Diabetes Symptom

For decades, the Holy Grail of the diet industry has been an all
natural appetite suppressant with no side effects other than the
intended weight loss. Like the Holy Grail, it has been elusive.
The diet pharmaceutical companies thought they found it in
starch-blockers, in ephedra, in fat binders. the list goes on.
While many of these worked, they often came with a heavy list of
side effects, many of them dangerous. After an initial flurry of
excitement and sales, most were knocked off track by reports of
dangers associated with their use, and some were even banned
from U.S. sale.

The latest arrival on the Holy Weight Loss Grail circuit is an
unprepossessing African succulent known as hoodia gordoni.
Cleared for sale in the U.S. in early 2004, it has been steadily
making a name for itself as a powerful appetite suppressant that
can help you lose weight. Its popularity was significantly
boosted by reports on 60 Minutes, ABC News and BBC News.

As part of the BBC report, BBC Two’s correspondent Tom Mangold,
actually traveled to Africa to sample the hoodia in situ. He and
his cameraman, who also tested the plant, both reported feeling
pleasantly full for nearly 48 hours after eating a piece of
hoodia gordoni.

The hoodia plant has been used by the San tribesmen of the
Kalahari desert for centuries to suppress the pangs of hunger on
long hunts and trips. Modern research has isolated an ‘active
ingredient’ known as P57. Though the research is still scanty,
it appears to work by fooling the hypothalamus into thinking
that there is more sugar in the blood than there actually is.

Does it actually work? It’s really still too early to tell, but
in one clinical trial conducted by Phytopharm, the company that
holds the patent on the process to extract P57 from hoodia,
human subjects taking hoodia reduced their caloric intake by as
much as 1000 calories a day. The figures are impressive.

But is it safe? There again, the research is far to scant to
make a reasonable decision on it. There are no known side
effects – but it also hasn’t been used outside one small tribe
in Africa until the past two years. It’s possible that there are
side effects to long-term use that aren’t yet evident.

Until then, use caution in purchasing products made with hoodia.
Many of the commercially available products contain virtually no
hoodia gordoni at all. Consult your doctor before undertaking
any weight loss program that involves appetite suppressants.
This is particularly important for those who’ve been diagnosed
with diabetes or pre-diabetes, as the action of the hoodia plant
can trick the body into thinking that the blood sugar is fine
even as they approach hypoglycemic shock.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.

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The Atkins weight loss diet is based on one simple principle:
Your body burns both carbohydrates and fat for calories. If you
reduce the amounts of carbohydrates available, it will burn more
fat and you will lose weight. According to Atkins, calories are
unimportant. The key to losing weight is to restrict the
carbohydrates that you eat and force the body to turn to its
stored fat as an energy source. As proof of this, proponents of
the Atkins Diet point to the following facts derived from
research: * When the body doesn’t have enough carbohydrate, it
will use ketenes derived from fat as energy. * You can eat more
food and lose more weight on a low carbohydrate diet than you
can on a low fat diet. * You crave less food when you eat fewer
carbohydrates. * By eating fewer carbohydrates, people tend to
eat fewer calories without counting them. * The greater the
difference between fat and carbohydrate, the greater the weight
loss. In short, if you restrict your intake of carbohydrates,
you will most likely also restrict your intake of calories. By
lowering your carbohydrate intake, you will encourage your body
to turn to fat for energy. The Atkins diet has provoked storms
of controversy since it was first published. The recommendation
to eat a high-protein, low-carbohydrate flew in the face of all
the dietary recommendations by established medical institutions.
The diet was denounced as unsafe, particularly if used as a
life-long weight maintenance plan. Over the past five to ten
years, there have been numerous studies that come down on both
sides of the equation, and Atkins last version of the diet
included the admission that calories do matter, and the advice
to ‘eat only enough to satisfy hunger’. A typical menu for a
meal on the Atkins Diet might include: Portobello and Ricotta
Crostini Chicken Milanese over Spring Salad Lemon Vinaigrette
dressing Warm Lentils and Celery Raspberry Cheesecake in a Cup
The eating plan recommended by the Atkins diet contains very low
portions of carbohydrates, deriving the majority of
carbohydrates from vegetables high in fiber and low in carbs,
and unrestricted portions of proteins, including high fat
proteins like beef, pork and cheese. Follow up research on
people who have used the Atkins Diet to lose weight show a fast
initial weight loss that eventually levels off. The Atkins Diet
has four phases to account for it:

1. The Induction Phase, which restricts carbohydrates severely.

2. The OWL (Ongoing Weight Loss) Phase, in which you add in
limited carbs and tailor the eating plan to your tastes 3.
Pre-maintenance, with ten pounds or less to the target goal,
deliberately slows weight loss to begin adjusting the body to
after-weight-loss diet. 4. Lifetime Maintenance, a long-term
eating plan that emphasizes low carbohydrates and healthy,
long-term eating Who should use the Atkins Diet?

While the Atkins Diet seems on the surface to be directly
counter to what is recommended by most medical institutions,
many of the principles are actually the same. Unless you are
under the care of a physician for a chronic medical condition
like diabetes, high blood pressure or coronary problems, you can
use the Atkins Diet. Do pay attention to the portions
recommended in the menus and plans at http://www.atkins.com, despite
the reassurances that you can ‘eat all you want and still lose
weight.’

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.

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The South Beach Diet was developed by cardiologist Arthur
Agatston to help his patients lose weight and maintain a healthy
diet for a lifetime. It is designed in phases, like the Atkins
Diet, with different eating recommendations in each phase. All
phases have the same underlying philosophy, though. Weight loss
and maintenance depends on establishing a balanced diet that
avoids ‘bad’ fats and carbohydrates. The proponents of the South
Beach diet claim that you can lose weight and maintain the
weight loss without counting calories, weighing portions or
depriving yourself of good-tasting, satisfying foods. This is
accomplished by cutting out empty, high-carbohydrate foods like
sugars, potatoes, rice and white bread. Each phase is specially
designed to accomplish a particular goal. Phase I: Adjusting
your Metabolism

In Phase I, you eat three meals and two snacks daily, eating
until you are no longer hungry. The phase lasts two weeks,
during which time your body will shed 8-13 pounds. These items
are not allowed during Phase I: bread, rice, potatoes, pasta,
baked goods, fruit, candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, sugar or
alcohol Phase II: Weight Loss

The aim during Phase II is to lose weight, with loss averaging
1-2 pounds per week. During this phase, you will gradually add
the restricted foods from Phase I back into your diet, but you
will eat less of them. The daily diet on Phase II should consist
of: All the protein you want Minimum of 4 1/2 cups of vegetables
Up to 3 servings of fruit Up to 3 portions of starch 1 1/2 cups
of milk/dairy (including yogurt) 3 tbs. fat In real terms, a
typical menu for a meal on the South Beach Diet might include
something like this: ½ grapefruit 2 scrambled eggs mixed with
Monterey Jack cheese and salsa 1 slice of whole grain toast
Decaffeinated coffee or tea, fat-free milk and sugar substitute
if desired The eating plan recommended by the South Beach Diet
emphasizes low carbohydrate foods, restriction of sweets,
processed starches, white sugar and ‘unhealthy fats’, and all
the protein you want. It specifies minimum amounts of low carb
vegetables to be eaten daily that are remarkably close to the
recommendations made by the USDA and the American Diabetes
Association. A key concept in the South Beach diet is the
Glycemic Index. Foods are ranked on a scale of 1-100 according
to their Glycemic index – the amount by which they raise blood
sugar levels after meals. The focus of your diet should be on
foods low on the GI level, such as yogurt, cucumbers and
broccoli and whole grain cereal, while avoiding those high on
the GI scale such as white bread, potatoes and pretzels. In
addition to the above, the South Beach Diet offers the following
guidelines:

* Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water and other decaffeinated
beverages per day (excluding fruit juices) * Limit your intake
of caffeine-containing beverages to 1 cup each day * Take one
multivitamin and mineral supplement daily * Take between 500 and
1,000 mg of calcium daily Phase III:

The lifetime maintenance plan is nearly identical to the weight
loss phase, with more portions of foods allowed. Dr. Agatston
cautions that patients being treated for diabetes, impaired
kidney function, pregnancy or other chronic illness should
consult their physician before embarking on any weight loss
regimen.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.

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