Buying Fitness
Equipment On Ebay: Deals Or Duds?
Author: Terje Brooks Ellingsen
This makes EFA's an important part of your diet.
Other sources
of these fats are fish and nuts. Most of the fat in
my diet
comes from a combination of nuts and flax seed oil.
Several scientific studies show that consumption of
omega-3
oils leads to a substantially lower risk of death
from coronary
heart disease.
But now let's talk about the nutritional values of
flax seed.
They are the best source for Omega 3 fatty acids,
which is
great for the brain and concentration. Adding flax
seeds to
your diet can increase your ability to concentrate
better and
think faster.
Although drugs have very important clinical uses,
they are only
part of the solution. A comprehensive approach to
treating
cognitive disorders should include foods and
supplements that
benefit the overall health of brain cells.
Lignans and other flax seed components may also have
antioxidant properties, which means they may reduce
the
activity of cell-damaging free radicals.
Buying Fitness Equipment On eBay: Deals or Duds?
With tens of millions of registered members and more
than
12,000 items listed, eBay is, without a doubt, the
world's
largest Internet marketplace. And you can buy just
about
anything there--from CDs, movies and vitamins to
first edition
books, new businesses and even someone's last breath
of air.
But--what you want to know--is it the place to shop
for fitness
equipment?
The answer is yes, but that's if you don't mind
sifting and, in
most cases, bidding. On a given day in June 2003,
there were
1,026,771 items listed under the "Sports" category;
and there
were 344,705 items in the "Sporting Goods"
subcategory, which
is broken down into more than three-dozen
subcategories. Under
"Exercise & Fitness," a "Sporting Goods"
subcategory, there
were 7,146 items. And that subcategory is divided up
into six
subcategories. Hope you're not too confused.
On that given June day, I took a look at several
fitness
products sold on eBay. I wanted to find out how low
prices on
new (never been used) popular or quality products go
on this
mega auction site. The good news: They can go pretty
low.
One product I examined was Total Trainer, and there
are several
models listed on eBay. I zeroed in on the 3000
model, which is
supposed to be comparable to the Brinkley- and
Norris- endorsed
Total Gym 3000. On eBay, Total Trainer is offered in
two pricing
formats: Name your own or Buy It Now (skip the
auction process)
for $277. Off eBay, Total Gym retails for, on
average, $500.
But that should come as no big surprise, since any
highly
unsaturated oil will do that, particularly if
substituted for
saturated fats.
Studies show that Omega-3 fatty acids help lower
cholesterol
and blood triglycerides, and prevent clots in
arteries, which
may result in strokes, heart attacks and thromboses.
As a source of fiber mucilage, oral flaxseed (not
flaxseed oil)
may possess laxative properties, although only one
human trial
has been conducted for this indication.
But you should be drinking a lot of water after
consuming the
seeds.
Does Omega 3 Lowers Cholesterol? Does Flaxseed Oil
Prevent
Cancer too? The primary sources of omega-6 are corn,
soy,
canola, safflower and sunflower oil; these oils are
overabundant in the typical diet, which explains our
excess
omega-6 levels.
I also compared a few other infomercial-marketed
products. One,
a knock-off of the Fast Abs bodybuilding belt, an
electronic
muscle stimulation device, runs for about $10 to $15
on eBay
(with free shipping). Off eBay, the real product
will cost you
around $30, plus shipping/handling. Another, Smart
ABS, is
priced at $50 on eBay; off, it ranges between $70
and $80. A
third product is a Fitness Quest glider similar to
the Tony
Little Gazelle Freestyle Elite. Buy it on eBay and
you'll pay
roughly $220, almost half of what you would spend at
Little's
official site.
The last product I checked out was Jolie Weights,
one-pound
attachable fitness shoe weights introduced this
spring by Jolie
World. At http://JolieWeights.com, these weights
cost $19.99. An
independent eBay seller was auctioning them for
$14.99. That's a
25 percent savings. Plus, shipping/handling charges
are exactly
the same.
The bottom line is: You will find some good deals on
eBay. But
there are a good number of duds there too. The best
advice? Do
your research before buying. Compare prices; read
the fine
print; ask the seller whether it's a discontinued or
irregular
product; and be vigilant of bloated
shipping/handling charges
(a common practice among eBay sellers). A final tip:
before
buying anything, read the seller's reviews, where
buyers post
their positive or negative shopping experiences. If
the eBay
seller has too many negatives, then you may want to
pass on the
deal. If the seller seems legitimate, and you've
confirmed it's
a steal, jump on it.
The truth is that although the odds of surviving
bypass surgery
have improved since the operation was introduced,
bypass surgery
kills anywhere from 2% to 4% of the patients on the
operating
table, and more within a few months.
In this Omega-3 benefits and facts section you will
learn the
basics about omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA)
from fish oils
and their function in our bodies.
These beneficial fats play important roles in brain,
nerve,
glandular, and eye functions. In addition, they are
involved in
the transport and metabolism of cholesterol and
triglycerides.
Let me first address the issue of fat. Fat seems to
receive a
lot of reprimand but the fact is we all need fat;
fat helps
nutrient absorption, nerve transmission, maintaining
cell
membrane integrity etc. However, when consumed in
excess
amount, fat contributes to weight gain, heart
disease and
certain types of cancer.
Flax seed boasts a long history as a healing herb.
First
cultivated in Europe, the plant's brown seeds were
regularly
used to prepare balms for inflamed skin and healing
slurries
for constipation.
About The Author: Why is Flaxseed called the Miracle
Food? More
at http://www.flaxseedfitness.com |
