Why is it so difficult to lose weight?  Here are the answers: 

• MICROBIOME – A large study published in July 2019 shows that gut bacteria have more effect on how much you weigh than what you eat and the amount you eat.  This U.K. research team studied visceral fat, the unhealthy fat that surrounds your organs and accumulates in your belly.  Studying 1,760 older female twins, the researchers found that the types of bacteria you have in your gut predict how much visceral fat you carry, regardless of calorie intake.1  

• SPECIFIC NUTRIENTS – in the U.K. study, researchers identified a few nutrients that promote weight loss specifically in conjunction with a healthy microbiome.  They are Magnesium, Biotin, Fiber, Vitamin E, as well as a variety of polyphenols, the antioxidant nutrients in deeply colored vegetables.1  
  In particular, L. casei, at a dose of 100 million CFU per day, had a significant effect reducing blood sugar, insulin concentration, and insulin resistance in the supplemented group, compared with the placebo group.4  
• FOOD CRAVINGS – two primary causes.  If your body is lacking any micronutrients, your body will crave food.  However, you don’t know which nutrients you are lacking, so a typical person will eat food that does NOT satisfy their body’s craving.  The second cause of food cravings is engineered food, also known as processed and fast food.  There are actually food scientists who are paid to design packaged food to cause you to crave more.  It’s good for the company bottom line, but not yours.  
• ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS – what does your body do when it is overwhelmed with environmental contaminants, such as pesticides, herbicides, BPA, aluminum dust sprayed to manage rainfall, molds, pollen, gluten for some people?  First it tries to rid the body of these contaminants, then it encapsulates them in fat and stores them in a “safe” place – visceral fat in your belly.  
• INFLAMMATION - is responsible for aging, many age-related illnesses and is related to how we store and metabolize fat in the body. Fast foods tend to be more inflammatory than fresh foods.  
• PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – unfortunately, the side effects of so many prescription drugs is weight gain.  It’s hard to fight this.  For any new prescriptioin, ask your doctor if weight gain is a potential side effect and ask for alternatives that don’t have this side effect.  
• METABOLISM – are your mitochondria in good shape in order to produce energy to burn calories?  So many factors can affect the mitochondria – micro-contaminants, diet deficient in CoQ10, L-carnitine, PQQ for production of new mitochondria (biogenesis).  
• STRESS – there tend to be two reactions to stress that effect weight.  Some people eat when under stress and some people lose their appetite.  If you are in the first category, CBD, cortisol optimizer, and L-theanine are helpful in reducing minor occasional stress and anxiety.  
• GLUCOSE LEVELS – one common issue relating to weight gain is elevated glucose levels.  Read and watch a video on GlucoOptimizer here. 
• CALORIES IN GREATER THAN CALORIES OUT – the basics still hold true.  If you eat too much, you tend to gain weight.  But there are so many factors that influence the mind, body, and metabolism, that just reducing your calorie intake or exercising more may not benefit many people.  Some people don’t put on weight no matter how much they eat.  It’s likely due to their healthy microbiome.  
• HIDDEN CALORIES – a salad sounds like the perfect way to lose weight.  But put the wrong dressing (with vegetable oil and/or sugar) or toppings (croutons, farmed salmon) on it and it can pack a bigger weight gain punch than a hamburger and fries.  
• FAST AND PACKAGED FOOD – often have a higher concentration of micro-contaminants, plus in many cases, are engineered to make you crave more.  I thought they knew better - tried a new frozen packaged entree at TJs. One of the ingredients was Natamycin (mold inhibitor) - an antibiotic. What a disappointment. 
• KNOWLEDGE – all packaged yogurts are made from homogenized milk (hence all the bacteria (probiotics) are destroyed), then one or maybe two low dose, low cost strains are added back in.  But there is often lots of added sugar.  I once heard a well known doctor say he likes a particular brand of yogurt because it is totally synthetic, so he knows there are no natural elements in it that can hurt you.  Balance your intake of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids with fish and krill oil to minimize unwanted inflammation.5
• PROTECT YOUR MICROBIOME – by drinking non-chlorinated water, avoiding food raised with antibiotics, minimizing alcohol intake, avoiding anti-bacterial cleaning products, minimizing prescription drug use, and minimizing intake of herbicides such as roundup used in farming to kill weeds.  

Doctor-Recommended Primary Solution

• MICROBIOME MANAGEMENT – with multiple strain, high dose probiotics and prebiotics (FOS – fiber).  Peptide Immunotherapy is the key to effective population of beneficial probiotics in the GI tract.  
• FOOD CRAVINGS – A basic solution is to take a sophisticated multivitamin containing a variety of micronutrients.  The greater the micronutrients available to your body, the less likely you will have cravings.  
• MICRONUTRIENT and ANTI-INFLAMMATORY SUPPORT - a sophisticated multivitamin will provide microbiome synergistic Magnesium, Biotin, and all 8 forms of Vitamin E, as well as a variety of polyphenols, the antioxidant nutrients in deeply colored vegetables.  In addition, convenient Daily Packs provide super-foods immune greens formula, lipid therapy to reduce inflammation by balancing omega-6 intake, and microbiome support from yet more probiotics. 
• MICRO-CONTAMINANT DETOX -  with a product designed for cellular detox is much more effective than a standard colon cleanse.
• DIET – minimize sugar, carb and vegetable oil intake, as well as packaged and prepared foods.  Optimize variety in your diet, especially raw vegetables which provide prebiotic nourishment for your microbiome. 
• EXERCISE – for me, playing a sport is so much more fun than just “exercising”.  Or do it with a friend. 
• PATIENCE AND PERSISTANCE - It will take some work, dedication, and time for long term weight loss.  As you change your microbiome, and thus your food cravings, and begin to enjoy physical activity again, you will gain a more permanent solution to better weight management.  

Specific Nutrients in Doctor' Microbiome Weight Loss Packs

Sophisticated Antioxidant Multivitamin

Research conducted at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center in Houston identified a molecular link between obesity and inflammation. This research shows that a high fat diet draws inflammatory cells into fat tissue, which prevents the tissue from storing the fats we eat. When the tissue can not store these fats, they end up in the liver and muscle, which in turn causes weight-gain and diabetes.2

Inflammation is responsible for aging, many age-related illnesses and is related to how we store and metabolize fat in the body. Our cells use oxygen to produce energy and they generate free radicals as a byproduct of this metabolic function. Antioxidants scoop up free radicals, preventing the cellular degeneration within the body that causes further damage.

Rejuvenation Science^® Maximum Vitality™ is a robust antioxidant multivitamin, containing antioxidant vitamins A, C, E, plus alpha- and R-lipoic acid, Lycopene, Lutein, Astaxanthin, Green Tea, Gamma-E, milk thistle, hawthorn berry, curcumin, and proanthocyanidins from grape seed.

Omega-3

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from fish and krill oil have anti-inflammatory characteristics and promote weight loss. Omega-3’s accelerate body fat loss, elevate mood, stabilize blood sugar levels, lower insulin levels, and decrease appetite.^6,7 The recommended dosage varies depending upon how much weight loss is desired. The recommended range is 3 to 9 fish oil softgels or 1-2 krill oil softgels per day.

Omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oil are pro-inflammatory and promote weight gain.

The ideal balance of Omega 6 to Omega-3 is a ratio of 2:1 or 1:1. The standard American diet now contains a highly inflammatory ratio of 24:1 Omega-6 to Omega-3. Pro-inflammatory Omega-6 oils are found in margarine, vegetable oil (corn, safflower, canola, etc.), salad dressing, fried, and prepared foods, and even farm-raised (corn meal-fed) fish. Almost every fried food or snack food is cooked in omega-6 oils, because they are both less expensive and have a longer shelf-life.

• 20 french fries or large potato chips have about 12 grams of omega-6 oils. So for each 2 french fries you eat, you should balance the omega-6 oils with 1 omega-3 softgel. It is easy to see that eating French fries is a no-win situation.
• Each Oreo cookie has 3 grams of omega-6 fats. To balance this intake, a person should eat 1-2 omega-3 softgels for each Oreo cookie eaten. One Mrs. Fields Chocolate and Walnut cookie has 17 grams of omega-6 fat.
• A 2-tablespoon serving of bottled caesar salad dressing contains 15 grams of fat, mostly from soybean oil. Be careful of serving size because it is so easy to use far more than 2 tablespoons of dressing on a salad, and balance this small amount of salad dressing with 7 grams of omega-3 PUFA's to minimize the omega-6 inflammatory cascade. Note that good fresh caesar dressing is made with virgin olive oil and will not provoke this omega-6 inflammatory cascade.

Metabolic Optimizer

Weight loss is a function of cellular energy production, among other factors. Many diet products contain stimulants which unnaturally stimulate thermogenesis - the production of energy and heat. These may work in the short-term, but leave you feeling tired and depleted when they wear off.

Metabolic Optimizer™ components - coenzyme Q10, carnitine, acetyl l-carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid and ribose provide the nutrients and co-factors which naturally help your body optimize its cellular energy production. Not only do these nutrients provide greater energy and endurance, and a greater ability to lose body fat, they help prevent the energy decline seen in aging cells.

The food you eat and your exercise demands will work in conjunction with your cellular energy production to either lead to weight loss or gain. Your Doctor may recommend a special diet and exercise and choose which Metabolic Optimizer™ components are best for you.

Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 helps increase energy levels and overall sense of vitality. CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Like acetyl l-carnitine, CoQ10 assists in mitochondrial energy production. Working synergistically with the other metabolic optimizers – carnitine, acetyl l-carnitine, and alpha-lipoic acid, CoQ10 enhances the metabolism, providing greater energy and endurance, and a greater ability to lose body fat, while preventing the energy decline seen in aging cells. CoQ10 also works synergistically with other antioxidants to recycle antioxidants – vitamins C, E, and glutathione - and help regulate blood sugar and enhance insulin sensitivity.

Now enhanced with Ubiquinol, the more powerful, antioxidant form of CoQ10, which represents 90% of the CoQ10 which naturally occurs in the body. Provides enhanced clinical benefits.

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha Lipoic Acid is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, both water- and fat-soluble. It is part of the enzyme complex intimately involved in energy production of the cell. Alpha-lipoic acid helps convert carbohydrates, fats and protein into energy by helping take glucose into the cells. In addition to carnitine and acetyl L-carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid also helps preventing glycation. As an antioxidant, alpha-lipoic acid works with coenzyme Q10, carnitine and acetyl l-carnitine to protect and rejuvenate the mitochondria.

An aging cell is characterized by decreased energy production. Alpha-lipoic acid works synergistically with other antioxidants to allow the cells to repair themselves in the same way that young cells do. Robust energy production in the cells allow efficient energy usage, and thus contribute to fat loss.

Chromium

Chromium is an essential nutrient that promotes normal blood sugar levels and normal insulin function. It is essential for proper protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism. In this way, it is important for energy production and also plays a key role in regulating appetite, reducing sugar cravings and lowering body fat. Thus chromium plays a critical role in healthy body weight and lean body mass.

In clinical studies, niacin-bound chromium, known as chromium polynicotinate, has been demonstrated to be a superior form of chromium. Animal studies have shown that niacin-bound chromium increased average lifespan by 20% compared with placebo. The potential for the relationship between caloric deprivation and normal glucose and insulin levels for increasing lifespan is yet to be proven.⁸

References

1. LeRoy C, Bowyer R, et.al. Dissecting the role of the gut microbiota and diet on visceral fat mass accumulation. Nature: Scienfitic reports, July 2019.
2. Press release: Link Between Obesity and Inflammation, Methodist DeBakey Heart Center, Houston TX. November 2006.
3. Liu Y, Ajami NJ, et.al. Dietary quality and the colonic mucosa-associated gut microbiome in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019 Sep 1;110(3):701-712. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz139.
4. Khalili L, Alipour B, et.al. The Effects of Lactobacillus casei on Glycemic Response, Serum Sirtuin1 and Fetuin-A Levels in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Iranian Biomed J. 23(1):68-77 Jan 2019. 
5. Browning LM. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, inflammation and obesity-related disease. Proc Nutr Soc. 2003 May;62(2):447-53.
6. Ruzickova J, Rossmeisl M, Prazak T, Flachs P, Sponarova J, Veck M, Tvrzicka E, Bryhn M, Kopecky J: Omega-3 PUFA of marine origin limit diet-induced obesity in mice by reducing cellularity of adipose tissue. Lipids 2004, 39:1177-1185.
7. Browning LM. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, inflammation and obesity-related disease. Proc Nutr Soc. 2003 May;62(2):447-53.
8. Preuss HG, Grojec Pl, Lieberman S, Anderson RA. Effects of different chromium compounds on blood pressure and lipid peroxidation in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Clinical Nephrology 1997;47(5):325-30.