Mindbodygreen is a well-known wellness and supplement company established in 2009. It sells high-end supplement blends, some personal care items, and coffee. It may also be well known for its higher-priced products, especially when compared to other supplements on the market.
Weight loss is a common goal, but it's important to approach it in a healthy and sustainable way. Mindbodygreen offers a variety of supplements and programs that claim to support weight loss and metabolic health. This article examines the effectiveness of Mindbodygreen's approach to weight loss, considering the available evidence and expert opinions.
Mindbodygreen's Approach to Wellness
Mindbodygreen was founded on the belief that all aspects of health are interconnected, including the mind, body, food, and environment. The company offers supplements, digital content, and training courses. It aims to help people connect all forms of health, including body, mind, food, and environment.
Some of the reasons mindbodygreen stands out include:
- Science-backed products: mindbodygreen states that it only offers products and lifestyle support that have roots in science.
- Ingredient sourcing: The company only uses quality ingredients in its supplements, partnering with suppliers who prioritize efficacy and safety.
- Third-party testing: The company says that every batch of supplements goes through four rounds of testing in ISO-certified labs to ensure that each product is safe to consume.
- Sustainability: mindbodygreen packages and ships its products with sustainability and the environment in mind. It uses recyclable glass and cardboard packaging and aims to use organic ingredients wherever possible.
Beyond supplements, mindbodygreen also offers an online wellness platform featuring blogs, videos, a podcast, and training programs (via the mindbodygreen institute). According to the company, it seeks to help support mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, and environmental well-being and guide people to greater meaning, fulfillment, connection, and purpose.
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Mindset and Weight Loss: The Langer Study
According to Harvard psychology professor and mindfulness pioneer Ellen Langer, Ph.D., your mindset alone may play a role in healthy weight loss.
In a study led by Langer, a group of researchers took 84 female room attendants working in seven different hotels. They told one group of participants that their work tasks (cleaning hotel rooms) were, in fact, considered exercise and satisfied general active lifestyle requirements. The other group (the control group) was not given this information, thus assuming their day job did not count as exercise, and the only exercise that counted was post-work-hour movement-something neither of the two groups participated in regularly, due to their busy schedules.
Once the experiment was over and the research team ensured nothing had changed during the experiment (related to nutrition, lifestyle factors, hours spent working, etc.), researchers could determine if the mindset made a difference. "By now seeing their work as exercise, there was a significant decrease in weight," Langer recounts. "There was a change in waist-to-hip ratio, body mass index, and their blood pressure came down-we assume all because of the change of their mindset."
Langer did discover a link between weight loss and mindset, finding that women who considered their daily movement as exercise lost more weight than those who discounted it.
Mindbodygreen's Metabolism+ Supplement
Mindbodygreen currently offers 29 supplements, which are categorised as daily essentials, gut health, beauty, sleep, muscle health, brain, or metabolic health. One of its products, metabolism+, is designed to support energy, balance, and metabolic health.
Read also: A Guide to the MIND Diet
Here’s how mindbodygreen’s metabolism+ works:
- GLP-1 Promotion: metabolism+ includes ingredients shown to naturally promote GLP-1 production, offering a gentle, holistic way to support fullness and metabolic health. GLP-1 is a hormone that helps regulate appetite and blood sugar.
- Glucose Balance: metabolism+ features patented, plant-based compounds that help support a healthy appetite, metabolism, and post-meal blood sugar response, leading to fewer crashes and cravings throughout the day. Balanced glucose is the key to stable energy and mood.
- Sustained Energy: metabolism+ delivers natural, plant-powered energy to help you stay focused and energized.
However, a medical expert suggests that the green tea leaf extract in metabolism+ can help burn a very small amount of calories due to the caffeine, but you can just make green tea and save yourself money. Some studies have indicated that green tea consumption may lead to an increase in daily energy expenditure of around 3-4%, though individual results may vary.
Probiotics and Weight Loss
Probiotics are live microorganisms that are associated with a wide range of health benefits. For example, some strains have been shown to be effective for treating irritable bowel syndrome, while others may help with reducing weight and fat loss.
Obesity is a multifaceted condition that involves genetics, hormones, diet, environment, socioeconomic status, exercise and movement habits, and sleep patterns. However, research suggests that probiotics may be a useful tool for helping some individuals lose weight.
When shopping for probiotics to assist in your weight loss efforts, it’s important to look for one of the following strains:
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- B. animalis ssp. lactis 420
- B. animalis subsp. lactis CECT 8145
- L. rhamnosus CGMCC1.3724
- L. gasseri BNR 17
- L. gasseri SBT2055
- L. plantarum TENSIA and L. plantarum LP28
- L. casei strain Shirota
- L. sakei (CJLS03)
- combination of L. curvatus HY7601 and L. plantarum KY1032
- a multi-strain blend of L. acidophilus CUL60, L. acidophilus CUL21, L. plantarum CUL66, B. bifidum CUL20, and B. animalis subsp. lactis CUL34
Also keep in mind that while they may be appropriate for general gut health support, most broad-spectrum probiotics don’t contain the exact strains that have been shown to be effective for weight loss.
When shopping for a probiotic to support your weight loss efforts, it’s important to consider several factors, including your dietary needs and the product’s probiotic strains, CFU count, storage requirements, third-party testing, and cost.
It’s important to ensure it contains an effective dose of this strain. For example, Bifidobacterium lactis B-420 has been shown to be effective at a dose of 10 billion CFU per day. Additionally, weight loss studies using a mix of Lactobacillus acidophilus CUL-60, Lactobacillus acidophilus CUL-21, Lactobacillus plantarum CUL-66, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CUL-34, and Bifidobacterium bifidum CUL-20 were effective at 50 billion CFU per day.
Look for a product that has 100 million to 10 billion CFU, which is the minimum effective daily dose for probiotics.
Because the FDA does not regulate supplements in the same way as pharmaceuticals, the best way to ensure the safety, purity, and potency of a probiotic supplement is to purchase a product that’s third-party tested by a credible organization.
Probiotics can vary in price, so compare brands and buy based on what you can afford.
Probiotics are generally considered safe for healthy adults. However, using an inappropriate strain can upset the balance of your gut microbiome and may cause gastrointestinal side effects such as gas. In some cases, probiotics may be harmful, such as for those with suppressed immune systems.
As with any supplement, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional before adding a probiotic to your wellness routine.
When paired with a healthy diet and regular physical activity, probiotics may help you lose weight and trim your waistline. However, probiotic supplements on their own won’t lead to dramatic weight loss or a flat tummy.
Overall, research on probiotics for weight loss is limited. However, some studies have found certain strains to be effective for weight loss and appetite regulation.
Rethinking Weight Loss: Focusing on Metabolic Health
It's time to rethink what you want to address by losing weight. We encourage you to shift your focus away from weight loss and toward improving your overall metabolic health.
Metabolic health captures how smoothly and efficiently energy-producing processes are running in the body. Blood sugar and cholesterol levels, blood pressure, triglycerides, and waist circumference (a proxy for belly fat) are all measurable ways to evaluate your metabolic health.
Here are some actionable goals you can set instead that will have a powerful impact on your metabolism:
- Eat 30 different plants a week: Eating more plants can improve your metabolic health in multiple ways. These foods, especially nonstarchy veggies, provide an array of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients and are a good source of fiber. Getting the recommended 21-38 grams of fiber daily should be a breeze if you adopt this approach. Fiber plays an important role in maintaining stable blood sugar levels and lowering cholesterol (or keeping it in a healthy range). The American Gut Project also shows that eating 30+ plants a week is the magic number for improving the health of the gut microbiome.
- Aim for (a minimum of) 100 grams of protein daily: Eating enough protein is absolutely crucial for satiety and for body recomposition (think fat loss and muscle gain or preservation). And most people-especially women-have been woefully underconsuming protein. So a general baseline for metabolic health and longevity, you should aim to get at least 100 grams of protein daily.
- Strength train at least 2 days a week: Strength (or resistance) training means that you're working your muscles against a force. That force could be your own body weight, dumbbells, weight machines, a heavy load of laundry, or even young children. This type of exercise is essential for maintaining and especially building muscle mass. And every aspect of your health improves by having stronger muscles. Muscles are very efficient at using energy and helping blood sugar levels stay in the optimal range. Having low levels of muscle mass is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, and heart complications. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends including at least two days of strength training a week that work all major muscle groups (like your glutes, hamstrings, back, shoulders, abdomen, etc.).
- Walk your way to at least 8,000 steps daily: Walking is such a straightforward way to up your physical activity. And looking at step count encourages prioritizing movement throughout the day-not just an hour-long gym session. Research shows a significant benefit to overall health for people who get 8,000 steps daily. But if you're really looking for metabolic benefits like lowering waist circumference and body fat percentage, then you may want to bump up your goal to 10,000-12,000 steps daily. While it varies, 10,000 steps is about the equivalent of walking 5 miles.
- Sleep soundly for 7-9 hours a night: Not getting enough quality sleep messes with your metabolic health. Not everyone needs the same amount of sleep, but in general, falling short of seven to nine hours (even if it's just for a week or two) impacts blood sugar levels, increases your appetite, and leads you to make less healthy food selections.
Considerations When Purchasing Supplements
A person should consider the following when looking to purchase a supplement:
- Price: Some supplements can be expensive. People should consider their budget and note any subscribe-and-save options that allow them to save money.
- Testing: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not test or approve dietary supplements, so a person should ensure the supplement they purchase undergoes thorough third-party testing by an ISO or Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments certified lab.
- Ingredients: A person should check the ingredients list and ensure there are no allergens or ingredients that may interact with their medication. Buyers may also wish to check whether the product contains sugars, artificial colors, or flavorings.
- Doses: Buyers should look at how much of each nutrient’s daily recommended intake their supplement provides, as they can sometimes contain very high doses. People should always discuss their chosen supplement with a doctor to ensure it is safe and appropriate for them to take.
- Clear labeling: According to the FDA, brands selling dietary supplements must clearly display the serving size, number of servings per container, all dietary ingredients included, and information about the amount per serving of each ingredient on the label. Buyers should avoid supplements that do not state this essential information.