Nothing. Sometimes it is just plain fun to be a little goofy (not the Disney character!) and let out some real personality. So here goes, all you loyal visitors. The question in the title of this post arose when I got an email that an article about HCG was approved for posting on another website, which in this case is an article directory. I’m sure that it got there because I submit articles about HCG to an online article distribution service.
I kind of thought that anything I wrote about HCG would appear on directories about health or weight loss or the HCG diet. Well, in the immortal words of Gomer Pyle, USMC, “Surprise, surprise, surprise!” My article landed on this really neat website about cats:
The irony continues. I got a nice note from the website owner about posting my article. His name is Russell Clark … probably no relation. And, on top of all this, I have been a cat lover as long as I can remember. Indeed, recently I decided to start a blog about cats, too. As of today there isn’t much there, so I will have to take some time to build it up. If you just happen to be interested in how it’s going, you can visit it here:
If you happen to go there, let me know how you like my header image at the top of the page. I believe there is hardly any way to go wrong with photos of cats. I just thought those kitties at the top were too cute to pass up.
I had fun writing this silly little post about another subject that I love … in this case, cats. It’s back to the world of HCG tomorrow! Thanks for reading and putting up with my silliness today!
It seems as though millions of websites offering HCG for sale and HCG prices are all over the map. The question is, how do you get the best product for the lowest price? Here is some good advice on what to look for:
Many websites offer the HCG diet at amazingly low prices, but as the old saying goes; you get what you pay for. In fact, many of these websites are offering a product that may be expired, or worse, tainted.
The source of this article, hcgdirect.com, is an example of a reputable group, in my opinion. The first and foremost piece of advice, which applies to every business transaction you do, is to deal with reputable people.
Mixing HCG can sometimes seem a little complicated. All you have to do is know how much HCG you are starting with and the concentration that you want for daily dosing. Then you can calculate how much bacteriostatic water to mix with it. All the possible questions about how to mix hcg injections are answered most comprehensively in this article that just came out a few days ago. You can even get a handy little online calculator, just in case you are math-challenged!
Once you determine the right HCG dosage and desired shot amount for your HCG weight loss, you need to calculate the amount of Bacteriostatic water needed for HCG mixing. (Download a copy of HCG Mixing Calculator here). …
Of course, these instructions are just for those brave souls who insist on using the injectable form of HCG. My personal preference, which has worked for me and all of my clients, is still the sublingual form. Some companies that offer this form already have simple, foolproof directions for how to mix it in the right concentration for daily dosing. In fact, this is what I talk about at my Where to Order HCG link above (and here).
Recently I wrote about my perspective on homeopathic HCG. The bottom line message is that, at least scientifically speaking, the jury is still out. This does not mean to negate the many testimonials by people who have used it, or the many companies who sell it. My point of view is simply a cautious one because homeopathic HCG generally does not fit in with homeopathic medicine. Read more… »
Here is a little video that I posted on YouTube. Below is my article on this topic, which has further details on what you can expect in the way of hcg side effects.
HCG vs Protocol
Side effects of HCG may be caused by a reaction to the hormone, a reaction to the very low-calorie diet, a reaction to substances released from metabolized fat, or combinations of all of these. Determining cause and effect is not really possible. However, if the approved medical uses of HCG for treating infertility or low testosterone are any indication, certain side effects of HCG alone may be possible.
Medical Use of HCG vs HCG Diet
Treating infertility with HCG requires doses of 10,000 IU. This is a typical dose of HCG for medical treatments. One drug company that makes Pregnyl (the most common brand name for HCG) lists the following unwanted symptoms of this high dose:
Headache, irritability, restlessness, depression, fatigue, edema, precocious puberty, gynecomastia (i.e., breast enlargement in males).
These are due to the high doses that are used in medical treatment. The question is whether they are also associated with the low doses of HCG that are used for the HCG diet.
Observations of Common Side Effects
The following observations are derived from reports by clients who have gone through the HCG protocol and from my own experience.
FATIGUE: The most common one is fatigue. This occurs almost 100% of the time. It is independent of starting weight or health status. People who work out regularly are less able to keep up their workout intensity. Those who are out of shape and inactive in the first place slow down even further.
IRRITABILITY: The ‘significant others’ of HCG dieters notice this first. It is very common. In my own experience, I even felt more irritable. By the end of the protocol, the quick recovery back to normal, after being more irritable for a month or more, was like going from night to day.
HEADACHE: At least 10 percent of the HCG dieters report headaches for the first few days of the protocol. Headaches stop after the body’s initial water loss during this period, when sufficient water intake begins to rehydrate the body. Water intake is the key to reversing this brief period of accelerated dehydration.
REDUCED NEED FOR SLEEP: Many dieters report that they sleep less during the protocol. This is a well-recognized side effect of the HCG diet. People do not feel as though they are sleep deprived. They just seem to need less sleep.
CONSTIPATION: Dieters who are prone to constipation notice that it is more pronounced on the protocol. It is crucial to treat this symptom immediately so that passage of waste, as well as daily weight loss, proceeds normally every day. Constipation will otherwise slow down or stop weight loss completely.
MINOR OCCURRENCES: Dozens of side effects that have been reported to be associated with the HCG diet are much more difficult to validate. Most seem to be associated with bad health. Blogs and forums are rife with reports of these kinds of symptoms. However, the only other side effects that are common enough to be expected are the beneficial ones, as mentioned below.
Beneficial Side Effects
Dr. A.T.W. Simeons already reported these observations in 1954. The main ones of greatest impact to modern users of the protocol are: 1) normalizing blood sugar metabolism; 2) lowering cholesterol; and, 3) lowering blood pressure.
Dr. Simeons’ explanations of these side effects are detailed in his book, Pounds and Inches. They are to be expected for everyone who undertakes the protocol. Besides fat loss, these are most crucial results from the protocol. They help slow down and even reverse hypoglycemia, diabetes, and heart disease.
Chef Toni Tanner Scott is a real pro. In this video she offers a super delicious recipe that is simple, easy, and quick.
The only change that I suggest in her video is to avoid the use of a non-stick pan. Non-stick polymers are not inert. They will leach chemicals into your food that are bad for your health. I suggest stainless steel, which is what I use.
HCG diet recipes seem to be everywhere. Cookbooks are usually pretty expensive. Blogs and websites offer contradictory information. So I took matters into my own hands, made my own HCG meals tasty and filling, and put together my favorite recipes. Call me the Iron Chef of the HCG Diet if you wish. I had fun, and the result is a set of simple, easy to use recipes for everyone. Cheap, too. Watch the video or just go directly to my Recommended Books link above and check it our for yourself.
HCG diet recipes should be simple, easy, and flavorful. Key ingredients include the right spices, herbs, and sweeteners for making the entire protocol satisfying and enjoyable. You can even dine out without violating the HCG diet, if you know what to look for on a restaurant menu.
The Trouble With Protein
Protein sources that are allowed on the HCG diet are limited in their variety and in their inherent flavor. White fish, shellfish, and chicken breast are just plain dull without fat. If you could follow Julia Child’s advice to smother everything in butter (not allowed on the HCG diet!), you would get a lot more flavor from these foods. So avoiding fat and still getting flavor is the challenge
The key to making the protein sources flavorful is simply how you use herbs and spices. There really is not much to it. Garlic and onion are the most important of these. Hot sauce, chili powder, cilantro, parsley, tarragon, oregano, and many more highly flavorful spices make any dish of chicken or fish taste great. If you do it right, you can even have tacos! And if you are careful, you can incorporate extra lean ground beef.
Mother Nature’s Veggies
Vine-ripened tomatoes and cucumbers (both of which are really fruits, by the way), young asparagus spears, and dark green leafy greens are as good as it gets from Mother Nature. If you had a source for these, which would almost have to be locally grown, then cooking would not be necessary.
However, since the most inexpensive and easy to find veggies are going to be at your supermarket, then you will want to flavor them up a bit, or maybe a lot. They will have very little flavor, because they have been picked unripe, put into cold storage, then fumigated with ethylene gas to make them look ripe.
The keys to making flavorful veggie dishes are the same as for protein dishes. Herbs and spices make everything much more enjoyable. Oh, and there are some allowable vegetable combinations, such as cucumber and lettuce, that work just fine in spite of violating Dr. Simeons’ original protocol.
Chocolate Strawberries and Other Great Desserts
Like veggies, fruits are at their tastiest when Mother Nature takes them to ripeness. However, if you by chance want to really liven up some not so ripe strawberries, a chocolate sauce sweetened with Stevia is a great choice. The key is mixing the right proportions of unsweetened cocoa powder and flavored liquid Stevia (Vanilla Creme or Dark Chocolate are the best) into a fruit dip. Freezing and serving chocolate-covered strawberries is a real delight!
Even if your apple happens to be a little tart, you can transform it into an allowable applesauce. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, with flavored liquid Stevia, are the key ingredients. All you have to do is slice the apple, cover and bake it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (with one-fourth cup of water), then puree and add spices. Wonderful!
Stevia to the Rescue
None of the artificial sweeteners are good for your health. And some, such as aspartame, are downright dangerous. Stevia is the best of the lot if you want a sweetener without side effects. Well, you might detect an aftertaste if you use unflavored Stevia powder. The flavored liquids, however, open up all kinds of sweetening adventures without the aftertaste. Imagine adding these new flavors to your fruit desserts: English Toffee, Apricot Nectar, Chocolate Raspberry, Cinnamon, Chocolate, Grape, Lemon, Peppermint, Root Beer, Valencia Orange, Vanilla Crème.
By the way, liquid Stevia makes any beverage sweet and flavorful, too. I like English Toffee in my coffee, so I no longer feel the need to fuel my sugar addiction in my java. Although commercial sodas are the greatest diet evil in human history (am I being too wishy washy on what I think?), you can make a delicious and healthful soda on your own with flavored liquid Stevia. Just add a few drops of any flavor to club soda and there you have it. Nothing better.
Melba Toast
Okay, there is not much you can do with Melba Toast all by itself. Flavored Melba crackers do offer actual flavor, though (e.g., garlic, sesame). However, you can incorporate Melba Toast into meat dishes, such as meatloaf, to maximize your flavor experience from the starchy component of the HCG diet.
The HCG diet is light years better when you can add tasty dishes to the everyday meals. One of my all time favorite recipes is for applesauce. I found it accidentally on YouTube, so I am posting it here in case you haven’t encountered it yet. I like this recipe so much that I use it instead of store-bought applesauce. It is easy, convenient, and delicious!
I hope you enjoy this HCG diet recipe at least much as I do.
The HCG Diet get lots of attention despite it not being a medically approved weight loss strategy. Here is one of the fairer examples of how the media are covering this protocol. It contains some of the basic information without too many idiocies (see if you can find them).
Cosmetics can stall your progress on the [tag-tec]HCG diet[/tag-tec], so here is what to do. [tag-tec]HCG diet lotions[/tag-tec] are great. Keep in mind that oil is the enemy. Water-based lotions, cosmetics, cleansers, and other skincare products are fine.
One of the best kinds of advice that you can get is from someone who has used cosmetics during the HCG weight loss diet. As for me, the only skincare product that I used before doing the protocol was emu oil as an aftershave. During the protocol I simply stopped using it.
Many women, however, feel that just stopping the use of an oil-based product is unacceptable. So here is a great post with some HCG skincare advice, at “The HCG Diet Journey.” It is much better advice than a guy (me) could have provided. Here it is:
Makeup, Lotions & Potions…O My!: There are a lot of rules and restrictions on the hCG diet and for women a few restrictions can ruin a carefully crafted beauty routine that may have taken years to perfect.READ MORE…
Sugar cravings seem to be worse while on the HCG diet. That is because the HCG protocol itself does not correct the problem. It only makes things worse because sugar is taboo. The key is to treat the underlying yeast overgrowth that leads to sugar cravings. The easiest natural strategy for controlling yeast overgrowth is supplementation with probiotics.
Going crazy for sugar, or any other refined carbohydrate, comes from [tag-tec]yeast overgrowth[/tag-tec], otherwise known as Candida overgrowth. Blooms of Candida yeast occur when your friendly intestinal bacteria are no longer able to keep the Candida under control like they are supposed to.
As gross as it may seem, your health depends on an active population of friendly bacteria in your GI tract. At its optimum, this population includes more than 400 different kinds of bacteria, totaling at least 5 lbs. of bacterial cells.
One of the benefits of a healthy population of intestinal bacteria is controlling the growth of Candida, especially one called Candida albicans. Several things can damage the normal population of friendly bacteria in your GI tract, thereby providing an opportunity for the yeast to bloom.
The best and most natural solution to candida overgrowth is supplementation with dietary bacteria called probiotics. This is one reason why probiotics are a crucial component of the HCG weight loss diet. Indeed, this is also why probiotics are crucial for long-term weight management, too.
Causes of Yeast Overgrowth
Sugar and other refined carbohydrates feed Candida. However, yeast blooms first get a foothold when GI tract bacteria are damaged by any and all of the following:
It should come as no surprise that we are surrounded by synthetic chemicals and processed foods that people were not exposed to as little as a century ago. Conservative estimates are that more than 80,000 chemicals have been introduced into our environment since then. We are sensitive to them, in part, because our bacteria are harmed by them. A short list of the kinds of chemicals that are harmful to our normal microflora includes the following:
food additives (colorings, “natural flavors”)
preservatives
chlorinated and fluoridated water
herbicides
hormones
oral contraceptives
pesticides
refined carbohydrates, especially sugar
steroids
artificial sweeteners
antacids and antibiotics (more on these below)
air pollution
household cleaners
heavy metals
The health of our normal intestinal bacteria is continually challenged by these and newer chemicals that are constantly added to our foods and appear in new buildings, clothing, cars, and just about everywhere that we live and breathe. It would be nearly impossible to avoid them, so our best strategy is to maintain a healthy population of friendly bacteria by daily supplementation with probiotics.
Stress of All Kinds
We are swamped by the agents of stress. In this case stress means anything that causes our body to react defensively. Even our emotions cause stress when we react by overproducing certain hormones that cause inflammation. Dozens of kinds of internal and external factors can cause stress. A short list of common stressors includes the following:
poor diet (“malnutrition stress”)
emotions
exercise
radiation therapy and chemotherapy
anesthesia and surgery
environmental radiation
UV light
poor or insufficient sleep
Prolonged exposure to these and other stressors can damage the normal the balance of friendly bacteria. Fortunately, ongoing research shows that a healthy balance of friendly intestinal bacteria provides a shield against otherwise powerful stressors in our environment. This means that probiotics provide a stress buffer in a world that is complex and often toxic.
Nature provides us with a balanced bacterial population that helps us maintain good health. The need for probiotics, therefore, would not exist if we weren’t constantly destroying our friendly bacteria in the first place. This destruction seems almost unavoidable at times, since so many things cause harm to the microbes that we depend on.
We are drowning in a sea of antibiotics. Once called a miracle of modern medicine, these darlings in the battle against infectious diseases are now at the root of a health crisis.
Antibiotics, meaning “against life,” are chemicals that kill bacteria. Penicillin is the most famous one, since it is the best known of the “miracle drugs” that characterized the beginning of the antibiotic era in the early 1940s. Penicillin and its analogs signaled a new era in therapeutics, which was supposed to spell the end to fatal bacterial diseases. Indeed, over the decades since then, antibiotics have saved millions of lives from what used to be killer infections.
So why would the title of this section allude to a crisis? Simply put, the overuse and widespread misuse of antibiotics has become a case of too much of a good thing. One of the biggest worries in modern medicine is, in fact, the development of pathogens – microbes that cause disease – that are no longer killed by antibiotics.
Antibiotics and the Rise of the Superbugs
Here is a typical story of what has happened over time. Pneumococcal pneumonia is an infection in the lungs caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae. Standard treatment entails antibiotics, such as penicillin, even though resistant strains of S. pneumoniae, which are not killed by antibiotics, are already widespread throughout the world. The shocker, according to Dr. Harold C. Neu of Columbia University, is that a patient in 1940 could receive a treatment of 40,000 units of penicillin per day for 4 days and be cured of pneumoccal pneumonia, whereas nowadays a patient could receive 24 million units per day and still die of pneumococcal meningitis! This is an infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Are antibiotics the solution? Consider this: the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) estimates that S. pneumoniae causes 40,000 deaths and 500,000 cases of pneumonia annually in the United States. It is also responsible for 3,000 cases of meningitis, 50,000 cases of bacteremia (bacteria in the blood), and 7 million cases of otitis media (inner ear infection). Antibiotics are clearly not the solution. By the way, S. pneumoniae is just one example. All of the common disease-causing bacteria have developed antibiotic-resistant strains. Medical researchers have even discovered what they call “superbugs” – bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics.
Judging by what antibiotics are used for these days, the existence of superbugs is only part of the problem of antibiotic overuse. Another problem is the routine use of antibiotics in animal feed. About half of the antibiotics that are made each year end up being fed to animals. This is because modern agriculture has discovered that antibiotics not only keep cattle from getting infectious diseases, they also promote growth. So now we have meat, milk, cheese, poultry, eggs and other animal products that come with a bonus: antibiotics.
What does a steady diet of antibiotics do to our health? The biggest problem is that this frequent exposure to such drugs causes our intestinal bacteria to be continually out of balance. This means that our little internal army is unable to fight for us the way it is supposed to. Lots of things can go wrong, one of which is candida overgrowth.
Although the biggest enemy of our friendly bacteria is antibiotics, modern medicine also provides several other destructive forces against our our microscopic friends. The most rampant of these is undoubtedly the use of antacids.
One of the most common health problems today is an upset stomach. Stomach upset doesn’t get a lot of notice in the media because it is not a killer, however one of the biggest sources of profits for drug companies is antacids and other treatments for digestive disorders. It is so lucrative that drug companies succeeded in getting dangerous prescription drugs out on the open shelf, so now anyone can buy them without the advice of their doctor.
Even though antacids provide temporary relief, in the long run they aggravate the original problem terribly. They upset the pH balance of the stomach by reducing the acidity that we need for digesting food, which is harmful to our good bacteria and therefore leads to further digestive problems. Such conditions even provide the opportunity for a takeover by the “bad bugs” that are constantly lurking in our stomach. One in particular, named Helicobacter pylori, causes ulcers.
The two best treatments to get yourself back on track after abusing your digestive system with antacids are simple and inexpensive: 1) drink plenty of water; and, 2) take probiotics to replenish the friendly bacteria that you have destroyed.
Focus on candida (yeasts) in regard to probiotics has become important, because this is the microbe that takes over when our bacterial defense becomes depleted. And when candida is in control in someone’s digestive system, illnesses appear that weren’t there before, and any health problems that were already there get worse. A candida bloom can make life miserable.
Just like bacteria, yeasts can be friendly or harmful. The well-known yeasts that we use for baking bread, fermenting beer, and making many other food products are obviously beneficial. However, the yeasts that live in our bodies are a different kind of microbe. They lurk around in our digestive system, waiting for an opportunity to take over, often with devastating affects on our health. Fortunately for us, a vigorous population of friendly bacteria can keep this takeover from happening.
Local Yeast Infections
In the “good old days” yeast infections were considered to be an occasional problem for women, causing vaginal itching and irritation. In addition, yeast infections were found to cause considerable pain in the breasts of lactating women. Young children also suffered from yeast overgrowth, which shows up as white patches on the tongue in a condition called thrush. Men came into the picture when yeast was named as the culprit for an itchy rash appearing in the inner thigh areas.
Yeast infections like these are termed “local” because they are isolated in one area of the body. They are well-known and easily treated with probiotics and dietary changes. Probiotics can restore the microbial balance that is important for controlling yeast overgrowth. Many studies have repeatedly shown this to be true. One example of such a study was conducted at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in 1992. In this study, women who previously suffered frequent vaginal yeast infections ate probiotic-containing yogurt every day for 6 months. At the end of the 6-month period, the yogurt group showed a three-fold average decrease in infections in comparison with a non-yogurt group. Moreover, the study was supposed to go for another 6-month period, with each group of women switching roles. However, the probiotic treatment was so good that more than a third of the women in the yogurt group refused to quit eating yogurt when it came their turn to be in the non-yogurt group.
Whole-Body Infections
Local yeast infections seem to be a relatively minor nuisance in a health landscape that is plagued with the abundance of diseases that we are faced with these days. What is a little itchiness here and there in comparison with cancer or cardiovascular disease? These and other serious diseases have now been linked to whole-body infections of candida – that is, yeast that has escaped the GI tract and gone beyond local infections to be spread throughout the body.
We lose the internal battle to keep candida under control when antibiotics or other toxins deplete our normal microflora. This offers an opportunity for candida to bloom because, as a fungus, it is not directly affected by antibiotics. A chronic candida bloom will eventually damage the intestinal lining, which then loses its effectiveness as a defensive barrier against toxins and infectious microbes. The medical term for this condition is “leaky gut syndrome” – which just means that harmful chemicals and microbes can get through our gut wall and into our bloodstream where they do harm. Candida is quick to spread when this happens, leading to a condition called candidiasis, which can then lead to a multitude of symptoms.
From these seemingly minor beginnings, candidiasis has now become recognized to be so prevalent that millions of people suffer from a dizzying array of symptoms that are associated with it. Some of the symptoms that are linked to candidiasis include:
weight gain
depression
anxiety
irritability
fatigue
heartburn
bloating
constipation
mental fog
allergies
migraines
acne
rheumatoid arthritis
lupus
multiple sclerosis
type 1 diabetes
cancer
cardiovascular disease
Although this seems to be a long list of health problems, it is still incomplete. Indeed, many doctors are finally recognizing that many of the chronic health problems that defy diagnosis and treatment are associated with candidiasis. The pioneer for this change in medical thinking was William Crook, MD, who wrote “The Yeast Connection,” which is still the definitive book on this topic. Dr. Crook was also one of the first physicians to advocate the use of probiotics for treating candidiasis.
HCG Diet and Probiotics
More than 100 clinical conditions can improve by supplementation with probiotics. Candida is at the root of many of these disorders. It seems like a no-brainer to take these supplements daily.
Any slow down or stoppage in weight loss, whether on the HCG diet or some other program, is certainly made worse by yeast overgrowth. Sometimes controlling this microbe is the only missing link to healthy weight management.
By the way, as you might expect, some probiotic supplements are better than others. Indeed, most brands are too weak to really be of much benefit, including the newly popular yogurt products with lactobacillus (one of the strains of probiotic bacteria). My advice is to look for the following criteria when choosing a product that will help you the most: 1) how many strains of bacteria? (several — at least 5); and, 2) how many cells per dose? (at least 5 billion). Do not settle for less.
Summary Points
Since this article is pretty extensive, you may want to refer to the key points below:
Weight management (and good health in general) depends on friendly bacteria
Damage to friendly bacteria leads to yeast overgrowth
Yeast overgrowth leads to sugar cravings and weight gain
Supplementing with probiotics is the easiest natural strategy for combating yeast overgrowth and sugar cravings
The best probiotic supplements should offer a sufficient number of bacterial strains and a sufficient dose to be of optimal benefit.
The [tag-tec]HCG Weight Loss Diet[/tag-tec] entails a ‘[tag-tec]Phase 3[/tag-tec]‘ after you stop taking the hormone. It is every bit as important as the initial weight loss for long term metabolic stability. Although Dr. Simeons’ book explained this phase, his book was not especially thorough on this topic. The following article fills in the gaps very nicely.
Phase 3 of the HCG Diet The HCG diet is a weight loss program that combines a strict low-calorie diet and the use of the hormone HCG. The diet is supervised by a medical doctor and boasts weight loss in the difficult areas of the body such as the hips, stomach and thighs. The third phase of the HCG diet is the maintenance portion of the diet, when dieters are happy to add back in some of the foods that were restricted in phases 1 and 2. Read More.
Dr. Simeons commented that low thyroid does not cause of obesity. In fact, he recommended that thyroid meds NOT be taken while doing the protocol. Furthermore, a low Basal Metabolic Rate (i.e., indicated by lower body temperature first thing in the morning) gets reversed on the HCG diet. Research generally supports these points now.
Unfortunately, too many people are misdiagnosed with hypothyroidism and, as a consequence, inappropriately prescribed thyroid medication. The problem of underperforming thyroid is almost always due to iodine deficiency. The best information on this topic is the book by Dr. David Brownstein, ”
Here is a link to Amazon for this book. You can find more information about it there.
Dr. Brownsteins’s book explains how Americans have become iodine deficient and what to do about it. The key regarding the HCG weight loss diet is that iodine restores thyroid health whereas iodine drugs do not.
You will also find that thyroid meds slow down weight loss on the HCG diet. It is all tied in with the hypothalamus and the hormone receptors there for HCG and thyroid hormone. Nobody has a really good explanation for this.
One more thing that I can say, from my perspective as a biochemist, is that the best that thyroid meds can do is provide iodine. The hormones themselves, as well as the synthetic versions of them, contain iodine. The chemical structure of thyroxine, for example, shows four iodine atoms (each place where there is an “I” in this picture).
It makes sense that iodine deficiency shows up as low thyroid hormone. The body won’t make enough hormone if there isn’t enough iodine in the first place.
The bottom line for most people is simply going to be supplementing with iodine. By the way, the RDA of iodine (150 micrograms) is about one-tenth what it should be. And most people don’t even take in the RDA. Food does not offer it, unless it is seafood. And then it is only ionic iodine. Dr. Brownstein explains the importance of getting different forms of iodine and how to optimize the dosages for maximum thyroid health.
SIDENOTE: In reading about Dr. Brownstein’s research, I was also flabbergasted to see the role of iodine deficiency in breast cancer and prostate cancer. Actually, I am still flabbergasted about this!
Dr. Simeons was right on target about the role of the thyroid, or rather the lack of it, in obesity. Nevertheless, it is critical to get this gland functioning correctly for getting the best results for fat loss on the HCG diet.
The few side effects of the [tag-tec]HCG diet[/tag-tec] include [tag-tec]constipation[/tag-tec]. Many strategies are available for relieving this problem, although the type and amount of prescribed foods are limited, adding fiber is possible if it is non-caloric. Psyllium fiber would fit the bill. You may also benefit from laxatives or supplemental magnesium.
The Brian Connole at hcgdiet411.info offers the simplest advice of all:
The key to eating right in the first place is the same key to eating right after you finish an HCG diet series. I center my food choices around healthy protein and fat, with very little carb. This is what the research on obesity shows to be the best way to stop the process of storing fat. I’ll have to review that topic at another time, because so many people are deathly afraid of fat. Are you one of them?
Of course, let me say once again that the low-fat craze is the worst diet plague ever inflicted on humankind. The whole concept of low-fat anything is such dogma that doctors, nutritionists, and many others who ought to know better continue to repeat it mindlessly. It is just plain ridiculous.
Best Way to Start the Day
Here is my favorite breakfast. Yes, you are seeing straight. That is a real nice rib-eye steak, accompanied by four eggs (fried in butter!). There is absolutely nothing wrong with this meal, and everything right with it. It has no effect on my cholesterol level, the amount of fat that I store in my body, or anything else that is supposed to be harmful. And it is delicious! (Lots of garlic on it, too.)
The [TAG-TEC]HCG weight loss diet[/TAG-TEC] would be completely unnecessary, and the [TAG-TEC]obesity epidemic[/TAG-TEC] would not exist, if more people ate more food like my favorite breakfast. Hey, I know the science behind these claims. The research goes back almost 200 years, and the truth of what I am saying here is crystal clear.
I hope this shakes you up enough to dig into the research yourself. You are going to be shocked when you get to the bottom of modern dietary mythologies and see how you’ve been misinformed for so long.
Eat steak! Eat all the eggs you want! Drown your food in real butter! It is all good.
Whew! Thanks for enjoying my semi-rant. There is a lot more where that came from. What fun!
Finding [TAG-TEC]where to buy HCG[/TAG-TEC] can seem pretty daunting. This is partly due to the fact that you can spend a lot of time clicking on websites that offer it, only to find that the product is homeopathic HCG.
Why I Do Not Recommend Homeopathic HCG
There is nothing wrong in principle with homeopathic medicine. One of my professional colleagues is the premier homeopathic researcher in the U.S. However, [TAG-GEC]homeopathic HCG[/TAG-TEC] violates the theory of this modality. And I have found no scientific research behind it. Lots of testimonials are positive, so I have no basis for rejecting them outright. I just see it as too much of an unknown.
Standard Sources of HCG
I have put together a brief page about how to [TAG-TEC]buy HCG online[/TAG-TEC] and from other sources, which I can change when new information comes available. The reason that I stay ready for change is that, in my opinion, the [TAG-TEC]HCG weight loss diet[/TAG-TEC] is so good that the U.S. FDA will eventually take enough notice of it to shut it down. (HCG is an approved substance, just not for weight loss.)
The HCG diet is turning out to be THE weight loss strategy for the 21st century, even though is first appeared in the mid-1950s. Nevertheless, because of its popularity, lots of great pointers are appearing about what to eat and how to make the food during this protocol as good as it can be.
Here is one of the better sources of this kind of information that I have found so far.
You may already know that most diet advice is bad, because so many diets themselves are bad to start with. However, the [TAG-TEC] HCG diet[/TAG-TEC] is a good one, and it has been a good one for more than 50 years. Nevertheless, lots of bad advice about this protocol is in circulation.
The internet abounds in bad advice. Doctors have bad advice. Nutritionists and fitness trainers have bad advice. Friends, relatives, colleagues, marketers (especially marketers!) – are all sources of bad advice. They can also be sources of good advice
Your challenge is to sort out which is which and do the right thing.
Getting Good Advice on the HCG Diet
This may take a little effort on your part: Start by reading “Pounds and Inches,” the 1954 book on the [TAG-TEC]HCG weight loss diet[/TAG-TEC] by its creator, Dr. A.T.W. Simeons. Then compare all other advice with what you learn there. You will find no mention in this book of cleansing, detoxing, homeopathic HCG, recommended supplements, or many other modifications of the protocol.
Is any of this new stuff any good? Some is, and some isn’t. Cleansing and detoxing are fine, just not required. Homeopathic HCG has no scientific support and may not even work (it contains no HCG at all). Supplements may be helpful if you choose the right ones. (Skip acai berry and hoodia … these are ridiculous.)
Just one more pointer: You must get the right dose of HCG on a daily basis. This can be either in the form of injections, which is the original form, or in the form of sublingual drops. Either one works, as long as you get the right amount of HCG daily.
Where to Get the Original Simeons Book for Free
The Simeons book is free on many websites. This is all you need for getting started. I have a pretty clean copy that you can get when you fill out the report request form in the righthand column of this page. It is just a little bonus thank you from me.
Dr. Simeons’ HCG+Diet Protocol takes the struggle out of weight loss for reducing fat and reshaping the body. It has been the most successful weight/fat management program for more than 50 years.
[TAG-TEC]HCG weight loss diet[/TAG-TEC] comes with additional benefits:
1. Fat Reduction
The [TAG-TEC]HCG diet[/TAG-TEC] specifically uses calories from fat as opposed to muscle. The outward evidence is body reshaping and skin tightening.
2. Healthy Cholesterol Levels
If your cholesterol is high or already starting to get stuck in arterial plaque, then plaque will break up and cholesterol will return to a normal and healthy range.
3. Maintain Normal Hormone Levels
Whether your hormone output is too high or too little, this method of dieting will help normalize the output.
4. Legal
While HCG is not FDA approved for weight loss, it is entirely legal for a doctor to prescribe it.
5. Painless
The newly available oral form is convenient and painless. Furthermore, if injected, HCG requires a small needle that is relatively painless.
6. Rapid Healthy Weight Loss
Weight lost during the diet is generally fast and steady, averaging between 0.5 to 1.5 pounds per day..
7. No Muscle Loss
Energy is taken from the fat and not the muscle. This is easily measured by a reduction in body fat percentage during the protocol.
8. Minimal Side Effects
The [TAG-TEC]HCG diet side effects[/TAG-TEC] can include an increase in the production of natural sexual hormones in both males and females. Some people have experienced back aches but rarely do any side effects show up.
9. Curb Your Appetite
Not only will the HCG diet help normalize your appetite toward healthful foods, it will also help to maintain this appetite long after you are off the diet.
10.) Aids The Glands
HCG directs your thyroid gland to return to normal and helps to rebuild your adrenal glands.
Just thought this list might be helpful as a nice summary of key benefits from Dr. Simeons’ 1954 book.
The most important dietary components of the [TAG-TEC]HCG weight loss diet[/TAG-TEC] are to stay low in fat and carbohydrates. [TAG-TEC]HCG diet foods[/TAG-TEC] depend on a low-fat source of protein, a low limit of Melba toast (or Italian breadsticks), and defined types and amounts of fruit. Technically, one of the vegetables – tomato – is also a fruit, so it is limited, too.
What About Vegetables?
I acknowledge Dr. Simeons for his genius and powers of observation in creating this protocol. However, I do not understand certain aspects of the restrictions, especially with respect to the vegetables. So, during my first experience doing the [TAG-TEC]hcg protocol[/TAG-TEC], I experimented to see what could get away with.
The result is that I created a salad that added quite a bit of flavor and volume to my meals without slowing down my weight loss. Specifically, I combined my single tomato with as much leafy greens as I could eat. Lettuce of all kinds and spinach were my favorites. I also added some sliced purple onion to really boost the flavor.
This combination of vegetables is a clear violation of the recommendation to have only one type of vegetable per meal. Nevertheless, I found this recommendation to be unnecessary. Furthermore, my wife, Eve, discovered that she could include as much cucumber as she could eat with her salad, too.
Will This Work For You?
Based ourselves as the first two data points, we have advised dozens of others to explore the super salad as part of their protocol. Everyone who has done so has experienced the same result, meaning that weight loss continued as expected in spite of this dietary violation.
My advice is always to watch your daily weight to make sure that you are on track. If so, then whatever you are doing is working. If you can also get your body fat composition measured every week or so, you can keep track of fat loss, too. This is, after all, the target of the HCG weight loss diet in the first place.
I think that the reason that adding a super salad to the diet is okay is that it does not include additional fat or carbohydrate. Onions and cucumbers, of course, contain sugars. However, the availability of calories from these ‘vegetables’ is apparently low enough to have no noticeable impact on the results of the protocol.
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Here is my favorite breakfast. Yes, you are seeing straight. That is a real nice rib-eye steak, accompanied by four eggs (fried in butter!). There is absolutely nothing wrong with this meal, and everything right with it. It has no effect on my cholesterol level, the amount of fat that I store in my body, or anything else that is supposed to be harmful. And it is delicious! (Lots of garlic on it, too.)
The most important dietary components of the [TAG-TEC]HCG weight loss diet[/TAG-TEC] are to stay low in fat and carbohydrates. [TAG-TEC]HCG diet foods[/TAG-TEC] depend on a low-fat source of protein, a low limit of Melba toast (or Italian breadsticks), and defined types and amounts of fruit. Technically, one of the vegetables – tomato – is also a fruit, so it is limited, too.
