Herbal Solutions to Safe and Effective Weight Loss :: Healthy Lifestyles and Natural Weight Loss Information

Herbal Solutions to Safe and Effective Weight Loss
by author Eva Chui

What if there was a safe and effective way to jump-start a weight-loss program that guaranteed results within two to three weeks-and didn’t involved starvation diets or rigorous exercise?

It’s not magic or trickery. It involves the aid of natural herbal remedies that have been used by advanced cultures since ancient times. Lifestyles may have changed, but these natural remedies remain timeless and can be applied to modern health care.

Here is what modern science knows about weight loss. Calories are the energy stored in food. As we take this energy into our bodies, it is either transformed or stored. Fat is stored energy. The more energy that is used, or "burned," the less of it is available to run our bodily functions, including reproducing cells, supporting bodily growth, regulating body temperature and fueling "work" or muscular movement.

Burning Calories

Some factors that affect the body’s ability to burn calories are an underactive thyroid and the process of aging, both of which slow down metabolism. Diets supplemented by the right balance of certain herbs can help our bodies use more energy and eliminate toxins and waste products more effectively.

The following are herbal ingredients that have proven to be helpful in weight reduction and promote overall well-being by supplying needed nutrients and improving the functions of major organs such as the kidney, liver and bladder.

Bladderwrack is a type of kelp or dried seaweed rich in iodine. Iodine helps to regulate thyroid functions, including the production of hormones that control the body’s metabolic rate and appetite. Another water-source product, spirulina, is a highly nutritious blue-green algae which contains vitamins, minerals and protein, suitable for boosting energy. When you have more energy, it becomes easier to pursue a more active lifestyle, such as undertaking an exercise program, which will further enhance weight-loss efforts.

Aside from exercise, another way our bodies use energy is through thermogensis, the process by which our bodies create heat to regulate body temperature. Just like a thermostat, thermogensis can be turned up. Citrus aurantium can help. It is a natural metabolic stimulant which augments thermogensis to help you keep burning more calories, even when you’re sedentary.

Making Muscle

Another way to help keep the body’s ability to burn calories high is to maintain a high proportion of lean tissue and muscle to fat tissue. Lean tissue and muscle burn more calories than fat tissue. Hydroxycitric acid (HCA), the active ingredient in garcinia cambogia, can help you do this by transforming the calories from starches, sugars and others carbohydrates into glycogen, a special carbohydrate stored in the liver and muscles. Adequate glycogen supplies help to preserve lean tissue mass and to reduce appetite while increasing energy levels.

HCA has also been shown to reduce fatty acid and cholesterol production in the liver by inhibiting the ATP enzyme needed to synthesize them. This process of reducing fatty acids and cholesterol can be further enhanced by the use of chickweed, which helps move plaque out of blood vessels and eliminates fatty substances.

Green tea is world renowned for being an antioxidant which fights free radicals that attack and break down cells. But less widely known is the fact that the active ingredient in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) also helps keep cholesterol levels low, is effective in lowering blood pressure and helps keep the digestive and respiratory systems functioning well by protecting them against infections.

Since cholesterol is created by the liver, green tea can work synergistically with dandelion. Aside from being a rich source of vitamins and minerals, dandelion also contains a large dose of choline, an important nutrient which helps regulate liver functions. Dandelion and goldenrod both have properties that aid in digestion and help the kidneys to eliminate waste products from the body.

Herbal remedies can be effective in promoting overall health, which will help enhance your ability to pursue a more active lifestyle and eat sensibly to attain your weight-loss goals. The key to getting the best results is in choosing the right combination of herbal supplements. The things you need to feel and look your best are not necessarily the same as those used by your neighbor or even your spouse. In a marketplace that offers so much variety, it is important to take the time to choose the best possible weight control formula. That will be your first step to attaining your ideal weight.

Eva Chui works in retail marketing and is a freelance writer based in Toronto, ON.

Source: alive #215, September 2000

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