Pure Garcinia Cambogia Extract: Case Study Reviews

While Dr. Oz might not be the first person I look towards for medical advice, it’s fortunate I saw this segment when it aired (video above). After seeing the show, I started doing some of my own digging, and was pleasantly surprised by both the clinical data and the personal reviews being shared. This post will attempt to explain the inner workings of

Garcinia Cambogia, organize all the information I’ve found, and hopefully make sense of all the technical gibberish.

With all the expensive and artificial fitness/weightloss fads that have come and gone through the years, I always cringe when someone tells me they spent hundreds of dollars on systems that either starve, dope, or harm the body in unnatural ways. As a nutritionist I’ve always taken an organic approach to weight loss, which is why I had to take a closer look at Garcinia Cambogia extract.
Garcinia Cambogia has been surprisingly well-researched with a dozen different clinical trials carried out over the years. Time and time again, the research reveals the power Garcinia Cambogia has for fat loss and the creation of healthy eating habits.
After being showcased and endorsed on The Doctor Oz Show, Garcinia Cambogia picked up a lot of heat in the media. Dr. Oz termed the Garcinia Cambogia extract as the “Holy Grail of Weight Loss,” further saying, “Anytime I see a scientist get this excited about something like Garcinia Cambogia Extract and when I looked through some of this research and called these scientists myself, I get excited.  That’s why Garcinia Cambogia Extract makes sense to me and fascinates me.”

So what is Garcinia Cambogia?

The Garcinia Cambogia is a yellow fruit, sometimes also known as the tamarind, originating in Indonesia and now found across Southeast Asia, India, and central Africa. The fruit’s rinds and extracts are frequently found in the ancient art of India’s Ayurveda medicine. Shaped similarly to a pumpkin, the fruit has a thin rind, which is often dried and cured for extraction and storage.
The extract, derived from the rinds of the plant, contains Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA) – an acid that block fats and sugar, while simultaneously suppressing the appetite. It acts as a great weight loss agent by reducing appetite and preventing or decreasing the formation of fat cells within the body – precisely the reason the Doctor Oz show has touted this as a miracle supplement.

How does the extract work?

Pure Garcinia Cambogia extract works as a fat blocker and appetite suppressant that also helps the user control cravings, curb emotional or stress eating, stabilize cortisol levels, and in turn, decrease fat.
Clinical research concluded the Garcinia Cambogia extract serves these primary functions:

1. It prevents formation of fat cells that result from the liver converting sugar into fat.
2. It increases serotonin levels, improving mood and making it easier for people to control their eating habits and urges to binge.

3. It helps remove bad cholesterol from the blood stream.

4. It contains flavonoids that reduce triglycerides, phospholipids, and free fatty acids.

What makes Garcinia Cambogia so different?

People who added the extract to their existing diet and exercise routines noticed a double and triple loss in weight each week compared to previous weeks. Just the results alone make Garcinia Cambogia the champion of herbal weight loss. It’s a great natural alternative to dangerous stimulants like ephedra, and doesn’t have all the nasty side effects like other supplements.

“A Stepping Stone To Better Eating Habits”

Most notably, Garcinia Cambogia helps reduce hunger and cravings. Studies have shown that the additional benefit of Garcinia raising serotonin levels can have a tremendous effect on overall health and eating patterns. Users are more likely to see an improvement in sleep and less likely to indulge in stress or emotionally triggered eating binges.
Similarly to how anti-depressants and other psychotropic drugs can help positively impact mood, the extract uses the same mechanisms to help alleviate mood swings and reduce stress. This is a huge breakthrough for those who binge eat when feeling stressed or depressed because the extract helps stabilize levels of Cortisol in the body.

The Fight Against Cortisol

Cortisol is a natural hormone released in response to stress and has always been the biggest enemy of weight loss, especially for women. Regardless of exercise, supplements, or diet… our bad snacking habits often come from Cortisol-triggered cravings. If you often suffer from hunger urges that seem impossible to ignore, it’s probably because your body’s Cortisol levels are higher than average.
Now that science has shown us why Cortisol is the killer, it’s easier than ever to do something about it and take back control of our lives and our bodies. Pure Garcinia Cambogia is one of the only 100% natural means of suppressing hunger, busting fat, and feeling great about it at the same time. And for that reason, we’ve been recommending this product to all our clients.

Does the Garcinia Cambogia extract really work?

Pure Garcinia Cambogia extract is a clinically proven natural weight loss aid. Of more than 12 clinical studies we found both online and in university research databases, only one had no significant weight loss effects. That study was, however, criticized for utilizing an unusually high fiber diet. Fiber is known to absorb the main ingredient HCA, and in turn, impair its ability to block fat reducing enzymes as seen in other studies.

Here are just a few of them:

A study involving both rats and humans called ”An overview of the safety and efficacy of a novel, natural(-)-hydroxycitric acid extract (HCA-SX) for weight management“ was published in the Journal of Medicine.  Looking at the human part of the study, this was an 8 week trial with 60 people involved. Everyone was given 2,000 calories per day, walked 30 minutes a day, 5 days per week and were randomly given either a placebo or about 750mg HCA. At the end of the study, these results were observed:

• - 5.4% reduction in body weight
• - 5.2% reduction in body mass index (BMI)
• - Significantly decreased food intake
• - Significantly decreased total cholesterol
• - Significantly decreased LDL (bad cholesterol)
• - Significantly increased HDL (good cholesterol)
• - Significantly decreased triglycerides
• - Significantly decreased leptin levels
• - Significantly increased serotonin levels

Note. Leptin is a hormone made inside fat cells. Leptin plays a role in hunger.


A study published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007 involved 50 obese women (18-75 years of age) who were randomly split into a placebo and Garcinia group.

The Garcinia group received 1.15 grams before meals, three times per day (3.45 grams total per day).

All the women in this trial were tracked for 2 months after being placed on a 1,000 calorie/day diet. Body fat was determined using skin fold analysis and bioelectric impedance.

At the end of the study, women getting Garcinia lost significantly more weight (6.1 lbs) than women who received the placebo (3 lbs).

Which supplement is the best to take?

While there are many Garcinia Cambogia supplements on the market, I highly recommend using a supplement that contains at least 50% HCA (60% is preferred) and is made without the use of additional ingredients.

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“The Supercharged Hormone Diet” by Natasha Turner

If you have tried to lose weight several times by adopting strict diets and working yourself to exhaustion at the gym only to realize that, against all odds, you actually gained some extra pounds, then it’s time you did a bit of research into the matter. Bestselling author and naturopathic doctor Natasha Turner tells us that our weight loss problems are the result of hormonal imbalances. She is the author of the #1 National Bestseller “The Hormone Diet”, which teaches women about hormones and how they affect health and weight. Now, in her new book – “The Supercharged Hormone Diet: A 30-Day Accelerated Plan to Lose Weight, Restore Metabolism and Feel Younger Longer” - , she teaches women how to start losing weight the moment they open the book and start reading it.

The accelerated diet created by Natasha Turner is easy to follow, and it is based on her own research. This guide will first teach you about hormonal imbalances and the factors that lead to them, so that you’ll better understand your situation and how to approach it. Then, the questionnaires and assessments provided by the author will get you started, preparing you for the easy-to-follow weekly meal plans. The guide contains a high protein detox, key tips for sleep and exercise, food lists and recipes. Practically, you’ll find everything you need in this book, and you won’t have to go anywhere else for more information.

“The Supercharged Hormone Diet” is written in a friendly tone, and the author even talks about her own experiences, which will help the readers relate and understand why the hormone diet is the right one for their health and well-being. It is informative, it will help you eat better and feel better about yourself, and, most importantly, it will teach you how to lose weight fast without damaging your health.

Find “The Supercharged Hormone Diet: A 30-Day Accelerated Plan to Lose Weight, Restore Metabolism and Feel Younger Longer” on Amazon.

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The 4 Worst Sauces and Condiments for Dieters

Sauces and condiments can sabotage your diet if you are not careful. The
four following foods are the most insidious for dieters. These foods are high in fat and calories. Three of them have little or no nutritional value at all.
Mayonnaise
This oil, vinegar and egg yolk mixture is a fluffy mass of fat and calories. There are 100 calories per serving. One tablespoon is considered a serving. The fat content of mayonnaise is complete. Every calorie in the ten grams of a one-tablespoon serving is pure fat.
When you think of mayonnaise your first thought is probably sandwiches. However, mayonnaise is one of those condiments that may creep into your diet without your realizing it. Something as nutritious and healthy as chicken can become high fat and cholesterol laden when it is incorporated into chicken salad–a dish that includes mounds of mayonnaise.
Ranch Dressing
This tangy dressing is a staple on appetizer menus as an accompaniment to chicken wings. Two tablespoons of ranch dressing have 150 calories. Depending on how hot you like your wings you could easily add 600 calories in the dipping sauce alone.
Two tablespoons of ranch dressing also have 16 grams of fat. Again, depending on whether you dip, dunk or slather your wings you can increase that fat count to 48 grams. Keep in mind that the daily advised amount of fat is 65 grams. This is based on a total calorie consumption of 2,000 calories a day.
Peanut Butter
The average amount of peanut butter used on a traditional peanut butter and jelly (PB & J) sandwich is two tablespoons. That means that each PB & J has ten grams of fat from the peanut butter alone.
According to the National Peanut Board, most kids will have eaten more than 1,000 PB & J’s before they are old enough to go to college. That converts to more than 10,000 grams of fat before the age of eighteen.
Butter
If you have scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast, more than likely you use at least one tablespoon of butter on your toast. Many people also drop in another tablespoon of butter as they are scrambling their eggs. That adds up to to 200 calories in your breakfast from the butter alone.
Butter also has eleven grams of fat per tablespoon. A person who consumes 2,000 calories a day should keep her fat content below 65 grams. Going back to the breakfast example, you would have already consumed 22 fat grams (from the butter alone) or more than one-third of your daily allowance.
A serving of butter also has 33 mg of cholesterol. Because butter contains saturated fat that can make your LDL cholesterol rise. (LDL cholesterol is referred to as the “bad” cholesterol), the recommended amount of cholesterol consumption to lower your cholesterol level is 200 mg per day. The above breakfast gives you 66 grams of fat in one meal alone.
Fortunately there are lower fat and calorie versions of the above foods. However, do not let that give you a false sense of security. Even the lower fat and calorie versions should be consumed with common sense in mind. Portion control is and will always be your best dieting companion.

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The Secret to Fast Weight Loss: Kettlebells

There's a reason why so many people love kettlebell training — after all, who doesn't want a total-body resistance and cardio workout that only takes half an hour? And even more surprising, an American Council on Exercise (ACE) study recently found that the average person can burn 400 calories in just 20 minutes with a kettlebell. That's an amazing 20 calories a minute, or the equivalent of running a six-minute mile!

What makes the workout so effective, especially when compared with traditional weights like barbells or dumbbells? "You're moving in different planes of movement," says Laura Wilson, director of programming for KettleWorX. "Instead of just going up and down, you're going to move side to side and in and out, so it's much more functional. It's like you move in real life; kettlebells simulate that movement, unlike a dumbbell."

As a result, Laura says, you end up using more of your stabilizer muscles than traditional weight training, which translates into an increased calorie burn and a killer workout for your core. All this makes kettlebell training not only great for weight loss but also for improving fitness level; an ACE study found that eight weeks of kettlebell training two times a week improved aerobic capacity by almost 14 percent and abdominal strength by 70 percent in the participants. "You're recruiting so many more muscles than you would with traditional training," Laura explains.

If you're ready to jump on the kettlebell train, don't just grab a weight and start swinging. Proper form is essential for ensuring you stay injury-free when performing kettlebell exercises. Start with light kettlebells and visit a certified kettlebell trainer (check your gym to see if classes are offered) to learn the right way to train — then check out all of our kettlebell exercises here!

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The fast-track weight loss tricks scientists claim are MORE effective than long gym sessions

• Scientists suggest short bursts of daily exercise more effective than long infrequent sessions 
• 
  
• Taking the stairs, getting off the bus early and parking further away from shops some of easiest ways to shed pounds
• 4,500 surveyed in report carried out by American Journal of Health Promotion

You might be under the impression that losing weight requires you to spend hours slogging away in the gym.

But according to scientists, just one extra minute of brisk activity every day can help burn off unwanted pounds.

Researchers monitored the activity of 4,500 adults, and discovered that how often you exercise your heart and lungs matters more than the duration of the workout.

They found that several short bursts of exertion had the same effect as longer, but less frequent spells of exercise.

Those short bursts could include taking the stairs instead of the lift, parking further away from the shops and walking, or getting off the bus one stop early.

Lead researcher Dr Jessie Fan, from the University of Utah, said: ‘What we learned is that for preventing weight gain, the intensity of the activity matters more than duration.

‘Knowing that even short bouts of brisk activity can add up to a positive effect is really an encouraging message for promoting better health.’ In the study, volunteers wore accelerometers – devices which can accurately measure movement and activity.

Participants also had their  body mass index (BMI) recorded. This measures weight in relation to height.

Researchers found that, for women, every minute spent in higher-intensity short bouts of activity each day was associated with a BMI reduction  of 0.07.

The results showed that one minute of brisk activity each day offset the calorie equivalent of 0.41lb in weight.

The scientists explained that this means if a 5ft 5in woman regularly took the stairs at work, she would weigh nearly half a pound less than a woman of the same height who took the lift. The results were similar for men.

Scientists say that taking the stairs instead of using lifts can help shift up to half a pound of weight

Each daily minute of higher-intensity activity lowered the likelihood of being obese by 2 per cent for men and 5 per cent for women.

But the study found that, on average, the women who were having their movements monitored were less physically active than the men.

The report, which was published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, said: ‘Taking the stairs, walking to the store or between errands are choices that can add up and can end up making a positive health difference.

‘The message is: a little more effort can have an important health payback.’ Many British adults fail to reach the NHS guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week, in bouts of ten minutes or more.

And most adults in the study who had been attached to the accelerometers did not meet exercise recommendations.

But once short bouts of activity were taken into account, men managed to exceed the guidelines, while women came close to meeting them.

The scientists claimed that although these short bursts of exercise may not count towards fulfilling the official guidelines, they were still likely to improve people’s overall health.

Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘This supports what we know about exercise and weight loss.

‘Adults should be doing exercise every week to keep a healthy weight and ward off life-threatening conditions such as coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes.’

In a separate study published last year, an academic at Aberdeen University suggested that short, sharp bursts of exercise were better at warding off heart disease than longer,  less strenuous sessions.

That is because they helped speed up the rate at which fat left the blood. Fat lingering in the blood is known to trigger the first in a series of steps that can lead to clogging of the arteries and heart disease.

The study found that walking cut fat levels by 11 per cent, compared with not doing any exercise. But short bursts of sprints on a bike cut it by 33 per cent – the sort of effect expected from a 90-minute run.

Source: The Daily Mail UK

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30 Healthy Desserts You Can Eat Every Day by Nathalie Luisser

Novels make bookworms feel like life’s worth-living, weights keep gym rats happy, and desserts satisfy the sweet tooth of those who love sugary treats. While most of us enjoy their pie and candies, how are we to satisfy our cravings for sweets without compromising our health and waist-line? Although it may seem impossible at first to have both of these things – sweets and great physical shape –, this isn’t the case. You don’t have to completely give up your favorite desserts, but instead just try preparing healthier versions. You will keep your taste buds happy with delicious treats, and you’ll stay fit and healthy at the same time.

“30 Healthy Desserts You Can Eat Every Day,” by Nathalie Luisser, is the perfect pick for all health-conscious sweet-lovers out there. Offering a variety of recipes that can fit any diet or lifestyle – ranging from paleo desserts and raw food desserts, to gluten free and vegan ones –, Luisser’s book comprises 30 different recipes. This means that you can prepare a new dessert every day for a whole month. Goodbye boredom and routine in the kitchen!

The great thing about this book is that you don’t have to be incredibly good at cooking or to have a lot of experience in the culinary art. All the recipes are easy-to-follow, the author keeps the directions simple, and this makes cooking all the more enjoyable. Lussier’s recipes are suitable for a cooking-evening with your little ones or, if you’re in a hurry, you can pick a recipe and prepare a sweet treat fast.

“30 Healthy Desserts You Can Eat Every Day” offers a lot of variety in terms of types of desserts. There are recipes for banana ice cream, brownies, blueberry pie, apricot cream puffs, and so much more. The ingredients listed for each recipe are most likely already in your pantry, but if not, you can easily find them in any grocery shop.

There are a lot of benefits to preparing healthier desserts, two of the most obvious being that you’ll maintain your slim figure and stay in great health condition. Luisser’s book will make your heart happy, both literally and metaphorically.

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