Weight loss.

Date: Fri, 8 Mar 1996 20:33:27 -0500
Sender: HERB.TREARNPC.EGE.EDU.TR
From: Patricia Harper <HarperP.AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Herbs that help with weight loss.

> Hi. Does anyone know any herb or combinations of herbs that can help with weight loss? I have heard of some weight loss programs that, supposedly, use herbal tablets or capsules to help their clients lose weight. But subscribing to these programs is very expensive. I would like to find something that I can buy at a health food market. I would appreciate any information.

Many herbs are used for temporary weight loss, including some that you can
buy at an herb store. However, there are many herbalists who consider weight
loss formulas to be harmful, and will not make them for their clients.
Typically, herbal diet pills use herbs with the following properties to cause
weight loss:

1. Stimulants: encourage the body to burn more calories.
2. Diuretics: cause the body to excrete water through excess urine.
3. Cathartics: cause evacuation of the bowels, reduce calorie consumption by impeding full digestion.
4. Appetite supressants: reduce hunger by expanding in the stomach, altering mood, or satisfying taste.

They may also use herbs to increase perspiration, (more "water weight" loss), and kill pain, or balance nerves.

Some formulas are definately going to be better balanced than others, but in general, we are not talking here about gentle herbs that nourish and support you, as you bring your habits into balance. Herbal weight loss formulas may have drastic physical effects on your body. "Effective" diet pills--herbal or not-- are potent, depleting, and temporary, if effective. They do not cure overweight conditions.

There are herbs which can be used as supplements while you diet, but weight loss involves your whole lifestyle. Why not consider using herbs to change your lifestyle?

Instead of just using dried, capsulated, herbal products, start including *whole* herbs in your life. Eat them everyday, as fresh as possible, (e.g. take walks, check out the vegetable stand, or tend a garden), everyday. Instead of taking a capsule, eat a handful of fresh parsley. Experiment with tasting each of your favorite culinary herbs made up as "diet" tea. Collect dandelion leaves, plantain, mints, lettuce, whatever, and whip it up in your blender as special diet "green drink." Almost no calories in most herbs.

Also, get to know specific weeds and plants in your neighborhood. Learn their names and uses; look at them. Watch how they grow, Think about their growing condition and responses to it. You can even keep a journal noting everything you learn about each plant. Spring is the perfect time to bring herbs into your lifestyle.

Eating and living with herbs can bring you a lifestyle which may be more conducive to weight loss.

From: JoAnne Hildebrand <hildebra.EUROPA.UMUC.EDU>

Many people, including myself, eat when nervous, anxious, depressed or bored. I've found that a cup of chamomile tea, or valarian tea, or a combination of chamomile, verain and scullcap relaxes me completely. Relax and eat less.

From: Jerry Jackson <jacksonj.WOLFENET.COM>

>I suggest you read "Enter the Zone" by Sears. The low or no fat is a scam. You do not loose weight on low fat diets that remains off. All statistics I have seen show that Americans are getting more and more obese as they eat less and less fats. Almost no one can remain overweight when they eliminate sugar. I personally have never seen anyone fail to normalize their weight when they eliminate sugar. I know that the greatest liars in the world are fat people. They usually tell the truth only when they say 'they eat like a bird'. (7 times your weight per day... -Henriette)

I agree sugar reduction (or elimination) is a great assist with weight loss. However, reduced fat consumption has many benefits, one of which is also weight loss. I have known many persons who have reduced their sugar and fat intakes to zero and lost 30+ pounds in less than two months and remained "slim" for years - including myself. I don't recommend that drastic of a measure as it is very difficult on the body and may cause complications (such as increase of gall stones). As a rule, Americans eat way to much fat and sugar and they are paying for it with their health. Good fats (cold-pressed flaxseed oil on salads) are actually a benefit. We all need SOME fat (helps with Vitamin E metabolism), but not much. A good rule of thumb would be no less that 10 grams, no more than 30 grams daily (depending on body size, activitity level, etc.)

Sherlei

From: JoAnne Hildebrand <hildebra.EUROPA.UMUC.EDU>

Contrary to popular belief, people today are eating FAR more fat than they did during the turn of the century. I've seen my colleagues buy fat free cookies only to load up on potato chips every afternoon and eat "Big Macs" etc all weeklong, not to mention the string cheese snacks, etc. Diets today are totally imbalanced! If you want to lose weight, eat a little less at each meal, enjoy fresh fruit for snacks, and get at least a half-hour of exercise each day. Brisk walking is wonderful! Go outside!

From: Gun Legler <gunleg.TRIPNET.SE>

Hi

Start your day with one teaspoon applecider vinegar (don't know if it's the right word in english) in lukewarm water.It's a good internal cleanser and helps increase metabolism.
But it's just a little help on the way to change your eating habits.

From: Paul Iannone <p_iannone.POP.COM>

: Fruit in anything but moderation is evidently not good for weight loss, and I am now realizing that may be my problem. Breakfast each day has been a fruit smoothie loaded with dandelions. I feel great, but it hasn't had much effect. I am converting to a green drink of a variety of green vegetables, good load of dandelion greens, and a carrot for sweetening. Are carrots OK, or are the sugars in them a problem also?

All intensive consumption of raw foods would be contraindicated for most cases of overweight. A bowl of miso soup and some rice would be a finebreakfast instead. This is a fairly complicated subject, though...I am uncomfortable making blanket statements from my own perspective on this, which is that some amount of overweight is not really a problem compared to the 'average' level of health imbalance in people who have 'proper' weight. But if we are discussing the balancing of APETTITE and supportive nourishment [and not weight loss as a goal], yes, this advice holds.

From: Laura Hundt <LHundt.AOL.COM>

>Enough argument about sugar v. fat, already. Everybody's physiology is different, and they react differently to particular strategies. Fast first to cleanse the body, exercise, eat plenty of grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables, especially dark leafy greens, fast periodically, stay away as much as possible from the rest of the stuff, drink plenty of water, including a glass a day of water with a tablespoon or so of apple cider vinegar in it.. Unfortunately, for some reason this is very hard to do, especially when stressed, but there is really no other long term way to be really successful that I have found for myself. And currently I am not being successful!

Fasting is the last thing anyone wants to do to lose weight. With the prevalence of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimea, and the plentyfull research being done on them, people should realize that the last way to lose weight is by fasting, both for an extended and limited amount of time. By denying your body food you slow your matabolism, and when you return to eating three meals a day (the healthy eating habbit), your metabolism has been slowed and you actually gain more weight. This can lead to more fasting and possibly the development of Anorexia of Bulimia because of the frustration with the fluxuating weight. The safe way to lose weight is not to cut out Breakfast, lunch or dinner, or even the small snacks in between. Just eat sensibly, avoid the, fat filled foods, sugary foods and the fast food resturants. And of course exercise, walking to the store instead of driving, going for a quick morning jog, taking the stairs instead of the elevator all can help with weight loss. Drink plenty of ice water and keep moving, studies have found that people who are often figiting, and constantly doing something are less likely to be overweight. Drastic calorie reductions are ill-advised a diet that dips below 1200 calories for women or 1400 for men may cut out essential nutrients.

Most diet experts and succesfull dieters have descovered that a varied low fat, high carbohydrate diet, combined with exercise, is the most effective way to lose weight and keep it off. A balanced diet rich in carbo. raises the ratio of lean body weight to fat, and exercise improves this ratio even further. On a high carbo diet with adiquite protein and nutrients, the body breaks down fat instead of muscle (as many fad diets actually do) Complex carbo. also take up more space in the stomach than fats and proteins so people feel fuller after fewer calories. Just keep your diet constant, make healthy eating and exercise a regular part of your life and keep it there, the weight will come off and stay off.