If you’ve flipped through a magazine or turned on the TV lately, you’ve likely seen an advertisement for the weight-loss pill alli. According to the company Web site, “If you are ready to take responsibility, alli and your hard work can help increase your weight loss by 50 [percent].”

Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, remember what your mother told you about things that seem too good to be true. alli works by blocking the absorption of a portion of the fat you consume. Blocking fat is great, but that fat has to go somewhere. With alli, the fat passes through your body naturally.

So, what are the side effects of this? According to the alli website:”Treatment effects are bowel changes that are most commonly caused by eating meals with too much fat while using alli capsules. Such effects may include oily spotting, loose stools, and more frequent stools that may be hard to control.

alli works by blocking the absorption of a quarter of the fat in the foods you eat. This undigested fat passes through the body naturally, and it is not harmful. In fact, you may recognize it in the toilet as something that looks like the oil on top of a pizza.”

Loose stools? Oily spotting? Anyone still interested?

In America, people are always looking for a quick fix. We want to lose weight, but we often don’t want to exercise. We want to eat healthy food, but we don’t want to pass up our French fries and cheeseburgers.  Getting healthy and losing weight is hard work. Often, it isn’t as simple as taking a pill.

(photo credit: newbirth)

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Remember when your mom used to bring you a piping hot bowl of chicken soup when you were feeling under the weather? Turns out, Mom might have been on to something.

Recently, researchers decided to put the old chicken soup remedy to the test. They tested a number of store-bought and homemade chicken soups to determine their effects on cold symptoms. The result? Chicken soup actually helps alleviate congestion by reducing inflammation in air passages and also helps keep us hydrated.

Have you had any success treating cold symptoms with chicken soup? If so, share your story and your chicken soup recipe!

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