Hoodia and Appetite Control

By Philip Mc Donald

Hoodia has become quite popular due to the fact that several journalists have broadcast reports of its powers. During a 60 Minutes segment, Leslie Stahl reported that she had used Hoodia and had not experienced any adverse side effects. Tom Mangold, a BBC News correspondent, reported that in addition to a noticeable decrease in his appetite, he found that Hoodia produced a feel-good, almost aphrodisiac effect.

But is there any actual proof that Hoodia suppresses the appetite? Clinical studies have been performed on Hoodia, but perhaps the Bushmen of South Africa present some of the most compelling non-clinical proof. For centuries they have eaten Hoodia Gordonii to suppress their appetites while on extended hunting expeditions. As far as anyone can tell, they have not experienced any ill effects; Hoodia is just an accepted, normal part of their lives.

In 2001, Phytopharm completed a double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical study in healthy, but overweight volunteers using the P57 extract from Hoodia Gordonii. When compared, the P57 group had a significant reduction in caloric intake with no adverse side effects. On average, the P57 group ate about 1,000 calories less in a day than those in the control group.

So, what makes P57 (and Hoodia Gordonii) so effective in suppressing the appetite? The belief is that Hoodia (specifically the P57 found in the hoodia) imitates the effect that glucose has on nerve cells in the brain. Basically, it fools your brain into thinking you are full when you're not and this cuts your urge to snack on unhealthy food. In fact, hoodia is more powerful than glucose in telling the brain that you are full.

Actually, Hoodia seems to have a more powerful effect on limiting the appetite than glucose. According to Dr. Richard Dixey of Phytopharm, the hypothalamus is the area of the brain that senses glucose sugar. Blood sugar rises when you eat, causing the cells to activate and send the message that you are full. It appears that Hoodia contains a molecule that is approximately 10,000 times more potent than glucose. It causes the hypothalamus to send a signal to the cells to make you feel as though you are full, even if you have not yet eaten. In addition, you do not have any desire to eat.

Just remember, you still need to eat, not matter how much Hoodia you consume. We all need food to survive. You will need to learn the difference between real hunger and hormonal hunger. Real hunger is when your body does not have enough food to function and hormonal hunger is caused by fluctuating insulin levels. Hormonal hunger is usually the downfall of dieters, causing carvings for sweets and other junk foods.

You do need to continue to eat meals when you experience real hunger, but you will be eliminating all this snacking due to hormonal hunger. While hoodia can help eliminate both types of hunger, we feel it is unhealthy to skip meals. The real advantage we see to hoodia is that it suppresses cravings for snacks when you are not experiencing real hunger, but hormonal hunger.

What makes Hoodia different from other diet pills is that diet pills and or supplements work by attempting to increase the rate at which our body burns fat and that comes with serious health risks. Hoodia supplements are different because they actually prevent weight gain. As much as everyone argues about the best path to weight loss, it actually is as simple as basic math. You can not gain weight if you consume less calories than you burn. With Hoodia, you have a powerful weapon to fight hunger and therefore consume fewer calories.

About the Author:

Author Philip McDonald explores the hoodia balance. Find more of his articles on weight loss tips online.

The Truth Behind Alternative Health Therapy

By Anne Woodland

Alternative health therapy is often used instead of conventional treatment. Integrated therapies use a combination of either alternative or complementary therapies with normal medical treatment, for the practice of which a high level of expertise is required. Alternative therapies make available services which are not offered in conventional medicine. Some of the alternative therapies include: herbal medicine, folk medicine, and homeopathy, diet fads, new age healing, faith healing, naturopathy, chiropractic, and music therapy even though this isn't an exhaustive list. Alternative therapies very often promise cure or help in areas where conventional treatment might not wish to do so.

You can gain a sense of control over your health through alternative health therapies that improves general quality of life by making you feel better about yourself. Reducing and eliminating tension, stress, anxiety, depression and sleeplessness, causes the person to feel a sense of well-being and relaxation. Alternative health therapies can help you to reduce all of the symptoms that are associated with cancer, like feeling sick, pain, constipation, breathlessness, tiredness, diarrhea, and poor appetite along with moderating all of the side effects that are associated with the traditional treatment for cancer.

A combination of alternative health therapies and conventional medicine has been noticed to be very effective in alleviating pain, even when there is a serious condition. Some cancer support groups for example, offer these therapies for free or make a small charge and some hospitals and hospices provide as part of cancer care, alongside conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Many cancer patients currently use alternate therapy to manage and sustain themselves through the difficult cancer treatments. These therapies are very valuable in that they identify and support spiritual and emotional characteristics and physical features, but they should not be used as the only alternative line of treatment.

More than billion is spent by the Americans annually on vitamins and herbs which are alternative health products. The recent studies that were conducted by Phillips, Tindle, Eisenberg and Davis, reflected that there was roughly seventy two million adults within the United States that use alternative and complementary therapies. The studies conducted by Herman, Craig and Caspi in 2005 also show an out of pocket spend of about billion annually on these therapies.

It is very essential to find out which alternative treatment is required by your particular type of problem, how comfortable are you with it and how effective will it be. Individual therapies have been proven to improve the quality of life for many people with Motor Neuron Disease (MND), these can include: acupuncture, aromatherapy, homeopathy, hypnotherapy, massage, meditation, reiki and reflexology. It is always a good idea to consult your physician before considering any of the alternative therapies available, and it is important to double check that any additional treatment undertaken will not adversely affect any current treatment program you are on.

In the event, that you make the decision to integrate some of the alternative health therapies into your specific treatment plan, you are going to need to discuss all of your choices very openly, regularly and honestly with your physician and others that are part of your health care team. Find out where the treatment is available, at your clinic or hospital or then though the doctors own practice. Today doctors are more and more convinced that alternative therapy does have a place in the overall healing of a patient. This gives them the ability to maybe recommend alternative therapy practitioners. Most find that this type of therapy gives them back some control of their lives and lessens the anxiety and it also helps them cope with side effects of conventional treatment.

About the Author:

One great way to begin safe alternative health treatments is to use self hypnosis. Licensed medical professionals all over the world have used hypnosis and alternative therapies for pain reduction. Check out these world-renown, super-effective free self hypnosis scripts here

Understanding Statins and Cholesterol Medications

By Rich Benvin

There are over 100 million American adults that should seek medical advice to lower their high blood cholesterol levels. Statins, a cholesterol lowering medication which have few side effects have helped to fight heart disease and lower cholesterol levels, even though Americans are actually getting fatter.

Don't worry; you are not out of luck. This article focuses on the actions you can take to lower your cholesterol levels and live a healthier life. After we quickly explain to you what cholesterol is we can then provide you with ways your physician can prescribe statin medications to help. Statins are not the only cholesterol reducing drug, but it is the one we will be discussing throughout this article.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat like substance that presents itself naturally in cell walls and membranes everywhere in your body. Your body uses cholesterol to produce many hormones. Where problems arise is when there is an over abundance of cholesterol in your bloodstream.

Your doctor may decide that you need help in controlling your cholesterol if you are not able to reduce it using natural treatments. Even if your doctor prescribes any of these medications, you must still follow through with healthy lifestyle treatments as well. There are several different types of medications used to lower cholesterol, but we will focus only on statins.

What are statins and how do they work? Statins repress the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. This enzyme controls the rate that cholesterol produces itself in the body. These drugs can lower cholesterol from 20 to 60%. They slow the production while they increase the liver's ability to withdraw LDL (Low Density Lipoproteins). Statins lower the LDL levels better than any other type of drug.

Statins not only decrease total cholesterol and triglycerides, but they can also produce a moderate increase of HDL (High Density Lipoproteins). Encouraging results can usually be seen as quickly as 4 to 6 weeks after beginning use of the medication. Statins are also known to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other possible coronary illnesses.

You should not take statins if: you are allergic to statins themselves or their ingredients; you are pregnant or breastfeeding; you have liver disease; you regularly consume excessive amounts of alcohol; you have a history of myopathy; or if you have experienced renal failure.

Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor, Lescol, Altocor and Mevacor are all prescription brand name statins that you might recognize. Please know of certain food and/or drug interactions that may have adverse effects. If you drink more than a quart of grapefruit juice per day it can very well decrease the liver's ability to process some statin drugs. It is critical to know that there are other medications that you might be taking that can possibly interact with the statins to cause some weighty side effects.

If you are taking prescription or even over-the-counter drugs such as: birth control pills, immune system medications, medication for infections, medication for heart failure, HIV or AIDS, herbal supplements, Coumadin, or other cholesterol drugs make sure to let your doctor know before taking statins.

Although very rare, it is possible for side effects to surface from the use of statins. If you happen to experience vomiting, discolored urine, pain, muscle soreness, stomach pain, or weakness immediately discontinue the use of the medication and contact your physician.

About the Author:

ExpressMedsCanada.com is your first link to online discount pharmacies in Canada and overseas. Order generic drugs and brand name, cholesterol lowering drugs and other prescription drugs without sacrificing safety, quality or service. Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory

Does colon cleansing really work?

By Alexa Shepherd

Many of us are guilty of leading sedentary lives and cultivating unsavoury lifestyle habits like overeating, consuming copious amounts of junk food, indulging in smoking and drinking. This can result in a poorly functioning digestive system and the need for colon cleansing. Often, people refuse to undertake this medical procedure until they get assurance that is colon cleansing really safe and effective.

You may know the colon as the large intestine or as the bowel. They essentially refer to the same body part. This 1 to 2 meter long part acts to help the body get rid of the undigested waste left over from the food we ingest. After all the necessary nutrients have been taken into our bodies, what remains passes through the colon to be eradicated. These remains can be water, undigested fiber or a type of bacteria called probiotics, just to name a few.

Unfortunately, lifestyle and a poor diet can weaken the function of the colon. Digestive problems can stem from stress, a high intake of saturated fats, sugars and excessive salt, lack of fiber, lack of fluids, lack of exercise, too much alcohol and smoking, amongst many other factors. These create an unfriendly environment for the bacteria needed for a colon to function normally. There enters a process called colon cleansing.

Colon cleansing aims to revive a colon that is not functioning properly. When a colon does not work as well as it should, waste materials are processed more slowly than normal. Much of the food we consume these days contain toxins and when these pass through our digestive system slowly, the more of these toxins are absorbed into our blood stream. These extra toxins may overwhelm and eventually cause damage to our kidneys, liver as well as other areas of the body.

Unwanted pollutants that are found in our digestive systems must be gotten rid of by colon detox in order to help restore the colon to its normal, healthy functioning state. Many, however, are concerned that is colon cleansing really safe and effective? While any form of medical treatment will have both their advantages and disadvantages, it is important to weigh these out before you make the decision to detox in this way.

Evaluate your lifestyle and your health as you find out more about colon cleansing procedures. You will undoubtedly find a range of options available to you, from the clinical approach to the cheaper alternative - home remedies.

It is important to treat a poorly functioning colon because if it is allowed to remain untreated, many other serious clinical conditions can develop. That is why it is important, when seeking for colon cleansing treatment, to find a professional therapist who is up-to-date with the latest knowledge, information and machines to carry out the procedure for you.

While most colon therapists will answer the question, is colon cleansing really safe and effective with a resounding YES, overusing this approach can cause a negative effect on the health of your bowel movements. In additional, your colon area could be damaged if the enema used in your procedure is applied incorrectly. The exposure to harmful bacteria and viruses can also pose a real threat.

While many undertake cleansing their colon to treat a serious condition, there are others who look to colon cleansing as a solution to weight loss because this procedure does tend to remove excess body weight. Whatever your reason for going through this detoxification process, you must ask, is colon cleansing really safe and effective, and be comfortable with your final decision.

About the Author:

Any medical treatment, whether it is performed by a trained professional or at home, involves some level of risk. Gathering as much information as you can about treating your colon with colon cleaning can help you find out if is colon cleansing really safe and effective and decide whether it's really for you.

Gout Medicine: 3 Gout Medications You Can Take To Lessen the Pain

By Sable Woods

There may be a lot of natural gout remedies that surface, but one of the first things people turn to when trying to cure the inflammation of bodily joints is gout medicine. Proper medications are typically the main solutions of people inflicted with any forms of ailments and the ones suffering from the attacks of gout. There are a lot of medications that concentrate on reducing the high levels of uric acid in the blood.

NSAIDs and corticosteroids are the most common gout medicine. NSAIDs are taken orally in high dosages, which helps inhibit the presence and spreading of a substance called prostaglandin (this contributes to the painfully severe feeling during gout).

If NSAIDs fail, then you could take corticosteroids instead. These also give immediate pain relief through a direct injection into the swollen joint. With this method of injection, the medication can specifically target the afflicted area.

But there is a downside to using corticosteroids as your gout medicine. You can't take it daily or during repeat flare-ups, because frequently using this medication will damage the joint and weaken the surrounding bone cartilage.

If there are instances where these two medications aren't effective, you can turn to a drug called colchicines that can be used for the first 12 hours of the attack. This differs from the other two medications since this can be taken once every hour. This kind of gout medicine has the following side effects: diarrhea, unsettled stomach, and abdominal cramps. Colchicines are considered to be the oldest cure to gout. This has been around for centuries, offering the same relief with that of the other medications.

Gout medicine, like most medications, definitely has its share of side effects. Thus, it is important that you take some time to carefully consider your options. Seeking help from professionals, specialists, and even other gout sufferers with resources will play a salient role in relieving your gout attacks.

About the Author:

When modern medication fails, you have natural gout treatment you can use to take control over your gout at last. Halt your suffering and get fast relief and freedom from the pain forever with a safe home remedy at http://www.GetGoutRelief.com.