Healthy B.P.M.

According to Srinivas, the herbal expert I talked to, obesity has deeper roots.”Obesity is a complex medical condition and there are several causative factors, like lifestyle, heredity,and endocrine function. Like any other medical condition, obesity needs medical attention. It is important to first consult a qualified medical professional to diagnose the root cause of the obesity, before deciding on what course of action to take.”

Srinivas continues,”In the case of caralluma, there is no incontrovertible evidence that it directly contributes to weight-loss. Only two clinical trials have been conducted(by the manufacturers of this product) and there has been no independent trial. The results of these sponsored trials show some interesting trends, but are not conclusive.”

The published clinical data on caralluma mentions that it can potentially cause gastric disturbances and similar adverse effects. There is considerable skepticism about caralluma fimbriata extract as a weight loss promoting agent. This is relevant when one
learns that Hoodia has fallen out of favor, due to concerns about its safety and efficacy.

“I for one wouldn’t resort to a herbal product like Caralluma fimbriata. Certainly it is no substitute for sensible lifestyle choices like diet and exercise.”, says Srinivas.

Coming from a herbal expert, that closes one weight loss avenue!

I got to talk with SK Srinivas, a herbal pharmacist in Bangalore, India and he shared some of his opinions on weight-loss herbs. Here’s a brief of the weight-loss herb he has helped develop- Caralluma fimbriata extract.

“Caralluma fimbriata is an edible cactus, used by tribal Indians to suppress hunger and enhance endurance. The effect of Caralluma extract was assessed in overweight individuals by a placebo
controlled randomized trial. Fifty adult men and women(25-60 years) with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 kg/m2 were randomly assigned into a placebo or experimental group; the latter received 1 g of Caralluma extract per day for 60 days. All subjects were given standard advice regarding a weight-reducing diet and physical activity. At the end of 30 and 60 days of intervention, blood glucose and lipids,anthropometric measurements, dietary intake and assessment of appetite was performed. Waist circumference and hunger levels over the observation period showed a significant decline in the experimental group when compared to the placebo group. While there was a trend towards a greater decrease in body weight, body mass index, hip circumference, body fat and energy intake between assessment time points in the experimental group, these were not significantly different between experimental and placebo groups. Caralluma extract appears to suppress appetite, and reduce waist circumference when compared to placebo over a 2 month period.”

Caralluma fimbriata is a succulent soft-spined cactus that grows wild in many parts of the Indian
subcontinent.

Says Srinivas, “Tribals in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka know it as kallee mooliya. Tribals nibble on this cactus during prolonged hunts in the forest. It’s believed to be an appetite suppressant. Caralluma is the Indian equivalent of Hoodia gordonii, a succulent cactus used by the Bushmen of Kalahari as an appetite suppressant.”

I was surprised when Srinivas told me that he didn’t really believe that weight-loss herbs are the answer to obesity. What do you think? Many people I’ve talked to have sworn by Hoodia. Do you think that diet pills are the answer? More on what Srinivas says tomorrow…..

I got to talk to Mehdi, author of StrongLifts.com. Mehdi had some tips about weight loss and gain.

Tell me a bit about yourself.

Age 15 I started doing bodyweight exercises at home. I began lifting weights at 18. First years were bodybuilding oriented. In 2004 I bought a home gym and started strength training. During
the last 7 years, I probably lifted weights 45 weeks out of 52.

Can anyone become fit?

If you really want it yes. But you need to do something about it. There’s no something for nothing. You want to be fit, get into sports. It won’t happen overnight.

What do you recommend for a person who is obese?

Wake up. Analyze your behavior. Look at your eating habits. Look at your lifestyle. Look in the mirror. Don’t judge, observe.

Some of my readers lost 20kg of fat and gained 10kg muscle in 10 months.
How?

Using a burning desire to change.

Before you can have a desire to change, you need a reason. Understand that obesity is not normal. Understand that you need physical activity. And understand that food is mere fuel to your body.
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I got to talk to Joe DiAngelo, accomplished fitness trainer.He had some tips about weight loss and gain.

Tell me a bit about yourself.

I am an accomplished athlete, and winner over 20 medals in competition. After I finished my career in swimming I started to work as a personal fitness trainer.

What makes your fitness program unique?

My programs are producing results. No promises, just results! My clients reshape bodies in only
eight weeks and that’s something to celebrate.

I’m offering a customized training program for your fitness goals, complete with a guide to mentally prepare yourself to change your body, a nutrition plan, and a physical training plan.

What do you recommend for a person who is obese and also what is your suggestion for someone with a low BMI?

An obese person must fix the diet and start exercising.

For someone with a low BMI, it is important to focus on a good nutrition plan and start weight training as well.

What foods do you think are essential for good health?

I am a big fan of veggies and lean proteins. Most people never achieve fitness goals because they never eat veggies. No veggies, no results! Simple as that.

Some simple ways to lose weight.

You have to start building lean muscle, that’s why you have to start weight lifting. You have to have a good nutrition program or it won’t happen. You will have to start doing cardio.
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My interview with Bradley continued here:

Some simple ways to gain weight

So here they are, the essential aspects to maximizing muscle growth:

1. Your intake of calories should be more than your expenditure (or reverse if you are trying to lose weight). This is what I consider the most neglected aspect of muscle building and fat loss. No matter what kind of training, no matter how many protein shakes, no matter how many low calorie snacks you have, you will not reach your goals if you
neglect this essential.

2. The resistance must be challenging for you. You can not expect to get super gains if you are still on the same old program, lifting the same weights you have been on for years. This also applies to some people, who despite their weight training experience choose to lift 5lb dumbbells for every exercise.

3. You must be well rested between training sessions. This includes physical rest and adequate nutrition. Take time out and enjoy the things that you love - whether it is reading, going to movies or ten pin bowling.

4. You must get some carbohydrate and protein immediately after your workout to help the body to recover. You may have heard of people talking about a 90-minute window of opportunity. The timing is more important than that - the sooner the better. A drink taken 90 minutes after exercise will not have the same effect as once consumed immediately after exercise.

How to cut down on belly fat

‘Spot reduction’ has gained some support recently; however, a much more successful way is to eat and exercise to target total body fat.

Your take on the obesity epidemic.

Our lifestyles, ease of access to crap foods, and lazy habits are responsible. All of these need to be addressed.

What you do to stay fit

Go for runs, walks, play golf, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, training as part of my job as a physical training instructor, go to the gym, sports in summer like tennis, water skiing.

Just answer yes/no for these questions

Do you have junk food? Yes
Are you calorie-obsessed? No
Do you work out everyday? No

I interviewed Bradley Simpson, an expert on nutrition and fitness to find out more about how we can stay more fit. He gave me a lot of insight into the whole diet and exercise dilemma.Check out Bradley’s blog on Nutrition and Exercise for some great pointers.

1.Tell me a bit about yourself.

I grew up in New Zealand doing every sport under the sun and eating what Mum put on the table. I went to university and did nutrition as part of PE degree - I soon realized how
important it is to eat well and how badly I was actually eating. I also began working at a gym and writing out programs; that way I began to understand some of the nutritional obstacles people have. I started a Nutrition degree and thoroughly enjoyed it.

2.Can anyone become fit? What do you recommend for a person who is obese and also what is your suggestion for someone with a low BMI?

Anyone? It is a relative term.

The key is making lifestyle changes - making good choices means creating new habits.

Start an exercise program. A simple idea here:

• Mon - ATB
• Tue - rest
• Wed - ATB
• Thu - rest
• Fri - ATB
• Sat - rest
• Sun - rest

ATB means ‘around the block’ - meaning a very short walk.

Simplicity is the key when starting out in exercise. The best program in the world will not get results if the person does not or cannot do it. If you are starting out from nothing then give this program a go yourself. If you do it successfully, then consider walking around the block twice on Friday the week after.

Also stop eating foods you know are bad for you.

If low BMI: Focus on eating with the family, consuming at least 3 meals a day.

3.What foods do you think are essential for good health?

Basic generic recommendations: fruits, vegetables, lean meats and fish, cereals, dairy. You must enjoy the foods you are going to eat otherwise you will not keep it up in the long term.

4.Some simple ways to lose weight.

To lose weight in the short term Atkins is a good option.

To lose fat in the long term change your lifestyle choices and take small steps slowly.

The fact is you should not think of food as either ‘good’ of ‘bad’. You should think of food as somewhere on a continuum with bad on the left and good on the right.

Bad ——————-OK——————–Good

However, this is still a very crude model to use as a basis for choosing what food to eat. This is because the nutritional needs of different people, and importantly at different times, differs greatly.

I don’t think you should deprive yourself of a food you absolutely love, just make sure your goals are matched by what is going in your mouth.

More tomorrow…..