FDA and Weight Loss Protection?

For a long time we have been telling you how the cozy relationship between the FDA and the drug companies negatively impacts on your health and how hard the FDA comes down on nutritional companies.

Here are two recent announcements by the FDA on weight-loss products —- one a drug and the other a nutritional supplement:

ANNOUNCEMENT ONE:

Giving giant drug companies a free pass. 

Last month, FDA officials announced a safety information review for orlistat, a weight-loss aid.

You probably know this drug by the brand name Alli, made by GlaxoSmithKline. It’s also sold at higher dosage as a prescription drug called Xenical, made by Roche.

At issue are 32 reports of “serious liver injury,” which include six cases of liver failure and 27 cases of hospitalization.

The FDA press release states: “FDA is not advising healthcare professionals to change their prescribing practices with orlistat.”

The agency also advises consumers to continue taking Alli and Xenical as directed.

ANNOUNCEMENT TWO:

A very different and very tough stance by the FDA if you are not a drug company but a supplement maker offering a similar end use product.

This past May, the FDA issued a consumer warning about several (but not all) Hydroxycut weight-loss products. All of these are non-drug items, available over-the-counter.

At issue are 23 reports of liver problems, ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes (indicators of potential liver injury) to one death due to liver failure.

The FDA warning stated: “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to immediately stop using Hydroxycut products”.

There it is, your FDA always looking out for your interest.

Heaven save us from their protection.

To your good heath & longevity.

Ira Marxe
“The Good Health & Wellness Guy”

Copyrighted © 2009 – All Rights Reserved

Dieting With a Full Plate?

In my last newsletter I promised to tell you how to lose weight without going on crash or fad diets, or cutting down on food consumption while everyone around you is enjoying a full plate.

I confess that dieting with a full plate was not my idea.

The idea came from the non-profit Lifestyle Center of America.

They are publishing a book written by three doctors.

The book tells you how you can eat with a full plate of food and lose pounds at the same time.

The book will be available for sale to the public about December of this year.

When it becomes available, I will let you know where you can buy a copy.

The book will help you to change your eating habits enjoyably, and help you to extend your life by slimming down and doing it in a healthy way.

In the meantime I will give you a preview for you to get a head start with and be in better shape for when the book becomes available.

Okay — so what’s the secret to dumping pounds?

The secret is food fiber!

• Fiber bulks you up.
• Fiber promotes elimination.
• Fiber is non-caloric and takes the place of fat building calories you would be eating instead.
• Fiber foods are high in nutrition.
• Fiber foods are tasty and delicious.

To help you burn all those extra calories you do not need, which may cause you problems, your intake of fiber should not be less than 30 grams per day.

To help you reach that goal, I am giving you the following  list of fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains that will be recommended in the book.

The book will also show you ways to add fiber to the foods you already eat, and give you a list of recipes that will help you increase your fiber intake plus desserts that do the same.

It is a wonderful and healthy concept that works.

I am listing the top 5 in each category. They were chosen not only for their fiber content but for their overall nutritional benefits.

Here is the list:

Fruit:
Raspberries  8.0 g fiber/1cup – Pears  5.5 g fiber /1 medium – Apples 4.4 g fiber/1 medium – Oranges 3.1 g fiber/1 medium – Bananas 3.1 g fiber/1 medium.

Vegetables:
Avocado 6.7 g fiber/1/2 medium – Broccoli 5.1g fiber/1 cup – Spinach 4.3 g fiber/1 cup – Sweet Potatoes 3.8 g fiber/1 medium – Carrots 2.3g fiber/1/2 cup

Beans:
Please note.  If you soak your beans overnight, you will not have a gas problem.
Navy Beans 9.6 g fiber/1/2 cup – Lentils 7.8 g fiber/1/2 cup – Pinto Beans 7.7g fiber/1/2 cup – Black Beans 7.5 g fiber/1/2 cup – Kidney Beans 5.7 g fiber/1/2 cup

Nuts & Seeds:
Flax Seeds 5.6 g fiber/1 oz. – Almonds 3.5 g fiber/1 oz. – Sunflower Seeds 3.0 g fiber/1/4 cup – Peanuts 2.3 g fiber/1 oz. – Walnuts 1.9 g fiber/1 oz.

Grains:
Wheat 8.2 g fiber/1 cup – Pearled Barley 6.0 g fiber/1 cup – Quinoa 5.2 g fiber/1 cup
Oats 4.0 g fiber/1 cup – Brown Rice 3.5 g fiber/1 cup

Print this newsletter and keep the list handy so that you can count the number of grams of fiber you are eating every day in addition to what you normally eat.

Strive for at least 30 grams of fiber per day.

Good health is all about what you eat and drink.

And don’t forget about exercise. Exercise makes your lymph system work more efficiently, which in turn will boost your immune system.

You will also do your body a great service if you buy organic.

I know that sometimes that is not possible but try to buy as much organic as you can.

And as a side note…my wife and I saw the movie “Food, Inc.” last night.

If you can find it at a theater near you, don’t miss it.

It is an incredible eye-opener about the few large corporations that control our food supply and the quality of food they ship to our food markets and restaurants.

It is a must see for everyone.  If it doesn’t make you angry, I don’t know what will.

You will learn why this country is the sickest developed country in the world and how to protect yourself from becoming another victim.

It is all about food, and you do have choices.

To your good heath & longevity.

Ira Marxe
“The Good Health & Wellness Guy”

Copyrighted © 2009 – All Rights Reserved