June 2nd, 2009 -- Posted in Diet Pill |
Years ago, many questions arose about the safety of ephedra diet pills. There were many reports of adverse side effects and several reports of deaths related to the use of ephedra products. At first, lobbyist efforts kept the government from regulating the sale of ephedra, but enough evidence was ultimately gathered for the Food and Drug Administration to ban the sale of ephedra diet pills in the United States. Nowadays, the sale of such pills continues, but genuine ephedra has been replaced by other herbal supplements which don’t have the same dangerous side effects.
Safer Alternatives
True ephedra diet pills should be avoided at all costs. The FDA found that while it promoted short term weight loss, it was almost entirely ineffectual at long term weight loss. Also, use of ephedra products greatly increased the risk of heart attack and stroke, and the FDA finally banned the sale of ephedra products in April 2004. However, consumers should not fret over the loss of just one type of diet pill. There are still a plethora of other types available, all of which have proven to not only be much more effective but much safer as well.
Instead of purchasing ephedra diet pills, consider going with hoodia diet pills. Hoodia is another herbal supplement, found in Africa, and the worst complications resulting from hoodia consumption is a headache from not eating enough food. That’s because hoodia works to counteract the brain’s desire to eat, and it only works in the short term. However, controlled, regular use of hoodia can help quell hunger, and people can eat less without feeling hungry. As a result, they are more likely to eat less, and they will lose more weight. Take into account the fact that both CBS and Oprah Winfrey have done segments on the quality of hoodia products, and hoodia is a great alternative to ephedra diet pills.
There are also “legal” ephedra diet pills, giving many of the same benefits as true ephedra products without all the harmful side effects. That’s because “legal” ephedra products actually contain no ephedra at all, and they replace ephedra with similar but safer plants, like bitter orange. Diet pills are ultimately just one tool in the weight loss arsenal, and anyone looking at dietary supplements would do well to remember that they are just that – supplements. They will never replace diet and exercise, so consumers should focus on those two problems first before turning to pills.
May 31st, 2009 -- Posted in Diet Plan |
Carbohydrates are necessary for body functions. They are the main source of energy for our bodies, and we can quickly convert carbs into energy. You can eat an energy bar, and literally minutes later, you can feel a burst of strength. Low carb diet plans operate on that principle, and you might ask yourself why you would want to limit the amount of energy that you consume. The answer lies in what other ways our bodies receive energy. When you’re trying to lose weight, you’re trying to burn fat. To burn fat, your body needs to use more energy than it takes in. Fat is basically stored energy, and your body starts burning fat when it doesn’t receive enough energy from carbohydrates first. However, low carb diet plans carry some risks that you should be aware of first.
Fast but Dangerous Over Long Times
Low carb diet plans can help you lose weight faster than any other diet plans. Unfortunately, it is difficult to keep the pace up over long stretches, so it should be used as a stopgap solution at most. You may want to alternate your diet if you plan on incorporating low carb principles, so one week you can do low carbs, and then the next you can return carb levels to normal but cut back on fats. Better yet would be simply to use a low carb diet plan to kick off your weight loss journey, changing to a longer term solution after a few weeks.
Low carb diet plans can provide a great deal of encouragement as you shed pounds like crazy in the first few weeks, but they are ultimately dangerous. Prolonged reduction of carbs can lead to increased risk for heart attack. Also, recent evidence suggests that low carb intake can also impair brain functions, but more research needs to be conducted before anything definitive can be concluded. The safer path is to cut fats. While cutting carbs can burn more weight in the short run, cutting fats is the preferred method over the long run. Also, keeping fats out of your body can also decrease the risk for heart attack, stroke, cancer, and other diseases. When you’re trying to burn fat, doesn’t it make sense to cut fats out of your diet?
Other people also turn to diet pills, also known as dietary supplements, to help boost the effects of diet and exercise. These pills can’t replace good old diet and exercise, but they are capable of helping to moderately increase your results. Unless they are FDA approved, it would be wise to stay away from such pills, as questionable companies often market products that are unsafe. Unfortunately, some people are so desperate to lose weight that they will turn to thse dangerous products to help get into shape. A low carb diet plan can help you get started on losing weight, but it’s unhealthy to maintain for more than a month or so, not long enough for most people to lose enough weight.
May 30th, 2009 -- Posted in Diet Plan |
One of the most talked about epidemics facing the industrialized world today is obesity. It’s a serious problem that certainly needs to be looked at from a leadership perspective, but the problem will ultimately only be solved on a personal level. Chances are that you could stand to lose a few pounds, but chances are even greater that you don’t know where to start. At the most basic level of weight loss, the best way to shed pounds of fat is a combination of healthier dieting and increased physical activity. Recently, fitness experts started promoting “10,000 steps,” denoting 10,000 steps, or about 5 miles, of walking each day. However, exercise won’t get you very far without a healthy diet plan.
Cut Back and Balance
Most people today wouldn’t be able to put together a healthy diet plan if a dietician held their hand the entire way. It’s unfortunate, but it’s a pretty accurate depiction of the state of dieting in the industrialized world. Many people hold misconceptions that simply cutting back is enough in a diet. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, and it does not even need to be a part of a healthy diet plan. Such a plan needs to be tailor made for your body, taking into account your gender, weight, height, and level of physical activity.
Eat too little, and your metabolism will significantly slow down. It can slow down so much, in fact, that you might actually gain more weight while eating less. 1200 calories daily is often touted as the bare minimum needed to maintain a healthy metabolism, although 1500-1800 calories daily is quite safe for dieting. A healthy diet plan allows you to eat (something everyone loves to do!), and instead of starving yourself, you might find yourself choosing soup and salad over a heart attack burger at the restaurant.
Some people like to advertise “low carb” diet plans, and they will point to how fast people lose weight under these diets. Unfortunately, reducing carbs really only works in the short term, and it carries some pretty hefty health risks in the long run, including heart attack. Losing weight won’t do you any good if you face significant and debilitating health risks years down the road. Instead, a healthy diet plan allows you to have some carbs and some fats, but it will put them into balance instead of cutting anything out entirely. Even cholesterol and fat serve useful purposes in our bodies, and while we want to surely limit the amount we consume, we don’t want to remove them entirely.