Chlorella is a single-celled, freshwater algae which contains vitamins, minerals, enzymes and protein. Sun Chlorella is the brand name of one of many chlorella products on the market as of 2011. The company considers chlorella a superfood and promotes it to enhance an overall weight-loss program that includes a healthy diet. Chlorella has not been widely embraced by mainstream Western medical doctors, though there is research to support its use in weight loss. Consult your doctor before Sun Chlorella or supplements of any kind, and before beginning any new weight-loss regimen.
Step 1
Enroll in the 20-day challenge at the Sun Chlorella USA website. A 20-day supply of chlorella costs around $36 as of 2011 and comes with a Sun Chlorella diet book and a pH Balance Test Kit. You also gain access to Internet resources that allow you to ask questions and receive support as you start your program, the company's website explains.
Step 2
Test your acid/alkaline balance before you start your diet , then once a week thereafter. Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy, an alternative-care physician, writes that an acid body promotes insulin resistance and weight gain. According to the Sun Chlorella website, one of the benefits of chlorella is that it helps your body become more alkaline; testing regularly will let you track chlorella's effect on your body. A set of test strips with instructions comes with the Sun Chlorella starter package.
Step 3
Follow a healthy diet plan which emphasizes whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. You will find suggestions at the Sun Chlorella website and in the book that comes when you order your products.
Step 4
Take five 200-mg Sun Chlorella with each meal, with your doctor's approval, as spreading your intake throughout the day may help you maintain stable blood sugar. An animal study published in 2009 in the "Journal of Medicinal Food" compared rats whose diets included either 5 or 10 percent chlorella. Those on the 10-percent-chlorella diet did a better job of regulating glucose, leading researchers to conclude that chlorella may help prevent insulin resistance.
Tips and Warnings
- Sun Chlorella offers several different packages of products. There are substantial savings in purchasing a 40-day supply rather than the 20-day starter pack. Sun Chlorella is one of many chlorella products on the market. If chlorella works for you, check to see if other products offer better value. Chlorella in its natural form is indigestible and the cell walls must be cracked to make it usable by your body. For this reason, it is important to only buy broken-cell-wall chlorella. Be patient with yourself. Chlorella is not a magic cure, but rather one way to enhance a healthy diet. It may take a few weeks for your body to adjust to your new program and begin to respond with faster weight loss.
- Chlorella has been popular in Japan and Taiwan for years, and much of the research on its effectiveness has been done in that part of the world. To date, many conventional Western physicians are not convinced of chlorella's effectiveness. For example, a 2003 edition of the University of California Berkeley's Wellness Letter states that chlorella has "no use to the human body." Chlorella may cause unpleasant intestinal symptoms, the same newsletter warns.
Things You'll Need
- Sun Chlorella diet book
- pH test strips
- Sun Chlorella tablets
References
- Sun Chlorella USA: Best Weight Loss Approach
- NaturalHealthWeb.com; The pH Balancing Act; Leigh E. Conneally, M.D.
- Sun Chlorella USA: Neutralize Your pH Balance with Superfood
- "Journal of Medicinal Food"; Effect of Chlorella vulgaris on glucose metabolism in Wistar rats fed high fat diet; H.S. Lee, M.K. Kim; October 2009
- University of California, Berkeley; Wellness Letter: Ask the Experts; April 2003
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