May 2008 Archives

faToid ~ Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.

Dig it! Watermelon season is here.
From May through-out the summer, the best, sweetest and most delicious fruit ever is readily available. AND at 46 calories per cup, you're gettin' a whole lotta bang for your calorie buck! This Beliefnet Blogger is jumpin' for joy!

What is watermelon?
The watermelon is neither a fruit nor a melon. (I'm shocked. Next thing you know, they'll be telling us that the world isn't round.)

Watermelon's official name is Citrullus lanatu, and it is a member of the botanical family Curcurbitacae; and it is a vegetable. (Go know!!!!) It is related to the cucumbers, pumpkins and squash families. Watermelons are native to the Kalahari desert of southern Africa and were introduced to America by Africans transported as slaves.

Fresh watermelons may be eaten just as they are, used to flavor summer drinks, or in a variety of recipes. (One of my favorite summer recipes is below.)

Kryptonite - (yes, the thing that done in Superman) - comes in all colors, sizes and textures! This Warning brought to you by Janice Taylor, Beliefnet blogger.

While discussing ice cream with Pam*, a client of mine, we realized that she is drawn to a certain cold, creamy, sugary substance that promises to soothe, to delight, to make happy. Ice Cream is, indeed, her kryptonite.

At first glance, the innocent container of Chunky Monkey seems playful and non-threatening. It calls to Pam, "Come - have fun with me. I will soothe your woes and heighten your happiness. I am here for you like no other."

And so Pam opens the container and spoons out a small portion. She even measures 1/2 cup ... but then something happens. Chunky Monkey starts to sing another tune. "More, have more." "More ... and more." Pam mysteriously finds herself sitting with a spoon in one hand, an empty container in the other, and her newly purchased silk blouse is Chunky Monkey stained. Was it soothing, after all? Is she happy?

Ice Cream is Pam's kryptonite. While one might say, then do not buy it ... she does not. Her freezer is stocked by others (son and husband).

What to do when you open the freezer and find ice cream staring you square in the face, calling your name?

Remind yourself that ice cream is not your friend. Just as Superman was pulled in and ultimately destroyed by kryptonite, so shall you become undone by ice cream (or your equivalent evil i.e. cake or candy).

Label things as they are! Download this Kryptonite sign, cut out, and paste onto your cookies, candy boxes, ice cream containers, peanut butter jars. Onto all red light foods that lead you astray!

Complements of Our Lady of Weight Loss. She's with you every ounce of the weigh.

Spread the word (NOT the icing!),
Janice

Join others in their fight against their personal kryptonite! Join the Kick in the Tush Club community.

and pick up a copy of Our Lady of Weight Loss's new book All Is Forgiven, Move On - the best permanent fat removal book ever written!

*The names in this blog post have been changed to protect the innocent.

A “Beef” that I Must Express; Not Suppress – McDonald’s Coupons are Sending an Unsolicited Fat Ripple throughout my Weight Loss Community
by Janice Taylor, Beliefnet blogger!

My Beef with McDonald’s was ignited after reading an e-mail from Our Lady of Weight Loss reader, Gina F.W.

Dear Janice ~ Do you know that Amazon bundled All Is Forgiven, Move On with coupons for McDonald's southern style chicken sandwiches and breakfast biscuits?

McDonald’s is offering free chicken biscuits and chicken sandwiches, artfully photographed with French fries and Coca-Cola. Of course, you're not going to go in to pick up your free southern style chicken sandwich without also buying some fries and corn syrup sweetened cola, are you? That's what the subliminal photo is programming you to do!

Tut, tut. Very naughty and thoughtless of Amazon and McDonald’s to do that, don't you think? Almost encouraging one to go on a bender before going back on the wagon. I am going to email both amazon.com and McDonald’s and express my concern at their lack of tact. ~ Gina F.W.

Thank you, Gina, for bringing this to my attention. You were the first, but not the last to report the McDonald’s snafu. Others queried: “Are McDonald’s fried foods now an Our Lady of Weight Loss approved item?”

NO – McDonald’s fried foods are not Our Lady of Weight Loss approved.
NO – I didn’t know about this.
YES – I am appalled!

"Perplexed" turns to Our Lady of Weight Loss and asks "How can I help my daughter? How can I restore family harmony?"

Dear Our Lady of Weight Loss ~ I have three teenage-young adult kids. They are all winners in their own ways and on track to be happy, successful people. But of course, they do have issues and need guidance.

My middle daughter needs to lose some weight – but has resisted all efforts on my part to help. She doesn’t want to go to Weight Watchers or try a planned diet. She says she is happy the way she is and asks me to cease and desist on the issue of weight.

I would be happy to let it be – but my husband pressures me to address it with her. He somehow thinks I am part of the problem – though I eat a pretty balanced diet and exercise allot. She is away at school, so I have very little control over what my daughter consumes.

I would like to wait and see and let my daughter deal – but my husband blames me and insists that I “DO SOMETHING!”

What can I do to get him off my back, her back, and restore family harmony? Do tell!
~ Perplexed

Dear Perplexed ~ May I be blunt and put it right out there? (I hear a resounding “yes.” Thank you.)

How might you change your relationship to chocolate and make it a part of your every day life in the spirit of health, energy and self-empowerment? Janice Taylor, Chief Beliefnet Chocoholic tells all!

A great many of us are chocolate lovers and have been known to indulge and sometimes even over-indulge. One tiny handful of M&Ms leads us to another handful, and while we fight the urge, in the end, we mysteriously find ourselves holding an empty 1-pound bag. ("How did that happen?", we wonder.) Remorse sets in and the self-deprecating chatter takes over.

Now ... Imagine savoring one truly amazing square of chocolate, knowing that it is anchoring you to your best self, your energized self, and that it is fueling your fortitude and resolve. (Wow! That's some chocolate!) Here's how you can indulge, savor, incorporate, live with and love chocolate on a daily basis, as you stay healthy, wealthy and wise!

The Ten Truths of the Power of Pure and Earthly Chocolate

1. Sacred Roots. Unadulterated, untainted, unmodified, pure cacao beans, the source of pure raw chocolate, is where it's at! They are still used for rituals, in medicine and celebration in the Yucatan Peninsula. (Here is a real estate link, if you are interested is moving. I am!)

2. Love and Sex. Cacao beans are a natural drug. They contain up to 2.2 percent phenylethylamine, the ‘love and sex’ chemical, AND cacao beans contain other compounds that enhance mood, joy, creativity and imagination. Imagine that!

GET SMOKIN' from Janice Taylor, Belifnet Blogger It's time to clean up and heat up the grill, gather your friends and get smokin'. While cooking with fire - an ancient cooking technique - is adventurous and fun, there are...

BAD CAT MOTHER: Why hath thou forsaken me? by Janice Taylor for Beliefnet I speak not of Mary, God, my angels, my husband nor my children. I speak of my cat, Rayne. Rayne, cat of all cats, why hath...

Handicap Me! excerpt from All Is Forgiven, Move On, the best permanent fat removal book ever written, by Janice Taylor, Beliefnet Blogger Golf is a great leveler. It's handicapping system enables beginners to compete with skilled players. A zero...

F.A.T.T. (Fat-Free and Tantalizingly Tasty) Chats with Cool Cats from Janice Taylor, Beliefnet Blogger As the world of God would mysteriously have it, a few weeks ago I was having a conversation with my ‘spiritual adviser,’ Kathryn. We were...

Resist Temptation! Forego the burgers and fries ... Memorial Day Weekend is right around the corner. Here are some guilt-free Righteous Recipes that will most definitely get you through this grillin' holiday minus the guilt and gluttony. Set your intention...

I do believe that a great many of us have a deep-seated belief that in order to permanently remove excess weight we need to suffer. I am here to assure you that Permanent Fat Removal does not equal suffering! How...

Have you ever wondered when people started to obsess about food and weight? There was a time when no one ‘dieted’ and nasty fat words didn’t exist. Oh yeah - cave men didn’t call each other fat slobs. Those...

Yes, today is my birthday! I'm such a baby. When I was a kid, I did a 100 day countdown. I announced it at breakfast each and every morning for 100 days. My brothers nearly killed me. You can imagine....

Seven years ago, Our Lady of Weight Loss, patron saint of permanent fat removal, came to my rescue at one of those group meetings where people obsess about food and weight. With a quick twist of my neck, she...

Are you stuck? In a 'bad' mood? Feeling blue? Discouraged? Are those old feelings of defeat surfacing? Are you covered in crumbs and you don't know how it happened? Is the Fat Monster about to take over? Here is a...

A Tasty Tidbit from All Is Forgiven, Move On (hits the stands this Thursday!) Keeping in mind that there are reasons – and then – there are excuses and that what may be a valid reason for one person may...

What is happiness? Are we as happy as we make up our minds to be? Is there truly an opportunity to find something positive in every event and everyone? I'd like to believe that to be true, although, I...

Janice Taylor, author of All Is Forgiven, Move On and Our Lady of Weight Loss and her very talented 92-year young mother, Harriet Taylor, sing a mother's day song just for you! Plus a drug tale that will curl...

Hi Y'all ... as you may recall, a contest was a brewin'! You answered the question, "What Foods Do You Find Irresistible?" - and your name was tossed into the proverbial hat. The prize was ME. Without further ado,...

Permanent Fat Removal is the Ultimate Spiritual Journey. At its heart, permanent fat removal is a spiritual matter. It is a journey that takes one from a place of despair, depression, and defeat … into the “LITE.” The light of...

No one is perfect... that's why pencils have erasers. ~ Author Unknown “What’s wrong with perfectionism?” you ask. “PLENTY,” I answer! … which, by the way, makes perfectionism totally imperfect. Perfection is often linked with achievement, painstaking awareness to detail....

Dromesburg, Kick in the Tush Club community member, added her pick to the "MUSIC: What's Your Song" discussion board. She writes, "Recently, I've had Don Henley's "The Heart of the Matter" stuck in my head. "I think it's about...

The Mighty Jigsaw Puzzle not only keeps your hands busy, but it awakens and exercises the mind. You can work on your fine motor skills and eye-to-hand coordination without using a fork! Medical research shows that people who keep...

Whether you love to travel or not, the most efficient way to get from here to way over there is via flight. Not on the wings of an eagle, rather via a small seat in a crowded plane that is...

The Pontificating Pundits I’ve been paying close attention to the news coverage of this primary season and listening to the pundits pontificate on the same points over and over again. They talk of exit polls as they do the...

How much happiness is enough? Are we too happy? Am I too happy? (Something new for me to fret over; add to my list of neuroses.) A recent and interesting study, which caught my happy eye, published in December...

As I was sippin' my morning mega-mug a' joe (more than a cup for me, please), I remembered one of my all time favorite yum-delicious smoothies and whipped up a blender full. There's enough here for at least 2...