Acute liver failure caused by 'fat burners' and dietary supplements

Globally, people are struggling with obesity. Many effective, nonconventional methods of weight reduction, such as herbal and natural dietary supplements, are increasingly being sought. Fat burners are believed to raise metabolism, burn more calories and hasten fat loss. Despite patient perceptions that herbal remedies are free of adverse effects, some supplements are associated with severe hepatotoxicity. The present report describes a young healthy woman who presented with fulminant hepatic failure requiring emergent liver transplantation caused by a dietary supplement and fat burner containing usnic acid, green tea and guggul tree extracts. Thorough investigation, including histopathological examination, revealed no other cause of hepatotoxicity. The present case adds to the increasing number of reports of hepatotoxicity associated with dietary supplements containing usnic acid, and highlights that herbal extracts from green tea or guggul tree may not be free of adverse effects. Until these products are more closely regulated and their advertising better scrutinized, physicians and patients should become more familiar with herbal products that are commonly used as weight loss supplements and recognize those that are potentially harmful.

Maintain your weight by losing 100 calories a day

Image via WikipediaThe difference between weight loss and weight gain can be as small as 100 calories per day according to the American Dietetic Association. Considering that most overweight people gain weight very slowly over the years, it seems easy to avoid a long term big gain by taking small but steady steps. The cause of 2 pounds each year could be as little as 100 extra calories a day on a regular basis throughout the year. Therefore, if you can cut 100 calories a day, you can keep your weight under control through the years. Or perhaps doing something that removes 100 extra calories a day?

These are some ways you can drop 100 calories from a day intake

1. Avoid soft drinks. A 16 oz can could add 250 calories. By changing to the sugar-free version or simply cut out completely you achieve significant savings in calorie intake.

2. How about beer? Even a 12 oz light beer is 100 calories or less, which means cutting a beer succeed in reducing their need daily.

3. Coffee? Use skimmed milk instead of whole milk to whiten your coffee.

4. Are salads really low in calories? Perhaps, but most calories come with the dressing. You can cut nearly 100 calories by using only a fraction of your French dressing package at the restaurant.

You can also find ways to eliminate those calories you've already ingested.
How to burn an extra 100 calories for one day

1. Strong biking on a gym bike must use up more than 100 calories.

2. Swimming energetically for only 10-15 minutes must burn more than 100 calories.

3. Walking at about 3 mph pace for half an hour, should also use more than 100 calories. You can burn up to 100 calories in just 10 minutes in this way.

4. Do some aerobic exercise for 15 minutes. That alone could lead to 100 calories. Let it be nice to put on some of their favourite dance music.

5. Do you like golf? Play more often if you can. Only half an hour of activity golf clubs of their own performance, may help shed 120 calories.

Getting rid or avoiding 100 calorie intake or burn is a very modest goal but highly beneficial for your long term health. Do it every day, and its weight can be controlled.

Drinking alcohol. How many calories?

Image via WikipediaAlcoholic drinks are rarely viewed as an issue when talking about weight loss. However, alcohod DOES come with calories, and worse, the kind of calories that make you fat without providing any energy.

Alcohol contains about 7 calories per gram, which is almost twice as much as what carbohydrates and proteins carry, and very close to the amount of calories from fat (9 per gram).

Take a look at the actual caloric content of common drinks to have a practical perspective about the effect of drinking alcohol on a diet or weightloss program.
Beer: 150 calories from a single bottle.

Wine: Between 120 and 150 calories in a glass.

One glass of Irish cream (like Bailey's or Carolans) about 465 calories.

Some popular drinks:

Margarita: 450 calories

Martini: 415 calories

Mint Julep: 140 calories

Pina Colada: 300 calories

Screwdriver: 200 calories

Black Russian: 290 calories

White Russian: 360 calories

     

Weight loss, sleep and hypnosis

Last time we talked briefly about sleep, a usually overlooked but important issue that can have a strong influence on the success of a weight loss strategy. However, having good sleep, although a great piece of advice, is not easy to achieve for many people. There are myriads of tactics and tips that are good for having a restful sleep, but for those who find sleep really difficult, something else is needed.
The most obvious solution is sleeping pills and other aides such as those discussed in a previous post, but for different reasons, some people would rather not take anything. What then? Many people use techniques and exercises related to hypnosis and auto-hypnosis in order to improve their relaxation with great benefits for the overall wellness, sleep included.

Mind Changing Hypnosis is a blog that explores these alternatives. The techniques explained and discussed there are very simple and effective. Here is an example of hypnotic methods employetd to help losing weight.

The most important part of your weight loss strategy

Let's first look at the obvious things about losing weight. The best way to start is by taking a good look at your diet, which is your top priority. You are going to have to cut down (which means reduce, not eliminate) on potatoes, bread and pasta. Try to control your ration of skip chips, soda, fries and all kinds of fast food. It is much better to rely on fruits and vegetables to keep hunger away. And, this is not so difficult. Take fruits with you at all times and places. If you feel hungry and craving for a snack, don’t buy a bag of chips or a burger. You should instead eat a banana or a couple of apples or pears.

The other big point of your weight loss plan is exercising. Winter time may tire you down and make you feel like staying on the couch. Try to overcome this and start by doing only 30 minutes of excercising every day. Don't like the gym? Go for a walk, a bike ride or better yet, do both, one at a time. 30 minutes is not really a big sacrifice, and if you have constancy, you'll find very easy to keep your schedule, and soon enough, you'll be asking for more moving and less TV.

Now read the two paragraphs above agan. Do they look scary? As simple as they sound, if you can keep up with a schedule like this, you are done for a big part with a successful weight loss program. Of course, there are many more helpers like high fiber diets, sugar substitutes, dietary supplements, prescription and non-prescription weight loss pills and so on. Many of them are very useful indeed, but in any case, your chosen treatment will be way more successful if you keep a smart lifestyle.

Think of Summer... already?

Summer is still half a year away and undoubtedly you may be too concerned about winter, Christmas, exams, and other issues, so thinking about next summer seems a little bit awkward. Let's do the excercise though. Pretend it is April and for sure you will want to go out in the sun wearing as little clothing as possible in just a few weeks. For those who look slim and good and have little reason to hide their bodies there are no worries ahead. However, if winter, Thanksgiving and Christmas food plus Easter chocolate and spring asthenia haven’t still brought you down with depression, then you may probably have put off by a glance into the mirror. So you'll com to the conclusion that it’s time to lose that spare weight and get in shape for the approaching summer. In our mental excercise, (remember it's April), you have very little time to get rid of the excesses and make a good impression at the swimming pool deck.

What to do? Well there are options. One is resignation. Other is rushing into the Internet, friends, doctor, weekly magazines and TV ads for a "magic" diet, excercise program, weight loss prescription pills, or whatever makes you believe you can drop 15 pounds in a month.

Fortunately there is yet another option, which is, you guessed, planning ahead. The aim of this blog is providing you with ideas and reasonable options to make your road to find your perfect weight easier. Keep in touch and thanks for reading!