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Less of You to Love!
A Nutritionist’s Secrets for Successful Weight Management
(Presented to the American Nutrition Association, April 28, 2010)
By Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA
So many of us are trying to diet to lose weight or to change our shape! It’s fortunate that nutritional science has
been advancing in this area. Now we know a lot about how to burn calories and lose weight. Here are some of
the modern basics:
TO LOSE WEIGHT, YOU HAVE TO EAT!
This seems counter-intuitive, but in fact our bodies react to a period of fasting by conserving calories and storing
them away. In order to maximize our metabolisms, we must eat regularly. In fact, it is known that eating actually
stimulates faster metabolism for minutes or hours after a meal. The quality of the food and the presence of
adequate protein, along with complex carbohydrates (vegetables, fruit, whole grains and seeds) and healthy
fats (fish, seeds, nuts, minimally processed oils from plants like flax and olive), if eaten every few hours, will
actually improve the burning of calories. On the other hand, skipping meals will shut down your body’s calorie
burning mechanism!
TO LOSE WEIGHT, EAT LESS AT EACH MEAL!
The concept of eating more meals a day will improve metabolism, as described above. But you don’t
necessarily have to eat more food to eat more meals. If your caloric intake is okay, just spread out the same
amount of food that you eat now over more small meal periods. This will assure that your body doesn’t try to
store excess calories or restrict their burning. You may not need to actually reduce your total intake of calories
with this approach. Eating your same calories over five to six smaller meals per day will minimize blood sugar
peaks to control storage of excess calories as fat while maximizing increased metabolism after meals. Be sure
to get protein at each meal, though, as well as healthy carbs and fats, or this strategy will fail!
TO LOSE WEIGHT, EAT HEALTHY FOOD!
Whole foods are better for you than processed/refined foods. Whole grain breads are more filling, and their fiber
content is important to slow digestion (a good thing!), keep blood sugar lower, and absorb/remove cholesterol
from the body. These foods also contain vitamins and minerals that help regulate metabolism and help to
regulate your blood sugar. Wholesome foods will help you to avoid the slow development of adult-onset
diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome. These are caused by an activated gene that helps us to survive famines, but
also causes us to be “poisoned” by too many calories entering the bloodstream too quickly. An excess of
calories causes strain on our digestion and blood sugar regulation. The result may be adrenal exhaustion and
insulin resistance. Our resulting weakness can cause symptoms like high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
swings in blood sugar (hypoglycemia), and low energy; often resulting in an enlarged belly.
Reduced elevations of blood sugar may be obtained by eating whole fruits instead of fruit juices. Carbonated
sweetened beverages like soda pop often contain 120-170 calories per can. This may be 5 to 10 percent of a
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2,000 calorie a day diet just from one can per day! Lots of sweetened ice tea, black tea or coffee can have the
same impact on our blood sugar and fat storage. Sodas and junk foods have been implicated in the epidemic of
childhood obesity and even childhood occurrences of adult-onset diabetes. Unfortunately there seem to be
sometimes significant side effects from artificially sweetened sodas, including possible effects on the kidneys
and appetite control centers that increase our cravings! People with a “sweet tooth” can retrain themselves with
some effort. If we don’t eat the right foods, we’ll still be hungry and then overeat as our bodies command us to
get more nutrients. One caution: people often crave substances that they have reactions to, like wheat or dairy
products, so please be aware of what your cravings may mean - they could mislead you!
TO LOSE WEIGHT, EAT FAT!
Our bodies need fat to survive. But some fats are healthy, while others are harmful. Good fats are mechanically
pressed oils like extra virgin olive oil and natural minimally processed cooking oils. Fish and flax oils are rich in
essential fats to support metabolism, nerve and cell membrane health. The worst oils are those in fast foods and
processed foods known as hydrogenated oils. These contain artificial trans-fats which are like plastic. Our
bodies have a hard time dealing with them, and they clog and age our cells and our arteries more than anything
else that I can think of. (There are also natural trans-fats that are healthy: CLA, carotene, vitamin E, CoQ10.) *
If we don’t eat enough healthy fats, our bodies will make us fat by converting and storing excess carbohydrates.
These will not be the appetite-satisfying essential fats from healthy foods. So we will still be hungry and crave
more oils and more calories.
TO LOSE WEIGHT, REDUCE CARBS!
As recent trials of the Atkins Diet are proving, it’s possible to eat lots of fat and still lose weight. This is not
necessarily a healthy long-term dietary strategy. Many experts point out the problems with a diet containing very
low carbohydrates. It may be necessary for some to use the more extreme version of this diet for a while in
order to gain control of their eating and metabolism. However, the Atkins diet will work better on some people
than others. One factor is blood type. For example, people with Type O blood may have a harder time digesting
grains than other people. This may result in them suffering incomplete digestion, bowel inflammation and
subsequent sensitivities to these foods. These people may require a diet lower in grains for optimal health. This
may be due to the type of protein in some grains (gluten) more than to those grains’ carbohydrate content,
though.
In general, it is true that carbohydrates from grains are often more guilty of feeding obesity than are fats. The
quality of grains is also an issue. Many people have an easier time digesting ancient varieties of grains than our
modern hybrids; genetically modified foods often have more anti-nutrients, which is especially true of soybeans.
Of course, eating sparingly of whole grains and seeds while avoiding processed carbohydrates is necessary
and healthy for most people. Carbohydrates that affect blood sugar include both dietary sugars and complex
carbs. Sugars are simpler molecules that can more rapidly raise blood sugar. Fibers are generally included in
the carbohydrate/calorie count on labels, even if you can’t burn them for fuel. By the way, dairy is a source of
sugars that some people find hard to digest, especially as we age or if we are sick. Cultured milk products like
yogurt and cheese will have less milk sugar (lactose) and be easier to digest than ordinary dairy products.
In general, it’s safe to say that the main villain in weight management is our consumption of excess
carbohydrates in our diet. Much of our modern Standard American Diet (SAD) contains empty calories from
processed carbohydrates that challenge our blood sugar, stress our pancreas and adrenal glands, and force our
bodies to turn excess calories into stored fats.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT?
(Note: Some may interact with medications; if using drugs or under physician’s care see your physician before
adding any supplement)
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a potent antioxidant that helps to maintain proper insulin sensitivity, thus reducing
the development of unhealthy insulin resistance. Insulin resistance occurs due to prolonged swings in blood
sugar due to poor diets that are high in refined carbohydrates (white flour, white sugar) and that eventually lead
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to the hormone insulin becoming ineffective at moving sugar (glucose) out of the bloodstream and into cells.
ALA also protects cells from oxidative damage, including liver cells. *
Chitosan is a shellfish-derived fiber that attracts fats better than most other fibers, carrying them out of the
body. In fact, fiber bonding to bile salts represents the body’s primary method of dumping serum cholesterol. *
Chromium is available in several forms. While some of the current evidence is on the form called chromium
picolinate, other forms of this essential mineral may be more active in maintaining healthy cholesterol ratios,
such as chromium nicotinate that’s bonded to niacin (Vitamin B3). This mineral helps us to naturally preserve
healthy blood sugar levels and is a component of Glucose Tolerance Factor. Studies at the USDA utilizing
1,000 micrograms a day of Chromium Picolinate reversed symptoms of adult-onset diabetes; though this is not
a legal product claim. Chromium may help maintain lean body mass (muscle) during calorie-restricted dieting. *
CLA boasts numerous studies as to its ability to enhance body composition – specifically enhancing the
percentage of lean body mass (muscle) – when used for long periods of time (over a year). *
ForsLean® is a patented ingredient derived from the herb Coleus forskolin that has been clinically shown to
support healthy body composition when used in conjunction with healthy diet and exercise regimens. *
Glucomannan is a soluble, bulk-forming fiber derived from konjac root (Amorphophallus konjac). Clinical
studies have demonstrated that Glucomannan can provide temporary relief of constipation and may help to
maintain serum lipid levels already within the healthy range. Glucomannan helps to promote satiety (feeling of
fullness). *
GlucoFit® is a source of corosolic acid, which has been shown in scientific studies to support healthy glucose
metabolism and insulin sensitivity. *
Green Tea helps to burn fat and increase energy production. Tea seems to also lower the risk of developing
some types of cancer, with qualified FDA-approved health claims to that effect. Green Tea contains a protein (LTheanine) that is calming and thus partially counteracts its caffeine content. One cup of green tea contains only
about 40 mg. of caffeine, where a cup of coffee has typically between 120-200 mg. *
Gymnema sylvestre is an herb that supports normal uptake of glucose into cells, may minimize a “sweet tooth”
and may be useful for maintaining healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels. *
HCA (-Hydroxycitric acid) in Super Citrimax® is an extract from the fruit rind of Garcinia cambogia. Citrimax®
provides HCA, which may reduce the liver’s tendency to convert carbohydrates into stored fats. *
Hoodia Gordonii is a 20:1 plant concentrate from South Africa, processed by cutting and drying to a powder
with nothing else added or removed. It has a folklore use of reducing appetite (increasing satiety). *
L-Carnitine is an amino acid that shuttles long-chain fatty acids to the cell’s mitochondria to be oxidized
(“burned”) and converted into ATP, an energy storage molecule. I like to use the analogy of carnitine being a
coal shovel, fats being the coal, and the mitochondria in cells being the furnaces. This substance may be low in
vegetarians and those who eat mostly grains or a lot of fats/oils, or who are losing weight and require this amino
acid to help metabolize stored body fat that’s being broken down by the body. *
L-Tyrosine is a natural amino acid that is a precursor of thyroid hormones, thus supporting healthy thyroid
function to support normal metabolism. *
Multiple vitamins with minerals are essential for those restricting their calories. “B” Vitamins are used as coenzymes by the body, supporting metabolism and energy. The balanced range of nutrients helps as insurance
that you don’t shortchange your essential nutritional needs if you’re cutting some healthy foods out of your daily
diet in order to reduce caloric intake.*
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Phase 2® is an “anti-enzyme” which can reduce the breakdown of starch to sugar. This is an all-natural bean
extract that has been shown in non-clinical studies to help reduce the breakdown and absorption of complex
carbohydrates by limiting the action of alpha-amylase, a digestive enzyme. *
Pyruvate is a natural compound that is part of the Citric Acid Cycle that produces cellular energy. Doses of six
to ten grams (6,000 – 10,000 mg) per day in the form of Calcium Pyruvate may enhance healthy weight and
body composition, if used with exercise. *
Relora® is a proprietary blend of a patented extract from Magnolia officinalis bark and a proprietary extract from
Phellodendron amurense bark). Chronic stress has been found to be a contributing factor in overeating.
Relora® is a safe, non-sedating formula that can help to alleviate symptoms associated with stress such as
nervous tension, irritability, concentration difficulties and occasional sleeplessness. The relaxing effect of
Relora® can thereby help to control appetite and prevent stress-related eating, aiding in maintaining healthy
body weight and shape. *
Slimaluma™ is an alternative to hoodia, but backed up by science and the Ayurvedic traditional use in India. It
is a patented extract of Caralluma fimbriata that has been clinically tested and shown to be a safe and effective
for use in appetite control and healthy weight management. *
Stevia extract is a natural herbal product that is rich in antioxidants, non-caloric, and non-allergenic. It may help
pancreatic function and promote insulin sensitivity. *
Super Cortisol Support™ with Relora® is the only adrenal support formula targeted at the stress hormone
cortisol that contains the patented ingredient Relora®. NOW® Super Cortisol Support™ can help the body
manage the negative effects of stress such as abdominal obesity, overeating and low energy levels. *
Vanadium is another mineral useful for blood sugar control. Usually found in the form of vanadyl sulfate, it is
less popularly used than chromium. *
7-Keto® is a metabolite of DHEA that does not affect sex hormones. 7-Keto® works naturally with your body to
enhance the activity of three key fat burning (thermogenic) enzymes. The up-regulation of these key enzymes
provides a higher metabolic rate during periods of calorie restriction and diet modification. 7-Keto™ works with
a program of diet and exercise to accelerate weight and fat loss by 200% over the same period of time
compared to comparable dieting and exercise while taking a placebo pill. *
* These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat,
cure or prevent any disease.
About the presenter:
Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA is the nutrition education manager and a product formulator for NOW Foods; a
natural products manufacturer based in Bloomingdale, Illinois. Neil is a board certified clinical
nutritionist with a Diplomate in advanced nutritional laboratory assessment. He is a
professional member of the International & American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists and
serves on the Scientific Council of the Clinical Nutrition Certification Board.
Neil is a Director and the Programs Committee Chair of the American Nutrition Association
(ANA), part of Nutrition for Optimal Health Association, and serves on a committee of the
American Herbal Products Association. He is on the board of directors of the Mid-American
Health Organization (MAHO), the Midwest regional affiliate of the National Products
Association (NPA). The NPA presented Neil with its Industry Champion Award for 2008,
given to “people who have made notable individual contributions to the natural products industry above and
beyond what is expected to achieve commercial success”.
Neil’s comments and articles are published in magazines and newspapers; he contributes to scientific journals
and has been featured in many radio interviews and television news reports. Neil posts articles on his blog
www.honestnutrition.com and at www.nowfoods.com.
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