By Dr. D.N. Jackson

Ok, so you didn’t follow our article explaining how to stay fit over the holidays; as such, you have eaten one too many fruit cakes, drank way too much eggnog (with rum), and skipped the gym for a month. Amidst all of the festivities, overindulgences, and lack of training you have probably packed on a few pounds of fat. Well, have no fear as this series of articles will have you back in shape and feeling great in no time. There is no doubt that you have made the New Years resolution to get fit. GREAT, because admission of the problem is the first step in taking control.

One of the major contributors to fat gain during and after the holiday season is over consumption of saturated fats and high-glycemic carbohydrates. We all know this is a recipe for disaster (but it is so fun!). Consistent overindulgence during the holidays can lead to a cascade of signaling processes in the brain that make it near impossible to feel satisfied when you resume your regular or newly formulated structured diet.

Why is it so hard to resume a healthy diet?
A recent article in PNAS discusses the signaling processes that regulate food intake and satiation (Wang et al., 2006). The authors describe it as a complex balance between excitatory and inhibitory processes. The need for nutrition (i.e., calories, water, etc.) provides the excitatory signals. Satiety signals (i.e., electrical and chemical) after eating make you feel full (Woods, 2005). In a basic sense, pressure and/or stretch in the stomach and digestive tract increases nerve activity to the brain and releases signaling molecules from the gut that reach the brain through the blood. This shifts the blood chemistry to have higher levels of cholecystokinin, serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and opiates, all of which further the feeling of satiation (among other things) (Wang et al., 2006). However, like most signals to the brain, we have the capacity to habituate (i.e., desensitize) to them which perpetuates and exacerbates overeating even in acute situations like over the holidays. This desensitization of inhibitory signals is said to be one of the contributors to obesity (Wang et al., 2006).

The following article will give an outline of science backed supplements you should stock up on to get you on the fast track to health and recovery. In this article we are going to focus on supplements that get the brain back to feeling satisfied with a normal or hypocaloric diet. We will describe the best supplements for getting your blood chemistry back to superb and for turning your body into a super-tuned fat burning machine.

1)[1] Konjac Glucomannan: Appetite, Blood Sugar, and Cholesterol Control
This is the ultimate post-holiday supplement. Basically, it is a soluble fiber that can take on more than 200x its weight in water. That being said, it is great for creating a feeling of “fullness” and thus suppressing the appetite. Furthermore, its water absorptive characteristics provide bulk that cleanses the digestive tract and the colon. Research has shown that [2] glucomannan supplementation decreases serum cholesterol, triglyceride and serum lipid peroxides, while increasing the high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol/triglyceride values (Wang et al., 2002). In a randomized double-blind placebo controlled study, konjac glucomannan greatly improved blood lipid levels and, remarkably, alleviated elevated blood glucose levels in diabetic humans (Chen et al., 2003). Finally, in another placebo controlled trial it was confirmed that a low calorie diet yielded greater weight-loss and was better tolerated in individuals who were taking glucomannan (Cairella & Marchini, 1995). It should be noted here that commercially available glucomannan extracts vary widely in their soluble fiber content. Whereas some products contain less than 40% functional glucomannan extract, other superior products contain 90% or more. This is a crucial distinction because the stability of glucomannan viscosity in the intestine is the most important factor in establishing satiety, reducing appetite, and facilitating resultant physique transformation. You can identify a high-quality glucomannan supplement by checking its label for information on the percentage of extract contained in its formulation.2) [3] Green Tea Extract: Metabolic Enhancer and Antioxidant
By now everyone should know the benefits of green tea extract. After all, Asians have used green tea as a “slimming tea” for centuries and it is one of the most popular beverages consumed in Asian countries. Most people attribute the thermogenic benefits of green tea to its caffeine content, but this is not entirely correct. Biochemically, green tea’s dramatic effects are due to the interaction between its high content in catechin-polyphenols and caffeine and their impact on sympathetically released norepinephrine (NE) (Dulloo et al., 2000). The synergistic action of these compounds inhibits the break-down of NE. NE is a key player in fat mobilization, lipolysis, and appetite suppression. In support of this biochemistry, it has been recently documented that the combination of regular moderate treadmill exercise and [4] green tea extract supplementation stimulates increased whole body fat utilization; an effect that is robustly maintained long after the completion of exercise. Green tea extract increases lipolysis in the liver and in skeletal muscle (Shimotoyodome et al., 2005). More recent and supporting evidence illustrated that long-term intake of “catechin-rich” green tea extract combined with habitual aerobic exercise increases exercise endurance due to the positive impact of green tea extract on fat metabolism (Murase et al., 2006). In addition to its metabolic enhancing qualities, green tea extract is a potent antioxidant. Epigallocatechin gallate is a much better antioxidant than vitamin C and is more effective than vitamin E in cell protection and repair. After the holidays you just had, you will need all of the protection and repair you can get.

Here, too, you should be aware that [5] green tea formulations run the gamut from clearly superior products rich in nutrient content to others that are utter junk. Generally speaking, you should look for a product high in overall polyphenol content and high in active EGCG content. Inferior products will usually list green tea on their labels without specifying EGCG content. Even more alarmingly, some green tea formulations may list high amounts of EGCGs on their labels, but actually test out at much lower percentages than claimed. When purchasing green tea products, try to stick with a reputable manufacturer you can trust.

[6] While we’re on this subject, it seems that the folks at [7] BioQuest have done their homework and formulated a synergistic blend of highest-quality glucomannan and EGCG-rich green tea to create a perfect weight-loss support supplement. [8] Tetrazene ES-50 contains up to 93% functional konjac glucomannan extract from the world’s premier supplier of the compound. At the same time, the pharmaceutical-grade green tea extract in Tetrazene ES-50 is particularly rich in highly active EGCG content. In addition, BioQuest has added pharmaceutical grade caffeine and vinpocetine to potentiate the fat burning process and maintain vascular health. The synergy of these ingredients is supported by vitamin B6, biotin, glutamine, and olive leaf extract; thus, creating a diet aid that is second to none.

One final note for those of you who really want to turbo-charge your diet. Remember at the onset of this article we discussed signaling molecules for the brain that give us the feeling of satiation. Well if you really want to take advantage of those pathways stack [9] Tetrazene ES-50 with [10] Prosource Performance DopaTech-HGH. The impact of the Macuna pruriens in DopaTech-HGH on serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine levels will make reaching your goals that much easier. Good luck!

Click here to view [11] Article 2: Maximize Anabolism of the New Years Resolution Series

Click here to view [12] Article 3: Maximizing Hypertrophy and Strengthof the New Years Resolution Series

Dulloo AG, Seydoux J, Girardier L, Chantre P, & Vandermander J (2000). Green tea and thermogenesis: interactions between catechin-polyphenols, caffeine and sympathetic activity. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 24, 252-258.

Murase T, Haramizu S, Shimotoyodome A, Tokimitsu I, & Hase T (2006). Green tea extract improves running endurance in mice by stimulating lipid utilization during exercise. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 290, R1550-R1556.

Shimotoyodome A, Haramizu S, Inaba M, Murase T, & Tokimitsu I (2005). Exercise and green tea extract stimulate fat oxidation and prevent obesity in mice. Med Sci Sports Exerc 37, 1884-1892.

Wang GJ, Yang J, Volkow ND, Telang F, Ma Y, Zhu W, Wong CT, Tomasi D, Thanos PK, & Fowler JS (2006). Gastric stimulation in obese subjects activates the hippocampus and other regions involved in brain reward circuitry. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103, 15641-15645.

Wang Z, Yang L, Liu H, & Tan X (2002). [Effects of refined konjac meal on lipid metabolism and blood viscosity of rats fed by high fat forage]. Wei Sheng Yan Jiu 31, 120-121. Woods SC (2005). Signals that influence food intake and body weight. Physiol Behav 86, 709-716.

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