5 Weight Loss Protein Powder Secrets
THE RESULTS YOU CAN EXPECT
The 1999 study shows that you may lose about 3 pounds a month
EFFECTIVE DOSE
To make a shake, mix 20 to 25 g of protein powder and 12 ounces of water or milk. (Most experts we consulted recommend whey powder, a protein derived from milk, but if you're lactose intolerant, try soy powder.) For flavor, add some fruit, like a banana or a half-cup of berries.
Green Tea
THE RESULTS YOU CAN EXPECT
Based on a study of obese people who took green tea supplements, published earlier this year in the journal Phytomedicine, you may lose about 2 1/2 pounds a month.
EFFECTIVE DOSE
Take a standardized extract of green tea in capsule or tablet form. Choose a supplement that provides 90 mg of EGCG and 50 mg of caffeine, and take it three times daily before meals, says Shari Lieberman, Ph.D., a nutrition scientist, exercise physiologist, and author of Dare To Lose (Avery, 2002) based in Pompano, Fla., and New York City. Drinking the tea may also help you lose weight, but this has not yet been studied.
Ephedra
THE RESULTS YOU CAN EXPECT
Ephedra may help you lose about 1 1/2 pounds a month.
EFFECTIVE DOSE
Do not take ephedra without the guidance of a health care practitioner; you may have a heart problem that has not been diagnosed. Because the supplement formula used in the most recent study is not available for sale, Anthony Almada, a nutritional biochemist in Laguna Niguel, Calif., recommends a more conservative dose: Take a supplement that provides ephedrine and caffeine in a 1 to 10 ratio, with 5 to 10 mg of ephedrine alkaloids and 50 to 100 mg of caffeine once a day for three days. If this dose does not cause problems (like heart palpitations), add a second daily dose. Do not take more than 60 mg of ephedrine alkaloids a day, he advises.
Fiber
THE RESULTS YOU CAN EXPECT
Raising your fiber intake to about 25 g a day may help you lose about 1 pound a month.
EFFECTIVE DOSE
Take 4 g or more a day in supplement form. Add additional fiber-rich foods to bring your total to about 25 g. (For example, 1 cup of black beans contains 15 g and 3/4 cup of bran flakes supplies 5 g.) Fiber supplements made from psyllium husk are commonly available. They're sold as capsules or as a powder that you mix with water and drink. Fiber supplements are safe for long-term use. To prevent constipation, take them with plenty of water.
Chromium
THE RESULTS YOU CAN EXPECT
You may lose about 1 pound a month.
EFFECTIVE DOSE
Take 400 mcg a day with food, divided in two doses, for at least 12 weeks. Anderson says this dose is safe for long-term use.
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