Hoodia, Dieter's Dream!

There's much ado about the benefits to dieters partaking capsules that contain a desiccated powdered form of the Hoodia flesh.  While this plant has all the earmarks of a cactus, it is actually  a succulent.

The variety that is dispensed as a dietary supplement for appetite suppression is known as "Hoodia gordonii." Now don't be getting excited that you can run to the local garden store, pick up a pot and and use a few slices as topping for your ice cream ... as that's not exactly the way to do it. Besides, I am given to understand that this particular variety of Hoodia is not successfully grown as a house plant due to required growing conditions.

As you can see from the attached photo, they have a very attractive flower and would look very pretty tucked away in a rockery with other succulents and cacti, location and climate permitting.

ON THE OTHER HAND

In researching this article, I ran across several sites selling Hoodia plants and seeds that have photos of the plants actually in a growing environment. For the most part, they appear to be out doors in fields and in a climate you would expect - dry, warm and dusty.  One site makes very positive claims about growing and selling Hoodia - seeds start at $12.00 for 10 seeds and go up from there. Being a conservative and cautious person myself, I'd certainly do intensive reference and background checking before making any investment in "growing your own."

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INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT HOODIA:

Certain types of cacti and succulents are known for retaining and storing quantities of water for the dry seasons, inhabitants of the deserts and arid plains helped themselves to the lifesaving water stored within the flesh. Hoodia was and is still popular and a necessary staple. Staving off thirst and hunger, Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert made Hoodia part of their regular diet, chewing it up like celery. Besides the moisture, flesh of the Hoodia quelled hunger pains but without adding much nourishment - if any, and certainly no fat! According to bottles of capsules sold as dietary supplements, they are 100% vegetable cellulose. They do not claim to contain even one calorie of substantive food value.

I tried using Hoodia as a dietary suppressant and this is what I found: taking two capsules (250 mg each) about an hour before a meal with a full 8 oz. glass of water, didn't keep me from feeling less hungry than normal. After about a week, I lost interest. Now, however, I've found it helpful when I awake in the middle of the night with a case of the munchies - that's bad! But taking a couple of Hoodia capsules washed down with a glass of water stops the hunger and I'm able to go right back to sleep - satisfied and happy that I didn't go for a doughnut and a glass of milk at 2 a.m.

Note of caution - never embark on any diet plan without checking with your physician first and certainly not one that recommends a diet supplement to reduce appetite.  Esprit de Isle makes no claims or endorsements of any diet supplements, programs or plans.