I was in the waiting area at my chiropractor’s office recently and a commercial for the popular weight loss drug Contrave came on the waiting room TV.

The commercial showed the frustration and desperation in the face of the actress as she was craving ice cream and French fries. 

But then magically after taking the drug, she was smiling as she tried on new clothes, took a walk with her boyfriend and effortlessly said not to dessert in a restaurant.

All I can say is this is brainwashing at its best.

Here’s the REAL truth about Contrave that you probably won’t see in the pretty commercial:

It’s 2 drugs in one

Contrave is a mixture of two brain-altering drugs—bupropion (Wellbutrin), an antidepressant and naltrexone (Vivitrol), an alcohol/opioid withdrawal drug.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t get a warm fuzzy about a potent chemical messing with my brain function, let alone two at once.

It “may” work

The commercial is carefully worded when it explains how these chemical “work” (emphasis and words in parentheses are mine):

CONTRAVE combines these medicines and is believed (but not proven) to work on two areas of your brain—the hunger center and the reward system—to reduce hunger and help control cravings.

They “believe” this is what happens, but they’re not sure.  Therefore, you are a human guinea pig if you take this drug.  Good luck.

Also, the FDA says that if you don’t lose 5 percent of your bodyweight within 12 weeks you should stop taking the drug because it likely isn’t working for you. 

So, for a 250-lb. person, 5 percent of bodyweight would be 12.5 pounds lost in 3 months, or about 4 pounds a month or 1 pound a week.

Many people could achieve a 1 pound a week weight loss just by cutting out soda, and that’s a healthy move!  On the contrary, here is what you might be facing with Contrave…

Weight loss at what price?

This is a listing of Contrave’s potential side effects and adverse reactions:

• Thoughts about suicide or dying
• Attempts to commit suicide
• Depression (even though half of this pill is an antidepressant)
• Anxiety; feeling agitated or restless
• Panic attacks
• Insomnia
• Irritability; aggression, anger, or violence
• Acting on dangerous impulses; an extreme increase in activity and talking; other unusual changes in behavior or mood
• Manic episodes (in other words, you become psychotic)
• Seizures
• Liver damage or hepatitis
• Risk of opioid overdose (another irony—this pill contains an opioid withdrawal drug!)
• Severe allergic reactions
• Increases in blood pressure or heart rate
• Visual problems (angle-closure glaucoma)
• Increased risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)

But hey, you might (but not necessarily will) lose a pound a week.

Stop the madness!

Listen, if you want to lose weight, I commend you and I’m here to help you!  And the great news is that there are safe, natural ways you can address both the physical and the psychological aspects of weight loss.

Here’s how:

Physical

The formula here is threefold: Diet, sound digestion, and exercise.

Diet

When it comes to your diet, concentrate on proteins and vegetables.  You can make tons of yummy meals with chicken, turkey, fish, steak, pork or eggs and pile on whatever veggies you like! 

Nix or minimize the sugars and starches like pasta, bread, potatoes, rice, snack chips, and sweets.  This includes beverages too, so avoid soda (both diet and regular), sweetened coffee and tea drinks, sports drinks and flavored waters.  Clean them right out of your pantry and refrigerator!

Also be sure to drink plenty of water—at least eight 8-oz. glasses a day.  Many people mistake thirst for hunger, plus water will help keep you satisfied between meals.

Digestion

Sound digestion is key to weight loss too!  When you are not digesting properly, your cells don’t get the nutrients they need to produce energy.  At that point, a vicious cycle is created where excess wastes and toxins accumulate, and you store glucose as fat. 

You can improve your digestion by keeping your meals simpler and avoiding the protein and starch combination (such as meat and potatoes) because it is very taxing on your system.   Instead pair meats OR (occasional) starches with vegetables.  You will see the difference immediately!

Probiotics like Super Shield can also help with digestion by assisting your body in breaking down fiber and supporting nutrient absorption. 

In addition, enzyme deficiencies are common (especially among the elderly, people who use antacids and people who have had gastric surgery), and in those cases, an enzyme formula like Digestizol Max can be a big help in supporting thorough, comfortable digestion.

Exercise

You don’t need to get fancy with exercise.  Taking a walk four to five days a week is a great place to start, and practically everyone can do that.  Just get your doctor’s OK first.

Psychological and other

Hypnosis has been shown in many cases to help with cravings and unhealthy feelings and attitudes about food.  Even though it may be poo-pooed by mainstream medicine, many people have sworn by it and it’s certainly safe enough to give it a shot—no deadly side effects to worry about here!

Also, acupuncture can help with weight loss.  Acupuncture helps balance your hormones (including hunger hormones), it helps increase endorphins (your body’s feel-good chemicals), it helps reduce stress (the stress hormone cortisol causes stress eating and binging), and it improves digestion.  

Lastly, chiropractic adjustments can be helpful too.  When there are misalignments along the nerves in your spinal column, nerve communication is hampered and the signals controlling hunger and eating can be affected.  In addition, people with back pain often have trouble exercising, which also contributes to weight gain, and chiropractic adjustments can certainly help with that too.

Time for you to take that weight off once and for all—safely and naturally!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia