Category Archives: Diet And Food

HCG Diet weight loss with HCG MAX Diet Plan is now offered through Hands On Health Wellness Center located in Nampa, Idaho. The HCG Diet weight loss program is the newest addition to the Center’s comprehensive offering of services, including Chinese Medicine, Amma Body Work, Colon Hydrotherapy, Zyto Virtual Clinic and Skin Care. Facilitated by the Center’s Certified HCG Weight Loss Coach, Alisha Smith, the HCG Diet Weight Loss Program incorporates detoxification, diet and nutritional supplementation.

Nampa, Idaho (PRWEB) February 24, 2012

HCG Diet weight loss with HCG MAX Diet Plan is now offered through Hands On Health Wellness Center located in Nampa, Idaho. The HCG Diet weight loss program is the newest addition to the Center’s comprehensive offering of services, including Chinese Medicine, Amma Body Work, Colon Hydrotherapy, Zyto Virtual Clinic and Skin Care. Facilitated by the Center’s Certified HCG Weight Loss Coach, Alisha Smith, the HCG Diet Weight Loss Program incorporates detoxification, diet and nutritional supplementation.

The HCG Diet originated in the 1950’s when a British endocrinologist, Dr. ATW Simeons, began researching the use of hCG and its effect on the hypothalamus gland to help people lose abnormal fat. After years of research with hCG, Dr. Simeons successfully created the HCG Diet Plan to help people lose extraordinary amounts of abnormal fat in a relatively short period of time. While Dr. Simeons’ research used injectable hCG, today hCG can be found as either a prescription or a homeopathic and is administered through injections, hCG drops, pills, lozenges, sprays and/or topically through hCG creams.

The HCG Max Diet Plan offered through the Center is a comprehensive 4-Phase HCG Diet protocol inclusive of detoxification, diet, lifestyle changes and an entire line of clinically-formulated HCG Diet support products for before, during and after the HCG Diet. The Center’s short-term and long-term weight loss results through the use of the clinically-developed HCG Max Diet Plan are proving to be a phenomenal success.

“I want to thank you Alisha for convincing me to try the HCG diet. You've made my New Year start very different since I am not making the same old resolution of losing weight but rather having the confidence of already being there. I know I am in control and that I won't ever put the excess weight back on, not to mention that I love getting dressed again and feeling great!” Jonette Flores.

Alisha Smith is Hands On Health Wellness Center’s Certified HCG Weight Loss Coach. She received her certification after undergoing extensive HCG Diet training with the HCG Diet Expert®, Beth Golden, PhD, ND that focused not only on the HCG Diet Plan and how to handle tough cases, but also on education about natural health and nutrition, as well.

As an HCG Max Diet Plan Practitioner, Alisha has also chosen to participate in the HCGDietPlan.com Professional Internet Partnership Program (PIPP). Participation in the PIPP Program provides HCG Dieters with a membership to the website, as well as many other features and benefits such as a state-of-the-art Virtual Clinic, a comprehensive natural health Education Center and a Facebook-like HCG Diet Members-only wellness Forum, all of which are not found with other HCG Diet products and/or programs. Dieters also have 24/7 access to HCG Diet support, education, on-line shopping and the HCG Diet Forum, as well as access to scheduled live on-line HCG Diet coaching, all designed with the goal of increased long term weight loss success and better overall health.

In the HCG Diet Forum, Dieters can create a profile, upload photos, post updates to Facebook and connect with Alisha, as well as other dieters, to help chronicle and support their weight loss journey. Combined with the Education Center, HCG Dieters can get answers to and find information on the most common HCG Diet questions and concerns, as well as participate in live on-line chats and watch live broadcasts on topics including the HCG Diet and more.

Access to the HCGDietPlan.com Education Center and Forum is subscription based for members only. Dieters doing the HCG Max Diet Plan through Alisha at Hands On Health Wellness Center receive a free 12-month subscription with their HCG Diet Plan Program.

For more information about the HCG Diet, the HCG Max Diet Plan’s 4-Phase System and how Hands On Health can help facilitate successful long-term weight loss, Alisha will be conducting free Healthy Weight Loss and Detoxification Workshops at 7:15pm on February 28th, March 27th and April 24th, 2012. Hands On Health Wellness Center is located at 311 11th Ave S in Nampa, Idaho. To sign up for a Workshop or to get started with the HCG Max Diet Plan weight loss program, call (208) 466-0901.

About Alisha Smith, dipl ABT NCCAOM, NTP

Alisha Smith is a diplomate in Asian Body Work with the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, as well as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. In addition to HCG Diet training and the HCG Weight Loss Coach Certification, Alisha has also received training in the areas of Amma Bodywork, Chinese medicine, massage therapy, essential oils and reflexology. She is also a certified Doula childbirth coach.

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Alisha Smith
Hands On Health Wellness Center
208-466-0901
Email Information

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HCG Diet Weight Loss with HCG MAX® Diet Plan Now Offered Through Hands On Health Wellness Center in Idaho

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- From various diets and exercise routines to complicated medical procedures such as Botox and liposuction - people go to great lengths to look better, younger and sexier. Alex Guberman, the owner of the new upscale hair salon Exclussif in San Jose, California, has a different, much simpler and more affordable idea: new hairstyle! It's a much easier and faster solution to transfer yourself into a new, sexier and younger you.

"I don't think people realize how much their hair and makeup can affect their look," says Guberman. "You can make your nose appear smaller, your eyes look larger, your skin more glowing, your cheeks perkier and your smile shinier simply by changing the style, cut and color of your hair."

Guberman opened his new salon last year by partnering up with award-winning stylist Michael Yocum, a former Joico platform artist and a recipient of multiple hair color, styling and cutting awards over the last three decades. Yocum enjoys his work and it shows. "When a customer leaves my chair," says Yocum, "I give them more than just a hair style - I give them confidence, youth and character."

In only a few months of its grand opening, Salon Exclussif is already one of the top-rated salons on Yelp with a growing number of five-star reviews. Salon customers rave about the salon stylists' abilities to perform top-quality work on different types of hair, transforming their customers' images and looks. Services range from deep conditioning, blow dry and style items, all the way to keratin treatments, color and highlights, facial waxing, makeup, and many other services. All new clients receive a free consultation where they work with salon stylists on designing their new look and a plan on its proper maintenance.

Salon Exclussif is an exclusive Joico salon that not only carries a full Joico retail line but uses the Joico products on all of the clients.

Salon Exclussif, a member of Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, is also giving back. Five percent of all service revenues are automatically donated to a charity of each customer's choice. The choices of charities for Salon Exclussif customers include Silicon Valley Humane Society, Red Cross - Bay Area Chapter, as well as American Cancer Society and Our City Forest. Salon Exclussif is also a place where customers can donate their hair to Locks of Love - a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

Visit http://www.exclussif.com for more information, featured video and Yelp reviews, or call 408-377-0100. Salon is located at 2039 Woodard Rd., in the Cambrian area of San Jose, CA.

Contact:

Alex Guberman
Salon Exclussif
408-377-0100

This press release was issued through eReleases(R).  For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

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The New 'Old' Idea on Looking Young and Sexy

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Al-Fashir, Darfur, Feb 22 : A 55-person patrol of the United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur returned to its home base on Tuesday after the team had been blockaded for nearly two days by armed rebels in the northwest of the troubled Sudanese region.

The mission (UNAMID) said ?a show of force and round-the-clock negotiations? resolved the incident after members of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) blocked the patrol and later held two UNAMID language assistants and a police adviser.

?Our officers and their troops demonstrated true resolve, courage and compassion,? said Ibrahim Gambari, the head of UNAMID and the Joint Special Representative of the UN and AU in Darfur, which has been beset by fighting and large-scale displacement since 2003.

?Our troops held their ground; they called in reinforcements and they refused to leave the area without all personnel back on the patrol, including the Yemeni police adviser and two Sudanese language assistants. This afternoon everyone has returned, without injury and without any conditionality.?

The incident began on Sunday when the contingent ? comprising 50 Senegalese troops, three police advisers and two language assistants ? was blocked by more than 100 JEM members in the village of Shegeg Tova as it was carrying out a long-range patrol from its team site in Umm Baru.

The UNAMID troops then refused to leave until the two language assistants and the police adviser were released.

The stand-off ended after ?substantial peacekeeping reinforcements? were sent by the mission, which also made repeated contact with the leadership of JEM.

?Our peacekeepers criss-cross Darfur every day to help bring security to civilians who continue to suffer the effects of conflict,? Gambari said.

?We have a mandate to execute in all parts of Darfur. At the same time we are supporting an ongoing and inclusive peace process, including implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. This deplorable action taken by JEM contradicts the spirit of this peace process, which most people in Darfur are welcoming.? (IBNS)

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Darfur patrol returns home safely after rebel blockade

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A new weight-loss pill could be coming to the menu.

A key federal panel Wednesday recommended the Food and Drug Administration approve the first new weight-loss drug in more than a decade.

At the conclusion of a day-long hearing, the FDA's Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 20-2 to endorse a request from Vivus to approve the drug Qnexa. The same panel gave a thumbs-down to Qnexa in 2010.

Qnexa is a combination of two generic drugs that are already on the market:

phentermine, a stimulant used for short periods to help control weight, and topiramate, typically used for migraines and seizures.

The FDA doesn't have to follow the advice of the panel, but the agency usually does.

The FDA rejected Qnexa in 2010 because of concerns about side effects, especially possible heart problems and birth defects such as cleft lips and cleft palates. The rejection came amid a series of rejections and withdrawals of weight-loss drugs, which put a spotlight on the FDA's handling of obesity medications.

Despite the obesity epidemic, the FDA hasn't approved a new weight-loss drug since 1999. In 2011, the the diet drug Meridia was pulled from the market at the request of the FDA because of concerns about heart problems. Only one weight-loss drug, Xenical, remains on the market for long-term use, but it is only marginally effective and causes diarrhea and other unpleasant side effects.

Some advocates have urged the FDA to consider allowing some drugs to be on the market even if they have risks, given the serious health problems caused by obesity.

During Wednesday's hearing, Vivus gave a series of presentations designed to show show that the benefits of the drug outweigh the risks. The risk of birth defects, one concern, was relatively low. And obesity itself can increase the danger that women will give birth to babies with birth defects, according to one presentation.

In addition, Qnexa appears to have other health benefits beyond weight loss, such as lowering blood pressure, that could outweigh any risks posed by an increase in the heart rate seen in some patients, according to another presentation.

Vivus also outlined a plan to reduce the risk that pregnant women might take Qnexa, including regular pregnancy testing of women taking the drug.

For its part, the FDA presented concerns it had highlighted in new analyses posted on its website Friday, especially the increased risks for birth defects and the elevated heart rate. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also presented data on the birth defect risk from topiramate.

During the public comment part of the hearing, several obesity experts urged the panel to recommend approval, saying diet and exercise simply do not work for many people.

Kelly Close, who described herself as an advocate for people with obesity and diabetes, urged the panel to endorse the drug. She noted few drugs were in the pipeline for obesity. "The panel and the FDA has a chance to today to do something historic for obesity," Close said.

Joe Nadglowski of the Obesity Action Coalition, agreed. He noted that only one member of the committee had any experience with treating obesity.

"There is a significant treatment gap from Weight Watchers to bariatric surgery," Nadglowski. "There is a consequence of remaining obese."

Several health advocates, however, appealed to the panel to recommend against the drug, saying the risks outweighed the benefits.

"Qnexa doesn't give women what they need," said Kate Ryan of the National Women's Health Network, noting that many people regain whatever weight they lose while taking Qnexa once they stop taking the drug.

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Diet Drug Qnexa Gets Thumbs-Up From FDA Panel

Food and Drug Administration advisers voted against the pleas of consumer advocates on Wednesday to recommend approval of what would be the first new diet drug to hit the US market in 13 years. Called Qnexa, the pill is a combination of two older drugs – one itself a diet pill called phentermine, and an anti-seizure drug that appears to help suppress appetite as part of the combination.

Such a new drug is desperately needed, with two-thirds of Americans overweight or obese. Current weight-loss products are limited and have only modest effects. But the field has been littered with failures, as many drugs have often deadly side effects – such as the heart valve damage caused by the once popular combination of phentermine and fenfluramine—Fen-Phen for short.

Two other companies have diet drugs up for approval too, and the FDA advisers recommended extra studies on the heart effects of all the drugs.

“Of all the obesity drugs, this one has the highest efficacy in terms of weight loss, so that shifts the balance in terms of requiring a post-approval study rather than a pre- approval study,” Sanjay Kaul, a cardiologist at UCLA, said at the FDA panel meeting.

Public Citizen objected.

“Public health cannot tolerate yet another drug approval for a diet drug not accurately assessed for cardiovascular risks, especially in light of suggestive findings of such risks with Qnexa,” said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group. “The danger of another approved diet drug hitting something vital – the cardiovascular system – is no longer acceptable when it could be prevented by a large clinical trial powered to evaluate such risk prior to approval.”

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FDA Advisers Recommend New Diet Drug

The diet drug Qnexa has cleared a major hurdle toward eventual Food and Drug Administration approval. An independent panel of medical experts who advise the agency voted Wednesday that Qnexa's significant weight-loss benefit outweighed its potential risks.

The hearing was held in Silver Spring, Md. The surprisingly positive 20-2 vote in favor of approval moves the decision on Qnexa into the hands of the FDA, which will issue a final ruling later this year.

The agency typically follows the recommendations of an advisory committee but is not bound by it. If approved, as is now expected, Qnexa would be the first prescription diet drug to reach the market since 1999. The drug, made by Vivus Inc.of Mountain View, Calif., is a combination of the anticonvulsant topiramate and the appetite suppressant phentermine.

Studies show the medications produced an average of about 10% loss of body weight in the first two years of use. "The benefits of that degree of weight loss have been clear and unambiguous," said Dr. Stephen Smith, scientific director at the Translational Research Institute in Orlando, Fla., who was not involved in the vote. "We fully understand the topiramate risk, and the phentermine risk we have a pretty good handle on as well." The committee's vote, he said, "recognizes that doing nothing in obesity has it consequences."

More than 35% of American adults are obese and another third are overweight. Only one prescription diet drug is available in the United States. However, both topirimate and phentermine have side effects. Last year, the FDA reclassified topiramate as a class D drug, meaning it carries risks to a fetus but may still be acceptable for use in pregnant women despite the risks.

Clinical trials on Qnexa also showed an increased risk of birth defects -- typically cleft lip -- in women who became pregnant on the drug. The study also found that users have an increase in heart rate. These side effects led to a thumbs-down vote when Qnexa came before the FDA advisory committee in 2010. The FDA subsequently denied approval in October 2010, citing potential safety problems.

But officials for Vivus Inc. have proposed a tightly controlled system for prescribing Qnexa to prevent birth defects, including healthcare provider training, monthly pregnancy testing, a patient medication guide and limits on which pharmacies can dispense the medication, such as registered mail-order pharmacies.

"We will know who the prescribers are. We will know who has been trained," said Dr. Barbara Troupin, senior director of global medical affairs for Vivus. "We are confident the Qnexa [risk management program] balances the safeguards while allowing access for appropriate patients." Moreover, the panel strongly encouraged that Vivus conduct a post-marketing study to better understand the potential cardiovascular side effects of Qnexa.

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Diet drug Qnexa should be approved, panel says

DAYTONA, Fla., Feb. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As Daytona prepares for the upcoming Daytona 500, select Walmart stores will offer authentic NASCAR merchandise and host exclusive fan events starting Tuesday, Feb. 21. Customers are invited to attend these special events and enjoy racing show cars and simulators, along with special appearances by Jeff Burton and Miss Coors Light, as well as race car simulators– perfect to safely get behind the wheel and feel the power of NASCAR.

"Walmart is the champion of the racing fan, and we are committed to providing customers with savings on authentic merchandise, as well as unique race time experiences," said Corbin Norman, Walmart market manager. "We want to give fans affordability and accessibility, so they can enjoy race time with their families and friends."

Race Time at Walmart
In addition to the fan events happening in Walmart parking lots, area Walmart stores will feature savings on authentic NASCAR merchandise such as T-shirts and racing flags, with an even bigger selection of exclusive products available at Walmart.com/NASCAR.

Local radio stations 95.7 WHOG, 101one WJRR, and 106.7 XL WXXL will be at the stores broadcasting remotely.

Participating stores in Daytona include:

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012

Displays free and open to the public include the Bush's Ultimate Tailgate Truck, 5-hour Energy Show Car, Walmart 50th Anniversary Show Car, Keystone Light Show Truck, Coors Light Show Car & Pole Award, Wheaties Show Car, Oreo Ritz Show Car, and Cheez-It Simulator at:

Store #3207
1601 Rinehart Road
Sanford, Fla. 32771
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Displays free and open to the public include the Hellman's Show Car, Degree Show Car, Pepsi MAX Show Car, Diet Mountain Dew Show Car, Shell-Pennzoil Show Car, Hefty's Show Car Simulator, Budweiser Show Car, M&M's Show Car, Sim Pod & Trophy Display, and Miller Lite Show Car at:

Store #860
1699 N. Woodland Blvd.
Deland, Fla. 32720
11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012

Displays free and open to the public include the Bush's Ultimate Tailgate Truck, 5-hour Energy Show Car, Shell-Pennzoil Show Car, Wheaties Show Car, Budweiser Show Car, Oreo Ritz Show Car, and Cheez-It Simulator and Miller Lite Show Car at:

Store #1182
174 Cypress Point Parkway
Palm Coast, Fla. 32164
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Displays free and open to the public include Walmart's 50th Anniversary Show Car, Coca-Cola 2-Seat Simulator, Pepsi MAX Show Car, Diet Mountain Dew Show Car, Hefty's Show Car Simulator, Hellman's Show Car, Degree Show Car, M&M's Show Car, Sim Pod & Trophy Display, and Keystone Light Show Truck, Coors Light Show Car & Pole Award at:

Store #613
1521 W. Granada Blvd.
Ormond Beach, Fla. 32174
11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012

Displays free and open to the public include the Wheaties Show Car, 5-hour Energy Show Car, Miller Lite Show Car, Walmart 50th Anniversary Show Car, Cheez-It Simulator, Hellman's Show Car, Degree Show Car and Oreo Ritz Show Car at:

Store #3862
1905 N. Nova Rd.
Daytona Beach, Fla. 32117
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Miss Coors Light Appearance from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Displays free and open to the public include the Shell-Pennzoil Show Car, Keystone Light Show Truck, Coors Light Show Car & Pole Award, Coca-Cola 2-Seat Simulator, M&M's Show Car, Sim Pod & Trophy Display, Bush's Ultimate Tailgate Truck, Pepsi MAX Show Car, Diet Mountain Dew Show Car, Budweiser Show Car, and Hefty's Show Car Simulator at:

Store #1079
3155 State Road 44
New Smyrna Beach, Fla. 32168
11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 24, 2012

Displays free and open to the public include the 5-hour Energy Show Car, Bush's Ultimate Tailgate Truck, Walmart 50th Anniversary Show Car, Keystone Light Show Truck, Pepsi MAX Show Car, Diet Mountain Dew Show Car, Oreo Ritz Show Car and Hefty's Show Car Simulator at:

Store #582
1590 Dunlawton Ave.
Port Orange, Fla. 32127
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Miss Coors Light Appearance from 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Coca-Cola's Sprint Cup Driver Jeff Burton Appearance from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Displays free and open to the public include the Wheaties Show Car, Coca-Cola 2-Seat Simulator, Hellman's Show Car, Quaker State Show Car, Shell-Pennzoil Show Car, Budweiser Show Car, M&M's Show Car, Sim Pod & Trophy Display, Miller Lite Show Car, Coors Light Show Car & Pole Award and Cheez-It Simulator at:

Store #1391
1101 Beville Rd.
Daytona Beach, Fla. 32119
11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012

Displays free and open to the public include the Hellman's Show Car, Walmart 50th Anniversary Show Car, Pepsi MAX Show Car, Diet Mountain Dew Show Car, Bush's Ultimate Tailgate Truck, Oreo Ritz Show Car, MARS M&M's Show Car, Sim Pod & Trophy Display, Hefty's Show Car Simulator and Miller Lite Show Car & Keystone Light Show Truck at:

Store #1391
1101 Beville Rd.
Daytona Beach, Fla. 32119
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Miss Coors Light Appearance from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Events free and open to the public include the 5-hour Energy Show Car, Wheaties Show Car, Coors Light Show Car & Pole Award, Quaker State Show Car, Shell-Pennzoil Show Car, Coca-Cola 2-Seat Simulator, Budweiser Show Car and Cheez-It Simulator at:

Store #582
1590 Dunlawton Ave
Port Orange, Fla. 32127
11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

For additional details and a complete listing of participating Walmart stores, visit Walmart.com/NASCAR.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT - News) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at over 10,000 retail units under 69 different banners in 28 countries. With fiscal year 2011 sales of $419 billion, Walmart employs 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://walmartstores.com, and on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

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Daytona Walmart Stores To Host NASCAR Driver Appearances, Racing Simulators, Fun for Fans Starting Feb. 21

22-02-2012 00:05 The Quickest Way to Lose Weight at http:www.quickestwaytoloseweightsafe.com - Lose weight quickly with diets that work fast and still allow you to eat delicious foods! Claim You Free eBook, Body Fat Analysis Calculator, and 'Fast Fat Tips' eNewsletter subscription at http:www.quickestwaytoloseweightsafe.com. http://www.youtube.com

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The Quickest Way to Lose Weight with Diets that Work Fast - Video

COMMENTARY | Scientists say they know why the obesity rate is so high: Everything we know about dieting, including calorie counting and metabolism rates, is wrong, AFP reports. This would explain why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stats show we're getting fatter faster. Generally, I think this study is overlooking some key issues.

It says people quit dieting because they don't know about the plateau effect and they should cut fewer calories over a longer period. Most dieters know that crash dieting might take the fat off faster, but it really doesn't teach new healthy new habits. I've tried the fad diets for quick weight loss (Acai, Hoodia, lemon detox). I lost a few pounds with those tricks, but it's only with better nutrition that I've managed make any real strides.

To lose weight, my nurse practitioner had me identify a goal weight (I chose 125 pounds). According to her algorithm, people who weigh that amount consume 1,400 calories a day. If I want to weigh 125 pounds, I need to take in calories needed to sustain that weight. I've been following this plan, and I've lost 40 pounds in about six months. The more exercise I build in, the better it works.

Yes, people fall off the wagon when they plateau, but it's more than that. Most dieters quit because they don't see appreciable results and get discouraged. If I only cut out 100 calories a day, as suggested in the study, I would only lose about 10 pounds per year. I can't speak for everyone, but I would have given up long before at those rates.

The study also ignores age-related weight issues. The goal weight plan from my nurse practitioner does, too. Up till age 38 or so, I weighed 125 pounds. I was on-the-go constantly. I never did formal exercise and I could eat anything I wanted and not gain weight. After 38, I had some health setbacks, was less active and put on weight very easily. Much of that could be exercise-related, but aging accounts for some of the problem. Weight loss research needs to address those issues.

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Scientists Are Wrong in Saying Calorie-Counting Diets Don't Work

Celebs have done it.  Non-celebs have done it too. No meat, no sweets, no booze, no caffeine: Cleansing or detox diets.

A liquid diet, it's made up of maple syrup, lemon juice, a bit of cayenne pepper and water -- which is essentially all you drink for ten days.

“The purpose of the detoxification is to get out the toxins and other substances that make people tired, old irritable, unhappy and not function well and zap their energy,” said Peter Glickman in a Florida interview.

He writes about the Master Cleanse in his book, "Lose Weight, Have More Energy, and Be Happier in Ten Days."

“I lost 23 pounds and had just unbelievable energy,” Glickman said. 

But not everyone agrees there is a lot of benefit.

 “When we look to find the toxins in the blood or colon, we can't find them, they're not really there, so it's a little tough. You're trying to remove something that's not there,” said Doctor Ken Fujioka, the Medical Director of the Scripps Center for Weight Management.

He said our kidneys and liver do the job of removing toxins. As for weight loss, he said it's mostly water weight loss.  Not a lot of benefit, he said, but with the simple cleanses, there’s not a lot of harm either.

“If somebody is healthy, they're doing it for three days or less and they're getting adequate fluid and in particular adequate calories, they're probably going to be okay,” said Fujioka.

But he does warn against hard core cleanses that he said can be dangerous.

“There are caffeine enemas or coffee enemas, different things that are stimulants to the bowel, so they’re trying to move things along,” Fujioka said.

“More than that, with all the clients I’ve had, what I've found is that mentally something kicks into gear. They figure something out,” said John Lenz, a fitness professional and health adviser who said his cleanse diet is about jumpstarting a lifestyle change, not about losing weight. 

He said people become aware of their emotions around food, their eating habits.

The diets are made up of a vegetable juice, one you drink for breakfast, one for lunch. Dinner is protein -- maybe a piece of fish and steamed vegetables, so you are not starving your body, risking the loss of muscle.

Doing something hard can lead to change, he said.

“Bottom line is it's a lifestyle thing, you have to learn how to eat right,” Lenz said. “If it means to go through a cleanse to jump start that, then do it, it might help you.”
 

Tell us what you think. Comment below, fan us on Facebook, mention us on Twitter @nbcsandiego, or download our improved iPhone app.

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Detox Cleanse: Safe or Dangerous?