February 1998

Nutrition for Weight Loss

One of the top reasons many of you train with me is to lose weight. Many of you think that losing weight is simply a matter of depriving yourself long enough to get results. In fact, fueling your body correctly, with the nutrients your body needs at the right time, can make the process easier.

Protein

One of the top things you can do to lose weight more easily is to eat protein at every meal. You've all heard of the popular Zone diet by Barry Sears, and many of you know my writings about protein have been published long before his book ever appeared. Here's why you need to consider this important nutrient:

1. You can actually boost your metabolism by eating protein. Studies show that you burn 30 percent more energy to metabolize protein than you do to absorb fat or carbohydrates.

2. Eating protein at every meal will stabilize your blood sugar. Every time your blood sugar level drops, your cortisol level goes up. Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands. It basically sends the brain the message, "Feed me!!" That's also why you should manage your stress level when you are trying to lose weight.

3. All the neurotransmitters in your brain are made from amino acids, the building blocks of protein. When your blood sugar level drops, so does your serotonin level. Low serotonin is a common factor in depression, carbohydrate-craving obesity and alcoholism.

Ask me to help you figure out your minimum daily requirement for protein. If you are under stress, your body's ability to absorb protein and maintain lean muscle may be decreased by as much as 70 percent. If your goal is to maintain and/or build muscle while weight training with me, you will not be able to succeed without eating more protein.

An ideal source of protein: Shaklee Instant Protein, a complete blend of all the essential amino acids. Shaklee has several formulations of this delicious shake mix - ask me which would be best for you. Soy protein is also an excellent source of natural enzymes.

Carbohydrates

When you are under stress or want to head off a craving, eat no more than 40 grams (no more than 140 calories) of pure carbohydrate - the amount in two rice cakes, a small potato, or 8 animal crackers - and wait 30 minutes. Eating pure carbs will raise your serotonin level. Many dieters eventually binge because incessant dieting lowers the serotonin level. If you understand your own body chemistry, you can use diet to feel calm and happy and still lose weight without drugs.

Shaklee has Carbo Crunch bars in peanut butter and cocoa that also help to head off cravings and are clinically proven to increase endurance.

Fat and Alcohol

Why group these two together? Because when you drink alcohol, your body stores fat more rapidly. Basically your liver can't metabolize the two together, so it stores the fat while you drink. Studies also prove that people who drink with their meals tend to overeat. Although I am not against moderate drinking, I recommend you cut back if you want to lose weight.

Other Top Tips

Studies of people who have lost weight and kept it off show that successful dieters work out at least one hour a day, five times a week.

• Eating breakfast can raise your metabolism between 3 and 5 percent.
• Studies show that even if you eat the same number of calories, your body will tend to store as fat the calories you eat towards the end of the day. Eat well at breakfast and lunch and eat light at dinner.
• Ask me about how much water your body needs to lose weight. Drinking helps the liver metabolize fat. Even Oprah says, "On the days I don't drink my water, I don't lose weight."

Shaklee's Weight Loss Program

Many times we fight our cravings without giving our bodies credit for signaling that we may actually be deficient in essential nutrients. I couldn't understand why I was so hungry all the time until a blood test showed I was deficient in 6 essential amino acids and started using Shaklee protein. What you should know:

B Complex. By the time you have a craving, you are depleted in B complex, which works on the part of the brain where cravings occur. Keep your mood stable with B complex and your cravings will subside.

Calcium and magnesium. Chocolate cravings are often a symptom of calcium and magnesium deficiency. Many expensive calcium pills simply can't be digested or assimilated by the body - a friend told me once of seeing an X-ray of a colon that contained undigested calcium pills. All Shaklee vitamins have been studied extensively and are proven to be easily digested and assimilated by the body.

Lecithin. Shaklee Lecithin contains an essential fatty acid along with choline and inositol, all key nutrients believed to regulate the metabolism. You can get pure Lecithin capsules or Pro-Lecin Nibblers, a great low-calorie snack made from soybeans that will help stabilize your blood sugar.

Fiber. Studies show that successful dieters fill up on fiber. Most Americans fall short of the minimum 30 grams of fiber recommended every day, and even if you do eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, you can still use fiber to head off cravings. Shaklee has several sources - I like the Fiber Plan Wafers, which you drink with a glass of water.

Slim Plan. I prefer to use Shaklee Instant Protein, but the company also carries Shaklee Slim Plan and Shaklee Meal Shakes, which provide 30 percent of the daily value for protein and 35 percent of the daily value for 19 essential vitamins and minerals. For those who have food sensitivities to milk, all these products are 99 percent lactose-free.

For information about how Shaklee can work for you, or for an individual nutrition assessment, feel free to contact me.