a blog for women… I'm just sayin'

According to National Center for Biotechnology Information, Phentermine is used, in combination with diet and exercise, to aide in weight loss. It is prescribed by a physician and works by decreasing your appetite. This is an amphetamine and can become habit forming.

It is particularly important to note and discuss with your doctor the complications that could arise when taking this medication in combination with the following:

fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), guanethidine, insulin, MAO inhibitors [phenelzine (Nardil), tranylcypromine (Parnate)] , paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), and vitamins.

One would think this unnecessary, a doctor would not already know what medications their patient was taking right? Wrong. I had one too many experiences with my parents where their doctor did not have a complete list of the current prescribed meds, no kidding. Bring a list just to be safe.

Now, Phentermine should not be confused with Phentirmene. Evidently, the latter is an over the counter weight loss aide asserting “no side effects” and “no dependency”. Supposedly, phenylethylamine (PEA) is the active ingredient found in Phentirmene. And get this, PEA is tagged as an amphetamine-like substance, has a euphoric effect, and it can be found in chocolate too!  Oh man, are the slandering my beloved snack, chocolate?? Sounded way too fishy so I hit Google to find something reputable and redeem my chocolate!

According to Elaine Magee, MPH, RD who writes the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic Expert Column, “In the early 1980s, researchers thought they had solved the mystery of our love affair with chocolate. They detected the chemical phenyl ethylamine (PEA) in chocolate. PEA is a central nervous system stimulant, usually present in the human brain, which is thought to help arouse emotions. But, the human body actually absorbs very little PEA from chocolate — not enough to affect our emotions, anyway. So, it seems the sexiest thing about chocolate is its taste and melt-in-your-mouth texture — which, in my estimation, is not too shabby!“

Diet and exercise are the only weight loss combination I feel good about, I’m just sayin’.  In any case, when embarking on a weight loss program it is always best to seek professional medical advice in advance.

Are you buying into these phentermine or phentirmene diet miracles ?

While answering a question on myLot this afternoon I got to thinking about dieting and the struggles overweight people suffer. This particular myLot user wanted to know the proper response to a skinny person that complains they are fat. Of course, this woman had been quite overweight some years ago, a size 20 to be exact. After the skinny woman had finished her rant about being fat, this myLot user replied, “Honey, You’re talking to a fat girl and I have no sympathy for you!” This woman, who generally poses a quite pleasant, likable disposition, has been hard-bitten by her weight journey. In her opinion, the skinny woman gaining 25 lbs over four years had no reason to complain.

Being a huge “search for it online” person, I did just that. “OK Google, what you got for diets that work?”  A Google search for the phrase “diets that work” returns about 9,710,000 results in 0.35 seconds. With that bitter, out of character myLot response still on my mind, I took the liberty to investigate a few of these search results. The number one site returned was a diet review site with great SEO. (In case you do not already know, SEO is search engine optimization, truth does not apply) No real medical facts or medical references in that first site returned. In fact, nothing there but opinion; 10 diet plans with reviews and recommendations. The ninth return was dated January 2010, and every result in between was at least two years old, so I went with number 9 – The Daily Beast made a resolution for 2010: Let’s figure out, as definitively as possible, which diets really work.

I read the article completely. It presented lots of quotes and medical facts to support the findings, offering a certain level of legitimacy. I had to read it a second time to figure out their claim for number 1 diet overall, as I missed the link, twice! Below is a screen shot of the diet list.

Now I am thinking about this differently and wondering do overweight people really believe the sites that place higher in the search validate diets that work? Is it responsible for a bogus “diets that work” website to be the number one result on a Google search because of SEO and the framework of the site? Does this not cause further distress and disappointment for overweight people? After all, they are searching for help, strength, and/or support only to find SEO rich bullsh*t results. I believe people have to take responsibility for their actions however maybe Google owes them a disclosure in the same way paid bloggers are required to disclose…. I’m just sayin’

For the record, my hubby lost over fifty pounds in the last ten months. How did he do it – portion control, no late night snacking, reducing fats and carbs, and exercise. He’s happier and healthier, and I am thankful he didn’t search Google first!

Being quite fond of cooking (and eating) you can imagine how excited I was when I learned of Thinkfood, a Food Blogger cookbook project collaborated with Posit Science.

The Thinkfood cookbook features 50 delicious, original, brain-healthy recipes, each created by a different food blogger.  In addition, what is even more exciting is anyone can sign up for the Recipe of the Week program. With this, you receive and preview a tasty new recipe from the cookbook, delivered to your inbox every week…. Imagine getting fifty brain healthy recipes free!  Included is information about the foodie blogger who created the recipe, exclusive cooking tips, and the science behind the brain healthy foods and nutrients in the recipe.

photo - Carrots 'N' Cake: carrotsncake.com

The first week ThinkFood shared with me this awesome Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie by Tina Haupert and this week the recipe is a main course dish, Garlic Salmon over Spinach by Kristen, author of Dine & Dish.

The ThinkFood area of Posit Science has a whole host of information is offered regarding brain healthy foods in addition to the weekly recipe. Below is as excerpt from the ThinkFood glossary:

“Sage – Sage has long been thought to have medicinal properties, and current science has borne that out. Administration of sage or sage extracts has been shown to improve memory, attention, and mood in healthy young adults, and may improve outcomes in Alzheimer’s disease. Reference: 23

23. An extract of Salvia (sage) with anticholinesterase properties improves memory and attention in healthy older volunteers. http://bit.ly/ThinkFoodSage1

The pharmacological effects of Salvia species on the central nervous system. http://bit.ly/ThinkFoodSage2

Effects of Salvia officinalis L. (sage) leaves on memory retention and its interaction with the cholinergic system in rats. http://bit.ly/ThinkFoodSage3

Medicinal plants and Alzheimer’s disease: Integrating ethnobotanical and contemporary scientific evidence. http://bit.ly/ThinkFoodSage4

Salvia lavandulaefolia (Spanish sage) enhances memory in healthy young volunteers. http://bit.ly/ThinkFoodSage5

Positive modulation of mood and cognitive performance following administration of acute doses of Salvia lavandulaefolia essential oil to healthy young volunteers. http://bit.ly/ThinkFoodSage6 ”

I thought it interesting to learn that Sage may improve the memory. This is a helpful tip for those approaching middle age. Being a bit beyond that, I have noticed that my memory is not what it used to be. Perhaps I should load up on the Sage?

Did you know that today is National Eat Your Veggies day? According to Practically Edible dot com, the holiday came about on the front lawn of the White House. National Eat Your vegetables day falls in the middle of National Fruit and Vegetable Month, officially named by Hillary Clinton on June 23, 1994. The goal of this holiday is to eat a vegetable with every meal as well as consuming vegetables as a snack during the day.

My youngest son is a vegetable lover and has been since his toddler years. One very humorous veggie incident I will never forget came about when he was about two years old. After making the morning coffee, I proceeded to prepare the daily lunches. Upon opening, the vegetable draw I found one of the big beautiful green peppers had a toddler sized mouth impression missing from the side. The vision of that tiny mouth print made me laugh aloud. Of course, I addressed the issue. The quite innocent and comical response from my then two year old was, “Mommy I only wanted was one bite!?” I am blessed to have children that truly enjoy vegetables.

In honor of Eat Your Vegetables Day, I have some fun and interesting Veggie Links for you, check ‘em out!

Eat your Vegetables Word Search

Yummy Spring Salads

Grilled Eggplant Marinara Parmesan

Fruits and Vegetables Matter

Breakfast Migas

courtesy ProFform

Elliptical training offers a low impact work out whose users are known to burn nearly twice the calories when compared to using a conventional treadmill. Sounds like a might bold statement, I know. This occurrence is known as the “Rate of Perceived Exertion.”  It is a trick on the body of sorts. An elliptical work out burns the same amount of calories in a good deal less time as compared to a treadmill, a seemingly “easier” task to the body. This allows users to work out longer, burning more calories!

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