Vitamins That Help With Weight Loss: The Supplement Secrets to Shedding Pounds 32x Faster
Read to learn how real life woman Kate Fallecker lost over 150 lbs using principles of the 'nutrivore approach' created by Sarah Ballantyne, PhD
Wanna make big moves toward a healthy weight without stress and deprivation? Then forget old-school diets and try an approach from the new book Nutrivore. “The goal is to get all the nutrients you need from the food you eat,” shares author Sarah Ballantyne, Ph.D. “It’s incredibly simple.” And it’s incredibly effective. Consider this: One study found that Weight Watchers’ big success stories are up to up to 7.6 times more likely to get enough key nutrients compared to less successful members. And in separate research, correcting a vitamin D deficiency helped people boost health and burn fat up to 32 times faster. Wow! Ballantyne adds that traditional diets left her thinner but less healthy, while nutrivore principles helped her thrive and maintain a 150-pound weight loss. As for Pennsylvania mom Katie Fallecker, 40, she says nutrient-dense foods were her key to dropping 153 pounds and getting out of a wheelchair. Read on for Katie’s inspiring story and to learn how getting more vitamins that aid in weight loss could transform your body.
How to get enough vitamins that help weight loss
Probably not. More than half the U.S. population “falls short on at least 10 essential nutrients,” says Ballantyne. For vitamins B-9, D, E and potassium—nutrients crucial to metabolic health—“more than 90% don’t get enough.” It’s bad for well-being in general, and research shows that even one deficiency makes us 80.8% more likely to plump up.
“Addressing deficiencies can make a huge difference when your intention is healthy weight loss,” she adds.
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What about supplements? Taking 600 to 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily can be beneficial. Beyond that, “studies show multivitamins have little if any impact on long-term health, while nutrients from foods provide a clear benefit,” Ballantyne notes. It’s why she created her nutrivore approach, which aims to pump up your regular way of eating to deliver everything you need.
Eating the ‘nutrivore’ way
After crunching numbers on hundreds of foods, Ballantyne discovered that liquid from canned clams has the most nutrients per calorie, earning a massive 14,744 “nutrivore score.” Other high scores went to coffee (6,832), chard (6,386), radishes (5,863), spinach (4,548) and broccoli (2,833).
Vitamin D-rich options also score high, including sun-dried shiitake mushrooms (4,343), liver (3,692), salmon (731) and eggs (355).
In general, colorful produce, seafood, legumes, nuts and seeds emerged as best bets, while processed foods scored low. White flour got 70 points and white sugar just 1 point.
Yet, “no food is off-limits,” Ballantyne says. “A healthy diet has room for empty calories or ‘quality of life’ calories.” The key is getting more good stuff in a way that feels right for you. Nutrivore’s main guidelines: Eat mostly whole foods and go for lots (and lots!) of variety.
Why variety is key for weight loss and vitamins
Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, fatty acids…while each is amazing on its own, the compounds are often exponentially more powerful when they mix and mingle in our cells.
For example, tests on soy’s isoflavones show modest fat-fighting properties, but when a University of Georgia team mixed isoflavones with resveratrol from grapes, the antioxidant combo caused fat cells to disintegrate up to 4.46 times faster than either substance alone. Adding quercetin from onions amped things up even more, making it so “cells essentially did not store any fat,” reveals study head MaryAnne DellaFera, Ph.D.
And that’s just three among hundreds of nutrients. The more we mix ’em up, the more magic they’ll make inside us. High micronutrient intake is linked to everything from better cholesterol and mood to a lower risk of dying from any cause. And British research found that a higher micronutrient intake was the only factor setting lean women apart from their heavier identical twins!
The bottom line: You don’t need a restrictive diet. Just eat the nutrivore way, experimenting to find ways to permanently increase nutrient density in your meals. Says Ballantyne, “Think of this as getting healthy to lose weight, rather than losing weight to get healthy!”
Vitamin weight loss success story: Katie Fallecker, 40
For years, rheumatoid arthritis and a host of health issues left Katie Fallecker in debilitating pain. On family outings, “my husband pushed me in a wheelchair,” she recalls. Using empty-calorie snacks for comfort, her weight hit 340 pounds.
Katie was told losing weight might help, but she felt too drained to try a big diet. Luckily, a diabetes coach recommended she simply track her nutrition using free tools from MyFitnessPal.com and the MyFitnessPal phone app.
Katie gave it a try; she was soon trading junk for nutrient-dense options she found she actually preferred, including apples with nut butter and veggie-loaded salads with taco toppings. “My goal was to make the best food decision in the moment. There was no pressure.” Katie immediately began to feel better and was soon shedding about 10 pounds a month.
While you can use a nutrivore approach without any weighing, counting, measuring or logging, Katie found she liked having a little guidance and structure. The MyFitnessPal app helped her figure out portions that were healthy for her body, plus it has a free feature that tracks micronutrients! “That little effort to record my food automatically made me more mindful of what I was eating.” As a picky eater, “I loved that it was a customizable approach I could grow into.” Once hesitant to try new foods, her palate has expanded considerably (with a lot of credit going to her teen son, the family chef, who whipped up healthy recipes for his mom.) In the end, Katie’s palate and body were transformed.
Now, two years later, Katie is 153 pounds lighter, no longer needs a wheelchair or cane and has normal blood sugar. She does dance workouts and cherishes family time. Says Katie: “There was a time doctors weren’t sure I’d make it. Focusing on nutrients in my diet changed everything for me. Now I’m loving life!”
How to pack meals with weight loss vitamins
Nutrivore eating is easy: Simply emphasize picks with high nutrivore scores—including seafood, virtually all colorful produce, seeds, legumes, herbs, spices, coffee and tea. Want more structure? Follow Katie’s lead and use a free app like MyFitnessPal to help optimize portions and speed results. We’ve got micronutrient-crammed ideas to inspire you. Find lots more info and free recipes at Nutrivore.com.
Sample breakfast: Espresso pudding
In blender, blitz flesh of 1⁄2 avocado, 2 Tbs. cocoa powder, 1 tsp. instant espresso, dash salt, dash vanilla extract and healthy sweetener to taste. Chill and enjoy.
Sample lunch: Powerhouse salad
Serve vitamin D–rich salmon, cauliflower rice prepared with olive oil and a well-spiced veggie side for a jackpot of supernutrients
Sample dinner: Superhero salmon
Prepare salmon with cauliflower rice with olive oil, lots of spices and any veggie side you like and you’ll get a jackpot of supernutrients.
Click through to learn more about super-nutrients that help boost weight loss:
Psyllium for Weight Loss: How the Cheap Supplement Helped One Woman Drop 208 Pounds
Shrinking a Menopause Belly: A 13¢ Supplement Helped 1 Nebraska Grandmother Lose 141 lbs
Top MD: These Are the Four Key Nutrients That Help Women Over 50 Beat Weight Gain
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