Eating Better And Losing More Before - After From “Couch Potato” To Triathlete—Melissa Gertz, a mother of two, has gone from being too tired to play with her kids to competing in two to three triathlons every year. (NAPSA)—When it comes to winning the battle of the bulge, it seems eating “better” has replaced simply eating less. A recent study shows that the number of Americans on diets decreased, and the number focused on eating healthier increased. It’s a trend familiar to Melissa Gertz, who says she went from a couch potato to a triathlete after losing 75 pounds in one year. Her weight-loss plan was simple: Lose the cookies, crackers and processed snacks in favor of whole foods, take a dietary supplement to boost metabolism, and slowly add exercise to her routine. Gertz’ menu consists largely of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads, grass-fed beef, free- range chicken and wild-caught fish. She also takes a Garden of Life dietary seaweed supplement called fiicoTHIN to boost her metabolism. The product is the No. 1 selling weight-loss supplement according to SPINS, a market research and consulting firm for the Natural Products Industry. A clinical study on Xanthigen”, the supplement’s primaryingredi- ent, was recently published by an independent team of scientists from the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences. The double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial consisted of 150 overweight women on an 1800 calorie diet for 16 weeks. The average weight loss amongst study participants taking Xanthigen was 14.5 Ibs. vs. 3 lbs. with placebo. In addition, the scientists also noted that the product helps support and maintain already healthy and normal liver function, C-reactive protein levels, triglyceride levels and blood pressure levels. Eating Well Try these tips to help improve your eating habits: *Stick to the perimeter of the supermarket. Fresh foods— such as fruits and vegetables— tend to be in the outer aisles of markets. Read labels. A general rule of thumbis that the fewer ingredi- ents a food has, the better. eEat organic foods whenever possible. Foods grown without chemicals and pesticides are better for overall health.
