Saturday, January 12, 2008
What's In Your Hoodia Diet Pills?
Yes, it's true that the majority of the hoodia diet pills sold today are fake, but that's not what this article is about. Consumers have always had to be careful about buying hoodia supplements to avoid being scammed, but now there may be another issue they need to think about the potency of the supplements they're buying.
Up until recently, supplements that contained authentic hoodia gordonii contained the wild grown variety. Today, however, most authentic hoodia supplements contain cultivated hoodia gordonii. The obvious question is what's the difference between the two? They're the same exact plant but one grows in the wild and the other one is commercially farmed like any other crop. The biggest difference between the two, however, may be the potency.
According to one of the largest raw hoodia importers in the world, wild grown hoodia has higher levels of the active ingredient, P57, the ingredient responsible for hoodia's appetite suppressant benefits. The reason wild hoodia supposedly has more P57 is because it has been left to grow longer than cultivated hoodia. The hoodia gordonii plant must be left to grow for at least 5-6 years before it reaches maximum potency. The wild grown hoodia that has been used the past few years in supplements was at least five years old before it was harvested.
The cultivated hoodia that is now predominantly used in supplements is being harvested too soon, according to this hoodia importer. They claim it is being harvested after only two or three years about three years before it reaches maximum potency. What you get in the end is a supplement that isn't as effective as it should be.
Not all agree with this assessment, however. There are other hoodia insiders that claim the wild hoodia gordonii stock hasn't been exhausted. Yet, other insiders I've spoken to say wild hoodia is indeed completely gone right now and the only hoodia available is the cultivated variety. Furthermore, these same insiders claim that the cultivated hoodia is equally as potent as wild hoodia gordonii so consumers don't need to worry.
Who do you believe? Unfortunately, there isn't standard testing done with hoodia diet pills to test for potency. There are tests that are done all the time by independent labs to determine if a given supplement contains authentic hoodia gordonii, but they don't test the levels of P57. I doubt that such testing is even feasible. After all, how much would it cost to have every bottle tested for the specific levels of P57?
Regardless of who you believe in this debate there is one thing for certain if the wild hoodia gordonii isn't already depleted, it probably will be soon. If the majority of the supplements today don't contain cultivated hoodia they probably will in the near future. That leads us back to the potency question. Are the hoodia supplements made today as effective as they used to be?
It appears we won't have a conclusive answer anytime soon. I guess the only thing a consumer can do is monitor their own response to the hoodia diet pills they're taking. If the pills don't work as well as they used to at the same dosage, then more hoodia gordonii may need to be taken as today's hoodia supplements may indeed be less potent than those in the past.
Not sure who to believe in this debate and would rather stick with wild-grown hoodia diet pills to be sure you're getting maximum potency? Find out which brands contain authentic wild hoodia by reading the hoodia reviews at http://hoodiaandweightloss.com
Evening Yoga Relaxation DvdCareer Planning After Retirement: Ideas for Self Employment
Why career planning after retirement? There are many reasons to keep working. You may need the extra retirement income. You may miss the social interaction of the workplace. Maybe you're bored and realise that hobbies aren't enough to fill your days. Or maybe your other half is threatening to brain you if you don't get out of their hair and find something to do!
Whatever the reason, more and more people are resuming some form of employment after official retirement.
Career planning after retirement can present the opportunity to do something completely different. If you were an accountant, now you can be a freelance writer. If you were a nurse, now you can train to be a yoga instructor. When it comes to making money after retirement, the only limits are your aptitude and determination.
Decide on the basics first.
Do you want to work full time or part time? Do you want to work at home or go out to an office? Are you interested in sales or a service business? Do you like dealing with people or would you rather work on your own?
If your own business has been your goal for a while, you may already have some ideas for self employment in mind. Do your research. Go to your local library and check out books on entrepreneurship and setting up your own business. Go online and investigate other people who are engaged in similar enterprises.
If you know you want to work for yourself, but can't narrow it down to a particular business, then again, go to the library. Roam the aisles with a pen and paper and jot down any and all ideas for self employment. Brainstorm when reading the paper and watching television. You can get ideas anywhere. Surf the internet and get inspiration from across the globe.
Take your time and do your homework! You don't want to set up your own small business and then discover you hate it.
Maybe at first glance your dream job seems like it would be too time consuming (or too costly to set up). The whole idea of making money after retirement, of career planning after retirement, is to give you more freedom, not to tie you down to a desk and burden you with debt.
In that case, why not take it virtual? If running a real riding stable would be too much, why not set up a website about riding stables and horses? If bass fishing is your thing, but the idea of a shop or tour operation seems like too much work, why not have a website that sells fishing equipment or promotes other people's guided fishing tours?
If you think that sounds unworkable, try doing a search online for any term that interests you. I'll bet you'll find people making money with websites on the same theme. Whatever you decide to do, remember that you have experience and maturity on your side. This is your chance to do something for you.
Alison Braidwood is a writer living in northern ontario. For more on career planning after retirement self employment tips and how to become a Mature Entrepreneur, please visit http://Silverpreneurs.com
Yoga Mat Carrier Pilates BagWhy Long Distance Calling Cards Will Save You Money
For years I have been a frequent calling card user for my long distance calls. What I like the most about them is that they save me money, I don't have to switch carrier and I get a high quality connection for my calls. To me these are reasons good as any that you too should switch to calling cards for all your long distance phone calls.
With today's technology, it's extremely easy to find the best rates for calls all over the world and these long distance and domestic calling cards come with low rates and high quality connection. Many people have found that the competition in the calling card markets is so fierce that it pays to use the card even exclusively for any long distance calls, including from their own homes. And as compared to the standard cards that are usually available from your telephone company, or come with your long distance service, prepaid calling cards are in most cases cheaper.
The number one benefit that I enjoy about calling cards is that they can be used with ease either from a public telephone or from a personal phone to access long-distance and other phone services. When you use phone cards you can also save a huge amount of money on your long distance bill every month as compared to using your regular carrier.
Other benefits you can enjoy when using calling cards are:
Saving money on all your long distance calls starting today.
The cheap online phone cards providers have the lowest long distance rates of calls.
Calling cards allow you to pay for your long distance calls in advance.
Immediate activation of your account, without the problems of switching long distance phone companies.
Some companies offer you free long distance minutes in the form of a bonus with each purchase and every recharge.
No need switching to new long distance or wireless providers.
When looking for the card that will give you the largest savings and most minutes you will find many dedicated companies online that can fulfill your needs and give you a crisp and clear connection at the same time. Youll be surprised to learn that so many of these companies can offer you phone cards with high quality in the connection than long distance providers can offer. Calling cards is also the perfect solution for those who don't want to change their carrier.
The author of this article is an expert in low cost phone calls. Please visit his site for more information on how you too can benefit from international pre-paid phone cards to Moldova
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