Human chorionic gonadotropin for weight loss?

Question: I am going to be starting hCG shots here soon just wondering what is your feedback if any on these shots to lose weight.


Answer: It's been claimed for a long time that administering hCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin) by daily injection in small doses, e.g., 125 I.U., facilitates redistribution of fat shifting it from the midsection, where the fat is the most harmful, to the lower areas around the hips -- but no significant weight loss difference comparing with a 500 Calorie a day diet (The Lancet, Nov. 6, 1954).

In 1973, however, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (volume 26, p. 211) published a study showing that a very low calorie diet alone was less efficient in both weight loss and fat redistribution but these results ailed to be confirmed in 1974 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (volume 29, p. 948). The failure to show beneficial effects persisted:

• American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1963 12:230
• JAMA 1976 Nov 29;236(22):2495
• West Journal of Medicine 127:461 , 1977
• Archives of Internal Medicine 137:151-155, 1977
• S Afr Med J. 1990 Feb 17;77(4):185

However, recent (indirect) facts support some hopes. It's been shown that hCG increased the levels of Adiponectin (ADP, published in the Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation 2006;62:61-65 ) and that ADP --an adipocyte hormone involved in glucose and lipid metabolism -- "acts in the brain to decrease body weight" (Nature Medicine 10, 524 - 529 (2004)

In 2003, Dr. Belluscio published a study suggesting that oral pills of hCG could be effective in promoting beneficial body fat redistribution during a very low calorie diet.

Tanya Zilberter, PhD

Diet for children or teens?

Question: I am 5'2, 11-year old, 135.5 pounds and get teased. I want to have an exersize and diet plan.

Answer: First, it's hard to tell about "normal" body weight for children: more is known about teens but you're almost a teen, aren't you?

A great part of teenagers' body weight problem can be not being really overweight but poor body image, including how they feel about their bodies themselves.

Figure out whether you are overweight or not. The only real indicator of your body composition is body fat percent. You don't need to buy anything but measuring tape. Make the following measurements:

1. Waist
2. Hip
3. Neck
4. Height

Download your own body fat calculator at this URL: click here

Enter your measurements into the spreadsheet and see your results.

Body fat percent for 14-19 years old girls is between 20 and 24, depending on body frame (wide or narrow) - at your 11, you can have more fat!

Body fat for 14-19 years old boys is between 15 and 20 percent.

This calculator will also help you to figure out your fitness level. Improving your fitness is good for both overweight and "normal" kids.

Some general advice:

1. Move more. Take more gym or dance classes, use your bike to get to school if possible, ask you parents to buy you a simple inexpensive stair climber and go climbing when you watch TV, talk by phone, or whenever you have time.

2. Stop eating any junk food, sugary foods, sweets - unless they are artificially sweetened. Choose whole grain breads instead of white one, have vegetables for side dishes instead of pastas, rice, potatoes, etc.

3. Eat more of these foods:

- leafy green veggies
- olive oil
- nuts and seeds
- fish
- fresh fruits and berries
- yogurt (no sugar added or with sweetener or fresh fruit)
- green tea instead of sodas

4. Teens need a lot of energy: teenage boys need about 2,500 to 3,000; teenage girls need about 2,200 calories and usually, teens have no problem with this requirement. However, they should note where the calories come from: fatty snacks like chips and carb-rich sodas contain very little nutrients per calories they have.

It isn't advised that teens go on a very low calorie diet unless their doctor proscribes it.

5. Calcium and iron are two essential nutrients for teens because they help build strong bones when the bone growth is going on very fast. Iron helps to supply kids with energy. Weakness and fatigue in teens can be signs of a shortage of iron.

Teen girls, which are trying to be thin can be getting too little of good fats like omega-3. Meanwhile, omega-3 fat is good for healthy skin, hair, and the immune system. It's also been shown to reduce depression - a condition not so rare in teens.

The all-you-can-eat teens' foods

• Avocado
• Mangoes
• Grapes
• Tomatos
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Nuts
• Seeds

Answered by Tanya Zilberter, PhD

Green Tea and Carb Blockers for Weight Loss

by Tanya Zilberter, PhD

How does green tea work? Should it be necessarily green tea? What's on shelves
The green tea extract may play a role in the control of body composition via activation of thermogenesis, fat oxidation, or both. First of all, green tea works by increasing energy expenditure. Green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat burning beyond that explained by its caffeine content per se.

Researchers at the University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland,reported that green tea extract stimulated brown adipose tissue thermogenesisto an extent which is much greater than can be attributed to its caffeinecontent, and that its thermogenic properties could reside primarily in aninteraction between its high content in catechin-polyphenols and caffeinewith an increase in noradrenaline release.

Green tea also works bynormalising lipid metabolism. Green tea extract has preventive effects onblood cholesterol suggesting that green tea has anti-atherosclerotic activity.

Should it be necessarily green tea?

Perhaps, if we are talking about the fat-burning effects. Maybe not,as it comes to the saliva enzymes inhibition. Tea decoctions prepared froma number of black and green teas inhibited amylase in human saliva. Blackteas gave higher levels of inhibition than green teas, and removal of teatannins with gelatin led to the loss of inhibitory activity from all decoctions.

Salivary amylase starts the digestion of food starches to low molecular weightfermentable carbohydrates. In a clinical experiment conducted by the Centerfor Research on the Biological Effects of Foods, Forsyth, Boston, subjects consumed salted crackers and rinsed subsequently for 30 s with black or green tea decoctions, or water. The carbohydrate Maltose concentration was reduced by up to about 70% after rinsing with the teas. Black tea decoction was significantly more effective than green tea.

Other carbohydrate modifiers

The common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, contains an alpha-amylase inhibitor, which is one of a plant's insect defense proteins found in a number ofbean species. With a reduced amount of amylase available to break down andassimilate (digest) the carbohydrates, it can have a better chance of travelingthrough the body without being assimilated, or made available as energy,and eventually excreted rather than being used as energy or stored as fat.

If you hate cutting way down on your carbs, try CBlock.

The active ingredient is the trademarked "Trimplex" (Phaseous vulgaris) whichhas been shown to effectively partially prevent the body from absorbing starches.CBlock is safe. There have been no known reported side effects with thisproduct.

Ingredients:

• White kidney bean extract 700 mg
• Chromium (as chromium dinicotinate glycinate) 200 mcg
• Vanadium 100 mcg

Carb Block will help prevent up to 38 grams of sugars and carbs from being absorbed.

Carb Block also provides a second, equally important benefit. Gymnemalin, an extract of the plant Gymnema sylvestre, is a hypoglycemic agent. Whencombined with the patented chromium formula, alpha lipoic acid and vanadium,Gymnemalin will improves insulin function and sensitivity thus preventingyour body from sharp increases in insulin levels following a carbohydrate-richmeal

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