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October 19, 2006 14:47 - Move Over Hoodia - Here Comes The Ultimate Diet Pill

I've been doing a ton of research on hoodia and recently published the complete hoodia guide on my website. For those of you not familiar with hoodia, it's a natural supplement that suppresses appetite. There have been no side effects or dangers of its use. Hoodia requires no prescription and can be found all over the Internet and in any health food store. If you're interested in specific hoodia supplements, read my page on recommended hoodia supplements.

There is a new appetite suppressant drug that is taking the European Union by storm and may be available to Americans soon. It's called rimonabant and is available in the European Union under the trade name, Acomplia. The manufacturer of rimonabant, Sanofi-Aventis, hopes to have approval for the drug in the U.S. by the end of the year most likely under the name of Zimulti. Whatever the trade name, rimonabant has been hailed by some doctors as a major breakthrough in treating obesity.

People taking rimonabant have not only had their appetites controlled, they have also seen improvements in a range of risk factors for diabetes and heart disease (they have seen improvements in their blood glucose and cholesterol levels). Unlike Hoodia, however, there are side effects including anxiety and depression. This is kind of ironic considering that the ultimate goal of the drug is to help people lose weight, which you think would make people happy - not depressed!

If you're seriously overweight and nothing has worked for you, keep your eye out for this drug as it might be available soon. You can get more details on rimonabant by visiting AcompliaReport.com Until the drug is approved and available in the U.S., Hoodia is your best alternative when it comes to natural appetite suppressants.

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October 20, 2006 14:34 - Fight Hunger with Protein

Yesterday I wrote about two appetite suppressants - hoodia and the new prescription drug, Acomplia. I read an article today written by Christian Finn titled, "Why Are You So Hungry?" I'm glad I read it because it reminded me of another simple and natural technique that you can use to fight hunger - include more protein in your diet. The idea that protein can help overweight people by keeping hunger in check is old news, but it's worth repeating.

Protein is not only great for suppressing appetite, it is also critical for building muscle. Your muscles are fat-burning machines so the more muscle you build, the more fat you'll burn. Fitness experts have varying theories on optimal protein intake, but the recommendations range from 1 gram of protein per pound of weight to 30% of your daily calories from protein. The main point is that most of us don't get enough protein in our diets and could safely increase our intake for greater health benefits.

To read more about protein including the different kinds of proteins, recommended intakes, and more, visit my protein pages.

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October 21, 2006 13:33 - HELP! Organic Foods Are Killing Me!

Killing me financially, that is. I just got back from a health food store where I dropped a whopping $80 on a small basket of organic foods. After reading a ton of research on organic vs. commercially-grown food, I have decided to slowly incorporate more organic food into my diet. I always knew organic food was expensive, but I'm still adjusting to the price shock.

Every time I stock up on organic food I seem to have the same buyer's remorse that you'd have after buying a car. O.K., maybe it's not that bad, but it blows my mind away at how expensive this stuff is. I often find myself asking the same question over and over, "Is organic food really that much better for you to warrant the extra price?"

The first article I turn to for reassurance is Tom Venuto's article titled, "Organic Food and Grass Fed Beef - Worth It or Not?" He makes some excellent points in the article that makes me feel good about the additional money I'm spending. He says, "if you put the cheapest fuel in your luxury car, how well is it going to run and how many miles are you going to get out of it?"

He continues, "…how many $75,000+ cars pull up to the McDonald's or Burger King drive through window to buy $1.99 hamburgers…The driver has no problem shelling out the $1,100 monthly car payment, but it's too much to ask him to put premium fuel into his own "body vehicle." I think that pretty much says it all about why I'm o.k. spending the extra money on organic foods, even though it makes me cringe every time I get to the cash register!

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October 23, 2006 13:41 - Do Supersets to Get More Out of Your Workouts

How many times do you see guys sitting for what seems like forever in between sets? Maybe you're one of them! I'm guilty of it myself - especially if I go to the gym tired which seems to happen a lot lately as I haven't been getting a lot of sleep. At any rate, it's common knowledge among regular weight lifters that the only time you want to take long rests in between sets is if you're training for maximum power and strength.

However, if your goal is to burn fat - and to spend as little time as possible in the gym - then you need to speed things up! One way to accomplish this is to do supersets. This is when you move quickly from one exercise to another, with little or no rest between. Instead of spending your time in between sets resting, you perform an exercise for another muscle group. If you haven't tried supersets before, you'll be in for surprise because it dramatically reduces the time you'll spend lifting and you'll have much better results.

To read more about supersets and how to incorporate them into your routine, read Christian Finn's article titled, "How to Burn Fat Faster Without Spending Longer in the Gym."

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October 24, 2006 13:40 - Would You Like Walnuts with that Big Mac?

Well you might after reading about a recent study on walnuts and their affect on arteries after eating high-fat foods. Spanish researchers suggest that walnuts might be better for the arteries than olive oil.

Participants in the study were given high fat meals. Some of the participants were given olive oil after the meals and some were given walnuts. Ultrasound examinations showed that the arteries of those eating the walnuts after the high fat meals stayed more flexible and elastic than those that ate the olive oil.

Dr. Robert A Vogel, professor of medicine at the University of Maryland issued a statement after reviewing the study saying, "This demonstrates that the protective fat from walnuts actually undoes some of the detrimental effects of a high-saturated-fat diet, whereas a neutral fat, such as olive oil, does not have as much protective ability."

So the next time you chow down that BigMac value meal at McDonalds, it might not be a bad idea to have a handful of walnuts for desert to undo some of the potential damage all that saturated fat might cause. To read more about the study, read the article, "Walnuts May Beat Olive Oil for Heart Health."

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October 25, 2006 13:57 - 3 Things You Must Know to Burn Fat Forever

I was forwarded a brief report that I wanted to pass along to readers of my blog. It's written by Jon Benson, author and creator of Fit Over 40, and in this brief report he outlines 3 things you must know if you want to burn fat forever. His report is called, "Burn More Fat, Keep It Off, And Even Have Fun Doing It!"

For those of you not familiar with Jon, he's fast becoming a well-known life coach and fitness expert. Jon's primary focus is helping those over 40 get in shape and stay in shape. However, he says that men and women of any age will benefit from reading his book, Fit Over 40. The brief report I'm passing along to you will highlight what Jon's philosophy is all about and how he helps men and women of all ages radically transform their bodies (and their lives). To read more about Jon's book and to read some of the chapters of his book for FREE, read my full review of Fit Over 40.

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