Hydroxycut: Does it Really Work

Hydroxycut is one of the top selling weight loss supplements on the market today. The company sells nearly one million units annually, worldwide by means of commercial retail, consumer stores, and online shopping. The product claims to increase the metabolism in people as well as reduce hunger cravings with the simple ingestion of one pill a day. As a way to lend validity to the product, it was endorsed by doctors and the commercial even features the medical doctor, Jon Marshall, who graduated from Midwestern University’s Medical School. What many consumers don’t understand is that the product still warrants a closer study of the ingredients and their effects.

According to Saundra Young of CNN Health online, FDA reports many consumers experiencing liver failure, seizures, and even cardiovascular problems. The FDA urges consumers to discontinue use of the product to prevent any unnecessary risks. Many consumers have reported the product to cause nausea, vomiting, fatigue, stomach pain, itching, and brown urine. Any product that brings this many bad side effects with it, clearly indicates that it isn’t healthy and should definitely be taken off the market. CNN wasn’t the only source to dispute the use of Hydroxycut.

An online Lawyer source also indicated many consumers of the pills having serious side effects that were consistent with CNN’s results. These consumers also reported that there were indications about what preceded more serious effects such as, loss of appetite, loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, and tremors. Hydroxycut went so far as to recall upwards of fifteen products so due to deficiencies in the consumer reports. Bottom line is that the product is dangerous and needs serious consideration before being taken. People have had effective results while supplementing a low calorie diet with the product, but there are other alternatives to the product. People just need to put more effort forth when they work out and avoid dangerous products such as Hydroxycut.

Stretching Speech

My demonstration speech was all based on the importance and technique of stretching, which seems simple but in reality gave a better understanding of how important it is. The introduction to my speech was decent, seeing that I gave people the general outline of what I was about to demonstrate in a clear way. Although the speech didn't have a chronological order, there was a process in my head which I executed just as I had planned. With so many stretches out there I felt it was key to pick several that people knew about, so that I could clear up any misunderstandings about those stretches. The actual informational content was self explanatory, because in stretching I told what the purpose of stretching actually is. I also had a supplemental sheet with many more stretches on it to give the audience more stretching exercises on their own. The use of gestures also allowed for a smoother flowing speech. when people were able to get involved and do the actual stretches it took pressure off of me and allowed me to focus on supplying the audience with more interesting facts. As for the actual conclusion of my speech, there wasn't the most formal closing, but people knew that I was finished due to body language. I also closed with a few words hoping to keep people thinking about the speech and its affects after i was finished. I feel that it is important to leave a lasting message in the audience's head. Through demonstrating a common activity, but in the right way, I feel people will think of the speech anytime they stretch and that is what matters most.

Preparing a Meal

The meal I prepared was fettucini alfredo, made in the kitchen of my dorm, for my roommate and myself. First off we had to get the ingredients from the store, which was quite a far bike ride. We had everything we needed planned out already, making the shopping an easy endeavor. We used fettucini noodles and a Classico’s four cheese alfredo sauce. In all, the bike ride to the store and back was definitely the biggest hurdle to overcome.

Upon returning to A tower in Witte, we went to the kitchen and began prepping for our “fancy” meal. We needed a large pot to boil water in and then just several dishes to serve the food in. Once we brought the water to a boil, we put the noodles into the scalding hot cauldron of water and waited approximately five to ten minutes; definitely the most boring part of the entire process. Once the noodles were to the al dente feeling, we strained them from the water and placed them in a large bowl for serving. All that was left was to heat up the alfredo sauce, pour it over the noodles, and enjoy. The meal was excellent and the clean-up was also a snap. This meal was definitely not normal for my roommate and I. We are used to the faster meals such as a sub sandwich or a plate of processed chicken soaked in teriyaki, served over rice. There are definite downfalls to these faster foods that not many people know about as well.

A large problem with the american people today in regards to diets is definitely the convenience factor. For almost everyone, it is more convenient to eat at fast food restaurants and the american people need to curb this habit if anybody wants to change the increasing trend of obesity. Although making a meal may take more time and effort, the benefits of food without so many preservatives are a way to a better life.

Beef Jerky: Real vs Fake

Beef Jerky

Beef Jerky has been one of the worlds most resilient foods for thousands of years, due to its ability to stay in nearly every climate. The idea behind preserving meat by drying it out and using salt to keep it fresh is a primitive idea but still exists in todays world. The difference now days is that people can hardly find a fresh and organic form of beef jerky. Although abundant and found in the aisles of thousands of stores, the product people buy, whether it is Jack Links, Oberto, or Slim Jims, is not the healthiest item people should be eating. In fact, many beef jerky companies use molds and press the beef into the desired shape. I have been lucky enough to actually taste the real food and can definitely say that it is much healthier for the average person.

Ever since I was a child beef jerky has been a cornerstone of my hunting experiences. My dad was the master chef around the house, so he took pride in making the little treats that us kids liked. Real beef jerky tastes a hundred times better than the processed meat, and is much better ingredient wise as well. Although the two foods look similar, the taste in impossible to mix up. In natural beef jerky, the flavor is a little more dull, but the meat quality makes up for the taste. In processed beef jerky the meat is more tender, and the tastes are more intense, but that is only due to all of the chemicals that the companies pump into them.

Fortunately the two styles of beef jerky are similar in nutrients and provide an excellent source of protein. The real difference in why people buy the processed version is clearly the convenience of the food. I know for myself that making beef jerky is quite the undertaking and when i can buy it in the store on any whim, i’d much rather do that. The real beef jerky is a favorite pastime of mine that hopefully I will return to someday, because the flavor of processed jerky doesn’t stand a chance in mind to that of the real jerky.

1st Blog Post: Pollan's Introductory Ideas

Michael Pollan makes a bold move in battling the rules of nutrition throughout the first four chapters. Although he provides plenty of references in his arguments, I enjoy the fact that he still pokes fun at little history blips in the food industry. He sends a message that is clear and concise, yet still leaves some thought up in the air for the reader to decide. He certainly tries to involve the reader as much as possible and thus far has succeeded, by relating his very own experiences to the changes in the food industry. The book challenges societal norms and that adds excitement to every page in the book.

No matter how you cut it, artificial foods will never have the same benefits as healthy whole food, even if the food scientists pump them full of the greatest vitamins around. If an artificially manufactured food seems flawless it is only due to an oversight, which someone in the future will discover is actually worse than whole product. The idea of pumping foods with nutrients and vitamins just doesn’t bring the same benefits to the table which a whole food does.

According to the New York Times, all the customers of these wonderfully enriched foods won't even notice the blast of vitamins in the food. The article also fails to explain the negative affects this type of industry could have on all other whole foods. The elimination of whole foods would certainly leave generations to come lacking any sort of whole food experience.

As in Tietel and Wilsons Article about engineering food with vitamins, the food will cost more, look worse, as well as tasting worse. This branch would certainly be a fad in the Food industry, just as Pollan mentions. It is concerning when so much change occurs in the development of nutrition, leaving people to wonder if there is any substance behind the food they have been eating for the past century. Engineering food to enhance the nutritional value can never account for all of the risks involved and still produce a food that people will live and love. That is the pair of shoes only whole foods can fill.