The most often-expressed safety concern about the HCG Diet usually has to do with the 500-calorie diet. Under normal conditions, this would be considered a starvation diet. On the average, 500 calories is:
- a handful of nuts
- a slice of apple pie
- one slice of pizza with “the works”
- a baked chicken breast and a small piece of corn on the cob (sans butter)
- one cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- one hamburger with cheese
- two cups of brown rice
Perhaps any one of these would do for a single meal – but while on the HCG program, this is all you get for an entire day. (Fats, carbs and added sugars are strictly off-limits!) A normal person requires at least four times that amount just to maintain reasonably good health.
Of course, people on the HCG program do not “waste away” as they would if they were actually starving. HCG is, in fact, a completely safe and natural way to burn off excess fat without suffering the effects of undernourishment.
Hormones – Nature’s IT System
“Human Chorionic Gonadotropin” (HCG) is one of several hormones that exist in the human body at some point during the lifespan. The basic function of a hormone is that of a chemical messenger. It carries chemical messages between cells consisting of “marching orders.” It is how cells “know” what and whatnot to do.
HCG comes into play during the early stages of pregnancy. (You may be interested to know that home pregnancy tests are designed to detect HCG levels in a woman’s urine. But presence of HCG in the body will not necessarily result in a positive reading on a pregnancy test. Nor does placing HCG drops directly on a test necessarily result in a positive reading.) HCG protects the fetus in two ways:
- it prevents the mother’s system from stealing nutrients from the fetus
- it prevents the mother’s antibodies from mistaking the fetus for a pathogen
Beyond this, HCG regulates overall metabolism and the processing of nutrients. This is exactly what it does when it is re-introduced into the human body in the form of HCG injections or homeopathic HCG drops.
Possible Side Effects
In extremely rare cases, an individual may experience any or all of the following symptoms while using HCG:
- water retention
- constipation
- moodiness
- headaches
If this happens to you, it is important to discontinue the HCG diet and contact a physician right away. For a nominal fee, you can also consult with our own resident physician here if you have questions or concerns about HCG.
Tags: 500 Calorie Diet, HCG Diet, HCG program, Very Low Calorie Diet
