Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Hoodia gordonii and science

In this article we will see more specifically science behind hoodia and how it has been studied as an appetite suppressant. We will also examine some theories on how hoodia is able to suppress the appetite.
What evidence is there that Hoodia works as an appetite suppressant?
For thousands of years the Bushmen of South Africa was eaten Hoodia Gordonii to combat hunger during their journeys lasting one week of hunting. For the Bushmen there is no problem regarding the appetite suppressant power Hoodia Gordonii-it is a simple fact of life - if it is a long journey Corsican you chew on hoodia to avoid hunger.
While the Bushmen do formal clinical trials, there is thousands of years of real-world tests that eating Hoodia works as an appetite suppressant. For the Bushmen eat hoodia to suppress the appetite, as is clear as drinking water for the thirsty.
There is also a growing body of the journalist who can certify the skills of hoodia. Here is a piece of transcription from 60 minutes (aired in November 2004):
So, how did the work? Stahl said that he had no after-effects not funny taste in her mouth, no queasy stomach, and no racing heart. It also was not hungry all day, even when it would normally have a pang around meals. And she also had no desire to eat or drink all day. "I must say he has done the work," says Stahl.
- Leslie Stahl reporting on the CBS News 60 Minutes
Tom Mangold, a BBC News correspondent reporting following after eating Hoodia from the Kalahari desert ...
At about 1800hrs I ate about half of a banana size (piece of hoodia gordonii), and so did my later cameraman. Soon after, we began a four-hour drive to Cape Town.
The plant is said to have a good feeling - almost aphrodisiac qualities, and I have to say, we felt good. But even more significant, which did not even think about food. Our brains were really tell us, we were full. It was a magnificent deception.
Dinner time came and went. We reached our hotel at about midnight and went to bed without food. And the next day, neither wanted, nor of us ate breakfast.
I ate lunch, but without appetite and very little pleasure. Partial then returned full appetite slowly after 24 hours.
- Tom Mangold, BBC News reporting on 5/30/03
It is very rare that this journalist to be established in a positive way on a food supplement. Normally, the media is quick to find fault with any new dietary supplement and report any problems. It is not just Hoodia has been positive "field tested" by journalists, are some of the most respected journalist in their field.
Any Corsican clinical trials were carried out with P57?
Yes. In 2001 Phytopharm completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in overweight but otherwise healthy volunteers using the P57 extract Hoodia gordonii. Participants were divided into two groups, one group received the P57 and the other received a placebo. Both groups were told to continue their normal diet and exercise. The results were as follows:
When comparing the P57 group for the group Placebo:
The P57 group had a statistically significant reduction in body fat
The P57 group had a statistically significant reduction in caloric intake
The P57 had no adverse reactions
On average P57 group ate about 1000 calories a day less than those in the control group. To put that in perspective, the average American man consumes about 2600 calories a day, one woman in 1900
Are there any hoodia side effects?
There have been no reported side effects Hoodia to eat or take a P-57 molecule. Remember, for thousands of years Bushmen ate hoodia gordonii plants without ill side effects.
How can P57 (and Hoodia Gordonii) really suppress the appetite of such a great extent?
It is believed that Hoodia (and more specifically the p-57 in hoodia) mimics the effect glucose has on nerve cells in the brain.
Basically, hoodia foolish to think the brain is full when it is not. Thus, your brain sends the signal that is full and your desire to cut snack on unhealthy food. In fact, hoodia is more powerful than glucose in the brain that are filled. Here's how Phytopharm Dr Richard Dixey explained as P-57 actually works:
"There is a part of your brain, the hypothalamus. By the mid-brain there are nerve cells that sense glucose sugar.
When you eat, blood sugar goes back because of the food, these cells start firing and now you are full. What the Hoodia seems to contain a molecule that is about 10000 times as active as glucose. It is the mid-brain and actually makes those nerve cells fire as if it were full. But you have not eaten. Neither one wants. "
- As reported by BBC News correspondent - Tom Mangold-5/30/2003
So will never be hungry if I eat a hoodia plant supplement?
Not exactly. We all need food to survive, when you feel hungry because we do not have enough food for the body of this function is called real hunger. You can not absolutely starving, your body, no matter what they are eating Hoodia. At a certain point your brain to read the food you will need to function.
However, when you feel hungry because their insulin levels are bouncing all over the place, this is called hunger hormone. That is not hormonal hunger in most people diets. When our blood sugar levels and fall peak, we need more sweets and carbohydrates. This is why you might crave ice cream at 3am.
The idea of Hoodia gordonii is to use it to stop snacking hormone because of hunger. We want to continue to eat meals when you have real hunger, but you want to delete all snacking hormone because of hunger. While hoodia can help both types of eliminating hunger, we feel it is unhealthy to skip meals. The real advantage that we see for hoodia is to eliminate cravings and snacks when you do not need to eat foods.
I heard about diet pills all the time-what do Hoodia different?
Most diet pills and supplements work, trying to increase the rate at which the body burns fat. If you think about our body as a machine, provide the calories of fuel. If you run the machine hottest (body), faster and more difficult-you burn more fuel (calories). I think you can see the problem here - any machine run too hot for the long and difficult and you may have problems. This was the problem with ephedra. Many people who have lost weight ephedra supplements, but there were serious health risks. Things such as stroke and heart attacks are a real possibility even when using ephedra.
What makes it so different Hoodia diet pills is that really work to prevent weight gain. As everyone argues about what is best low carbohydrate or low-fat at the end of losing weight is a simple equation. Take off the calories you burn and you lose weight. It is really simple math, you can not gain weight if you consume fewer calories than burning. Hoodia gives you a powerful weapon to combat hunger and thus take in less calories. No need to run the body warmer or faster or difficult simply consuming less calories and thus lose weight.

8:25 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Easy Bake Mushrooms and Onions

1 Package Mushrooms
1 Onion, chopped
Olive Oil
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper

Deposit mushrooms and chopped onion into large zip-top storage bag. Powder generously with garlic, salt, pepper. Don't go overboard on the salt and pepper or it will ruin the flavor. Lube down with ample olive oil. Shake mixture well until all is well-lubed - just like you, you fucking alcoholic.

Wrap veggies up well into 2-3 stacked sheets of foil (wrap it up so it looks something like a huge Hershey's kiss). Bake in oven for 30 minutes at 425 or until mushrooms are soft and yummy.

1:23 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Guest loser Coral Stavros (the wonderchicken? I have no idea. Would be cool if it was)

Ingredients/Tools

1 Can Vegetarian Vegetable Soup (Campbells)
1 bowl
1 spoon
1 microwave

Empty contents of soup can into bowl. Add water as directed on can. Stir. Microwave on power 7 until one or two vegetables explode. Remove and eat with spoon.

9:03 PM 0 comments
Monday, October 04, 2004

Easy Smoothie

1 banana, sliced
1 cup of ice cream (your choice of flavor)
1 cup of milk

Put everything in a blender. Put on high-speed for 10 seconds. Done!

~cross-posted from my blog.~

3:08 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Easy Guacamole

2 Ripe Haas Avocadoes
2 Tomatoes
1/2 Medium Red Onion
1 Small Chile Pepper
Cilantro
Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper

Peel and cut 2 avocadoes into chunks. Cut and de-seed tomatoes and chop into small pieces. Chop about one half of a medium sized red onion. Put all the bits into a large bowl and squirt with the juice of about 1/4 of a lemon. Cut a small chile pepper into tiny bits and add to bowl. Shred cilantro and add to the bowl. Mash until avocado chunks are softened to your liking. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.

Makes about 4 cups.

10:58 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Krabby Patties

Defrost approx 1lb of synthetic crab. People, this is the midwest. This is all we get for 4.00/lb here. Mix together one egg, 1/2 cup of Contadina 2 cheese breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup of Progresso Italian breadcrumbs, some celery salt, tarragon, basil, and 1/4 cup of mayo (not miracle whip). Once that becomes pasty, toss in your stringy fake crab and mash with your hands. Once that Alaskan Pollock looks like a Jackson Pollock, squash it into 6 reasonably uniform patties. Fry 5 min on each side in some canola. Take a wild guess as to what sauce you're supposed to use and eat them with mayo. Yeah, like I really want to make my own aioli after trying to build a retarded powerpoint presentation all day.

Bonus: I also made a salad.

One bag of lettuce. I used 'Field Greens'
One tomato - chopped
One tub of feta cheese
Some sliced red onion
and some sliced black olives
and a healthy dose of balsamic vinaigrette

All of this goes into a large freezer bag. Then you shake it. Shake it. Shake it like a __________________.
Dump into Corningwear bowl.

9:37 PM 0 comments
Thursday, July 01, 2004

Lean mean panini machine

Heat your Foreman grill.

Assemble sandwich of cheese, onion, tomato, roast beef, mayo whatever you want on a long bakery roll.

Press in the grill for 3 minutes. Your sandwich will be great and you didn't have to pay 8.00 for 1/3 of that at Panera.

10:08 PM 0 comments

Prissy Pizza for Pennies

Ok, this one is actually sinfully easy :

1 - pizza crust dough (get one from your local pizzera, or Pillsbury refrigerated dough is good too! find it near the crescent rolls and tubes of cookie dough)
1 - container ricotta cheese
1 - head of garlic
1 - chicken breast (I buy the "tenders" which is the presliced breast meat 'cause I'm a lazy jerk)
1 cup - mozzarella cheese (did I spell that wrong? It looks weird to me)
1 cup - chopped asparagus or broccoli or any other pizza friendly veggie
extra virgin olive oil

Chop garlic into small pieces. Sautee chicken in pan with olive oil and garlic - adjust for preference (I personally LOVE garlic and use a million cloves). When chicken is 3/4 cooked (still slightly pink) toss in chopped asparagus or broccoli to cook slightly and soften (and coat them with garlic goodness!!). Cook chicken thoroughly and dice into bite size pieces. I usually just jab at the chicken while it's cooking to break it up. 2 part benefit : already sliced and it cooks faster!

On a cookie sheet, lay out your pizza dough and brush lightly with olive oil. Top with more garlic if you really like bad breath. Then make a thin layer of ricotta cheese across the crust. If you're working with the Pillsbury dough, you'll get a rectangular dough, so you can fill it end-to-end. Once the ricotta is in place, top pizza with chicken and veggies of your choice. Lastly, add mozzarella on top.

Follow crust baking directions (usually around 10 minutes) and ta-da! You have pizza.

Thrifty Tips :
* use left over chicken or veggies
* you will need only a small amount of mozzarella on this one - you can even skip it if it's too expensive for you
* cut your pizza "sicilian style" into small squares to make portions smaller and your food budget go further

This pizza is ridiculously easy and sorta fun to make, but for some reason people are always really impressed by it. I think it throws them for a loop that there aren't any pepperoni!

12:10 AM 0 comments
Friday, June 18, 2004

Jaybird's Happy Fun Atkins/South Beach Friendly Salad With Chicken Breasts

Prep:
Chicken breasts, cut into halves or thirds.
1/4 bottle of well-shaken Newman's Own Olive Oil & Vinegar dressing.

Throw the above into a gallon Ziploc bag for 20 minutes or so.

Meal:
Marinaded chicken breasts.
Tbs of olive oil
Lawry's Seasoning Salt
Frank's Red Hot

Add the olive oil and Frank's Red Hot to a frying pan and get it hot to the point where there are just barely wisps of smoke. Add the chicken. Sprinkle the Lawry's to taste. After 30 seconds or so, flip the chicken and sprinkle again. Then turn the oven down to about a "5" and cover. Flip occasionally over the next 10-15 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the salad:
Romaine Lettuce
Grape or cherry tomatoes
Pepperjack cheese cubes
Girardi's Caesar Salad Dressing.

Mix the above in a ziploc bag (different one than the one you marinated the chicken in) and put in a wide dish. Put the chicken breasts on top of the salad.

Eat with a loved one and talk about when you used to eat bread.

10:15 PM 0 comments
Sunday, June 13, 2004

Shortcut Porkchops

My friends and relatives marinate their chops in a lot of fancy stuff, but I discovered that all you need is salt.

All you need are:
Coarse Salt
Pork chops
A grill/broiler

Rub salt on each side of the porkchop. Grill for 15 minutes on each side or 'til golden brown. Just serve it with BBQ sauce on the side. Ta-da! Done.

6:50 PM 0 comments