Don’t Fall For These Weight Loss Gimmicks!

Have you heard about the new weight loss patch? You wear it behind your ear, and it speeds up your metabolism and helps you control your appetite. It sounds pretty reasonable, doesn't it? After all, if someone had told you five years ago that you could quit smoking by sticking a circle of fabric on your skin would you have believed them?
 
Unfortunately, this one isn't true. According to Dr. Michael Myers, who maintains the popular web site weight.com, it's just another of the hoaxes that clever promoters are using to bilk you out of your money. Weight loss is a gold mine, and unscrupulous operators will use any gimmick to convince you that their product is the magic cure that will melt away your pounds without any effort on your part.
 
Here are a few of the current weight loss gimmicks and the truth about them.
 
The Diet Patch

Transdermal delivery of medication is a reality, and there are certain medications that are absorbed readily through the skin. However, the most common active ingredient used in diet patches on the market is 'fucus vesiculosus', a seaweed that is a major source of iodine. Iodine was once a recommended treatment for obesity, because it helps promote healthy thyroid function. It was abandoned because of side effects and the untoward effects when treatment with iodine ceases. In other words, it's an outdated medication being revived for delivery in a new way.
 
Wash your fat away with slimming soap!

The claim is that this is an ancient Chinese soap that contains a unique blend of ingredients derived from seaweed which will 'emulsify' the fat. Further, it comes in several different versions, including one that is specifically meant to give you 'beautiful thighs'. In all truth, the ingredients sound like they'd do a lovely job of softening and toning your skin, but there's not an ounce of research quoted anywhere that can be checked for the results. Until I see the proof, I'll just figure that any weight loss resulted from vigorous scrubbing - not the ingredients!
 
Magnetic Weight Loss... earrings

Yes, earrings. According to the press, it's another ancient Chinese Secret that has to do with balancing the magnetism in the body. By wearing a magnet near the ear, you can suppress hunger, increase metabolism, speed up the healing process and reduce pain.  Again, though there's mention of 'studies', none are cited, and I couldn't find any in any medical journals. It won't kill you, at least, and the earrings are pretty, but I wouldn't put much stock in their weight loss properties.
 
All of these new weight loss discoveries should be filed in the “Yeah right” file, right next to sauna wraps, copper bracelets, and electro-slimming belts. If it sounds too good to be true, remember, it probably is. The only gimmick to weight loss is to eat less and move more!

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Acupuncture for Effective Weight Loss

In a generation when physical fitness is given topmost attention, people are always on the lookout for the newest and most effective means for weight loss. Acupuncture, the method of inserting thin, filiform needles on certain points in an individual’s body, has been found to be one effectual method for losing weight.

Not many people may find the idea of being inserted by needles quite comforting in their quest for weight control. However, this ancient Chinese alternative treatment seeks to deliver a control mechanism, enabling the patient to manage hunger cravings more successfully in the long run.

The Skinny on Acupuncture Weight Loss

It has been found that weight gain is directly related to emotions.  Other than physical hunger, people reach for a huge chocolate bar or a big platter of burger and fries because of the sense of comfort derived from food and eating. More often than not, excessive weight gain is an emotional issue, rather than a mere physical one. You may not realize it, but you tend to take in more food whenever you’re stressed, upset, or pressured.

In Acupuncture, there are specific spots on the body being targeted by the hair-like needles. These spots are linked to certain areas in the body and by stimulating these spots; the patient will achieve a greater sense of inner balance. As these points are inserted by the needles, certain hormones are released throughout the body. These substances work by helping you manage hunger and efficiently control the impulse to overeat.

How Acupuncture Induces Weight Loss

Most acupuncturists will target the spots behind the ear when it comes to promoting weight loss. When these points behind the ear are stimulated, endorphins are released in large doses. Endorphins are called the feel-good hormones, and these are also often referred to as natural pain and fever relievers. The release of endorphins is what makes you feel better after an increased level of physical activity, as in the case of a good workout.

These bodily compounds allow the patient to experience better relaxation, thus considerably alleviating stress. There is a greater possibility of enhanced weight loss when the patient has already achieved emotional wellness. Endorphins are also released whenever the body experiences low levels of bodily pain, thus their moniker as a natural pain reliever.

Patients of acupuncture typically experience very minimal or no pain at all, however most of the points are located near nerve endings and muscle tissues. As the needles are embedded in the body, signals are sent to the brain thus promoting the release of endorphins from the pituitary gland.

There are also other points in the body that serve as gateways for better weight management. One of these placements promotes a decrease in an individual’s appetite, while another has the ability to reduce water retention in the body. The acupuncturist may choose a multi-targeted approach, depending on the requirements of the patient.

Consulting with a Professional Acupuncturist

There are a number of acupuncture practitioners in existence nowadays, offering a host of services. If you are considering this form treatment for your weight management, make sure that you settle with no less than a trained and professional acupuncturist. A poorly trained acupuncturist may not be able to pinpoint the specific meridian points and worse, may cause unnecessary bodily pain and discomfort.

Moreover, your acupuncturist may require an herbal supplement for your treatment, to encourage a longer-term effect. Your sessions need not be maintained for an extensive period; however you may be required to visit your acupuncturist during the entire course of the sessions.

There are other means for losing weight successfully, and this does not include crash dieting and strenuous work outs. If carried out by trained professionals, acupuncture can be the answer for effective weight management. While it is far from being a cure-all, it may just be the right weight loss solution for you.

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How To Choose The Right Diet Pill?

Diet drugs are available in several different forms, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs and herbal supplements.

When choosing a diet pill it is important to understand what you are getting. There are lots of different types, and each works in a different way. Non prescription diet pills generally contain caffeine, which increases heart rate and basal metabolism and gives you more energy in work outs, which can be quite effective in weight loss.

Once these pills contained ephedra, which strengthened the effect on the heart rate and metabolism, but the FDA banned it in 2003 after proof that ephedra occasionally caused arrhythmia and sudden death. Now most non prescription diet pills use green tea, which seems to have an effect on the metabolism and also slows fat production, or bitter orange, which is a chemical isolated from citrus fruit. Other common ingredients include ''herbal ephedra'' which is often a plant called hoodia, and chitosan, which is produced from shellfish and is a mild fat blocker.

Doctor recommended Diet Pills are available to buy online. You are asked to complete an online medical questionnaire which is then passed to a licensed physician who will review your information and prescribe the appropriate diet pills. The diet pills are delivered by an overnight Fed ex courier.

There are essentially 8 different diet pills available, with the most commonly used being the Phentermines. These are sold as Phentermine, Adipex and Ionamin. Other diet pills include Xenical, Meridia, Bontril, Tenuate and Didrex. Generally the phentermines are the cheapest and the most widely used. If you are going to use them, you must follow the instructions carefully.

If diet pills are not used in conjunction with a proper weight loss program incorporating proper diet and exercise, they are not likely to be effective. Indeed some pills may even disrupt your system causing weight gain.

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Stress and the pH miracle diet

The pH miracle diet is a new way to look at how you eat. By addressing each food, beverage, supplement, and additive by it’s acidic or alkaline signature a balance can be negotiated. Our bodies work according to the pH scale, which works on a range of 1 to 14. A ranking of 1 on this scale denotes a high level of acid while a ranking of 14 indicates that there is a high concentration of alkaline present. A ranking of 7 on the pH scale represents neutrality in pH. The blood in the human bloodstream regulates at the level of 7.35, which is mildly alkaline. The pH miracle diet advocates keeping the intake of food into your body in line with this optimum level. The method of implementation is quite simple, by coordinating an eating planned structured around a comprehensive list of foods, and supplements you can create an effective strategy to lower acidity in your body.

Alkaline intake will counter act this stored acidity by being metabolized and neutralizing them at the source. With balance as the benchmark for a workable health plan; constant monitoring of the body’s pH levels is essential. Saliva pH test strips with a base range of 4.5 to 8.5 will allow for accurate readings that can assist you in making the proper adjustments to your diet. Even with all of this knowledge and action there are outside influences that will affect your body’s acid production. These outside factors will greatly determine how you will implement the alkalizing foods and supplements. The most significant of these external factors will be stress.

Stress is ubiquitous, it is everywhere and it affects everyone. This universal problem has a very traumatic effect on your body. The body works overtime to combat stress that in turn creates more stress. This vicious cycle is propagated by an increase in acid production. As stated previously, acid is a detriment to your body. When the body is overly acidic it does not run well, on the cellular level, the body cannot maintain the immune system. The circulation is adversely affected with the heart having to compensate by working harder. With the heart beating at a higher rate to push this sticky blood through the bloodstream many of these sticky cell clumps break free from the path and attach themselves to the arterial walls creating further slowdowns in the circulation. Your body needs blood to function if the blood reaching the cells and organs are of poor quality this can have serious repercussions. Stress is an acid-producing killer.

There are many techniques in addition to diet that can help in your quest for a balanced pH level. Getting the adequate rest is always the best way to achieve stress relief, as well as meditation which can be two to three times more restful and rejuvenating than actual sleep. Limiting the intake of caffeine and other stimulants also works toward lowering stress in the body by removing these narcotics from the equation. At the heart of stress reduction is eating more foods that are alkaline in nature that will neutralize the acid waste in the body. Exercising is by far the most effective way to receive direct stress relief, and will also help reduce the fat stores of the body where acid waste inhabits in abundance.

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Healthy Environment For Self Esteem

Healthy self esteem originates in the environment found in the:  family, school, peer group, work place, and community. There are certain characteristics of your environment that need to be present in order for self esteem to be fostered and grow.

The main component of a healthy environment for self esteem is that it needs to be nurturing.  It should provide unconditional warmth, love, and caring. It needs to provide the realization that other people are recognized as deserving to be nurtured, reinforced, rewarded, and bonded to.  

Healthy environment for self esteem transmits messages of warmth, loving, and caring by physical touch, meeting the survival needs of food, clothing and shelter, and providing a sense of stability and order in life. 

A healthy environment for self esteem should provide acceptance. It will recognize that other people see each other as worthy individuals who have a unique set of personality characteristics, skills, abilities, and competencies making them special. Acceptance enables people to develop relationships with others, yet maintain healthy boundaries of individuality within themselves. 

In the healthy environment for self esteem should be good communication, everyone should be heard and responded to in a healthy way so that healthy problem solving is possible. Appropriate giving and receiving of feedback is encouraged and rewarded.  Communicating at a "feelings" level is a mode of operation for these people, allowing them to be in touch with their emotions in a productive manner. 

The healthy environment for self esteem must contain recognition and acceptance of people for who they are.  That recognition and acceptance should not be based on the condition that they must first conform to a prescribed standard of behavior or conduct.  This is unhealthy.  Unconditional recognition and acceptance given in the form of support allows individuals to reach their ultimate potential. 

The healthy environment for self esteem should be clearly defined and enforced limits known to individuals with no hidden tricks or manipulation.  Limits set the structure for the lives of individuals, allowing clear benchmarks of appropriate and inappropriate behavior.  Limits enable individuals to recognize their responsibilities and to chart their course of behavior in a rational way. 

Respect and latitude for individual action within the defined limits of the healthy environment for self esteem should be present as well.  This encourages individuals to use their creativity, ingenuity, and imagination to be productive within the established structure.  Restrictions that suppress individuality can lead to a narrow focus, with people becoming stunted and handicapped in the use of their personal skills, abilities, and resources. 

Finally, healthy environment for self esteem should be bonding, which is the physical/emotional phenomenon between individuals and the others in their environment.  This is necessary for the development of healthy self esteem. Bonding is forming a mutual emotional attachment between an individual and a "significant other" (parent, child, friend, lover, etc.).  This involves the significant other giving unconditional love and support as well as developing an emotional link between each other.

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Dieting for the Right Reasons

When it comes to dieting, far too often we take those first steps towards weight loss bliss for what we later determine are all the wrong reasons. Ultimately however, if your reason works for you there is no truly wrong reason to diet. The trick is in finding the reason that will actually work for you.

I’ve seen all kinds of excellent motivators when it comes to dieting and taking your dieting seriously. One of the more common reasons is to lose weight. This is as good of a reason as any. Some want to get back into the size 5 jeans they wore in high school while others would simply like to be able to look in the mirror once again without feeling guilt. For some this is a simple matter of vanity and for others it is finally managing to deal with what has become a lifelong problem. If you find the inspiration you need to be successful with your dieting this time as opposed to others, then that is the perfectly plausible and acceptable reason for you to diet.

Other reasons for dieting include a desire to be more physically fit. Some of us have a deep and abiding desire to live as long as possible and firmly believe that the best possible method for accomplishing this goal is to live the healthiest life possible. This is another excellent reason for losing weight and getting into shape. If it works for you that is. The thing to remember is that every person is going to have to find their very own motivation deep within.

Yet another great reason is to have the energy you need to keep up with your little ones. This is one of the most heartbreaking side effects for most when it comes to obesity. There is simply no energy left over at the end of the day to enjoy doing things with your precious little ones who are young for such a very short amount of time. You desperately want to be able to build those precious memories with them but absolutely have no energy with which to do so. If that isn’t bad enough you probably (if you are considered morbidly obese) have noticed that many of the simplest activities with your children often bring you physical pain that is the direct result of your weight.

Revenge is a dish that is best served cold and another excellent motivator for some when it comes to dieting and taking off those pesky pounds. Losing a great deal of weight takes time in many cases so you must be able to maintain your motivation even when things are going rough along the way. The path to a new body is not an easy path. This is for those who have some serious emotional healing to do and the best revenge for old slights and wounds is to come back more beautiful than ever before. If this motivation is what it takes for you to take off the pounds then this is the motivation to which you should cling.

Religion is another common weight loss motivation. Some people believe the body should be treated as a temple. There is nothing wrong with this philosophy at all, though it takes some us longer to find our way to that line of thinking than others. Religion and faith are powerful motivators, as they have been known to bring healing to those in need by the power of their faith or their prayers. If your faith can give you the will power and strength you need in order to reach your dieting and weight loss goals then by all means lean on your faith and hold it close.

No matter what motivation you have for dieting and losing weight if you find it is no longer working for you, then you need to find another motivator quickly. Without proper motivation it is quite unlikely that you will ever meet your weight loss goals. 

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Detox Diet Ideas

There are several types of detox diets. There are those in which you can only eat fruits and vegetables, those in which you can only eat “clean” foods, those in which you can only drink fruit and vegetable juice, and the most extreme type where you can only drink water. You can also do specialized cleanses designed specifically for certain area of the body, for instance the liver, kidneys, blood or lungs. However, most detox diets just involve cleansing the entire body. Below, there is a sample of a seven day detox diet that you can try.

First of all, it is important that you have regular bowel movements during a detox because this will lessen the likelihood of toxins being reabsorbed by the body. A good way to make sure you will eliminate regularly is to take 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds in lemon water in the morning, and drink lemon water throughout the day. Flax seeds provide the body with fiber and lemon water has a slightly laxative effect.

It is also important to drink enough fluids on a cleanse. You should try to include at least 8 glasses of water daily to ensure that you are allowing toxins to be flushed out.

A sample menu of a detox diet follows below. This is a diet that allows some food, since this tends to be easier for beginners. Remember, you can modify this to fit your needs and preferences.

UPON RISING

·1/2 lemon squeezed into a glass of warm water

·1 tablespoon of bentonite clay and 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in a glass of water

BREAKFAST

·breakfast smoothie made with pear, rice milk and rice protein powder

·supplements: vitamin C

SNACKS

·apple juice diluted with water

·water

·vegetable broth

·supplements: milk thistle

·celery sticks and hummus

LUNCH

·chunky vegetable soup made with vegetable stock and your choice of vegetables

·steamed broccoli with sesame seeds and beets sprinkled with lemon juice on brown rice

·apple sauce

·supplements: multivitamin

SNACKS

·dandelion root tea

·carrot sticks with hummus dip

·water

·supplements: milk thistle

DINNER

·curried lentils on quinoa

·salad with mixed greens, red peppers, artichokes and sprouts drizzled with salad dressing of garlic, lemon juice and olive oil

·vegetable broth

BEFORE BED

·1 tablespoon of bentonite clay and 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in a glass of water

This can be followed for up to seven days. Have fun, and remember to be careful, because while you should expect to feel sluggish and slightly ill, if you are feeling very ill or fatigued, contact your doctor.

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