Herbs that shrink your (menopausal) waistline

When my kids gave me muffin-top muffin making cups for Christmas the message came through loud and clear! Not that it was not a loving gesture, they had just noticed the subtle body changes that accompanied my menopause. I chose to live with the increased body fat for a while, then I got tired of the discomfort of my clothes (especially jeans) not fitting properly. It was time to see if there was a natural solution to my hormonally-driven metabolic shift

As a dedicated herbal practitioner I wanted to find plant-based medicines that would improve my body composition, then Pharmanex released their epigenetic, herbal-based weight correction program, AgeLOC TR90. Within two weeks of the 30-day program I had lost only two kilos in weight, but they were only fat kilos - my muscle mass had increased and I was six centimetres smaller all round! After 30 days I was out of the overweight category and had lowered my risk of many illness of old age, such as hypertension, arthritis and dementia. I can now cycle without feeling belly fat touching my thighs so it was a success!

Without making this sound like an advertisement for TR90, I wanted to share with you its remarkable key ingredients of one of the products "Jump Start" powder that  worked the magic. You take it for the first two weeks only of the program to kick start your metabolism, by increasing fat burning, reducing fat storage, increasing muscle mass and managing my enthusiastic appetite:

Opuntia ficus indica (Prickly Pear)

Prickly pear cactus, also known as nopal, is a popular food in many areas of the world, particularly Latin America, known for its high fibre, antioxidant and carotenoid content. It is recognised as a herbal medicine used to treat diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and even hangovers! It is also reported as having antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. There is good evidence showing that prickly pear cactus can decrease blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Central obesity is related to insulin resistance, so this is the ideal herbal medicine for women like me.

Citrus sinensis (Blood Orange)

The red pigmentation of the blood orange contains anthocyanins, which have anti-inflammatory properties that affect the collagen,  so they help to defend blood vessels from oxidative damage. Blood orange is also good for preventing cancer, diabetes and bacterial infections, as well as reducing the risk of heart disease, helping prevent LDL cholesterol accumulation. It is a very delicious fruit to juice or add to salads, where available, however it is the pericarp (white) part of the fruit which is therapeutic for weight loss.

Cocus sativus L. (Saffron) 

Saffron has widespread traditional uses, being a traditional food of Iran. It has been shown effective in improving mood and motivation, treating mild to moderate depression and outperforming  conventional drugs like imipramine. This rare Persian spice is a good source of minerals like copper, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, selenium, zinc and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese and copper are used by the human body as co-factors for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase, essential for phase II liver detoxification. Iron is essential for red blood cell production and as a co-factor for cytochrome oxidase enzymes.(1)

Punica granatum (Pomegranate) 

If you read my post "Pomegranate Panacea" https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/pomegranate-panacea-giselle-cooke?trk=mp-author-card) you will will have an idea of the extensive health benefits of this delicious Mediterranean fruit. I drank its fresh-pressed juice daily while travelling in Israel last winter, while enjoying the amazing local foods, and felt so alive and energetic the whole time I was there. It is the pomegranate flower extract, however, that has been shown to have effects of lowering insulin resistance and glucose levels. In the laboratory the peel of the pomegranate demonstrates significant hypoglycaemic activity in rats, by increasing the numbers of pancreatic beta cells in these animals. With my family history of diabetes and my insulin-resistant genes this medicinal food is gold for me!

For more information about the AgeLOC TR90 program go to 

https://www.nuskin.com/content/dam/office/pacific/en/shared/pdf/NuSkin_PIPS/TR90_PIP_AU_NZ_Oct2014online.pdf

or contact me via my website www.gisellecooke.com

It is the only weight correction program of which I am aware carries a money-back guarantee!

REFERENCES

(1) https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/saffron.html