Section Of Supplements

‘Diet Supplements' and ‘Food Supplements' are phrases often used in relation with weight loss. A lot of myth and fog surrounds supplements and the explanations made to clear the fog often also end up undermining their importance. Here, an attempt is made to balance the facts about supplements without undermining their importance.

Supplements are basically carefully prepared and concentrated sources of nutrients found in natural food. But while a single food item may have many nutrients, a supplement will focus on providing a single supplement in concentration. The reason that supplements are prescribed by doctors or dieticians vary but they trickle down to the individual needing more of a nutrient than can be supplied by their natural food-based diet.

Another reason why supplements are helpful, when taken rationally, is that they ensure that your body will never fall short of necessary nutrients, so you have a cushion to fall on. When aiming to lose weight, supplements can be a comfort, but they can also mislead dieters into thinking that the supplement will bring about weight loss. If you start taking supplements, but make no modifications to your diet or lifestyle, the supplements will have no effect and you'll just be setting yourself up for greater health complications. Supplements are most useful when taken with a balanced diet and an exercise plan. Without these two in the mix, you'll just be popping pills.

Another thing to bear in mind about supplements is that they should be your last resort not your first option. The basic focus of your weight loss plan is to provide with all necessary nutrients through natural food. Only in the event that your body has a high deficiency of a certain nutrient does the need of a supplement arise. Of course, when you are trying to lose considerable weight, there will be cuts in your daily calories. This will equal to your body being under the risk of being undernourished. Avoiding supplements at this point would be just as dangerous as overkill with supplements.

Supplements are of number of types, some are found in the form of pills, capsules, etc but naturally grown herbs can also act as supplements. Such supplements, though being a mixture of nutrients instead of a concentration, serve to perform and enhance certain functions that a standalone supplement like a multivitamin couldn't do. For instance, green tea serves anti-oxidant function as well as an appetite suppressant. This is one supplement that you will find just about every dietician recommending for the sheer reason that not only does it help weight loss, it improves health in general. It's one of the few natural products that are known as fat burners for their ability to speed up metabolism and burn calories. In addition to this, natural supplements like green tea are very low cost and won't send your budget haywire.

Lastly, a sound piece of health advice you should etch in your mind is that absolutely no diet modification or supplement without consulting your dietician first. Also, if you have any chronic conditions such as diabetes, they will defiantly be a deciding factor in what kind of weight loss plan will be best suited for you.

• John Palsson
• 29/11/2008, 10:59 AM
• 0 Comments