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Author: Michael Lewis

Article source: http://www.articlesfactory.com/. Used with author's permission.

The Sour Truth
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Question: I had a baby 6 months ago and would like to losesome weight. I know that if you're nursing, you're notsupposed to diet. I have been eating healthy foods high innutrients, and I have lost a little weight. Would it beharmful to the baby if I started taking apple cider vinegarpills to help with weight loss?

Answer: A few vinegar pills probably won't hurt you or yourbaby, but they won't do one bit of good in helping you loseweight either. This old diet fad dates back to the 1970s,when a combination of apple cider, kelp, vitamin B-6, andlecithin was touted as the miracle cure for weight loss. Therationale for this concoction was that it tricked yourbody's metabolism.

According to the claims, lecithin emulsified body fat, B-6metabolized the loosened fat, kelp supplied iodine tostimulate the thyroid gland to manufacture more thyroxin tospeed metabolism, and vinegar supplied potassium. Like saladdressings where oil and vinegar don't mix, this was supposedto help rid the body of fat.

There Is No Proof
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There is no scientific basis, or even rational reason, forany of these claims. For example, a teaspoon of vinegarcontains only five milligrams of potassium, a meager amountcompared to the 400 milligrams in a cup of grapefruit juice.Swallowing more iodine will jump start a thyroid gland onlyif you are deficient in this mineral (you'll know if you areiodine-deprived because you will have developed a goiter, oran enlargement of the thyroid gland). When people lostweight on this regimen it was because they also followed theaccompanying low-calorie diet. Like all the other diet fads,from starch blockers and collagen products to herbal dietteas and hydroxycitric acid (HCA), the vinegar pills fitmost or all the criteria of a useless gimmick:

They promise to melt away fat.

They promise fast and effortless weight loss.

They promise weight loss greater than one to two pounds aweek.

They focus on one or a few foods and limit or exclude wholefood groups.

They are based on pills or "secret formulas."

Start Your Weight Loss Program After Breastfeeding
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Save your money and follow the advice of thousands of peoplewho have not just lost weight, but maintained the weightloss. Consume daily a wide variety of nutrient-packedvegetables, fruits, whole grains, extra-lean meats andbeans, and nonfat milk or yogurt. Watch your portions, and,most importantly, exercise each day. You also are rightabout not dieting while breastfeeding. It took nine monthsto gain the weight during your pregnancy. Plan to begin yourweight-loss plan after you've stopped breastfeeding, andgive yourself at least nine months after that to regain yourfigure.

Source: WebMD

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