If you’ve been in the weight-loss aisle of any pharmacy or grocery store lately, you’ve definitely heard of Garcinia Cambogia. Since being featured on Dr. Oz’s talk show, it has exploded in popularity, leading to hundreds of cheap knockoffs, and even more dubious claims of magical weight-loss-in-a-bottle. But what is Garcinia Cambogia?  And is it right for you and your weight-loss goals?

While a novel weight-loss supplement to us, Garcinia Cambogia isn’t a new ingredient by any means. Used for centuries in India and Southeast Asia in curries and as a digestive aid, it’s a small, green, pumpkin-shaped fruit that’s also sometimes known as tamarind, and is enjoyed for its sour flavor. The extract is also commonly used in commercial fish curing because of its antibacterial properties.

When used as an ingredient in dishes, it can make them seem more filling, but the rind is what contains most of the active ingredient, Hydroxycitric Acid, for burning fat. HCA has been clinically shown to increase lipid metabolism and enhance thermogenesis—in other words, it helps your body burn more fat. More importantly, HCA has also been shown to increase serotonin levels and reduce appetite, which is especially great for people who tend to overeat when upset or stressed and ruin all of their hard work in the gym.

For maximum weight-loss effects, it’s important to look for a supplement that has at least a 50% concentration of HCA extract, such as Nature’s Dynamic’s Garcinia Cambogia. This organic supplement combines 1500 milligrams of HCA with an awesome energy and wellness blend that contains ginkgo, black cohosh and green tea extract.

As with all things, moderation is key. Liver damage has been reported with high amounts of HCA (more than 60% concentration), so don’t take more than the recommended dose. You should also see your practitioner before taking HCA if you take drugs to lower your cholesterol.

As with any weight-loss supplement, Garcinia Cambogia isn’t a magic pill that will melt all of your fat away, but it can be a great addition to a solid diet and exercise plan.

If you’ve ever taken a strong antibiotic, or have an impaired immune system, you may be susceptible to a candida overgrowth. While not dangerous, these overgrowths can cause fatigue, digestive and skin issues, or fungal infections of the skin, nails and genitals. How much is too much, and how can you get rid of excess candida if you are experiencing these symptoms?

Candida is a family of yeasts that are the most common cause of fungal infections worldwide. Most of the time, candida live harmlessly on the skin and in the mucous membranes of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and female genital tracts, kept in check by the healthy bacteria in your gut and your immune system.

Overgrowths can occur when the immune system is compromised, or from taking a strong antibiotic that kills off that good bacteria. Other contributing factors to these overgrowths are a diet high in sugar, alcohol and refined carbohydrates—which feed the yeast—stress, and oral contraceptives.

The treatment for candida overgrowth is two-pronged: First, we want to get rid of the yeast overgrowth, and then we want to re-introduce gut-friendly bacteria that will keep the yeast in check in the future. In order to get the overgrowth under control, the first step is to eliminate all foods from the diet that are high in refined carbohydrates, alcohols and sugars, such as bread, pasta, candy, and even fruit and starchy vegetables.

Modifications in diet alone can take up to six months to produce a significant change in candida levels, so it’s also important to add a complementary candida detoxification formula, such as SafeCare’s Candida Rx Formula, the High Potency 9 Multi-Strain Formula from Aquaflora, or Innate Response’s DysBio formula. These products help get the yeast under control quickly so that you can begin to re-introduce healthy bacteria and enzymes to your system.

The second step is to introduce probiotics to boost the good bacteria in your gut. Increase your intake of foods that are rich in probiotics, such as yogurt and fermented products—pickles, kombucha or sauerkraut—to encourage the growth of these beneficial bacteria. Products such as Aquaflora’s Probiotic Restoration and Enzyme Restoration also help restore the good bacteria in the upper and lower GI tract, and may start relieving symptoms immediately. It’s also important to take a daily probiotic in order to maintain this yeast-unfriendly environment, such as Flora 50-14, or Probiotic 42.5.

Candida overgrowths can be stubborn and hard to treat, but with the right diet and the right products, it’s possible to get your yeast levels under control and find relief from a multitude of chronic symptoms.

At this point, we’ve probably all heard about raspberry ketones. Ever since Dr. Oz touted them as a “miracle fat-burner in a bottle” nearly two years ago, the market for the supplement has exploded. But what are raspberry ketones, and how do they help you lose weight?

Raspberry ketones are a naturally occurring phenolic compound found in raspberries—as well as cranberries and blackberries—that give them a sweet, fruity smell. They’re used in cosmetics, food manufacturing and perfumery to give products from candles to candy that familiar berry scent, and are one of the most expensive natural flavorings used in the food industry; one kilogram of raspberries only produces 1-4 milligrams of raspberry ketones! Because of this, raspberry ketones can also be synthesized using related natural compounds.

Dr. Oz’s exaggerated claims about the fat-burning capabilities of raspberry ketones have provoked a backlash from many experts, but preliminary clinical studies have shown some promising weight-management effects. [Read more…]