I happened across this information, because, as usual, I was actually surfing the web for a completely unrelated reason to B12 and how it may help people lose weight. In fact, what I was searching for was information on how light may destroy certain vitamins, and the importance of keeping certain ones out of the sunlight and in the darkest places possible in the house. But I was intrigued when I saw some information on B12 shots, which I’ve always been intrigued by to begin with, and how some people on a forum were swearing that gettin B12 shots helped to accelerate, or even initiate their weight loss.
Of course, anyone would be interested to know that something that already has a great reputation for giving people excellent energy levels and even putting them ina great mood, and happened to also help some people lose weight.
So I looked a little further into it, and there is of course, no documented research other than anecdotal stories and testimonials from some people, that B12 in itself would help you lose weight. The side effects of this vitamin injection especially (it also comes in a sublingual formula, pill form, and even nasal sprays), probably help people to have the energy to work out hard and therefore, the increased energy levels may improve the ability for people to get up, move around and burn more calories.
A lot of times, when a product give s you extra energy, it tends to also give you an edge when it comes to suppressing hunger because as you all know, when you already have energy, your body really doesn’t find as much reason to eat, since you actually eat for energy. That’s right, that thing we all do now here in the US as a pastime, called eating, is actually a biological function that is designed to impart energy to the human body so that we may function, think, and move around like we need to efficiently.
You can go get vitamin B12 shots, which is supposed to still be the most superior way to deliver the vitamin to the blood stream for maximum results and the best energy levles and mood enhancement as well. The shots of B12 will run you around $10 to $20 per shot, depending on your geographical location (prices vary everywhere for services like this), and also depending on where you are going.
As I understand it, certain doctors will give these shots, and also some weight loss centers offer this shot as well. Vitamin B12 has shown to be somewhat effective as well, when delivered via a sublingual (under the tongue) formula where the vitamin solution is held under the tongue for several minutes and delivered to the body that way, and it is also thought to be somewhat effective when delivered via a nasal spray, where it is absorbed through the epithelial cells that line the nose, and delivered to the blood stream that way.
Intrigued? I know I am, because I know that B vitamins are very effective for my energy levels, just when taken in an energy drink, so I wonder how a week long vitamin B12 shot would affect my energy and mood levels (B12 also enhances my mood, not sure if this is typical or unusual).
January 26th, 2010
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So, I’ve been interested in trying out this Emergen-C stuff for a while, it’s just one of those things I haven’t quite gotten around to buying yet, with all the other things going on right now.
It’s a little packet of powder that you mix in with a glass of water that is supposed to be a good mixture of vitamin C (1,000 mg to be precise, which is several times what you need per day, but that’s ok because Vitamin C is a vitamin that is flushed out of your system on a daily basis, so it never builds up to toxic levels in your body anyways), and also has chromium picolinate, which actually helps regulate your blood sugar and also may help control your appetite as well.
It also contains calcium manganese and magnesium, all of which are important minerals which women in particular can benefit from. I became really interested when I read that a lot of people think this little bag of powder daily helps them to keep from getting colds and the flu, and they rarely feel run down, which can be very common in the winter time.
Also, many people think that it helps their energy levels due to the B vitamins it contains. To be honest, I rely a lot on boosts from a product called 5 Hour Energy right now during the day at work, so something that wasn’t actually caffeinated would be good, so that I didn’t have to drink caffeinated products to get my energy, especially since I tend to break out from it.
Vitamin C is great to take in combination with calcium too, because it actually helps your calcium to absorb and be absorbed much better than it would be alone as well. So, if you’re a woman, or a man, you may want to consider taking it for energy boost, possible reduction in appetite, which would probably be mild, and also boost your immunity. I’m buying some tonight at Target and I’ll let you know how it works and how I like it a few days after I start taking it – hopefully it’s good stuff!
January 9th, 2010
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With so much attention being focused on colon health and digestive health, it’s no wonder acidophilus supplements and foods have been skyrocketing in popularity lately. These supplements are comprised of what are called probiotics. That’s right, it’s the opposite of antibiotics, which kill bacteria – good and bad, and yes, in the digestive tract as well, where they are very much needed to facilitate smooth digestion and elimination of your foods.
Without the “good bacteria”, we experience more gas, more problems with digesting and eliminating our food, and a generally unpleasant experience when eating a lot of different kinds of foods in our diet. When you add a good probiotic to your system, one that actually coats and inhabits the walls of the intestines, you can greatly increase your digestive and waste elimination system’s efficiency and overall comfort.
I’ve experienced this firsthand. Not only that, but you eliminate a lot of bloating, and generally may even end up facilitating weight loss and management more efficiently in the end because you are essentially digesting and eliminating your foods at a better rate. Also, if you need a good colon cleansing, you should look into a product like Bowtrol, which is a complete cleansing system, and included is a good probiotic supplement with that as well.
Better elimination and processing of your food allows it to be converted into pure energy much more easily, instead of being stored as fat on the body, and also instead of clogging up the main ways in which food is digested and in which the “leftovers” exit the body. Acicophilus releases thousands of tiny friendly flora, or bacteria, into your intestines, where they go to work against the harmful bacterias that create gas, bloating and discomfort.
You may notice a pleasant “empty” feeling compared to the way you usually feel if you’re taking a great acicophilus supplement for a little while. It shouldn’t take very long for it to work, and once it does, you would see why these probiotic supplmeents are so popular with people now.
You can get this friendly bacteria in yogurt, and there are also some excellent drinks and supplements available now as well. Heck, there’s even a protein bar with active live cultures, or aciophilus in them too that I’ve tried that are pretty darn tasty and they also happen to work pretty well. However, if you don’t want all the calories, there are the “Pearls” supplements that some people like, or just plain capsules and caplets at your local drugstore.
October 23rd, 2009
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As I get older, I notice that some foods, in particular dairy or a lot of meat in a meal, or especially a high fat meal, cause a lot of havoc in my digestive system. The fat part I think may have something to do with my pancreas, and that scares me a bit because the pancreas is an important organ, so that is part of why I lost so much initial weight, because I really focused on cutting out a lot of the fattening foods in my diet. Here and there I will treat myself to pizza or a cheeseburger and french fries, both of which are extremely greasy, fatty foods.
I inevitably will be extremely uncomfortable after a high fat meal though, and will take digestive enzymes to help with the discomfort as well as to help break down the food properly and completely so that it doesn’t clog up my whole system. However, if you eat right, and you don’t eat enough, you really shouldn’t need digestive enzymes since your body should be pumping out just the right amount of these helpful little organisms on it’s own. You may have a deficiency though, and that most likely could be disagnosed by a Doctor or even a naturopath, and they may recommed that you always use digestive enzymes, even with meals that are properly portioned and combined.
I do notice a difference when I take them with meals that may normally bother me, or meals that are too large that make me uncomfortable afterwards. So does my boyfriend, he says that when he takes them after too large a meal, it does make the discomfort subside within a half hour, so that’s useful as well. I would say to keep digestive enzymes around for those times when you know you’ll have indiscretions about what you eat. It really is helpful during those times in assisting your digestive system in doing what it needs to, when you’re not treating it right.
July 19th, 2009
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We all know that regulating our blood sugar levels is key to maintaining a healthy weight, and also to maintaining a healthy heart and other healthy organs, but it is also key in losing weight because our blood sugar levels are a HUGE contributing factor to our appetites. If your blood sugar wildly fluctuates throughout the day, you will notice that your appetite seems almost totally out of control at times, which just means your body thinks it needs more fuel in the form of food, in order to keep normally functioning and also to keep the body alert and able to perform physical activities.
When your blood sugar plummets, you experience ravenous hunger, and the foods you eat and the combination you eat them in contributes greatly to whether your blood sugar stays at a stable level all day. For instance, I guarantee that if you eat a breakfast loaded with simple carbs and sugars, you will feel on the verge of passing out within a few hours, because the sugary breakfast caused a huge surge in blood sugar immediately that was not sustainable due to high sugar and low protein. What follows is a “crash” in the blood sugar levels that makes you feel lethargic, moody and unable to focus – oh, and very hungry!
So, to avoid these crashes, many people believe that taking the antioxidant supplement alpha lipoic acid with every meal helps their body to correctly regulate it’s blood sugar levels for hours after a meal. Many people even believe that it can virtually “cure” diabetes when it is taken properly and conistently. It is not totally clear why it might do this, but for some reason taking the supplement is thought to slow down the absorption of simple sugars and carbohydrates into the blood stream, creating more of a stability that lasts a lot longer than it would without the supplement of alpha lipoic acid.
Alhough alpha lipoic acid is primarily used and known as an antioxidant supplement, it has shown benefits to many people who are hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic by bringing their blood sugar into normal ranges, especially when consumed with each meal. It is thought to even help regulate blood sugar when a huge “no no” meal is consumed, like a large stack of pancakes drowned in maple syrup in the morning. For this reason, it’s really a form of natural appetite suppressant if you think about it, since blood sugar spikes and falls result in huge appetite gains.
One of it’s side effects in excess doses is actually known as being low blood sugar, but when taken properly, many people report that it helps greatly with the regulation of their blood sugar. Some have even taken readings after meals with and without the alpha lipoic acid and have consistently gotten better, more stable readings when they take their meals with the supplement, so it’s worth googling if you think you may have blood sugar issues.
July 7th, 2009
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So, I’ve tried so many other dietary supplements that are supposed to help me lose weight in the past, that when I happened across a little bit of hype over this newer product called Tetrazene, which comes in two different formulas, I got a little curious, and I ordered a bottle of it. I ordered the type that does not have any sort of stimulants in it, ie caffeine, green tea or any other names that diet pills like to try to hide behind when in fact it is a stimulant.
The formula I ordered is called the KGM-90 formula, and it does not have any ECGC compounds (green tea), which tend to make me a bit nervous and jittery becuase of their caffeine content. The formula of Tetrazene I got contains only the soluble fiber that is what is supposed to make this stuff work. I
‘ve read numerous reviews of the product, some saying it filled people up wonderfully and inhibited their appetite, making them eat dramatically less, and some saying that the diet pill did absolutely nothing for them in the appetite suppressant or weight loss department. You have to take two pills prior to every meal, which may be a bit bothersome, but I’m willing to try it for a month to see if it can help me get rid of these last few stubborn holiday pounds around my thighs and belly.
More to come! I will share the results and experience/review with you as soon as I figure I’ve given it enough time to make a fair judgment.
March 1st, 2008
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I had read in a couple of different places, both online and in magazines, that cinnamon was being hailed as a mild appetite suppressant, as well as a stabilizer of blood sugar. Mind you, there is a HUGE connection between blood sugar levels and hunger, hence the reasons for people with unstable blood sugar to have ravenous appetites much of the time. So this connection between hunger, appetite and blood sugar levels that has been insinuated about the common spice cinnamon does make sense logically. But does it work?
Well, I set out to figure that out, and here’s my conclusion about whether cinnamons naturally suppresses the appetite. I found that I think it does, although it seems fairly short lived, so for me, I did have to keep taking the cinnamon to achieve constant results.
Here’s what I did. I actually had a small shaker of cinnamon in my desk at work which I had gone through a phase using in my coffee and hot chocolate for a while, so I decided I would take a small dose of cinnamon in the morning with my breakfast to see if it staved off my usuall “mid morning” hunger, and voila, it did seem to lessen my hunger, as well as prevent me from getting the shakes, which I will usually get around ten to eleven, since I eat very early in the morning – around seven, and I’m the type of person who does have to eat at frequent intervals to keep my blood sugar steady.
I noticed this lack of shakiness and seeming evenness of mood and concentration throughout the morning, when usually I’d be thinking about food already by about ten o’clock, since I do need to eat every so often. I just took probably not even a fourth of a teaspoon, but I took it straight – I didn’t mix it with anything, I just shook it out onto my hand and licked it right off! Not the tastiest thing, but it’s also not horrible – it is, after all – cinnamon.
So if you’re looking for an experiment on how to naturally suppress the appetite, and you have some cinnamon laying around, there’s no harm in seeing what it does or doesn’t do for you, that is if you can stomach the taste of cinnamon, and I don’t know many people who don’t like the spice. Just imagine you’re eating a slice of pumpkin pie and that may help it go down. Don’t take it with sugar though, or you will defeat the purpose.
January 29th, 2008
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Well, I figured I’d point out, since tis the season for over doing it on food, which often includes lots of cheese, crackers and other starches and dairies, including system clogging fats and sweets, that we have a review on DDB of a very effective and popular bowel cleanser that is all natural called Bowtrol.
We reviewed Bowtrol because we feel that the colon is the root of many health problems, and it is the thing that keeps us feeling good, emptied out, and healthy. When our bowels are clogged, including our colons, our intestines and our bellies, it means that other systems suffer the consequences as well. In fact, when we are clogged up, or constipated often, we tend to get cranky, anxious and we just feel that we are not “well” as we should be.
It is a complete system (or you can also purchase the separate components if you don’t want the whole system), that is designed to clear out the entire digestive and waste tract of debris, including excess mucus and deposits left by those of us who love our dairy. It then also includes another step in the process, which is to add healthy flora back into the digestive tract.
This healthy flora actually helps us feel gas free and good since it helps to mitigate gas buildup in the intestines, and is a necessity for a smooth flowing digestive and elimination system. Not only that, but the Bowtrol bowel cleanser, which gently cleanses the bowels of waste by increasing the output of waste from our bodies and cleansing the tract that pushes it all through, helps to rebuild the strength and efficiency of systems that have been slowed by years of build up or abuse – or neglect.
Let’s face it, we all want to eat healthfully in way that supports bowel and digestive health, but we cannot always do it. That’s why I’m thankful that a system such as Bowtrol offers a way to sort of undo some of that. See the Bowtrol review for a complete review of the bowel cleanser system.
December 14th, 2007
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I’ve had this fascination recently with antioxidant juices, ie those juices that usually come from exotic fruits in far away places, that claim to contain huge amounts of the infamous antioxidant compound that has claimed to be the next coming in the world of health and well being, and anti aging. And what about dieting? Might the curious little antioxidant have a benefit when it comes to dieting and weightloss?
Well, while I don’t really think that antioxidants have a huge effect on weight loss or actually suppressing the appetite, I do think they can provide some really great benefits in terms of increasing energy levels naturally by helping us to eliminate free radicals, those nasty cells that cause healthy cell damage, so that we can focus more of our energies on, well, energy, instead of fighting off free radicals and other things that inhabit our body that aren’t so good for it.
Antioxidants are in many multi vitamins now, so you can get some of them via vitamin, but ultimately, the best source of serious antioxidant power is through eating actual foods like fruits that are bright in color or very, very dark in color, tend to have a multitude of antioxidants in them . They also tend to taste very good, and the good thing is, antioxidant rich foods tend to be excellent for our weightloss because they are usually nutrient rich as well as high in fiber (pulp and fibrous filling in fruits).
Fruits and berries that are naturally high in antioxidant compounds that I know of are blueberries, acai berries, mangosteen fruit, noni juice, broccoli, and other darkly or richly colored fruits and veggies tend to be very rich in these magical little compounds. They are an excellent addition to the diet, and the healthy eating may inspire more healthy eating, so I say eating an antioxidant rich diet is a win-win situation in the world of health, anti aging, and weight loss.
September 24th, 2007
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It used to be that carb blockers were somewhat of a joke. The ones that you saw on the shelves in the local drug store did sell quickly at first since carb blocking was a somewhat novel idea at that point, but it quickly became apparent that using these blockers really did nothing but block you up, literally.
I tried one of them, and I was not able to go to the bathroom for a few days, and I’m usually regular and go every single morning after I eat breakfast. It seemed that whatever material they used that they said worked as a carb or fat blocker, expanded too much in the stomach, and actually created almost a sort of intestinal blockage, and that’s why I was having problems.
Needless to say, I discontinued their use and hoped they might be more perfected one day. Well, the Dietrine carb blocker that we talk about here How Carb Blockers Work, actually contains a patented ingredient that does really help to absorb excess carb intake, without making you irregular. So, basically it does allow for those extra carbs that you feel guilty about be absorbed and harmlessly flushed away.
August 19th, 2007
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