When you are ready to get rid of excess pounds, a healthy diet is the first important step. The second one - just as important - is the inclusion of some form of healthy physical exercise. In a nutshell, these two steps will enable you to lose weight to your heart's content. Yet they are also some of the most difficult things to undertake, and in the American society that is known for its willingness to pop a pill for the quick fix rather than stay the course for the long haul the notion has taken place that an alternative to simply exercising and dieting may be found that will permit obese Americans to shed pounds.
Some of these alternatives are quite expensive and in some cases require more time and effort than a simple change in diet and incorporation of exercise as a daily habit. This is usually the sale of patches,diet pills, tinctures and even the prescription of amphetamine like substances which reduce the appetite and elevate the metabolism in the hopes of burning fat. Certainly, when the medications are discontinued, the weight will creep back up simply because there never was a change in the lifestyle of the dieter.
Some of the more deceiving dieting aids are those natural supplements that promise virtual overnight weight loss. Take colon cleanses, for example, which are used in alternative health circles to rid the colon of accumulated fecal matter that the intestines were too weak to push out - usually because there is not enough fiber in the diet. These colon cleanses may be quite productive, in cases when you have abused your gastrointestinal tract for years and are ready to start anew. By getting rid of hardened fecal matter and also parasites from your digestive tract, your intestines will once again be able to properly absorb nutrients and thus keep you healthy.
Yet in recent years the use of colon cleansing has shown that they are instead seen as a quick fix to lose two to five pounds. When done regularly, they will lead to the colon's dependence on the laxatives and thus will actually create the fecal buildup they originally sought to cure. Similarly, instead of helping your weight loss succeed, in some cases colon cleanses will give you the false sense of security by persuading you to keep on eating the way you want since at the end of the day you will be able to purge your system. This is erroneous and in some cases even dangerous! Some colon cleansing products have shown to adversely affect the electrolyte balance in the body by flushing out potassium alongside the fecal matter. If such a procedure is done often enough, it will lead to uncontrollable muscle spasms and may even adversely affect the brain and heart.
As much as an easier way of losing weight is appealing to think of, do not include colon cleansers into your weight loss program. You should otherwise, use them rarely and determinedly to ensure proper colon health. Once a year or maybe even once every other year for only one to three days at a time is a sufficient and safe use of a colon cleanser; anything else may quickly cross the line into abuse. |