. Being that your body doesn't produce chromium, it's important to get adequate quantities in your diet. And since the American diet, full of processed and refined foods, is typically deficient in chromium, supplementation becomes important to help keep your blood glucose levels within normal ranges. This will prevent blood sugar spikes, plunges, urges, cravings, binging and eventually body fat storage.

2. Amylase inhibitors - Amylase inhibitors are also known as starch blockers because they include substances that prevent dietary starches from being quickly broken down and absorbed by your body. Starches are complex carbohydrates that cannot be absorbed unless they are first broken down into plain glucose units by the digestive enzyme amylase and other, secondary, enzymes. Amylase inhibitors block the ability of amylase to break down starch. They can be extracted from many kinds of plants, especially those in the legume family. Currently available amylase inhibitors are extracted from either white kidney beans or wheat. Amylase inhibitors let your body to more slowly digest starchy carbohydrates and release glucose more slowly over time. Again, this helps keep your blood sugar levels in the standard range and off the roller coaster ride of high and low blood glucose. The more standard your blood glucose levels, the more your system will burn fat efficiently and not store it.

3. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) - CLA is a good fat found in nature. Typically it is found in beef and dairy products. However, CLA is produced best when animals are fed grass and not corn. The stomach of ruminants (cattle) contain a bacteria that assists in the creation of CLA. Organic dairy and grass fed beef are said to contain 300-400% more CLA than corn fed animals. Studies of CLA in human diets show that it is likely to decrease body fat, mainly abdominal fat, improves serum lipid profiles and decreases whole-body glucose uptake for fat storage. Unless you are consciously eating grass fed beef and organic dairy, you are most likely CLA deficient. Supplementing, however, is easy and safe.

These are just 3 of the excellent supplements that can improve your body's ability to efficiently metabolize glucose. By keeping your blood glucose levels normal, you not only avoid diabetes, but you prevent fat storage, weight gain and production of inflammation - all leading to most chronic diseases.

1. Prev:Healthy Low GI Impact Eating
2. Next:How Does your Metabolism Work?