Healthy Eating Towards Weight Loss

by | Aug 3, 2019

Alas, another year is about to begin! The new year brings in an array of resolutions for everyone. A part of almost everybody’s list includes some form of self-improvement, with weight loss typically being a top priority.  According to statistika.com, from the year 2000 – 2016 the trend of fitness center memberships in the United States has increased tremendously.  In the wake of society-driven goals, there have emerged so many methods which claim to be the magic pill. We see so many different exercise programs, dietary regimens, supplements, and even prescription medicines, all of which can drain our budget and lead to serious adverse effects if used inappropriately.

A good example is the supplement L-Carnitine, which is present in most of today’s weight loss supplements. According to the Journal of Nature Medicine, L-Carnitine can be harmful if a particular gut bacteria, found prominently in meat eaters, converts it to an enzyme called TMAO.  TMAO can lead to cardiovascular inflammation.  Why should we consider these complicated methods when the most practical, cheapest and cost-effective way to lose weight is present in our kitchen cupboards and in the fresh produce of the grocery aisles.1

Let us first answer the big debate of which plays a bigger role on the path to weight loss…diet or exercise? According to a study done by the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, diet is more important. Exercise does play a role but is second only to our dietary choices. What’s the use of exercise even, if all of those burned calories are immediately replaced by nutrient-deficient junk foods like hamburgers and fries?2

Let me show you how the power of a plant-based diet can speed you towards your weight loss goals.

  1. One of the cheapest ways of losing weight is through the use of vinegar or acetic acid. It burns fat through the activation of the enzyme AMPK. This enzyme is responsible for the increased usage of fat for energy.  In one study, obese Japanese subjects were given apple cider vinegar for three months.  They used 15 ml, or one tablespoon, on one group while another group used 30 ml daily (2 tablespoons). The higher dose resulted in a loss of 5 pounds in 12 weeks, while those in the lower dose group lost a little less than that. In terms of the quality of weight loss, everybody in the study lost at least an inch in their waistlines. They also decreased their visceral fat (fat that increases our risk of strokes and heart attacks) by one square inch, which was visibly detected through CT scans. Obviously, weight loss for a few pennies worth!  From a general perspective, it may seem to be a slow process but if used in combination with other weight-loss modalities, apple cider vinegar may be the game changer.3

According to the CDC, a gradual and steady weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week is an ideal pace to increase the chances of succeeding in maintaining continuous decline, compared to a drastic weight loss that usually leads to relapses of weight gain.4

  1. Arginine is an amino acid that promotes mitochondrial energy generation and stimulates brown fat development. This type of fat increases body heat by burning our fat cells. The number one source of arginine is isolated soy protein (get organic!).  Next on the list are seeds such as pumpkin, squash, and watermelon. Nuts such as peanuts and almonds were also included.5
  2. As mentioned above, soy has lots of arginine, but it also has genestein. This phytoestrogen has the capability of preventing fat from accumulating in our body. They can be found usually in your veggie burgers and soy milk (again, get organic sources!).6
  3. In general, it has been noted that if nuts were added to your breakfast this may lead to a lower intake of calorie consumption for lunch, thus as a whole, lowering the total daily caloric consumption for an individual. Also, 30 grams of any nut per day (a handful) can lead to a two-centimeter slimmer waistline. Specifically, walnuts have been shown to increase feelings of satiety. Another would be pecans; 2.5 ounces a day has been shown to lead to weight loss.7
  4. The capsaicin from cayenne peppers is responsible for producing its “hot” effect. Deep inside our bodies, this “heat” produces calorie and fat burning effects within 30 minutes of intake. This is through the activation of the brown adipose tissue similar to arginine. Sprinkling approximately 2.5 mg (a third of a teaspoon) of cayenne pepper powder on meals can initiate this.8

Here in BIHCI, we can assist you in attaining your weight loss goals in a more natural and safer way. We are currently helping our patients through our new weight loss IV therapy, which is filled with vitamins, minerals and amino acids that all work hand in hand to support weight loss and regulation.  This, in conjunction with a few dedicated changes to your day-to-day lifestyle, can get you ready for the new year and the transformation into the new you!

References:

  1. Brennan, A. M., Sweeney, L. L., Liu, X., & Mantzoros, C. S. (2010). Walnut Consumption Increases Satiation but Has No Effect on Insulin Resistance or the Metabolic Profile Over a 4-day Period. Obesity, 18(6), 1176–1182. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2009.409
  2. Koeth, R. A., Wang, Z., Levison, B. S., Buffa, J. A., Org, E., Sheehy, B. T., … Hazen, S. L. (2013). Intestinal microbiota metabolism of L-carnitine, a nutrient in red meat, promotes atherosclerosis. Nature Medicine, 19(5), 576–585. https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.3145
  3. Kondo, T., Kishi, M., Fushimi, T., Ugajin, S., & Kaga, T. (2009). Vinegar intake reduces body weight, body fat mass, and serum triglyceride levels in obese Japanese subjects. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 73(8), 1837–1843.
  4. Losing Weight | Healthy Weight | CDC. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html
  5. McKnight, J. R., Satterfield, M. C., Jobgen, W. S., Smith, S. B., Spencer, T. E., Meininger, C. J., … Wu, G. (2010). Beneficial effects of l-arginine on reducing obesity: potential mechanisms and important implications for human health. Amino Acids, 39(2), 349–357. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-010-0598-z
  6. Park, H. J., Della-Fera, M. A., Hausman, D. B., Rayalam, S., Ambati, S., & Baile, C. A. (2009). Genistein inhibits differentiation of primary human adipocytes. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 20(2), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2008.01.006
  7. Swinburn, B., Sacks, G., & Ravussin, E. (2009). Increased food energy supply is more than sufficient to explain the US epidemic of obesity. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 90(6), 1453–1456. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2009.28595
  8. Yoneshiro, T., Aita, S., Matsushita, M., Kayahara, T., Kameya, T., Kawai, Y., … Saito, M. (2013). Recruited brown adipose tissue as an antiobesity agent in humans. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 123(8), 3404–3408. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI67803