Nutrition Know-How
First for Women
By: Ann Louise Gittleman
June 30, 2008

Help!  My slimmer body is hidden by bloat!

I’m thrilled that I lost eight pounds.  And to make sure the weight stays off, I switched to sugar-free desserts.  But ever since, I’ve been so bloated that you can’t even tell I’ve lost anything.  Plus, I’ve been getting nasty stomach cramps.  What could be causing this? 

Those sugar-free desserts might be to blame.  Such treats are typically sweetened with sorbitol or maltitol.  But 60 percent of women have difficulty digesting these sugar alcohols, which can lead to cramping and bloating.  The fix: Opt for treats with natural ingredients like inulin, a zero-calorie sweetener made from chicory root.  And when making desserts from scratch, try replacing every 2 tsp. of sugar with ½ tsp. of stevia (like SweetLeaf Stevia Plus, $8.95 for 100 packets, at www.unikeyhealth.com).  This calorie-free herbal sweetener won’t cause unwelcome side effects.

I’m not eating more, so why am I gaining?

I’ve been putting in long hours at the office, so it’s impossible for me to eat breakfast…or even dinner sometimes.  As a result, I usually have one big meal for lunch.  But it’s weird because, although I’m not eating more than usual overall, my waistline is clearly expanding.  What’s going on? 

The secret to avoiding weight gain isn’t just in the number of calories you consume, but in how often you eat.  Volunteers in one study who consolidated their daily calories into one large meal experienced sustained elevations of glucose (blood sugar).  This causes the liver to pad the belly region with fat—even if a person isn’t overeating.  The good news: You don’t need three full meals to avoid glucose elevations.  Simply scale back your lunch and enjoy a healthy snack every two hours.  Eat-at-your-desk options include a handful of pumpkin seeds, 2 oz. of dark chocolate, a serving of whole-grain crackers or an apple.  (Try programming a “snack reminder” into your computer to stay on track).  With this approach, you can lose a pound every week.

Why isn’t my antiacne supplement working?

A family emergency last month left me with ugly stress breakouts.  So I started taking an antiacne supplement with zinc and B vitamins.  Two weeks into the regimen, however, my skin hasn’t gotten any clearer.  Why not?   

Stress may have depleted your body’s stores of digestive enzymes.  Normally these chemicals break down nutrients for absorption.  But when enzyme levels dip, nutrients can pass through the body unused—which likely explains why your skin-clearing supplement is delivering subpar results.  To maximize its benefits, eat more fruit and leafy greens.  Their digestive enzymes can restock the body’s supply in eight weeks.  For even faster results, try an enzyme supplement, which can optimize the body’s nutrient absorption for clearer skin within two weeks.