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Acai Berry: The $100 Million Dollar Weight Loss Scam

by Michael Lovitch

Some interesting news came out last night. The attorney general of Connecticut, Richard Blumethal, announced an investigation into the business practices and questionable science associated with Acai berry products — primarily pitched by Internet-based companies as a wonder treatment for weight-loss.

Personally, I think this is great news and it is about time.

If you spend any time online, you have surely seen ads with the headlines, “Oprah’s Diet Secret”, “Seven Rules to a Flat Stomach, or (the worst) “Amy’s weight loss blog”, “Karen’s weight loss blog”, etc… on almost every page online.

If you actually clicked on one of these ads, you probably ended up on what looked like a blog with a before and after picture of some woman who has lost weight. She then tells a story about how she saw Dr. Mehmet OZ and Oprah say that acai is a miracle diet food. It might also mention Rachael Ray.

The woman then says she tried it herself and the pounds just came flying off. It is kind of believable as it looks like a real person and there are even comments on her blog. There then is a link to one of the many companies selling acai berry on a free trial basis.

Problem 1: The Blogs are Phonies

The problem here (one among many) is that these blogs are all phonies.

The woman depicted on Tara’s Diet Blog, Olivia’s Weight Loss blog, Alicia’s Diet Blog, Becky’s Weight Loss blog, and at least 75 other blogs is a German model named Julia who has nothing to do with acai or any weight-loss product. The German photographer who made the original photos of her available on Istockphoto.com said the pill companies manipulated some of the “after” images to give the impression of weight loss.

Most likely the sites are actually run by men. (That is just my guess).

Anyway, the people running the blogs are definitely a part of the problem – but they are not the cause. These are just opportunist people who saw an easy way to make a buck by promoting the biggest diet pill hoax of the 21st century.

They are not “associated” with the folks who market the pills; they just get an ungodly amount of money every time they send these people a free trial through one of these blogs.

I could go on and on about this. One consequence of these fake blogs making so much money is it squeezes out ethical marketers because the price for buying ad space simply becomes too high.

Problem 2: Acai Berry Will Not Help You Lose Weight

In truth, açai has less antixodants than concord grapes, blueberries, and black cherries. But more importantly, no credible evidence suggests antioxidants promote weight loss.

The attorney general from Connecticut says it more strongly,

“There is no competent scientific research that demonstrates any of the claimed effects of Acai berry, including weight loss, detoxification and increased energy and vitality”

Problem 3: Oprah Did NOT Endorse Acai Berry

And the truth about the Oprah show with Dr. Oz is that they never mentioned Acai as a weight loss aide, just as one of many fruits that were healthy (like tomatoes). In fact, on Oprah’s website they have a statement out that says,

“Consumers should be aware that Oprah Winfrey is not associated with nor does she endorse any açaí berry product or online solicitation of such products.”

Just to be clear, there is no acai berry supplement endorsed by Oprah, Dr. Perricone, Rachel Ray or Dr. Oz.

Problem 4: There is no Miracle Diet Pill that Works

There simply is no magic pill that is going to allow you to lose weight if you don’t eat right and exercise. There are pills that can help you lose water weight in the short term, and there are supplements that may help you control your appetite (usually stimulants) but even they are not that dramatic.

If you have a thyroid issue, hormonal issues or have a tendency towards insulin resistance, there are certain supplements that can help you move towards attaining the metabolism of a normal person your age.  However, these will not help you if you already have a normal metabolism.  For example, I lean hypothyroid and am helped by a very inexpensive iodine supplement recommended by Dr. Hyman.

I am as guilty as anyone in that I am always looking for the miracle pill! I take quite a few supplements, (mainly for vitality and longevity) but have pretty much given up on the weight loss benefits. I do see promise in resveratrol, not as a miracle, but as something that can help keep insulin levels in check.  But again, if you don’t have your diet under control it will do you no good.

In short, if you want to get to and maintain a healthy weight - there is no magic pill that is going to do it for you!

I would love to read your comments on the acai berry scam as well as any other feedback you have.  Just comment below.

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Have you "blown out" your thyroid like Oprah?

by Michael Lovitch

This is personal for me, as I recently found out I have a previously undiagnosed thyroid problem that has made my weight a constant issue.

But let’s start with the celebrity.

As you may know, recently Oprah Winfrey revealed that she has hypothyroidism.

Oprah said she was “. . . going around from doctor to doctor trying to figure out what was wrong, and finally figured out that I had literally sort of blew out my thyroid.”

Could this have been what was causing her weight to balloon up?

This is may be the case, since hypothyroidism — an underactive thyroid — can cause unexplained weight gain.

Sluggishness, exhaustion, brain fog and skin problems are also symptoms of a low-functioning thyroid.

But Oprah is not alone.

In fact, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists estimates that 10% of Americans — more than the number of Americans with diabetes and cancer combined — are affected by thyroid problems.

Further, they estimate that over half of those people with a thyroid problem are not being diagnosed at all.

And for those diagnosed, the standard conventional treatment is not effective.

Bottom line — it’s a widespread problem that’s under-diagnosed, and for those fortunate to receive treatment, that treatment is often ineffective.

It can be one of the most challenging conditions to diagnose and treat, but when a doctor gets it right, it can have a dramatic affect on your health.

Moreover, hypothyroidism in particular affects perimenopausal and menopausal women, but doctors can sometimes have difficulty identifying the cause.

Here’s the problem for someone who knowingly or unknowingly struggles with hypothyroidism . . .

Because most doctors are experts in acute illnesses, they often fail miserably when it comes to addressing subtle symptoms in your body that affect the quality of your life.

Anyone can diagnose a heart attack if they see someone who is pale, sweaty, clutching his or her chest, and complaining of crushing pain in the chest.

Thyroid problems, however, are COMPLETELY different.

Even if you have all the symptoms of low thyroid function, your problem can still easily be ignored.

Why does the thyroid get overlooked?

Well, historically this wasn’t the case. In the past, doctors treated thyroid diseases based on symptoms and personal exams.

Now, however, doctors rely almost completely on laboratory testing. This prevents them from diagnosing more subtle cases which are not detected by the conventional tests.

That explains why you may still feel so BAD even when your doctor tells you your TSH levels are fine.

Most doctors will shrug off symptoms like dry skin, thinning hair, sensitivity to cold, muscle soreness, decreased libido, waking up tired, constant fatigue, concentration problems, brain fog, and trouble losing weight.

However, when there is a constellation of symptoms such as these, the thyroid may play a role. More detective work is needed.

This all happened to me, by the way.

Because I eat right and exercise like a fiend, I have been steadily reducing fat and gaining muscle for the last three years, but I have to be PERFECT in order to make the slightest progress.

I always knew deep down that this simply wasn’t right. After reading a powerful new book from Mark Hyman, M.D. called The Ultra Thyroid Solution, I took action.

Dr. Hyman has had 3 books on the New York Times bestseller list. He’s been featured on public television and was just on The Today Show last month. And he’s someone for whom I have the utmost respect.

Anyway, it was clear from his book that I did have a thyroid issue. My doctors were not even doing the right tests.

So I used the resource directory in the book. I found a local doctor here in Fort Worth who understood what to look for, and what tests would find it.

Sure enough, I have an issue converting T4 to positive T3, which makes my metabolism sluggish. This is why I have to exercise so much just to stay energetic.

It was really cool actually to understand what the doctor was doing. So far we have been remedying my problem with some small changes in my diet and some supplementation. I can’t tell you how much more energetic I feel!

So in this case, knowledge truly is power.

If you have any of the issues mentioned at the beginning of this email (problems like dry skin, thinning hair, sensitivity to cold, muscle soreness, decreased libido, waking up tired, constant fatigue, difficulty concentrating, brain fog, and trouble losing weight), I strongly recommend you get Dr. Hyman’s book:

http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/recommends/ultra_thyroid

P.S. Finding out if your thyroid is working properly and then knowing what you can do about it could be the most important thing you ever do, especially if you have weight issues. I have not come across ANYONE more qualified than Dr. Hyman to help you figure this out.

http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/recommends/ultra_thyroid

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