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Questions & Answers

Flavonoids And Weight Loss: What You Should Know

Can flavonoids help you lose weight? And if so, what’s a safe amount for somebody to consume daily?

Firstly, it’s important to know that flavonoids are protective factors found in plants, including vegetables and fruits. Flavonoids act to protect and strengthen plants, increase cell-to-cell communication, and stop sun damage. The bottom line is that flavonoids make plants strong and healthy.

Weight issues have been around for a long, long time. But they’ve exploded in recent years.
Flavonoids also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

I read a fascinating study in the British Medical Journal published in 2016, involving over 124,000 people. The study followed men and women for up to 24 years. This study found that people who each a flavonoid-rich diet found it easier to maintain a healthy weight. This was true even after the study was adjusted for smoking and exercise habits. Even sedentary people were found to better maintain a healthy weight when eating a diet rich in flavonoids.

Flavonoids are found in a variety of foods, including vegetables like onions, fruit like pears, and tea. The top flavonoid in this research was the anthocyanin.

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Anthocyanins are found in strawberries, cherries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, radishes, black currants, and grapes. These foods are what I called “pinnacle” foods because of their high nutrient content.

I encourage people to eat berries every day to their beneficial effects on health.

Quercetin is a very beneficial flavonoid found in onions. That’s one of the reasons I eat onions every day. Red wine and chocolate also contain flavonoids. It’s easy to overeat chocolate, so be very careful and only have small amounts of high-quality dark chocolate.

The more flavonoids you eat, the less you’ll crave processed foods. These foods taste delicious and also have powerful positive effects on your immune and digestive systems.

Most people between the ages of 18 and 49 will gain one to two pounds per year. If you do the math, that can be a lot of extra weight by the time you’re sixty. By maintain muscle mass and eating healthy foods, including flavonoid-rich fruits and vegetables, you can buck the trend of gradual weight gain.

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Questions & Answers

The Ins And Outs Of Gastric Surgery

What are my thoughts on gastric surgery?

Gastric surgery is a drastic solution to a big problem.

Over the years, I’ve had clients who’ve had lap band surgery as well as ones who had their stomachs made smaller. In two cases, in particular, the results were outstanding for my clients.

One of the patients was so obese that it was difficult for her to even walk to my clinic. She was in her late forties and near death. In cases like that, when there aren’t any other options, then gastric surgery can be a lifesaver.

Several months later, the patient came back, and I didn’t even recognize her. It was a fantastic outcome for her, but it did leave her with massive amounts of excess skin that had to be managed surgically.

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Still, I don’t think gastric surgery is the right fix for most people.

Is it a fix for many people? No, it’s not. I don’t think gastric surgery is a good option for 95% of people. Gastric surgery doesn’t cure the cause of obesity; it’s just fixing the end result of certain behaviors.

Should you consider gastric surgery? Look at your situation determine it’s severity. Are all other avenues shut for you? Is it impossible for you to lose weight? Are you physically at such a point where you can’t exercise anymore?

If at all possible, I recommend going for reversible gastric surgery over the irreversible options. Of course, the surgeon will have the final say on that matter.

If you can find a non-surgical way to manage your way, take the route. Reserve the surgical solution for when all other options have failed.

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Questions & Answers

Will Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help You Lose Weight?

Let’s talk about omega-3 fatty acids and weight loss.

Essential fatty acids include alpha-linoleic acid (ALA). ALA is found in flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts. In the body, ALA convents to long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The EPA and DHA aren’t as essential because they can be generated from ALA, but the conversion rate is only 2 to 10% depending on your nutritional status.

A common supplement is a blend of 180 milligrams of EPA and 120 milligrams of DHA. Be careful with fish oil supplements because there are a lot of poor quality products out there.

There are a lot of conflicting studies when it comes to omega-3 fatty acids and weight loss. Some studies seem to show that omega-3 fatty acids improve your metabolism, others say there is no impact.

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Nevertheless, omega-3 fatty acids are definitely a supplement worth taking regularly. Omega-3s have a positive effect on the immune system and the nervous system. There was a study that demonstrated the higher the DHA content of a child’s diet, the higher the IQ.

Fish is a fantastic food that I feel should be consumed twice a week, if not more. It’s an excellent food protein to include in your diet.

I think that eating fish once or twice a week helps with weight management. If you can’t eat fish, then supplement with omega-3s. Norwegian omega-3 fatty acids are often a bit better quality than other ones on the market. I suggest taking one to two thousand milligrams per day of omega-3 fatty acids to boost brain and heart health.

If you want something to give you a little bit more boost cognitively look for the DHA, and if you are looking something more for the immune pathway or the heart pathway, I’d be going for the higher EPA. For children and older people, I suggest emphasizing DHA.

If it’s weight loss you’re after, I’d got for the 180/120 mix that is usually available. Take one to three thousand milligrams per day for the long term. Remember, combine supplements with physical activity and a healthy diet for optimal weight loss results. Research has shown that the combination of exercise and omega-3 fatty acids tricks the body into burning more fat than carbohydrates. I suggest exercising at least three to four times a week while taking omega-3 fatty acids and see what happens to your weight.

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Questions & Answers

Will A Zero-Carb Diet Help You Lose Weight?

Are zero-carb diets any good for weight loss?

For many years, government agencies and dieticians were beating the drum for low-fat diets, but they clearly didn’t work. I read an interesting report that summarized 26 different studies that compared low-fat to low-carb diets. There’s no doubt that the low-carb diet is the clear winner in that comparison.

However, there are many conflicting studies when it comes to zero-carb and extremely low-carb diets. This is particularly true when it comes to long-term benefits and effects.

I think we’re sailing into uncharted waters when it comes to zero-carb diets that offer fish, eggs, and meat as the primary proteins. I don’t think those options are good over the longer term.

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I think low-carb diets can contribute to nutrient deficiencies and the lack of fiber is going to result in a change in bowel habits and gut flora. Fatigue and constipation are common side effects of a low-carb diet.

Zero-carb diets may be effective for weight loss over the short-term, but I think people are going to run into problems over time.

For very large people, the zero-carb diet may allow them to lose a significant amount of weight over the first few weeks. For every gram that you carry of fat, the body’s also maintaining a lot of fluid. As a result, as soon as you start burning off some initial fat, your weight will drop quite rapidly. It’s a lot of fluid coming off the body. But then you’ll plateau and will need to take extreme measures to get the weight to keeping dropping.

Instead of looking to a zero-carb diet to solve your weight problem, I think the focus should be on eating habits and the emotional side of food.

Look at your stress levels, your relationships, your occupation, and try and find the reasons you may be overeating. I think that is far more effective than jumping on a diet bandwagon.

We need a permanent fix. We don’t need some short term diet approach at all. Look at weight loss as a 12 month+ project, not a six-week program because you’re going to a wedding.

Any diet approach should be customized to the person. Don’t change your diet to live up to what a book says. Change the diet to meet your needs.

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Questions & Answers

Lychee Nuts And Your Weight

What are the health benefits of lychee? Are there any weight loss benefits associated with eating this fruit?

Lychee nuts (Litchi chinensis) are a type of fruit with a white, rubbery pulp, a reddish-brown skin, and a nice brown seed. I consider lychee nuts to be absolutely delectable to eat. It is one of my favorite fruits.

As for weight loss, there are differing options. Some people say lychee fruit’s high glycemic index makes it unlikely to assist in weight loss. But, I beg to differ. I have yet to meet anyone who is going to eat a whole bathtub full of lychees.

Lychees are quite rich, and most people have had enough after about four or five of them. So, sure, you can say that lychee nuts have a glycemic index of 70 and so they aren’t healthy. But is that really true? How do lychee nuts compare to chocolate bars or deep-fried chicken nuggets? I mean, for goodness sake, let people enjoy healthy treats like lychee nuts, glycemic index notwithstanding.

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Lychees are a fantastic food. They are high in fiber and high in vitamin C. They also have an unusual phytonutrient that is high in flavonoids and has antiviral properties. Lychee nuts also contain trace elements. From what I’ve read, lychee nuts are beneficial to the heart, the bones, and for curbing the appetite.

The high fiber content means that lychee nuts tend to slow things down in the gut. In my experience, if you sit someone down with a bag of potato chips and then sit someone else down with a bag of lychee nuts, it’s the one with the potato chips that is going to eat far too much.
Chemicals are added to processed foods to encourage people to overeat. But no one is adding chemicals to lychee nuts.

Remember the saying, if it groud out of the grow, grows in the ground, or runs around on the ground, it’s probably okay to eat. (Not always, of course. There’s such a thing as poisonous mushrooms, etc.!)

I endorse entirely eating lychee nuts, not from a weight loss perspective, but a holistic health and enjoyment perspective. This fruit will help your digestive system considerably.

If you want to give lychees a try, get a half dozen or so and enjoy them after a meal. Maybe you’ll be like me and become addicted to them. They are absolutely delicious to eat but in limited quantities. Enjoy them for what they are – a delicious fruit, not a weight loss aid.

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