Waist management

Think new lifestyle, not diet, and you could soon be re-discovering not just your waistline, but a whole new confident you.  Here’s how herbs can help support your middle management.

There’s no getting away from it - what you eat and how much you exercise are key when it comes to reducing your middle jiggle.  And sadly, there’s no quick fix. You can go on as many diets as you like but the chances are that as soon as you stop dieting the pounds will just pile back on.

To lose weight and keep it off for good you need to follow a balanced, healthy eating programme for life combined with regular daily exercise. Choose something you enjoy, like gardening or cycling – and do it regularly to achieve a level of fitness that might not thrill a marine commando but which means when you exert yourself you feel slightly puffed, but most definitely not gasping for breath.

Fortunately, there are a number of herbs that can help weight loss, typically by helping to boost your metabolism, or by helping you to feel full, making you less likely to reach for the biscuits or chocolate bar.

Garlic and artichoke are two of nature’s answers to high levels of unwanted blood fats, especially ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol.  In fact, a study once indicated that a garlic supplement taken immediately after a fat-heavy meal helped to break down and ultimately reduce the amount of fat that the body would have kept in the circulating blood. 

A light sprinkling of cayenne on your food can help boost your metabolism as well.  It contains capsaicin, a natural ingredient that can help the production of saliva in the mouth, as well as stimulating digestive processes.

Super-herb St John’s wort may also have a role to play in helping weight loss, although the way in which this works is not yet clear.  Certainly it has been proven to improve self-esteem and banish feelings of low mood – both of which can suffer if you’re not happy with the way you look.

Guarana too may promote weight loss by suppressing your appetite, but take care not to over do it. One of this herb's main ingredients is caffeine – a stimulant of the nervous system.  In the same way as drinking too much coffee can make you twitchy so too much guarana can cause irritability.   

Nettle and dandelion are diuretics that encourage the body to remove excess fluid.  They are so-called ‘thermogenic’ herbs in that they appear to speed up the body’s metabolism.  Uva-ursi and buchu help rid your body of excess fluid too, but weight loss associated with their use will be only very temporary.

Extracts from the seaweed kelp are known to boost thyroid activity.  It could be well worth a try if your weight gain may be down to an under-performing thyroid gland.

Psyllium may stop you over-eating.  It’s a natural source of fibre that could help weight loss, especially when it’s taken before a meal, when it will help you to feel full.

Try these

• Eat only as much as you need to feel Just because your mother encouraged you to clear your plate, needn’t mean you have to eat everything that’s put in front of you. 
• Drink fizzy water As well as helping to fill you up, the bubbles will aid digestion, and the water will help to flush through any toxins that may have accumulated.
• Speed up!  Set yourself time limits in which to do ordinary tasks, like vacuuming the carpet, or weeding the garden.  Not only will you get more done, you’ll be surprised how energised you feel afterwards.
• Get your oats A natural way to satisfy your hunger for longer, oats help to regulate blood sugar levels as well as lowering LDL cholesterol and other fats.