The Health Benefits of Acai Berry - What’s In and What’s Out

If you’re an avid follower of what goes on in the health industry, by this time you have probably tired of hearing all about the benefits of acai berry. These perceived benefits run the gamut of increased energy to miraculous weight loss to disease prevention and even anti-aging properties. The acai berry does contain a lot of the nutrients we need for our overall well-being, but let’s sift through all the hype and get to its real benefits.

Fighting Disease

Acai berries are known to contain an incredible amount of antioxidants. Antioxidants have long been known to slow the progress of free radicals. Free radicals are atoms which are missing an electron in their standard pair. They make up for this by stealing electrons from other atoms. If you have an overabundance of free radicals in your system, you are at higher risk for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and certain types of cancer. While acai berries do not offer a cure for cancer, anything that could potentially reduce the risk for such diseases is welcomed by consumers.

Potential Weight Loss

The obesity rate in America is staggering and this is clearly indicated by the growth of the weight loss market which is now said to be in the billion-dollar vicinity. But how does acai contribute in addressing the weight loss problem? Here are the facts: acai berry is rich in fiber and fiber is known to improve one’s digestive system, makes you feel fuller, and promotes energy. Basing on these data alone, you can deduce that acai can help in weight loss by allowing you to have more energy for your exercise routine and daily activities without having to eat more. Acai also has unsaturated fats or good fats that are a rich source of Omega fatty acids, which can help lower bad cholesterol.

The Heart Matters

Another compound found in acai berries which is also vital to our bodies are the anthocyanins. These are the same substances found in grapes and subsequently, in red wine, which have helped lower the incidence of coronary heart disease among the French despite their high-fat diet. Pure acai berries contain a good dose of anthocyanins without the damaging effects of alcohol. Anthocyanins are also known to help keep the skin healthy.

Acai is in no way a fits-all cure for all health ailments as other promoters are touting it. Mind you though, these claims are not totally baseless as acai berries are a terrific source of all the nutrients our body needs such as antioxidants, anthocyanins, fiber, and healthy fats. The best thing for you is to try it and see which of these potential health benefits of acai berry are most valuable for you.

How Much Acai Berry Should I Take? Know the Correct Acai Dosage

The recent rush for acai berry supplements has many people asking, “How much acai berry should I take?” If you’re asking this question as well, you need to know a few things first. Not every acai product is the same and not everyone is qualified to tell you how much is safe to take. While pure acai berry supplements are not considered dangerous, there may be hazards if you take too much. So how do you determine your dosage?

Who Should Advise Me of the Right Dosage?

For those who have a predisposed medical ailment, it is imperative that you consult with your doctor prior to taking acai supplements. It is also important that you understand that only your doctor and no one else is qualified to advise you on this matter. Not even the so-called acai experts will do. It’s still worth noting that on the average, people are consuming 1,000 to 4,000 mg of acai berry products per day so anything between that is considered the usual dosage. While you may be confident that you don’t have allergies to acai supplements, it’s still best to consult your physician on this.

Can I Take Too Much Acai Berry?

You can take too much of just about everything. Although acai poses no real danger in terms of overdose, many supplements may contain additives that could be unhealthy in large quantities. However, even something as normally harmless as acai berry could cause stomach problems or diarrhea from taking too much. Unless you have allergies or take an absurd amount, you will likely be fine. But you should still take the recommended dosage on the bottle or the amount your doctor has suggested.

Are All Acai Supplements The Same?

You need to remember that not all acai berry products are created equal. Some products are considered pure acai berry. They contain nothing except the nutritious fruit of the acai berry. These products are not known to have any side effects and are considered as safe as any common fruit. However, some products may contain fillers or additives such as sugars or caffeine which may have unwanted side effects if you consume too much. It is important that you consider the specific product if you are planning on taking a different dosage than what is on the bottle.

Again, pure acai berry supplements do not have any observed side effects. However, if you want to stay on the safe side, the best thing you can do is to check with your physician or at the very least, follow the recommended dosage printed on the label of your product. Also, do your own research before signing up for any product. The quality of the supplement itself is as vital a factor as how much acai berry you should take.

How To Kill Hunger With This Powerful Homemade Hoodia Shake

Hoodia shakes are so effective at suppressing appetite because they contain two very powerful ingredients - protein and hoodia gordonii, and what’s more, both of these are totally natural. Dieters have used various protein powders as a way to suppress appetite for many years, but not many realize that a protein shake is actually strong enough on it’s own to really stop hunger. If this power is combined with hoodia gordonii, then you get an exceptionally effective product.

Hoodia shake products are convenient, but they have their drawbacks. For one, there aren’t that many products available so your choices are very limited. The few that do exist are very expensive and there aren’t many flavors to choose from. Furthermore, the amount of hoodia gordonii per scoop isn’t that much so you pay premium prices for what amounts to be a basic protein powder with a little hoodia thrown in.

Almost all of the hoodia shakes I have seen for sale only contain around 500mg of hoodia gordonii in each scoop - some contain much less than this. The shake I’m telling you how to make in this article will contain at least 750mg of hoodia gordonii per scoop, and what’s more, it will be much cheaper than buying any product that is already available.

One of the great things about making your own hoodia shake is that you can choose what type of protein to use. You can use soy protein or whey protein. You can also choose what flavors you want. There are many popular brands of protein powders available and they come in so many flavors beyond the usual chocolate and vanilla. One popular brand of protein powder has such flavors as banana cream, strawberry, tropical punch, and cookies and cream!

To make your own hoodia shake you first need to pick your favorite protein powder. A high quality protein powder product shouldn’t cost anymore than $14 for a two pound tub and should have around 30 servings. Then you need to buy a quality hoodia diet pill that contains 100% authentic hoodia gordonii. These types of hoodia supplements will contain anywhere between 400-750mg of hoodia gordonii per capsule.

Fill a glass with some low fat milk, or even water, and then add in a serving of the protein powder you bought. To get the hoodia from the diet pills, carefully pull apart the capsule and add the powder to your drink. Make sure you mix your drink well, or maybe even blend it with some ice, and then enjoy! Not only have you just made a really tasty shake that will suppress your appetite, you will find that you have paid a lot less for your shake than any other hoodia products available on the market!

The other advantage to making your own hoodia shake is that you can control the amount of protein and hoodia in each drink. You can add two scoops of protein or two hoodia gordonii capsules to your drink. It’s totally up to you. You could even add some fiber for even more appetite suppression! The possibilities are endless when you make your own hoodia shake.

The CITES Certificate: One Key to Finding Pure Hoodia Gordonii

Anyone who has considered hoodia diet pills and has done any research on them has read about the importance of looking for a CITES certificate to identify authentic hoodia gordonii. I often wonder if people even understand what the certificate is and why it so important to look for one. If you have a basic understanding of what a CITES certificate is and what its role is within the hoodia trade, you’ll know why looking for one is so important when trying to find authentic hoodia gordonii.

The hoodia gordonii plant is a protected plant that is in high demand. This cactus looking plant used to only grow in the wilds of South Africa. However, the increased demand for the plant, because of its weight loss properties, has prompted many people to begin farming the plant. This led South Africa to put regulations on the plant. Regulations that not only would protect the plant, but the San people who claim it as their native plant. There are controls in place that now regulate the growing, harvesting and exportation of the hoodia gordonii plant.

CITES certificates are one of the basic controls put in place to protect the endangered hoodia plant. There are other documents that are required as well, but for the purposes of this article I’ll only address the CITES certificate. CITES refers to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and is an international agreement between governments. Their goal is to ensure that international trade does not threaten the survival of endangered species.

What this means is for someone to come in and export hoodia gordonii out of South Africa, they must first get a permit from CITES. Export permits from CITES must accompany all shipments of hoodia gordonii out of South Africa. It’s important to understand that these export permits are only good for six months. The permit holder must export the plant out within six months, or they must reapply and start the process over and obtain a new CITES permit.

This is important to understand because there is some confusion in the hoodia industry about the dates shown on CITES permits. People are led to believe that CITES permits must be “current” in order to be valid, otherwise they don’t mean anything. They mistakenly believe that if the CITES certificate is older than six months the company must be lying or must be trying to pull a fast one on the consumer. In some instances an “old” CITES certificate may be just that, but it is not necessarily the rule.

It is not uncommon to see outdated CITES permits. If someone ships in a large quantity of hoodia gordonii, they may still have some of the plant on hand even though their CITES permit has expired. The CITES permit stays with the product until it is all gone. The permit only proves the product that was shipped was authentic hoodia gordonii. It doesn’t have anything to do with how long it may sit at a supplier once it has been exported.

Another point to keep in mind is that the company or supplier shown on a CITES certificate doesn’t always match the name of the company selling the actual end product. For example, you may be interested in buying a hoodia supplement from “Helen’s Health Company” so you go to their website and you view their CITES certificate. Everything checks out except you notice the supplier shown on the permit is a company called, “Supplier Incorporated.” Shouldn’t the company listed on the permit be Helen’s Health Company? Not always.

Supplement companies get their hoodia from supply companies. Suppliers are the companies that actually go in, obtain the CITES permits and export the hoodia gordonii out of South Africa. The country is selective on giving out CITES permits and they limit the number of exports. It only makes sense that supplement companies would use a supplier to obtain their hoodia gordonii. That is why you may see a name other that the company you are purchasing your products from listed on the CITES permit.

You should know that just because a website displays a CITES certificate doesn’t guarantee that they are packing their capsules with 100% pure hoodia gordonii. Since all hoodia products are supplements and supplements are not regulated, some companies make claims about their products that aren’t true. Just because a company has a CITES permit doesn’t mean they are packaging their hoodia in a way that is beneficial to weight loss. In other words, a CITES permit should not be a green light for you to assume the product that is being sold is pure hoodia gordonii.

That is not always true. Keep in mind that the only thing a CITES permit proves is that a supplier was given the right to export “X amount” of hoodia gordonii from South Africa. Once the supply is exported, the supplier and any company purchasing hoodia from the supplier can do what they want with the hoodia gordonii. A company may claim they are selling a hoodia diet pill that contains 500mg of authentic hoodia gordonii, and while they may have a CITES certificate for the supply they purchased, they may not use a full 500mg in each capsule! They may only use 250mg or 150mg or whatever may be the case.

Now that you have a better understanding of what the CITES certificate is and what its role is, you know why looking for one is important when trying to find authentic hoodia gordonii diet pills and products.

Can Chewing Hoodia Gum Really Suppress Appetite?

Hoodia gum is one in a line of specialty hoodia products that have hit the market in the past couple years. Other products that have hit the market include hoodia chews and hoodia pops. What all of these specialty products have in common is that they all claim to have the ability to be highly effective and almost instant appetite suppressants. The idea behind these products is that if you can control your appetite, you’ll eat less and you’ll lose weight.

Now this may sound like a dream come true to many of you, but I certainly have my doubts. For a start I do not believe that any of these hoodia gum products actually contain genuine hoodia gordonii. Hoodia gordonii is a plant that is found only in South Africa, and contains a molecule called P57 which can actually trick the brain into thinking you are full. Even though there are many varieties of hoodia, only hoodia gordonii contains this molecule.

There is a worldwide shortage of hoodia gordonii at present because the supply simply cannot meet the demand. This means that genuine hoodia gordonii is very expensive. Hoodia supplements have been increasing in popularity over the past few years, with many manufacturers deciding to jump on the bandwagon offering everything from hoodia gum to hoodia tea. Many companies though have cut corners to increase their profit margins by either diluting the amount of hoodia gordonii their product contains, or by using a different form of hoodia, so they can still claim to be a hoodia product.

The reason these companies have been able to get away with this is because hoodia supplements are not regulated. It is up to the consumer to get educated on the facts about hoodia products such as hoodia gum to make sure they don’t get scammed. The majority of the hoodia supplements and products on the market today are fake - meaning they contain very little, if any, hoodia gordonii. One expert says that the percentage of fake hoodia supplements could be as high as 80%!

You can help protect yourself by looking for two important pieces of information to ensure that the product you are buying is really genuine. You should look for CITES certificates and independent lab test results. The companies selling hoodia products should display these documents on their websites. If you cannot find these, then the product on sale is highly likely to be a fake which does not contain authentic hoodia gordonii.

Even though I have researched several hoodia gum websites, I have yet to find a site that clearly displays these documents for their customers. This leads me to believe that the products they are marketing do not contain any hoodia gordonii, even though they are advertised as being an immediate and powerful suppressant for your appetite. And if the product does not contain hoodia gordonii, then it will have virtually no ability to suppress your hunger at all.

Just for a minute let’s suppose that these products did actually contain authentic hoodia gordonii. I still doubt they would be effective at reducing your appetite because they simply would not contain the amounts of hoodia needed. Hoodia gum products usually state that they contain between 20-150mg of hoodia per stick. That’s nowhere near enough to suppress appetite.

Experts and doctors agree that in most cases to be an effective appetite suppressant a product must deliver about 3,000mg of hoodia gordonii each day. It’s true that some people can get away with taking as little as 800-1,500mg of hoodia per day, and still experience appetite suppression, but even if this is the case with you, you would still need to get through a number of packs of hoodia gum before you reached this level.

The other thing that worries me about these hoodia products is that on the ingredients list, they mostly all claim to be made from concentrated hoodia gordonii extract. The thing is, there is only one company that actually has the legal authority to carry out this extraction process and that company is called Phytopharm.

Phytopharm is a British pharmaceutical company that was given the patent to extract P57 for use in weight loss products. They have spent several years and millions of dollars trying to figure out how to extract P57 to use in weight loss products on a mass scale. Despite the time and money spent, they still haven’t been able to do it. How then can a hoodia gum product claim to use a hoodia extract?

At the end of the day I am still sceptical about hoodia gum products. I doubt they will be effective at controlling appetite because the vast majority of them will not contain any hoodia gordonii, and those that do will only have a very tiny amount. If you are still wanting to try hoodia gordonii though I would highly recommend that you stick with the established hoodia diet tablets.

Best Hollywood Celebrity Diets For Rapid Weight Loss

Everyone wonders how all those Hollywood celebrities diet and maintain their weight. Sometimes they do look good for the camera. However there are many times they look sickly and ill. No matter how they brand their name. Starvation is starvation, no matter what kind of becoming face you may apply to it.

You see it in all the tabloids, this person lost 100 pounds again, this one gained 100 pounds, and then lost 150 pounds. Some are not as dramatic; this one lost 40 pounds and is a television spokesperson, because the previous celebrity diet spokesperson gained the weight back. The fact is they may be starving themselves to lose weight, fasting like they are going through a famine.

Losing a lot of weight in a short period of time might be normal for somebody who is very overweight because they are carrying a lot of stored fat around with them. On the other hand, for somebody who is just one or two dress sizes over their preferred weight, losing so much weight in so little time is very unhealthy and can lead to serious health problems. Successful dieting takes time and you are not going to go from overweight to slim overnight. You did not gain all that weight overnight so you will not shift it in such a short time frame either.

Besides the fact that even if you do lose a lot of weight in such a short time, you will not be able to maintain it, unless you are committed to a maintenance program. Proper dieting involves certain skill as well as a strong sense of will power. Many of those Hollywood or Celebrity diets are actually very unhealthy for your body. Is it worth it to diet like a celebrity, just to make you unhealthy?

Hollywood diet juice is an example of a celebrity diet program and this diet means you only drink the juice. You do not eat or drink anything else. This is a type of starvation and is an incredibly boring diet. Once you stop drinking the juice, all the weight you lost will come back. It makes no sense to drink a juice and then stop drinking it and return to being overweight.

Just like many of the popular diets in Hollywood, when your body considers that you are actually starving yourself to death, it will rebel. It rebels by putting a stop to the process of losing that extra weight, just to keep you alive! A long term alternative is called for when dieting properly. The Hollywood hottest diets are no long term answer to weight loss and maintaining your target weight.

Celebrities do not have secrets about dieting. They are normal people like the rest of us but, unlike most of us, they have people working for them such as diet advisors and personal trainers.

The secrets of celebrity diets involve dedication and commitment similar to that that we ourselves struggle with. The very best celebrity diets involves sticking to a practical well thought out intake of foods and fluids and enough sense to know when to stop. Have you been to the Fat Loss 4 Idiots yet?

Lose Weight Fast - Diet Pills An Easy Solution?

When you are putting together a plan to lose weight, you will find that there are many occasions when weight loss pills are a part of it. These pills can be instrumental in helping you lose the weight that has been creeping on to you over an extended period of time, and you will discover that it can be part of a weight loss plan, just like a better exercise program. When you are looking to use weight loss pills, you’ll find that they can complement a good exercise program, but you have to think about whether not they are safe.

There are some weight loss pills that actually are natural or herbal dietary supplements, that help curb the appetite and provide multi-vitamins, and can sometimes psychologically help get a person into a weight loss plan that involves watching the foods they eat, portion sizes, and more exercise.

What about chemical or synthetic pills of the non-natural variety - how safe are those? The FDA do not test and monitor over the counter drugs and they do not have proof of effectiveness of such pills. The exception is Alli which is approved as an effective, over the counter diet pill. A lot of people have heard of the problems associated with the Ephedra pill.

Because the over-the-counter weight loss pills are not governed by the FDA, and none have been approved by them besides Alli, there are no guarantees of what you are getting, whether they work, and what side effects you may experience. Many contain caffeine as the appetite suppressant, and do little more than drinking coffee and tea would do for you, but can cost a lot more. Some people may have allergic reactions and side effects to the ingredients in some weight loss pills.

When you are thinking about weight, you may find that you are dealing with a disciple issue, and if this is something that you need to overcome before you lose weight, you’ll find that weight loss pills aren’t going to effect the large changes that they need to. Remember that claims that a pill will allow you to eat all that you want are largely false in the long run.

When you are looking to lose weight and to keep it off, you will find that what you need to do is that you need to make sure that you consistently burn more calories than you take in, and this holds true whether you are using weight loss pills or not. Without this important fact, even the best pill is going to be useless, and while you can always use pills to help, you will find in the long run, they should only be taken under the eyes of a trusted physician.

The best way to lose weight is by giving your body what it needs to be a healthy weight, such as nutritional and fat burning calories, correct portions, eating a number of times a time to keep your metabolism burning fat, and enough variety to keep you committed to a long-term diet.

Weight loss pills are not cheap and they are not all proven safe to use. If you are already on medication for high blood pressure or heart problems, diet pills might be dangerous. The best way to shed pounds is a weight loss plan like FatLoss4Idiots; you should check it out quickly at the link below, which offers what you need for permanent and healthy weight loss.

Lose Pregnancy Weight By Activating Your Metabolism To Burn Fat

After pregnancy diets are a very popular subject for all new mothers. This is understandable whether or not you had a normal of cesarean birth as well as if you chose to breastfeed. More than likely you are concerned about your weight gain during pregnancy. You may even wonder what happened to your pre-pregnancy shape. Then you may wonder what kind of exercise is necessary when you diet to lose baby weight.

Everyone is full of advice on the subject. However, you will find out, most physicians want you to consult them first for your health, as well as your baby’s. Weight loss after having a baby is going to be based on your specific needs, offering you a variety of choices and scheduled throughout the day. A new mother may be too stressed out to listen, but if they need to take off excess weight, the best advice is to relax and follow advice given to you.

When looking at after pregnancy weight loss diets, you should think about the hormones involved with pregnancy and this is true about any good weight loss diet. You will need a weight loss program which helps you to know how to burn fat whilst not suffering any energy loss. Keeping up with children can be both enjoyable and taxing and if you want to do this successfully you will also need to maintain well being and good health.

A great baby fat loss program involves following a sensible, no nonsense diet that takes your needs and personal preferences into account. This will help you shed those pounds reasonably. For the best long term results, you want to diet in a healthy manner. Besides, it is rare to keep weight off once it is lost when it is shed to fast. Very often it can also lead to other types of problems.

Starving yourself to lose pregnancy weight leads to malnutrition and is very unhealthy. You will also feel on edge, stressed out and miserable, which is not something a nurturing mother wants or needs. Proper dieting takes patience and time and you have to commit yourself to losing weight in a safe way.

Because your body has gone through a lot of changes during your pregnancy, it has had to adjust to the additional weight. You need to get your metabolism burning fat again, which means knowing what to eat and when to eat, in order to get your body back to normal and healthy. Once you have found the diet that works to do all this, you will know it is the best one for you.

Since every new mother is different it is understandable that as with anyone else some things work for us, others do not. It is like that in many things. Maybe that is what makes the world go round. However, when you are a new mother and want to lose your baby fat, keep in mind that you are not alone. It takes time to put on that extra weight.

You’ll get back to your pre-pregnancy weight, but it may take some time and a good weight loss plan. Research diets before you choose, the more you know about losing baby fat, the easier it will be to do. Fat Loss 4 Idiots at the link below may be just the baby fat diet you’ve been looking for.

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