New Year, New Plan, New You!

New Chapter Brings Your Healthy Weight-Loss Goals Within Reach

Doctor’ Prescription for Healthy Living Article
By Jeanne Ringe

Ah, the New Year! A new beginning full of hope and promise, and sincere commitments to yourself: to stop eating too much, to start exercising, to live healthier. Resolving to change is a good first step. But how many attempts at a life change have been thwarted by the slightest impediment, instantly reaffirming behavior patterns, habits as comfortable and familiar as a favorite robe and slippers?

Undoing a lifetime of unhealthy habits requires more than a quick fix. The most profound health changes require firm resolve, and gentle, steady progress towards a goal. And, of course, one does not make lasting health changes, especially with regard to weight loss, without support—on both the mental and physical levels.

The problem is that many weight-loss support products on the market today do not have your overall health in mind. It’s important to know what to avoid in both prescription medications and herbal formulas. Thankfully, though, there are natural supplements out there that do have your overall health in mind and can assist your body in shedding those pounds.

One in particular, Supercritical Diet & Energy™ from New Chapter, stands out as a quality product that supports health and weight loss over the long haul. Vanity proves to be a motivating factor for many people’s weight-loss goals, so perhaps it would be worth examining why your health should be even greater motivation.

Healthy Weight Loss–A Goal Worth Pursuing

For many of us Americans, the worst hangover of the New Year is the one hanging over our waistlines, perhaps another 10 pounds gained over the holidays, taunting us as we lean over to tie our shoes or pick up the newspaper. It’s no secret—most Americans are overweight or obese. Out of 4,000 adults monitored in a Massachusetts research study for a period of 30 years, 9 out of 10 men and 7 out of 10 women were or became overweight during the course of the study; moreover, 1 in 3 enrollees were or became obese during that period. It’s a telling example of what shape many of us are in. High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, arthritis and gallbladder disease are all on the rise as obesity rates go up. Vanity aside, if you are overweight, one of the best things you can do for your health is to make a commitment to shed the pounds. Imagine how many health issues would be significantly improved or disappear altogether if more people resolved to eat better, exercise and lose weight!

Weight Cyclers Beware

Perhaps you are not obese, but have simply fought with losing and gaining the same 10 pounds for years. You may think you are safe from the health issues obese people face—think again.

Yo-yo dieting, also known as “weight cycling,” is repeated loss and regain of body weight. A weight cycle of 10 pounds up and down in a one-year period has been shown to have an effect on health. One study showed a decrease in natural killer (NK) cell activity (immune responders) among postmenopausal women who had gained and lost as few as 10 pounds in a year.

Repeated cycling sets up a “treadmill effect.” Analysis of some of the data obtained from what is commonly referred to as the Nurses’ Health Study (one of the most comprehensive nutrition and health studies ever conducted on female subjects) found that 965 women who admitted to being “weight cyclers” tended to gain more weight than the 967 women who did not lose and gain weight repeatedly. The more weight gained, the longer it takes to get off the “weight-loss treadmill.”

Even though studies have shown that weight cycling does not appear to affect the success of future weight loss efforts (this refers to the number of pounds that are shed, not the length of time it takes to shed them), the slower metabolism that comes with aging means exercise and healthy eating become increasingly important with each passing year.

Diet-induced weight loss has been shown to affect one of the most reliable markers of heart disease, C-reactive protein (CRP). Postmenopausal women, already more prone to heart disease than during their fertile years, would do well to monitor their CRP levels, increase physical activity and try to manage weight effectively.

Finally, weight cycling can lead to some of the same problems associated with obesity, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and gallbladder disease.

Clearly, the most significant effect of cycling may be the cycle of defeat and loss of self-esteem each time the weight is regained. Maintaining weight stability is the best way to avoid these potential health risks.

That’s why a commitment beyond restricting calories or carb-cutting is essential. But there’s no question that changing a lifestyle is not easy.

Healthy Weight-Loss Support

The best way to know what to choose is to know what not to choose. The multibillion dollar weight-loss industry knows your weaknesses. They know that all it takes is the loss of a few pounds to motivate you and get you into high gear. That’s why most weight-loss formulations are designed to peel the first few pounds off quickly.

Prescription medications can be very effective at doing that, but sometimes the potential risks are daunting.

Even some of the herbal formulations work by revving up your internal engines enough to kill your appetite for a while, often through high concentrations of caffeine, kava or other herbal stimulants.
Many herbal diet pills contain one of the following:

• Natural diuretics and laxatives, which act as stimulants and may speed up the heart;
• Ephedra or ma huang, known to cause high blood pressure, heart problems, strokes, seizures and death—the FDA has received reports of 100 deaths related to ephedra usage;
• Aristolochia fangchi, which may cause kidney failure and urinary tract cancer;
• Hydroxycitric acid, HCA, which is an appetite suppressant found in at least 14 major weight-loss drugs. In a study in which 66 overweight patients were given HCA and 69 given a placebo, HCA failed to produce significant weight loss.

One Formulation, A Five-Stage Response

Dieters fight a battle on many fronts. Psychological, physical and emotional health are all involved in the struggle to lose weight and keep it off. There is only one formula that we know of that is designed to support the dieter’s health in all of these areas, and that is New Chapter’s Supercritical Diet & Energy.

Supercritical Diet & Energy offers a superior blend of supercritically extracted and concentrated herbs in what New Chapter refers to as a Five-Stage Response System.

1. Thermogenic. The combination of organic green and white tea, organic ginger and cayenne enhances metabolic functioning and promotes fat oxidation, not through over stimulation of organs and glands, as some herbs do, but by increasing the metabolic rate of the body so that more calories are burned at rest than would be otherwise. The minimal amounts of caffeine in the green tea in this formula (only as much caffeine as in one-tenth a cup of coffee) seem to act along with the catechins/polyphenols, as well as the ginger and cayenne, to create this metabolic effect. Any athlete knows that maintaining a healthy resting metabolic rate can help counterbalance the calories in their “food as fuel” eating programs.

2. Adaptogenic. This is the “energy” part of the formula, and it addresses some of the psychological and emotional challenges faced by dieters. The adaptogens known as maca and rhodiola support the normal functioning of the hormonal HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis, which specifically influences normal cortisol function and fat metabolism. Many people who are overweight often suffer from low energy and lack of motivation that ultimately discourage them from exercising. Balancing cortisol and metabolism helps provide the kick-start dieters need, without over stimulating and stressing the adrenals, other glands or bodily functions.

3. Antioxidant. Turmeric, peppermint, cloves and rosemary are all high in antioxidants. You would have to empty your spice containers many times over to get the benefits of the concentrations of these herbs in this formula. Dieters and those who lack sufficient fruit and vegetables in their daily menus often have suboptimal concentrations of antioxidants, also known as free-radical scavengers. Antioxidants can also help provide support for detoxification of stores of toxins in body fat.

4. Phytoglycemic. Cinnamon and fenugreek help glucose create immediate cellular energy, rather than end up as “stored” potential energy in the form of fat deposits.

5. Cell Protective. Sea buckthorn and calendula promote normal membrane integrity and deliver important formulation-balancing properties.

All the herbal ingredients listed above are presented in a soy-based probiotic culture, including Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. bifida and L. rhamnosus.

Not Dieting? This Formula’s for You, Too

According to New Chapter’s Taryn Forrelli, N.D., “Diet & Energy is a product that more than 60 percent of the population could benefit from taking, especially around holiday time and in the weeks and months that follow. It helps the body reestablish and maintain a healthy metabolism rather than simply quickly shedding pounds in a potentially dangerous way. Another advantage is that it is safe for both short- or long-term use.” She adds that athletes and “anyone who wishes to safely support healthy energy, performance and concentration can benefit from this multitasking formula.”

Click Here for Supercritical Diet & Energy Product Information

Note: Statements in this article have not been evaluated by the FDA. This information is for informational and educational purposes only. We make no medical or curative claims. If you are dealing with any health condition, it is advised to see your health care practitioner.