Do Weight Loss Pills Really Work?

By Deen Dragonovich

With the New Year fast approaching, you can bet losing weight will be at the top of everyone's New Year resolutions list and health foods stores will be well stocked with weight loss pills in anticipation of the after holiday rush. But are people wasting their money on weight loss pills?

Good weight loss pills work to some degree, but not as significantly as some may think. When ephedra was introduced back in the early 90's, many considered it a miracle pill. I was one of them. The combination of ephedra along with aspirin and caffeine, burned fat like no other compound since.

Unfortunately along with its fat burning power, there was a long list of side effects as well. Many could not handle the powerful stimulant affects of this compound and it was blamed for many deaths. Whether or not this was true, the writing was on the wall and ephedra was banned in the United States and is no longer available.

Are there any other products that work?

Yes, but ephedra set the bar very high and there really isn't anything new (save for possibly one) that matches its fat burning power.

The most popular weight loss pills today are those containing Green tea and Hoodia. Green tea works through a process called thermogenesis (fat burning), while Hoodia is claimed to be an appetite suppressant. Both are said to be effective at shedding the fat, but nothing like ephedra.

There is however one promising compound that seems to block fructose from converting to adipose tissue.

What's all the fuss about fructose?

Fructose may be the biggest cause of obesity in the United States today. Here's a quote from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:

"evidence that a marked increase in the use of HFCS, and therefore in total fructose consumption, preceded the obesity epidemic and may be an important contributor to this epidemic in the United States."

For the past thirty years fructose has virtually replaced cane sugar as the sweetener of choice for most manufacturers because of its low cost to produce. During this period there has been a 300% increase in the use of high fructose corn syrup and a 40% drop in the use of cane sugar.

What is this promising natural compound?

This all natural compound is derived from the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis and Heartwood of Acacia. There more common names are Chineses skullcap and "Black catechu".

How does it work?

There are two obesity markers in the blood stream that this natural compound substantially decreases. Chronically obese people have high levels of these two markers. These natural compounds inhibit fat conversion via fructose pathways by down-regulating fat accumulation and up-regulating fat breakdown, thereby decreasing these two obesity markers.

A double blind clinical study was conducted by scientists at JSS Medical Research, Inc., in Montreal, Canada. Participants were between the ages of 40 and 75. This age group normally has the most difficult time losing weight. None of the subjects were given any physical activity or dietary advice.

The results were quite impressive. Subjects taking the natural compound lost an average of 7 percent of their bodyweight, while those not taking the natural compound did not lose any weight at all.

One can only imagine their results if they combined a sensible diet plan with a regular exercise program.

If weight loss is your goal, these natural compounds show a lot of promise. However, do not expect miracles. A sensible diet and exercise program is always the best way to keep the weight off. - 17269

About the Author:

Author Deen Dragonovich has over 3 decades in health and fitness and has researched fructose blockers along with weight loss pills for many years. He also offers valuable weight loss help regarding nutrition and fitness.

What You Need To Know About Gourmet House Seasonings

By Ferdinand Okeke

What is gourmet seasoning? First what does gourmet mean? prior to talking about gourmet seasoning you must not forget that the discussion will be based on three aspects: the interpretations of the word gourmet, the Gourmet food or seasoning firms, and the gourmet seasoning products provided by the Gourmet firms. According to various dictionaries, as well as the Wikipedia encyclopedia, gourmet is a cultural ideal, which is generally associated with gastronomy, the culinary arts of exquisite fine food and drink. Although the term might be perceived as negative as it is usually linked with elitism or snobbery, it actually has the positive meaning which describes people with refined tastes and passion.

The term gourmet is the name applied to the person who has refined or discriminating taste or is well grounded in the art of food and food cooking. It also refers to a particular type of restaurant, cheer, special presentation of the food, high sophistication in the field of gastronomy or a certain type of meal or ingredient of high quality. In the US, Gourmet is an industry classification for high - quality premium foods. Since the 2000s, an accelerating increase in the American gourmet market has taken place, as a result of increasing income, globalization of taste, and health and nutrition concerns in part. Individual food and drinks categories, for instance coffee, are often classified as standard and a " gourmet " sub - market.

As aforementioned in the artcle, there are a circle of firms that incorporated the word Gourmet in their name, all to show that their products are of high quality. Thus, if you search in the supermarkets or access websites you will be able to choose the creme de la creme of food or drink products like gourmet seasoning bottles or jars, or some other foods that bear the mark of a certain Gourmet firm. For instance, there are companies or firms or comodities like the Big Fat Jerry's Gourmet Seasoning which, apparently, offer you an array of service or mechanically blended spices. Then finally is the Gourmet House Seasoning.

Gourmet House seasoning is a mixture of crude salt, onion salt, garlic salt, celery salt, paprika, sugar, monosodium glutamate, nutmeg and black pepper. According to these gourmet seasoning producers, their gourmet seasoning products offer you the opportunity to experience "a new level of deliciousness in your meals.

" What you might consider a positive part of the gourmet seasoning products offered by these gourmet companies is that they participate in producing various types of seasonings, among which the ones typical of certain cuisines, national or international, regional or made up. Besides the lists of products, description / ingredients of the gourmet seasoning products and their prices, producers and traders' websites in addition offer you gourmet seasoning recipes. - 17269

About the Author:

How would you like to cook mouth watery delicious meals this Christmas that would get your friends and family membersto shower you with accolades and rechristen you "Gourmet"? Grab a copy of the Beginners Guide To Cooking With Seasonings And Make This Happen. Secrets Of Cooking With Seasonings

Is Andy Willouby's 3 Step Program A Scam: Here Is The Answer

By Steve Jankowski

Perhaps you were listening to the radio and heard Andy's friendly radio commercial. On it, he asks the question, "how in the world are you anyway" which helps him sound warm and friendly and then he tells you about his 3 step plan. It is a very compelling commercial, and has been on the radio for a while. When I ran my brick and mortar business, I spent money on radio commercials before and they were not cheep. Andy is making money off of those ads or he would not be running them, but what is he selling?

Is Andy Willouby's 3 step program a scam? He is marketing the supplement Xango which is a drink made from the Mangosteen fruit and it is most definitely not a scam. The founders of Xango discovered that the Mangosteen fruit is very high in antioxidants and have marketed it as a healthful drink. Xango also has a new cutting edge skin care line that uses the properties of the Mangosteen fruit.

The Xango business is a MLM business that you can join and then make money if you market the product and business to others. Andy is simply marketing Xango on the radio to get new members for his organization. There are many people that have joined Xango and made a lot of money marketing the product. The drink is tasty, but since I have eaten the actual fruit when I was in Thailand, I would prefer to remember the fruit for how it tastes fresh. It is, however, a healthful drink and well run company. It is not a scam and you could make money with it if you put in enough effort.

Xango has been around for a while though, and I believe that there are more compelling products on the market that a business opportunity seeker can join to make a decent income. There is a limit to how many people can join a company and still make money, plus the juice is rather expensive. In this difficult economy, the kind of business opportunity that you should look for is, in my opinion, a business with a strong product that everyone will want and that has not been on the market for a long time.

The fact that Xango has been on the market for a while means that the company is very solid, which is a good thing. They will not fold up and fail to cut you a check from your marketing efforts. I do believe though, that a company that is newer with a compelling product line and that will be large like Xango will increase your chances of prospering. I almost joined Xango, but I felt like there were already to many large players in the company.

It is a certainty that if you have asked the question, "is Andy Willouby's 3 step program a scam", the answer is it is not. I am sure he would love to have you join him in his Xango journey, but the chances that you will make enough money to purchase similar radio commercials from your profits is slim.

i should also add that there are a number of juice products on the market now that contain the Mangosteen fruit as an ingredient. That is factor that you should also consider when looking at joining Andy. Many health conscious consumers would rather purchase a nutritious drink supplement from their favorite health food store, even if they know they won't be making money with the product. You can just go to any search engine and look up the Mangosteen fruit and you will see many imitators. They may not be as good as the Xango product, but they will make your marketing efforts more difficult if you decide to market the Xango product. - 17269

About the Author:

Steve Jankowski is a former Marine, a rehabilitated attorney (he rarely takes a case nowdays) and full time internet marketer. He specializes in teaching people to use the internet to run a business from home. He lives in Minnesota with wife Nancy and their 4 daughters. Click here to learn more about what Steve is up to.

What exactly would you like to know regarding the Acai Berry?

By I Russell

The South American Amazon forests are where most Acai palm berry is located. To be precise, it is grown in Peru and Brazil. This berry has properties normally found in most super foods from around the globe. Despite having a large seed but little flesh, it possesses increased amounts of antioxidants which can do the human body good. Due to its beneficial properties, a lot of people include it in their diets.

The Acai products are well approved by the Oprah Winfrey who states that the products are excellent for our daily diet in order to attain an improved and healthy body. If Acai is included in the diet on a daily basis it would help in the development of antioxidants as well as helps in better digestion and enhances cell regeneration. Studies reveal that it helps in combating cancer by destroying carcinogens. The fruit is rich in carbohydrates, proteins calories and fiber. The berry contains very low fat hence wouldn't increase weight on eating it regularly. Start consuming this highly beneficial berry without any delay. Having a glass of Acai berry juice on a regular basis meets more than half the nutrition requirements that you may get from other food sources.

Acai is one of the strongest healers you can find in the rainforest of the Amazon. The Aci has higher antioxident levels than most wine and blueberries and looks similar to that of a grape fruit. Aci berries can assist in losing weigh, reduce cholesterol, boost energy and improve vision. There are many benefits to eating the Aci Betties.

If you are using the Acai fruit to lose weight, it is important to remember that a balanced diet will help you much more than any new food alone will. An appetite suppressant will be a good addition to increase the process of losing weight, which should be done with a balanced diet plan. The acai berry can help you keep weight off, in addition to a healthy diet and a regular exercise program. The Acai capsule products available today that claim to be diet products don't contain enough acai to balance your diet by themselves, it would require 12 pure acai capsules to get the necessary amount. For a true diet plan an appetite suppressant is still necessary, the acai berry diet is a two part process involving both acai berry juice and an appetite supprssant.

With the freeze dried powder you can make juices, mixes and even protein shakes. The fruit can also be fund in frozen yogurt. It is also availabe in bulk powder form, which is fast gaining popularity among nutritionalists. The berry along with its supplements and juice are equally beneficial to your health. The best part about eating the berry is that it is available in convenient forms. Not only can you eat it as a berry fruit fresh from the forest if you live in the Amazon region, but anywhere in the world you can get its pulp in freeze dried form or acai berry juice and drink it straight out of the botttle.

Adding Acai berry in your every day meal means that your bodies resisting system is getting improved, you will be losing weight extra rapidly, your heart is being nourished and your digestive system is also increasing its strength thanks to this fruit. The level of antioxidants enclosed in the berry is sky-high. This makes the fruit a fantastic food.

You can find Acai berry in so many different things such as in shakes, juices, powders and yogurt. Also remember it can be find in cosmetics and oils too. - 17269

About the Author:

The acai berry diet is some thing you need to read more about. Dr. Andrew Schauss wrote a book on the acai berry and this information will supris you about what the acai berry diet can actually do, or how to use the acai berry in your diet is a better explanation. Read Now at www.acaiberryjuice.org