Q: Dear AllStarHealth.com,

My husband and I have decided to start doing something about our weight now before the holidays add another 10+ lbs. But we’re confused by all the options, and products and to-good-to-be-true claims. What do you think are your best weight-loss products?

A: There are so many types of weight loss products available now, that you’d really have to be more specific before we could make specific product recommendations.  To help you sort it out, here’s a quick overview of the different types of weight-loss supplements we sell. (more…)

Successful weight loss requires, above all, the right mindset.

So many factors can make or break a weight loss program.  When programs succeed, credit is usually given to factors like diet, willpower, supplements, and proper exercise.  When programs fail, that’s also where the blame usually falls. Those factors are important, but what’s perhaps more important is something that doesn’t get discussed as often; the psychology of successful weight loss.  And there’s much more to that than simply willpower. (more…)

Many supplements have similar-sounding names, leading to confusion and disappointment with results.

With thousands of dietary supplements on the market and more emerging every day, there are a growing number of similar-sounding products making it all too easy to buy the wrong product for your needs.  For example, there’s calcium ascorbate, calcium pyruvate and calcium d-glucarate,  but none of these is actually a calcium supplement.   Here’s a guide to help you sort out the most  commonly-confused supplements. (more…)

A stress herb that lowers cholesterol, another body blow for fructose, and a big sigh of relief for popcorn lovers. Find out what else is new in our roundup of the latest nutrition research.

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Tired of being tired? Time to take stock of your metabolism.

Q: I am a busy 38 year-old mother of 2 who works part time.  I have been struggling with feeling sluggish and tired for months, or maybe years?   I’m not sure, I just always wake up tired and need coffee right away just to function, and usually have to have some more later in the day since I ‘crash’ around 3 pm.  I ‘m gaining more and more weight and am too tired to exercise. I hadn’t changed my diet or anything so I had a thyroid evaluation last Spring and according to my doctor, everything is “normal”.  I am so frustrated and tired of being tired! How can I increase my metabolism?

Thanks,

Jennifer T.

A:

Sorry to hear about the difficulty you’ve been having.  When every day becomes a battle between you and your fatigue it really undermines the quality of life.

When it comes to increasing your metabolism, there are four crucial areas to examine. (more…)

Chamomile may help diabetics and hyperglycemics.

Most people are familiar with diabetes and hyperglycemia.  After all, both are extremely common. But when you ask most people what diabetes and hyperglycemia really are - even persons who have diabetes or hyperglycemia -  it’s clear most people don’t understand either condition.

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Fructose is a naturally-occurring sugar found in fruits and vegetables. It’s also concentrated in corn syrup and increasingly used as a sweetener for , well, almost every type of mass market processed food or beverage. These commercial foods and drinks - and not fruits and vegetables - are the source of most of the fructose in the average American’s diet, and it turns out there is a lot of fructose in the American diet. (more…)

More Protein Helps You Lose Weight? Yes

Bodybuilders and fitness athletes have known it for a long time; if you want to lose body fat a low-glycemic/high-protein diet is the way to go.

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Despite a huge marketing push and tons of overly-optimistic press, plenty of skepticism was raised at the time the prescription anti-obesity drug Orlistat was released in a lower-dose over-the-counter version called Alli. Alli interferes with a key enzyme (lipase) involved in the digestion of fat and can reduce the amount of fat calories absorbed from food by a modest amount, around 30%. (more…)

There has never been a magic bullet for weight loss, and short of drastic measures like surgery, there never will be. Everyone knows that crash and fad diets don’t work, just as everyone should know that improving the diet and increasing physical activity (exercise) do work.

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