Lately, I’ve had people ask me about the hCG diet. The hCG diet has been around for quite a few years, but it’s regained popularity recently. It’s been promoted as an over the counter (OTC) treatment, including a “homeopathic” form (hCG drops). The FDA and FTC got involved with the sale of these products, saying that the various oral HCG drops, pellets and sprays were unproven for weight loss, that the restricted diet was unsafe, and that the companies who produced the products made unsupported claims. For these reasons, the products were labeled as “illegal” and were required to be pulled from the shelves. This made the news, and contributed to the hCG diet for weight loss becoming a hot topic in popular media.
The original hCG diet for weight loss involves hCG injections (shots) and a specific restricted calorie diet. It was developed by Dr. Albert T.W. Simeons in Italy as a treatment for obesity: he claimed that there were three types of fat, that one of them was “abnormal”, and that hCG injections helped a patient lose weight from these abnormal fat deposits while protecting against muscle loss. hCG stands for human Chorionic Gonadotropin, a hormone that is produced by the human placenta during pregnancy, and hCG in the bloodstream reduces hunger, so patients who have strong physical hunger cravings (not appetite, which is different) report it’s surprisingly easy to limit their intake of food. Recent variations of the diet could include more than the original 500 calories per day, also with different doses of hCG.
Dr. Simeons’ theory was published in the Lancet, and in 1954 he wrote about his hCG diet protocol in a publication called Pounds and Inches. If you want to lose weight and learn more about this original hCG diet, you can read the manuscript here: http://hCGdietinfo.com/Dr-ATW-Simeons-Pounds-and-Inches.htm. The diet is very strict: it allows only 500 calories per day, and only specific foods in certain amounts from the beverage, meat, bread, fruit and vegetable categories. Certain spices may be used, but the diet does not allow for butter or oil.
There are many reasons and explanations for obesity and each person is different, so if you want to lose weight, it’s important to get to the root cause. For many people, diet and exercise are an essential part of a well balanced weight loss program, and if you’re looking into hCG as a weight loss treatment, it’s important to do your research and talk to a qualified doctor, especially if you have other diagnosed health conditions. A licensed, experienced physician should be the one to assess whether the hCG diet is an appropriate plan, provide the hCG shots, address other existing health conditions and supervise treatment.
I can support clients who are getting hCG treatment with the dietary portion of the weight loss plan, and for clients who are intent on trying the hCG diet and don’t have a doctor to provide the hCG shots and supervise treatment, I can provide a list of licensed doctors (MD’s and ND’s) in the San Diego area who offer this service. If you have more questions or want support during a change in your diet for any reason, please feel free to schedule an appointment by emailing me Bonnie@AmaraWellnessCenter.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment