Orlistat (Xenical) has been reformulated and made available for over-the counter sales as ALLI.  Loudly trumpeted is the fact that in its new manifestation, it no longer has the same level of unpleasant side effects of the original. 

After all, who wants "oily spotting in your undergarments, oily or fatty stools, orange or brown colored oil in your stool, gas with discharge, an oily discharge, loose stools, or an urgent need to go to the bathroom, inability to control bowel movements, an increased number of bowel movements, or stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rectal pain" - at whatever level.

Perhaps the fact that it also may cause cancer of the colon is immaterial?

Diet drug Xenical renamed Alli, still a cancer worry

Weight Control - eating for health

Help from supplements

and thank you, to all of you who waved and honked when you saw me: it was fun to be in strange places and realize I had friends there.

I drove many, many hours on Tuesday and arrived tired but pleased to be home.  Stay tuned over the next weeks for the information and new products I brought back with me.

July is the month when the Natural Products Association has its big Convention, so I will be gone for about 10 days, returning around the 25th.  I do not like to fly, since for some reason I always become ill when I do - so the Great Red Camaro will be on the road again. I am taking my 12 year old grandson with me, and we hope to have some good times on the way.

This is when I keep up with new developments in alternative health, and see what is new on the market.

I will try to keep up with my personal mail while I am gone, and of course the business will hum along as usual without me with my husband in charge.  Talk to you when I get back!

P.S once again I am struck by the irony of the fact that my spellchecker not only does not recognize the word "Camaro", but suggests I replace it with Camry!!

For all too long, "eye appeal "and "mouth appeal", the 2 main ways in which manufacturers of mass foods have tried to manipulate our urge to buy, have been totally dependent on unhealthy ingredients.  In fact, many of the colors used over the years have been banned because they were truly deadly leaving only a few still to be attacked because they are more subtly harmful.

It is incontrovertible, however, that color plays a large role in deciding whether a food will taste good:  and consumers waking up to the benefits of fruits and berries are increasingly demanding that the coloring source serve 2 purposes: our health as well as our taste buds.

Health effects of Natural Colors

Red food coloring linked to cancer

Tartrazine (Yellow #5) and Children

When one is diagnosed with a serious disease such as cancer, that is when the pedal meets the mettle. Nothing brings one face to face with life as she is lived, and one's place in the universe, like a possible death sentence.

This is a wonderful word for it: MINDFULNESS.  Yes, the mind becomes full, but it seems that filling it with worthwhile, valuable thoughts about the meaning of life and how precious it is, rather than with fear and disturbance, can contribute  significantly to a positive outcome. Not only that - for those who have advocated this approach all along, how empowering to finally see actual scientific validation. 

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Meditation, Yoga, Relaxation, Cortisol Reference: "One year pre-post intervention follow-up of psychological, immune, endocrine and blood pressure outcomes of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in breast and prostate cancer outpatients," Carlson LE, Speca M, et al, Brain Behav Immun, 2007 May 21; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Linda E. Carlson, Department of Psychosocial Resources, Tom Baker Cancer Centre Holy Cross Site, Alberta Cancer Board, 2202 Second St. S.W., Calgary, Alta., Canada T3B 0W7; Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada). Summary: In a study involving 49 patients with breast cancer and 10 patients with prostate cancer, participation in an 8-week "mindfulness-based stress reduction" (MBSR) program was found to enhance quality of life, reduce stress symptoms, reduce cortisol levels, improve immune patterns, reduce systolic blood pressure and improve mood. The 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program consisted of relaxation, meditation, gentle yoga, and a daily home practice. Various measurements were taken pre- and post-intervention, and at 6 and 12 months follow-up. Results of linear mixed modeling showed significant improvements in overall symptoms of stress after the intervention, which remained over the follow-up period. Reductions in pro-inflammatory cytokines, cortisol levels, systolic blood pressure, and mood disturbances were found. Furthermore, heart rate was positively associated with symptoms of stress. The results of this study suggest that participation in activities such as those included in this mindfulness-based stress reduction program may be of great benefit to cancer patients, with beneficial effects lasting well beyond the intervention. The authors conclude, "These pilot data represent a preliminary investigation of the longer-term relationships between MBSR program participation and a range of potentially important biomarkers."

Original here.