Why We Eat

In our culture, food is a constant. We eat when we see it. We eat when we  need to feel good. Eating satisfies a longing for oral gratification. In other words, we eat for benefits other than nutrition. I’d venture to say that 99% of people who need to lose weight are eating because it tastes good and in turn that makes them feel good. No wonder we have such a fat society.

 How Can We Stop Eating?

So if we eat every time we see something that tastes good, how can we lose weight? You aren’t going to like what I have to say here. This is going to hurt… You have to make up you mind to stop eating! Ouch, that’s a bummer isn’t it.

If you are really serious about losing you must make up you mind that you will stick to a low calorie diet, not eat snacks and sweets and become active. No more being a couch potato. If you aren’t g to do this then you really are not serious about losing weight.

Hoodia Can Help

One good bit of new is that Hoodia can help make it easy. Naturally, once you start cutting back on food, you will become hungry. That’s when taking a Hoodia diet pill can keep you from going crazy. Take it when the first hunger pains hit and keep a bit of Hoodia in your system all day. (Hoodia gum or extract is a great help in doing that.)

Then the rest is up to you. If you seriously want to lose, you can. Let Hoodia help you become the slim, happy person you want to be.

order from lindahayes@skybeam.com

Most of you know I have had a website where I have been selling all the different kinds of Hoodia products. (Lose Easy Diet Products ) As of today, I have shut the online store down but will continue selling the same products by email. I also still take credit cards and paypal.

Keeping costs down so you can buy for less.

The site was just too expensive to maintain and I was not able to offer the discounts I wanted. I will be continuing this blog and sharing information on Hoodia products here. If you wish to place an order for Hoodia you can email me at lindahayes@skybeam.com. You will get the same fast, personal service that I have always offered.

What’s Up Next?

Stay tuned as I am putting together a selection of great Hoodia Gordonii products that I will be selling  with free shipping.

In the meanwhile, look over some of my previous posts to help you decide which kind of Hoodia you want. Remember, it does work!

Linda “Lose Easy” Hayes

Thin is in and I’m here to help make it happen.

Most of our body is water, it is the main component of our cells. Without it we will quickly die.

Water Facts

• Mild dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism by 3%.

• A 2% drop in the amount of water in your body can cause short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing.

• The main cause of daytime fatigue is lack of water.

• Most headaches can be cured by drinking enough water to be fully hydrated.

• Drinking 8 to10 glasses of water a day will significantly ease joint and back pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

• Five glasses of water per day decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, it can cut the risk of breast cancer by 79% and you are  50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Good News For Dieters

Unfortunately, 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. But there is some good news for dieters.
In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger. That means that just by drinking a glass of water, you won’t feel as hungery. In fact, University of Washington  research has shown that one glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for nearly  100% of the dieters in the study group.

So hear we have another reason for drinking a full glass of water every time you take a Hoodia pill or other Hoodia diet product.

So go get a diet pill, enjoy a full glass of water and drink your way to a healthier you.

Linda “Lose Easy” Hayes

Lip gloss colors

Well, now I’ve heard everything. A friend recently made me aware of a new Hoodia product. Its lip gloss (a type of lipstick.) enhanced with Hoodia. I researched it and found that there are a couple of companies that are making it. It sells in Bloomingdale’s and beauty supply stores for $20 to $28.00.

It was featured on the Today Show where it was touted as a lip plumper plus diet aid. Created by fashion and beauty journalist Karen Robinovitz, with the goal of making wearers feel and look sexy, while at the same time be able to avoid the temptation of food.

Huge Lips Skinny Hips

The company that started it is called Purple Labs. They have quite an avant -garde ad campaign. They are cutting edge and follow the theory that sex sells.  Sure sex sells but it sells a heck of a lot better to men than to women and I don’t know any men who wear lip gloss. But hey, who am I to knock something that I haven’t tried.

Their web site is like a walk through the sleazy part of town. Their videos and images are VERY seductive. They don’t have a lot of sales pitch in them. It’s almost as if the product has been produced with tongue firmly implanted in cheek. Even the product name Huge Lips Skinny Hips is an attention getter.

But they must sell some because a few of the different colors or flavors offered were “out of stock”. The ad copy says it is “the yummiest lip plumper equipped with hoodia. So your lips will look juicy, full and shiny, while your appetite is suppressed to help you avoid giving in to cravings to reach your goal weight”. I’m sure that promise appeals to a lot of trendy young women.

Ingredients

The web site lists the following ingredients:

Meadowfoam: a moisturizer with Vitamin E to keep your lips soft.

Lemon peel oil is included to reverse any stinging sensation.

Vitamin B6, which stimulates blood flow in the lips creating the “pout” look.

Orange peel extract, to boost metabolism.

Hoodia. The amount is not given.

Thin Gloss

Thin Gloss Lips

A similar product is put out by Express Effects. ($28 at www.expresseffects.com)

Called Thingloss It contains 10% Hoodia, kola nut and peppermint essential oil. (The smell of peppermint they say is to inhibit appetite.) Other ingredients include vitamin E, safflower oil and cinnamon. The site claims THINgloss contains aromatherapy and it is also infused with vibrational healing energies to uplift your spirits.  However, their website also has a disclaimer that says: DISCLAIMER: Express Effects does not guarantee results.

My Thoughts

I’m having a hard time taking this as a serious weight loss product but do see how adding Hoodia to a product might make it sell better. After all, we know that Hoodia will slow down your food cravings. Besides, there is a lot to be said for the placebo effect. It certainly would be a reminder that you wanted to cut back on calories.

It’s just a bit hard to believe that a lip gloss would contain enough Hoodia to make a difference. Even at ten percent, I just can’t see how you’d take in enough from licking your lips. True, your lips are thin and you might absorb some through the tissue but I’m just not convinced.

Your Thoughts?

Here is where I’d like input from any of my readers who have used the product. Did it work? Is $25.00 a reasonable price? As a lip gloss did it do the job?  Let me hear from you.

And no, I don’t sell this product at Lose Easy Diet Products but if enough of you like it and use it, I may just change my mind.

One stop shopping for all your Hoodia needs.

It always amazes me when I ask someone how they are doing on their Hoodia diet and they say they quit taking it. Quit! How long did they use it? Most say “A few days”. Well what the heck, A few days just doesn’t get it.

This stuff doesn’t work overnight. You have to take it for several days before your body absorbs enough P57 in it to make a difference.

Give it a Chance

People who quit just aren’t giving Hoodia a fair chance. If you read the directions you will see that you should take it daily for a full month to get the most benefit.  True, some people will lose their food craving much earlier. However,  not everyone has the body chemistry to let it happen so quickly.

The Lucky Ones

Luckily for me, within a few days, I had lost my appetite and stated losing. It was a miracle worker for me. Several of my customers have said it worked within days for them as well. But… for the majority of folks out there, ya gat ta take it for a month!

The p57 Molecule

The p57 molecule is what causes you to lose your cravings. It is only found in the Hoodia Gordonii plant. Studies have shown that it takes a while for the brain to recognize the molecule and interpret what it is telling the hypothalamus. (The message is that your stomach is full so you don’t need to eat.)

Water

The other thing that most of the people who quit Hoodia have told me is that they did not take it with a full glass of water. Again,… ya got ta read the instructions!

Most Hoodia products tell you to take it with 8 ounces of water. There is a reason for this. The water dilutes the stomach acid so that it doesn’t break down the Hoodia before it has a chance to get to the brain and deliver its message. It will work without the water but not nearly as well.

Noticeable Side Effects

Some folks don’t think it’s working because it doesn’t speed up their metabolism or have any obvious side effects. Remember, Hoodia works silently, you only know you have taken it when you realize you are not craving as much food as before.

Try Again

So my advice is this. If you tried Hoodia but didn’t think it worked, give it another try. Take it daily for a month and always with water. I think you will be pleased at the result.

One stop shopping for all your Hoodia needs.

Linda Hayes

Lose Easy Diet Products

The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times.  Four thousand years ago it was used to treat everything from headaches to depression.

It has been historically taken to achieve a wide range of health benefits. These include a strengthened immune system and improved cardiovascular health. It has also become one of the most popular Anti-Oxidants available. Recent research  indicates that green tea lowers total cholesterol levels and  improves the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.

Green Tea Helps Control Cancer

Cancer research at the University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. In 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of a study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent.

Other Medical Benefits

Below is a list of ailments that green tea is reported to have a positive affect on:

• rheumatoid arthritis
• infection
• high cholesterol levels
• cardiovascular disease
• impaired immune function
• cancer

Help for Dieters

It has just been in recent times that the benefits for dieters has been noted. It can help you burn unwanted fat and pounds without any side effects.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999 published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. It showed that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.

Why is Green Tea so Special?

Green tea comes from the same plant as black tea and oolong tea (Camellia sinensis) but it is processed differently. This leaves a compound called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) intact. EGCG is is rich in catechin polyphenols a powerful anti-oxidant

EGCGIt inhibits the growth of cancer cells by killing them without harming healthy tissue. It also lowers LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibits the formation of blood clots. (The leading cause of heart attacks and stroke).

Harmful Effects?

The only negative side effect from green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine. However, coffee contains more caffeine than green tea. (Thirty to sixty Mg. of caffeine in six – eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred Mg. in eight ounces of coffee).

Hoodia with Green Tea

What does this mean to Hoodia dieters? Luckily, several brands of Hoodia come with green tea in the product. These include:

Cactus Diet (100 Mg Green Tea)

Maximum Hoodia with Green Tea (500 Mg Hoodia & 100 Mg green tea)

Hoodia Chaser Extract (400 Mg Hoodia & 50 Mg green tea)

Hoodia Gordonii Plus (50 MG Green Tea)

Hoodi Burn (50 Mg)

Slim Tea (550 Mg Hoodia & 300 mg tea)

If the amount of Hoodia in the product is not listed above, it is because the product doesn’t give the amount in the ingredients list.

The following do not give the amount of Green tea. If you are focused on getting the benefits of Green Tea I would suggest using one of the products that have the amount listed. Usually when an amount is not listed it indicates that there is a minimal amount included.

Pounds Away liquid Supplement

Slim Quick

So as you can see,  if you use Hoodia to lose weight and want to add the additional weight loss properties of Green Tea, there are many products to choose from. Let us know which you used and how they worked. Please respond our comments section

Linda Hayes

Lose Easy Diet Products

You are protected.

Credit card companies have to follow government regulations that keep you the buyer from being taken advantage of. That means that if a company puts a charge on your card and you didn’t authorize it, you can get that charge taken off.

You can also dispute a charge. This comes in handy when you have made a return and the company says they did not receive it and therefore they are not going to credit your account.

If you get something in the mail that was damaged or so poorly made that you don’t want it, you can do the same thing: dispute the charge on your card.

The Charge Back.

Credit card companies are used to this happening. It is called a “Charge Back” and they will take it off your bill. The only way they will put it back on your account is if the seller can give them proof that you owe the money. This is a timely process for the store and in most cases they will not contest what you have claimed.

If the store is not cooperative and the credit card company can see that you have been taken advantage of, they will still take it off your bill and the credit card company eats the difference.

It seems like we all love to hate our credit card companies but this is one time they come to our rescue.

Stolen Cards

Another little known fact about credit cards is that if yours gets stolen and several thousand dollars are charged to your account, you only have to make good on $50.00. But you must contact the card company in a timely fashion and let them know that it has been stolen. For more regulations concerning credit cards contact the Federal Trade Commission.

Debit cards follow different rules.

Another not so pleasant fact is that Debit cards do not follow the same rules as credit cards. Debit cards are just like a credit card on the surface. You just have to have the money in the account before you can charge on the card.

For example, if it gets stolen and the money in your account is used up, it’s your problem. You have to convince the bank that fraud was involved. You will be out the money until the problem is solved. In the meanwhile you could be bouncing checks that have been written on the same or linked accounts. No one is going to step in and cover any of the loses.

Go to  U.S. PIRG for a really good article on other rules and regulations dealing with debit cards.

On lost or stolen credit cards, your loss is limited to $50 per card. With debit or prepaid cards, your liability for an unauthorized withdrawal can vary: Your loss is limited to $50 if you notify the financial institution within two business days after learning of loss or theft of your card or code. (Unfortunately not all banks go along with this as it is a voluntary bank regulation.)

You could lose as much as $500 if you do not tell the card issuer within two business days after learning of loss or theft.

If you do not report an unauthorized transfer that shows up on your statement within 2 months after the statement is mailed to you, you risk unlimited loss.  That means you could lose all the money in your account plus your  overdraft line of credit.

Getting a refund.

Okay, so lets say you buy a Hoodia diet product and the package is ripped open or a store is billing you month after month without authorization. (See my last blog.) You try to get a refund from the company you bought it from and they aren’t cooperating.

Here is what you do.

• Call your credit card company first. They will send you a form to fill out. Everything else you do will need to be in writing.
• In writing, tell them that you were charged X number of dollars and explain why this should not be taken out of your account.
• Give them any additional information you have. (Sales slip or copy of emails.)
• If you returned the product give them the dates & tracking number.
• Explain the steps you took to get the company to return your money.
• Send in copies of all correspondence you had with the store.
• Even if the small print said that you would be billed for something monthly, explain that you did not authorize them to do this.
• Tell them why they had your credit card number to start with. (For a trial offer or what ever.)

Credit card companies are used to having to give refunds because of misleading advertising, damaged goods and faulty products. They will co-operate with you. It may take several months before you hear the result of your request but the good news is that the card company takes the charge off your bill while they investigate.

Susan Lou, business consultant on finance and business.

A word of warning here. Not all cards are the same and rules can differ from state to state. If you want more detailed information on this read the article How Do You Get a Credit Card Refund? By Susan Lou.

The best way to avoid all this hassle is to make sure you only buy from reputable dealers like Lose Easy Diet Products. We will make your Hoodia buying experience a pleasant one. If you haven’t yet purchased from us, give it a try. You will be pleased at our premium customer service.

One stop shopping for all your Hoodia needs.

Linda Hayes

Lose Easy Diet Products

P.S. For more information on credit cards and your rights go to:    MERCHANT CREDIT CARD ABUSES They have a great article on Merchant abuse of credit cards and all the contact information needed to turn them in.

Not long ago, I had a customer contact me. She was having trouble getting her money back form an online store. She, like many people, didn’t t know that there are ways you can keep from being taken advantage of. In this blog and the next, I’ll be telling you what to watch for and what you can do if you get scammed

It may not be illegal but it certainly isn’t right.

She wasn’t really “scammed” and the Hoodia company she dealt with wasn’t doing anything illegal but she had failed to read the small print. Is she alone on this? Heck no, how many of us take the time to wade through all that legalese just to buy something? The site looked to be reputable but looks can be deceiving.

Misleading advertising

She was a victim of misleading advertising. In this case, the company offered free shipping and a free month’s trial of a product. Sounds great right? Well in the small print they tell the buyer that by signing up they are allowing the company to send monthly products and charge X number of dollars plus shipping and handling every month. It also gave details of what must be done to return a product. In this case, a fairly complicated process.

Hiding in the small print.

There is nothing wrong with selling monthly refills on a subscription basis, it’s just that to be on the up and up, the offer should have been made known from the start. It should not have been hidden in the small print.

While researching this blog I found that several companies are guilty of this. It gave me a rather negative feeling about them so I decided to delve deeper. I started investigating these Hoodia sites.

(By the way, this is a universal problem, not just one pertaining to Hoodia sales. I just looked at Hoodia web sites because that is what this blog is about.)

Bogus contact information.

Many of the sites had “Contact Us” information that didn’t work. That means that when I wrote to them, no one answered my emails. When I called their 800 number for customer service, it didn’t work.  In one case, the number had been transferred to another store. They had answered so many calls from unhappy customers that they had located the new number for the unscrupulous store and was giving it out to callers.

I also found that many sites did not have phone numbers for anything except taking orders. The numbers connected with operators in foreign countries. They were taking orders for several online stores and could offer no help with customer service.

Getting a refund.

So, did my customer get her money back? Well, she is working on it. When I did get to speak to the store’s contact person they said they would not refund the money unless they were supplied with a copy of the tracking number for the returned product and a copy of the paperwork they had emailed the customer. (She had already sent all this in but they denied getting it.) That to me is just another way of putting off returning money. If a store does that with hundreds of customers, they have thousands of dollars to work with that really isn’t theirs. It’s like getting a free loan form the customer instead of a real loan from a bank. To  stay legal, these stores will eventually return your money but they find ways to keep it for as long as possible.

What you can do.

So what can you the customer do to be sure the company is on the up and up?

• Read the fine print before purchasing.
• Realize that anything “free” will have a hook, find out what it is.
• Check out the contact information to see if it really works.
• Read the return policy.
• If anything looks too complicated, realize that you may have to jump through hoops to get your money back. Ask yourself if the savings  are worth it.
• If anything looks too expensive, check with similar sites to see if the  prices are in line.
• Realize that really low priced or “cheap” pricing will have a reason and  it may be one you don’t want to deal with. (Poor customer service  for example.) It is true: “You get what you pay for.”

Should you check with the Better Business Bureau?

If you are spending a large amount or more than you can afford to lose, you might want to check the company out with the Better Business Bureau. . If you are in Canada go to http://www.bbb.org/.

You will need to go to the BBB in the home town of the company you are dealing with. (This can sometimes be hard to locate as unscrupulous companies tend to hide any information that helps you find out more about them.) I was shocked at how many sites gave no information what so ever about their physical location.

If they have not been in business for at least a year they will not have a rating. If they know they are getting complaints they will not join the BBB. All this makes it difficult to find out about a company.

Making returns.

Once you have checked out the company and made the purchase you may still have a problem. You may not be happy and want to make a return. Here’s the best way to do it:

• Make the return using a tracking system and keep all paperwork. That way, they can’t say you didn’t make the return.
• Never send the original documents. Send copies & make sure you keep a copy.
• Unfortunately, in most cases you will have to be persistent & check frequently about the status of the refund.
• If your credit card has not yet paid the company, contact them & dispute the charge. (I’ll explain exactly how to do this in my next blog.)

Hopefully this information will help keep you from losing money to an unscrupulous business. If you live in the US or Canada, the government has several regulations to help prevent scamming. If you have been taken advantage of, report the company to the Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission.

Share you experiences with us here on this blog. Have you been scammed? What did you have to do to get your money back?

Remember that at Lose Easy Diet Products we pride ourselves in customer service and all our products carry a money back guarantee. When you contact us, the owner, (that’s me) will be the person that takes your calls and emails. I will make it right and you will be satisfied. I guarantee it!

Linda Hayes,

Lose Easy Diet Products

One stop shopping for all your Hoodia needs.

Should you use pure Hoodia or a product enhanced with other diet supplements? This is a question only you can answer. However, you can make an informed decision if you know the facts.

Pure Hoodia has no known side effects and is proven to curb your appetite so it is the safest bet. If you are new to using Hoodia, it may be where you want to start.

Many dieters already know there are other weight loss supplements that help them lose and they want Hoodia enhanced with these. These folks will probably want to select an enhanced product.

Beware of side effects

Enhanced Hoodia may cause side effects such as increased heart rate, raise in blood pressure, nervousness or moodiness. This is usually caused by Hoodia with supplements that have added caffeine.

If you are taking one of these products, be careful not to take more than the recommended dosage. If you need more appetite suppression, we suggest taking a pure Hoodia Gordonii product in addition to the supplemented Hoodia. This will cut your appetite more without increasing the stimulation of your nervous system.

Natural herbs are not regulated

There are no recommended standards for natural supplements so they should be used with care. No recommendation does NOT mean that they have approval from regulators. It means that there are NO regulatory boards that deal in herbal products. They do not fall under the scrutiny that pharmaceuticals must go through.

It also means they are not known to have problem side effects for MOST people. If numerous problems do arise, the product is usually pulled from the shelves.

Many Hoodia pills and extracts have green tea added. This supplement is also a natural appetite suppressant and it has a limited amount of caffeine. Great for those who do not like to add stimulants to their diet. An example is Hoodia 500 with Green Tea by Maximize. Each dose contains 500 Mg’s of Pure Hoodia and 100 Mg’s of Green Tea Extract.

The Hoodia Gordonii  Plus brand is an example of a popular enhanced Hoodia. It contains  400 Mg’s of Hoodia, 50 Mg’s of green tea, 50 Mg’s of garcinia fruit extract, 250 Mg’s Magnesium and 100 Mg’s of a plant enzyme blend. These give the product a well rounded base of weight loss additives that works well for many people. If more Pure Hoodia is needed, an additional 400 Mg’s could be added by taking a capsule of Olympian Lab’s Hoodia Gordonii.

Hoodia products should be backed with CITES* licensing, proving that it is actual Hoodia gordonii. The “gordonii” here is very important. It is the species that has the p57 molecule that curbs your appetite. There are other species of Hoodia which may get substituted for the Hoodia gordonii variety by producers and this is currently being investigated by the South African government. That is why you should always buy from a reputable dealer who has legally certified South African Hoodia. Lose Easy Diet Products is one such distributor. We make sure what we sell is legal and the real stuff.

Certified to have legally exported Hoodia Gordonii

To learn more about the legalities involved in exporting Hoodia and other more detailed articles about these products go to http://www.loseeasydiet.com/home.html and read the articles  featured there.

One stop shopping for all your Hoodia needs.

Lose Easy Diet Products is concerned that the Hoodia products we sell are authentic, a good value and legally imported.

One stop shopping for all your Hoodia needs.

We have reviewed all the products that we sell at www.loseeasydiet.com. We are sharing these reviews so that you can make an informed decision as to which product to target for your weight loss program.

Name of Product: Curb Bites 

Hoodia enhanced caramel & chocolate candy

Manufacturer: Health Smart Foods

Type: Diet Candy enhanced with Hoodia Gordonii

Ingredients:  Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Corn Syrup, Pecans, Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Nonfat Milk, Organic Heavy Cream, Organic Butter, Salt, Sodium Citrate, Organic Vanilla, Organic Soy Lecithin, Hoodia Gordonii, Vitamin E.

Mg’s: 400,  288 gm Tub of 24x12g Individually wrapped.

Certifications: CITIES certified to be made with pure Hoodia Gordonii. 

Certified to have legally exported Hoodia Gordonii

Recommended Dose: one before meals up to 4 a day take with 8 ounces of water

Size: Approximately one inch square

400 mg's in one piece.

20 calories

Price: $25.95

Other similar products: Hoodia Bites, Hoodia Chews

Anecdotal information: Caramel and Chocolate Diet Candy to eat when you need a chocolate fix but also want to cut your food cravings.

Testimonials:

“This is a really good product and much cheaper than some of the other Hoodia and chocolate candies I’ve tried. It does cut my appetite and tastes fabulous!”   Arlene Beatty, Fenton, MI

“Great for a Chewy Chocolate Fix.   P. Strack, Houston, TX

If you want to know what’s yummie, Curb Bites are yummie.”   C. Schermer Basalt, CO

“Our Best seller…that says a lot about a product!”   L. Hayes, Glenwood Sps., CO

Ratings:

***** 5 star  Excellent value & appetite suppressant properties that work.

**** 4 Star A good value and excellent appetite suppression.

*** 3 star A bit over priced but still delivers excellent appetite suppression.

** 2 star Over priced and less potent in appetite suppression.

* 1 star Product not recommended as it does not give value for the money.

No stars Product has no value or may even have negative side effects.