Effective Weight Loss

Amanda shows you how to get the best results

For me effective weight loss is less about calorie counting and more about providing your body with the nutrients it needs, while cutting out the bad stuff.

Have you heard of chemical calories? If you haven't yet, chances are you will soon. It is the so-called ‘cocktail' effect of these chemicals that is thought to be one of the factors behind the changing pattern of our bodies. A hefty percentage of these chemicals are actually designed to promote weight gain and rapid growth. How do these chemicals get in my food?  It is widely known that some farmers feed their livestock growth-promoting additives to encourage animals to gain weight fast. It is very understandable, after all, it is a business. These chemicals improve the efficiency of food by changing the animal's metabolism in such a way that less food goes further; bigger livestock equals bigger profits. However these additives work their way down the food chain, to our plates. So it makes sense that they have a fattening-up effect on us! Of course I don't want to scare-monger - a minute dose of a chemical does not create any significant problem. They would never be deemed safe enough to leave the lab otherwise. However, when you consider that around 20,000 new chemicals are added into our environment each year (according to The Guardian newspaper's 'Chemical World' series) it becomes more worrying. Multiply many minute doses and voila! You have your very own chemical cocktail.  What are the effects?  These chemicals work in several ways. They may be able to damage the natural appetite 'switch', which tells us when to stop eating, and they may make us store fat more effectively - after all, that is exactly what the farmer wants from his prize bovine. It's not just meat that's potentially contaminated, veggies are affected, too. The same chemicals that promote weight gain in animals and humans are sprayed on vegetables and used in medicines, cosmetics, toiletries, metals, plastics and household products. The net result is that far from the ‘fat epidemic' being explained away solely by excessive eating and laziness, the increasing use of chemicals in food production has to be considered too.  Who does it affect?  You might be wondering why everyone isn't fat. The long and short of it is, there is no clear answer to that one. One school of thought explains that there have always been people who are more chemically sensitive. Moreover, if your detox systems are working well your body will remove most of the offending chemicals. However, if you are one of the many whose diet is low in the nutrients needed to keep your detox organs working optimally and is rich in chemicals calories, then you have a double-whammy. Chuck in a resistance to exercise (which boosts detoxification) and you have a pretty clear picture. It forces the old diet world order to do an about turn. Rather than looking at food in terms of fat or calories, think in terms of its nutrititional status and nutrient value.  It certainly boosts the fight for organic. The humble avocado, denied by dieters the world over, becomes a fat-fighting food par excellence due to its protective oils and durability over more fragile foods. Diet drinks and low-calorie processed foods become resigned to the sin-bin. Every chemical source in your life from skincare to shower cleaner gets a detox. Luckily for us, celebrity-endorsed lines of natural, organic and free-range are everywhere now. Before you panic, let me tell you what I tell my clients to help keep things simple. If you can't pronounce what is says on the label you probably shouldn't be eating it, at least not all the time. Go organic with animal products that have not been subject to the growth-inducing chemicals. And next time you need a refill or a new shampoo, try out the organic one.