Dear AllStarHealth.com

I’m a 55 y.o. woman on (hypertension drug) for my high blood pressure and need to lose about 25-30 pounds. I joined a gym last November and am exercising as much as I can, I’m trying to eat right, too but it’s so hard to lose weight at my age.  I sure could use some help. I can’t have any caffeine or stimulants, so most of the diet pills are off-limits. What are my best options in terms of supplements I ‘can’ use?

Thanks for any help,

Freida J.

Ohiopyle, PA

Dear Freida,

There are a few types of supplements that might help.  Keep in mind that for any of these supplements, technically you’d still need to check with your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions about using them along with your medication. If you have to do that, don’t ambush them with your “Can I use this?” question at the end of your next visit.  That puts them on the spot and makes it likely that they’ll dismiss the idea out of hand, before giving it any real consideration. A better approach is to print out the best information you can find on a supplement, put that into a folder, and drop it off at your doctor’s office, asking if the doctor wouldn’t mind reviewing it at their convenience (the 1st key phrase) and letting you know if they have any objections to your using it (the 2nd key phrase).

OK, onto your supplements. We can think of at least 3 good candidates, which could all be used together if you wish.

If you overeat, or snack excessively, or both, you might get some good results with an effective appetite suppressant.  The best one in terms of effectiveness is also the least likely to create problems with your meds since it’s just a type of fiber.  Glucomannan fiber, also known as konjac (KON-yak) or Ju Ruo (chew row), is taken in capsule form, with a glass of water about 20-30 minutes before a meal. Glucomannan fiber is able to absorb large quantities of water. By pre-loading your stomach  with healthy and nutritionally inert fiber, you feel full with less food. Plus, the fiber slows the release of carb calories into your system, which is ideal for insulin efficiency and keeping your metabolism robust.  Glucomannan may even help lower or stabilize cholesterol. Very inexpensive and easy-to-use, you just take 2-3 capsules with a glass of water before a meal. It makes it much easier to discipline yourself and quit the snacks, junk food and midnight kitchen raids!

Maybe you’re not really an overeater and maybe overeating isn’t really the problem. Studies have shown that  a compound present in both regular and decaffeinated green tea extract (EGCG) helps to fight obesity with no adverse side-effects whatsoever.  Try using a decaf green tea extract in capsule form, 2-3 times a day, every day and drinking brewed decaf green tea wouldn’t hurt either.  Just don’t sweeten it with sugar or anything sugary. Try stevia, xylitol or erythritol instead.

7-Keto, which is marketed under that name and a few variations, is a criminally overlooked supplement for fat loss. 7-Keto is a non-hormonal metabolite of the natural hormone DHEA. Actually, given your age, DHEA itself wouldn’t be a bad idea if your doctor is on board with it. But 7-Keto is able to increase metabolism, which increases the number of calories burned, and that of course is the direction in which we want to go.  Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw, two of the foremost pioneers of nutritional supplements and science, use 7-Keto as part of their weight loss success, so that speaks to its effectiveness.

Good luck with your weight loss and please let us know how these work for you should you decide to try them out. Use products like these consistently for at least 1-3 months to realize the full effects.

Tags: 7-Keto, appetite suppressant, beta blockers, decaf, DHEA, EGCG, essential hypertension, fat loss, fiber, glucomannan, green tea, green tea extract, high blood pressure, high blood pressure drugs, hypertension, hypertension medication, konjac, non-hormonal, polyphenols, stimulant-free, weight loss

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 at 2:08 pm and is filed under Focus on Fat Loss, Questions About Products and Ingredients. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.