The hottest and sexiest season is nearing and it brings anxiety and pressure to soon flaunt that "beach body." A physique many of us set out for at the start of the year. Knowing these aspirations are a centralized focus again, weight loss plans, systems and drug marketers are hopping on the opportunity to help us out. While a few approaches have a solid, common sense foundation - others are merely gimmicks, fads not worth the paper they print their "results not typical" disclaimers on.
 |
| Click to Enlarge |
According to its creator, Dr. Alan Hirsch (Neurologist and Psychiatrist who specializes in the treatment of smell and taste loss), Sensa® granules or tastants, were formulated to work with the clarity of scent to kindle an area of the brain referred to as the “satiety center,” subsequently conveying a message to the user, to stop eating. All it entails is sprinkling the granules on your prepared food before dining and violà!
First off, weight loss solutions such as this, do not begin to chip away at the underlining causes of over-, binge-, or even compulsive-eating. It simply provides a temporary fix, some say placebo-ish fix, to issues that deserve greater attention than opening the contents of this small package.
This particular regimen also lacks a sound nutritional and activity plan. Proving that it only aims to address how much is eaten, without regard to what is eaten. When we all know, both, are gravely important. I suppose this is to hit home the lure that you don't have to change ... to actually change. ‘Keep consuming the sugary, sodium-laden, processed junk that lead to your current figure and we'll handle the rest!’ If that's not insulting, I don't know what is?!
What also tickles me about Sensa® branding, is that the adverts often feature a bowl of fruit, or salad.
Umm, HELLURR, people are not overindulging on apples, berries and romaine lettuce! We don't need help slowing down on those things, Dr. Hirsch. I think you know that, though.
Unfortunately, many of the product's consumers don't see it this way and instead view these crystals as a grand "tool for weight loss." This leads me to a point that I ALWAYS seem to reach when it comes to contesting certain “tools."
Is it sustainable? There's a plethora of items that will aide in size and scale digit reduction. Healthy or not. But, I don't foresee sprinkling these crystals on your meals, forever, as logical. Heck, Sensa® doesn’t even have an exit strategy, when
queried about how long one should take it:
“There is no timeline for losing weight with SENSA®. Although many people lose weight in the very first month, everyone experiences weight loss differently. Stick with the system and you will lose weight.”
Well, that’s reassuring. Especially considering the long term effects of the "proprietary blend" of some non-natural - despite what they claim - chemicals and neurological-altering substances, aren’t very favorable. And rightfully so, given the acute traces of monosodium glutamate/
MSG (heavily controversial flavor enhancer) found in an independent study and
Silica (the same stuff that comes in our shoe boxes to absorb moisture with a warning that ingestion is harmful). Among a few other questionable ingredients:
listed here.
Another thought: Because you haven't organically, nor freely re-conditioned yourself to stop eating upon satiety, without 'sprinkling' ... odds are, when you cease the practice, you're likely to pick up those over indulgent habits and weight. In theory. What’s oddly overlooked these days, is that our bodies are naturally designed to relay signals that we’re full. We have, for so long, just ignored these messages. I’d certainly entertain, eating slowly and realistically assessing your true level of hunger and fullness - during meals. Something tells me, relying on that method will be immensely superior to anything a doctor can conjure up in a lab.
So, here’s my plea … don’t get sucked into those displays at Target! Turn the channel when that infomercial comes on (which is hard for me, as an infomo-junkie). Save your $60+ and go buy a gym membership, splurge at your local farmers’ market or tuck it away for that goal bikini you’ve had your eye on!
I suppose the phrase "there are no magic pills for weight loss," is no longer sufficient. So ... FYI, there aren’t any magic crystals either.
~PC
