THE SCIENTIFIC HYPOTHESIS: WHY LOW DOSE HCG PREVENTS STARVATION

<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I have never had an opportunity of conducting the laboratory investigations which are so necessary for a theoretical understanding of clinical observations, and I can only hope that those more fortunately placed will in time be able to fill this gap</i>.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">– Dr. A.T.W. Simeons, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pounds & Inches</i></span></div><div style="border-bottom: windowtext 1.5pt solid; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 1pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">DR. SIMEON'S HCG PROTOCOL: A NEW HYPOTHESIS</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By Robin Phipps Woodall, Author of Weight-Loss Apocalypse<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span><a href="http://www.mindbodyhcg.com/">http://www.mindbodyhcg.com/</a></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">HCG injections of between 100IU and 150IU might stimulate, from fat cells, sufficient amounts of leptin to prevent symptoms of starvation imposed by the very low-calorie protocol (VLCP), as described by Dr. Simeons. The controlled hCG/protocol environment should stimulate enough leptin to minimize hunger, to maintain a normal and healthy thyroid signal, and to prevent significant reductions in lean body mass by effectively maintaining energy homeostasis through fatty acid oxidation of leptin-sensitive fat stores. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The controlled demand imposed by participant adherence to the VLCP will prevent fat gain by offsetting the susceptibility to over-stimulate leptin. This controlled demand with optimized fat utilization should, with time and physical adaptation, up-regulate mitochondrial biogenesis. During the second phase, as energy demand on fat is significantly reduced, new smaller mitochondria might progressively increase oxidative power, measuring an increase in resting energy expenditure (calories, per pound of body weight, per day).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Using this hypothesis as the basis of future research might explain what is observed during the protocol. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The following material is meant only to start new discussion about how hCG might influence energy homeostasis when food is removed.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div><div style="border-bottom: windowtext 1.5pt solid; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 1pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">ENERGY HOMEOSTASIS</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">To start, let’s acknowledge the inherent difficulty of understanding the body’s integrated system of organs, each requiring its own nourishment and energy demands, in addition to understanding the systems of tissues dependent upon these organs. The energy needed to sustain our organs and tissues is a system that feeds and depletes. It gives and takes from one organ to the next, all while accommodating the complex influence from both physical activity and food. This balance of energy demand and energy sharing is called energy homeostasis, and maintaining homeostasis sustains these integrated systems during both feast and famine.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">All systems integrate fuel and energy demands not only daily, but over a lifetime. This constant striving for homeostasis is what stimulates the feelings of hunger that prompt us to eat, and to stop eating when we’re satiated. Perhaps the most critical element in achieving homeostasis is maintaining a stable blood glucose level. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">We are fed from many sources other than food; some sources of fuel are fat, muscle and liver glycogen, body protein, and blood glucose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>These “tissue” fuels are not stocked equally. Some have more reserves than others. Fat and body protein by far surpass the fleeting amount of energy reserves held in both glycogen and blood glucose. The total integration of these fuel systems for short and long-term metabolic homeostasis is vital to life, hourly, and over the period of our body’s life. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The energy our body captures is powered not only by food, but also by our tissue reserves. However, these substrates must be converted into what can be captured before the body can use it as energy. As you eat, the food you consume is not yet in a form that can be captured as energy, so tissue reserves are readily available to meet immediate demands. But for tissue reserves to be released, key hormones that determine when and how much energy is needed must be accessed. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Leptin is one of the most important energy-controlling hormones. Since its discovery in 1994, we more fully understand leptin’s key role as a fatty acid synthase (FAS) inhibitor, and most notably as an anorexigenic hormone affecting the signal of hunger, the function of the thyroid, and fat metabolism. ^{2 15} </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Similar to insulin, leptin levels fall and rise in coordination with blood glucose, signaling to the body and brain when and how much energy reserve is available. ³ Leptin helps maintain blood glucose levels by regulating fatty acid use in skeletal muscle for energy, and preserving blood glucose for other more important organs to use. ⁴ </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Leptin is primarily found in white and brown fat cells, but could also be produced in the mouth, placenta, ovaries, skeletal muscle, stomach, mammary cells, bone marrow, pituitary and liver. ^{5 6}The rise and fall of leptin levels influence hunger, thyroid stimulus, fat metabolism, and fat gain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>To successfully apply the modern science of leptin’s functions to Dr. Simeons’ protocol, I will discuss leptin as it relates to four areas; the hypothalamus, skeletal muscle, fat, and the thyroid. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: windowtext 1.5pt solid; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 1pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">LEPTIN: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE HCG PROTOCOL AND HUNGER.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">As a diet begins, and food is restricted, blood glucose levels fall. As blood glucose levels drop in the body and brain, leptin also depletes. ^{7 12} As leptin levels fall, there is a reduction in malonyl-CoA, a recognized intermediate, in the hypothalamic-signaling pathway that controls feeding behavior and energy expenditure. ¹⁵ Recent evidence suggests that food deprivation, and the associated decrease in hypothalamic malonyl-CoA, increases the expression of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related protein (AgRP), which produces the sensation of hunger. Conversely, as blood glucose and leptin levels rise after eating, the resulting increase in malonyl-CoA reduces the expression of NPY and AgRP, producing feelings of satiety when hunger is alleviated. ^{7 10}</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Studies have shown administration of a fatty acid synthase (FAS) inhibitor (such as leptin) to the central nervous system in obese mice, dramatically reduces feeding behavior, with the increase in hypothalamic malonyl-CoA concentrations.^{13 25} These findings show that during very low-calorie diets, a stimulant of a FAS inhibitor like leptin, would raise malonyl-CoA levels, and decrease the expression of NPY and AgRP. Theoretically, this should sustain feelings of satiation for longer periods of time with less food.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: windowtext 1.5pt solid; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 1pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">LEPTIN: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE HCG PROTOCOL AND FAT MOBILIZATION.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Leptin is primarily expressed and secreted by fat cells. As fat mass increases during energy surplus, blood leptin increases and interacts with its receptors in the central nervous system (CNS), leading to increased malonyl-CoA expression in the hypothalamus, and decreased hunger. ²² Although there could be fat loss due to lack of hunger with a FAS inhibitor, studies have shown central administration of FAS inhibitors transmitted to the skeletal muscle from the CNS, increases fatty acid oxidation and, with time, increases resting energy expenditure. ^{16 23}<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">As FAS inhibitors increase in skeletal muscle, the result is a decrease in muscle malonyl-CoA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This outcome essentially determines whether or not fat is used for energy. ⁴ Muscle malonyl-CoA is a potent allosteric inhibitor of muscle carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT-1). CPT-1 is like a doorway on the mitochondrial membrane, opening or shutting access for fatty acids to enter and be converted into fuel for the body. When CPT-1 is deactivated by muscle malonyl-CoA, entry of fatty acids into mitochondria for β-oxidation is inhibited. ¹⁵ </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Muscular malonyl-CoA formation is catalyzed with increased activity in the enzyme Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). ACC is strongly inhibited by AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is stimulated by leptin. ¹¹ So, as leptin levels decrease, AMPK is deactivated, which activates ACC. ACC creates malonyl-CoA, which inhibits CPT-1, and thus reduces fatty acid oxidation. ^{13 15} </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">This happens as a response during starvation when blood glucose and leptin levels fall, preserving fat for longer periods of time, and forcing muscles to use other tissue substrates instead.¹² However, eating has the opposite effect.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">After eating, when blood glucose and blood leptin levels increase, the activation of AMPK deactivates ACC, which decreases muscular malonyl-CoA. As muscle malonyl-CoA declines, CPT-1 activates and opens access for fat into the mitochondria, where energy can be supplied through β-oxidation. ^{4 11} This might explain how eating food that is not yet in a form that can be captured as energy, stimulates the use of stored fuel for immediate use. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">New science has shown that this system can be successfully manipulated, not only to counteract symptoms of starvation, but to improve metabolic rates. Centrally administered FAS inhibitors during food restriction, rapidly increases the expression of skeletal muscle peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα), a transcriptional activator of fatty acid oxidizing enzymes, and uncoupling protein 3 (UPC3), a putative thermogenic mitochondrial uncoupling protein. ²³¹⁵ Daily administration of FAS inhibitors over time increases the number of mitochondria in white and red skeletal muscle. This could explain why studies show increases in metabolisms tested through indirect calorimeter. ^{23 26 27}<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">This evidence shows that if there was a way to safely increase a FAS inhibitor such as leptin, as well as create energy demand with food restriction, the response over time should be to acclimate with more mitochondria, resulting in a higher caloric-burning capacity. But without a FAS inhibitor, one should expect with the same food restriction to see a slowed loss in fat, increased loss of lean tissue reserves, and a resulting decline in resting energy expenditure.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">To prevent the natural decline in fat mobilization with a very low-calorie diet, there must be an alternative way to stimulate leptin to decrease muscular malonyl-CoA, This allows fatty acids to have continuous access into the mitochondria, where fat could provide substantial fuel for the body without significantly depleting blood glucose. This optimized fat utilization would prevent the need for the body to use lean tissue reserves during extreme caloric deficits and, over time, stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis, ultimately increasing the rate at which a person burns energy fuel at rest.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: windowtext 1.5pt solid; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 1pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">LEPTIN: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE HCG PROTOCOL AND FAT GAIN.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">High levels of leptin in adipose tissue, without equally sufficient expenditure, have the opposite effect. Studies show that extremely high levels of leptin, similar to those seen in the obese, increase peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma), which is the master control switch for fat storage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>^{21 22 14} </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">PPAR-gamma activates a host of enzymes that promote the esterification of fatty acids to create triacylglycerides (TAG), and advances the formation of lipid droplets from these TAG.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>When administered to mice, high levels of leptin increased the cellular expression of PPAR-gamma by 70-80%. ¹⁴ Leptin signals to the brain that there’s ample energy in storage, but also forewarns pre-adipocites to make room for more fat cells.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The more fat a person has, the more leptin his or her body produces. ²¹ Essentially, if you were to compare two people who have the same exact metabolic rate, but extreme variance in body fat composition, their bodies would have a different response to the same food. If they ate the same exact amount and type of food, the more obese person would have much more blood leptin stimulated, due to their larger amount of body fat. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The excess amount of leptin, without equal excess energy expenditure, can cause an imbalance in energy homeostasis, making the body more sensitive to resulting fat gain as a need to recapture and compensate for the imbalance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Leptin’s stimulus of PPAR-gamma would complement insulin as a survival mechanism to make room for more fat, aiding in the preparation for more energy storage cells as an adaptation for long-term energy homeostasis. A person with less fat would have less leptin, which might better compliment their metabolic energy balancing system, thus making him or her less sensitive to fat gain—even when eating the same exact meal as a more obese counterpart. Hence, fat gain and loss is not a linear function of calories eaten and expended because fat hormones, such as leptin, greatly influence energy homeostasis, and the body’s resulting compensations.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Both fat-preserving and fat-creating effects of leptin will function to conserve fat during starvation, and to form fat when food is excessive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Leptin’s fat burning and storing/preserving relationships seem to follow an “inverted U” model. Leptin’s fat-conserving functions are maximum with high and low levels, and its fat-burning functions are optimal in the middle. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">If leptin is stimulated by an outside influence, there might be less necessity for food and more sensitivity to over-stimulate leptin production. This excessive stimulus of leptin relative to expenditure would cause an expression of PPAR-gamma and an increase in fat when relatively small amounts of food are consumed. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: windowtext 1.5pt solid; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 1pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">LEPTIN: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE HCG PROTOCOL AND MAINTAINING THYROID FUNCTION.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Leptin’s elevation and depletion in the brain signals a fed or starved state, not only through hunger, but also through the metabolic suppression or stimulus from the thyroid.⁸ When elevated, leptin stimulates thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) that controls the release of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH acts on receptors in the thyroid to promote synthesis and release of the thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), which increases the body’s basal metabolic rate. ⁸ As blood glucose levels fall with very low-calorie diets, the depletion of leptin in the brain inhibits this cascade affect, resulting in a weaker metabolic signal from the thyroid. ⁹ </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The natural drop in thyroid signal is an essential, life-sustaining mechanism that occurs during starvation. This mechanism slows down the rate at which the body needs fuel, thus preserving energy stores and life for a longer period of time. However, when leptin is administered during induced starvation, the thyroid signals stay strong. ¹⁰ If the thyroid signal stays strong, the body maintains a normal basal metabolic rate, and requires the same amount of fuel as if in a fed state. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">To counteract the natural metabolic suppression of the thyroid, an energy-preserving survival mechanism, during sustained very low-calorie diets, an alternative stimulus of leptin would be needed. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: windowtext 1.5pt solid; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 1pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN LOW DOSE HCG AND LEPTIN.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Not only is there clear evidence that the placenta produces leptin, but there’s evidence that hCG might exert a negative feedback loop on trophoblastic release of leptin.^{17 18 19 20} This means that specific quantities of hCG stimulate leptin production. If there were too much hCG, leptin levels would decline. If there were too little hCG, not enough leptin would be produced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Based on these findings, hCG could be a viable stimulant of leptin. But the question yet to be answered is, would injections of hCG with Simeons’ protocol:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">         </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Stimulate sufficient blood leptin levels to interact with its receptors in the participant’s central nervous system, acting as a potent FAS inhibitor in the hypothalamus, reducing hunger? In the hypothalamus to sufficiently stimulate the thyroid? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">         </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Stimulate enough leptin production in the skeletal muscle to increase fatty acid β-oxidation? The right amount of leptin in the fat cells to prevent fat storage?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And enough time and constraint for mitochondrial biogenesis to significantly increase resting energy expenditure? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">         </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Could other forms of hCG administration, including homeopathic hCG, do the same? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Simeons’ findings left many questions unanswered, and science uncharted by the refuting research of his protocol. Based on the evidence I’ve presented, hCG isn’t burning fat, it doesn’t directly reduce the appetite, and it doesn’t stimulate the metabolism. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rather, it is the energy demand of the protocol, combined with how hCG influences leptin, in the brain and body, that allows the body to metabolize fat and function as if fed, when food is not available.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large; mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Loss-Apocalypse-Emotional-Protocol-ebook/dp/B0068E5F0W/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top">BUY THE BOOK</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">REFERENCES</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(1)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">       </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Lijesen, G.K.S., et al. 1995. The effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons’<span style="color: magenta;"> </span>therapy: a criteria-based meta-analysis. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology</i>. 40:237-243</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(2)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">       </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Zhang, Y., et al. 1994. Positional cloning of the mouse <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">obese</i> gene and its human homologue. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nature</i>. 372: 425-432</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(3)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">       </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Morton, G.J. 2007. Hypothalamic leptin regulation of energy homeostasis and glucose metabolism. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">J Physiology</i>. 583.2: 437-443</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(4)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">       </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">N.Y. Ann. 2002. Regulation of fat metabolism in skeletal muscle. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">National Academy of Sciences of the USA</i>. 967:217-235</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(5)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">       </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Margetic, S., et al. 2002. Leptin: a review of its peripheral actions and interactions<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. International Journal of Obesity</i>. 26: 1407-1433</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(6)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">       </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Groschl, M., et al. 2001. Identification of Leptin in Human Saliva. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism</i>. 86(11): 5234-5239</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(7)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">       </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Mars, M., et al. 2006. Fasting leptin and appetite responses induced by a 4-day 65% energy-restricted diet. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">International Journal of Obesity</i>. 30: 122-128</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(8)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">       </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Rosenbaum, M., et al. 2002. Low dose leptin administration reverses effects of sustained weight-reduction on energy expenditure and circulating concentrations of thyroid hormones. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism</i>. 87:2391-2394</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(9)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">       </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Flier, J.S., et al. 2000. Leptin, nutrition, and the thyroid: the why, the wherefore, and the wiring. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Journal of Clinical Investigation</i>. 105(7): 859-861</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(10)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Ahima, R.S., et al. 1996. Role of leptin in the neuroendocrine response to fasting. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nature</i>. 382: 250-252</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(11)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Kahn, M.Y. 2003. Role of AMP-activated protein kinase in leptin-induced fatty acid oxidation in muscle. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Biochemical Social Transactions</i>. 31(pt 1): 196-201</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(12)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Flier, J.S. 1998. Clinical Review 94: What’s in a name? In search of leptin’s physiologic role. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism</i>. 83(5):1407-1413</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(13)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Wolfgang, M.J., et al. 2007. Regulation of hypothalamic malonyl-CoA by central glucose and leptin. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The National Academy of Sciences of the USA</i>. 104(49): 19285-19290</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(14)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Qian, H., et al. 1998. Leptin regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, tumornectrosis factor, and uncoupling protein-2 expression in adipose tissue. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications</i>. 246(3): 660-667</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(15)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Wolfgang, M.J., et al. 2008. Hypothalamic malonyl-CoA and the control of energy balance. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Molecular Endocrinology</i>. 22(9): 2012-2020</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(16)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Orci, L., et al. 2003. Rapid transformation of white adipocytes into fat-oxidizing machines. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The National Academy of Sciences of the USA</i>. 101(7): 2058-2063</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(17)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Islama, D., et al. 2003. Modulation of placental vascular endothelial growth factor by leptin and hCG. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Molecular Human Reproduction.</i> 9(7): 395-398</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(18)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Maymo’, J.L., et al. 2009. Up-regulation of placental leptin by human chorionic gonadotropin. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Endocrine Society</i>. 150(1): 304-313</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(19)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Linnemann, K., et al. 2000. Leptin production and release in the dually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in vitro</i> perfused human placenta. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism</i>. 85(11): 4298-4302</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(20)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Islami, D., et al. 2003. Possible interactions between leptin, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone and human chorionic gonadotrophin. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology</i>. 110(2): 169-175</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(21)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Considine, R.V., et al. 1996. Serum immunoreactive-leptin concentrations in normal-weight and obese humans. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New England Journal of Medicine</i>. 334(5): 292-295</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(22)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Friedman J.M., et al. 1998. Leptin and the regulation of body weight in mammals. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nature</i>. 395:763-770</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(23)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Cha, S.H., et al. 2005. Inhibition of hypothalamic fatty acid synthase triggers rapid activation of fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The National Academy of Sciences of the USA</i>. 102: 14557-14562</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(24)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Schwarts M.W., et al. 2006. Central nervous system control of food intake. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nature</i>. 404: 661-671</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(25)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Cha, S.H., et al. 2003. Hypothalamic malonyl-CoA as a mediator of feeding behavior. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The National Academy of Sciences of the USA. </i>100: 12624-12629</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(26)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Cha, S.H., et al. 2006. Hypothalamic malonyl-CoA triggers mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative gene expression in skeletal muscle: role of PGC-1α.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The National Academy of Sciences of the USA</i>. 103: 15410-15415</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(27)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Thupari, J.N., et al. 2002. C75 increases peripheral energy utilization and fatty acid oxidation in diet-induced obesity. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The National Academy of Sciences of the USA</i>. 99: 9498-950</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(28)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">    </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Lederman, S.A., et al. 1999. Maternal body fat, water during pregnancy: do they raise infant birth weight? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology</i>. 180: 235-240</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;"></div>

THE SCIENTIFIC HYPOTHESIS: WHY LOW DOSE HCG PREVENTS STARVATION

  “ I have never had an opportunity of conducting the laboratory investigations which are so necessary for a theoretical understanding of cl...

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HOW EATING LESS THAN 500 KCALS A DAY INCREASES METABOLISM

<div class="NoSpacing1" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“In treating obesity with the HCG + diet method we are handling what is perhaps the most complex organ in the human body. The diencephalon’s functional equilibrium is delicately poised, so that whatever happens in one part has repercussions in others. In obesity this balance is out of kilter and can only be restored if the technique I am about to describe is followed implicitly. Even seemingly insignificant deviations, particularly those that seem to be an improvement are very liable to produce most disappointing results and even annul the effect completely.” -</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dr. A.T.W. Simeons, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pounds & Inches</i></span></div><div class="NoSpacing1" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 0in;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="NoSpacing1" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Unfortunately, because most participants and practitioners know very little about the new science of leptin and its role in starvation, the protocol is still misunderstood, and misdirected, and many have attempted to “socialize” it, to make it appeal to the masses.</span></b></div><div class="NoSpacing1" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 27.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">In particular, new methods that include more food, are now being introduced—and not because of proper laboratory research, but marketed to ease the fears of those who’ve yet to fully understand how the protocol works (and to make money selling a system or product). Unfortunately, the majority of people who have morbid obesity would metabolically benefit less from this type of approach. But on the other hand, those who have less fat, or who are taking a weaker (or non-existent) dosage of hCG, eating more would makes sense, especially when they have hunger that merits more leptin stimulus from food intake. </span></div><div class="NoSpacing1" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 27.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">But until there is sound laboratory research, clinical evaluations, and conclusive evidence, we are all speculating—some more intelligently than others. Claiming effectiveness based on clinical study comparing weight, is very naïve. Any educated and trained person in the field of physiology understands weight is sub-standard evidence for (or against) a hormonal therapy. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">One of the main reasons eating less is better for people who have more fat is for improving metabolic rates. New science has shown that the metabolic system can be successfully manipulated, and improved by finitely balancing leptin levels. Centrally administered fatty acid synthase (FAS) inhibitors (such as leptin) combined with high fuel demand, rapidly increases the expression of skeletal muscle peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα), a transcriptional activator of fatty acid oxidizing enzymes, and uncoupling protein 3 (UPC3), a putative thermogenic mitochondrial uncoupling protein. With fuel demand, daily administration of FAS inhibitors over time increases the number of mitochondria in white and red skeletal muscle. This adaptation to demand increases fueling capacity, which explains why most people who properly follow the 500 calorie protocol show increases in metabolisms, when tested through indirect calorimeter. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Here is our initial statistical analysis done for 40 participants, before and after the 500 calorie medical hCG protocol. Since this report was done in 2009, we‘ve collected data for hundreds of participants and the trend is only improving as we’ve understood eating less (relative to hunger) is ideal. Again, eating more could be ideal only if the dosage of hCG is too weak, but the charted acclimation wouldn’t be as sloped or powerful.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: windowtext 1.5pt solid; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 1pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><div class="NoSpacing1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">Preliminary Statistical Analysis (for the first 40 participants)</span></b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This preliminary analysis was done by Lee Hannah of Boise State University-Boise, Idaho.</span></div><div class="NoSpacing1" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lee Hannah, DVM, MS, MPH</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /><span class="yshortcuts">Assistant Professor, </span>Medical Epidemiologist, <span class="yshortcuts">Boise State University</span></span></div><div class="NoSpacing1" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="NoSpacing1" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="NoSpacing1" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The data set is small, containing only 12 variables. Of interest was the person’s gender (only 4 males to 36 females), weight at the beginning of the hCG protocol, resting energy expenditure(REE) at the beginning of the protocol, calorie/lb/day at the beginning of the protocol, weight at the end of the protocol, REE at the end of the protocol, and calorie/lb/day at the end of the protocol.</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Because we have pre- and post-information on the same individuals, I used a paired t-test to look for a significant change from post to pre for both weight and REE. </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Weight</span></u></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">: For weight, there was a significant reduction in weight across the protocol. On average, across all 40 individuals, weight went from 202.73 pounds to 180.35 pounds (a change of 22.38 pounds). This was statistically significant, with a p-value <0.001. </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">REE and calorie/lb/day</span></u></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">: REE also dropped between the pre and post time periods, with an average reduction of 69.48; however, this difference only reached borderline significance, with a p-value = 0.07. What is more important to the study is the fact that the calorie/lb/day (which is calculated as the REE divided by body weight) increased across the 40 participants. At baseline, the participants were burning 9.51 calorie/lb of body weight and at completion of the protocol the average participant was burning 10.30 calorie/lb of body weight. This was statistically significant, with a p-value <0.001.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br /></div><br /><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-collapse: collapse; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: auto auto auto 1.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-insideh: 1.0pt solid black; mso-border-insidev: 1.0pt solid black; mso-padding-alt: 0in 1.5pt 0in 1.5pt; mso-table-layout-alt: fixed; width: 522px;"><thead><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; page-break-inside: avoid;"><td colspan="6" style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: #f0f0f0; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 391.5pt;" width="522"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Table 1: Paired Samples Statistics</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div></td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; page-break-inside: avoid;"><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: black 2.25pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0; border-top: black 2.25pt solid; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 38.9pt;" valign="top" width="52"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br /></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: black 2.25pt solid; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 78.1pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br /></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: black 2.25pt solid; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mean</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: black 2.25pt solid; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 0.5in;" valign="bottom" width="48"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">N</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: black 2.25pt solid; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 85.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="114"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Std. Deviation</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: black 2.25pt solid; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 103.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="138"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Std. Error Mean</span></div></td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2; page-break-inside: avoid;"><td rowspan="2" style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: black 2.25pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 38.9pt;" valign="top" width="52"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pair 1</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 78.1pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">post weight</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 2.25pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">180.35</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 0.5in;" valign="top" width="48"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">40</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 85.5pt;" valign="top" width="114"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">48.085</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 103.5pt;" valign="top" width="138"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">7.603</span></div></td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3; page-break-inside: avoid;"><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 78.1pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">pre weight</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">202.73</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 0.5in;" valign="top" width="48"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">40</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 85.5pt;" valign="top" width="114"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">55.404</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 103.5pt;" valign="top" width="138"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">8.760</span></div></td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4; page-break-inside: avoid;"><td rowspan="2" style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: black 2.25pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 38.9pt;" valign="top" width="52"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pair 2</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 78.1pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Post REE</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1828.40</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 0.5in;" valign="top" width="48"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">40</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 85.5pt;" valign="top" width="114"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">451.720</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 103.5pt;" valign="top" width="138"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">71.423</span></div></td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5; page-break-inside: avoid;"><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 78.1pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pre REE</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1897.88</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 0.5in;" valign="top" width="48"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">40</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 85.5pt;" valign="top" width="114"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">413.026</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 103.5pt;" valign="top" width="138"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">65.305</span></div></td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6; page-break-inside: avoid;"><td rowspan="2" style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: black 2.25pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 38.9pt;" valign="top" width="52"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pair 3</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 78.1pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">calorie/lb/day2</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">10.3013</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 0.5in;" valign="top" width="48"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">40</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 85.5pt;" valign="top" width="114"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.58841</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 103.5pt;" valign="top" width="138"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">.25115</span></div></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes; page-break-inside: avoid;"><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 78.1pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">calorie/lb/day1</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">9.5094</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 0.5in;" valign="top" width="48"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">40</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 85.5pt;" valign="top" width="114"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.36931</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 103.5pt;" valign="top" width="138"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">.21651</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Table 2: Statistical significance of differences observed</span></b></div><br /><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-collapse: collapse; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: auto auto auto -3pt; mso-border-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-insideh: 1.0pt solid black; mso-border-insidev: 1.0pt solid black; mso-padding-alt: 0in 1.5pt 0in 1.5pt; mso-table-layout-alt: fixed; width: 564px;"><thead><tr style="mso-row-margin-right: 1.0in; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; page-break-inside: avoid;"><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: black 2.25pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0; border-top: black 2.25pt solid; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 42.8pt;" valign="top" width="57"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br /></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: black 2.25pt solid; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 105.7pt;" valign="top" width="141"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br /></div></td><td colspan="4" style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: black 2.25pt solid; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 202.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="270"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Paired Differences</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: #f0f0f0; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-cell-special: placeholder; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="96"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br /></div></td></tr><tr style="mso-row-margin-right: 1.0in; mso-yfti-irow: 1; page-break-inside: avoid;"><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: black 2.25pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 42.8pt;" valign="top" width="57"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br /></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 105.7pt;" valign="top" width="141"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br /></div></td><td colspan="4" style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 202.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="270"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">95% Confidence Interval</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">of the Difference</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: #f0f0f0; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-cell-special: placeholder; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="96"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br /></div></td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2; page-break-inside: avoid;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: black 1pt solid; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: black 1pt solid; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 42.8pt;" width="57"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br /></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: black 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: black 1pt solid; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 0in; width: 105.7pt;" width="141"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br /></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 2.25pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mean</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: black 1pt solid; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="bottom" width="72"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Std. Deviation</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: black 1pt solid; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lower</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: black 1pt solid; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Upper</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 1in;" valign="bottom" width="96"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Sig. (2-tailed)</span></div></td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3; page-break-inside: avoid;"><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: black 2.25pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 42.8pt;" valign="top" width="57"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pair 1</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 105.7pt;" valign="top" width="141"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">post weight - pre weight</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 2.25pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">-22.375</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">9.953</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">-25.558</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">-19.192</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 1in;" valign="top" width="96"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">.000</span></div></td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4; page-break-inside: avoid;"><td style="background: #ddd9c3; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: black 2.25pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 42.8pt;" valign="top" width="57"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pair 2</span></div></td><td style="background: #ddd9c3; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 105.7pt;" valign="top" width="141"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Post REE - Pre REE</span></div></td><td style="background: #ddd9c3; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">-69.475</span></div></td><td style="background: #ddd9c3; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">232.489</span></div></td><td style="background: #ddd9c3; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">-143.829</span></div></td><td style="background: #ddd9c3; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">4.879</span></div></td><td style="background: #ddd9c3; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 1in;" valign="top" width="96"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">.066</span></div></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes; page-break-inside: avoid;"><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: black 2.25pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 42.8pt;" valign="top" width="57"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pair 3</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 2.25pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 105.7pt;" valign="top" width="141"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">calorie/lb/day2 - calorie/lb/day1</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 2.25pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">.79190</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.23300</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">.39757</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 49.5pt;" valign="top" width="66"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.18623</span></div></td><td style="background: white; border-bottom: black 2.25pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: black 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0; mso-border-left-alt: solid black 1.0pt; padding-bottom: 1.5pt; padding-left: 1.5pt; padding-right: 1.5pt; padding-top: 1.5pt; width: 1in;" valign="top" width="96"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">.000</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">These results were achieved with test subjects who were limited to eating fewer than 500 calories/day, sustained from four to six weeks.  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">This evidence shows that if there was a way to safely increase a FAS inhibitor such as leptin, as well as create energy demand with food restriction, the response over time should be to acclimate with more mitochondria, resulting in a higher caloric-burning capacity. But without finite control of leptin combined with demand, one should expect with the same food restriction to see a slowed loss in fat, increased loss of lean tissue reserves, and a resulting decline in resting energy expenditure. And even with a controlled leptin stimulus, eating more would decrease the demand, which would reduce the potential mitochondrial biogenesis and improved resting energy expenditure.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">By providing this data, I don’t intend to convince anybody of the efficacy of the hCG protocol, but to confirm what others have observed, and to also motivate more data collection by those who are on the front lines of observation. If we could find a point of hormonal balance and stability, the body will do what it does best: adapt. The question is: if we want to improve the overall hormonal adaptation, should the protocol be dynamic? Does increasing food intake for everyone make sense based on this adaptation? Should we take into account the emotional ramifications when more food is added, which would give more wiggle room to justify cheating?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">More research is desperately needed. Especially since we have people taking advantage of the hCG protocol as a diet, marketing it with superficial value, and underestimating the protocol as a hormonal therapy.  The sooner we get laboratory research the better. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span></div>

HOW EATING LESS THAN 500 KCALS A DAY INCREASES METABOLISM

“In treating obesity with the HCG + diet method we are handling what is perhaps the most complex organ in the human body. The diencephalon’s...

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Strait of Hormuz and Syria

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><div style="color: blue; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Geo – Strategic Puzzle - Black Gold </b></span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="color: blue; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE SYRIAN, </b><b>LEBANESE</b></span><span style="font-size: large;">, </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> IRAN - STRAIT OF HORMUZ  USA CONNECTION </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwJ3Ya4zl3wa_3z9OLOwQXL1demT_OLHiB4rMG2oebzt9r2zSFgplQlYrXcei9Ji3inChJCz3UkQvifIOM0O1ovfAwW2D6qyk1aB6qxtZl9e6XWF_QaRNQGuO0T5wjjexjcako3NuNMI/s1600/irimages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Recent war mongering between IRAN and the USA regarding the blockage of the STRAIT OF HORMUZ and the attempt by foreign entities to tumble the SYRIAN regime are most likely connected and part of broader geo strategic plan, orchestrated by SAUDI ARABIA, the USA and to some extend the UK. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>NEW ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST REGIME IN SYRIA IN ORDER TO REACTIVATE SAUDI ARABIA’S AND USA ARAMCO  TRANS ARABIAN OIL PIPELINE? </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Many geo strategic analysts and political experts are at odds over the reason why even the UNITED STATES, a key ally of ISRAEL, is pushing for a regime change in SYRIA, even if such move will probably turn SYRIA into a fundamentalist Islamic State at the doorsteps of ISRAEL. It could be argued that the USA and SAUDI ARABIA prefer a SUNNI fundamentalist Islamic government in SYRIA in order to eliminate IRANIAN influence in SYRIA and at the same time reactivate, for geo – strategic reasons, SAUDI ARABIA’S  ARAMCO company constructed TRANS ARABIAN OIL PIPELINE “TAPLINE” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">(See<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1662211321" style="color: red;"> </a><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/12/syria-cause-and-effect.html" style="color: red;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/12/syria-cause-and-effect.html</a></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhwxGh3t7CPx2x_6KMx9lJw0XR9Qy1Q2IDPZ5wJRZE_6CgtY1taV4CVuuejSwSQs4cA3heJ1uzVQNTCZmiWtX_1NdJKQE1bCc5cWDJCsE32afPpoyDaoC2nIRagwga6dtaAOuHZwjBBw/s1600/Tapline.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhwxGh3t7CPx2x_6KMx9lJw0XR9Qy1Q2IDPZ5wJRZE_6CgtY1taV4CVuuejSwSQs4cA3heJ1uzVQNTCZmiWtX_1NdJKQE1bCc5cWDJCsE32afPpoyDaoC2nIRagwga6dtaAOuHZwjBBw/s400/Tapline.png" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Tapline route from Saudi Arabia to Lebanon, crossing Jordan,Syria and the Golan Heights </span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>REACTIVATION OF PIPELINE WOULD ELIMINATE THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Reactivation of the pipeline would eliminate the geo strategic importance of the STRAIT OF HORMUZ and thus IRAN’S leverage over the passage, through which 35% of the world’s crude oil is shipped. Needless to say, a blockade would have enormous global consequences. Sunni SAUDI ARABIA and Shiite IRAN have been at odds with each other over theological as well as economic issues for centuries (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz" style="color: red;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz</a>)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8FgUrb9RBE7EPQjp-2FztSuyP9jipw0WzJQBxRXnpwKY-FPh-2P7sPtYFoCvKqvtM5k6YdHlM9pPWo6jh1hJQAuNULBX_mKu7Xh2dY9UtiVKe-HDM_fpU-cVd3_uG4oavdH21OSeurk/s1600/Strait_of_Hormuz_map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8FgUrb9RBE7EPQjp-2FztSuyP9jipw0WzJQBxRXnpwKY-FPh-2P7sPtYFoCvKqvtM5k6YdHlM9pPWo6jh1hJQAuNULBX_mKu7Xh2dY9UtiVKe-HDM_fpU-cVd3_uG4oavdH21OSeurk/s400/Strait_of_Hormuz_map.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Reactivating the Tapline in Dhaharan would reduce the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz. Looking at the map one also realizes why Saudi Arabia intervened in Bahrain for it could not afford to loose Geo strategic control over the  peninsula.   </span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>PIPELINE ROUTE LEADS THROUGH PRO IRANIAN SYRIA, THE GOLAN HEIGHTS AND LEBANON, THUS A SAUDI FRIENDLY REGIME IS REQUIRED IN SYRIA IN ORDER TO ACTIVATE THE PIPELINE </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdBTyDNM6YLm3JeEC4xkf9ou6Cs9rvjp3JqfurvYMeluJMF4SR7Z2maf4UQcw3GF_NplNihyphenhyphenz3nfHckZLKWYRBA-aGLJuwZVO-CyIyxCJ_CzKpuJcDbnISkBiVkc0hhVrwPTtR-x5fUE/s1600/golan-heights-closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdBTyDNM6YLm3JeEC4xkf9ou6Cs9rvjp3JqfurvYMeluJMF4SR7Z2maf4UQcw3GF_NplNihyphenhyphenz3nfHckZLKWYRBA-aGLJuwZVO-CyIyxCJ_CzKpuJcDbnISkBiVkc0hhVrwPTtR-x5fUE/s200/golan-heights-closeup.jpg" width="156" /></a>In order to reactivate the TAPLINE however, SAUDIA ARABIA and its allies need to eliminate IRAN’S influence in SYRIA and stronghold in LEBANON, which is also home to pro IRANIAN HEZBOLLAH, because the route of the pipeline leads over SYRIAN terrain, ISRAL occupied GOLAN HIGHTS, ending in the Mediterranean oil terminal ZAHRANI, south of the city of SAIDA in LEBANON.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since SYRIA fosters close eco – political ties with Shiite IRAN, SYRIA will hardly permit the reactivation of the “SAUDI” Tapline on its soil. Not to mention the GOLAN HEIGHTS, which had been seized by ISRAEL during the 6 day war and which are now monitored by United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, UNDOF. Israel and Syria technically are still at war, thus permitting reactivation of the Tapline on the Syrian side of the seized Golan Heights is out of the question, for it would need the consent of both, ISRAEL and SYRIA. (See: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-Day_War" style="color: red;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-Day_War</a> )</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">By tumbling the SYRIAN regime however, SAUDI ARABIA would be able to expand its influence in SYRIA and LEBANON, and thereby gain control over the pipeline and direct access to the MEDITERRANEAN SEA oil terminal south of SAIDA, from where crude oil could be shipped to EUROPE and the USA, at 40% less transport costs than by oil tankers passing through the SUEZ Canal in EGYPT. One could now keep on speculating why the “Arab Spring” in EGYPT did not turned out the way it was expected to be expected by the protesters!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>GEO STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE OF IRAN’S NATURAL RESOURCES AND GAS PIPELINE DEAL BETWEEN IRAN SYRIA AND IRAQ</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some analysts argue that Iran is bluffing with its threat to block the strait, for it can’t afford not to export its own oil resources which also have to pass through the strait. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">What many forget though is that IRAN is not solely relying on oil export but also proves to be a major gas exporter, thus in August 2011, IRAN, SYRIA and IRAQ signed a gas pipeline deal which will transport Iranian gas via the new pipeline trough SYRIA to EUROPE. The deal benefits EUROPE and would also give SYRIA more strategic importance. Negotiations on constructing an IRAN - CHINA oil pipeline, although shelved for now, could easily be reactivated in case CHINAS demand for crude is increasing. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>REGIME CHANGE IN SYRIA WOULD DIMINISH RUSSIA’S IMPORTANCE AS GAS EXPORTER AS WELL AS NAVAL PRESENCE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">By tumbling the ASSAD Regime, SAUDI ARABIAN and USA would also cause a serious economic as well as strategic blow to RUSSIA who’s only naval base in the Mediterranean Sea is located in the SYRIAN port city of TARTUZ. But asides from the military strategic point of view it would also mean that RUSSIAS gas exportation to the EU and other parts of the world would suffer a blow, because dependence on RUSSIAS gas supplies to various regions would diminish. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking at the SYRIAN issue from the natural resources point of view it becomes evident as to why the sudden change in strategy by key world players.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>REGIME CHANGE IN SYRIA, FULL SCORE FOR ISRAEL? </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi926p8wbgDBiVG0MPMAt26vw6MCYhfv4zvdD54G3euEpc606tZyIN1S8yZr0Rgb7v43oYYueLGuFpq9uFRbkXKQ5gjY3VCj03ZdXsbG2QtWFiHWc07M3KANBt84xoZXCbmzkj3RNnKDD4/s1600/tributaries.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi926p8wbgDBiVG0MPMAt26vw6MCYhfv4zvdD54G3euEpc606tZyIN1S8yZr0Rgb7v43oYYueLGuFpq9uFRbkXKQ5gjY3VCj03ZdXsbG2QtWFiHWc07M3KANBt84xoZXCbmzkj3RNnKDD4/s200/tributaries.gif" width="133" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Freshwater Supply For Israel</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">As for ISRAEL a regime change in SYRIA in the end might not be such a bad deal after all. SAUDI ARABIA and ISRAEL have been fostering unofficially economic ties for quite some time because of both countries close ties to the USA and vice versa. ISRAEL would in most likelihood once and for all be able to keep the GOLAN HIGHTS, something the ASSAD regime would never have accept and always made it a precondition for peace talks with ISRAEL. For ISRAEL keeping the GOLAN HIGHTS on the other hand had been always a priority, not so much for strategic advantages or prestige, but for its freshwater supply, a key issue which is hardly addressed in mainstream media.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The minute SYRIA’S IRAN ties are cut; HEZBOLLAH would lose its influence in LEBANON and thus ease tensions on ISRAEL’S northern frontier. SAUDI ARABIA on the other hand would probably make sure that the SAUD ARABIAN friendly fundamentalist Islamic regime in SYRIA would keep its distance to ISRAEL in order to assure permanent oil flow from SAUDI ARABIA to the Mediterranean Sea, thus making SAUDIA ARABIA and its alley the USA an even bigger player in the oil market. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Links to related topics: </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="background-color: yellow;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: yellow; color: red;"><a href="http://pipelinesinternational.com/news/iran_iraq_and_syria_sign_on_for_pipeline_to_europe/062853/#">http://pipelinesinternational.com/news/iran_iraq_and_syria_sign_on_for_pipeline_to_europe/062853/#</a></div><div style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="color: red;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: yellow; color: red;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: yellow; color: red;"><a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/04/12/the_pipeline_paradox?page=0,0">http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/04/12/the_pipeline_paradox?page=0,0</a></div><div style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="color: red;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: yellow; color: red;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="color: red;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: yellow; color: red;"><a href="http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=52026">http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=52026</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: yellow; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

Strait of Hormuz and Syria

Geo – Strategic Puzzle - Black Gold  THE SYRIAN, LEBANESE , IRAN - STRAIT OF HORMUZ  USA CONNECTION  Recent war mongering between IRAN and ...

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Its a great site and a cool way to find some really awesome blogs. Check it out and ... <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3332452/little-black-door?claim=mq8mkn3fa8s">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>!

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Deadly Obsession: Alfred Hitchcock's VERTIGO

<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>by guest contributor R.D. Finch</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Q461R4v6TaoOiZsNb__lq68SMG7t1x6WOayngCaFhVkhfU2MWnIGy6ZoP_1OmzNlbfTSTC9aXvLv8MwQVI4sbq5-sADXjD3FcW0bxx6vYYDBryIM0fdWvmKyscbhnKaamrzd0GCZmK_J/s1600/RD+vertigo+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Q461R4v6TaoOiZsNb__lq68SMG7t1x6WOayngCaFhVkhfU2MWnIGy6ZoP_1OmzNlbfTSTC9aXvLv8MwQVI4sbq5-sADXjD3FcW0bxx6vYYDBryIM0fdWvmKyscbhnKaamrzd0GCZmK_J/s1600/RD+vertigo+8.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"What's that old Oscar Wilde thing? 'Each man kills the thing he loves...' That I think is a very natural phenomenon, really."</span></i><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: small;">Alfred Hitchcock, in a 1963 interview</span></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;">In his fifty-five year long career in films, Alfred Hitchcock directed sixty-seven movies. At least a dozen of these are bona fide masterpieces, and about an equal number are excellent movies that fall just short of the masterpiece mark. By any measure that's an impressive record, one unequaled by any other filmmaker I can think of. Even more impressive is that Hitchcock's pictures are not rarefied works of art of interest mainly to aesthetes and film scholars, but full-blooded movies that appeal equally to ordinary filmgoers looking for accomplished entertainments and to cinephiles looking for an intellectually and artistically stimulating film-viewing experience. Of all Hitchcock's pictures, none managed to combine these two modes—entertainment and art—so skillfully, so intriguingly, and so pleasingly as his 1958 film <i>Vertigo</i>.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br /><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"> Most people are familiar with the plot of <i>Vertigo</i>. A retired San Francisco police detective, John "Scottie" Ferguson (James Stewart), psychologically traumatized after a rooftop chase to apprehend a criminal ends badly, is targeted as a dupe by his old college friend Gavin Elster, who exploits Scottie's crippling fear of heights to bring off an intricate scheme to murder his wife Madeleine (Kim Novak). The film's plot is a clever one and since this is a mystery thriller with hints of the supernatural (can Madeleine really be the reincarnation of her ancestor, as she believes?), neither the audience nor Scottie realizes what is really happening until quite far into the film. This allows the viewer's understanding of the situation to be manipulated, just as Scottie's is, to create a mood of suspense and, after the truth is revealed to the viewer about three-quarters of the way through the film, for that suspense to be prolonged as the film proceeds in a completely unexpected direction right up to its shock ending.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzUFAe1aYlBpATnyvewIqIhDd87pwj_0Fq4llaSlw5J3YxCFT5sEG4wLdKrkcg0B1uwRWunVg11MMEUDKSXdgqmDOdTdEXEPuH5KJsfi5WkB4FN0aovjxlOshmns6lqcB_XIxmR_57Vfg/s1600/RD+vertigo+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzUFAe1aYlBpATnyvewIqIhDd87pwj_0Fq4llaSlw5J3YxCFT5sEG4wLdKrkcg0B1uwRWunVg11MMEUDKSXdgqmDOdTdEXEPuH5KJsfi5WkB4FN0aovjxlOshmns6lqcB_XIxmR_57Vfg/s320/RD+vertigo+5.jpg" width="243" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">Such a narrative strategy requires that the viewer's reactions be precisely guided at every turn, and nobody was more expert at this than Hitchcock. Well known for his need for absolute control over all aspects of his films from conception to release, Hitchcock was by temperament the epitome of the film auteur, the director who puts his stamp on every element of his work. The way he accomplished this was by meticulous attention to detail. Because each shot was storyboarded in advance, the final film essentially needed no editing and thus was immune to tampering with by producers and studio executives. Like most filmmakers who began by directing silents, Hitchcock viewed cinema storytelling as essentially a visual process, with dialogue, music, and sound used to augment the film's imagery. Because the way he chose to show the action—placement and movement of the camera, the use of visual effects that formed his famous set pieces, the exact way images succeeded one another to form a spatial and narrative continuum—was the product of his own imagination, his films always seem expressions of a personal and very distinctive vision. Many directors have made movies in the Hitchcock style, but I can't think of a single one of these films that on close viewing could actually be mistaken for the work of the master himself.<br /><br />Because of the convoluted and deceptive nature of its plot, <i>Vertigo</i> is even more dependent on Hitchcock's almost obsessive attention to detail as a means of controlling audience response than any other film he made. But in <i>Vertigo</i> he uses his working methods as much more than merely a practical means of telling a story in his own way. He amplifies his control-freak approach to directing until it becomes an all-encompassing aesthetic used to suggest a great deal more than is apparent in what at first seems little more than a deftly contrived suspense melodrama. It is this effect of using every device in his vast panoply of cinematic tricks to evince the complex psychological and thematic undertones of the film that makes <i>Vertigo</i> Hitchcock's greatest achievement. It's a haunting film that can be watched again and again and still continue to entertain and thrill and deliver new revelations.<br /><br />Perhaps the most powerful and resonant thing about the film is the way Hitchcock uses repetition to emphasize the idea of doubling. Elements in the first part of the film recur later in the film, and elements in the later part of the film mirror those in the first part, giving the film a strange pattern of symmetrical associations. Scottie seeks out places where he saw Madeleine in the beginning of the film and revisits them later in the film: the missions, the florist's shop, the museum, Ernie's restaurant. He watches Judy at her hotel window the same way he watched Madeleine at her hotel window earlier. His transformation of Judy into Madeleine exactly duplicates Elster's transformation of Judy to pass her off as his wife.<br /><br />Near the end of the picture Hitchcock expresses the complete fusion of Madeleine and Judy, of past and present, of Scottie's memories and his dreams, in the most striking of several memorable set pieces in the film—a long, passionate kiss between Scottie and Judy after he sees her for the first time as the fully re-created Madeleine. The camera swirls, Scottie and Judy swirl, and the room appears to revolve around them. The background fades from Judy's room to the stable where Scottie and Madeleine kissed for the last time and finally back to Judy's room again, while Bernard Herrmann's glorious music—clearly inspired by Wagner's <i>Tristan und Isolde</i>—surges and pulses in unison with the intense emotions of the passage. It's the most rapturously erotic scene in a Hitchcock movie since the kiss in <i>Notorious</i>.</span><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASvzr1-h-M6YtpfVA_PbFsm8wxDUuQFoVPi2O4mx85GoDSZlJ2nlWEIoi-bLYuWRtj9wFgFuFp947ix19nr22Fe1YS4-2pEV8iwjXBbLPStuCB0frUKFcK2N8iiT7V5XAsr4mdheRHvPd/s1600/RD+Vertigo+3+b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASvzr1-h-M6YtpfVA_PbFsm8wxDUuQFoVPi2O4mx85GoDSZlJ2nlWEIoi-bLYuWRtj9wFgFuFp947ix19nr22Fe1YS4-2pEV8iwjXBbLPStuCB0frUKFcK2N8iiT7V5XAsr4mdheRHvPd/s1600/RD+Vertigo+3+b.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hitchcock was famous for his lack of interest in the acting of his performers, and for saying that actors should be treated like cattle, that is, prodded into doing what he needed for the shot he was working on. This was perhaps a holdover from his silent days, when facial expressions, body language, and movement were more important than character development and line delivery because the director essentially created the performance visually, through the staging and editing of the film. This is one reason experienced theater actors often found working with Hitchcock such a frustrating experience. Yet for all this, in <i>Vertigo</i> he gets two remarkable performances from his stars.<br /><br />It is well documented that Kim Novak was not Hitchcock's first choice to play Madeleine/Judy; Vera Miles was. But by the time he was ready to begin shooting, Miles was pregnant and so somebody else had to be cast. I have no idea how he hit on the idea of casting Kim Novak, but I did notice that just as Elster and Scottie transform Judy into the image of Madeleine, Hitchcock almost seems to transform Kim Novak into an uncanny image of Grace Kelly, right down to her hair and makeup, and her accent and diction. I can't help wondering if one of the reasons <i>Vertigo</i> seems to be Hitchcock's most personal film is his own understanding of the compulsion behind Scottie's Pygmalion-like behavior.<br /><br />At any rate, Novak, who under the right conditions could be a much better actress than she is generally given credit for, does a tremendous job as the mysterious, spaced-out Madeleine. But her more demanding incarnation as Judy is even more impressive. If Madeleine is an enigma, Judy is a fully defined character. Hitchcock and his writer, Samuel Taylor, make a daring narrative decision that happens soon after Scottie meets Judy. The conventional thing to do would have been to conceal the truth about the murder plot from the audience until the end then reveal it to the viewer and Scottie at the same time, in the kind of twist ending typical of films of this kind. Instead Hitchcock and Taylor devise a situation in which Judy writes a letter to Scottie explaining everything to him then impetuously tears it up before he sees it.<br /><br />The audience is now aware of the true nature of events even if Scottie isn't, and the entire tone of the movie has changed. Now that we know the truth, the point of view shifts much more in Judy's direction. The crux of suspense is no longer what really happened, but how long will it take Scottie to figure it out and what will be his reaction when he does. What all this means for Novak's performance is that she can no longer play her character as an enigma, but must externalize the conflict Judy feels about what she has done to Scottie and the ambivalence she feels about his controlling attitude. Novak's role immediately becomes much more demanding, and she handles the requirements of those demands admirably. If only she looked less like a caricature of a rather common shopgirl!<br /><br />But the real center of the movie is James Stewart's Scottie, a character who inspires Stewart to give one of the most remarkable performances of his career. We tend to think of the screen persona of James Stewart as that of an optimistic, boyish everyman. But in truth Stewart's characters often had a dark side to them, a willfulness that threatened to cause the passion of their emotions to spill over into obsession. We tend to forget this because until <i>Vertigo</i>, even though that dark side might threaten to take over whatever character Stewart was playing—George Bailey or even Jefferson Smith for Frank Capra or one of the revenge-driven men in the Westerns he made with Anthony Mann, for instance—at the end of the film his character always managed to pull back from the brink before he went over the edge. Hitchcock himself perceived the latent darkness in Stewart's screen image and used it as a sort of dangerous recklessness in the characters Stewart played in <i>Rope</i> and <i>Rear Window</i>. But in <i>Vertigo</i>, for the first and only time I can think of, Stewart's character is completely overcome by the darkness in him and propels the film to a catastrophic conclusion.<br /><br />During the course of the picture, Stewart must convincingly go through a series of changes that illustrate the stages of the disintegration of Scottie's personality. At the beginning of the movie, he seems like the familiar James Stewart. He has experienced a traumatizing event, his life has been drastically changed by it, and he must live with the handicap of disabling acrophobia. But his resilience and sense of proportion intact, he seems able to cope with the changes in his circumstances. As he reluctantly follows Madeleine, he finds his detective's curiosity about this mysterious woman aroused. Curiosity soon turns to fascination and then to passionate love. At this point he is already beginning to lose his objectivity as he desperately tries to rationalize Madeleine's delusional behavior.<br /><br />After Madeleine's death, he is a broken man, a state he conveys in his scenes in the mental hospital through his dazed expression and total lack of affect. If he seems to have regained a precarious sense of balance after several months of treatment, he begins to lose it as soon as he first spots Judy. As he grows closer to her, he progressively loses control of himself until he has become an emotional juggernaut moving inexorably toward the annihilation of both himself and the object of his love. This idea that external and internal forces could collude in such a way to transform a person's ego into an unstoppable engine of destruction is a chilling one indeed.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpiNl0Djp-SxMcLF7OPyWZmjxRhZDFv7AaDfJH1qNYFdFHJadf5Egp6OKAvAPc9d3aNlpHrOu7TIISMR8uAovvwHNhO39J7iG4u8CwhcpEyyHb2fXT_2ECCT0qqvLu96G4NYuF02Ou7SH/s1600/RD+vertigo+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpiNl0Djp-SxMcLF7OPyWZmjxRhZDFv7AaDfJH1qNYFdFHJadf5Egp6OKAvAPc9d3aNlpHrOu7TIISMR8uAovvwHNhO39J7iG4u8CwhcpEyyHb2fXT_2ECCT0qqvLu96G4NYuF02Ou7SH/s1600/RD+vertigo+9.jpg" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">By the film's conclusion, Hitchcock has carefully guided us to a place where he is at last able to make the point he has been aiming for all along: the fine distinction between passion and obsession, between real life and dreams, between creation and destruction. The death of Judy at the end makes real the fake suicide that was staged for Scotty's benefit earlier. What began as make-believe has taken on a terrible life of its own and become reality, a reality born of the destructive potential when love overpowers reason.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">~ </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><i>A nearly life-long cinephile, <b>R. D. Finch</b> lives in rural Northern California. His favorite films are the classics (roughly 1930-1980), both American and foreign. His blog,<a href="http://themovieprojector.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000;">The Movie Projector</a><span style="color: black;">, was honored with two CiMBA Awards in 2010 from the Classic Movie Blog Association: Best Film Review (Musical or Comedy) for his post </span></i><span style="color: black;">Love Me Tonight (1932)<i>, and Best Classic Movie Article for his piece </i>The Best Fred Astaire Musicals Without Ginger Rogers. </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnTmRO1yjFf66xDkJjVVVGxWhfpebXHMz7G6WoPVXm9PV1LDeJz7KSV_g3gt-yyAR_OV8J5C3iaDc2LeQgo9azZkZ4PKlbgxey9WqoVrCKKK5sPKjO8F7pcIqxJrKBy73Uh2jZb0YFb0/s1600/The+Movie+Projector+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnTmRO1yjFf66xDkJjVVVGxWhfpebXHMz7G6WoPVXm9PV1LDeJz7KSV_g3gt-yyAR_OV8J5C3iaDc2LeQgo9azZkZ4PKlbgxey9WqoVrCKKK5sPKjO8F7pcIqxJrKBy73Uh2jZb0YFb0/s320/The+Movie+Projector+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div></div>

A Month of Vertigo Alfred Hitchcock Bernard Herrmann James Stewart Kim Novak R.D. Finch Vertigo Deadly Obsession: Alfred Hitchcock's VERTIGO

by guest contributor R.D. Finch "What's that old Oscar Wilde thing? 'Each man kills the thing he loves...' That I think is ...

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2012 arrives...

<center><br /><a href="http://www.goodlightscraps.com/new-year-glitters.php" title="Animated New Year Glitter Graphics"><br /><img alt="New year glitter comments, animated newyear gif scraps, happy new year wishes" border="0" height="320" src="http://www.goodlightscraps.com/content/new-year-glitters/new-year-glitter-1.gif" width="320" /></a></center><center><br /><a href="http://www.goodlightscraps.com/"></a></center><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">...and <i>A Month of VERTIGO </i>is about to begin...</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></span></div>

The Lady Eve (author) 2012 arrives...

...and A Month of VERTIGO is about to begin...

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year blogger friends :).<br /><br />I wanted to swing by real quick this morning to wish you and your family the very best for 2012!<br /><br />As I look back on this blog in 2011, I am pleased with the progress I've made in my weight loss journey, and I know I owe a chunk of that progress to those of you who read and comment.  <i>You </i>keep me going.  <i>You </i>keep me accountable.  <i>You </i>make me want to come back here to own up to my setbacks, or celebrate with you in my successes.  Thank you for taking time out of your day to read and/or comment and share your encouraging words.  It is <b>always </b>appreciated.<br /><br />I will leave you with some of my favorite posts of 2011:<br /><ol><li><a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/11/it-all-started-with-new-tradition.html">It All Started With a New Tradition</a>.  The engagement story :).<br /></li><li><a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/04/drawing-inspiration-from-places-other.html">Drawing Inspiration From Places Other Than the Scale.</a>  The story behind what really got my butt kicked into gear to lose this weight once and for all.  <br /></li><li><a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/04/setting-goals-for-2011.html">Setting Goals for 2011.</a>  The start of my plethora of 5Ks in the spring and early summer.  So proud of myself for that.<br /></li><li><a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/05/march-of-dimes-march-for-babies-5k.html">March of Dimes March for Babies 5K</a>.  A first hand look at how the money raised for organizations like this can really make a difference.<br /></li><li><a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/09/why-do-you-want-to-lose-weight.html">Why Do You Want to Lose Weight?</a> An outline of my reasons.  I plan to do a follow up post on this to reflect on what goals, if any, I achieved on this list in 2011.</li></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8YRHfjBRkCIoAtZnrSTBG2l74971guy2VF_bKSnECGpfpY6WPBuerjXDu7e1lg7xm5WYMToRC4iR7aPJ_xpOh2FEULqwHp7wNioXMLSZz1yffwSdNsoR6Mi4RF9__nawPPjYTklJ-eY/s1600/christmas+flower+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8YRHfjBRkCIoAtZnrSTBG2l74971guy2VF_bKSnECGpfpY6WPBuerjXDu7e1lg7xm5WYMToRC4iR7aPJ_xpOh2FEULqwHp7wNioXMLSZz1yffwSdNsoR6Mi4RF9__nawPPjYTklJ-eY/s400/christmas+flower+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Cheers to the best year yet to come for both you and me! Wishing you and yours a blessed 2012!<br /><br /><br />

Holidays New Years Eve Happy New Year!

Happy New Year blogger friends :). I wanted to swing by real quick this morning to wish you and your family the very best for 2012! As I loo...

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