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Although most antioxidants are not specifically meant for weight-loss, they may prove important to dieters, as they improve the energy metabolism and improve aspects of detoxification. 

What are antioxidants?  Antioxidants remove the byproducts of oxidative reactions and similar responses.  To understand better, take for example our everyday metabolism. When the body burns food for energy, there are chemical reactions that happen in the body.  If the chemical reaction is complete, then water, heat and carbon dioxide are produced in the body, which is what should happen if everything goes right.  Sometimes, this chemical reaction is not complete and the result is that “free radicals” are created, which are harmful to the body.

For those that do not know what free radicals are, they are toxic compounds that are created by incomplete chemical reactions and increased by fatty foods or sugar.  Like thieves, these free radicals run around the body robbing electrons from cells that are healthy, making people look older and increasing the risk of diseases such as cancer.

Free radicals damage the tissues in the body in many ways and also attack the cell membranes.  Because of this damage, cells lose the capacity to absorb the nutrients consumed and to properly remove waste products from the body.

Antioxidants help with this in two ways.  Firstly, they donate electrons to the free radicals in order to neutralize them and make them harmless.  This prevents the free radicals from damaging the body tissues. Secondly, the free radicals are then flushed from the body or restored back to their normal position.

As a person loses weight, the body burns fats.  To remain healthy while the body is burning fat faster, the dieter should add antioxidants to the diet.  Fat burning creates metabolic waste products, such as ketones and lipid peroxides.  Peroxides are dangerous free radicals, which get stored in the body’s fat stores.  As a dieter loses weight by burning fat, these toxins are released.  If exercise is made part of the weight-loss regimen, the toxins are removed more easily from the body. 

A lot of research has been done on this and it has now been established that vitamins such as C and E are very useful in controlling free radicals and preventing or even treating diseases such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes and heart disease. 

It has been seen that two powerful antioxidant extracts, those of oolong and green tea, by themselves can increase daily energy usage by a good percentage.   These tea extracts by themselves may not lead to great weight loss in people who have difficulty in controlling the amount of food they eat or people who consume more amounts of calories late in the day. Nevertheless, these tea extracts are said to help in diets of moderate caloric restriction and also help in maintaining weight loss. I am not sure if these are available as antioxidant energy drinks.

Antioxidants work best when taken in conjunction with a well-balanced vitamin and mineral formula and with the proper diet. 

Note: Read more about antioxidant reviews or the most powerful antioxidant to form a better opinion.

One of the areas related to weight control that has not been explored much is the nutritional biochemistry of weight loss.

Millions of people throughout the world have understood the value of vitamins and other nutritional supplements, for healthier skin, healthier eyes and for overall healthier life. Many researchers are of the opinion that Vitamin and nutritional therapy could very well be the wave of the future. 

Researchers have uncovered the roles that several supplements can play in helping with weight control – from nutrients that help in controlling the cravings for sugar to nutrients that increase the amount of fat that is burned.

It is a known fact now that dieting by restricting calories is not a permanent solution to weight loss. Although, overeating may be the cause of weight gain in many people, most overweight people do not overeat.   They could be victims of inefficient metabolism.  Such people need to handle the issue of weight loss differently, using a different approach, by addressing the problems of digestion and absorption, as well as fat storage and burning.

Anti-fat nutrients are substances that work at the biochemical level and help reduce appetite while increasing the burning of calories.  Some of these nutrients work by interfering with fat storage or by using more of fat stored in the body as a source for energy.   There are also some nutrients that convince the body to use up most of the consumed calories for feeding lean tissues and for energy, instead of using them in fat storage.

Benefits of nutrients

These nutrients have helped hundreds of people in losing weight and in increasing the ability to prevent new weight gain.  Research shows that many people who have used these anti-fat nutrients experience a definite increase in energy and control over their appetites. 

Anti-fat nutrients do something that no other diet does.  They suppress the cravings, even in people who have a “sweet tooth.”  People do not have to bother about their will-power when their biochemistry is brought into balance.  They even encourage fat-burning for energy in total contrast to dieting, which encourages loss of lean tissue.

Different nutrients perform different functions and provide various benefits.  Some nutrients carry fat to the cells, where the fat is burned for energy.  There are others that not only help a person lose weight but also help strengthen their heart and prolong their life.  Most of these nutrients tend to have a lot of side-benefits.

By choosing to include these nutrients in the diet, people can gain some control over their individual metabolisms and have some say in whether their bodies gain weight or lose weight.

Metabolism is the chemical reactions that take place in the body to convert the food that is consumed into fuel/energy required for everything a body needs to live healthily. Simply put, it is the rate at which the body burns calories.

As people grow older, their metabolism slows down but they can still remain active by keeping their metabolism active.  Metabolism can also slow down due to lack of activity, which means the body is not burning enough fuel. In cases of overweight people, eating the right foods and exercising is a great way of boosting their metabolism.

For people looking to boost their metabolism using herbal metabolism boosters and who would rather not take pills that may increase the blood pressure, there is a way.  Research shows that eating spicy food not only adds taste to the meals but also provides the much needed boost to the metabolism. This is a rather safe metabolism boosters when you compare it with some kind of pill or medication.

Consumption of spices can increase the total calories burned as well as help in metabolizing fat for energy.  Fat, of course, is the soft stuff that keeps adding to our midriffs and makes us look ugly.  For people who like eating fatty food, there are only two options, either burn it or wear it.  Wearing it can not only look bad, but can lead to several health problems.

Studies have shown that dietary pepper, that is sold in small bottles, can significantly boost diet-induced thermogenesis and increase the oxidation of fat for energy.

Similar effects can also be achieved with the use of mustard.  Even ginger is said to be good at improving metabolism. All these spices have proven to be beneficial in improving digestion.  For people who wish to try eating spicy stuff, they can take a little red pepper sauce and a little spicy mustard during each meal.

A word of caution here for those that are not used to spicy food – The hot Chinese mustard is too strong and better left alone initially.  If the meal does not include ginger, follow the meal with a cup of ginger tea. 

Here is a recipe for home-made ginger tea for one cup:

1-inch ginger (deskinned)

1¼ cups water                                                                                                                                                    

Sugar as per taste. 

Add ginger to water and bring to boil.  Let it boil for 2 or 3 minutes and then strain the decoction into a cup.  Add sugar.  You may add a little cream if you wish.  Basically, a 1-inch ginger piece can be added to any tea you drink and it will be very effective.

Ginger tea is not only delicious but also good for digestion and stomach aches too. So there we have it your safe and cheap homemade tea metabolic booster. Enjoy!

However, if eating late in the evening, do not add this much spice; raising your metabolism very late in the day will interfere with sleep.  Be prepared to shed a few tears but just do not overdo it.

Research shows that about 97 million adults in the United States are overweight or obese.  Obesity, as we all know, is a condition that considerably raises the morbidity from several diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, dyslipidemia (presence of elevated levels of total lipids in the circulating blood,) osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, as well as breast, prostate, endometrial and colon cancers.  Many obese individuals also suffer from lack of confidence due to social issues. 

Unfortunately, for most of the individuals who go on a diet, losing weight is usually a yearly repetitive process, where they apparently knockout pounds, which is inevitably followed by a reversal several months later. 

The result of a successful weight-reduction program should be more than merely losing weight.  Many diet are initially effective for achieving rapid weight loss, but the weight is quickly regained once the diet is over, because the weight lost is primarily water and lean muscle tissue. 

The result of a typical diet is that the percentage of the fatty tissues in the body is increased and the percentage of the calorie-burning lean tissues is decreased!  The energy balances in the body are upset and any future diets become more difficult, as the body does not respond.   This pattern of weight loss and weight gain is known as the “yo-yo” pattern, where the individual experiences weight gain that is usually more extreme than the previous one.

A successful diet is one that takes off the unwanted pounds; helps feel good and look good. The best thing is, it is permanent. This is because it includes making changes in the body composition and metabolism that automatically increase the body’s ability to burn calories.  The changes do not depend upon the reduction in calories consumed; rather, they are based on minor modifications in the foods that are eaten as well as a possible addition of a small number of supplements to the diet. 

The result of these changes is decrease in fatty tissue and increase in lean muscle tissue.  This means the percentage of lean muscle tissue in the body is more than the adipose or fat tissue, which is what the body needs.

A successful weight-reduction program not only brings about a change in the body but also brings about changes psychologically, because while the lean tissue burns calories, it gives women the beautiful shape they crave and gives men a good muscle tone. That’s real help with weight loss problems which is more permanent.

Remember! In any weight loss program, the end result should be the individual feeling comfortable and happy in front of the mirror and not on the bathroom scale.

A natural way to reduce the body’s absorption of fat and sugar is to increase the consumption of fiber, especially from the vegetables. 

Carbohydrates come in three forms.  The non-digestible types are called fibers.  Digestible carbohydrates are either complex or simple.  Complex carbohydrates are primarily made up of starches and simple carbohydrates are mostly sugars. 

Most people now realize that excessive consumption of sugars is bad for health; nevertheless, the increased consumption of sugars is very hard to avoid in the processed diets that people are so used to today. 

Complex carbohydrates, such as starches are found mostly in grains (pastas, breads, cereals, rice) and also in potatoes, corn and a number of other foods.  These starches in the highly refined foods we eat, also convert to glucose very quickly. 

It is understood that the addition of fiber to the diet offers many health benefits for example weight loss.  Mixtures of different fibers can work together to maximize health.  They regularize bowel functions, including the control of both diarrhea and constipation, and soothe irritated mucous membranes in the gastrointestinal tract, and to absorb various toxins and bacteria, which are then eliminated with the help of the bulking action of the fibers. 

There has been a lot of emphasis on the role of high fiber diets in weight loss. Fiber adds bulk to the meal and gives the feeling of fullness, without actually consuming too much.  Appetite is reduced directly by the bulk of the fiber and indirectly through the delayed emptying of the stomach and the release of brain and gastrointestinal tract hormones that signal fullness.

This bulking action of soluble fibers slows down the release of carbohydrates into the blood from the intestines.  This control over rise in blood sugar levels after consumption of complex carbohydrates, especially vegetables and legumes, moderates the release of insulin into the blood and avoids health dangers.

Fiber is good for weight loss

How important is dietary fiber in controlling weight?  One study showed that lean individuals eat about 50 percent more fiber than those who are moderately or severely obese.

Fiber plays another important role, that of lowering the total cholesterol and reducing the incidence of colorectal cancer.  A study revealed that people who consume more fiber have 47 percent less colorectal cancer and 66 percent less pancreatic cancer than those who eat the least fiber. 

Fiber is available in all whole foods, such as oats, barley, oat bran, and various legumes.  There are fiber pills for weight loss also which I do not recommend.

One thing to be remembered is that, although, most people can benefit from adding fiber to their diets, too much of a good thing can create problems.  This is especially true of insoluble fibers such as wheat bran.  Fiber can also be hard on the intestines if taken in excess.  Some symptoms of too much fiber consumption include bloating, diarrhea and nausea.