Liquid HCG Diet

I recently saw an ad on my Facebook and became curious about it. The liquid HCG diet. Being currently pregnant, I am familiar with the term, and was wanting to know what new fad had come about. Well, much to my shock, and personal horror, they are claiming that the pregnancy hormone, Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), can actually help a person lose weight. I started to read up on this new "miracle" and discovered some scary things. One, you must follow a strict 4 phase plan. Two, you must follow a strict diet plan of only 500 calories per day for up to 40 days. This in itself is very upsetting. You are not only burning off fat, you can make yourself seriously ill by starving yourself like this. Three, this a homeopathic supplement, man made in a laboratory. Yes the majority of things we take are made this way, but they must also pass numerous safety measures before being passed on to consumers. No where on the page does it say anything about FDA approval. There is nothing natural about this stuff, the actual HCG hormone as I stated earlier is found in pregnant women only.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is a hormone that is normally produced first by the cells that make up the placenta, then later by the placenta during pregnancy. Its primary function is to support the pregnancy by encouraging the production of progesterone. This supports and promotes the further development of the placenta early in pregnancy. HCGsees a rapid increase early in pregnancy, but tapers off slowly as the placenta can produce enough progesterone to support the pregnancy on its own. The hormone also serves in aiding in the development of gonads in the fetus and the production of androgens by the testes of a male fetus.

(posted from wisegeek)

To believe that starving yourself will make you lose weight is believable, but the repercussions of this are also well known. You will lose fat, but also muscle and possibly your life. Please do not buy into fad diets that make you starve yourself. I have several plans listed on this blog for safe weight loss methods that allow you to eat and teach you to what to eat to become a happier healthier you.

Recession Pricing on the Pops!

Everyone has felt the pain of this recession by now. While some of us are pulling out of it, for my husband and I it seems as if the end will never come. Between my working outside of the home, and my impending stressful school schedule my online business has suffered. For my followers, I do apologize. As a goal for myself, I have decided to put more time into The Pops. The great news is that with this economic downturn, the Pops are now being offered at special prices! All plans are 20% off, with special savings for those on subscription plans. Installments are also offered for those on the subscription. Also, if you blog, why not make some extra money doing it? Whole Food Nation is free to join as an affiliate, and practically sell themselves. You are on the computer anyway right? Do you take the Pops yourself? You can sign up and get paid for ordering for yourself! How great is that? Think about it. Who wouldn't want to get paid for something you already do?

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TV Causes Overeating???

I mean really. This is an actual study. How long have people studied this? Way to long in my opinion. Advertising reps get paid 6 figure incomes to know when and how to show these ads to a target audience. Think about Saturday morning cartoons. All the ads are for things kids want. Kool-Aid, Go-gurt, ect. Kids are typically a captive audience. While adults take these opppurtunitues to grab a snack, children will sit glued to the television. The kids see these ads and urge their parents to go out and buy what they saw. Now fast food ads are shown after the news during your evening programs. When dinner is wearing off, and a snack sounds good. Here is the full article. What do you think about all this?

WEDNESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- Watching food ads on TV leads to a boost in snacking among children and adults, increasing the risk of weight gain, U.S. researchers say.

Yale University researchers conducted a series of experiments to test the effects of food commercials on television. One test found that children aged 7 to 11 who watched a half-hour cartoon that included food commercials ate 45% more snack food while watching the show than children who watched the same cartoon with non-food commercials.

That increased amount of snacking would lead to a weight gain of nearly 10 pounds a year, unless it was countered by decreased intake of other foods or increased physical activity, the researchers said.

In another experiment, adults who saw TV ads for unhealthy foods ate much more than those who saw ads that featured messages about good nutrition or healthy food.

"This research shows a direct and powerful link between television food advertising and calories consumed by adults and children," lead author Jennifer Harris, director of marketing initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale, said in a news release from the university.

"Food advertising triggers automatic eating, regardless of hunger, and is a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic. Reducing unhealthy food advertising to children is critical," she said.

The study appears in the July issue of the journal Health Psychology.

-- Robert Preidt

SOURCE: Yale University, news release, July 1, 2009

Herbal EVERYTHING?!

I have started some personal research on a very touchy topic. Infertility. My sister recently lost twins at 5 months. This sparked my interest to find out how this happens. I myself have lost 3 pregnancies, 4 years apart each time, and each before 8 weeks. So what causes all these problems? The answers are varied greatly. Each individual can have just as many individual reasons for not being able to either conceive and or carry a pregnancy. Now while I do understand that Chinese herbal remedies have been around for centuries, some of these are not safe during pregnancy. In fact many everyday things are taboo for those who are high risk. Caffeine, smoking, alcohol, certain foods, strenuous activity, the list goes on. So how do you sort it all out? The very first thing to do is get yourself as healthy as you can prior to trying to get pregnant. If you are overweight, you need to change whatever it may be keeping you this way. Whole food nation offers several different plans to get you to your goal weight. This goes for those who are underweight as well. Having to much body fat or not enough can put a fetus at risk. If you smoke, as you probably already know, you need to quit. Smoking causes ovulation problems and can prevent pregnancy. The chances of becoming pregnant are only about 20% each month in a healthy woman and each of the other factors involved can decrease those chances even further. The steps you take to prepare yourself prior to trying to become pregnant are just as important as what you do after you learn you have in fact conceived. It often takes 2 weeks before you suspect it has occurred, therefor making sure your body is ready before can prevent any drastic life changes after you receive the good news. Caffeine with drawls are terrible, so easing off it slowly is best. Try switching up 1 soda a day for water, after about a week replace another. Changing to low caff coffee is also a small easy to handle change. Health care pros say it is relatively safe to have 1 cup of regular coffee a day during pregnancy. So if you can't live without your morning pick me up, remember to limit it to just one. Working out is also vital to your health but don't overdo it. If you plan to have a baby, discuss your routine with your physician and see if you need to change it up. Yoga is a great alternative that helps to relieve some stress and minor aches and pains. There are some poses that cannot safely be done, and you need to consult a pro before starting any new workout regime. Videos can be found almost everywhere that focus on prenatal workouts. The food you eat can also sabotage your body in many different ways. In this fast food, instant gratification society, making good choices is often hard if not impossible to do. Clean out your fridge, make that extra few mile drive to the local farmers market, buy organic produce. The drive thru window is not the way to be healthy. For you or your baby to be. Think of it this way, would you feed that to your child? If you are pregnant or trying to become that way, that is exactly what you are doing. Do you really want your kids eating a double quarter pounder? Another huge issue is vitamins. You need extra nutrients during this time. The pops are an easy to use way to get your servings of veggies and fruits as well as other essential nutrients. Calcium, and iron are found naturally in veggies and fruits and getting them in their natural state is much more nutritious. Also the Pops have zero additives. No dyes, binding agents, or gels. If you are taking a prenatal, good for you, but please make sure you understand what is in them. (previous post about lake #40) As with anything you take, eat, or do, be sure to inform your physician. While there is a multitude of free information on the web, only you and your doctor can decide what is best for your situation.

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Recession Proof Your Diet

Everyone is feeling the pain of job cuts. Making cutbacks on lots of things is more important in these tough times. So is there a way to still eat right without going over budget? I have found a way. Almost everywhere I know of you have a way to access coupons. Each Sunday I go buy a paper. The 2.00 I spend is made up for by the savings I find. You would be amazed how much money you really can save on everyday items. Shopping at a different store can also help. I have several options available near me, but I have found the cheapest overall is Wal-Mart. They carry just as much of the organic products as every one else, and everything in their stores is at a lower cost. Local farmers markets are also a great way to save on produce. If you have a meat processor nearby, be sure to call them and see if they sell retail. You can typically save anywhere from a few cents to several dollars a pound on the same quality of meats you would buy at a chain store. While it may not seem as convenient to drive a few more miles to go to these stores, the money saved tends to make up for it. I moved several months ago and a trip to town is now a 10 mile drive for me. I try to get to all my stores in one trip. I start at the farthest and work my way back towards home. Before I leave I look in my cabinets, make a list, and look through all my coupons. I make notes on the list in regards to the coupon so I know how many I need to buy. When I get to the store I compare everything. Some stores list price per ounce ect. right on the shelf so you know what is your best buy. Certain snack foods I will only buy if I have a coupon, I buy generic when I can, and freeze all my meats. I buy in bulk, separate the package into meal size portions, and freeze them. You don't need a vacuum sealer, or some other high tech food saving storage. A good selection of freezer bags saves space as well as money. Many stores also have specials on items close to their sell date. You can get bread and meats at a greatly reduced price. You just need to use it or freeze it by the date. Rolls are wonderful for this. You can get a bag of fresh dinner rolls, and place enough for a meal into freezer bags. Then when you are ready to use them it takes a short time to defrost. If you plan meals in advance, you can easily have the things you need thawed before you get home. I take these out prior to leaving for work in the morning, so they are ready when I make home in the evening. Healthy eating does not have to break the bank. Simply changing the way you shop can make all the difference in the world.

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Breaking BAD Habits

I can see how easy it is to eat junk. I recently reentered the work away from home world, as well as am taking some college courses again. My school hours are 1-4pm. And I work 1130-730. Now this may not seem to bad. My hours are nice enough. The problem that I have is this: These are the times of day most people are having lunch and dinner hours. I am used to eating lunch around noon, and dinner around 6. So the 2 days a week i am in school, I am driving during my normal lunch time. Work days I am already at work when I usually eat. I spend over an hour a day driving, 6 days a week. When you are in the car that often it's difficult to not stop in somewhere an hit the drive thru. (I had a jumbo Jack and fries on the way to school the other day.) I was starving an had woken up late. My other problem is that no matter how early I set my alarm for, I hit snooze an sleep as late as I can. I have to be up at least 2 hours before I can eat anything, and usually am already on my way by then. (try eating a bagel with cream cheese and jelly while you drive) So bad habits come back. I have been taking meals for lunch. And keep healthy things with me to resist eating junk at work. I do alright on my way home, but when I get home I am so tired and have homework to do and cooking is not in the gameplan. When I went shopping last I was careful about what I bought. I stayed away from frozen foods with a few small exceptions of french fries and taquitos. I have been making snacks of fresh celery and peanut butter with honey. I buy the Jif, it has less of the crap in it an no preservatives. Just peanuts, honey, and a bit of soduim. But all in all peanut butter is not that bad for you. It has far less fat and calories than microwave popcorn and frozen dinners. While fresh whole foods are best for all of us, there are still ways to eat well and fast without eating junk. Read the labels. It may look harmless, but you would be amazed. Look at a Marie Callanders Pot Pie. I love those. but if you eat 2 a day you have exceded almost all of your recommended daily allowence for everything. They have over 1000 calories in one. Even the new smaller ones, (10.5 oz) have about 650 fat grams. I recently quit smoking an took up Yoga in it's place. I made a deal to myself to trade a bad habit for a good one. It's all about the small things we do that make a big difference. The next time you are in the grocery store, make one or two small changes. Instead of can veggies, but fresh ones. Replace the box potatos with a salad. It's very easy to integrate veggies into your meals, think of the colors of what you are eating. Put colorful foods on your plate. Try a fresh fruit salad for dessert instead of chocolate cake. Fresh corn on the cob instead of canned peas. Always trade a bad habit for a good one. Everytime you do your new "good habit" congradulate yourself. You can never have to many GOOD habits.

How your friends and family may be killing your diet....

Many of us already know what I'm about to talk about, but few of us know what to do about it. A good friend of mine made the simplest comment the other day, but I've been mulling it over ever since. She said "It's so hard to eat right when everyone around you is eating the wrong stuff." Now she is not heavy by any means, but in the last year she has put on 20lbs she would rather not have. I am sure her situation is very similar to many other people out there. She has 2 children, a husband, and works full time and goes to college at night. Her job and home life are the reason she gives for her weight gain. She explained to me that with a 8 and 9 yr old in the house, at times it's easier to pick something up on the way home from her night classes. So fast food is often on the menu. Her husbands hours vary at times so he is on occasion not home at dinner time. Quick fix meals, microwave stuff ect. Her job is in an office full of other people who often have lunch together. They either order in, pizza, subs, ect. Or a large group gets together to go eat at a nearby Mexican place. So, between being extremely busy, having children whom are used to fast food, and the people at work eating junk all the time, she has a very hard time making good choices for her meals. This also had me thinking back to my days of working away from home, each place we would order in from had a $15 - $25 min. for delivery. Now if you are really just wanting a sandwich, you would run around and collect orders from everyone. Needless to say, we ate a ton of pizza, chinese, and on ocassion Jason's Deli. Location made a difference as well, only 3 places were within delivery range for us. Making terrible choices is so much easier when everyone around you is eating things like pizza. Willpower is an amazing thing, but I love pizza and a salad just dosn't compare. So, how do we fix these delicious downfalls? Try these suggestions:

1. Find another person at work who is dieting as well, go have lunch with them
   
2. If you must eat fast food, take advantage of the "better" choices they offer. Have a salad instead of fries. Bottle water instead of soda. Grilled chicken instead of fried.
   
3. Take healthy snacks with you, keep them in an easy to see place so you will be less tempted to get a candy bar from the vending machine.
   
4. Make a goal to cut out 1 bad food each day. Slowly increase this until you are no longer eating any junk.

Other people eating badly is not always so easy to fix. Schools offer junk for lunch. Pack a lunch for your child. If they love PB & J, pack that with an apple. A small change will not shock them so badly, and they may not even notice. Add extra veggies to your meals. Trust me, people will notice. My husband has recently started eating better. I didn't do anything but mention it to him. He works on the road 14 days at a time, but he said he has been eating at Subway and getting salads more often than before. He has almost completely cut out hamburgers from his diet. Our house is packed with fresh fruits and veggies. He went and bought celery and oranges the other night for snacks. Hmmm. I thought I was going to have to force this stuff down his throat. All I had to do was change what I have in my house, and not eat junk in front of him. Now I still like the occassional burger, but only about once a month. Just like my freind said, It's hard to make good choices when everyone around is making bad ones. I guess it goes the same for good choices. If people see you eating good for you food, it just may make them take a second look at that plate of nachos they just ordered.

New study shows diet drinks can actually cause weight gain

From ABC News:

Calorie-conscious consumers who opt for diet sodas may gain more weight than if they drank sugary drinks because of artificial sweeteners contained in the diet sodas, according to a new study.

A new study suggests diet soda may lead to weight gain.

(PhotoDisc )

A Purdue University study released Sunday in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience reported that rats on diets containing the artificial sweetener saccharin gained more weight than rats given sugary food, casting doubt on the benefits of low-calorie sweeteners.

"There's something about diet foods that changes your metabolic limit, your brain chemistry," said ABC News' medical contributor Dr. Marie Savard.

Though Savard said more research needs to be done to uncover more information, the study does hint at the idea that the sweeteners alter a person's metabolism.

Savard said another recent study, which included more than 18,000 people, found healthy adults who consumed at least one diet drink a day could increase their chance for weight gain.

Related

Saccharine Making Us Fat? Aw, Rats!

In the Purdue study, the rats whose diets contained artificial sweeteners appeared to experience a physiological connection between sweet tastes and calories, which drove them to overeat.

"The taste buds taste sweet, but there's no calorie load that comes with it. There's a mismatch here. It seems it changes your brain chemistry in some way," Savard said. "Anything you put in your mouth, your body has a strong reaction to it. It's much more than counting calories. It seems normally with sweet foods that we rev up our metabolism."

The information may come as a surprise to the 59 percent of Americans who consume diet soft drinks, making them the the second-most-popular low-calorie, sugar-free products in the nation, according to a consumer survey from the Calorie Control Council, a nonprofit association that represents the low-calorie and reduced-fat food and beverage industry.

Because so many foods today contain artificial sweeteners, the study results may go beyond diet drinks.

"The truth is, we're putting artificial sweetener in so many different things in water, in yogurt," Savard said. It's unclear if the results only adhere to diet sodas, she said.

"We have to rethink what this artificial stuff does to us. If we put this in water it might not be so good," she added.

The Calorie Control Council issued a statement that disagreed with the findings of the Purdue study and noted that past studies indicated low-calorie sweeteners benefit weight control.

But Savard said people who consume a drink or more a day should think about cutting back their consumption.

"The truth is, if you're consuming a drink or more a day, you know it. You know that you're taking it, and you really have to think about eliminating it. You're probably the very person who needs to change those health behaviors to prevent the diabetes, heart disease and stroke," Savard said.

"If you're just taking it once in a while, fine -- no big deal. If you're consuming one or more drinks a day, you should rethink what you're doing. You might be negating the whole reason in the first place."

You can eat what you want

I say this for one reason only. It is possible to eat what you want if you do it the right way. Let me give you some facts about me. I am 28, 5'5" and weigh 107. I do have a small frame, and am in some peoples opinions thin. I wear a size 1 in pants. No my skin does not hang on my bones. I have curves, and am very proportionate. Now, I take whole food vitamins everyday. I do not eat right. I don't eat fast food very often either though. Most of what I eat is carbs. I love red meat and potatoes. I eat can foods, all the time. Now the way I stay the size I am, I eat small portions. I eat when I want, all day long. I only eat enough to get full. I eat slowly. Snail slow. Doing this allows you to know when you are full and helps to keep you from eating to much. If you sit down and have 3 full meals a day, your metabolism is not able to keep up. By eating several small meals a day your metabolism is always moving. I never eat breakfast. I have to be awake at least 2 hours before I can eat. My dad is the same way. He eats a little all day long. At 51 he is 5lbs heavier than he was when he got out of high school. Now yes it could be genetics, but I'm my opinion it has more to do with how we eat, what we do after we eat, and how much we eat at one time. My husband is a prime example of proof genetics is not the cause. His mother and 4 sisters are all very overweight. But he is 38 and 165lbs. He eats like a horse. He eats fast food most of the time, and is on the road 3 weeks at a time. But he is active. He works outside 12 hours a day and is always moving. His sisters all work desk jobs. They rarely do anything more active than walking to the refrigerator. After you eat, get up an moving. Sitting in one place is not going to help you at all. If you work at a desk, make it a point to leave the desk to eat. Get up. Go outside and sit. Go to a different part of the office and stand while you eat. Just get up and move. And NEVER eat so much you feel like you cannot move. The more you eat, the more your stomach stretches. This means you will require more an more food to feel full. By eating small amounts more often it will take you less to feel full. You are better able to digest a smaller amount than a large amount. It is better for every aspect of digestion. You are less likely to experience indegestion, gas, and heartburn this way as well. If you are trying to lose weight, my first suggestion is to get up and moving. Second, eat less more often. If I were to eat 3 big meals a day, I would certainly weigh 150 or more. I have been 135lbs, and on my frame I was heavy and very unhappy with myself and my appearance. I changed what I did, ate more often, but less at one time, and in a matter of 8 weeks lost 20lbs without dieting. Yes your weight problem is in many ways your own fault. Make a chart for yourself. Everyday for a week write down what you eat and drink. Every bit of it. At the end of that week look it over. How much of it was junk? healthy? what could you have done without? Does it amaze you yet how much you eat in an average week? I have a friend of over 15yrs. He is obese. He is almost 550lbs. He blames it on his family. His family is all heavy, I give him that, but in the last few years his eating habits have gotten worse, and his activity has slowed to nothing. He has a desk job. And he eats in one meal what I eat in 2 days. But it's not his fault he is fat. I hate excuses. Everyone has some control over what they look like. Yes genetics has some impact on it, but the majority of it is you. I know this is mean and rude, but if you are overweight, do you blame yourself or do you blame your parents? Do you blame McDonalds? They offer salads. Do you exercise? Do you sit at a desk 8 hours a day and in front of the tv the other 16? So, it's your jobs fault? If you have made a resolution to lose weight this year, good for you. Now how are going to do it?

Jump start you weight loss, ER Fat Burn Program

New Years Resolution #1

My number 1 this year is to start a work out routine. I have always enjoyed Yoga, but slacked off after a short time. I found an excellent site, Yoga Journal, and started by building my own routine. I used the tool to create this, consisting of 15 poses, and printed them out. Anyone who is skeptical about how useful yoga is should really try some of these poses. I was amazed at how difficult a few of them I chose really were. They look easy, but trust me, my muscles are telling me otherwise. I only did this for about 15min, but I can feel it all over. My shoulders and abs are showing the most sign of use. Balance is very necessary as well, this I have very little of. I am intimidated by going to a gym, and don't want to join a class, so I find this is the best way for me. I can do it at home, in front of my tv. No special clothes, or equipment required. Really this is my favorite low impact workout routine. No knee pain, and I feel relaxed.

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