Irvingia Gabonesis

In 2005, a study was done in Cameroon testing Irvingia gabonensis and its ability to influence weight loss.  The study examined 40 obese subjects aged 19 to 52 and divided them into two groups.  The first group received a placebo and the second group received 1.05 grams of Irvingia seed extract.  The participants consumed either the placebo or the Irvingia extract before every meal 3 times a day for 30 days.  

The studied interviewed subjects on their activity level and food intake prior to the study.  When the study began, the subjects were instructed to follow a low-fat diet of 1,800 calories per day and keep a record of what they ate seven days a week.  At the end of each week, the subjects were examined and tested for changes in body weight, body fat, and hip/waist circumferences.

At the end of the 30 day trial, the Irvingia group had lost an average of 11.5 pounds while the placebo group lost an average of 2.9 pounds.  The Irvingia group experienced a decrease in blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol).  There was also a rise in HDL (good) cholesterol.

Participants lost an average of 11.5 pounds in 30 days by taking Irvingia Gabonesis.  Do you feel this African mango is a viable option for weight loss?

5 Games that Improve Concentration

Create a pile of assorted coins and a stop watch.  Choose five coins from the pile and put them in a sequence (Example: Two quarters, two nickels and a penny).  Tell your child to look carefully at the coins, and then cover the coins with a piece of cardboard.  Start the stopwatch and have them recreate the sequence of coins using coins from the pile.  When they are finished, stop the watch and remove the cardboard.  Write down the time it took the children and if they were correct.  If they did not do it correctly, have them repeat the game.  As the child improves, start to make harder patterns and provide them less time to look at the coins. 

Have the child sit in a chair without moving and time how long the child can accomplish this.  As you repeat this activity, the connections between the brain and the body are strengthened, which improves self-control.

Games such as Memory or Simon says are fun ways to improve memory and concentration.  Memory motivates children to remember locations of pictures and Simon says helps them memorize sequences of visual and auditory stimuli.  Playing these games exercises the brain and strengthens their connections, which improves their functionality.
 

Having a child relax and visualize an activity helps the brain improve or learn new skills. For example, if you imagine your golf swing, the brain records the experience as a real experience.  This strengthens brain connections, leading to actual improvement.  Have the child imagine things such as paying attention in class and the brain will start to train it to pay attention in class.

Crosswords improve a child’s attention to words and ability to sequence.  When a child tries to identify problems with a picture or tries to find hidden objects, the child’s attention and concentration improve.