Suzanne Somers’s New Mission to Lift the Veil of Scientific Ignorance

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Suzanne Somers’s New Mission to Lift the Veil of Scientific Ignorance

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There is something in the human psyche that prompts people to emulate what

celebrities do - whether it’s good or bad.

In the case of Suzanne Somers, she has turned her life around by removing

toxic compounds from her environment, eating organic foods, meticulously

keeping her hormones in natural balance, having her blood regularly tested,

and taking the appropriate supplements.

Suzanne is by no means the only prominent personality doing this. After

all, Hollywood has long emphasized youthful appearances - and those involved

in show business are perhaps the earliest examples of humans taking

aggressive steps to thwart degenerative changes both inward and outward.

What differentiates Suzanne from our many other celebrity members is that

she shouts from the rooftops the many virtues she has attained by following

a meticulous science-based youth restoration program.

In her latest book titled Sexy Forever, Suzanne reveals to the public much

of the data that Life Extension members view as commonsense approaches to

protect against age-related illness.

What impresses us is the ability of Suzanne Somers to appear in the

national media and enlighten the world as to how humans can successfully

intervene into pathological aging processes. By lifting the veil of scientific

ignorance, Suzanne can singlehandedly educate the public about proven methods

to avoid diseases that needlessly cripple and kill millions of Americans

each year.

The following is an excerpt from the chapter titled Supplement to Speed

Weight Loss in Sexy Forever.

Supplement to Speed Weight Loss

Experts Weigh In: A Brief Interview with Cristiana

Cristiana , MS, is an independent nutrition consultant in the Los

Angeles area and my personal nutritionist. She is an avid reviewer of nutrition

research and educates doctors and patients on nutritional therapies and

assessments for optimal health. She is also a contributor to the fourth

edition of The Textbook of Natural Medicine. Nutrition is the fuel our bodies

need to operate. With inferior nutrition our health suffers and we are set up

for disease. I asked her how we can stay healthy (and consequently thin)

in our toxic environment.

Christiana : For our bodies to function optimally and efficiently we

need to consume a diet balanced with the right amounts of protein, good fat,

unrefined carbohydrates, and lots and lots of various forms of fiber

(soluble and insoluble). All these aspects are important to maximize fat

burning

and support body renewal and function. Most of us need to supplement

because we do not get enough nutrients due to poor diet and the deficiency of

our soils. The most important supplements are vitamins, minerals, and

essential fatty acids, but a few others also play important roles. Relative to

weight control, here are some good examples of supplements that may be useful

because they are very involved in fat and carbohydrate burning:

Carnitine

This supplement helps fat transport in the mitochondria, where it has a

chance to be burned. Carnitine is mostly found in red meat, which many people

avoid, and it is also synthesized in the body, but sometimes not enough to

support optimal fat burning. A urine test can tell us if we need to

supplement. Typical doses are 500 to 1,000 mg/day. It may be especially helpful

when taken an hour or two prior to exercise

Lipoic Acid

This plays a role in blood glucose control. If you have elevated or highly

fluctuating glucose levels (such as in hypoglycemia) you may consider

supplementing with 100 to 1,200 mg (based on a doctor’s or nutritionist’s

evaluation). The bottom line is that lipoic acid will help you burn glucose

more efficiently, and in that sense it helps with weight control.

CoQ10

There is a blood test for coenzyme Q10 that tells us if we need to

supplement. If you take a statin or red yeast rice, the body’s production of

CoQ10

is impaired, so you need to supplement even more. CoQ10 is a key factor in

energy production and helps us burn fats and carbs more efficiently. In

fact, it was shown to help normalize elevated blood glucose in some cases. It

also supports heart health and protects the brain. Typical doses are 30 to

100 mg.

Most people are not aware that correcting nutritional deficiencies with a

good multivitamin/multimineral and omega-3 supplement will make them much

more efficient at burning fat, sugar, and carbohydrates and will also reduce

cravings. Blood and urine testing can help a physician analyze each person’

s needs for supplementation. At the very minimum you want to take a basic

multivitamin/multimineral in a formula that has good absorbable ingredients

and no unwanted contaminants. You also want the nutrients to be in a form

that they occur in nature if they are available—for example, natural folate

(not folic acid), natural mixed tocopherols for vitamin E (not just

alpha-tocopherol), natural mixed carotenoids (not just beta-carotene), natural

vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin or adenosylcobalamin, not cyanocobalamin or

hydroxycobalamin), and chelated minerals.

Most people need to supplement with omega-3 fats because their diets

provide an excess of omega-6 fats (from cooking oils and animal fats), and

it’s

important to choose fish oil, flaxseed oil, or algae (for vegetarians) that

are clean of environmental contaminants (mercury, PCBs) and oxidized fats.

ly, it is a good idea to ask for a certificate of analysis from the

manufacturer for everything you take.

Extracts from green tea were shown in studies to help boost weight loss.

It probably does this through a few complementary actions: it boosts the

metabolic rate (an increase of 4 percent per twenty-four hours when taking an

extract of 370 mg EGCG per day) and it keeps adrenaline elevated longer

than normal (which helps fat release from body stores and may reduce hunger).

More sustained adrenaline levels may help a person feel more energetic, and

he or she may be more likely to exercise or do something physical. For a

person with excess adrenaline production (or who has a difficult time

breaking it down, such as those with COMT mutations) green tea may increase

adrenaline levels to an unhealthy range. On the other hand, for people who are

tired all the time because their adrenal glands do not produce adequate

amounts of adrenaline, green tea may be helpful. You can drink it or take

extracts that contain the equivalent of 2 to 3 cups of green tea in a pill (for

example 500 mg EGCG).

Also, keep in mind that the body needs tyrosine (an amino acid found in

proteins) to make adrenaline. Supplementing with tyrosine (1 to 2 g/day) may

boost production of adrenaline and work synergistically with green tea. Too

much adrenaline at night is not good, so it’s important to make sure that

supplements are not affecting your sleep quality. Poor sleep leads to

weight gain and health problems, and this effect can be increased by the

addition of coffee.

Fiber is important, so try to get 35 to 50 g of fiber daily from both

soluble and insoluble forms (read the label, it will tell you). Variety is

important with fiber, and avoiding the artificial colors and sweeteners added

to most commercial brands is also important. Fiber will keep you full longer

and help you eat less. It slows down the absorption of sugar, thus

reducing insulin production in response to meals. Keep in mind that insulin

influences the fat cells to reduce the release of their fat content and also

slows down certain fat-burning enzymes. This is not because insulin is an evil

hormone but because it is supposed to signal that the body has plenty of

glucose, telling it: “Burn the glucose first and save the fat from body

storages for later.†So you see, if you eat excess carbohydrates and sugar

all

day long, you impair your ability to tap into your fat stores.

Fiber also reduces fat and cholesterol and sugar absorption, and it may

lower blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Fiber helps detoxify,

supports regular bowel movements, and reduces risks of many cancers. I cannot

speak enough about the fiber benefits for weight control and health.

Suzanne Somers: I have been looking for supplements from nature that can

speed up and enhance your ability to lose weight. With the help of top

bioscientists, I’ve discovered a supplement that does just that. This is a

science-based product and when I read about the incredible results, all from

natural ingredients, I knew I had to make the results available to everyone.

The Sexy Forever Weight Loss Formula includes:

1.LuraLean®

2.Phaseolus vulgaris

3.Irvingia

4.Green tea phytosome

LuraLean®

This ingredient helps control the absorption of some calories if taken

before the two heaviest meals of the day. By maintaining its viscous structure

throughout the digestive tract, LuraLean® is able to stop the absorption

of ingested fats and carbohydrates. LuraLean® is a fiber composed of

specially processed glucomannan—a water-soluble polysaccharide derived from a

tuberous plant that grows only in the remote mountains of northern Japan.

This translates into weight reduction. One clinical study showed that

without any dietary changes (participants ate and drank whatever they wanted),

those taking LuraLean® lost 5.5 pounds after eight weeks compared to a

1.5-pound weight gain in the placebo group. In a similar study, those taking

LuraLean® (twice a day before breakfast and dinner) lost 7.04 pounds compared

to a gain of almost 1 pound in the placebo arm of the study. These studies

showed substantial reductions in blood triglycerides, cholesterol, and LDL

(bad cholesterol) levels in the LuraLean® groups compared to increases in

these dangerous blood fats in the placebo arms.

Looking at the blood test results of typical healthy twenty-one-year-olds,

scientists noticed that they had very low levels of blood glucose,

cholesterol, and triglycerides. Even if people do not change their diet, by the

time they reach age fifty their blood glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol

are usually much higher. Fifty-year-olds typically weigh more than when

they were twenty-one, especially in the abdominal region of their bodies.

There are correlations between blood glucose and triglyceride levels and

unwanted weight gain.

To put it simply, the same calories a twenty-one-year-old can safely

ingest become increasingly toxic as we age. This is because aging causes us to

lose the metabolic capacity to utilize ingested calories in efficient

energy-expending ways. Not only do these calories induce body fat storage, but

they also increase vascular disease risks. That is why taking LuraLean®

before the two heaviest meals of the day is so important. It helps impede

absorption of excess sugars and fats in your diet, while helping to reduce the

amount of food you consume with each meal.

Phaseolus Vulgaris

Researchers at the UCLA School of Medicine have successfully used extracts

from the white kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) to target alpha amylase. A

study was done where thirty obese adults took either a placebo or the

Phaseolus vulgaris extract. After eight weeks, those taking the white bean

extract lost 3.8 pounds in weight, and more important, 1.5 inches of abdominal

fat. The group taking the Phaseolus vulgaris also had a three-fold

reduction in triglyceride levels compared with the placebo group, which helps

corroborate the role of weight loss and simultaneous reduction in

artery-clogging triglyceride levels.

Another more impressive study of Phaseolus vulgaris showed that those who

consumed the most carbohydrates lost the most weight. In this study,

subjects who supplemented with Phaseolus vulgaris and consumed the highest

levels

of dietary starch lost 8.7 pounds compared with only 1.7 pounds in the

control group over four weeks. Even more impressive was the 3.3 inches of

belly fat lost in the Phaseolus vulgaris group versus only 1.3 inches in the

controls. In a double-blind study on sixty overweight volunteers, half the

study participants received Phaseolus vulgaris while the other half were given

a placebo. Both groups were placed on a 2,000–2,200-calorie diet. After

only thirty days, those taking Phaseolus vulgaris lost 6.5 pounds of weight

and 1.2 inches in waist size compared with 0.8 pounds and 0.2 inches in the

placebo group.

As we age, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep belly fat off. At the

same time, we are challenged to keep blood glucose levels in optimal

ranges. The exploding rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity are a testament to

the dual problem of weight gain caused by the abs

sorption of too many calories from simple carbohydrates.

Irvingia

Irvingia is a West African plant extract (from Irvingia gabonesis) that

has been shown to help support leptin sensitivity in overweight people. Fat

cells (called adipocytes) secrete leptin, a hormone that tells your brain you

’ve eaten enough. Leptin also helps with the breakdown of stored

(triglyceride) fat in our fat cells. Overweight people have higher blood levels

of

leptin, indicating that their cells have become resistant to leptin. In a

published study, irvingia demonstrated beneficial effects on leptin blood

levels, followed by a weight loss of over 20 pounds on average in ten weeks and

an average reduction in waist circumference of about 6 inches. Study

subjects taking irvingia reported consuming fewer calories, which makes sense,

based on the enhanced leptin sensitivity brought about by this plant

extract. Irvingia also has alpha-amylase-inhibiting properties similar to

Phaseolus vulgaris. Inhibiting amylase helps slow the rate of carbohydrate

absorption, reducing the caloric impact of starchy and sugary foods.

Large meals overload the bloodstream with calories and later cause a

rebound increase in appetite when blood sugar levels plummet in response to

excess release of insulin. One way of stopping this after-meal glucose-insulin

rebound is to take nutrients that neutralize the carbohydrate-degrading

enzyme alpha-amylase before meals.

Scientific data suggests that irvingia also helps support healthy

adiponectin levels. Adiponectin is a hormone that helps maintain the insulin

sensitivity of our energy-producing cells. Large fat cells found in overweight

people produce less adiponectin. This means that these individuals need to be

concerned about maintaining enough adiponectin to support insulin

sensitivity, something that we lose during normal aging.

Most people don’t know this, but the majority of body fat consists of

triglycerides that are stored in our fat cells. A reason that weight loss and

triglyceride reduction go hand in hand is that triglycerides make up the

bulk of our fat storage. We get triglycerides directly from the fat we eat,

and also from the conversion of excess glucose in our blood to triglycerides

stored in our fat cells. In the latter instance, glucose is converted to

triglycerides by an enzyme called glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Irvingia

inhibits glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, reducing the amount of

ingested sugars that are converted to body fat

Green Tea Phytosome

We all know about the great benefits of green tea. Aging robs us of the

ability to efficiently burn fat as energy. Instead we store fat in our

adipocytes (fat cells). The components responsible for green tea’s weight

loss

benefits are polyphenol compounds that increase metabolic energy expenditure

and hence calorie burning. The problem is getting enough of green tea’s

polyphenols absorbed into the blood. But a group of Italian researchers

created a proprietary green tea phytosome that increased the polyphenols’

ability

to be absorbed into the bloodstream. In a human clinical trial using this

green tea phytosome, the weight loss effects were substantial. This study

involved one hundred overweight subjects, half of whom received the green tea

phytosome. Both groups were placed on reduced-calorie diets (approximately

1,850 calories/day for men and 1,350 calories/day for women).

After ninety days on the reduced-calorie diet, the control group lost 9.9

pounds. The group taking the green tea phytosome, on the other hand, lost a

whopping 30.1 pounds—more than triple the weight loss of the control

group! There was a 10 percent reduction in the green tea phytosome group’s

belly

size compared with a 5 percent reduction in the control group. Male

participants did even better in this category, showing a 14 percent reduction

in

waist circumference compared with a 7 percent reduction in the control

group.

What’s so interesting about this study is that it shows that people can

lose considerable weight (9.9 pounds) by eating fewer calories. Yet when this

green tea phytosome was added, the total amount of weight lost tripled (to

30.1 pounds) while twice as much belly fat disappeared. Scientists

attribute these remarkable benefits to the ability of green tea to boost resting

metabolic rates and reduce the absorption of dietary fats, which makes this

green tea phytosome an ideal nutrient to take before heavy meals.

If you are going to turn your life around by eliminating toxic foods,

adding these four supplements can boost your ability to lose weight more

quickly and safely, with no drugs or stimulants.

To order Sexy Forever, call 1-800-544-4440 or visit Item#33830

For further information on Sexy Forever’s online companion, visit

_www.SexyForeverPlan.com_ (http://www.SexyForeverPlan.com)

Excerpt from Sexy Forever by Suzanne Somers. Published by Crown, Copyright

2010 Suzanne Somers©.