If you are struggling to lose weight or trying to avoid gaining any then diet supplements can be a massive help. There are plenty on the market to choose between, though they often work in quite different ways. For example, diet supplements like country mallow and ephedra dull your appetite so you naturally eat less, while diet supplement pills containing things like green tea extract, caffeine, chromium or bitter orange work by boosting your metabolism so fat is burned up faster than usual. The third option is diet supplements featuring ingredients like guar gum and chitosan which work by having your body absorb less fat than usual from the food you eat.
This may make diet supplements sound like a worthwhile investment, and it’s definitely true that they can be a great aid to weight loss, just so long as they are taken safely. Always keep this in mind as you are messing with your body’s natural functions, so without care the consequences could be as reckless as if you allowed a complete novice to repair key features such as the brakes of your car!
With this in mind here are five useful pieces of advice that I would have liked to have been told before taking diet supplements. You can find out and read more about a range of diet supplement reviews through this resource.
#1 – You should talk to your doctor before taking diet supplements
This is important, whatever kind of supplement you are looking at taking because you need to be sure that they will not react badly with, or interfere with the effectiveness of, any current medication (both prescription and over the counter) that you take, or any existing health condition you have.
If you already have a long term medical issue like diabetes or heart problems then this is even more crucial. It doesn’t mean that you cannot take any diet supplements, but rather that you can at least steer yourself towards the kind that won’t cause you any further health problems.
#2 – You still need to eat healthily
It’s easy to fall into the trap of assuming that taking diet supplements is enough to make your excess weight simply melt away — which simply isn’t realistic. If that does happen it would actually be scary! While diet supplements may have a positive effect and boost your weight loss goals each week they shouldn’t be used to replace regular food. So, whatever kind of supplement you take, eating a balanced diet with the right amounts of protein, starch, fiber, and natural vitamins is a priority.
#3 — Taking diet supplements can lead to several problems
Firstly, if you need to have surgery there could be some serious clashes between supplements and the medicines which are vital to help you get well, such as problems with your blood clotting, or changes to your blood pressure and heart rate. If you have an operation planned let the doctor involved know and stop taking the supplements a few weeks beforehand, but in an emergency make sure the medical staff have a comprehensive list of any diet supplements you have been taking so they can work with it.
Some diet supplements also expose you to the risk of side effects. For instance, taking a supplement which acts as a stimulant, [caffeine based pills are a good example] can raise blood pressure, while fat blocking diet supplements can also stop some of the nutrients you need for good health from being absorbed too. Beware of diet supplements which really only work by making you need to urinate more often as these can quickly lead to dehydration if you are not careful.
#4 — Diet pills are not regulated by any official body
There are some rules though, such as the supplement needing to be ‘safe’ and any information added to the label must be accurate, and there’s no evidence to prove people regularly attempt to flout these rules. However, as the FDA does not need to officially check and approve diet supplements they only get involved if there is some kind of problem at the products source.
#5 —Don’t take all your supplements at the same time
It may seem convenient to take them all together, say with a glass of water first thing in the morning, but this approach could easily cost you some of the benefits of the diet supplements. One may need to be swallowed with meals, with another to be taken only at night, so take the time to read the information given out with your supplements to check for relevant information on how best to take them.
What you will probably find is that it comes down to two things, the ingredients in the diet supplement, and your lifestyle; and to be fair you should try really hard to work around what is best for the supplements if you want to experience the best and least troublesome results. It’s common for supplements which contain fat-soluble vitamins like A-D-E and K to irritate or upset your stomach if you don’t eat before taking them, and many other vitamins and some minerals do the same. Therefore these are best taken with a healthy breakfast, or with a substantial snack — make sure the food has a decent ‘good fat’ content for the best results.
The last words
Diet supplements are a part of many people’s lifestyle these days, and if used sensibly, properly, and carefully they can be a major boost to both your physical and emotional health; however, they are not a substitute for food, or a crutch to be relied on instead of eating a healthy, balanced diet most days. I hope by sharing these five important pieces of advice I wish I had known before taking diet supplements, Seek medical advice first, eat well, educate yourself on potential contradictions or side effects, remember that these supplements are not FDA checked, and know when best to take them will help others learn by my experiences.
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