CMUThought Community Thought

We had the chance to review a site that lists and ranks various colon cleanse products based on various criteria that they gather from price, ingredients and effectiveness. There are hundreds of products that claim to provide a healthy solution to helping you avoid unnecessary comfort that can be caused by toxins that have built up in your body. It is has been demonstrated that by keeping plenty of fluids in your system and using an effective treatment to clean your bowels that you can lessen symptoms of heart burn, fatigue, and bloating.

With the latest news breaking around weight loss diet pills the FDA is now stating that they will be looking to bring those and other supplements back into their review. The reason that this has become an issue is that some of these diet and health supplements have not listed all the active ingredients within their product and have recently become the focus of several major league sports. A pitcher in the MLB was recently cited for having tested for a banned substance which he claims was contained in a supplement that he was taking and the banned product was not listed within the label of the product. This has brought the entire supplement industry under fire because they are no regulated by the FDA and therefore may not be as diligent in listing all required products. This debate will only grow as this industry has sales in the billions each year and to have to go through regulatory approval could slow down the number of products that are currently available.

I have been watching the latest series of a show called the “Shark Tank”. There have been some great ideas that have gotten the backing of the “Sharks” or the investors. This panel of entrepreneurs sit back and let struggling owners come to them to pitch their ideas for a portion or stake in the company. I have seen some great ideas that with the right vision and plan could probably do very well. The problem with most small businesses is that do not spend enough time up front with a business plan writer that has expertise in the matter to understand the market conditions and what to ask for when going to the bank or outside investors so they have limited capital and end up having to sell the business. With some simple steps and planning you can anticipate potential hazards of starting up your business and reach your long term success goals.

The battle for the portable digital media players has gotten tougher with Apples release of it’s latest version of the iPod. The two main competitors in this space are Apple with the iconic iPod and Microsoft with the Zune. Microsoft has tried to take market share away by offering more features and memory at a lower price point but the brand that has been built around Apple is a tough battle. Although the Zune has been taking share away from Apple as evident by Apple’s new entries and at different price points. Most people who love the Zune like the fact that you are not tethered to just one music service and that you can play MP3 formatted songs as well as those that are purchased through iTunes.
Many of the major online retailers love when a new product like the Zune is launched because it allows them to offer more of a variety to their customers and they are able to get more creative with their price points. For instance I saw the MS Zune on sale at buy.com for under $85 with free shipping. This wa the 4 GB Red model with a car charger that normally retails for around $199. This presents a great option for parents like me who’s kids are asking for a music and video player and not wanting to shell out over $100. Since my daughters 12th birthday is coming up this might be a nice surprise for her.

The Fall TV Season has started and the hit show “Biggest Loser” kicks off their 5 season with some of the heaviest contestants that they show has introduced. The trainers are trying to help the contestants to burn fat through proper diet and exercise. What makes the situation somewhat unrealistic is the hours per day that they spend in the gym and working out. Most people do not have the luxury of spending 3-4 hours a day in the gym so it is important to find the best mode of exercise that will keep you motivated and watch what you are putting into your mouth. Cutting out unneeded calories can help you lose weight and create a healthier you.

I have seen more ads for netbooks in the past few weeks as students are getting to head back to school. Everyone from cable companies to wireless providers are now offering these great little computing devices to lure new customers. The attraction to these newer devices is that they allow you to get online easily with all the functionality of a laptop without taking up the space. At first I was not sure how these new devices would fit into the mobile platform since most smartphones and iphones allow you to get on the internet. Now that I have seen them up close they make sense in that they offer faster computing power and full keyboard to make surfing the web and staying in touch much easier.