I had some questions come in about Ephedra. So I have put together this short article to get you some info. Just to fill some of you in , Ephedra was taken off the market last year , but it is now back on the market and ready for consumers. This product seems to be the most wanted weight loss product. They cant keep this stuff on the shelves since it was given the OK to be sold again. Make sure you read some of the common sense rules below before using Ephedra.
Ephedra (also known as Ma huang, Chinese Ephedra and epitonin) is the worlds oldest medicine. The Chinese discovered ephedra more than 5000 years ago. Research has shown that ephedra increases metabolism and helps promote weight loss, relaxes the air passages in the lungs to help treat asthma and cough, promotes perspiration to help a person recover from a minor cold and helps promote urination to help relieve edema. Ephedra has been widely researched for its thermogenic (fat burning) properties. Research has show that ephedra helps promote the loss of fat while helping spare lean muscle tissue, a highly sought-after property that prescription diet medications still have not been able to reproduce.
Safety Tips

As ephedra is a stimulant and a thermogenic, it should NOT be used by people / in situations where these properties might be harmful. There are some common sense rules about using ephedra:
Do not use ephedra if you have any medical problems as the use of a stimulant might overtax your system. Do not use ephedra if your activity / environment will prevent you from dissipating heat. Your body core temperature might exceed safe levels. And do not take more than the manufacturer’s recommended amount.
What this means is: If you have a heart condition, do not take ephedra. And if you plan to wear clothes to raise your body temperature, do not take ephedra. And do not think that playing baseball on a hot muggy day will counteract these two common sense conditions and make it okay to take ephedra.

Tag: weight loss challenge

When I do it, I use http://www.sparkpeople.com/ to track my food intake. I am vegetarian (verging on vegan) and very “anti-Atkins” in my approach to food. Loads of fruit and veg and whole foods. Only problem is with portion sizes! (and chocolate if I let it!) The Spark thingy is quite a good tool. Only problem was that with my style of eating I was always over with the carbs and under with the protein and fat. So it was really only of use for tracking calories. Then I read it properly(!) and realised I could tweak the ratios to that more akin to “The China Study” by T. Colin Campbell recommendations. Now I’ve got a more accurate plan to work towards, helps me see if I am eating the way I feel is right for me. I’m ever so pleased.