Saturday, April 19, 2008

Is Hoodia a Safe Dieting Pill?

Thinking about shedding a few pounds or getting down to your ideal weight without breaking your bank account and going under the knife? Nobody should ever go on a crash diet by starvation and only consuming the odd carrot and celery sticks for months on end. Drastic dieting leads to immediate weight loss but it is never sustainable and can be very damaging to your body as it is deprived of the basic nutrients it needs on a daily basis to function properly. It leads to premature aging of the skin and bones, damages your internal organs and causes chronic fatigue and lack of concentration.

There are many medicines out there that promote weight loss on a more sustainable basis which means once youve reached your ideal weight, it is not hard to keep the weight off. However be careful about taking a new weight loss medicine or any type of dieting pills that promise dramatic weight loss results. Many medicines have adverse side effects, from the milder complaints such as upset stomachs to the more severe reaction such as a cardiac arrest. It is vital to check these risks before starting on the medicine. Different individuals may react differently to these dieting pills, be cautious.

One of these medicines is Hoodia. Hoodia, based on the plant Hoodia Gordonii, is a plant that produces a substance that acts as an appetite suppressant. The Sans Bushmen of Africa have been using it for thousands of years to allow them to weather through leaner times when food is scarce. The Hoodia phenomenon began in 2003 and since then thousands of dieters have been using this pill to help them shed the excess weight without any reports of violent reactions or negative side effects. This said, there really hasnt been any solid research done on Hoodia to determine if it causes the body any harm. Safety organizations have not yet had the time to conduct scientific studies into this plant as it is still a relatively new discovery. Pfizer, one of the companies to originally work on isolating the appetite suppressing agent in Hoodia did caution that Hoodia Gordonii may cause some harm to our liver.

When your appetite is suppressed, you tend to forget to keep your body fluids up. Remember to take sufficient fluid to keep hydrated. In addition, do not abuse these products, take them in moderation and once your ideal weight is reached, reduce your normal intake. Combine this dieting pill with regular exercise and healthy food to maintain your weight. Taking it to the extreme can lead to addiction and drive a dieter into anorexia which will then lead to other medical problems such as heart palpitation, damages to the lining of your blood vessels and arteries while increasing your blood pressure.

Due to the lack of any concrete scientific evidence that Hoodia breaches any safety standards, the signs are good so far. However, always practise caution stop taking Hoodia as soon as you experience any symptoms that are out of the ordinary. Use Hoodia in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle to achieve permanent weight loss. Do not expect it to be the miracle cure all pill.

For more great information and advice on Hoodia, please visit us at http://hoodia.articlebee.net

Alternative Health

What You Need to Know About Home Fitness Equipment

Home fitness equipment is a great idea for those wanting to improve their overall conditioning, lose a bit of weight, or just tone their bodies. There are many different options for home fitness equipment on the market today and all seem to promise magical and amazing results with just five or ten minutes of workout time per day.

In reality, weight loss, toning or building muscle requires several different components and will always require consistent, sustained effort on the part of the person involved i.e you! Advertisements and infomercials that try to indicate otherwise are misleading at best, and completely fraudulent at worst. According to leading health and fitness experts, the only way to improve cardiovascular performance, lose weight or tone your body is to eat optimally, exercise regularly and consistently, and to challenge your body to improve muscle tone and health.

Buying home fitness equipment can be challenging and costly, so knowing what you are trying to accomplish with your fitness goals is critical before you make a purchase. Keep in mind what you need the fitness equipment to do, so you buy the machines or devices that will help you reach your goals. Weight loss will require both cardio and strength training, toning will require strength as well as limited cardio, and muscle development or body building will require specific, increasingly challenging weight designed to work particular muscles of the body. Using the wrong type of home fitness equipment in your workout will only lead to frustration and disappointment in your results.

Not all home fitness equipment fits everyone, despite what the infomercials state. If you are planning to invest in some of the more costly types of home gym equipment, be sure to try it out at a retail store or sports store before actually buying it. All equipment is designed for average height and weight adults, so people that are heavier, lighter, taller or shorter than the average may find even the most expensive home gyms and equipment simply don't fit their body. In addition, remember that most home equipment does not have the same safety features as some of the commercially available equipment and is not recommended for use by children or even young teens.

There are many advantages to having your own workout equipment right at home. It is easy to use, convenient, plus you may find time to work out in between activities at home that you would never be able to work into your schedule if you had to go to the gym. One final tip: consider looking around at used home fitness equipment if you are trying to set up an exercise space on a limited budget.

Terry Roberts is a professional translator and linguist, with a wide range of interests. To read more about home fitness equipment, and home fitness in general, please visit his website: Home Fitness Now.

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