Fad Or Fiction?...Cayenne Pepper And Water Diet

Have you heard of the cayenne pepper and water diet? Controversy has recently surrounded the so-called cayenne pepper and water diet, primarily due to it's association with some Hollywood star who apparently lost 20 pounds during filming for a movie living only on cayenne pepper and water. My thoughts..."ridiculous", but one of my readers asked if I would do an article, so hear it is.......

The facts are not in dispute, the actress did apparently lose weight quickly over a short period and there is no reason to dispute how this was achieved.

However the question that must be asked is can this be called a "diet"? Some would say that what she did was simply starve herself of food, surviving solely on liquids. Surely the cayenne pepper had no noticeable effects other than perhaps adding a little taste to the water, or some heartburn to say the least?

However, I will say this, and that is it should perhaps be noted that there are certainly recorded health benefits associated with cayenne pepper, including aiding digestion, strengthening of the heart, claims it contains mild pain relieving qualities, and there are even reports of using cayenne as a dressing for wounds.

Even taking these reported benefits into account, can this cayenne pepper and water diet really be called a diet? NO!

It should more properly be seen as a purely starvation exercise undertaken by a committed actor wishing to lose weight quickly in pursuit of her art and career, presumably with the safety net afforded to highly paid and closely monitored movie stars.

Presumably she will have been surrounded by assistants and helpers who would have been immediately on hand had she suffered from any starvation effects or ill health.

The danger in this story as with other fad diets is that impressionable people, young girls in particular, will have heard about this seemingly miraculous cayenne pepper and water diet and will wish to try it themselves, without any regard to the obvious and significant health dangers inherent in starving yourself in such a way.

In particular this form of dieting could be very damaging if sustained for any length of time, any form of fasting should be carefully monitored for signs of deteriorating health.

It should also be said that this story and the controversy it has created are not the fault of the actress rather it is created by media hype attempting to profit from the possibility others may try and follow her example.

In recent times other actors have been required to lose weight quickly for their future roles.

So in conclusion is this really a Diet? I would suggest not, with the hype surrounding it currently it could be categorized as a fad, and potentially a dangerous one.

The only safe way to permanently lose weight is to eat healthy food, eat in moderation, and crucially undertake regular exercise. If you do this you will burn excess fat, your arteries will stay clear and healthy and you won't risk damaging your body by starving it of the food it needs to stay fit and healthy.

If you cant eat, or cook the meals you need, find yourself a reputable company that offers meal replacements as an alternative for those who are looking for an easier way to perhaps help to ensure they are eating healthy, and not over consuming during meal time.

Written by,

Dwight Obey, Independent AdvoCare Distributor

Which Is Better, Burning Calories Or Burning Fat?

1st N Weight Loss: Couch Potato Challenge: Day 19

To lose weight and get in shape you must have a good diet and exercise regularly to burn fat. The first thing you must understand about exercise is that just because you are burning calories does not mean you are burning fat.

Your main focus when you exercise should be losing body fat, and you can't lose body fat just from burning calories. When we exercise, our bodies will start burning calories, but the calories that are burned are the calories from carbohydrates in our system.

In order to burn calories from your stored fat, your body requires the presence of oxygen. There is a certain amount of oxygen that your body needs in order to start burning fat and the only way for you to measure the amount needed for your own body is to keep up with your target heart rate during exercise.

Please understand that if you continue to only burn calories from carbohydrates, you will lose mostly water weight which leads to a decrease in your metabolism. Also, think of the calories that are burned from carbohydrates as your energy calories. If you lose too much energy calories then your muscles will not receive enough energy to increase your metabolism which indirectly burn fat.

Therefore you must increase your calorie intake when you are on an exercise program to replace your burned energy calories.

Burning Fat Calories during exercise

During aerobic exercise, your body goes through several stages before it reaches the point where you are burning fat.

You will hear people say that you are only burning sugar (carbohydrates) not fat during the first 10 minutes of exercise. This is true to a certain extent. I say this because you will continue to burn sugar past the 10 minute mark if you are not working out hard enough for your body to want more oxygen; or you are working out too hard and you can't supply your body with enough oxygen for fat burning.

When you exercise you must move at a steady pace (not too fast, not too slow) so your body will utilize your stored fat (not carbohydrates or sugar) as its energy source. Also remember that just because you reached the fat burning stage does not mean you will stay there.

Staying at the fat burning stage once again depends on if you are moving at a pace that is right for your body. Make sure that you are within your target heart rate range.

Burning Fat Calories at rest

The only way for you to continue to burn fat calories hours after you have finished working out is through the anaerobic exercise of weight training. Weight training is the key to burning fat at rest.

Weight training is an anaerobic activity that will cause you to burn more calories than aerobic exercise. The calories that you are burning during weight training exercises are mostly calories from carbohydrates (meaning you must eat even more calories per day for energy); but the calories you burn at rest are mostly calories from fat.

The reason you are burning fat at rest is because weight training increases your metabolism which uses your stored fat as energy.

To make your body the ultimate fat burning machine you must do aerobic (cardio) and anaerobic (weight training) exercises.


This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or any doctors recommendation. Prior to beginning any weight loss program, individuals must consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

Are We Really What We Eat?

1st N Weight Loss: Couch Potato Challenge: Day 18

We've all heard this expression many times, “You are what you eat.” Have you ever really thought about what it means? And do you think about it when you’re making food choices? Are we really what we eat?

In some ways, we do become what we eat, literally. Have you ever seen an example of your blood plasma after eating a fast food hamburger? What was previously a clear liquid becomes cloudy with the fat and cholesterol that’s absorbed from eating a high-fat hamburger.

And when you think about it, we also become what we don’t eat. When we switch from eating meat to a vegetarian-based diet, we become less fat, less prone to many types of cancers. Our cholesterol can improve.

When we’re leaner and eating fewer animal products, then many other health and fitness issues are reduced. The incidence of Type II diabetes is reduced. Blood pressure falls into normal ranges. When you’re healthier, you’re taking fewer medications.

Even if you have a prescription drug benefit in your health plan, you’re still saving money with fewer co-payments on medications.

If you have a family history of high cholesterol or high blood pressure, then it’s particularly incumbent on you to revise your eating habits. Moving towards a more vegetarian diet has been shown statistically to reduce the incidence of so many of the diseases of industrialized countries.

Vegetarians are statistically healthier than omnivorous persons; they’re leaner and live longer.

Isn’t it time to think about what you want to be and to eat accordingly? Do you want to be sluggish and fat? Do you want the risk that goes with eating animal products, with their high fat content? Or do you want to look like and be what vegetarians are? Leaner and fitter with a longer anticipated lifespan.

It’s never too late to change what you’re doing and increase your chances for a longer, fitter life.

This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or any doctors recommendation. Prior to beginning any weight loss program, individuals must consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

Healthy Aging And Eating Right

1st N Weight Loss: Couch Potato Challenge: Day 17

Listen Friends, bottom line is this, you have to eat right in order to stay healthy. If you do not eat right, your body does not receive the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. You have to eat so it fuels your body.

This is similar to a motor vehicle, which you add gas to travel; the body requires food that promotes energy, making it go. Too much food is not good for you and not enough of the right food can be harmful to your health.

Choosing the right foods:

Not all foods are good for you, yet liver is loaded with iron which is good for your blood, but to much isn't good for you either. Fruits and vegetables are good for you but again not too much because the fruit will turn into sugar and that's not good for you. Too much may give you the gibes, especially if you have to watch your weight.

You can get high cholesterol as well from food if your not careful. High cholesterol can lead to harden arteries, which follows by strokes or heart attacks. So you need to eat but watch what you are eating and how much of it in a days time.

How will I know if am not eating right?

When you go to your doctor, he will tell you if you need to go on a diet. Your doctor will be able to tell by your weight. Then he may put you on a diet to lose weight or a diet to help you gain weight.

He will tell you want to eat and how much as well as what not to eat. Then he may tell you to exercise everyday. You have to be able to burn up what you take in so it will not turn into sugar or fat.

Remember that you should try to feast from the four food groups. Try to make sure that you only eat the amount your suppose to, and get your excise that you need to make you healthy. You can always call your family doctor to ask him how to do something if you don't know how, or continue to visit: 1st N Weight Loss, they will also help you to learn how to count your calories as well as, provide free informational articles relating to weight loss, and dieting.

The world is filled with support groups that will help you if need support. More then likely you can go to your local hospital and they will know how to get you in touch with a group. These groups are great.

The groups will give you support during the time that you need help. At group meetings, you will meet people with the same problems you have and you can give each other the support. Just remember to set a goal but don't make it so high that you can't do it and give up.

Start out a little at a time and then as you get better you can increase your plans. In addition, what ever you do try to stick to it, it takes will power and control.

Willpower the master:

Willpower is a powerful mechanism inside you. If you want to find this willpower take a seat, sit down and talk with you to see what you can find. As you learn more about you, you gain willpower that takes you beyond your abilities, which means you will have success in living healthy while aging well into the future.

This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or any doctors recommendation. Prior to beginning any weight loss program, individuals must consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

We Do Not Need A Nation Of Size 5 Women, Find The Beauty Within You.

1st N Weight Loss: Couch Potato Challenge: Day 16

There is some truth when it comes to dieting. None of us enjoy the process, although we all eagerly await and anticipate the results. The problem is that far too many men and women around the world focus so much on dieting and perfecting their external beauty that they forget the beautiful people they are inside along the way.

Our culture is becoming obsessive about the perfect body and the perfect body image.

If there was one message that should make it out to everyone dieting it is this: dieting should be more about health than beauty. You should not need to conform to some preconceived notion of what is or should be beautiful.

If we create a world where everyone looks alike it would be rather boring in the end.

You need to focus on being happy with who you are in order to achieve the greatest dieting success you will have ever dared dream. Many of use eat out of emotional need or a simple need for comfort when we are depressed, hurting, uncertain, or simply in unfamiliar territory.

There is no solution that will work for everyone when it comes to making peace with who you are and this by no means indicates that you should no longer seek to be the healthiest you there is. It simply means that your focus should be more on coming to terms with who you are as a person than in creating a new person or imagine behind which you can hide.

Dieting for the most part is an opportunity for many men and women to become someone else. Whether that someone is the person you used to be or some person you think you want to be, you are quite unlikely to find happiness at any weight until you accept you for the person you are inside.

This is often a difficult process but one that is well worth the effort. Once you've accepted the person inside you can address the specific needs that often lead to the excess weight to begin with.

Depression is a common factor in weight gain as well as an inability to lose weight. By finding contentment depression will no longer be a controlling factor in you life. For many, this is the freedom they need from their weight problems while others will find there are still hurdles remaining.

The important thing is that you stop allowing the person you are to be defined by what the scales say about you.

Once you've reached a point in your life where you are happy with your appearance and feel that your personal fitness level is in hand you should discuss things with your doctor and see what he or she has to say.

We do not need a nation of size 5 women. We need a nation of women who are self-aware and self confident and not afraid to be who they are on the inside regardless of how they look on the outside.

Finding the beauty within is often the most important aspect of dieting that there can be. Take the time while dieting to get to know the person you are and introduce that person to the person you want to be.

In time the two will work out a healthy compromise and you will find that image isn't really everything no matter what the glossy magazines try to tell you.


This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or any doctors recommendation. Prior to beginning any weight loss program, individuals must consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

Dieting Without Sacrificing Food

1st N Weight Loss: Couch Potato Challenge: Day 15

Why is that so many people view dieting as punishment for not having the perfect body. They think that enjoying food is somehow bad for them, which couldn't be further from the truth. If you want to be completely honest with yourself, when it comes to dieting, it isn't about giving up food or flavor; it's about discovering new foods and flavors. At least it is for those who truly love food.

There are many spices out there that can make even the blandest of foods a little more tasty. Fish and chicken are popular diet foods because they are lean meats. However, adding a little blackening seasoning is a great way to put a little punch in your meal that will make it taste great without packing on the calories of dressing marinades or soaking in butter before broiling. You do not have to stop there. Italian seasoning can also add a little flavor to your kitchen without adding the extra calories that you are working so hard to avoid.

There are all kinds of seasonings that will work well in this instance. Many great seasonings for chicken also make great additions to chicken that will be included in salads for healthier lunches or salad wraps. Grains are good for you when you concentrate on whole grains. They are quite often the primary source of fiber in a diet and you need fiber almost as much as you need water. At any rate, simple things that spice up the same old lunch can have a huge impact on your enjoyment of food.

You can even enjoy the occasional treat when dieting as long as you do so sparingly. The key when dieting is to learn about proper portions and moderate indulgence. You can find all kinds of low sugar or low carb desserts on the market that you can enjoy sparingly. You can even find sugar free or low calorie candy in some cases though you should keep in mind that calories, particularly when it comes to candy you eat unconsciously add up quickly and you must pay close attention to those things you put into your mouth.

My point in all this though is that you do not have to sacrifice flavor in order to diet. You can live without butter; there are many substitutions on the market that are quite remarkable. But seasonings are a great way to add a lot of flavor for a tiny bit of effort on your part. Desserts are also great and you can find many dips and sauces that can be made with fat free or low fat mayonnaise or sour cream in order to cut a few more calories during your dieting process.

These dips and sauces can often make a great substitution, when paired with vegetables, for those chips and dips we love so much and often miss when dieting. Cucumbers, green, red, and yellow peppers, broccoli, and carrot sticks all have a nice little crunch to them that when combined with a good low fat dip can help cure the crave beast for greasy chips that often rears its head when dieting.

If you watch your calories carefully during meals you should be delighted to know that there are many little snack treats that are prepackaged in 100 calorie packs for your enjoyment. This means that you can indulge on occasion in those treats that you love most without sacrificing all your dieting efforts in the process.

These snack packs have become one of the best marketing ploys since the invention of diet colas. We all want the benefits of losing weight and will readily admit that if it were a simple process we'd all be thin.

However, having something like these hundred calorie snack packs to carry you through the worst of your cravings can mean the difference between dieting success and failure. They are definitely the difference in the old way of dieting and the new way of dieting without sacrificing flavor.


This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or any doctors recommendation. Prior to beginning any weight loss program, individuals must consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

How To Live Healthy While Aging

1st N Weight Loss: Couch Potato Challenge: Day 14 - 1 wk left!

Aging is a natural process we all will face someday. As we age our bodies starts to decline producing those natural resources that we all need. As the body declines, aging symptoms develop including wrinkles, crowfeet, weight gain, weight loss, cellulite, and so on. To reduce the aging symptoms we must take steps to maintain our health.

The do not list:

Don't exercise before going to bed.  Exercise will get you all pumped up and your heart rate goes up, you will get yourself going and then you won't be able to relax. Exercise routines are best done in the morning, since it boosts your energy. When you wake up, work out before you continue your day you might find it much easier.

On the other hand, some people prefer to workout in the afternoon. If this is you, the afternoon is good as well, since it will boost the energy wasted from the earlier part of your day. Don't overdo it rather work out at your own pace. Do what your body says you can do. You can work out in the evening as well, but only work out an hour or two before you go to bed. You will increase energy, yet by the time you resume for the night, hopefully you will feel relaxed, and ready to turn in for the night.

What keeps you awake?

Snoring is something that can keep you awake at night. Sometimes snoring occurs from obesity or a sleep disorder and so on. If you have a snoring problem, perhaps visiting your doctor will help you find the answers to your problem.

Loosing weight by exercising can give you the activity you need for those bones as well as for a better nights sleep. Your partner may snore as well, which keeps you awake at night. If your partner snores ask him/her to visit, the doctor to find out if a medical condition exists. It's better to know now, rather than wait until it is too late.

Depression and stress can keep us from getting a restful night of sleep. Try practicing yoga. Yoga will help you develop meditation skills. The skills you acquire will help you to relax. Yoga workouts reduce ugly depressive symptoms, which includes stress. Aromatherapy and listening to music will also help to relax you and lessen that depression and stress.

If you don't seem to be having any luck with whatever you try and your'e still waking up in the morning feeling like you haven't had any sleep forever consult you physician. Talk to your doctor to see if he has any ideas that can help you live healthy, and sleep better. Perhaps your doctor can provide you with healthy sleeping remedies that allow you to sleep peacefully.

Eating healthy:

Eating healthy is another great way to live healthy while aging. When you eat the proper food groups daily, you are building your body by providing it with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it requires to live healthy. As you grow older however, your body will need more of one thing than it will another. Ask your doctor about a diet suitable to help you live healthy as you age.

Vitamins and herbs are a great way to increase your health and reduce risks of disease. If your body gets the proper vitamins it needs, your body will work to live longer. You have a wide selection of vitamins available to you, yet you should learn about the two vitamin groups before taking regimens. Look up the water and fat-soluble vitamins. Herbs can provide you with healthy nutrients to assists you with healthy aging as well.

This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or any doctors recommendation. Prior to beginning any weight loss program, individuals must consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

Beating Those Food Cravings

1st N Weight Loss: Couch Potato Challenge: Day 13

Do you often find yourself giving in to your cravings and completely wrecking all of your efforts to lose weight or maintain any healthy eating habits? Before you uncontrollably grab for those doughnuts, slice of cake or chips, read this article and learn how you can easily overcome those cravings by using a few simple strategies.

Everyone, regardless of how disciplined they are with their diet, will from time to time fall victim to cravings for one food item or another. For people trying to lose weight, these cravings are even more of a challenge to deal with than for someone simply maintaining their weight.

Regardless of whether or not you are trying to lose weight, cravings can be the one thing that makes you break your normal dietary habits and overdo the calories you usually try to do without.

Most people know that getting some kind of exercise and eating healthy, low-fat foods is the key to maintaining good health, but with the hectic and hurried schedules so many people have these days, sometimes eating right and getting exercise can be easier said than done.

The best way to insure against dietary disaster when you do get those cravings throughout the day is to plan ahead and use a little strategy.

For one thing, try to plan 5 to 6 small meals with one to be eaten around every 3 hours of the day and make it a point not to miss any of them. It takes an average of 2 to 3 hours for the human body to digest a meal, so by the time you start to feel a craving coming on, it's almost time for your next meal anyway.

Make it a point to drink plenty of water. Quite often, feelings of hunger between meals are really your body trying to signal thirst. By keeping a bottle of water with you all day and making it a point to take constant sips throughout the day, you will keep hydrated, feel better, and eliminate the one common cause for cravings to happen.

When you are at home, always try to keep some fresh fruit on hand. If you are hit with a craving, fruit is a better choice than cake or chips. Also, make a fat-free dip and cut up some fresh veggies like carrots and celery and keep them in the fridge. This will give you another quick and healthy snack that you can just grab and eat during a craving.

Never go to a party, a meeting, or any event where there will be food available on an empty stomach. This will set you right up to over eat when you get there. Always eat a small meal or at least eat a good, healthy snack before you go, this will help stop cravings from hitting you while there.

If there are certain snack foods that you really enjoy, don't try to completely cut them out. You will only overindulge in them when you can't control the urge to have them later. Plan these snacks into your day, and just make them snacks that you have once in a while and in moderate amounts when you do.

Remember that just because certain food items are fat-free does not mean they are calorie free. When turning to fat free snacks, be careful of how many calories they contain and adjust your portions accordingly. It is very easy to assume fat-free is safe and go way overboard on them.

The next time you are hit with cravings, remember these little guidelines and you will be able to deal with them without ruining your efforts to maintain healthy eating habits.



This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or any doctors recommendation. Prior to beginning any weight loss program, individuals must consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

Does Saying The "D" Word Create Thoughts Of Failure In Your Mind?

1st N Weight Loss: Couch Potato Challenge: Day 12

Why is it that merely saying the "D" word, you know "diet" brings immediate thoughts of failure to the minds of many men and women around the world? Could it be that we have all learned through trial and error that diets simply do not work?

I know many of you are sitting back with jaws dropped at the moment. After all, this is an article about dieting, right? It is and it isn't. Dieting is the kiss of death for many while a new phase in your life or lifestyle adjustment may be just the thing that will mean success for you and your fitness and health goals.

Eating for some is an addiction. Unfortunately, you can't exactly give up eating all together as a smoker can give up cigarettes. I'm not applying by any means that giving up cigarettes is easy but how much more difficult would it be if you were forced to have three a day? At that point you may as well enjoy them every time the urge hits right?

The same holds true for food. You must eat in order to survive. You cannot live without eating. This means that if food is a problem in your life, you must find a healthier way of viewing food.

Isn't this where diets generally come in handy? The short answer is no. This is where diets often fail. Diets do very little to change how we view food. In fact, most diets only serve to tell us which foods are good, which foods are bad, and which foods (typically most of the foods we enjoy most) are strictly taboo.

Diets begin by forcing people to feel deprived or punished. And no one likes to feel either of these things. I know that I don't.

Even worse however, is that we punish ourselves further when we slip along the straight and very narrow pathways upon which our diets place us.

This means that we are going to wallow in guilt over every little misstep we make until we give up all together and decide to over indulge once again and ignore the guilt all together. I have been here, how about you?

In order to have real success you must make a lifestyle change. This is the only way that you will be able to shed those unwanted pounds without experiencing the horrible guilt that so many dieters go through each and every step of the way with their diets.

Set goals for yourself. Keep them aggressive but realistic for fitness, dropping pounds, and eating new healthy foods. Even if your goal is as simple as eating  5 vegetable servings a day it is a great place to start.

Change your way of eating. Then change your way of seeing food and you will experience amazing changes in your attitudes toward your health, your body, and even your fitness level.

As the first pounds begin to drop you will begin to experience more energy and less pain when exercising. This should help keep you motivated to do even more as time goes by.

Do not think that long term weight loss goals will be as easy to achieve as the first five or ten pounds. Consistency is vitally important when making these lifestyle changes. Take each day as it comes and begin again the very next day.

This means that even if you fall completely "off the wagon" today, you can start over tomorrow. The trick is in staying the course more days than not and learning moderation and balance when it comes to straying from the straight and narrow. Wow, this is so true!

There are many ways to fail when it comes to dieting and I know people who have failed in almost every one I can possibly imagine. There is no way to fail, however, when you are making positive changes in your life that are getting positive results.

It may take weeks, months, or even years to reach your goal. As long as you are making steady and continuous efforts and progress, you are doing many great things for your health and well being. So remember, TODAY IZ THE DAY....WHY WAIT!


This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or any doctors recommendation. Prior to beginning any weight loss program, individuals must consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

Which Diet?

1st N Weight Loss: Couch Potato Challenge: Day 11

There is no diet that suits everyone. So how will you know which diet suits you best?

The hallmark of a modern developed society seems to be people with those ugly bulges. And lots of dieting ads! Okay, let's face it. We will have to live with dieting. The question then is how to do it effectively and safely.

Dieting refers to regulated food intake to satisfy a short-term goal: losing weight or adding it. Diet refers to the food items that form the dieting process.

We as humans need essential nutrients such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. A well-balanced diet must meet these nutritional requirements or it could threaten general health and physical fitness. The diet must make the person healthy enough to be active and still provide only enough calories that can be burned away in the course of a day without it accumulating as fat.

Remember not every diet works for everyone. That is because there are metabolic differences between individuals. The challenge is to choose a diet that works for you. This you can do only with the help of a physician.

Diet pills are quite the "in thing" among health-conscious individuals. Some diet pills are associated with comprehensive dietary programs. However, these diet pills, especially the ones containing vitamins and minerals are not effective weight-loss tools for everyone. Some medicines cause short-term weight loss, but the loss is normally accompanied by dangerous side-effects.

Diet drugs can be classified into diuretics and stimulants. Diuretics induce water-weight loss, while stimulants such as ephedrine increase the heart rate and reduce appetite. These drugs can also cause kidney and liver damage. The stimulants increase your risk of sudden heart attacks and also cause addiction.

Exotic dieting patterns are not just ineffective, but dangerous as well. Starvation diets are undertaken by many to gain that perfect physique - the lean and athletic one. You know the look. But these diets are normally counterproductive. Yo-yo dieting refers to alternating periods of feasting and famine. It too is quite ineffective. When you starve, the body responds by decreasing metabolism. When you begin consuming food again, the food gets stored as fat. These adjustments leave the dieter feeling lethargic and fatigued. 

Certain medical conditions require special diets. A diabetic person is put on a diet for managing the blood sugar level, while mild hypertension is partly cured by following a diet of fruits and vegetables and a diet low in fat and sodium. The hypertension diet could focus on weight loss, if controlling blood pressure is necessary. Celiac disease patients follow a gluten-free diet, while people with kidney disease are required to follow a low-sodium diet to lessen the load on the kidneys. Lactose-intolerant people leave out milk products from their diet. 

Many diets include medicinal plants. These herbs include leaves, bark, berries, roots, gums, seeds, stems, and flowers. They come in the form of tablets, capsules, liquid beverages, bark pieces, powders, tinctures, fluid extracts, creams, lotions, salves, and oils. These medicines include herbal products which are available over-the-counter or at health food stores. However, it's always better to consume medications prescribed by doctors and provided by pharmacists.

Go on a diet if you need to. But play it safe, and do it in consultation with your doctor.  And remember, if one diet does not work for you, it doesn't mean you have failed. You could still find a diet regimen that will work wonders for you!

This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or any doctors recommendation. Prior to beginning any weight loss program, individuals must consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment. Results may vary by each individual while working out, or utilizing any of the products mentioned in this article.

The One Thing I Do Know....is ME

1st N Weight Loss: Couch Potato Challenge: Day 9

If you need a little pick me up, tweak the article below, to fit your current situation.

The One Thing I Do Know,  that matters more than anything in the world.

I know this thing with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my being.

I know that I have the choice to be who I am, when I am, where I am.

I may not have a choice, today, about what I do for a living, where I live, or what kind of car I drive.

But if who I am today is a writer, I'm a writer, even if I live in a homeless shelter, write on paper bags with stubs of pencils, and take the bus to a job in a fast food joint to try to get out of the shelter.

If who I am today is a writer, I'm a writer, even if my kids are sick, my car is broken down, my computer won't work and I haven't sold anything in years.

But if who I am today is a writer, and I decide that who I should be is a doctor, I'm going to be pretty miserable, because who I am is a writer.

On the other hand, if I'm a writer who wants to become a doctor, I've got a great handle on who I am, who I want to be, and probably an idea of whether it's possible and how to get there.

Never lose sight of who you are. Be who you are, no matter where you are, or when you are.

BE YOU!.

Changes That Can Create Massive Results In Your Life

1st N Weight Loss: Couch Potato Challenge: Day 8

The seemingly insignificant changes in your life, over time, changes the whole direction and end destination of your life.

I believe that we all reach certain key points in our lives. We all reach crossroads where our lives hit a certain threshold of "pain" that we are no longer willing to settle for. This threshold is very different for every person. I also believe that if you are unhappy with anything in your life then that is a call to action; a desire from deep within the "real" you that wants to experience more of life.

This can be very challenging for a lot of people as they have this urge to improve their lives but they don't have an effective strategy. They then do the "logical" thing which is to work on the effects instead of the cause.

Here is a simple thought process that will be a wake up call to you if you feel like you are spinning your wheels.

• For my life to get better I have to get better.
• For things to change I have to change.
• I am mine. This is my life and I am the creator of my destiny.

I can change any and everything in my life by simply changing myself. This puts me in the driving seat of my life and makes my life my responsibility. It eliminates fear and apprehension for I know that no matter what life gives me I can always get to the next level and take the next step by simply making the internal shift in my own psychology.

I can stop looking for events, people and circumstances to blame. I only need to look inside. No matter how influential you are you cannot control the circumstances and events of your life.

There are only three things over which you have absolute and total control and these are all you need.

It forms the total experience of life. My thoughts, my actions and my words are always under my conscious control. 

They are MY thoughts, they are MY actions and they are MY words AND they create MY world every minute of every day.

This is incredibly liberating. Whenever I want to have more, experience more or change anything, I need only look inwards and work on myself.  See, you can run around and work incredibly hard at trying to influence and change circumstances, but that will only make you tired and discourage your future efforts.

Its much easier to change yourself and your perception of yourself and your life. Nothing has any meaning except for the meaning you give it.

Changing external events have very little impact in your life on the long term. Small changes in you; in your perceptions and psychology might seem insignificant at first, but because the change is in you it effects all of your thoughts, all of your actions and all of your words.

This seemingly insignificant change, over time changes the whole direction and end destination of your life. If a captain of a ship changes direction just one degree the end destination might be a different continent all together. Like the captain changing his course by one degree it might be unnoticeable over a short period of time, but over greater distances the small change becomes very significant.

Most people try and change the big things; they constantly try and change any and everything in their lives, but they then fail to maintain the change. Instead, making small consistent changes in yourself, in your own character you can create phenomenal results.

All change starts and ends with you. If you are going to invest the time and effort to improve your life, then invest it in changing yourself. Invest your time and effort in improving "you" and let go of the superficial urges to control events and circumstances. 

Your whole perception and experience of life comes from you and who you are. Change yourself, improve your character and just watch the world improve and change before your very eyes.