cultivating hoodia

2006-08-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hoodia or not, diet a day at a time

Changing my way of starting the day helped in loosing weight. First thing on waking up in the morning I used to think 'what am I going to eat/cook today', now I think 'what am I going to do today'. Like most women it is not difficult to know what it is that needs to be done - cleaning the house, catering for the cats(in my case) and my share of the garden - big deal. But try again; by breaking them up in small portions and alternating them, it makes it feel as if I do a lot and it is more interesting. I used to eat breakfast three times because I did not feel like picking up the broom and start sweeping. Now I do not start the day sweeping. I start the day with something I like and switch to sweeping later. To see my share of the garden click here.

You will divide your list as you please. I would suggest that those who want a spotless house should add it in their house-work as well as in their hobby group. Same for those hardcore gardeners.

Here is roughly what I do :- I go through my mind quickly what is routine and what is urgent, then I add my fun thingies to that list. I do a small portion of each and rotate it throughout the day. Do remember, you need not spring-clean the whole house each day. Thorough cleaning of a room a day and tidy the rest is fine. Never worry when you can not do all you planned in that day. If the urgent things are first in line, then you relax while doing whatever you have time for the rest of the day. Once or so a week I add something that I have been putting off to do. e.g. not much can be changed with the breakfast ritual, so get that over with, then something in the garden, weed the aloes at the entrance to the house; something for the cat-children, clean the two AmericanCurl girl's room; make a new duvet for the Siamese girls (it took me 20 minutes in all to make it, but it was something I put off for months); one hour playing a computer game; it is only 11:00 am Round 2 start with the house work etc....

It takes longer to explain this routine than the actual planning and I am getting so good at it that I hardly notice my planning any more except that I am not thinking of eating first thing in the morning.

Every week I include something I have been putting off and add something I like (even if it is just 1-2 hours extra on a computer game). The one task that brings the most joy when done, is the one that has been put off for a long time. But nothing compares to a day when you were doing something that did not include eating.

Try it. Take it a day at a time.

2006-07-22T04:45:00.000-07:00

Is Hoodia safe - Do the Hoodia diet really work

This is my experience, you may find it to be different as we are all different in everything.
Try it for yourself.

I feel sure that pure Hoodia will not harm you. In Namibia the farm children eat Hoodia when they find it. It is healthy to those kids in the desert areas as they eat hardly any vegetables. In modern times getting vegetables are far easier than say 50 years ago, but kids still enjoy to explore and find their own tidbits.

Hoodia might take away hunger pangs, but as for myself, I am never hungry. I do not give myself the chance to be hungry. Hoodia will help if you are willing not to eat unless you are hungry.

I have tried every diet invented. I loose weight only on the high protein atkins-type diet. I love meat. At this age I must cut out the red meets, but I love chicken and any other meat or fish. So I am happy on that diet and that counts when loosing weight. I do not feel so extremely deprived. After I loose the weight I add all the vegetables to remain healthy and not gain weight, but I still save on starches and bread.

Exercise is the key to loose and not gain back immediately. I am doing good with gardening. Rudi is in trouble if he digs. I do the digging - I like it more than walking round the block but there is only so much digging to be done. Any movement is good. It gives you a high and fights depression.

The high protein diet
Now this is what I do. Cut out all starch and sugar. Eat green veggies and protein (meat). No milk. Plenty water. Eat as much as I like, no need to count calories. Move. I swing my legs slowly up and down(not so easy , try it) while watching TV and do some stretch exercises every day. Do not eat anything after 4 p.m. (16:00). Drink water, cocoa, coffee, tee - black with sweetener. I do take a dolomite tablet (calcium-carbonate and magnesium-carbonate), and a multi-vitamin tablet every alternate day while on diet. Go for a mini dose, not a large dose.

For the sake of health in the first place, and on second thought, weight - Do not add cane sugar to anything you eat. No need, it taste very nice as is, honest. Perfect ? No, not me. I will be honest, I love cream cakes and the rich fruit Xmas cake, so I eat at Xmas time and special occasion cream cakes while visiting the kids .... sigh. I do add some weight, which I must diet down again.

2006-06-17T05:09:00.000-07:00

Saving Hoodia sp. the famous plant used in weight loss, from being exploited in their natural habitat. This is a concern for many people. Plants that grow in very dry or desert areas are scarce, they have a tough time to survive. Harvesting Hoodia from nature is obviously going to do a lot of harm.
The truth is that it is not practical to harvest Hoodia direct from the habitat. There is not enough plants and the infrastructure like roads and accommodations are not very convenient either.
Wrong ! The people who live in that harsh habitat make very little money - if any. They were tempted by the money and gathered any plants they could find.
The effects that cultivating Hoodia might have on Hoodia in nature
Hoodia is fast disappearing in many natural habitats. The local people are tempted by the money which is very scarce in the harsh climates where Hoodia is found.
Hoodia must be grown commercially for commercial purposes, there is no way that enough plants can be harvested out of the wild habitat. If the cultivation of Hoodia by tissue culture and seeds are in large quantities that may make the harvesting of wild plants unpractical and save some wild Hoodias.

The objection stated that the cultivated plants might influence the wild plants cross pollinating with them to produce weaker plants. This is far fetched. What is the chance that commercial plants come in contact with the wild plants growing with vast distances between them. Even if a Namibian farmer looses his mind and brings his wife a Hoodia plant in a pot for a present. (poor guy) That plant's pollen will find it difficult to find wild plants to pollinate as that needs flies , not birds and they do not fly very far. Even if it does pollinate one wild plant that happened to grow near the farm house garden nothing will come of it if the cultivated strain should weaken the plants.
As said these wild plants are scarce and grow far apart. So interference from hybrids pollinating wild plants in the vast desert space that Hoodia grows in can not cause much of a problem. Hoodia has been cultivated as a succulent garden plant for many years before this weight loss spotlight.
There may be a small chance that the plants of the genus Hoodia might be threatened by cultivated plants, but at the moment they are definitely threatened by over-collecting.

2006-05-12T23:01:00.000-07:00

It does not take much effort to grow the Hoodia species. The only trick is not to water it a drop more than is needed to keep Hoodia growing.
Easier said than done, I know.
Hoodia can be grown without direct sun, but in bright light. These plants can withstand short periods of light frost. It is sufficient protection to grow Hoodia under a roof with open sides, to keep it out of rain. Make sure that the roof is wide enough so that the rain can not be blown onto the plants by wind.
The best point to start getting information on how to grow Hoodia species is from the habitat of these plants. The habitat of Hoodia is the Karoo, which is in the central part of South Africa, Namaqualand which is the north-western part of South Africa and then the Namib, which is in Namibia going into Angola.
Hoodia was planted in soil taken from the Karoo, Namaqualand and Namibia, as well as a loose mix consisting of garden soil with humus (pot plant soil) from nurseries. This was done to find out how much the soil influence the growth of Hoodi plants. Growth in all soil types were good.
The difficult part in cultivating Hoodia is how much water should be given. The sure way to kill Hoodia is by watering it just the slightest drop too much. Water only once every 3rd month through-out the year. Do not drench the soil, just enough to dampen the soil. In climates with moist air, water only every 4th month. Do keep in mind. Hoodia will shrivel temporary when too dry, it will rot when too wet. Dry is better.
More information on Hoodia.
If you feel you do need more scientific data of the soil, contact the Geological survey of South Africa and Namibia. They will do a detailed analysis on a soil sample, for a small fee.

2006-05-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

The question will now be - What is the future for a plant that is rare in a very harsh habitat. Will cultivating out of the habitat be successful ?

2006-05-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

The succulent plant Hoodia is a remarkable breakthrough in weight loss - Hoodia is a safe appetite suppressant that works for weight loss. There will be no spinning head or any other funny feelings as the Hoodia ingredient is stimulant free. Hoodia will not give you the shakes or make your heart beat faster. In short, it was found that the succulent plant Hoodia curbs the appetite without harmful side effects.
It would have been wonderful if that was the answer to every overweight person's wish to loose weight easy and permanently, but many (if not most) overweight people eat for other reasons than being hungry. For more on health and hoodia see visit health and beauty the natural way