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The Apple Patch Diet is probably the most controversial of all diets. It is the most controversial with regards to the content and the style of administration. It has also been in the spot light due to the manner in which it has been marketed. Touted as a revolutionary idea, it involves a stick on patch, much like the famous nicotine patch, and uses what is known as transdermal delivery.
Among the first few things that are dubious about the diet, is the fact that the diet has nothing to with the fruit, apple. The three ingredients used to make a patch, according to the proponents of the Apple Patch Diet, have ‘known scientific significance’ that can help you to lose weight naturally These are:
- Garcinia Cambogia extract, a member of the pumpkin family, also known as gamboge tree. It is said to possess weight loss properties.
- Guarana extract, a preparation from the seeds of a woody climber of Brazil, used in making an astringent drink. It has more caffeine than coffee and used as an appetite depressant.
- Fucus Vesiculosus, a common rockweed used in preparing kelp and as manure. Its iodine content is supposed to stimulate the thyroid gland, whose malfunctioning often leads to weight gain.
There is also the Apple Patch Diet that is marketed as a weight loss supplement in capsule form. Instead of the ingredients mentioned above, these capsules contain Hoodia, a desert plant. It is suggested that Hoodia ‘deceives’ the brain to feel satiated to such an extent that one does not even think of food.
The weight loss industry is big business and the increased incidence of obesity in wealthy nations has ensured that it remains so for a long time to come. At the same time, people are now more aware of the side effects of conventional medicine and are therefore moving towards natural remedies. This trend towards natural remedies has given an opportunity to exploit the words ‘natural’ and ‘herbal’ by using them out of context in an hyperbolic manner.
There is no diet, weight loss pill or patch or sauna that can ‘automatically’ result in weight loss. Before believing the magnified properties of natural products or the tall claims of weight loss that are made, it is highly recommended that you do your home work properly. Make sure that you take note of the credentials of the company marketing the product. All medical studies confirm that the only way you can lose weight is by eating a balanced diet and burning fat through exercise. Natural weight loss supplements can only provide helpful aid in that process.
References:
http://www.getthedietpatch.com/
http://applepatchdiet.com/d.cgi/tp48662/home.html
http://applepatchdiet.com/d.cgi/tp48662/why.html
http://applepatchdiet.com/d.cgi/tp48662/faq.html
http://www.419legal.org/frauds/appledietpatchscam.php
The obsession with weight loss and the hidden desire of attaining that wafer thin model-like figure has created a billion dollar industry, the world over. People burn the midnight oil to read informative books or stay awake to watch late night infomercials so as to learn how to naturally lose weight fast.
To cash in on this compulsive preoccupation with loosing weight quickly and easily, a large number of companies in the health industry have tried to develop new concepts. In most cases these new ideas have turned out to be fads that have scant regard for the recommended nutritional requirement of the body. Each new idea or concept is touted as the ‘best’ weight loss supplement or one that has been able to unearth the secret behind weight loss.
The reality, however, is far from what is claimed by these fly-by-night companies. The fact that is there is no secret short cut route to weight loss. Our inclination and extreme desire to find an easy and comfortable option to lose weight, leads us to believe such tall claims even as we know that they may not be true.
The fact is that the secret to weight loss is known to everyone - just as there is no short cut to success, there is no short cut to weight loss. To succeed in life you need to work hard, you have to do the same if you wish to lose weight .
We all know that obesity has increased tremendously with the increase in technology and automation. It was hard to find people who were obese in the olden days since work involved physical effort and exercise. The only overweight people where those who were genetically predisposed or those who suffered from a disease like thyroid malfunction.
The secret to losing weight is to lose it naturally by burning more calories than you consume. This needs to be done be done by exercise and by controlling the amount of intake. Careful monitoring is required to ensure that you do consume the necessary amount of nutrients that are required by the body. Diet regimes (or should they be called fad or crash diet) that insist upon an illogical denial of fat or carbohydrate should be viewed skeptically.
The body needs all nutrients to maintain health. Denial of any one can lead to an unacceptable level of a required nutrient – a situation that can lead to an adverse change in the metabolic rate, disease and inhibited growth. Natural weight loss remedies can play an important role in ensuring that the body receives all the nutrients that it needs. However, assuming that popping in a pill will lead to weight loss is foolhardy. The only secret of weight loss is to eat a balanced diet, stay away from junk foods and stick to an active lifestyle, which includes exercising daily for at least thirty minutes.
The Atkins diet is among the most popular low carbohydrate diets. It is also perhaps one of the most controversial ones. Many experts have doubts about whether it promotes healthy weight loss, since a health weight loss plan is meant to focus on health as much as a reduction in weight.
The essence of the Atkins weight loss program is based on a belief that carbohydrates are the underlying cause of obesity. Reducing carbohydrate intake, the theory suggests, results in natural weight loss. This, the diet does without making you feel hungry all the time. In addition, it also claims to reduce the risk of heart disease and improves memory.
The theory behind the Atkins diet is that when the amount of carbohydrate in your diet is reduced to a minimum, the body goes into a state of ketosis. This means that instead of burning carbohydrates, the body starts to burn stored fat to meet its energy requirements. The state of ketosis also reduces appetite. Therefore one ends up eating lesser than what one normally would. Since excess fat tends to gather on the hips, belly and thighs, the body automatically starts to burn this stored fat, when carbohydrates are not being ingested. This phenomenon results in natural weight loss.
On the other hand, when the intake of carbohydrates is high, the body quickly converts the carbohydrates into sugar. This sugar enters the blood stream. To maintain blood sugar levels the body secretes insulin. Insulin enables the glucose to be stored in the body as glycogen in the liver and muscles. Once these storehouses of fat are filled (something that occurs fairly quickly) to capacity the insulin converts the extra sugar to fat. Ketosis, as the theory states, burns excess fat and the body resumes normal metabolic function after some time. Although the extra fat that is recommended in the diet, causes high cholesterol levels, it is short lived.
Perhaps the major reason behind the large popularity of the Atkins diet is that it allows and encourages foods that most dieters dream about. In the process of following this diet, you may actually consume more calories than ever before. This is mainly because the diet includes foods that have a high fat and protein content. Red meat, fish (including shellfish) and butter is allowed in the diet. Even mayonnaise with tuna and olive oil on salads is also fine. Regular cheese is allowed instead of diet cheese. Even though you may feel that the recommendations of the diet are weird and seem to defy logic, it is extremely essential to follow the guidelines in the induction phase. These guidelines kick start the weight loss program.
In the Atkins diet, there is little emphasis on exercise. But it is still a highly recommended way of how to naturally lose weight fast. Instead, it suggests supplemental vitamins to remain healthy.
The diet restricts carbohydrates to 20 grams (net of fiber) per day even as the well accepted theory is that most of us need at least 40 grams per day. Even though the logic and theory of the Atkins diet is sound, a balanced diet which includes the minimum level of all nutrients is essential. While supplements can be taken for ingesting the adequate amount of iron and minerals, intake of a basic minimum level of carbohydrate is essential for the proper functioning of the body.
References:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/atkinsdiet/Atkins_Diet_Information.htm
http://www.webmd.com/diet/atkins-diet-what-it-is
The Atkins diet, often referred to as ‘the’ low-carb diet, is one of the most popular weight loss plans. It is based on the principle that when people eat fewer carbohydrates their body starts to burn stored fat for energy. The diet plan itself has four phases and the length of each phase depends upon individual responses to the diet and the extent of fat in the body.
- Induction
- Ongoing weight loss
- Pre-Maintenance
- Maintenance or lifelong
The induction phase is actually optional. However, it is suggested that the first phase is important for inducing a state of ‘Benign Dietary Ketosis’ (not to be confused with ketoacidosis that occurs in those suffering from diabetes). The phase is also the most difficult and controversial part of the diet. It is marked by a severe reduction in carbohydrate intake; less than half of what is usually accepted as necessary for an average adult.
Although there is no restriction on portions that one should eat, the diet has a list of acceptable foods that must be strictly adhered to, during this phase. The only recommended vegetables are broccoli, lettuce and tomatoes, and the rest of the diet primarily comprises of foods rich in proteins and fats like meat, poultry and dairy products. The induction phase lasts for a minimum of two weeks. However this phase can be continued if the body can tolerate the diet or if there is a lot of fat to lose.
Since the changes recommended in the Atkins diet are so forceful and extreme in nature, many people find that their bodies react negatively. This reaction occurs within 3-5 days of starting the diet and can be overcome easily by eating more carbohydrates. Although the negative reaction is transient, people harbor memories of the reaction and hesitate to resume the diet once a problem has occurred.
It is extremely important that the necessary nutrients are ingested during the induction phase. Supplemental vitamins and minerals are therefore, recommended.
As you proceed into the other phases, carbohydrates are added to the diet. The diet however recommends that complex carbohydrates be added to the diet plan. Simple carbohydrates such as sugar and refined grains are excluded through out the plan.
If you are looking for a diet plan that tells you how to naturally lose weight fast your natural choice should be the Atkins diet. Even though the diet plan allows almost all sumptuous foods, it is pertinent to check the diet plan with your physician. This is because it flouts most of the rules of a conventional healthy weight loss plans. Fruits and vegetables are the mainstay of all systematic natural weight loss plans because of their well documented benefits. Although vitamins and minerals can be replaced with supplements, phyto-nutrients are available only in edible plants. These are not allowed under the Atkins diet plans. Exercise, a highly recommended way of loosing weight, is also not emphasized in the Atkins diet program. Empirical evidence also shows that a large proportion of those on the Atkins diet are at high risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases due to the lack of fiber in the diet plan.
Though the Atkins diet allows you to lose weight naturally, the extreme nature of the diet recommendations makes it a fairly risky one.
References:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/atkinsdiet/Atkins_Diet_Information.htm
http://www.webmd.com/diet/atkins-diet-what-it-is
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) diet ranks among those diets that are difficult to assess. Though the diet is part of a fad diet craze, it also falls under the category of natural weight loss remedies. The apple cider vinegar diet is actually not a proper diet plan. It is just a diet that is supplemented with adequate amounts of apple cider. The diet, therefore, is actually based on the weight loss properties of only one item. The apple cider vinegar diet does not prescribe any menu. There are no allowed or disallowed food groups too. The diet only suggests moderation and avoidance of mid meal snacks.
The ACV diet is primarily about the health benefits of the apple cider vinegar, which is prepared from crushed apples. The process involves adding yeast and sugar for fermentation. This transforms the alcohol into acid and gives apple cider vinegar its incredible flavor, distinctive taste and weight loss properties (or so it is claimed).
The ACV diet requires consumption of two to three teaspoons of apple cider vinegar before every meal. The acidic taste is typically strong and difficult for many people to take it in its original form. The apple cider is equally beneficial as a salad dressing or as part of a sauce or any other manner that suits individual culinary preferences.
There are many other health benefits if the ACV diet too.
Medical trials have shown that small amounts of apple cider vinegar, added to food or taken along with a meal reduce the glycemic index of other carbohydrates being consumed.
The main benefit for weight loss that the ACV diet offers comes from the pectin content of apple cider. Pectin is used to increase viscosity and volume of stool for easy elimination as a treatment for diarrhea and constipation.
Some studies conducted on rats have also shown show that animals fed with acetic acid, the main component of vinegar, had significantly low levels of cholesterol and triacylglycerol, the main constituent of vegetable oils and animal fat.
The acidic properties of the ACV diet help to clean the digestive system and remove calcium deposits from bone joints without the risk of decalcification of teeth and bones. The pH of vinegar is typically in the range of 2.5 to 3, which is considered to be beneficial for treating cold as the body tends to become more alkaline prior to it.
Due to its acidity, the apple cider vinegar can be extremely caustic and can burn the throat. It should be diluted with fruit juice or warm water and some honey to make ingestion easy. Such a concoction is also sold as a weight loss supplement.
The benefits of apple cider vinegar are still inconclusive despite the fact that it has been used as a weight loss supplement for a long time. On the other side, it is a known fact that the best way to lose weight is through regular exercise. However, since apple cider vinegar does not involve any apparent risks there is no harm in using it.
References:
http://www.dietpolicy.com/diets-articles/diet-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar.htm
http://www.dietsinreview.com/diets/Apple_Cider_Vinegar_Diet/
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/apple-cider-vinegar-diet.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar
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