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Taking a weight loss product containing ephedra can be very risky. ephedra has been linked to serious side effects such as seizures, strokes, and even death. Fortunately, the US Food and drug Administration (FDA) has taken action and banned every weight loss product containing ephedra in the market starting April 2004.

What is ephedra?
Ephedra used to be a popular ingredient in dietary supplements and weight loss products. It comes from the plant ephedra sinica. It is also known as Ma Huang, and is used by the Chinese as a medicinal herb to treat respiratory illnesses like asthma, the common cold, and hay fever. ephedra also works as a powerful stimulant that directly affects the cardiovascular and the nervous systems.

ephedra also works as a thermogenic, which can cause your metabolism to increase since there is an increase in your body heat. This has made ephedra gain its popular reputation as a fat burner. Many people take a weight loss product containing ephedra together with caffeine and aspirin. Studies show that when taken with proper caution, it is very effective for short-term weight loss.

Known side effects
Ephedra has been known to increase heart rate and constrict blood vessels, resulting in high blood pressure. A weight loss product containing ephedra may cause irritability, dizziness, trembling, nervousness, severe skin irritations, insomnia, dehydration, itchy skin and scalp, vomiting, profuse perspiration, headaches, hyperthermia, seizures, irregular heartbeat, stroke, heart attack, and even death.

Dosage
There is actually no standard requirement for the dosage of any weight loss product containing ephedra, mostly because they vary from brand to brand. Here is an example:
Dosage for Metabolife 356: 2 tablets for 2 to 3 times a day, an hour before meals, and on an empty stomach. It is highly advised not to take more than 8 tablets in a day.
Dosage for Ma Huang: Not more than 100mg a day and not more than 12 weeks. However, because of its serious side effects, it has been recommended that ma huang should be taken in doses not bigger than 8mg per serving every 6 hours, but not exceeding 24mg in a day.

Ma huang
Ma huang is classified as a fat burner and an appetite suppressant. It is also known as ephedrine, ephedra alkaloids, sea grape, ephedra, yellow horse, joint fir, Mormon tea, teamster's tea, sea grape, postillion, and squaw tea. Since it has not been formally evaluated by the fda for safety, purity and effectiveness, there are no manufacturing standards set for ma huang. That is you should consult your doctor before taking Ma huang or any supplements containing it.

Metabolife 356
Metabolife 356 is another example of a weight loss product containing ephedra. It contains a blend of ginger, Siberian ginseng, ma huang, guarana, spirulina, bovine complex, lecithin, chromium picolinate, vitamin E, magnesium, and several other herbs. Caffeine and ephedrine are the most active ingredients of Metabolife 356. They both work to produce more body heat to speed up your metabolism so you can burn more calories. Furthermore, it also works as an appetite suppressant, making you feel less hungry and limiting your food intake.

No precautions
Ephedra is not a regulated drug, and so many manufacturers are making false claims. The US Food and drug Administration (FDA) has sent letters to a number of online manufacturers because many of them lack sufficient warnings. The label should tell the user to stop taking the drug upon experiencing side effects such as irregular or rapid heartbeat, severe headache, chest pains, shortness of breath, insomnia, dizziness, nausea, and fainting spells.

Is ephedra legal?
The fda has reviewed the data on ephedra's safety, effectiveness, side effects, pharmacology, and its RAND Corporation report (which contains a review of published scientific literature on the safety and efficacy of ephedra). The fda considered several studies that confirm the side effects of ephedra on the circulatory system. On February 2003, they evaluated whether weight loss products containing ephedra pose a significant threat to a person's health.

Ephedra and traditional medicine
The fda has prohibited the sale of any weight loss product containing ephedra in the United States. However, some medical conditions many call for the use of ephedra-containing drugs. Before taking any supplements, be sure to consult your doctor to see whether it will work for you.

Phillip England is a weight loss expert and Author of the popular report "The Ultimate Weight Loss Secret". To receive your free information on the secret that doctors, and health companies either don't know, or don't want you to know, please see http://www.theultimateweightlosssecret.com/secret

You're tapping furiously away at your keyboard in the hopes of getting the forecast for next week because the cancun mexico weather considerations are weighing heavily on your mind. There's nothing more unpredictable than Mother Nature and there's nothing more unpredictable than her temperament. That's why you're sitting here in your office staring out the window and at the miserable day beyond it.

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Generally speaking the cancun mexico weather conditions are near perfect with sunny days and cool ocean breezes to keep you happy. But you're really not surprised with this turn of events as its just par for the course with your unhappy streak of vacation disasters. That's why you chose cancun mexico in the first place, because you thought that you could escape from the problems that generally beset your vacation getaways.

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After twelve years of owning desktop computers, I finally opted for a laptop so I would no longer be chained to my desk. After months of research and weighing various makes and models, I settled on the dell Inspiron 600m Notebook Computer. This particular model has exceeded all of my expectations and at a price that is hundreds of dollars lower than many competing brands.

For several months I agonized over my next computer purchase. I knew I needed to be more mobile and only a notebook computer would permit me to take my "show on the road." Still, the decision making process was not easy as the number of different makes and models out there is mind boggling. Ultimately, I settled on a dell in part because of previous good experience with the company as well as affordability of their product line.

The model I chose was the Inspiron 600m. As with almost everything that dell builds, it is a "new" model; at least the 600m designation is. That is one of the confusing things about dell and some other manufacturers: every month dell introduces new models and you need a scorecard to compare one model with all the others. Fortunately, Dell's website allows you to do just that.

Key features of the Inspiron 600m include:

Lightweight: Just over five pounds.

mobile Centrino technology is standard.

14.1 inch screen

Pentium M 725 Processor

24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive

256MB DDR SDRAM 1 Dimm Memory

Wireless Network card

Extended Battery

Microsoft windows XP Home Addition

WordPerfect Productivity Pack

I kept my computer fairly basic but I did opt for the latest version of Norton security, a surge protected cable, a wirless router, and a wireless mouse. I selected the wireless mouse as I thought the keyboard's mouse would be difficult to use. After two days I quit using the wireless mouse as I quickly got used to the built in one.

The screen is bright and the keyboard is solid. The mouse keys, however are noisy, almost clunky; you wonder if dell could have used a quieter spring for each key.

The battery lasts at least four hours without recharging and when I do need to recharge I can go from nearly dead to fully charged in less than one hour.

For the price -- I paid just over $1100. for everything including shipping and local taxes -- the dell cannot be beat. I haven't had to call customer service yet, so I cannot comment on that although in years past your call would be routed to a technician in India. This model comes with a standard one year limited warranty; I avoided a later sales pitch over the phone to get a three year warranty. Their top of the line warranty sends a technician to your house to fix your computer, so it can be option for those of you who do not want to ship -- and thereby lose the use of -- your computer back to dell for repairs.

You will find the Inspiron 600m to be adequate for standard business work. Check out their myriad of other models if you do plenty of graphic design or if you need a larger screen. I am happy with the 14.1 screen, but you may prefer their 17" model.

Matt Keegan is The article Writer who writes on a variety of topics including: aviation, business, customer service, health, marketing, product review, sales, technology, and more. Please visit http://www.thearticlewriter.com to review his portfolio online.