Body weight is a touchy subject for many people. But the truth is, when it comes to keeping your weight in the optimal range for your height, age, sex and build, it’s not how you look that matters – it’s about your health.
Why healthy height management is important
According to the World Health Organization, being overweight or obese puts you at risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis and even some cancers – notably breast, colon and endometrial. What’s more, lugging extra body fat around also affects your quality of life – you may find it harder to do everyday activities like climbing the stairs without getting out of breath or playing with your kids.
So how do you lose weight? It has to do with something called thermogenesis – burning calories from food to produce energy for your body to function. If your body needs more calories than what you’re eating, it’s going to start dipping into the calories it has stored (fat). Doing more exercise is a good place to start, but exercise alone won’t do the trick; you also need to modify your diet.
“An easy and natural way to suppress your appetite is to drink water before meals, which can help to decrease the hunger you feel,” says Clicks pharmacist Waheed Abdurahman. “Other natural ways are to increase your intake of high protein and high fibre meals.”
If you struggle to get enough of these nutrients from your diet, supplements can help. Abdurahman recommends checking the label for fibre, protein, bulk-forming ingredients like chia seeds and natural appetite-suppressing ingredients such as griffonia.
Can fat burners be used for healthy weight loss?
Certain foods and beverages, like green tea, fatty fish, chili peppers and berries are good at helping to speed up thermogenesis.
There are many weight-loss supplements out there promising a quick fix. Generally, if a claim is too good to be true, it probably is. But that doesn’t mean fat burners are out entirely – used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise, some fat burners can help you towards your goals.
“These aim to work in one or more of the following ways: accelerating your metabolism, curbing appetite or boosting your energy levels to encourage you to be more active, and thereby burn more energy,” explains Abdurahman.
The benefits of L-Carnitine
This regular in the supplement aisle is an amino acid. "An amino acid is a building block of protein,” Abdurahman explains. “It can help you burn fat, balance blood sugar and recover more quickly after exercise.”
One thing to note is that whenever you buy supplements, it’s crucial to read the label – and if you’re unsure, ask. This is especially important if you’re on chronic medication, as some supplement ingredients could interact with the meds you’re taking.
“Speak to a pharmacist, healthcare adviser, dietician or your doctor,” says Abdurahman.
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Also read: Understanding weight loss
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