Caffeine provides roughly 90% of the population with the boost they need to start off their mornings and add a lift to their afternoons. Unfortunately, while a sizeable portion of the caffeinated population remains blissfully unaware of the long-term side effects of caffeine, those looking to lose weight understand all too well its downsides: the jitters, dizziness, migraines, anxiety, and dehydration, just to name a few.
In its rawest form, caffeine is a fine white, bitter-tasting powder with the medical name trimethylxanthine. Maneuvering the same channels in the brain as do cocaine and heroin, caffeine speeds up nerve cells in the brain through a process that takes place between a sleeping chemical called adenosine and its receptors. When the adenosine receptors in the brain cannot bond with adenosine because of the bond with caffeine, blood cells constrict, temporarily alleviating migraines and pumping adrenaline through the body.
So when it comes to supplementing a diet or work-out regimen with a healthy supplement, most weight-watchers seek those products with the best results, healthy, all-natural ingredients, and most of all, without caffeine. As always, though, when taking dietary supplements it’s important to consult a physician beforehand, and pay close attention to potential side effects and ingredients.
Non-pill Dietary Supplements
Slim Shots are a unique dietary supplement on the market because of the way they’re ingested. They come in tiny, creamer-like packages, and are mini vanilla and chocolate shots made from natural oat and palm oil to take before meals. They help moderate appetite and cravings between meals, increasing the feeling of satiety after meals, and of course, contain no caffeine.
Another supplement popular for the unique way it's ingested is Sensa. By sprinkling bits of this supplement into your salty or sweet meals, Sensa enhances smell and taste receptors that are sent to the brain, so that when these receptors get there, they can more quickly release the hormone that tells the brain to stop eating. It contains natural and artificial flavors, soy, milk ingredients, and is sodium-, gluten-, sugar- and caffeine-free.
Appetite Control
Alli is one of a small amount of FDA-approved dietary supplements on the market. The pill is designed to help dieters make small changes every day, rather than for a short time. The 26-week program is highly personalized, designed to help dieters set achievable goals by providing tips, articles, recipes, workouts, and motivation. Exceedingly popular over the years, the caffeine- and gluten-free pill has sold to more than 10 million people since it was made available over-the-counter in 2007.
AllDaySlim is also caffeine-free. It is an all-natural supplement with a unique blend of assam fruit extract and orange peel oil. The ingredients help speed up the metabolism and like Slim Shots, keep you feeling full after small meals. It’s taken twice a day, 20 minutes before any two meals, and works by gradually helping the body consume less food and increasing energy levels without stimulants.
Also, a product specifically designed for women is Slim Quick. Slim Quick targets the weight loss issues faced by women, taking into account the main places fat settles, and hormone change. Each product in the Slim Quick plan is aimed at different problem areas, each one with a particular focus. One targets water retention, another burns calories, and the others tackle stress alleviation, appetite reduction, and metabolism and energy increase. Slim Quick recognizes the way the bodies of men and women differ, and their products reflect these differences with their easy-to-follow program.
References:
www.health.howstuffworks.com "How Caffeine Works" (accessed July 23rd)
www.slimshots.com "How it Works" (accessed July 23rd)
www.trysensa.com "Feel Full Faster, Lose Weight" (accessed July 23rd)
www.myalli.com "How Alli Works" (accessed July 22nd)
www.alldayslim.com "Inspire Healthy Change with All Day Slim" (accessed July 22nd)
www.myslimquick.com "How Women Lose Weight" (accessed July 22nd)
Monique Muro - Monique Muro earned a bachelor's degree in English with a creative writing emphasis from Cal State Long Beach. Devouring books like tiny ...
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