Research shows that about 83 million Americans embark on some type of dietary program each year, with hopes of dropping a few pounds or more, and spending billions of dollars in the process. Unfortunately, we cant escape the hype by hiding from it. Overweight and obesity cause more than 300,000 deaths each year from unhealthy dietary habits and a sedentary lifestyle. But you dont have to hop on the fad diet train to lose weight, either. To learn more about the attributes and pitfalls of some popular diets, talk with your Healthcare Provider.

Americans cant afford to ignore the weight loss issue. Nearly two-thirds of US adults are overweight or obese, with increased risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, and heart disease. Obese people have a 50% to 100% increased risk of death from all causes, compared with normal-weight individuals. Most of the increased risk is due to heart disease. Are you at risk for these health conditions? Come in for a consultation or talk to your Healthcare Provider.

According to The American Heart Association, the best and healthiest way to lose weight includes eating better and exercising more, for a weight loss rate of ½ to 2 pounds a week. Quicker weight loss (5 to 10 pounds a week or more) may deprive the body of necessary vitamins and nutrients, leading to fatigue, dizziness, and at worst, starvation. Furthermore, people who lose weight quickly through "fad" diets or quick-fix formulations often gain all the weight back when they decide to stop dieting. Successful, permanent weight loss cannot be achieved easily or quickly. It requires dedication and hard work, but nothing is impossible once you set your mind toward it.

Most diets can be categorized in three ways: low-fat, low-calorie, or low-carb. Lets look at the pros and cons of each one.

Low-fat diets (such as the Lifestyle Program by Dr. Dean Ornish and Weight Watchers) tend to offer a good approach to losing weight, when used correctly. But on the down side of low-fat eating, dieters often skip even the healthy fats, such as avocados, olive oil, and nuts, that have been shown to promote brain function and prevent heart disease.

Low-calorie diets, such as Slim Fast weight loss shakes and Volumetrics (Dr. Barbara Rolls), usually aim to fill you up with fiber-loaded, watery foods. All low-calorie diets have the potential to be misused by drastically reducing caloric intake, literally starves the body of energy.

Low-carb diets, such as the increasingly popular Atkins diet, emphasize more protein and fat, while drastically limiting carbohydrates such as bread, fruits, and sweets. The American Heart Association does not recommend low-carb diets, however, saying that such diets can increase cholesterol levels and damage the kidneys.

Each of these diets has potential deficiencies that require specific supplements to maintain your optimum health.

The concept of overall wellness involves much more than fitting into your college jeans. Feeling truly well incorporates all aspects of the human experience; diet, fitness, relaxation, entertainment, lifestyle, hobbies, quality of sleep, emotional well-being, and environmental exposure to pollutants.

Our society sells a backwards message: You will feel "well" if you are thin. We believe differently; successful weight management results from your commitment to overall wellness. Our pharmacist will work together with you in recommending a proven diet and lifestyle plan for your individual needs.

Todays weight loss market offers a myriad of pills and potions. While some nutritional and herbal products may indeed promote weight loss by speeding up metabolism, simply taking a supplement will not result in weight loss if no other dietary and lifestyle changes occur. However, nutritional and herbal supplements may play a vital role in achieving wellness as part of a healthy diet and exercise program. Supplementation with essential vitamins and minerals, as well as fatty acids (fish oils, flaxseed oil) and antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E), may help to promote overall wellness and replace key nutrients often lost through dieting. For more information about combining a healthy lifestyle and diet with nutritional supplements and herbs, feel free to visit our website. Your wellness consultant  will work together with you in building a Wellness Plan for your individual needs. Contact us today to learn more about our Wellness Consultation.

For ongoing success, build a wellness program with core nutritionals.

Dietary supplements can also help with healthy living. They help to "fill in the gaps" of what your food may not be providing and insure maximum health. We recommend building a wellness program of dietary supplementation beginning with core nutritionals. Core nutritionals provide critical nutrients that are difficult to acquire in meaningful quantities in our food. They include:

High quality vitamins, minerals, and trace elements, typically in dosages considerably higher than the US RDA (United States Recommended Daily Allowance).

Antioxidants protect the body from damaging free radicals (molecules that react in harmful ways) by neutralizing them. Free radicals are linked to many diseases.

Essential Fatty Acids are the "good fats" that we dont get in our diet such as fish oils and oils from certain seeds. They are called essential because the body cannot manufacture them and so we must get them from our diet or in supplement form.

Fiber (both soluble and insoluble) has many well known benefits. Unless you eat 5 or 6 servings a day of fruits and vegetables, you must supplement fiber in order to reap its benefits