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WEIGHT LOSS ADVICE
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Lynn Baer, M.A.,C.N
Weight Loss & Nutritionist
Detox Diets & Weight Loss
Wondering if a detox diet is right for your weight loss program?
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Green Tea Detox & Oprah's Green Tea Diet
As with so many overnight success stories, the Perricone Prescription -- better known as the green tea diet -- came to worldwide attention on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah's guest was the very respected doctor and medical researcher Dr. Nicholas Perricone, author of several books, including the Perricone Prescription that described the medical research behind the impressive fat burning properties of green tea and green tea extract.
During his appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Perricone declared that replacing coffee with green tea could help a dieter lose 10 pounds in 6 weeks. How is it possible to lose weight with green tea alone? According to Dr. Perricone (and numerous medical research studies), green tea and green tea extract contain phytonutrients that perform at least 3 functions in the body that encourage weight loss.
- Green tea regulates glucose and insulin levels. Rapid spikes of insulin tell the body to store fat. As Dr. Perricone puts it, "elevated insulin puts a lock on body fat." Coffee, on the other hand, contains an ingredient that raises blood sugar levels, which in turn, produces elevated levels of insulin. Green tea moderates blood sugar itself, precluding the production of excess insulin. "If you do nothing else but substitute coffee with green tea, your insulin levels will drop and you will lose weight," says Dr. Perricone.
- Green tea promotes metabolism. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study in which metabolism rates rose by 4% in a 24 hour period. A phytonutrient in green tea elevates thermogenic activity in the body (which is the the rate at which your body burns calories). This phytonutrient also raises levels of oxidation of body fat (burning of fat cells).
- Green tea trims appetite. Weight loss of 21% of body weight was observed in laboratory rats in a University of Chicago study. The researchers reported that the fat loss was due to considerable loss of appetite and diminished calorie consumption. While Dr. Perricone has not cited appetite suppression as a benefit of green tea, a small handful of other studies have also asserted this theory.
Green Tea: Weight Loss Miracle?
Green tea and green tea extract (the extract, by the way, is simply a concentrated form of the effective ingredients in green tea) offer numerous other health benefits, which may not directly promote weight loss, but which are excellent disease fighters. Green tea has been found to trim cholesterol levels, lower hypertension, prevent a variety of cancers and preclude or repair liver impairment.
The green tea diet has made a big splash on the dieting scene. Dr. Perricone and Oprah unwittingly let loose another fad diet waiting to happen. The internet has seen a rapid rise in green tea weight loss products, similar in intensiveness to the acai berry diet phenomenon. Fad diets should be considered with circumspection, especially when high-priced products touting quick results are being tendered. Fad diets can be hazardous to the consumer not only by their high cost and inspirational promises, but also by being harsh on the body. Rapid weight loss programs and crash diets are generally unstainable (the weight loss will eventually come back) and can put the body into nutritional imbalances that can do the dieter far more harm than good.
Green tea is not a weight loss miracle as the green tea weight loss industry would have you believe. Still, this in no way diminishes the fact that green tea can be a fantastic addition to your weight loss diet plan. Dr. Perricone's advice to substitute coffee with green tea is a good piece of wellness wisdom. His assertion, however, that a green tea diet by itself can effect dramatic weight loss is, unfortunately, a disservice to the millions of dieters who are waiting for a magic bullet.
Bottom line: Yes, go get some green tea or green tea extract. Look for low cost bagged tea products or bottled green tea extract ($8 per bottle). Drink or drop your green tea every day. It has relatively low levels of caffeine, so it is safe to drink (diluted) throughout the day. If you are looking to lose weight, don't fall for the idea that the green tea will do it for you. Real, lasting and safe weight loss only results from dietary changes and regular exercises.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
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We asked our readers to share their favorite affordable ways to pamper yourself. Here' what some of you had to say:
Dressing up and going to a fancy cafe or restaurant with a friend. We're there for the ambiance, and only order small items from the menu.
~ Deborah K.
I pamper myself by taking a little time each day to sit and reflect, congratulating myself and acknowledging my achievements. I need to do this, as the self-esteem takes a battering from time to time. And I can pamper myself this way anytime I feel the need.
~ Claire M.
I believe in the value of a good massage, whether weekly, biweekly or once a month. Yes, it can be an extravagance for some, but even if only once a month, you are taking care of your whole self -- body, mind and spirit. I would be lost without it.
~ Rachel in Vermont
What are some of your favorite affordable self indulgences? Let us know!
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