Less of You To Love
A Nutritionist’s Secrets for Healthy Weight
Management
Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA
April 2010
Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA
• Programs Committee Chair and Member of the Board of Directors
of the American Nutrition Association®.
• Nutrition Education Manager, NOW Foods, Bloomingdale, Illinois
© 2010 American Nutrition Association
Holistic Diet Principles
• TO LOSE WEIGHT, YOU HAVE TO EAT!
• TO LOSE WEIGHT, EAT LESS AT EACH MEAL!
• TO LOSE WEIGHT, EAT HEALTHY FOOD!
• TO LOSE WEIGHT, EAT FAT!
• TO LOSE WEIGHT, REDUCE CARBS!
Holistic Diet Principles
• TO LOSE WEIGHT, YOU HAVE TO EAT!
–Fasting slows metabolism
–Empty calories don’t satisfy nutritional needs
» Protein
» Fats
» Fiber
» Vitamins & Minerals; other nutritional components
Holistic Diet Principles
• TO LOSE WEIGHT, EAT LESS AT EACH MEAL!
–Increase meal count, not calories
–Help regulate blood sugar
–A small meal can substitute for snacking
–Stimulates metabolism if protein is consumed
Holistic Diet Principles
• TO LOSE WEIGHT, EAT HEALTHY FOOD!
–Whole foods promote lean bodies
–Whole foods prevent blood sugar spikes
–Whole foods provide essential nutrients
–Fiber is more filling
–Artificial sweeteners can backfire!
Holistic Diet Principles
• TO LOSE WEIGHT, EAT FAT!
–The body needs healthy oils
» Essential fats
»Omega-3: ALA, EPA, DHA
»Omega-6: GLA, AA, CLA
» Non-essential fats
»Omega-9: stearic acid, oleic acid
»Other oily fractions
Holistic Diet Principles
• TO LOSE WEIGHT, REDUCE CARBS!
–Fiber is still fine
–Wheat/gluten issues for some
–Refined sugars
» Conversion to fat
» Fuels microbial overgrowths
» Raises lipid triglycerides
Digestive Support & Enzymes
• Plant enzymes work in a wide pH range and begin digesting
fats and carbs in the stomach, rather than waiting for pancreatic
enzymes to begin work in the intestine
• Animal enzymes
– HCl-Pepsin work in the stomach to digest minerals and proteins
– Pancreatin works in the small intestine to absorb protein, carbs and
fats
Digestive Support & Enzymes
Other Considerations
Probiotics (Acidophilus, et al)
Depleted by antibiotics & other factors (not a label claim) *
From fermented foods that are not subsequently cooked
Assist GI function and immunity *
Prebiotics (fiber: FOS, Inulin) help maintain an
environment friendly to probiotics *
Aloe vera
Weight Management Products
General nutritional support
Multiple vitamins with minerals provide essential
nutrition and help to balance the diet
Most Americans are deficient in at least one essential
vitamin or mineral
Many of us are deficient in more than one nutrient
Reduced nutritional values of modern foods
Weight Management Products
Anti-enzymes
Reduce the breakdown of starch to sugar
Phase 2® is an “anti-enzyme” which can reduce the
breakdown of starch to sugar.
This all-natural bean extract limits the action of alphaamylase, a digestive enzyme.
Weight Management Products
Appetite Reduction
Relora® reduces stress symptoms and can help control
appetite and prevent stress-related eating for weight
control.
Hoodia is a 20:1 South African plant concentrate
Slimaluma™ is an alternative to Hoodia
Glucomannan fiber relieves constipation and may help to
maintain healthy serum lipid levels and satiety (feeling full)
Weight Management Products
Fibers that bind to fats
Chitosan attracts fats better than most other fibers,
carrying them out of the body
Fiber bonding to bile salts is the body’s primary
method of dumping cholesterol
Whole grain products provide essential dietary
components that enhance our ability to maintain
normal weight and metabolism
Weight Management Products
Limiting the liver's production of fat from
carbohydrates
Citrimax® helps to limit the liver's production of fat
from carbohydrate.
Provides HCA, which may reduce the liver’s conversion of
carbohydrates into stored fats.
Weight Management Products
Substances to maintain healthy blood sugar
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) improves insulin sensitivity
Chromium helps control blood sugar and is a
component of Glucose Tolerance Factor. Chromium
may also help maintain lean body mass (muscle)
during calorie-restricted dieting.
Vanadium is another mineral useful for blood sugar
control
Weight Management Products
Substances to help maintain healthy blood
sugar levels
GlucoFit™ is a source of corosolic acid, which
supports healthy glucose metabolism and insulin
sensitivity
Gymnema sylvestre improves uptake of glucose into
cells, may minimize a “sweet tooth” and may be useful
for maintaining cholesterol and triglyceride levels
Weight Management Products
Mild stimulants and thermogenic ingredients
that enhance energy production
Green Tea Extract for thermogenesis
L-Carnitine helps convert fat to energy
Pyruvate may enhance weight loss and reduce body
fat
L-Tyrosine is a precursor or thyroid hormones
Weight Management Products
Mild stimulants and thermogenic ingredients
that enhance energy production
7-Keto® is a metabolite of DHEA that does not affect sex
hormones. 7-Keto® enhances the activity of three key fat
burning (thermogenic) enzymes to provide a higher metabolic
rate during periods of calorie restriction and diet modification.
7-Keto, with a program of diet and exercise, accelerates weight
and fat loss by 200% over the same period of time compared to
comparable dieting and exercise with placebo.
Weight Management Products
Fats and other substances that enhance fat
metabolism and encourage lean muscle mass
CLA boasts numerous studies as to its ability to
enhance body composition – specifically lean body
mass – when used for long periods of time (typically
over a year).
Weight Management Products
Reduction of cortisol
Chronic stress can also result in improper blood
sugar metabolism, triggered by the stress hormone
cortisol.
Relora® reduces stress symptoms to help control
appetite and prevent stress-related eating for weight
control.
Chronic stress is a major contributing factor in overeating.
Weight Management Products
Acai
A Genuine Whole Food; solvent free
Brazilian purple berries
Freeze-dried; from pulp and skin
Antioxidant rich; fresh taste
Also contains proteins, fats (as in fresh acai)
Supports cardiovascular (nitric oxide), immune, and
inflammatory systems
Weight Management Products
Metabolic Products
• CLA maintains lean body composition, with significantly lower
weight than controls in long-term experiments.
• Green tea and guarana supply natural caffeine and other
energizing compounds, plus antioxidants
• Chromium is used to regulate fat and sugar metabolism
Weight Management Products
CLA
One study, titled "Efficacy and Safety of One-Year
Supplementation with Conjugated linoleic Acid in
Moderate Overweight," found that compared to
placebo, CLA-supplemented subjects had Body Fat
Mass index scores averaging 9% lower than the
placebo group and had Lean Body Mass results
showing lean muscle mass averaging 2% more than
the placebo group. Analyses of blood tests showed no
side effects over this one-year period.
Weight Management Products
CLA
CLA plus Guarana reportedly reduces the size and
number of fat cells in another report.
CLA may also reduce insulin resistance and prevent
undesirable cellular changes.
Weight Management Products
CLA
CLA may reduce insulin resistance, so people on
blood sugar medications may not need as much of
their drugs. Use with caution to avoid an overdose
of your blood sugar medication when using this oil.
Please notify your physician about your
supplement use if you are using any drugs!
Gaullier JM, Halse J, Hoye K, Kristiansen K, Fagertun H, Vik H, Gudmundsen O. Conjugated linoleic acid
supplementation for 1 y reduces body fat mass in healthy overweight humans. Am. J. Clin. Nutr.
79(6):1118–1125 (2004).
Rainer L, Heiss CJ. Conjugated linoleic acid: Health implications and effects on body composition. J. Am.
Dietetic Assoc. 104(6):963–968 (2004).
O'Shea M. Clarinol(TM) CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid): the weight of evidence supports a safe and
efficacious product for weight management. Agro Food Industry Hi-Tech 15(4):24–26 (2004).
Malpuech-Brugere C, Verboeket-van de Venne WPHG, Mensink RP, Arnal MA, Morio B, Brandolini M,
Saebo A, Lassel TS, Chardigny JM, Sebedio JL, Beaufrere B. Effects of two conjugated linoleic acid
isomers on body fat mass in overweight humans. Obesity Res. 12(4):591–598 (2004).
Weight Management Products
Glucose Metabolic Support
GlucoFit™ provides corosolic acid to maintain a
healthy glucose metabolism
Gymnema sylvestre supports blood sugar regulation
and supports the pancreas
Weight Management Products
Chromium (ChromeMate®)
Niacin-bound chromium for proper insulin
function and normal energy production
Promotion of healthy body weight
Maintenance of healthy blood sugar and
cholesterol levels already within the normal
range.
Weight Management Products
L-Carnitine
Shuttles long-chain fatty acids to the cell’s mitochondria to be oxidized and
converted into ATP
BLOOD
SUGAR
Excess Blood Sugar
Converts to fat
Challenges blood sugar controls
Reduces insulin sensitivity
Reduces immunity to infections
Excess Blood Sugar
“...people with diabetes who
have high blood sugar lose a
lot more magnesium in the
urine and, as a result, run the
risk of magnesium deficiency"
Karen Kubena, Ph.D., associate professor of
nutrition at Texas A & M University in College
Station.
Excess Blood Sugar
Elevated or normal insulin
+
Cellular resistance to insulin
=
Elevated blood glucose
Excess Blood Sugar
Hypoglycemia:
Overreaction to the rise in
blood sugar after eating
Indicates poorly controlled
blood sugar mechanism
May lead to insulin resistance
Excess Blood Sugar
Pre-diabetes
Syndrome X
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic Syndrome
Syndrome: Definition
“run together”
A pattern of signs and symptoms
Follow a common physiological and metabolic
pathway
Does not indicate the cause (disease), only
recognizes a common pattern
Essential part of clinical practice
Metabolic Syndrome
Sugar Control Nutrients
Chromium
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Corosolic acid (banaba leaf)
Vanadium
Fiber
Omega-3 fats
Sweetness Suppressor
Gymnema sylvestre
Standardized to minimum 25%
Gymnemic Acid
Ayurvedic herb from India
Acts on pancreas to stimulate
insulin secretion
Sweetness Suppressor
Gymnema sylvestre
Improves uptake of glucose into
cells
May block ability to taste “sweet”
May be useful for maintaining
cholesterol and triglyceride levels
Sweetness Suppressor
Zinc is a known sweet taste
inhibitor, meaning it can be used to
suppress the unwanted sweetness
of a product
SUGAR
ALCOHOLS
Sweeteners
Sugar Alcohols
Erythritol
Maltitol
Mannitol
Sorbitol
Xylitol
Sweeteners
Sugar alcohols don’t raise
blood sugar as rapidly as sugar
does, yet they’re as bulky as
sugar.
Used “tablespoon - for - tablespoon” to
replace sugar
Their sweetness may vary
Sweeteners
Sugar Alcohols
FDA-approved health claim:
Frequent between-meal
consumption of foods high in
sugars and starches promotes
tooth decay. The sugar alcohols
in [name of food] do not promote
tooth decay.
Sweeteners
Sugar Alcohols
For FDA-approved health claim the
product must be:
- Sugar free
Sweeteners
Sugar Alcohols
For FDA-approved health claim:
The sugar alcohol must be xylitol,
sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, isomalt,
lactitol, hydrogenated starch
hydrolysates, hydrogenated glucose
syrups, erythritol, or a combination.
Sweeteners
Sugar Alcohols
For FDA-approved health claim:
- When a fermentable carbohydrate is
present, the food must not lower
plaque pH below 5.7.
Sweeteners
Erythritol
Fermented cornstarch
Similar to xylitol in flavor,
physical characteristics
Sweeteners
Erythritol
Almost non-caloric, nonmetabolized
Non-laxative
Stronger osmotic antimicrobial
than xylitol
70% as sweet as sugar
Sweeteners
Erythritol
“These results suggest that erythritol
affects glucose metabolism and reduces
lipid peroxidation, thereby improving the
damage caused by oxidative stress
involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes.”
Yokozawa T, Kim HY, Cho EJ. Erythritol attenuates the diabetic
oxidative stress through modulating glucose metabolism and lipid
peroxidation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. J Agric Food
Chem. 2002 Sep 11;50(19):5485-9.
Sweeteners
Xylitol
Osmotic antimicrobial (inhibits
bacterial growth)
Cooling in mouth
1:1 substitution for sugar in recipes
Sweeteners
Xylitol
Improves bone density, Protects
tooth enamel
Does not require insulin
A laxative in higher amounts
Typically 30-50 grams or 15-25
packets
Sweeteners
Xylitol
Can be commercially produced
from non-GMO cornhusks, corn
cobs and stalks, certain
hardwoods (birch and beech),
rice, oat, wheat and cotton
seed hulls, various nut shells,
straw, sugar cane
Sweeteners
Xylitol
Dietary sources containing
relatively high quantities of
xylitol are plums, raspberries
and cauliflower
Stevia
Stevioside and rebaudioside A are
hydrolyzed to steviol by human
intestinal microflora
References: Cos, P.; Ying, L.; Calomme, M.; Hu, J. P.; Cimanga, K.; Poel, B. V.; Pieters, L.; Vlietinck, A. J.;
Berghe, D. V. Structure-activity relationship and classification of flavonoids as inhibitors of xanthine oxidase
and superoxide scavengers. J. Nat. Prod. 1998, 61,
Hollman, P. C. H.; de Vries, J. H. M.; van Leeuwen, S. D.; Mengelers, M. J. B.; Katan, M. B. Absorption of
dietary quercetin glycosides and quercetin in healthy ileostomy volunteers. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1995, 62, 1276–
1282.
Chatsudthipong V, Muanprasat C. Stevioside and related compounds: Therapeutic benefits beyond
sweetness. Pharmacol Ther. 2009 Jan;121(1):41-54. Epub 2008 Oct 27. PMID: 19000919
In vitro metabolism of the glycosidic sweeteners, stevia mixture and enzymatically modified stevia in human
intestinal microflora. Koyama E, Kitazawa K, Ohori Y, Izawa O, Kakegawa K, Fujino A, Ui M. Food Chem
Toxicol. 2003 Mar;41(3):359-74. PMID: 12504168
Stevia
Whole Leaf Stevia contains over 100
phytochemical markers including:
•Polyphenols
•Flavonoids
•Caffeic Acid
•Sterebins
•Austroinulin
•Quercetin
•Luteolin
•Apigenin
•Centaureidin
(Flavanol)
Enzyme Treated Stevia
Standard Stevia
Enzyme Treated
Stevia rebaudiana
Herbal effects:
May reduce insulin resistance
May aid pancreatic function
May help to maintain BP already in the
normal range
May support immunity
Stevia rebaudiana
(Enzyme Modified)
Reference: Chatsudthipong V, Muanprasat C. Stevioside and
related compounds: Therapeutic benefits beyond sweetness.
Pharmacol Ther. 2009 Jan;121(1):41-54. Epub 2008 Oct 27.
PMID: 19000919
Stevia Safety
Stevia and steviosides are considered safe
Stevia is not toxic to cells
No allergic reactions to it seem to exist
No significant adverse effects were noted in
a 2-year study
Non-caloric
Does not encourage dental cavities
Geuns JM. Stevioside. Phytochemistry. 2003 Nov;64(5):913-21. PMID: 14561506
Yasukawa, K.; Kitanaka, S.; Seo, S. Inhibitory effect of stevioside on tumor promotion by 12-OTetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in two-stage carcinogenesis in mouse skin. Biol. Pharm. Bull. 2002,
25, 1488-1490.
Boonkaewwan C, Toskulkao C, Vongsakul M. Anti-Inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Activities of
Stevioside and Its Metabolite Steviol on THP-1 Cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Feb 8;54(3):785-9.
PMID: 16448183
Gardana C, Simonetti P, Canzi E, Zanchi R, Pietta P. Metabolism of stevioside and rebaudioside A
from Stevia rebaudiana extracts by human microflora. J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Oct 22;51(22):661822. PMID: 14558786