Weight Loss Advice on the Side Effects of What You Eat

Weight loss advice from experts usually starts with a simple concept:  burn more calories than you consume and you lose weight.  A weight loss program should therefore be simple:  eat less and exercise more.  But, as most of us know, losing weight isn't that easy.  Many of us fail one weight loss program after another, even though we have followed them in earnest.  The good news is that there is a critical factor that may be derailing your diet – the side effects of the food or medicine you consume.  These side effects can, without you noticing it, reverse the positive benefits of a weight loss program.

Weight Loss Advice on Medicine Side Effects

The FDA recently approved a new drug, the first in nearly a decade for use in weight loss.  It combines the properties of a drug used for opiate addiction with another used as an antidepressant.  It is supposed to reduce hunger pangs and increase metabolism (how quickly you burn calories).   Its possible side effects, however, include dizziness, insomnia, and an increased risk for high blood pressure.  In controlled studies, patients on the medication lost only 5% more weight than patients who didn't take the drug.  This was barely enough to cross the FDA threshold for approval.  The side effects from the drug can't be ignored and must be weighed against the value of taking the drug.  Too many of us would ordinarily just take the medicine and fail to read the side effect literature stapled to the bottle of medicine we bring home from the pharmacy – bad idea!

Weight Loss Advice on Food Allergies

When people turn to diet they often are told to eat nuts, which are a highly regarded source of protein and a good source of essential oils.  But eating some “diet” foods, such as nuts and vegetables could have a side effect, which negates weight loss: food allergies.  Many people are aware of severe allergies to food such as those experienced by people who are allergic to peanuts.  There are hundreds of food allergies, however, that we are blissfully unaware of because they don’t cause an immediate allergic response.  Unfortunately, they can cause problems.

We react to food allergies much like we do with the common allergic reactions to airborne dust, pollen, and other irritants – a well-known fact of life for millions of "allergy" sufferers around the world.  Allergen particles irritate the mucosal lining of our nasal and sinus passages causing runny or itchy noses, stuffiness, and sneezing.  With food allergies, however, this happens in the intestines.

The lining of the intestinal tract is covered by villi which, under the microscope, look like little fingers.  These villi increase surface area which aids in absorption of food.  The villi are covered by a thin layer of mucus which protects these delicate fingers from harsh stomach acids necessary for food breakdown into nutrients that can be absorbed.  But this mucosal layer can increase in depth in response to an allergic reaction thereby retarding the absorption of essential nutrients.   So, the food allergy causes the food not to be absorbed as it should.  That might seem to be good thing, but is in fact detrimental to a weight loss program.  Most of these programs rely on maintaining a consistent metabolic rate throughout the day by forcing the dieter to eat meals or snacks at regular intervals.  If those meals or snacks cause an allergic response in the intestine, food isn't absorbed, blood sugar levels drop, and metabolism levels are disrupted reducing the effectiveness of the program.

Fortunately, it is now possible to test well over 200 foods with a simple blood test.  The test will give you a list of foods to which you have an allergic reaction which may hamper weight loss as well as cause such symptoms such as headache, stiffness in the joints, flatulence, abdominal pain, and numerous other physical manifestations from this allergic reaction.

So, a little weight loss advice before you launch into your next diet:  Consider taking the blood test to identify any food allergies you may have.  As always, read the fine print on drugs you may be taking.  Your next weight loss program might then be worth the effort you put into it.

Weight Loss Advice Summary:  Watch What you Consume...