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.

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

Tainted Weight Loss Pills, are you taking any of these?

Tainted Weight Loss Pills Flagged as Health Risks

On Dec. 22, 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted consumers not to buy or use more than 25 different weight-loss pill products because the products may be harmful to their health.

Which products were cited?

The tainted weight-loss products specified in the alert are:

• Fatloss Slimming
• 2 Day Diet
• 3x Slimming Power
• Japan Lingzhi 24 Hours Diet
• 5x Imelda Perfect Slimming
• 3 Day Diet
• 7 Day Herbal Slim
• 8 Factor Diet
• 7 Diet Day/Night Formula
• 999 Fitness Essence
• Extrim Plus
• GMP
• Imelda Perfect Slim
• Lida DaiDaihua
• Miaozi Slim Capsules
• Perfect Slim
• Perfect Slim 5x
• Phyto Shape
• ProSlim Plus
• Royal Slimming Formula
• Slim 3 in 1
• Slim Express 360
• Slimtech
• Somotrim
• Superslim
• TripleSlim
• Zhen de Shou
• Venom Hyperdrive 3.0

Why did FDA act against these products?

These products contain undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients that may put consumers' health at risk. Some of the amounts of active pharmaceutical ingredients far exceed FDA-recommended levels.

Some of the products claim to be "natural" or to contain only "herbal" ingredients, but actually contain potentially harmful ingredients not listed on the product labels or in promotional advertisements. These products have not been approved by FDA, are illegal, and may be potentially harmful to unsuspecting consumers.

What undeclared ingredients were found?

An FDA analysis found that the undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients in some of these products include

• sibutramine, a controlled substance that can cause high blood pressure, seizures, abnormally rapid heart rate (tachycardia), palpitations, heart attack or stroke. It can also interact with other medications and increase patients' risk of unexpected bad side effects (adverse reactions). Sibutramine's safety has also not been established in pregnant and lactating women, or in children younger than 16.
• rimonabant, a drug not approved for marketing in the United States, has been associated with increased risk of depression and suicidal thoughts. In Europe, where it is approved, rimonabant has been linked to five deaths and 720 adverse reactions over the last two years.
• phenytoin, an anti-seizure medication
• phenolphthalein, a solution used in chemical experiments that is a suspected cancer-causing agent

Where are these products sold?

These weight-loss products, some of which are marketed as "dietary supplements," are promoted and sold on various Web sites and in some retail stores.

Is FDA taking further action?

The agency is currently seeking product recalls. FDA may take additional enforcement steps, such as issuing warning letters or initiating seizures, injunctions, or criminal charges.

Tips for consumers

• If you use any of these weight-loss products, stop taking them and consult your health care professional immediately.
• Seek guidance from a health care professional before purchasing weight-loss products.
• Report serious adverse reactions or product quality problems to FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program at www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm

This article appears on FDA's Consumer Health Information Web page (www.fda.gov/consumer), which features the latest updates on FDA-regulated products. Sign up for free e-mail subscriptions at www.fda.gov/consumer/consumerenews.html.

For More Information

FDA Press Release
www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01933.html

Information for Consumers
www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/weight_loss_products.htm

FDA MedWatch
www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm

Natural Weight Loss Plans

2009 is just around the corner...

With a new year lurking just around the corner, I have forced myself to reevaluate my not so healthy choices of the past years. With these in mind I sat down to begin my list. Every year I make a list of things I plan to change. For the past 6 the number one has been to quit smoking. I previously made a post about more reasons to kick the habit, and have been reviewing these quite a bit. Some of my list has been more difficult to stick to in the past. My job choices were a big reason for not eating right. After working 14 hours the on the way home 24 hr burger place was my main source of food. Who really wants to go home and cook after being on your feet 14 hours straight? A few minor changes to my lifestyle this year will in my opinion make it easier to stick to my goals for the new year. I now work from home, which gives me plenty of time to cook better for me meals. My 3 dogs are always anxious to get out of the house, and taking them for daily walks is not impossible, weather permitting. Quitting smoking has been a big one for me, I live with 2 heavy smokers. I plan to move soon to help eliminate the stress involved 1 with living with other people, and 2 remove the temptation. Financial issues may keep me from moving as soon as I want to, but I will stick to my no smoking rule for myself no matter what it takes. Making a list of "resolutions" is the easy part. Sticking to them is the hard part. With my past years of failure behind me, I have made several of these lists and posted them all over the place. In my car, on my computer, on my refrigerator. Everywhere I know I will see them. My goals for better health started months ago, I now take vitamins daily, they sit on my nightstand where I know I will see them and not forget. I have all my research plastered on my walls about smoking eating right, ect. These constant reminders help to keep me on track. I read them daily. A few small things you can do to help yourself out is to work out while you watch tv. It need not be a back breaking weight lifting experience. something as simple as stretching can do wonders to get your metabolism moving. If you have dogs take them for a walk. To the end of the road is better than sitting inside on the couch with them. Go outside and play fetch with them. Get out and walk with your children, or play ball, go to a park. The point is to get up and moving. You will never burn calories sitting on the couch not moving. Buy some ankle weights, do leg lifts while watching the news. Get a small 5lb set of dumbells. You can use them to strenghten your arms. Setting small goals are easier to accomplish than big ones. Don't say, "I will work out 30min a day, 3 times a week. " Say instead, "I will do stretching while I watch .... program on tv." Then go from there. Start small. And slowly increase it. After a week or month or 3 months, however long you give yourself of doing the goal, increase it. Add I will do leg lifts and stretching while watching this program. This will help to keep you motivated. If you achieve several smaller goals, you will build confidence in yourself, and knowing you can achieve a goal keeps you motivated. If you set a huge goal you will be less likely to work at it. Lack of time, energy, or any other factors can cause you to put it off. I will do it tommorow. Then at the end of year, you are in the same boat you were the year before. Happy new year to all, and best of luck with setting your new year new you goals.

Food Resitance

Food resistance? What's that?

A movement to resist the industrial food that jams supermarket shelves and restaurant menus.

Yes, I have joined the Resistance. So have others. The inspiration of the real food drive is Dr. Heidi, whose ER Fat Burn program, rooted in real food instead of industrial fare, is changing lives before my eyes. And in weeks, not months or years.

You might be surprised at what you're eating - that you thought was real food - but isn't. Eating real food has brought "believe it or not" kind of results.

One gent went from 8 beers/day to 0 beers/day in 10 days.

One gal lost 24 pounds in 6 weeks and was never hungry. Still isn't.

Other tidbits from members of the Food Resistance:

"Sexual energy up. - after one week.

"Hot flashes finally gone.
I can sleep through the night again
I'm off Diet Pepsi" - two weeks.

"No more gas and bloating
No more diarrhea
Depression gone." -two weeks.

"Energy for sports back up
Sexual desire back up
Belching almost gone" - two weeks

What are they doing?

Resisting the industrial foods they used to eat everyday. Industrial foods from supermarkets and restaurants.

Instead, they're eating real food: Learning what it is and where to find it.

This clan of folks is happily foraging for their food in all kinds of places, online and off. And that, apparently, has helped all manner of ailments - in as little as 10 days to two weeks. They also have private weekly consultations with Dr. Heidi, the nutritionist who created ER.

Want to join us?

New ER Detox/Cleanse program starts October 25

The ER Detox/Cleanse is the second cycle in Dr. Heidi's Extreme Regime Weight Loss program. You alternate between Far Burn and Detox to achieve healthy weight loss.

In Dr. Heidi's ER Fat Burn program, based on real food, 95% of the participants have

1) lost weight and so far, kept it off;
2) have watched their daily harmful habits fade away...without the usual suffering and feelings of deprivation; and
3) feel like new people from the inside out.

"Everything I believed (about the industrial food they sell us)," Lulu whispered, "was a lie." Posted by Kim Klaver at 12:55 PM

To sign up for one of the programs visit The Little Spa here

Food Fight Round 2

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Food fight. Round two.

In Food fight. Round One, we discovered what, contrary to some people's beliefs, does not make most people fat.

Here's the second surprise from the food fight front:
What food DOES make a person fat?

One journalist spent five years looking into this full time. He reviewed tens of thousands of pages of research findings, and interviewed numerous doctors and nutrition folks. Here's his second (of nine) conclusions about what DOES make a person fat.

"2. The problem is carbohydrates in the diet, their effect on insulin secretion, and thus the hormonal regulation of homeostasis - the entire harmonic ensemble of the human body.

"9. By stimulating insulin secretion, carbohydrates make us fat and ultimately cause obesity. The fewer carbohydrates we consume, the leaner we will be." Taubes, p. 454

Before you gasp in disbelief, here's what Andrew Weil, the well known MD said about Taubes' stunning and revolutionary book on Larry King Live:

“I think this is a very important book. I’ve been recommending it to my medical colleagues and students. There are some very big ideas in this book…[Gary Taubes] has done a meticulous job of showing that many of the assumptions that are held by the conventional medical community simply rest on nothing…

"It’s very important to get these out to the medical community because a lot of the ways we try and prevent and treat obesity are based on assumptions that have no scientific evidence.”
-Dr. Weil, speaking on Larry King Live, 2008

Gary Taubes was as surprised by this conclusion as you might be right now.

[Carbs: bread, pasta, legumes, grains, cereal, chips, rice, sugar & sweets, donuts, muffins...]

"Hey," you say, "doesn't that sound like Atkins? But he's been been vilified in the professional community, hasn't he?"

Yep. Millions of people have lost weight using his approach. But Atkins today has many detractors. Here's a surprise reason...

Food fight. Round Three, next.

Posted by Kim Klaver at 12:11 AM

What does not make a person fat

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Food fight. Round One

People have been fighting for years about what foods make a person fat or slinky, sick or healthy.

Here's the latest surprise from the food fight front:
What's a food that does NOT make a person obese?

One journalist spent five years looking into this full time. He reviewed tens of thousands of pages of research findings, and interviewed numerous doctors and nutrition folks. Here's his first (of seven) conclusions about what does NOT make a person fat.

"1. Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease or any other chronic disease of civilization." Taubes

Dietary fats include coconut oil, the fat on a Porterhouse steak, butter and bacon. They do NOT make you fat or obese after all.

Before you gasp in disbelief, here's what Andrew Weil, the well known MD said about Taubes' stunning and revolutionary book on Larry King Live:

“I think this is a very important book. I’ve been recommending it to my medical colleagues and students. There are some very big ideas in this book…[Gary Taubes] has done a meticulous job of showing that many of the assumptions that are held by the conventional medical community simply rest on nothing…

"It’s very important to get these out to the medical community because a lot of the ways we try and prevent and treat obesity are based on assumptions that have no scientific evidence.”
-Dr. Weil, speaking on Larry King Live, 2008

Gary Taubes was as surprised by his conclusion as you might be right now.

So what, did he find, really DOES make a person fat?

Food fight. Round Two, next.
By Kim Klaver, Whole Food Nation

Are Your Vitamins Safe?

Dr. Heidis ER Program Observations

Friday, October 10, 2008

5 things I learned from ER Fat Burn

It's nice to know when a way of eating works for you. But it's nicer still when that same strategy works for lots of others, too.

Dr. Heidi has just run two ER Fat Burn 5-week programs. I know everyone in it because all were customers and readers of my stuff (about 50 active participants and more auditors). Here's what I learned while taping the group calls and from the many emails I received.

1. The experienced dieters in the group report that losing weight by eating ER real food works better than calorie counting, starving or pills. WAY better. Plus they were never hungry.

2. Eating real foods has a big side benefit: it regenerates bodies and heals ailments that most people thought they'd have to just "live with" for the rest of their lives. From acid reflux to scaly skin.

3. Eating specific real foods helps people reduce cravings for sweets and bread. Suddenly they don't feel deprived and sad about not having it.

4. Most of the participants thought they were eating pretty well. But they were stunned at how rejuvenated they felt after a week or two of eating ER real food. And love to go foraging for it.

5. Half of the group of July ER Fat Burn actives signed up for the Sep Fat Burn, and nearly half are already signed up for the October Detox/Cleanse program. In a time of "recession" someone laying out $500-600 for such a program several times over 4 months is a statement of its effectiveness all by itself. Think? NO ONE is rich here.

Dr. Heidi's October Detox/Cleanse 4-week program starts Oct 25. It's the second major cycle in the ER Real Food Weigh Loss approach. ER Fat Burn is not a prerequisite. You can start with the Detox/Cleanse. You will be able to sign up for it soon.

What if these neat things happen to you when you put some real food into your body?

Posted by Kim Klaver at 4:30 PM

Are Your Vitamins Safe?

Is exercise an impractical way to lose weight?

Exercise? Impractical for weight loss? But everyone says to exercise to lose weight!

What should I do to lose weight then? Well, according to Dr. Heidi:

#1 to lose fat and weight: Eat right. A real food plan (with no pills required) does way more for fat burn and weight loss, including losing inches in the waist and gut, than exercise. Especially in the beginning. See below...

Yes, exercise is necessary for a healthy body. But for weight and fat loss, it's secondary to a real food plan. Dr. Heidi of ER Fat Burn explains...

You have to exercise so much (90 minutes a day now, they say) that right after, a body gets hungry. And its owner eats. After a good workout, has anyone else here (righteously) stopped off for the Starbucks latte + sweet thing?

People in the 5-week ER Fat Burn program have lost weight and inches, without changing their exercise habits. Oh. They don't exercise much because they work too much, not cuz they're lazy.

If it's weight you're trying to lose, says Dr. Heidi, right food is first. Then, if you want, exercise.

The body NEEDS exercise, yes. But for weight loss, it's an inefficient strategy, especially in the beginning. Exercise researcher Dr. Blair reports that "it’s much easier to eat 1,000 calories than to burn off 1,000 calories with exercise."

After four weeks...

Shane's gut hanging over hands before ER Fat Burn at 245 lbs


Shane's gut 4 weeks into ER Fat Burn at 225 lbs. See how much less is hanging over his hands...


Posted by Kim Klaver at 12:29 PM

Are Your Vitamins Safe?

Fiber is a cheap filler....

Fiber is a cheap filler...
Posted on: October 16th, 2007 by Heidi Dulay

Fiber is a good thing - if it's in food, or in a fiber supplement. It is NOT a good thing in a vitamin/mineral supplement, whether the supplement is synthetic or whole-food.

Why? Two reasons:

First, if fiber is among the ingredients in a capsule or tablet, you're getting less of the expensive ingredients (the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, probiotics, etc). You can buy a month's supply of fiber (psyllium husk, oat bran, wheat bran, etc.) in the bulk section of a health food store for a few dollars. A good vitamin or whole-food supplement costs way more.

The space in a capsule is best saved for precious ingredients, not wasted on cheap fillers, don't you think?

Second, fiber prevents the body from using vitamins and minerals. It can bind with vitamins and minerals and carry them right out of the body. Phyllis Balch, in the Fourth Edition of her immensely popular guide to natural health, recommends that "supplemental fiber and minerals should be taken at different times." (Prescription for Natural Healing, 2006, p. 30).

So, if you need to add fiber to what you eat, take it alone.

Whole Food Nation

What's wrong with synthetic supplements?

What’s wrong with Synthetic Supplements?
Posted on: October 16th, 2007 by Heidi Dulay

Have you heard people laugh about Americans having the most expensive urine in the world? That's because the vitamins most Americans take are synthetic, and 90% of synthetic vitamins pass through the body unabsorbed.

A synthetic vitamin or mineral is a laboratory simulation of a simple version of the real thing. In the plant, the vitamin/mineral lives with many other vitamins, minerals and nutrients - the "cofactors" the body needs to absorb and use it.

If the cofactors are missing, as they are in synthetic vitamins, the body steals them from its organs, bones, muscles and other tissue. That's why taking synthetic vitamins/minerals over time can be harmful to your health. They deplete the body of other nutrients. For example, taking synthetic calcium regularly depletes the body of magnesium.

Multivitamins - blends of synthetic vitamins and minerals - don't remedy this problem. The concentrations of the vitamins and minerals in the formulas are rarely those found naturally in the plant. And many of their cofactors are missing. Some haven't even been discovered yet!

Synthetic vitamins are super-processed. They are usually manufactured at high temperatures and contain artificial or toxic ingredients, such as dyes, preservatives, coal tars, sugars, starch, and other additives. Kind of like paint or plastics.

Why would a manufacturer of health products do this? Aren't they in business to help us improve our health? Well, marketing concerns often overtake nutritional goals. Extending shelf life, making products look or taste better, meeting machine requirements, and lowering manufacturing costs, usually take precedence over nutritional value. The resulting supplements become pretty useless to us. Some experts say that they might even be dangerous over time.

3 Studies

#1. Study using synthetic beta carotene and Vitamin E halted. (reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, 1994) 29,000 male smokers were given synthetic beta carotene and synthetic Vitamin E. The study was stopped when rates of lung cancer, heart attacks and death increased.
#2. Birth defects increased for women on synthetic supplements (reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, 1995) 22,000 pregnant women were given synthetic Vitamin A. The study was halted because birth defects increased 400%.
#3. Men get thickened arteries on synthetic supplements (reported in Reuters Health, March, 2000). Men who took 500 mg of synthetic Vitamin C daily over 18 months showed signs of thickening of the arteries.

Dr. Zoltan P. Rona, M.D., says that while a healthy person will not drop dead immediately after ingesting synthetic supplements, "the long-term consequences of continuous, daily intakes are potentially dangerous." Reactions include fatigue, memory loss, depression, insomnia and potential liver disorders.

Whole Food Nation