Friday, July 20, 2012

FDA Approved Weight Loss Pills

The internet has uncountable resources at your disposal as far as weight loss is concerned.  While browsing, you may stumble upon the two newly FDA approved weight loss drugs “Belviq” and “Qsymia”.  What exactly do Belviq and Qsymia do?  Belviq increases levels serotonin (an inhibitory neurotransmitter), which is nature’s own appetite suppressant.  Qsymia, on the other hand, combines two currently approved drugs; an appetite suppressant and the other increases feelings of fullness.  Reviewing the trial groups, they both lost weight, but each drug was only effective when given along with a balanced diet and exercise.

It is important to understand that these two drugs are not miracle workers and the fat will not just melt away; any drug that says so is a scam and is not good for your body at all.  You must put work in to receive results.  Yes, if these drugs work they will help individuals lose weight, but I would not depend on a pill to help me lose weight if I were you.  What happens when you stop your pills?  This means you are no longer having your serotonin levels increased or appetite suppressant/feelings of fullness.  Once you start the pills, it seems unlikely that you will be able to maintain your results once you are no longer taking them.  Do you want to take a weight loss pill for the rest of your life? 
Also take into account the potential side effects that will be involved.  In the past, many prescription diet pills have been associated with dangerous side effects, particularly heart problems.  Belviq will more than likely be scheduled as a controlled substance because if serotonin is levels are too high, it could trigger effects of hallucinogens and addictive drugs of abuse.   Also, if your serotonin levels are too high, it can lead to “Serotonin Syndrome”.   Qsymia has potentially serious side effects such as: elevated heart rate, teratogenicity, suicidality risk, cognitive dysfunction, metabolic acidosis and low serum bicarbonate.  Both drugs have their fair share of side effects, in time everyone will see what other dangers are present with these drugs. 
Consider all factors when looking into these programs.  Yes, they are both FDA approved, but are you really wanting to go down the path of pills?  Obesity is a growing problem in the United States and it seems to be getting worse.  You do have people who care about your wellbeing; find a group that will walk with you through your weight loss journey.
References:
1: Drugs.com Information on Qsymia Accessed July 20, 2012
    http://www.drugs.com/qsymia.html
2: Mayo Clinic Definition of Serotonin Syndrome Accessed July 20, 2012
    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/serotonin-syndrome/DS00860
3: Psychology Today: The Antidepressant Diet
    Serotonin: What It is and Why It’s Important for Weight Loss Accessed July 20, 2012
     http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-antidepressant-diet/201008/serotonin-what-it-is-and-why-its-important-weight-loss

Friday, July 13, 2012

Chocolate Vegan Shakeology!

So Chocolate Vegan Shakeology has been avaliable for about a month now and I just got around to trying it.  If you read my post about Tropical Strawberry (which is also vegan), you read that I thought It was very chalky, though the taste was good.  It was difficult for me to get past the sand in my mouth with Tropical Strawberry, very difficult. 
 
Today I opened my bag of Chocolate Vegan.  I was a little aprehensive at first simply because it was vegan.  The smell was a pleasant chocoalte aroma.  Off to a good start.  With the vegan, I didn't want to use milk, simply that defeats the whole purpose of vegan.  So today I used water.  I wanted to get almond milk for this, but time has not been on my side for going to the grocery store.  So water was the liquid of the day! 
 
When I had regular chocolate with water, it had a funny taste.  This was not the case with the chocolate vegan.  Though I have not had it with almond milk, the taste was good.  This was not grainy or sandy at all!  Beachbody really hit it out of the ball park with this one!  It had a smooth texture, great taste and no whey protein! 
 
The only difficulty I had was the blending aspect this morning.  Blending with water took a lot longer than it typically does with milk.  Other than that, everything was A OK!    
 
I highly recommend Chocolate Vegan Shakeology!  It was good, even with water!! 
 
Contact me with any questions!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Cure vs. Prevent

Are you currently taking any medications for: high blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides or any other problem you may be having? How would you feel if these aliments were cured? Better yet, what would your life be like if you were able to prevent these situations from happening in the first place?

The dictionary defines "prevent" as: to keep from happening or existing.

Cure is defined as: recovery or relief from a disease.

Searching for a cure is important, but when a cure is needed, that means several individuals already have the disease or aliment which requires treatment. To cure something is to prescribe medication, treatments, and doctors’ visits among other actions. Doesn't this sound like a lot of fun? It shouldn't.

The goal should be to prevent aliments or diseases from happening in the first place. When preventing something from occurring, you are saving money, time, effort and unnecessary inconveniences to your life.

I understand that not everything is avoidable, but a lot of the situations we put our bodies in these days is 100% preventable through good nutrition and fitness. Do you feel like your body is spinning out of control and you need a helping hand to straighten you out? It sounds like you may need the Beachbody Ultimate Reset! With the Ultimate Reset, you will start a spectacular journey to better health and living. Think what it would be like to no longer have to take high blood pressure medication or even if you were able to sleep better at night and wake up completely refreshed. Read about the Ultimate Reset here. This is only a 21 day program, if you go through it and are completely unsatisfied with the results, you can return it for a full refund. Reset your life today, I promise you will not regret it.