Primo Health Blog

A portal for functional health topics and news.

Posts about weight management:

Supplement of the Week: Designs for Health Mitochondrial NRG

Supplement of the Week: Designs for Health Mitochondrial NRG

Quick Overview

Mitochondrial NRG™ is a formulary blend of nutrients, nutraceuticals, botanicals, and Krebs cycle intermediates designed to support ef­ficient mitochondrial metabolism and energy (ATP) production for increased vitality.* 

Mitochondrial NRG™ was designed to support the function of the mitochondria, “the powerhouse of the cell.” This formula may be ap­propriate for anyone wishing to promote overall cellular and tissue vitality and health, including those wanting to increase energy out ­put for athletic performance.

Natural Energy Boosters

Natural Energy Boosters

Creatine & Ribose for ATP Production

By Gene Bruno, MS, MHS – Dean of Academics, Huntington College of Health Sciences 

If you’re looking for more energy to power you through your workouts, consider a dietary supplement strategy that includes both creatine, an ATP initiator, and ribose, an ATP sustainer. The combination of these two natural substances is a promising ergogenic strategy for improving athletic performance and endurance.

ATP

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a high-energy compound which is often referred to as the body’s “energy currency.” This is truly an apt term since ATP provides a primary source of energy to power muscular activity. Although the biochemistry of ATP may seem complex, its contribution to energy metabolism can be explained simply: When the body splits off one of ATP’s three phosphates, its energy is released and the muscle cells channel some of that energy into mechanical movement.1 Where an athlete is concerned, the goal of energy metabolism is to provide an adequate amount of ATP to power the muscles throughout the course of their physical activity. This requires the presence of creatine and ribose, natural substances which initiate and sustain ATP production.

Natural Diuretics

Natural Diuretics

Herbal Diuretics To Help Lose Water Weight

By Gene Bruno, MS, MHS

Do you have excess “water weight”? Do you want to reduce water retention? If you answered yes to one or both of these questions, then you may wish to consider herbal diuretics. Herbal diuretics can help promote a healthy balance of fluids in body tissues.

The Problem of Excessive Tissue Fluid

Make no mistake, excess fluid which is stored in the tissues has nothing to do with fat weight. The fluid is strictly water weight. Nonetheless, water weight is still an important consideration regarding a total weight loss program. This is particularly the case for women to tend to retain fluids in their tissues at a much higher rate than men. Even though the fluid retention may only be temporary, many women who are trying to lose weight feel discouraged when they put on an article of clothing some morning, and it feels tighter rather than looser. Psychologically, this discouragement may cause them to give up as they;re thinking, “What’s the use in dieting and exercising? I’m fatter than I was two weeks ago!” Of course it is only water weight, but they may not realize it. Hence the value of natural herbal diuretics which can help reduce the amount of fluid retention. Now, when they try on article of clothing, there is a good chance that it will feel looser rather than tighter. This may provide the needed encouragement to continue following their weight loss program.

Supplement of the Week: Designs for Health CLA Softgels

Supplement of the Week: Designs for Health CLA Softgels

Quick Overview

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is a naturally occurring fatty acid that has been shown to be useful to support proper fat burning, healthy blood sugar levels, and to modulate inflammation. CLA also has strong antioxidant properties.*

This product is a rich source of CLA, standardized to contain a minimum 78% conjugated linoleic acid as cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12 isomers in a 50:50 ratio.

Health Benefits of Conjugated Linolenic Acid

Health Benefits of Conjugated Linolenic Acid

Conjugated Linolenic Acid The Anti-Fat Fatty Acid

By Gene Bruno, MS, MHS – Dean of Academics, Huntington College of Health Sciences

Fat is evil. Fat is bad. Fat makes you fat. People follow low-fat diets to avoid excessive fat intake. People take supplements to help them reduce fat absorption as well as body fat. About the last thing you’d choose to do is voluntarily consume excess fat in supplement form right? Not if that fat is CLA.

What is CLA?

CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is a free fatty acid that may prove to be essential to our diet. Studies show that CLA can play a vital role in reducing body fat and improving muscle tone. In the past, it was readily available in beef and dairy products, but today, it is no longer present in great quantities. To obtain about 1000 mg of CLA in food you would have to consume three pounds of hamburger, twenty-five slices of American cheese or half a gallon of ice cream. Of course the adverse effects of eating these high saturated fat foods might eclipse the benefits obtained from the CLA. Consequently, the use of a CLA supplement is a sensible alternative and may even help you reduce body fat. Researchers think that CLA helps reduce body fat deposits by promoting apoptosis (programmed cell death) in fat cells.1

Health Benefits of Cinnamon

Health Benefits of Cinnamon

Cinnamon:
A Supplement for Diabetes, Body Composition, Cardiovascular Health & Antioxidant Protection
By Gene Bruno, MS, MHS

Don’t you just love the smell and taste of cinnamon in a warm, gooey cinnamon bun? As it turns out, the cinnamon may actually provide you with some significant health benefits (although the same can’t be said of the gooey bun; sorry). So let’s take a closer look at cinnamon.

Background

The use of cinnamon for health is not new. In fact, cinnamon bark has been used for several thousand years in traditional Eastern and Western systems of medicine, for such purposes as anorexia, bloating, dyspepsia with nausea, flatulent colic, and spastic conditions of the GI tract.1 Cinnamon also has a history of traditional use in Korea, China and Russia for treating people with diabetes.2

Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper

Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne
(Capsicum annuum; C. frutescens)

By Art Presser, PharmD - President, Huntington College of Health Sciences

Background:

Cayenne or Capsicum consists of the dried fruit of Capsicum frutescens, Capsicum annum, or a large number of hybrids of these species and varieties within the Solanaceae (Nightshade) family that are capsaicin rich. Because these plants have been cultivated for such a long time, peppers from them differ widely from one another in size, shape, and potency. They are not true peppers but were misnamed by the early Spanish explorers who confused their pungency with the pepper they were used to, namely black pepper (Piper nigrum) in the Piperaceae family.

Supplement of the week: Designs for Health 7-Keto 60 capsules

Supplement of the week: Designs for Health 7-Keto 60 capsules

Quick Overview

7-Keto® is a registered trade name for the compound 3-acetyl-7- oxo DHEA, a stabilized form of 7-oxo DHEA. Once ingested, acetyl-7-oxo DHEA is cleaved to 7-oxo DHEA, a DHEA metabolite naturally found in the body. Although 7-oxo DHEA is similar to DHEA, it does not convert into estrogenic or androgenic hormones.

The Natural Appetite Suppressant CCK

The Natural Appetite Suppressant CCK

CCK: The Natural Appetite Suppressant

By Gene Bruno, MS, MHS – Dean of Academics, Huntington College of Health Sciences

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a very interesting neuropeptide that has a great benefit to anyone who is trying to lose weight. CCK is produced by special cells in the intestinal wall in response to a meal that contains some fat. Basically, it causes bile and pancreatic enzymes to be released for fat digestion. Besides helping fat digestion, research has demonstrated that CCK also causes a reduction in food intake in several species, including humans.1 In other words, it helps you to control your appetite; clearly an advantage if your trying to eat less and reduce body fat.