Many herbs have a long history of use and of claimed health benefits. An herb, or botanical, is a plant or part of a plant that is used for its scent, flavor, and/or therapeutic properties. Although they are so-called ‘natural’, herbal products are not necessarily safe or without harmful effects. They may come from plants, but many plants are considered harmful and poisonous. Unlike prescription medicines, herbal products are not tested to certify their safety and efficacy before their marketing. Active ingredients in many herbal medicines and supplements are still unknown. Some have been found contaminated with metals, unlabeled prescription drugs, microorganisms or other substances. Since herbal products are not tested, they may cause certain health problems/complications. It may not be wise to take herbal products if you have any of these medical problems/conditions: • High blood pressure • Thyroid problems • Parkinson’s disease • Blood-clotting problems • Diabetes • Heart disease • Epilepsy • Depression or psychiatric problems • Liver problems • Enlarged prostrate gland • Glaucoma • History of stroke or organ transplant Women who are pregnant or nursing should be especially cautious about using herbal products, as well as with people who are about to have surgery. Always check with your health care provider. It is likewise important to consult with your doctor before using herbal products if you are taking any medications (whether prescription or over-the-counter). Some herbal products are known to interact with medications in ways that may pose risks to your health.

Some people are willing to sell anything and this is why some bad ideas are actually launched on the market, much to the dismay of unsuspecting customers who are duped by the hype and advertising. One such bad idea is the Coconut Diet, which is yet another of those diets that add some kind of miracle ingredient to a strict eating program and hope that everything turns out great. The magic ingredient in this case is the coconut oil and its metabolism boosting capacity. It seems that coconut oil can be rapidly burnt by the body, despite the fact that it is rich in saturated fats. This diet is in fact a regular low-carb diet, very similar to Atkins. During the first stage of the diet, users are not allowed to eat any kind of carbohydrates and must do with lean foods, such as eggs, nuts, cheese, fish, chicken, turkey and up to 10 glasses of water per day. They also have to swallow 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil per day. The first stage lasts for three weeks, only to be followed by an optional detox stage. This stage lasts for 4 weeks and focuses on cleansing the liver, kidneys, gallbladder and colon through certain interesting means (such as drinking water mixed with lemon juice and olive oil). The third stage of the diet is the reintroduction of carbohydrates in the daily eating plan. Starting with fruit, wholegrains and potatoes, the dieter is once more allowed to eat carbs. It is assumed that the dieter has lost more than 10 pounds by this point and still maintaining a weight loss pace of 1-2 pounds per week. The fourth stage of the diet means that even more carbohydrates are added to the eating plan, while still drinking coconut oil. Unfortunately, the person behind this diet provides no sound explanation for the alleged positive influence of coconut oil on weight loss. While it’s true that coconut oil helps regulate the thyroid gland, it has far too much saturated fat to be healthy. Furthermore, it’s not very clear whether the coconut oil plays any kind of role in this diet, since the weight loss can easily be ascribed to the strict “no carbohydrates” eating plan. Most dieting experts and dietitians agree that access to saturated fats should be limited during diets, so it’s pretty strange to see one that claims the opposite.

Ahh, the famous Cabbage Soup diet. Most people interested in dieting have certainly heard of this one. many of them have actually tried some version of it. Since nobody has ever claimed to be the inventor of this diet, there is no definitive cabbage soup diet, but rather a string of versions floating around magazines and the Internet. Every expert who tried to promote this diet has either added or replaced an existing feature, which means that aside from that cabbage soup you can expect to see a wide range of other foods, although nothing spectacular. The biggest problem with the cabbage soup diet is all the hype that surrounds it. Some people claim that cabbage has fat burning properties, which is nonsense. Others say that one could shed a whooping 10 pounds in a single week on this diet, which is not true. There’s no magical ingredient in cabbage that helps weight loss. The basic idea behind the diet is to starve yourself by drinking a lot of cabbage soup and some water on the side. The trick is to keep your stomach filled with cabbage soup in order to keep hunger away while the body burns fat to maintain itself. The early version cabbage soup diet featured nothing else than the basic soup. Recent versions have added fruit, vegetables, skimmed milk, lean meat or brown rice to the eating plan in order to help people stick to it for a longer time. Dieters are not allowed any alcohol. The only drinks allowed beside the cabbage soup are water and unsweetened fruit juices. The soup itself is based on cabbage, onions (or onion soup mix), tomatoes, green peppers, celery, carrots and mushrooms. There are some variations even here, but nothing important. Unfortunately, the cabbage soup diet is not a good idea. Many people cannot stick to a diet that forces them to starve every day, especially people who have to go work. Another issue is the fact that most of the weight lost through this diet comes from water and muscle mass, instead of fat. This means that seven days later the dieter still has all the initial fat on and a good chance of replacing all the lost muscle mass with even more fat. Moreover, the low calorie intake at the core of the diet will force the body to enter starvation mode and hang on to the existing fat for its survival. This is not a good way to lose weight.

All diets are based on an idea thatТs supposed to make them different. Aside from the basic Уeat this and donТt eat thatФ, diets have to have an original twist in order to be noticed by the general public. Standing out in the crowded field of the modern dieting industry can sometimes make the difference between success and failure and even a good idea needs to be promoted. The same can be said about the Body Clock Diet, which is one of the diets that try to look beyond food in order to link the eating process with the greater picture of body processes. The basic idea is that aside from being careful about what you eat, you should also be careful about the timing of meals in order to fit in with the natural rhythm of your body. The body has its own internal clock that regulates the metabolism, appetite, sleep and energy levels. This diet focuses on eating the right kind of food while observing the internal clock. It is important to eat regularly and getting the right balance of nutrients with each meal since this lets the body turn the feeling of hunger on and off naturally. There is, of course, a two-week eating plan that you must follow in order to lose weight. Staying true to the body rhythms, each day features three meals and two snacks that are rich in vegetables and fruits. The eating plan follows a general protein-rich, low-fat pattern, which is nothing new. The best part of the diet, however, is tying everything in with the rest of the body. For instance, the author argues that eating grains and cereals should be done in the morning in order to match the effect of insulin on the brain, while dinner should consist of a light blend low glycemic cabs and lean protein. According to estimates, this diet should allow you to lose up to two pounds per week, which is the average weight loss rate. The book explaining this diet comes with recipes and general eating advice and a comprehensive and no-nonsense explanation of how the body works, what impact the daily rhythm has on weight and how to work with the body instead of against it. This is a good eating plan that doesnТt come with any strange ideas about magic ingredients that can make anybody lose weight in a flash.

From the star-studded hills located near Hollywood comes a diet rich in fruit and lacking sound ideas about weight loss. Really, if weight loss was so simple, there would be no problem for anybody to drop as many pounds as desired just by eating fruit. Nevertheless, a fruit-based diet sounds good to some people and so one may run into the happy statements of those who managed to lose weight by sticking to this eating plan. The diet itself is very simple. It claims that papaya softens the fat, pineapple burns it off and watermelon washes it out of the body. Unfortunately, this concept hasn’t been proved yet in a scientifically sound manner. While grapefruit has a positive effect on the sugar absorption system, it doesn’t burn fat outright. The only thing that burns fat is effort. According to actress Judy Mazel, the founder of the Beverly Hills Diet, people can lose 10 to 15 pounds in 35 days. Since the founder claims that eating different types of food together is one of the causes behind weight loss, the diet focuses on eating a single type of food for a whole day. One day you eat nothing but grapes, while the next day it’s just melons for you. The problem with this diet is that the eating plan is really boring. The average dieter has every chance to get bored and start dreading the coming of the next day. This is more of a quick fix type of diet instead of a long-term eating plan and should not be pursued by more than one month. Fruits alone cannot provide your body with all the minerals and vitamins it needs every day. By restricting your food to fruit will leave you exposed to malnutrition and diseases. The fast loss of weight usually means that some of that weight will be muscle mass and water, which means that some of the fat will stay in place. It also means that if you start gaining back weight, you will simply be replacing muscle mass with fat. In the long run this will do you a lot of harm. And, for the final words, I hope you can get used to diarrhea, because eating nothing but fruit will keep you in a near constant state of diarrhea. All in all, this is not a good diet. Poor access to crucial vitamins and minerals and a lot of water and muscle mass loss is definitely not a good way to lose weight.

Can you say hype? If you’re living in any Western world country then you’ve probably heard of the famous Atkins diet. Whether this is the most successful diet ever or not it’s still up for debate, but it certainly is the more advertised one. The Atkins diet has been for a while the most hyped eating plan around and millions of people have tried it at some point or another. This is no exaggeration. It was estimated that more than 3 million people in the United Kingdom alone have tried the Atkins diet at the peak of the hype in 2003. The basic idea behind this diet is that cutting down on the carbohydrates, while allowing people to eat high-fat food is going to work. One of the best things in favor of the Atkins diet was the fact that it allowed people to eat eggs and cheese and steaks. It sounds like a dream diet actually. Who’d pass up the chance of losing weight while still enjoying a good eggs and ham breakfast? Well, the downside is that you get no bread or salad with that steak. None whatsoever. Which becomes a real problem after a week or so. How much meat can you eat without touching any vegetables at all? Anyway, the theory is that cutting out the carbohydrates will force your body to use the stored fat in order to obtain the energy needed through the day. This means that you get to eat no bread and pastries, potatoes, pasta, milk, rice, fruit, vegetables (well, there are a couple you can still eat) and, obviously, no junk food or soft drinks. On the other hand, you are allowed to eat red meat, fish, chicken, cheese, mayonnaise, cream, butter and eggs. This is going to be your only food for the first two weeks, which are called the Induction Phase. The second phase of the diet is called Ongoing Weight Loss and it lets you increase the intake of carbohydrates by 5 grams per day, starting from the basic 20 grams per day stipulated by the Induction Phase. The user must find how far the amount of carbohydrates can be increased before the body is unable to lose between 1 and 3 pounds per week. This is called the Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing Weight and this is where the amount of carbs stops growing. This phase is supposed to last until you almost reach the desired weight. With 5 to 10 pounds left to shed it’s time to enter the third stage of the diet. This one is called Pre-Maintenance and it’s supposed to increase the carbs intake by 10 grams a day in order to slow down the weight loss process. Welcome to the world of 30 grams of pasta per day. The final phase is called Lifetime Maintenance and a lifetime of eating around 90 grams of carbs per day for the rest of your life. Moving from 250 grams or more to less than 100 grams and for the rest of your life could be quite a challenge for many people. The side effects of the Atkins diet depend on the user. Some people did fine on this diet, some got infections of the kidneys from the high-protein content or heart problems from all the fat food they ate. Dizziness and general weakness are also to be expected as the body goes into starvation mode when denied carbohydrates. With high-fiber fruit and vegetables out of the way you can also expect constipation to become a problem. Also, the lack of many dairy products leads to a significant drop in the amount of calcium absorbed by the body and may cause osteoporosis or other bone conditions later on.

Going through diet after diet, sooner or later everybody ends up thinking that thereТs nothing more to learn. Frankly, it doesnТt take long to get exhaustive hands on experience with just about all the major dieting concepts and to learn in which way each of them is supposed to influence the body. And once youТre familiar with all the pros and cons of dieting, itТs only fair to think that nothing could surprise you anymore. Well, this is where the Abs Diet comes in with a rather strange take on the old concept of losing weight through exercises. And, no, there are no magic pills to swallow. The basic idea is much simpler than that. It goes something like this: the body has to expend energy in order to keep the muscles and internal organs alive and in shape. This means that every addition to the muscle mass will force the body to spend more energy. Therefore, instead of lowering the daily food intake in order to lose weight, this diet focuses on increasing the Уenergy billФ above the normal level. The extra muscle mass is supposed to absorb all the calories that would otherwise be stored as fat and also force the body to burn existing fat in order to keep up with the effort. Every 1 pound of muscle added to the body costs the body 50 calories per day on top of everything else. ItТs pretty easy to see that 10 pounds of muscle are going to keep busy 500 calories of your daily intake every single day. This is enough to make you lose 1 pound per week, which is not bad at all. ItТs interesting to notice that the diet is based on achieving a snowball effect: the more you exercise, the more muscle you put on; the more muscle you put on, the faster you lose weight, which allows you to exercise harder and lose even more weight. Once you get the snowball rolling it will turn into an avalanche on its own. The food users are allowed to eat consists of 12 nutrient-rich power foods. These are supposed to provide all the minerals, vitamins and fiber your body needs to stay healthy over the six weeks of dieting. The 12 foods are: beans and peas, spinach and a couple of other green vegetables, almonds, instant hot oat cereal, wholegrain breads and cereals, berries, eggs, low-fat dairy products, lean meats (such as turkey), peanut butter, olive oil and protein powder. All other foods are to be shunned during the diet. Sticking to this diet might seem a little hard, especially for as long as six weeks. However, the mandatory exercises should make a big difference. Not only that you lose weight, but you also get to show off a nice set of abs and a far better toned body than before. One extra thing on your side is that part of the fat will be replaced by muscle, so even if it seems that youТre not losing much weight, youТre actually shifting weight from fat to muscle. Nevertheless, you can expect to get rid of up to 12 pounds in the first two weeks of dieting.

Dealing with being overweight or obese and the consequences of these conditions is a daily nightmare for some people. Many people are overweight because of their own lifestyle choices. Others have ended up with a lot of extra weight through no fault of their own. These people have to face everyday the prejudices of others and to live in a world that doesn’t always take kindly to them. An overweight man is funny on a good day. An overweight woman is not even that. This is the sad reality some of us have to face at great personal cost. Self-image and self-esteem depends largely on how other people see us and it takes a lot of egotism or willpower not to care about the opinions of others. And the bigger you are the harder it gets. People staring wherever you go and having to listen to all sorts of bad jokes and insults is a surefire way of lowering your self-esteem and triggering a self-destructing circle. Obese people prefer to stay in-doors and avoid moving about much, which leads to even more weight gained from lack of exercise, which leads to less exercise and so on. People whose self-esteem is low find it very hard to motivate themselves to improve their lives. Relationships are hard to handle for overweight people. Sex becomes awkward, especially for a self-conscious person who doesn’t enjoy being naked. The extra weight makes sustained effort quite hard to perform and heavy sweating is not sexy. Unfortunately, the shape of an overweight person is not sexy either and most overweight people are hard pressed to find sex partners who don’t mind their shortcomings. The fact that overweight people don’t go out much makes finding partners even harder, which is why many simply give up and reach out for more sweets to stave off depression. One of the best ways to deal with obesity is to help motivate yourself. Outside support is crucial because obese people are especially prone to taking the easy way and eating more than they should. A little flexibility also counts. Food addiction is next door to drug addiction and less food means less glucose triggering endorphins in the brain. This, in turn, means that a person who used to feel quite content is suddenly faced not only with depression, but also with the perspective of a lifelong depression. And that is bound to be harsh on anybody. Getting fat is easy, shedding all that extra weight is not. Fighting fat is a struggle every step of the way and one needs to be strong and also to have the emotional support of a loving circle of relatives and friends. Being able to rely on others to help you through the worst parts of a diet is almost half the battle. Especially since after the diet comes a lifetime of less food and more exercise. This may sound a bit scary to the average overweight person, but you must remember that looking into the mirror or walking down the street won’t be a nightmare anymore.

Obesity is one of the major health concerns that plague America today. Approximately two-thirds of American adults are considered overweight; while one in three are seriously overweight or obese. Obesity is defined as having an abnormal amount of body fat; being 20 to 30 percent over the ideal weight for age, sex and height. Aside from being a major cosmetic concern, obesity is a great risk factor for serious medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney troubles, prostate enlargement, female infertility, uterine fibroids, pregnancy disorders, gallstones, cardiovascular diseases, stroke and cancer. Excessive body weight also puts great stress on joints increasing the chances of arthritis. Everyone’s metabolism (the rate at which the body burns calories) is different and is influenced by many factors, including genetics. Regularly eating even a few more calories than your body needs can lead to weight gain. By consuming only 100 extra calories a day, for example, you’ll gain a pound in approximately a month (a pound of body fat equals 3,500 calories). Some experts think a sedentary lifestyle influences weight gain even more than eating too many calories. Exercise burns calories and builds muscle. And the more muscle mass you have, the greater number of calories your body burns at rest. Aside from aggressive dieting and exercising, some herbal products may aid in raising metabolism or suppressing the appetite. But at the same time, you should also be wary of their side effects. Always check with your health care provider first. • Aloe Vera, improves digestion and cleans the digestive tract • Astralgus, increases energy and improves nutrient absorption • Bee pollen, stimulates metabolism and quickly satisfy craving for sweets • Bladderwrack, contains iodine which helps enhance thyroid function • Brewer’s yeast, reduces various cravings for food and drink • Cayenne, reduces hunger after meals and increases calorie burning by the body • Chitosan, slows the absorption of fat in the intestine • Chromium, helps the body use fat for energy and builds muscles • Dandelion, flushes out kidneys, boosts metabolism, and off-sets cravings for sweets • Ephedra, also known as ma huang, suppresses appetite • Fennel, suppresses appetite and removes mucus and fat from the intestinal tract • Garcinia cambogia, quells hunger pangs • Green tea, increases energy expenditure and enhances the ability of the body to burn fat • Guaranб, contains caffeine which curbs appetite, increases metabolic rates and has a mild diuretic effect • Guggul, lowers cholesterol and promotes weight control • Kelp, boosts metabolism • Licorice, sustains regulated blood sugar level and reduces cravings for sweets • Malabar tamarind, helps prevents the production of fat and suppresses appetite • Siberian ginseng, stabilizes blood sugar and reduces cravings for sweets • Yohimbine, raises metabolic rates, reduces appetite and increases fat burning These herbs are not recommended to replace regular diet. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key.

1. TAKE THE TEST!. That’s the highly sensitive C-reactive protein test, or HSCRP. It has been found that this blood test is as effective as a standard cholesterol test in predicting heart attacks and strokes. It measures the levels of a specific blood protein that indicates that you have inflamed heart arteries—the kind that rupture and cause heart failure. Seeing as how 50% of all heart attack victims have normal cholesterol levels, the hsccrp test is much more accurate and important see your doctor and have one done . 2. Who Cares what you could lift…. for the last forty years various studies have told us that exercise is good for your heart but none have told you that you are only as healthy as your last work out, the affects of exercise develop and deteriorate quickly so constant exercise is key to good health and a healthy heart. Doctors have compared those that still exercise to those that used to but stopped and the health rate was much higher in those that still, maintained there exercise schedule. While the effects of exercise diminish quickly doctors note that it is never too late to start and maintain an active healthier lifestyle to promote longevity. 3. Hang out in the weight room. As well as making your muscles bigger, working out and lifting weights will make you stronger , therefore making everything you do less taxing, thus putting less overall stress on your heart. if you develope a good strong set of muscles your heart will be less fatigued and you will live longer. 4. Get off the weed. Smoking weed is known to increase the chance of heart attack of heart failure dramatically for a few hours after you smoke a joint. If you are still smoking weed get of it, you live to be glad you stopped 5. Buy extra-virgin olive oil. So its more expensive, so what it’ll keep you around longer, extra virgin olive oil is lower in fat and "bad cholesterol. so the extra dollar is worth it . 6. See a genetic counselor. Usually your doctor knows nothing about your genetic history, change that. it is the most valid peice of medical information available about you, find out what is common in your genetic make-up and take the steps to prevent those problems, genetic information is a good place to look for possible problems 7. Get an ultra sound . the thing with heart disease is that most people don’t know they have it till the hit the floor. A new procedure called an electron-beam cat scan (EBCT) could be a solution. Best for men over 40, the EBCT gives your doctor a 3-D ultrasound of your heart and blood vessels and can show blockage in its early stages, while it is new enough to correct it.. 8. Pop a pill, taking high doses of cholesterol-reducing statin drugs. In a study last year of patients with coronary-artery disease, half underwent angioplasty and half were treated with the statin drug atorvastatin. The atorvastatin group had fewer heart attacks within the next 18 months. Statins are proving that blood vessels Aren’t just in need of cleaning . statins do more than clear blood vessels—they actually help the vessels become larger to accommodate greater blood flow. 9. Ask your doctor about Ramipril. For 30 years, Ramipril has been used as a hypertension drug. But a study from McMaster University in Ontario shows that it actually helps prevent heart attacks and strokesand even rudeces the need for bypass surgery!. In the study, which included nearly 10,000 patients (80 percent of whom had coronary artery disease), vitamin E and Ramipril were tested against placebos. The subjects taking vitamin E showed no benefit, but those taking Ramipril had a 25 percent reduction in death rate.