HCG Diet: Day 17

By Amelia Handley

This is Day 17 of my 25 day homeopathic HCG weight loss program. I get online periodically to check out info on the diet and today I was looking through some diet pill reviews that were listed along with some reviews of the HCG programs out there. It made me more positive than ever that the homeopathic method of weight loss is far better than the alternatives!

I guess there were some pretty big problems recently with some of the more popular diet pills. Some people are saying they have had complications in response to the products in several of the diet pill reviews that I ran across. I emailed them to Lisa's husband so that he could see again how smart Lisa and I are for choosing HCG over some of the other popular diet methods out there.

Lisa is my dieting buddy. (I'll just run you through a little reminder of the story in case you haven't read the previous articles in the series). When I decided to do the homeopathic HCG diet I asked Lisa to do it with me. I thought the competition would do me good. We decided to have a bet on the side to make it even more interesting. The winner gets a pair of jeans courtesy of the other.

Her husband was not a big supporter initially. He was really quite skeptical. I did eventually talk him around. But I do have to continually support my argument by sending him any further "proof" I find that my opinion is actually the right one on this particular issue. So the negative diet pill reviews were the perfect forward for Lisa's husband. He should never have disagreed with me; I'm rarely wrong.

So on to Day 17! I'm still at 156, dang it! But I'm not going to focus on the negative. I'm going to focus on the positive and say that I didn't go up AT ALL today. Isn't that fabulous?

Today I did well. I took my HCG as recommended. I took my B-Total Sublingual as recommended. I didn't eat Melba Toasts today because it's supposed to be one of the plateau breakers. I figured I should try one of them since I stuck at 156 today. For lunch I grilled a steak. It was huge so I stored some for later. I've really been loving the leftovers on this diet. With my steak I had strawberries and green tea. For dinner I went with chicken asparagus soup. Since the weather is so cold it was nice to have warm soup. Strawberries made a showing again as a late night snack. I did really want my Melba Toasts throughout the day, but I withstood the temptation. I'm hoping the plateau breaker will make a difference. We'll see tomorrow. - 17269

About the Author:

Amelia Handley studied exercise science in college with a minor in Nutrition. Yet she still found herself veering from diet to diet in order to control her weight. With HCG Diet Direct she's found a program that allows her to combine her desire to control her own body weight with her education and not feel off balance.

Help! Will You Show Me How I Can Prevent Bruising Easily Altogether?

By Jan Doan

Everyone has had a bruise at some time or other and most people know that a bruise is simply broken capillaries leaking blood under the skin. But, most people do not realize that there are three different kinds of bruises. You can bruise your bone, your muscles and your skin. Bruising your skin is the least painful. You can prevent bruising easily altogether by following simple safety precautions.

Most of the time bruising is caused by injury. You can run into a counter, get hit during a sports game, when you are doing home repairs and fall off the ladder or by simply tripping. To prevent bruising in your day-to-day life, take the proper precautions for the activity you are doing. In sports, wear protective equipment, such as a helmet, knee pads or elbow pads. Wear your seat belt when driving or riding in a car. Watch where you are walking to avoid tripping and be careful on icy patches during the winter.

But some people tend to bruise more easily than others. Bruising seems to happen spontaneously even when they take care. Why is this? Your risk of bruising goes up if you smoke, have a bleeding disorder, such as hemophilia, are anemic, are overweight or if you have leukemia.

Certain medications also make people more prone to bruising. If you are taking a blood-thinning medication, such as Coumadin, anti-histamines, penicillin, anti-depressants or cortisone this could be your answer as to why you are bruising so easily. Talk to your doctor. He or she can change your medication if bruising is intolerable. Other causes of easy bruising include getting older, being deficient in B12, folic acid, and, very rarely, being deficient in vitamin K.

All in all, no matter what kinds of safety precautions or lifestyle changes you make, you cannot prevent easy bruising altogether. You will inevitably run into the dining room table or stub your toe on the cement. Still, in addition to being safe, you can do other things to lessen your likelihood of bruising quite so easily.

First and foremost is to stop smoking. Next, get your weight down to a healthy level. Switch over-the-counter pain relief medications from aspirin, ibuprofen and other NSAIDs to Tylenol. NSAIDs and aspirin thin your blood.

You have heard that eating leafy, dark green vegetables, broccoli and alfalfa are good for you. Eating these vegetables will increase your vitamin K levels. Berries and citrus fruits are rich in bioflavinoids (anti-oxidants) and will help support your body's connective tissue. Eating foods with a high zinc level, such as soy and wheat germ, and eating plenty of carrots, potatoes and yams which are high in lipoic acid, will help your capillaries heal faster. Adding garlic and onion to your diet will help counter inflammation. A good multi-vitamin is definitely worth considering.

In spite of your efforts, you will end up with a bruise at some point in your life. Arnica cream applied to the bruise will help with healing. Homeopathic or herbal capsules of Arnica can be purchased at your local health food store. Never, ever attempt to drain blood from the bruise. You will aggravate it and possibly cause an infection.

It is virtually impossible to prevent bruising easily altogether. However, you can see that there are plenty of things you can do to decrease your risk and to improve your ability to heal more quickly. Be sure to see your physician if your bruise does not go away, hurts or if you find that you spontaneously bruise. - 17269

About the Author:

Do you find that you bruise easily? There are many ways you can prevent bruising. By turning to the Internet, you can find different Bruise Remedies that will help your skin..

Belly Fat Diet - Your Final Guide

By Glenn Atkins

Whatever you do though, there are a few top dietary tips that you need to remember.

What makes a perfect belly fat diet? First, off : cut down on calories, load up on full grains.A contemporary study proved that a diet that's low calorie and rich in whole grains effectively trims undesired stomach fat. In the recounted study, published in the american journal of Clinical nutrition, the subjects were divided into two groups. The 1st group was put through a diet of solely whole grains, among other foods, while the second was the subject of a diet of refined grains. The 1st group ended up usually losing extra inches from their waistline. The experts' explanation? A diet that is's loaded in entire grains and low in refined carbs alters the way insulin and glucose responds to food intake, thus facilitating the burning of fat deposits in the stomach.

Stay away from anything "refined." Eating refined foods causes a rise in blood sugar levels, which, in turn, signals the body to provide more insulin. As a consequence of this increased insulin reply, the body causes fats from the food intake to be deposited quicker.

The more fiber, the better. In opposition to the effects of refined foods, fiber-rich foods stabilize insulin reply, causing the body to be able to utilise glucose in the blood. This, in turn, helps lower blood glucose levels and prevents or minimizes fat deposits. Another good reason to go for fiber : fiber-rich foods keep you feeling full longer, so you usually metabolize faster even when you eat less.

When you have to have fat in your belly fat diet, choose monounsaturated. Fats found in fruits, veggies and natural oils and extracts like canola and olive oils are examples of monounsaturated fatty acids that will help you keep your tummy trim. Apart from its belly-friendly benefits, monounsaturated fatty acids also keeps the body healthy and lowers the chance of heart illnesses. Remember though that anything in excess-including good fatty acids-is bad for the health. At the end of the day, monounsaturated fats are still fats packed with nine calories in every gram. The key to enjoying peanuts and almonds, along with olives and olive oil, is moderation.

Eventually, and to reiterate the last point, keep everything moderately. Theoretically, you can still enjoy all of the goodies that you like, but in decent servings. You see, a belly fat diet does not need to feel and spell "deprivation. - 17269

About the Author:

Learn: how to lose your love handles Permanently without using drugs, supplements or crazy diets at how to get rock hard abs.

Pilates Mat Exercises Should Be Effective And Challenging

By Thaya Kareeson

The gift of fitness that is Pilates exercise has been with the fit world for some time. Though many people are only recently getting turned on to Pilates, many others have been doing it for a very long time. Many tools can be used in this fitness practice. However, here are some examples of Pilates mat exercises which may help the beginner get started.

Pilates was first created as a physical fitness method in the early twentieth century in Germany. Even though it has a long history, in 2005 over eleven million people were reportedly doing it on a regular basis. As of that time, there were fourteen thousand instructors for Pilates in just the United States. Most instructors will provide Pilates mat exercises and the mats that they require, right in class.

One of the easier Pilates mat exercises is the inner thigh lift. The mat is used to help the spine line up straight as the exerciser lays on their side, hip to the floor, leg extended towards the foot of the mat. The lower arm can support the head in a hand, or it can stretch out across the floor. The upper leg bends so the foot can be placed before of the hips, flat to the mat as the knee pushes away. The inner thigh is used to lift and lower the leg on the floor, without letting that leg touch the floor.

The Teaser One exercise is also one of the Pilates mat exercises that offers a great deal more challenge than others. This maneuver is started on the back with arms above the head. The legs are lifted up to a forty-five degree angle, then the abdominal muscles are tightened until the spine curls up. With hands floating over the legs then lifting up, the body comes into a V pose, balanced on the buttocks and lower spine. Maintaining control over the body, the back is lowered to the mat again, and the legs are lifted up to ninety degrees. The Teaser One helps to articulate the spine and roll it through flexion into extension.

Even though Pilates mat exercises should mostly be done on the floor, some will start standing up, like the 'walk out and push up' exercise. Start standing at the foot of the mat with the arms extended above the head. As the arms lower, the chin drops to the chest and the spine curls. The pelvis remains pushed forward. With the hands flat on the floor and heels together, walk the right hand out, then the left. The right hand moves to be even with the left and the body is tightened. With the head lifted so that the crown is in alignment with the spine and the legs are in center line, the body is now in what is called 'head to heels as if like steel'. The elbows then bend an inch, which lowers the body slightly before the elbows straighten once more.

Pilates mat exercises include many varieties of push-ups. The important thing is to find the one that suits you best. The Leg Pull Front Support is started face down on the mat with the palms at the sides of the body, near the shoulders. The legs extend back towards the foot of the mat, and the knees are lifted so they aren't resting on the ground. The purpose of this exercise is to focus on alignment of the spine, from crown to heels, 'head to heels as if like steel'. With the abdominal muscles tightened, the ribs are pulled into the spine and the position is held for several seconds.

A mat used in Pilates mat exercises is best if it is an authentic Pilates mat. These mats are half an inch thick, which is thicker than yoga mats. They also are meant to keep the body padded from the floor, rather than keep someone from slipping. They are typically made from foam, and should be four feet by eight feet in size. Some mats roll up while others fold.

Pilates mat exercises can be a very practical method that can be used by people of many different physical abilities. There are exercises for people who have injuries, as well as those who aren't as flexible or agile yet. Doing Pilates mat exercises is a safe way to get fit, become stronger and increase flexibility. - 17269

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Discover How To Lower Your Cholesterol With These Three Simple Foods

By Joe Dungait

Although your goal may be looking into ways how to lower your cholesterol, what you have to remember is that not all cholesterol is bad for you. Therefore what you really need to be doing is looking to reduce the amount of LDL cholesterol you have while at the same time increase the amount of HDL cholesterol you have. Although food can help with your cholesterol levels, the majority of it is decided by the amount that is produced in your liver; nonetheless every little bit helps so with that being the case let us now look at three foods that can help to reduce your LDL levels.

How To Lower Your Cholesterol

1.Oats- There is a substance known as soluble fiber which is found in oatmeal and oat bran that is hugely beneficial in helping to lower bad cholesterol, while at the same time not reducing the good cholesterol levels. In fact, soluble fiber is so effective at maintaining a healthy heart that in 1997 the FDA approved its claims for being able to do just that. For it to have any kind of impact on your bad cholesterol you need to have around 5 to 10gms per day; short term this will lead to about a 5% reduction in bad cholesterol, however over the long term the reduction could be as much as 23%.

2.Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Omega-3 fatty acids have also been found to be significant in reducing LDL levels, however though there are several sources of omega three and the ones that seem to have the most impact are fish oil omega3. Not only does the fish oil omega3 help reduce LDL and raise HDL, but at the same time it also helps reduce the triglyceride levels too which is important in preventing against heart disease. In addition to that LDL increases the plaque in the blood which can cause clogging of the arteries, the properties in the omega three fish oil helps to thin the blood and counteract this plaque buildup.

3.Nuts - Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats as well as plant sterols are all hugely beneficial in helping to reduce bad cholesterol levels. Nuts contain all of these properties and are one of natures super foods, so if you are looking to reduce your bad cholesterol levels, make sure you have a handful of nuts such as walnuts on a daily basis. - 17269

About the Author:

If you would like more information on how to lower your cholesterol without having to resort to medication, then please make sure you visit http://www.clobbercholesterol.com to find out about the most natural and effective way to reduce cholesterol levels.

Acai Berry Diet Eating And Drinking Your Way To A Healthier And Sexier Body!

By John Edentil

Right now the acai berry diet is one of the most recent craze when it comes to diet plans and programs offered in the market, which guarantee quick weight loss leads to a healthy way. The berries of acai grow in the Amazon rainforests of Brazil where the locals had been consuming them for more than centuries now. While the acai berry has just about the same size of a tiny grape, almost all of its dimension is made of the pit which sets off roughly ten percent of the genuine fruit to be exploited.

due to its acclaim, the hype about the weight reduction that acai berry can give might let you perceive it as a magical or wonder berry that you've always been searching for, but it really pays to find out more about the facts initially. This fruit spoils extraordinarily fast, so when you try and purchase it from your local health food outlets ; you'll often be presented with dried or frozen acai berries. For the reason that acai fruits are hard to find, the limited way to full take advantage of their health benefits include buying them as a liquid concentrate, a supplement, preserves, and as acai berry fruit juices.

The acai berry diet is the latest diet program to hit the stage of folks that are trying to lose weight. You'll be asked to take the supplement of acai berry and combine it with correct diet and workout. The method of shedding weight will be helped by the high antioxidant components of the berry along with its necessary amino acids that can increase metabolism rate and lots more.

To have a healthy metabolism function, fatty acids like omega is basic. The berry of acai contains raised levels of omega trans acids. Thus, it is strongly recommended for people who are experiencing difficulty in cutting off the wobbly in their bellies. It is believed the fruit of acai is rich in fiber, which helps in suppressing the appetite although it gives a fuller feeling. This also helps in lessening longings and surplus snacking, even though it promotes digestion and detoxifies the gut where greasy residues build up.

Another important advantage of incorporating this berry in your diet is the elevated energy it provides. This makes it a favorite addition to low calorie eating patterns. It also helps an additional boost to endure and attain your everyday tasks.

If you are looking forward in getting a better muscle tone, you will be happy to know that acai berries can offer you lean muscles, that will aid in burning calories more successfully. This is one more reason why they are efficient weight loss additions. Along with a healthy weight reduction, pure acai juice can act as a detoxifier to help in eliminating poisons in your system.

A word of caution though ; while the acai berry diet is recommended for people that want to lose weight healthily, you should understand that supplements from acai can be costly. In addition, there are tricks online, which offer free trials to lure you in buying their products. you may at all times read the fine print prior to ordering and paying for any acai berry product. - 17269

About the Author:

Losing weight can be difficult, and there's a lot of misinformation. Good luck and think health first, not just what the scale says. See more at this electric fuel pump site with good electric fuel pump information.

Bodybuilding Dieting, Tips to Do it Right

By Ricardo d Argence

All right, so you want to get physically fit at the gym, and lift heavy weights. If only it were as simple as pumping the weights up and down.

An important aspect of both repair and growth is nutrition. Bodybuilding diets are always changing for the simple reason muscle mass increases, putting muscle on means eating more, losing muscle means you will need to eat less. How do you stay on top of what is going on inside the body?

The first is to monitor your weight to see if your goal to put muscle on is causing an increase in bodyweight. If the scales show that weight are staying the same or going down then its time to look at the diet and eat more. If the weight is going up because your stomach is getting bigger then you are eating too much. But be cautious, you can expect to put some bodyfat on when trying to put muscle on, but you want to monitor that the dreaded fat isn't going on to much.

Another good method of checking which is going up, muscle or fat is to use a set of body fat calipers. By using them every two weeks that will show exactly what is happening, if muscle is going down due to not eating enough then that will show with the calipers and you will need to eat more. If the calipers show that bodyfat percentage is going up then you need to eat less.

Every good gym will have a set of calipers and assuming it is the same person doing the measurements each time you will get a honest reading as for what is going on. After you have figured out the amount of millimeters and your bodyweight, it is then that the chart which comes with calipers will determine what bodyfat percentage you are.

In order to figure out what the amount of your body fat you have, you need to take your body weight, in pounds, multiply it by your body fat percentage. This formula will tell you what your total body fat is. Subtracting this amount from total weight will estimate your free fat mass. This total includes not just muscle but all structure in the body, but it is a good estimate for our purposes.

The two figures you have just worked out, the total bodyfat and fat free mass, should be written down and kept. Then next time you have the measurements done you will see if the bodyfat percentage has gone up. You will find that if your food intake is right then with your exercise and nutrition the fat free mass will go up and the total bodyfat will go down. But if your not eating enough then you will find that the fat free mass, muscle, is going down and the bodyfat will go up. - 17269

About the Author:

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Knowing Nutritional Guidelines

By Anastacia Sampson

There are many foods that are packaged with accompanying nutritional information stated on the packaging. There is a high probability that this is read and thought to never alter. Nonetheless, there are many factors which determine anyones true gain of nutrients.

Recognise that farming conditions can alter a plants level of nutrients! A seasons harvest can have different nutritional levels to another seasons harvest. While we receive our nutrients from plants or other foods, all foods receive their nutrients from the soil or sea; which receive their nutrients from rocks. There is more to a rock or stone than meets the eye, as these hold nutrients! By the processes of erosion there is minute chipping away to permit release of nutrients. The released nutrients can then be taken up by the surrounding sea or ground.

Do note that your garden is improved by having stones in the ground. Just planting over and over and taking from the ground does deplete our soils. We really need to give back. Packaged foods do not have a fixed set level of nutrients as the packet or box said it will have it! Remember that plants can only take what is available for them to feed upon and if they grow from nutrient poor soil they reflect that in their health.

Plants growing in colder climates may have a higher level of certain nutrients in comparison to the same plant in warmer climates or vice versa. Our needs alter according to where we live and the climate affects nutritional needs. You may read the nutritional information of two similar foods but from different brands. Sometimes information on brands is derived from different sources. Then even if we all ate exactly the same level of nutrients our absorption tends to differ. A person who is stressed tends to have a lower rate of absorption of nutrients and they tend to retain fewer nutrients.

This is why anyone should consult with a relevant health professional to asses whether or not their body is receiving the better levels of nutrients to match their needs. Nutritional charts are extremely helpful and essential to work out how to help anyone to be healthy. We have to realise that we can not be exact and bet on set nutrient levels with each batch of harvested food and our bodies do not absorb a fixed percentage. We generally absorb more if we need it but sometimes other factors disrupt this, such as alcoholism, certain drugs and digestive-related problems.

Read nutritional information to guide food purchases. Do not fret about the extra calorie to the detriment of better mineral levels in foods. Often we may just glimpse at the calorie content. We dismiss the levels of minerals and vitamins. Seek out whole foods. Avoid mainly fatty foods and you should be on the right path. It could be argued that minor amounts of nutritious fatty nuts help one to lose weight. Believe it or not! Its because we need minerals and vitamins to burn calories. Think like a diplomat. You can weigh less but you need minerals and vitamins, choose fairly and have a balanced meal plan. - 17269

About the Author:

Anastacia Sampson is a Nutritional Medicine Practitioner and freelance journalist, and lives in East London in South Africa. It is through consulting and advising the public on nutritional information that her health book has been published. Anastacia also runs a website, Healthy Living, where you will find information on Processed Foods

Ways To Burn Belly Fat

By Owen Jones

Trying to burn off your belly fat is probably the most common reason for dieting. Next is trying to lose excess weight from one's arms and legs, if you want to lose weight and get a trimmer body. Diet alone does not work well enough to get a flat abdomen, and many people are searching non stop for new techniques to try to complement their diet.

Occasionally the battle you have to fight takes years, while in more fortunate situations, you'll be able to burn belly off fat in a few months. The time span necessary for such an achievement varies according to a series of personal factors: first of all it depends on how big the fat deposit is around your waist.

Then, your age, your health and certain other personal things influence the rate of weight loss significantly. You can burn belly fat at a more rapid rate if you stick to a training regimen consisting of a series of well-determined exercises that include not only body crunches but also full body work.

Twists for example, have a great reputation for the toning of the abdominal muscles and the creation of a slimmer waistline. While you can maintain your calorie intake under control by carefully monitoring your diet, you can only burn your current deposits of fat with physical exercise.

Nutritional supplements can help you burn your belly fat off without having to experience the consequences of a crash diet. Some of the most valued remedies for accelerating the metabolism include green tea extract, Garcinia Cambodia, pineapple extract, seaweed and other herbs with a stimulating effect on the digestive tract.

Be very cautious with appetite suppressants because they do not burn belly fat like the rest of the supplements do, but rather they engender a sensation of satiation which tells your body that there is no requirement for it to long for food. However, if such a situation gets out of control, the user of these weight loss supplements could develop anemia because of poor nourishment.

Do not try to burn your belly fat within a rigid, prearranged time frame. Setting seven or ten-day goals could put a lot of strain on the body, and besides a flatter stomach you may end up with grave health problems. Every body has its own way of adapting to diets. For instance, one's level of activity changes with programs meant to accelerate the metabolism.

If things are not done slowly but surely, the body will respond in a hostile way to the new stimuli, creating all sorts of discomforts such as diarrhea, exhaustion, anxiety, poor concentration and the so forth. So, choose those ways to burn belly fat off that best suit your condition, age and physical structure. - 17269

About the Author:

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with why can't I lose weight. If you have an interest in losing weight, please go over to our website now at Why Can't I Lose Weight?

Diet Plans To Get Shot Of Belly Fat

By Issac Booker

Belly fat is perhaps the most stubborn fat in your body. It is very easy to store and yet so tough to shed.There can be a fast way to lose belly fat if you start shifting the amount of calories you consume every day.

Following are belly fat diet pointers to help you in your attempts to beat that stubborn flab.

* What to drink

Green tea is a good complement to your belly fat diet. It has powerful cleansing and fat-burning properties. Make efforts to drink it warm and without milk.

Mix your favorite fruit and veg into smoothies and drink up. Again, hold the milk when preparing the smoothies.

* What NOT to drink

try and keep away from coffee, tea, sweet drinks and sodas, most importantly should stop drink lager.

* What to Minimize

Use cooking oil minimally. If you have got to fry your food, use healthier options like olive oil as much as practicable.

Try avoiding food made of refined grains like white bread and white rice. And while you are at it, avoid flour-based pasta too.

* What to eat

You can eat plenty of food, but your intake of calories should be either significantly lower or higher than the prior day.

Fresh fruits which contain vitamin and vegetable. Fiber in fruits and vegetables help to boost our digestion.

* What NOT to eat

Processed food is a massive no-no when you are trying to lose the fat around your stomach. They're generally unhealthy and will negate all of your weight loss and fat-burning efforts.

Red meat and poultry products are very high in saturated fats and should also be excluded from your belly fat diet. Your fat intake should be limited to monounsaturated fats.

Start to change your daily eating habit and follow above mentioned diet plan to lose belly fat. - 17269

About the Author:

Losing body fat is not really as difficult as it may seem. In order to How to Flatten Your Stomach it takes a punch out of you, but you can do it: burn stomach fat