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Weight Loss Products or Vitamins and SupplementsVitamins and supplements are more than just weight loss products - supporters around the world are doing battle to keep them out of the hands of drug companies (see Part 1). Nature rules. But it does beg the question ... How nutritionally deficient are you? Meals planned and prepared by professionals, food recipes, healthy meal plans and grocery shopping lists tailored specifically for you and your conditions ... what else could enhance your food input and energy output? There's a huge body of evidence to say: Vitamins and supplements alone, or in the form of healthy meal replacements. A recent survey of 8,000 adults showed that Americans could save up to $8.7 billion on treatment for heart disease, stroke, cancer and cataracts if they consumed optimal amounts of antioxidants, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Beta Carotene. Only 1% of those surveyed met the minimum dietary requirement of the USDA's food pyramid. Obviously, getting proper nutrition takes a back seat to a busy schedule, and perhaps even to other weight loss products. Healthy meal replacements as weight loss supplements Healthy meal replacements can deliver balanced nutrition, vitamins, and minerals in place of a traditional meal when time is short. Weight loss products include powder, ready-to-drink, and bar options, as well as meal replacement products specially designed for low-carb meal plans dieters and women. Natural supplements are fast becoming the choice for almost half of the US population as the method for prevention and treatment for a variety of illnesses. Personal metabolism, modern urban conditions, environmental factors such as pollution, management and materials we take for granted, and a host of other variables conspire to make 'ordinary eating' inadequate for some individuals. That's where vitamins and supplements come in. Weight Loss Products May Play a Vital pH Role As an illustration, consider the fact that in order to accomplish all the many millions of complex functions that occur over the course of the day, your body has to be able to communicate with itself… all the way down to the cellular level. It does this through pulses of electricity. Nerve signals are nothing more than electrical charges. What creates this electrical power in your body is a very fine balance that exists in your bio chemistry. And of all the systems in your body that depend on this delicate, bio chemical balance, one of the most important is your blood stream. This is where pH comes into play. pH is a scale that measures how acidic or alkaline a substance is. The scale ranges from 1 to 14 with 1 being very acid, 7 neutral and 14 very alkaline. The pH of your blood is extremely important. The ideal pH level for it is 7.35 and your body goes to enormous lengths to maintain this level. Why? Because if your blood pH were to vary 1 or 2 points in either direction, it would change the electrical chemistry in your body, there would be no electrical power and in short order you would drop dead. As you can see, no matter what weight loss products you use, maintaining the right pH level in your blood is pretty important! It's a similar story with many other functions within our bodies. Is sorting weight loss products getting easier? In November 2004, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took steps to help implement the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act which standardizes manufacturing and labeling practices of supplement products. It was a major move which should result in higher quality supplements being made available to a better-informed public — a step in the right direction for manufacturers and consumers of nutritional supplements. While many consumers used them indiscriminately or in ignorance, they should now be in a position to use them more wisely and more effectively - with greater benefit. However, legal moves in Europe suggest that newer codes may in fact be reclassifying them as drugs, thereby giving control of the vitamins and supplements industry to drug companies. Food network lobbyists say this will severely impact prices and availability of such weight loss products. In the meantime, web sites such as Progressive Health incorporate a decision tree to help you find information about health conditions and the appropriate herbal remedies. Others such as MuscleSurf include hundreds of user reviews of individual supplements, and Physicians Choice groups products in categories according to the condition you are trying to combat. All Star Health, Swanson Vitamins, Vitacost and Kalyx list many vitamins and supplements, both by name and by general use. These sites also carry a range of foods, herbs and implements allied to vitamins and supplements, allowing you to vary the way you use and consume the nutrients. Others, like Botanic Choice, carry natural ranges derived from much wider sources - products such as vegetable extracts and bee derivatives. Many also carry information about how best to use the products, and research into their efficacy. All Star Health, for instance profiles the forms in which they're available. Weight loss products - powders with that? The company says meal replacement powders (MRPs) are designed to be eaten in place of a meal, and generally contain 200-600 calories per serving. MRPs generally have a high protein content (20-55 grams), a high-to-moderate carbohydrate content, and a low fat content, along with various vitamins and minerals. Women have different caloric and nutritional needs than men, and “Light” MRPs are specifically designed for women. They are usually lower in total calories than regular MRPs. Ready to Drink (RTD) shakes are like MRPs but are already prepared and pre-portioned in individual cans or cartons. There are also many bars that can be eaten in place of a meal. Look for bars that contain a decent amount of calories (200-400) and protein (15-30 grams), with a moderate amount of carbohydrates (25-40 grams) and a low amount of fat. Be aware that many bars contain saturated fat, which manufacturers add to enhance flavor. Also be sure to select a bar with vitamins and minerals if you are replacing a meal. Low carbohydrate meal replacement products are intended for individuals who wish to limit carbohydrate intake, usually for a weight loss program. Low carb meal plan products typically have a high protein content, a low carbohydrate content (watch out for “net carbohydrates”), and a moderate-to-low fat content. One thing to keep in mind is that most experts recommend that you take supplements with food and a large glass of water. Back to Part 1: How Fast Is Your Mouth Eating You? Some other weight loss products to consider include: The New Womens Guide To Successful Weight Loss & Fitness comes with free online fitness training for all the exercises and fitness programs. It also includes the popular report "Getting Rid Of Cellulite The Easy Way". You might also get value from The New Calorie Chart & Diet Solution. Get your Beauty Fitness JOLT! here.
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