Weight loss: how to find the line?

Slimming is undoubtedly one of the major concerns in terms of health & well-being of the population in most developed countries. 

Indeed, our sedentary lifestyle, the profusion of accessible food, and the qualitative changes in our food have caused what we can call an epidemic of overweight.

Whether it is to refine your silhouette battered by the copious winter meals or to permanently overcome your overweight, loose stomach and eliminate the effects of "orange peel" and other cellulite, many follow a diet or seek the miracle solution.

If there is no magic product ensuring a healthy loss of weight and a lasting improvement of the silhouette, there is a multitude of slimming solutions to help you get started or to accompany you in your approach towards a diet and a mode. Balanced, sustainable, and leading to your healthy weight. Pharma GDD reviews existing solutions to help you achieve your goal!

One goal: to achieve a balanced diet

A series of imbalances, excesses, and nutritional deficiencies that contribute to overweight mark our current diet. To help eliminate excessive dietary imbalances, it may be wise to take dietary supplements.

Omega-6 and omega-3

One of the biggest imbalances in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids. The ideal omega-6 / omega-3 ratio is 1 to 1, at worst 5 to 1. The current ratio is between 15 and 20 omega-6 to 1 omega-3. They link it to overweight and obesity by generating inflammation which decreases the effectiveness of our hormones.

Rebalancing this fundamental ratio is difficult to achieve. One food richest in omega-3s is cod liver, and it rarely makes the list of the foods we eat the most every year. Fortunately, supplements are available, formulated with either fish oil or nuts and seeds, but the latter delivers an omega-3 that the body must work on before it can be used.

Carbohydrates and sugar

Our bodies need carbohydrates, but they create not all equal. I found refined carbohydrates, for example, in white bread or white pasta. They have less nutritional value than unrefined carbohydrates. Therefore, preference should be given to whole or semi-complete foods.

The proportion of sugar has exploded in our diet over the past few decades. In 1700, a man consumed about 2 kg of sugar per year. Today, an American absorbs approximately 80 kg.

These two elements deeply disrupt our hormonal functioning. They quickly raise blood sugar (the level of glucose in the blood) and disrupt the production of hormones involved in the feeling of hunger. They interfere with our ability to feel full and help store excess fat.

It is therefore advisable to limit the consumption of sugar and to turn to unrefined carbohydrates so as not to generate too intense blood sugar peaks.

Sugar and refined carbohydrates also alter the composition of the gut microbiota - the colonies of microorganisms that live in our intestines and play several fundamental roles there. Again, such a disturbance is believed to be linked to weight gain and obesity.

Several sugar substitutes exist, making it possible to benefit from the pleasure of its taste without suffering the disadvantages. Agave syrup has made its way alongside traditional sweeteners.

Fiber and protein

We only consume about 12 grams of fiber per day, when it should be 3-4 times more. Fiber plays a vital role in nourishing and maintaining the gut microbiota, lowering blood sugar, limiting the absorption of dietary fat, and reducing appetite.

Protein provides the body with the amino acids it needs. They also decrease appetite.

Increasing the proportion of protein and fiber in the diet is one of the most common nutritional recommendations found in diets.

Some people do not have the time, money, or motivation to prepare meals that allow them to achieve the ideal proportion of protein or fiber in their diet.

Several supplements aim to provide the missing fiber and protein in a form that is easy to prepare or consume.

Better manage your hormones

Managing your hormones is extremely important to lose weight. Trace elements and food supplements make it possible to optimize this management.

Boost your testosterone level

Testosterone is one of those hormones that play a role in our weight loss or gain and are severely impacted by our lifestyle and our inadequate diet. There are solutions, as trace elements (zinc), vitamins, or plants (Fenugreek, Tribulus), to "boost" its production.

Keep your glycemic index low

Another point common to many diets, essential for good hormone management: maintaining an optimal blood sugar level without spikes. Several supplements help achieve this goal.

Probiotics

The microbiota playing an essential role in our health, and in particular, in weight loss, it must be maintained. Probiotics are microorganisms that could rebalance a microbiota battered by a poor diet.

Slimming diets

Slimming making up a goal shared by a large part of the population, many are those (doctors, nutritionists, coaches, enlightened amateurs…) to have proposed varied diets. Some try to rebalance the proportion of proteins/carbohydrates/lipids, others suppress or encourage a particular category of food 

The main ones are:

REGIME PRINCIPLE WE REDUCE / REMOVE ON MAINTAIN / INCREASE

Paleo Eat as our ancestors did before farming. Ready meals,

Dairy products,

Cereals, nuts, fruits, lean meat, seeds

Low-Carb Carbohydrates and sugar are reduced Carbohydrates (bread, cereals, etc.)

Sugars Proteins (meat, fish) and fats

Atkins Same principle as low carb but the reintroduction of carbohydrates during the evolution of the diet

Dukan High protein, low-carbohydrate diet Carbohydrates Protein

Low-Fat Low in fat and high in carbohydrates and proteins Fat Carbohydrates and proteins

Cretan Lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains,

Average consumption of dairy products, low of fish and very low of meat.

DASH stands for Dietary Approach to Prevent High Blood Pressure. Inspired by the vegetarian diet but does not prohibit meat. Avoid fats, red meat, and sugar Non-fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains.

Zone Each meal contains 40% carbohydrates that do not increase blood sugar, 30% protein, and 30% fat. The goal is to keep blood sugar low. Bananas, rice, potatoes.

Intermittent fasting Alternate periods of diet and periods when you can eat.

Sustainable weight loss will mainly come only from the acquisition of a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet. But there are a few products that can provide a welcome boost, ranging from cutting out a few extra inches to supplementing the diet to help correct an imbalance, to stimulating certain hormones.

Products to lose weight

These are not products for balancing the diet but slimming products for occasional help.

Appetite suppressants

They reduce hunger by acting mainly either in the brain (these are appetite suppressants) or in the stomach. These comprise fibers that will form a "gel" when placed in contact with liquids. In the stomach, this gel causes a feeling of fullness which makes you eat less. Some also contain chromium, a trace element essential for the proper functioning of insulin and for maintaining an unproblematic blood sugar level.

Absorption reducers

These sensors contain substances that will prevent the fat or sugar we eat from being absorbed into the body. Thus, they are evacuated naturally and do not contribute to creating new fat.

Fat burners

Their principle of operation is simple: they contain substances that would increase the body's metabolism and thus encourage it to draw on its fats.

The drainers

Drainers have several functions. By detoxifying the body and cleaning its main filtering organs, such as the liver or kidneys, they improve its function, which will be useful for weight loss. They also have an action to decrease water retention in various places of the body.

Slimming creams

I stored fat in adipocytes, fat cells in the fatty tissue under the skin. Cellulite creams contain caffeine. This molecule is present in coffee or even chocolate, but when it is consumed in a drink or food, it does not affect fat cells..

 Applied to the skin, it penetrates the adipocytes and induces the destruction of the fat they store. It also stimulates the skin. This makes them ideal creams for stretch marks, dimpling, and for removing the orange peel effect.

Tips to sleep better and lose weight

Nutrition is not the only process involved in losing or gaining weight. Sleep, stress, and physical activity also have a definite impact on our ability to lose weight.

Sleep aids

Lack of sleep leads, among other disorders, to weight gain. The noise and screens omnipresent in contemporary societies are all factors that affect our ability to sleep well. But these are not the only ones: a multitude of elements contribute to .

worsening the phenomenon of lack of sleep. Some can be corrected by adopting good discipline in life (stopping all screen viewing at least an hour before going to bed), others may require better planning of the sleeping space. Finally, medication or herbal medicine can help you (re) find restful sleep.

Aids against stress

Repeated stress disrupts our hormonal system, which generates an increase in blood sugar. It makes us gain weight. Learning to manage it can be difficult. Food supplements are available to help you.

The sport

Physical activity helps to reduce fat, but also to sleep better and reduce stress. For physical activity, we're spoiled for choice. Here again, aids are available to help us improve your preparation and gain in performance and muscle. They will also support you during sports recovery.

Losing weight is a long, constant process that requires a minimum of organization and discipline in life. This involves acting as much on your diet as it does on your sleep, stress, or physical activity. At each step, aids are available to help you reach your ideal weight.