It's been a while since my last update and it's amazing to see how much has changed in the weight loss world. Something thats recently come into vogue is the hCG Diet. hCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, a hormone found widely in pregnant women, but also produced in smaller amounts by men.
What does hCG do?
hCG has multiple roles in the human body, however for the purpose of this article we will focus purely on its role in weight loss. Dr A.T.W. Simeons observed that when administering small amounts of hCG to malnutritioned patients that they actually continued to lose weight. The amazing thing is that they lost fat instead of muscle mass, which is not what you would expect with very low calorie intake. Eventually this caused some further research into its effect of weight loss and the hCG Diet was born.
How does it work?
Now before you rush out to ask your Doctor for hCG, please note that the diet only works when accompanied by a very low calorie diet, or VLCD. A VLCD alone would shed pounds off your body in the vast majority of people. Adding hCG to this mix will shed even more by helping your body shed fat rather than muscle. Taking hCG without changing your diet will not yield weight loss!
Is hCG safe?
This is the million dollar question, is hCG safe for consumption when used for weight loss? According to the FDA, the answer is no. According to author and infomercial salesman, Kevin Trudeau the answer is yes. It's entirely up to you whether you take the world of a salesman over the Food & Drug Administration.
Final thoughts
The jury is still out on the long term side-effects of consuming hCG while adopting a VLCD. Considering that you need to drop your calorie intake to ~500 per day for the hCG diet to be effective, it seems like you're getting little return for the risk. 99% of people will lose weight on a VLCD, even with no exercise, so why spend money and risk long term health on hCG?
Several research studies suggest that foods such as peanuts, mulberries, cranberries, grapes (red wine), etc. that's high in the antioxidant resveratrol may reduce the risks of coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease and pre-mature aging. And it can provide more effective protection than the popular well known antioxidants vitamins C and E.
The effect resveratrol that's found in red wine is one of the explanations given for what's become known as the "French paradox". The French eat a diet that's notoriously high in fat, the same as the Scottish people. Yet the French have one of the lowest occurrences of cardiovascular disease, while the Scottish people have one of the highest. The answer that researchers have given is that the French tend to drink more red wine (made from grape skins), which of course is abundant with resveratrol. It appears to do a remarkable job.
Modern technology seems to have added to the problems of cardiovascular disease with saturated fats, trans fatty acids, processed foods, fast foods, etc. While technology has improved cardiovascular problems have increased. The powerful antioxidants contained in the skin of grapes, resveratrol in particular, appears to offset some of the effects by lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL) while raising the good cholesterol (HDL) in our bodies.
Antioxidants helps to minimize the damage done to the body from oxygen free radicals. It also plays a crucial role in pre-mature aging, as we age and the body begins to weaken and antioxidants protects against heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's and other diseases that attacks a body and muscles that has weakened with age.
Resveratrol is being touted as a dietary anti-aging solution, and while age related problems are of major importance, just as important, maybe even more, is the extra protection it provides promoting good cardiovascular health.
The Eastern philosophy is prevention, while in the West it's curing the disease. While the both sides are merging and giving us the best of both worlds, as a former stroke victim I can personally attest that Eastern philosophy of prevention is of critical importance, in order to cure a health problem you need to first have it. Also that it's possible to be physically fit and not healthy at the same time. Don't find out the hard way.
Recently on Oprah, Dr Oz spoke about a new anti-aging supplement known as resveratrol. The tablet that comes from red wine has been proven to increase longevity and boost energy levels. Dr Oz indicates that in order to gain the same benefits without taking the supplement, you would need consume over a twelve bottles of red wine every day!
Dr Oz believes that by adding Resveratrol to a balanced diet, you could potentially live past 100 and have the energy level of a twenty-something year old. The reason for this is because your body would not need to waste energy storing excess calories. When your body is not burning through energy, the cells are not being depleted or damaged. Resveratrol anti-aging tablets work by adding more strength to your cells, which makes them more efficient and allows them to rejuvenate at a much higher rate.
Resveratrol Anti Aging Benefits:
- Diminishes probability of age related diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's and even Cancer
- Reduces the risk of heart related disease
- Counters the effects of a high fat diet
- Increases energy
- Increases longevity
Due to these recent findings, Resveratrol anti-aging tablets have been gaining a lot of attention in the media and is rapidly becoming one of the most in demand supplements on the market today.
So confident in its effectiveness, a few companies are now offering free trials of the supplement.
Resveratrol has been the subject of some of the most exciting anti-aging and cardiovascular research in decades. It's a high potency, all natural supplement that helps to provide elevated levels of powerful naturally occurring antioxidants.
We will be covering more of the health benefits of Resveratrol in our next article, so stay tuned!
As you may be aware, there are many benefits of a colon cleanse. Dr Oz often says that if the colon is healthy, the mind is happy.
These inexpensive, easy-to-make recipes by Oprah & Dr Oz are excellent for cleansing your colon and losing weight. Both of these recipes will prove effective for a colon cleanse. The removal of toxic impurities from your system will help raise your metabolic rate which then helps you lose weight as your body digests more calories in less time. Fatigue will be a thing of the past as you find renewed levels of energy thanks to this detox program. These recipes are full of natural ingredients and filled with vitamins and antioxidants. They can be made from the comfort of your home and taste great.
So, what have you got to lose? Give it a try!
Master Cleanse Recipe
Ingredients required:
- Two tablespoons of organic lemon juice.
- Two tablespoons of organic maple syrup.
- Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
- 10 oz. of purified water
This recipe will make one serving of the drink. This will flush all the toxins from your system and simultaneously cleanse your colon. One serving per day for 1 month is recommended.
Green Drink Recipe
Ingredients required:
- One celery stick.
- Two chopped Apples.
- Juice from one freshly squeezed lemon.
- Medium sized cucumber-diced.
- One cup of spinach.
- Half a cup of chopped parsley.
- Small piece of peeled ginger.
Simply add ingredients to your blender, along with some purified water and ice-cubes. You can also add in some fresh carrot juice or sugar-free fruit juice to sweeten this drink. Not only is this drink good for cleansing your colon, but it can also aid in weight loss.
There are very few reported cases of Acai Berry side effects. Undesirable side effects are uncommon with Acai Berries because they are a natural fruit that come from the earth. It is possible however, that certain side-effects could be caused as a result of the manufacturing process that these berries go through when turned into other products, such as pills or juices.
Acai Berries are known to cause a decrease in appetite amongst those who consume the fruit. This is actually a favorable condition for those who are trying to shed some excess waste. By eating Acai Berry you’ll find yourself less hungry and this will also help reduce craving for food that isn’t very good for you! Acai Berries are also noted to encourage natural weight-loss in some users, however the scientific research is still inconclusive at this stage.
Acai Berries can also lead to an increase in energy levels. This can be a blessing in disguise though! If you do consume Acai Berries, try to do it in the morning or during lunch, and not before you go to sleep. Eating Acai Berries can be like drinking coffee, so try to avoid it before you go to sleep.
Just like any other therapeutic product, it is important that you check with your doctor or health care professional, whether or not Acai Berry supplement is right for you.
Acai berry can also improve your body functions. It can aide in better digestion and improved blood flow. You can also achieve a healthier heart. Since Acai Berries are rich in vitamins, minerals and all important antioxidants, you would gain complete nutritional value that can allow you to have a healthier body.
