POWERFUL NATURAL FAT BURNERS

POWERFUL NATURAL FAT BURNERS

By Sandra Newton

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Have you ever asked yourself why it is that some people can eat their fill of all their favourite foods and never ever seem to gain an ounce, while others of us are forced continually to watch our weight?

Or how much truth there is in the notion that the body shape and weight we now enjoy (or, more to the point, bemoan) has, in fact, less to do with our own eating and exercise habits than it has to do with the curious partnering of our parent's genes?

Or even why is it that some people seem to possess an almost miraculous ability to shed weight, without even appearing to try to very hard, while others of us are forced virtually to restrict ourselves to little more than a lettuce leaf, week after boring, hungry week, before the needle on our scales registers even a modicum of success?

Given the ease with which certain people seem successfully to maintain their weight at desirable levels, and the incredible difficulties that appear to doom the rest of us to continual failure, it seems reasonable to ask: is there a secret to successful  - and, more importantly, permanent - weight loss that has been made known only to the privileged few? Or is there a simple, sensible, tried and tested formula that is guaranteed to work for everyone, regardless of our genetic disposition?

The answer to both questions is YES.

There is indeed a remarkably simple, tried and tested formula to successful weight loss which, if followed correctly, is guaranteed to achieve the results you want - safely, speedily and permanently.  And while it is not, strictly speaking, a secret, the fact that this information has been largely restricted to publication in the medical and scientific press has effectively prevented it from reaching the very people who would benefit from this knowledge the most.

The fact is, there are a variety of safe, natural products that can help you achieve the weight and figure of your dreams, as well as banish fat forever from your body and your life. Moreover, they are all widely available in local health food stores around the country, as well as the majority of pharmacies without prescription!

However, in case you are tempted merely to look up their names and then rush straight out to purchase them all, it is vital that you first examine thoroughly the information contained in this book, as it is only through knowing your own body and understanding how each of these products works, that you will be able to make an informed choice about which specific product or products will benefit you, as an individual, the most.

In order to understand your body it is important to have some knowledge about how and why we first developed fat and the vital role it has - and, largely still does - play in the protection and survival of the human race.

Back in the days of pre-history, when the human race first began to evolve, the conditions in which our ancestors lived made life exceedingly difficult to sustain. Thus, survival of our species depended upon two important factors: our ability - as a hunting/gathering race - to track down and, if necessary, kill food, and also our ability to store nutrients within our body to provide us with on-going sustenance through times when food was scarce. 

The human body is a remarkable feat of engineering insofar as it has the ability to adjust and adapt to circumstances and its surrounding environment.  Over the centuries, mankind evolved an in-built tendency to accumulate heavy layers of fat. These layers of fat not only provided us with an insulating layer of protection from the harsh elements, but also gave us a handy reservoir of nutrients - a form of back-up food - on which the body depended for its sustenance during times of famine and the long winter months when food would be in short supply.  And, being the clever creature that she is, Mother Nature did one more thing to ensure our continuing survival - she programmed the female of the species to acquire a greater disposition to lay down added reserves of fat, not only to provide a ‘cushion' to surround and protect the infants she would be carrying within her body, but also to provide her with an additional store of ‘food' to sustain her own and her babies' growth in order to safeguard and increase their chances of survival through such traditionally ‘lean' times.

As time went on, and the woman with the healthiest supply of ‘fat-storing' genes survived to mother the next generation, we gradually developed what is now known as a genetic disposition to accumulate and store fat in specific areas of our bodies. And while the original circumstances which created the need for such a genetic ‘programme' no longer apply, our bodies, which can take centuries to adapt to changing circumstances, are firmly locked into their original ‘stone age' mode of regarding food as a somewhat uncertain commodity and, therefore, something to be conserved at all costs.

According to your individual genetic plan, you will have inherited from your parents and your grandparents a designated number of fat cells. Moreover, not only is it impossible for you to permanently eradicate them (short of undergoing drastic surgical procedures, such as liposuction), but, if you are not careful, your body will actually go on adding to their number, thereby increasing your potential to accumulate and store fat.

However, the good news is: while it is true that, once created, fat cells cannot be made magically to disappear, they can be made to shrink. And once shrunk, they can be helped to remain inactive.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIET?

As mentioned before, the human body is a remarkable feat of engineering. When working normally, our bodies possess an ability to self-regulate themselves, to compensate for certain inadequacies and to protect themselves against potentially harmful deficiencies.

Situated in the brain is a tiny organ called the hypothalamus, a self-regulating mechanism which, amongst other things, controls our weight at a comfortable level.  The hypothalamus is responsible for balancing our calorific input against the number of calories we consumed as energy - or fuel - as we go about our normal daily activities. If we take in too little energy to fuel the activities we are physically engaging in, the hypothalamus will relay a message to the stomach (via the brain) signalling its need for extra fuel. In turn, the brain will then interpret this message as ‘hunger' and we will be prompted to eat more food to provide our body with the energy it needs. Similarly, if we eat more food than we require, the hypothalamus will attempt to balance out the equation by prompting the transfer of any excess fuel to existing cells where it will be stored as fat.

Normally, this process works quite efficiently. And it would be logical to assume that being a self-regulating mechanism, the hypothalamus will likewise apply the brakes to our appetite when our body has sufficient fuel for its needs. Or conversely, find a way to balance the equation by prompting us to take more exercise to use up any excess energy before it can be stored as fat.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. For while certain areas of our brains have adapted quite adequately to cope with our 21st century lifestyles, the workings of our body are still firmly rooted in and governed by its primitive attitude to survival.

Thus, when we decide that we would like to lose some weight, and embark on a diet in order to achieve this, our primitive internal mechanism responds by signalling red alert - DANGER! Instead of simply drawing on our internal fat stores to make up any deficiency between calorie intake and energy output, our internal mechanism interprets this shortfall as a warning sign of approaching famine. The hypothalamus then takes over, instructing the body to store more fat and to decrease its energy output. The result? Although you are eating less, a greater proportion of what little you are eating will be stored as fat, and less fat will be released for energy.

In addition, scientific evidence now confirms that even when we do manage to lose a few pounds, only half of this will actually consist of fat tissue with the rest being made up of a mixture of lean tissue - e.g. muscle and organ tissue - and water. Moreover, as every ounce of lean tissue lost will create a reduction in the metabolic mechanism that enables our body to burn up calories even when we are resting or asleep, this means that less and less of the food that we do eat - even whilst dieting - will be burned off as energy during the day. This is where the vicious circle known as Yo-Yo dieting begins. For we soon find that we are having to eat less and less just to maintain our weight at the level it is. And if we find that we cannot do this we will quickly regain every single pound. Only this time, each pound will consist of more fat and less lean tissue. Thus, we may end up weighing exactly the same as before we started our diet, but we will be carrying more fat.

This is how the vicious circle begins, and it will go on repeating itself over and over again each time you embark on a diet until, eventually, your body becomes so exhausted by your continual battle to control your weight, that it's self-regulating mechanism becomes permanently impaired or you yourself become so disillusioned with your failed attempts that you conclude - quite rightly, as it happens - that rather than helping you slim, your attempts at dieting have succeeded only in making you fatter!

This book is intended to help you break this vicious cycle of dieting and despair. Unlike most traditional diet guides, you'll be pleased to note that it does not contain any lists of banned or approved foods. It does not require you to become a mathematician, to learn how to calculate fat points, carbohydrate contents, or to develop a super-memory that will tell you instantly how many calories your favourite foods contain. That's not to say, of course, that you should ignore the benefits of a sensible, healthy diet and moderate exercise programme altogether, for both are necessary to help you lose weight.

What this book will do, however, is provide you with all the information you need about a variety of nutritional supplements and aids that will help you surmount the obstacles that are preventing you from losing weight. It is important to understand, however, that as no two individuals are the same, it is impossible to predict which of these particular substances or supplements will be the one that unlocks the key for you. What works for one person may not work for you, thus, if you don't at first meet with the success you seek, don't give up! If you persevere, move on, try something else, I can guarantee that you will triumph in the end. You may be lucky in immediately selecting the approach or product that is absolutely right for you as an individual. But, as it is impossible to know what's going on inside your body that is causing your weight problems, so also is it impossible to know which of these many wonderful, natural aids will provide the solution to success. But, with a little patience and persistence, you will be successful - of that there is no doubt.

A word of warning: although all the products recommended herein are natural, safe substances that have been used in scores of medical trials, we strongly advise that, before embarking on any weight loss method or exercise programme, you should always consult your own doctor who will be able to advise you about your present physical condition and whether it would be wise to avoid any specific product. For example, while amino acids are perfectly safe for the majority of people, there are certain instances where an existing medical problem or genetic condition would make taking these highly inadvisable.

APPETITE BEGINS IN THE BRAIN

As previously discussed, appetite begins in the brain. We may believe that it is our stomach that tells us when we are hungry, but that familiar ‘empty' feeling is, in fact, caused by neurotransmitters releasing different sets of chemicals into the system which tell us when to eat and when to stop eating.

In order to work effectively and efficiently, our brain and body needs a vast range of different nutrients in tightly controlled dosages. And as nutrients work synergistically - that is, with each other - any deficiency in one nutrient will inevitably have a knock-on effect on others. Thus, what we eat, and the nutrients it contains, will have an influence on the manufacture and release of our brain chemicals.

We all know about proteins, carbohydrates and fat. Apart from being essential to the sustenance of life, these are words that have special significance to every would-be slimmer. But how much do you know about what these nutrient do and why they are so crucial to good health?

Protein is vital to the manufacture of living cells. Carbohydrates and fats supply energy (or fuel) to the body. Protein, which is found in meat, milk, eggs, dairy products, rice, and other sources of food, is composed of chains of amino acids. There are basically 22 different types of amino acids, of which eight, being responsible for growth and maintenance, are absolutely essential to an adequate diet.

And as these eight cannot be manufactured by the body, we have to obtain them from food or from supplements. The other 14, which are referred to as non-essential amino acids, are manufactured by our body cells when carbohydrates and fats combine with nitrogen.

Since the brain depends on certain amino acids to make its chemicals, and since these all reach the brain area via the same process and in more or less equal amounts, the balance is usually fairly equal. Of special interest to dieters, is what happens when we change the chemical balance by increasing the availability to the brain of certain specific amino acids, such as Phenylalanine, L-Tyrosine, L-Glutamine, and Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).

Before we discuss how valuable these can be to dieters, it is important to understand that there are two forms of amino acids: those identified by a D- in front of their name, and those that carry the prefix L-. It is the L- form which is of particular interest to slimmers, as these are the ones that work best in the body and, therefore, provide the most help to dieters.

PHENYLALANINE

Phenylalanine is a key amino acid that helps control appetite without causing depression. L-phenylalanine is transformed by the brain into two chemicals (noradrenaline and dopamine), both of which are known to alter the mental mood triggering greater alertness and excitement, and helping the body to control the appetite. It also triggers cholecystokinin (or CCK) production - a hormone which sends information to the brain telling it to switch off our appetite when we have had enough to eat.

Trick your brain into producing and releasing this chemical early will cause you naturally to eat less without experiencing any hunger pangs. As long as what you do eat is nutritionally sound and not full of empty calories, your body will then be able to burn off body fat for energy instead of adding to its fat stores.

L-phenylalanine also helps produce natural epinephrine, which is produced by the adrenal glands as a body stimulant, and thyroxine, which helps regulate the metabolic rate at which your body burns up food.

HOW TO TAKE L-PHENYLALANINE:

100-500 milligrams (MG) with 250mg Vitamin C and 25-50mg Vitamin B6 (or a good multivitamin/mineral that contains both) at bedtime plus 100-500mg with vitamins before breakfast with a large glass of water.

Those who have a greater amount of weight to lose may find it useful also to take similar dosages immediately prior to supper and lunch. However, once your weight becomes stabilised, you should revert to night and morning use only in order to maintain your weight. If you find it interrupts your normal sleeping pattern simply discontinue the night-time dose.

L-TYROSINE

Although L-Tyrosine produces the same brain-changing chemicals as L-phenylalanine - thereby decreasing the appetite, lifting the moods, and increasing mental alertness - it doesn't contain the same blood-pressure-raising effects, nor influences CCK production.

HOW TO TAKE L-TYROSINE

Start with 100mg taken with 250mg Vitamin C and 25-50mg B6 (or as above) at bedtime and before breakfast, and then gradually increase the dosage in stages up to 500mg until you feel it affecting your appetite.

L-GLUTAMINE

The brain depends on glutamic acid for energy. L-Glutamine can be converted into glutamic acid quickly and easily by the brain, thereby satisfying hunger more quickly. It also acts as a buffer against excess ammonia, increases energy levels, protects against the poisonous effects of alcohol and helps prevent dizziness and sweet and sugar-craving symptoms associated with hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar).

HOW TO TAKE:

Start by taking one 200mg capsule or tablet three times daily. One you begin to feel more alert, energetic and have lost your craving for sweet foods you can then reduce the amount to suit your needs.

L-CARNITINE

Officially classified as a ‘non-essential' amino acid (because the body manufactures it from the essential amino acids lysine and methionine combined with adequate supplies of Vitamin C, B3, B6 and Iron), L-Carnitine  is thought to be indispensible to people who want to lose weight due to its ability to stimulate metabolism. Recent evidence suggests, however, that we don't always produce as much L-Carnitine as our body needs, and this is especially applicable to women.

Research shows that supplying extra L-Carnitine helps boost the body's clearance of fat by making more fat available to the muscles, increasing energy supply and helping to prevent ketones from building up in people who are susceptible to ketosis. Prevention of ketosis, it is thought, can be the vital differentiating factor between poorly-controlled and well-controlled weight-loss diets.

DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE (DHEA)

Research suggests that the little known hormone, DHEA, could be the miracle solution to every dieter's prayers. DHEA, which is produced in large quantities in the body until the mid-20s and then starts decreasing rapidly with age, appears to block an enzyme that produces glucose. In preventing the body from processing sugar, it also prevents it from storing it as fat.

Controlled experiments show that DHEA causes obese mice to lose weight while consuming a normal diet by converting the calories to heat rather than fat. As well as its weight-reducing properties, DHEA also appears to reduce stress and help prolong life through retarding the ageing process.

The only problem with DHEA is its availability. However, with diligent research you should be able to find this listed amongst the constituents of certain amino acid formulations available on your local health stores' shelves. Failing that, the Mexican yam contains an abundant source, so adding this interesting  vegetable to your diet could provide you with all the DHEA you need.

GLYCINE AND L-ARGININE

These two amino acids are vital in helping promote the growth hormone associated with weight-reduction and muscle building. Growth hormone is secreted from the anterior pituitary gland during our formative years. As we age, the flow of glycine slows down to the point where it eventually ceases all together. This can lead to a slowing down of the basal metabolic rate (the speed at which your body burns up food for fuel) and subsequent loss of muscle, resulting in increased fat and flabbiness.

There are a number of proprietary brands of free-form Amino Acid products which contain a concentrated formulation of many of the above-mentioned substances, some of which are designed to be taken at bedtime, others of which can be taken throughout the day. Reading the labels (or studying the contents list of those available through mail order suppliers) will help you discover the best combination formulae for your needs.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE OF WARNING

When taking any amino acid formulation do check first to see if any of the following condition apply to you.

L-PHENYLALANINE IS NOT RECOMMENED IF YOU:

• Suffer from high blood pressure
• The genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU)
• Any form of existing pigmented malignant melanoma type cancer
• A violent temper
• Any form of psychosis
• Or if you are taking a prescribed monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MOI)

ARGININE AND ORNITHINE ARE NOT RECOMMENED IF YOU:

• Suffer from diabetes
• Ocular or brain herpes infection
• Pituitary dysfunction or any form of cancer

L-CARNITINE: D-Carnitine and D-L Carnitine have been associated with several severe side-effects, so do make sure that whenever this amino acid is included it is always in the L-form.

L-TRYPTOPHAN: Some people experience a stimulative rather than a relaxant effect with this amino acid. If this should occur in your case, discontinue use.

L-TYROSINE: Those who suffer from high blood pressure are advised to monitor closely their blood pressure levels whilst using L-Tyrosine. L-Tyrosine should not be taken if you suffer from cardiac arrhythmias, psychosis, any pre-existing malignant melanoma-type cancers, a violent temper, or are taking MAO inhibiters.

CONCENTRATED FAT BUSTERS

Fats provide the most concentrated source of energy in our diet. For the body to function effectively at all levels, fats combine with oxygen to provide energy fuel. The more efficient the body is at ‘burning up' food for energy, the more fat is used. Exercise, reducing your calorie intake and the use of the following ‘fat-busting' supplements are all ways of boosting the vital fat-burning process.

CO-ENZYME Q-10

While CO-Q-10 can be produced within the body, it is now known that a wide variety of conditions - including obesity - can cause deficiencies. Moreover, scientists now believe that obesity has less to do with how much food we eat than it has to do with the body's inability to burn up fat. In one trial, 52% of obese subjects who registered CO-Q-10 deficiencies achieved an average weight loss of 30lbs in eight weeks when taking 100mg of CO-Q-10 per day. As this supplement tends only to be available in 10mg formulations, try starting with one 10mg capsule three times daily, and then adjust to suit your needs. Most people find that 2 capsules thrice daily is sufficient enough to produce a result.

CO-Q-10 is not advised for pregnant women, lactating mothers and those who suffer from hypertension or hypertensive conditions.

GARCINIA CAMBOGIA EXTRACT

Available as the main constituent in a number of different brands of weight-loss supplements marketed under other names, Garcinia Cambogia is an invaluable aid to helping you eat less without feeling hungry. The main constituent of this edible south East Asian fruit is hydroxycitric acid. Hydroxycitric acid, which appears to have no harmful or toxic side effects, is effective in reducing appetite and inhibiting fatty acid production. Now widely available in health stores throughout the country and through mail order suppliers and distributors, Garcinia Cambogia should be taken in accordance with instructions printed on the pack.

CHROMIUM PICOLINATE

Chromium Picolinate is a biologically active form of Chromium which, in turn, is one of eighteen active trace elements or minerals that are vital to the efficient functioning of the body.  Like every other mineral, Chromium cannot be manufactured by our bodies - which means that, on average, 90% of us are likely to be Chromium deficient. And as Chromium deficiency tends to increase with age, the longer we remain Chromium deficient, the less effective our bodies become at converting food into fuel for energy and, consequently, the more fat we will accumulate.

Chromium Picolinate facilitates weight loss by controlling the appetite and increasing the metabolic rate by: helping blood sugar pass into the brain cells to bind with glucostat receptors in the appetite-control centre of the brain, thereby turning off hunger; helping amino acids to enter cells and increasing serotonin production. Serotonin is used by the appetite control centre to eliminate hunger and promote a feeling of being ‘well-fed'; assisting insulin to increase energy production in every muscle cell (as your metabolic rate is directly proportional to the amount of muscle your body contains), this increased energy requirement will result in more body fat being taken out of storage and converted into fuel. 

Moreover, Chromium and insulin work together to build muscle tissue, and the more muscle tissue you have on your body, the more calories your body will need to burn - even as you sleep!

Studies show that Chromium Picolinate not only produces a gradual, steady and persistent loss of body fat, but in preserving and increasing muscle tissue - and consequently boosting the metabolic rate at which food is burnt for energy - it effectively breaks the vicious cycle of the Yo-Yo syndrome that, until now, has sabotaged 90% of the populations' dieting efforts.

HOW TO TAKE:

Chromium Picolinate is available at most large health stores and pharmacies (and also through mail order suppliers) in 200mcg formulations. One or two capsules combined with an amino supplement are sufficient for most people to achieve a significant and speedy reduction in their weight.

GAMMA-LINOLENIC ACID

Gamma Linolenic acid has been found to be remarkably effective at combating stress, restoring calmness of mind, and, though few know about these other beneficial side-effects, reducing water retention and increasing the body's ability to burn up fat.  Long recommended as an effective treatment for symptoms associated with pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), GLA has been used in scores of obesity trials where it has been found to aid weight loss without dieting.

GLA is available in Evening Primrose Oil (which contains about 9 per cent GLA) and Starflower (or Borage) Oil which contains about 18 per cent. Although most proprietary brands include dosage levels on their packaging, dieters should be looking for a product that will provide at least 240mg of GLA in total per day. Thus, if each individual capsule contains 40mg of GLA, taking two with each meal (6 capsules three times daily) should provide you with sufficient GLA for your needs.

KELP

It is a well known fact that two thirds of the body's iodine is in the thyroid gland. And since the thyroid gland controls metabolism, any deficiency in this vital mineral will not only slow down your metabolic rate, but also is likely to result in lack of energy and an inexplicable weight gain.

In addition to containing more vitamins and minerals than almost any other food (plus several important trace elements) Kelp - a form of seaweed - with its naturally high iodine content has a normalising effect on the thyroid gland. This means that thin people with thyroid problems can use kelp to help them regain weight, while obese people can use it to lose weight.

Kelp is available in two forms: tablets and granules. Some weight loss products consist of a special formula that combines kelp with lecithin and cider vinegar and sometimes even grapefruit extract which, together, help break down fat in the body, and act as a gentle diuretic to help combat bloating due to water retention. Kelp containing formulations should be taken in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE OF WARNING

KELP:  Anyone who suspects that their weight problems may be due to an under-active thyroid should consult their doctor before taking any formulation containing kelp. Kelp supplements are not recommended for anyone who is already taking a prescribed medicine for thyroid problems.

EVENING PRIMROSE AND STARFLOWER OIL:  GLA is not recommended for anyone who suffers from epilepsy.

CHROMIUM:  Anyone who is allergic to yeast should look for a yeast-free formulation of chromium.