June 2009 Archives

It has been a week of loss. Michael Jackson died, as did Farrah Fawcett. And, on the Beliefnet.com home front, Holly Rossi, lost her fascinating grandmother, GaGa.

Holly's heartfelt and eloquent piece, posted in her blog Fresh Living, touched me on multiple levels. I love that she called her grandmother GaGa, and while GaGa wasn't the typical cookie baking grandma, she did turn out a mean Osso Bucco, and she was committed to wearing deep red lipstick. A woman after my own heart. Holly sweetly brought GaGa to life.

Holly encouraged us to remember our families, loved ones, those who have come and gone. And so I did. I stopped and sat and remembered ... my brother who died two short years ago from Pancreatic cancer, my father who left us a few days after September 11. The word loss floated before me.

The dictionary meaning of loss is "to be deprived of something or someone." It is a failure to keep or get something valued.

I now know that there is no loss in death, because we were left a treasure that has lasting power. Let us remember all that we have gained this week. All the magic, the song, the dance, the movies, the books, the smiles and the angels.

Visit Holly's GaGa and leave a note of rememberance.

More Living!
Michael Jackson: A piece of the puzzle.
Michael Jackson: The complexity of being human.
In Need of Comfort Food?

Spread the word ... NOT the icing,
Janice
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Follow Janice on Twitter and/or Facebook!

Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal an OPRAH BOOK CLUB pick: Summer 2009 - Buy NOW!

Join the Our Lady of Weight Loss's Kick in the Tush Club: Beliefnet Chapter.

Write Janice Taylor, Health & Wellness Coach, Certified Hypnotist, Author and 50-pound big-time-loser for an introductory one-on-one coaching session.
Visit Our Lady of Weight Loss.
about Janice

Feeling stressed? Depressed? Overweight? Help is on the way! Janice Taylor, Beliefnet blogger brings word to you from the far side ... Australia!

A new Queensland University of Technology study suggests that breathing can be a highly effective alternative to drugs when treating anxiety and depression.

As we know, anxiety and depression often lead to emotional eating, which results in weight gain! Researchers explain: In response to stress and trauma, people tend to hold their breath which reduces Serotonin production in the brain! Serotonin is known as the 'happy neurotransmitter' as it helps to regulate or moods.

Breathing can:
1. Affect our metabolism.
2. Affect the quantity of food we ingest.
3. Make us feel better mentally, physically & emotionally.
4. Calm us.
5. Release endorphins, which help us to feel happy.
6. Enhance our appearance.
7. Make us feel instantly stronger and thinner.
8. Revitalize and energize every cell in our bodies.
9. Increase our energy level.

Breathing has the power to lift our spirits, and aid in our weight loss efforts. Healthy breathing helps us maintain the right balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in our cells, which has a favorable impact on our metabolism and our moods!

Jon Kabat-Zinn, University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Care Center, says "Every breath, actually, is a release not only of air, but all the pent-up energy in the body. Every in-breath can be restoration or revitalization, and every out-breath a letting-go of anxiety or anger or tension or irritability."

Dr. Andrew Weill offers some simple breathing techniques.

More on breathing it away:
7 Ways to Chant, Pray and Breathe It Away!
Feeling Blue? A Mood Lift
Oprah's Book Club! Fill up on great reading!

Spread the word ... NOT the icing,
Janice
------------------------------------------------------
Follow Janice on Twitter and/or Facebook!

Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal an OPRAH BOOK CLUB pick: Summer 2009 - Buy NOW!

Join the Our Lady of Weight Loss's Kick in the Tush Club: Beliefnet Chapter.

Write Janice Taylor, Health & Wellness Coach, Certified Hypnotist, Author and 50-pound big-time-loser for an introductory one-on-one coaching session.
Visit Our Lady of Weight Loss.
about Janice

"There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle." ~ Deepak Chopra

Here follows today's jigsaw puzzle, created by me for you. Something to work on and play with as you might wonder about life and death, forgiveness, compassion, love and song.

Michael Jackson - A piece of the puzzle.
by Janice Taylor
Health & Wellness Coach
Weight Loss Artist/Author ...
... and - A piece of the puzzle.

More Sunday reading.
Michael Jackson: The complexity of life.
Oprah's Summer Reading 2009: Our Lady of Weight Loss - A MUST READ!!!
Overweight? Will it kill you?

Spread the word ... NOT the icing,
Janice
------------------------------------------------------
Follow Janice on Twitter and/or Facebook!

Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal an OPRAH BOOK CLUB pick: Summer 2009 - Buy NOW!
Join the Kick in the Tush Club: Beliefnet Chapter.

Write Janice Taylor, Health & Wellness Coach, Certified Hypnotist, Author and 50-pound big-time-loser for an introductory one-on-one coaching session.
Visit Our Lady of Weight Loss.
about Janice

It's official!!! Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal by Beliefnet.com blogger Janice Taylor is one of Oprah's picks for Summer Reading 2009.

Special thanks to Kick in the Tush Club member Adriana for forwarding me Oprah's newsletter that featured Our Lady of Weight Loss along side the rest of her summer picks.

I couldn't be more delighted, as you can well imagine. Our Lady of Weight Loss was and is a labor of love. I want to share my tips, tricks, recipes and my secrets to my own 50 pound weight loss with as many people as possible. I was heavy my entire life - a fat kid, weighing in at 112 pounds at 8 years-old - yo-yo'ing from that point forward.

Permanently removing 50 pounds (gone now for 8 years!) is a miracle! Here's what Oprah had to say about Our Lady of Weight Loss...

"It takes a kooky kind of genius to turn weight loss into an art project, and Taylor's soaking in it. Six years ago, she began to turn food into collages and dioramas. She shed 50 pounds in the process and has kept it off. See if her idiosyncratic diet plan will work for you." ~ Oprah's Book Club, Summer Reading 2009

... If you haven't picked up your copy yet, do so!!! You will love it.

Platterfuls of gratitude for your support!

More food for thought:
Fat to Thin: Step out of your fat suit and into life!
Weight Loss Wisdom: Stuck on chocolate.
How Do You Stop YOURSELF?

Spread the word ... NOT the icing,
Janice

Interested in Our Lady's art (illustrated by Janice Taylor?
Curious about one-on-one coaching?

Follow Janice on Twitter:
Facebook!

Janice Taylor is a Health & Wellness Coach, specializing in weight loss, reinvention, transformation & happiness, author, seminar leader and 50-pound-BIG-Time-LOSER!

For more motivation and inspiration, join the Kick in the Tush Club: Beliefnet Chapter.

"Janice Taylor is a certain kind of kooky genius ~ see if her idiosyncratic diet plan will work for you." ~ O, The Oprah Magazine

about Janice

As reports begin to filter in on the behind the scenes life of Michael Jackson, his alleged addiction to Demerol (a narcotic painkiller) and possible cause of death, his rumored marriage to Rwaramba (the children's nanny), the number of plastic surgery procedures undergone, his court appearances regarding his alleged inappropriate behavior with young boys, his shyness and insecurities, and his undeniable talent - on a level that comes but once in a lifetime - that has been and will continue to be a meaningful part of our lives, one does wonder about the complexity of the human being and what it is all about.

The meaning of life has been the subject of much philosophical, religious, scientific and spiritual debate throughout history. And in this time of death, we find ourselves wondering ...

... "Why are we here?"
... "Do we have a soul?"
... "What happens when we die?"
... "Do we have a purpose?"
... "Why is happiness so complicated?"
... "What is the meaning of life?"

I wouldn't presume to have the answers to these questions, although I suspect that we are often barking up the wrong tree.

In this moment of reflection, which death often provides, I offer you some thoughts from some of our most respected and best philosophers, writers and just plain folk that may help us find our way.

More thought provoking articles:
The Art of Imperfection
Stressed? 7 ways to chant and pray it away.
The Power of Affirmations!

Spread the word ... NOT the icing,
Janice

Interested in Our Lady's art (illustrated by Janice Taylor?
Curious about one-on-one coaching?

Follow Janice on Twitter:
Facebook!

Janice Taylor is a Health & Wellness Coach, specializing in weight loss, reinvention, transformation & happiness, author, seminar leader and 50-pound-BIG-Time-LOSER!

For more motivation and inspiration, join the Kick in the Tush Club: Beliefnet Chapter.

"Janice Taylor is a certain kind of kooky genius ~ see if her idiosyncratic diet plan will work for you." ~ O, The Oprah Magazine

about Janice

Set Your Table for Change! Here are some great fat melting tips from Our Lady of Weight Loss's Arsenal for Mass Reduction ... and an excellent excuse (or reason) to go shopping! Use dark, small plates! Studies show that people...

Did you hear? Elizabeth Hasselbeck, co-host of ABC's The View, and author the diet book "The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide" is being sued for copyright infringement by Susan Hassett. Hassett says that Hasselbeck helped herself to substantial portions,...

A number of readers have asked me for more details about my travels on the rocky road to Sveltesville, wanting me to further share my secrets that led me from a size 18 to a size 4, and how I...

Listen up! I've got something to share with you that is going to curl your hair or straighten it, depending! A treasure trove of life-changing information! My friend, neighbor and sister Beliefnet.com blogger, Victoria Moran, is launching her latest book...

Our Lady of Weight Loss wants to know ... Got the Belly Fat Blues? The benefits of eating blueberries, a fruit that is rich in antioxidants, has been known for some time, but now new studies indicate that blueberries may...

This week's Weight Loss Jig Saw art is called "Cool as a Cucumber Angel." She is cool, comforting, and comes complete with flying cucumber, daisy power and a to-die-for recipe! Cool as a Cucumber Angel Salad Ingredients: 2 long...

On Father's Day, what better message to send than a healthy and happy one! Lighten Up with Our Lady of Weight Loss's Glorious Greetings ~ Spirited and spiritual e-cards! More celebratory days! International Sushi Day: does sushi make us...

I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like to be Jon or Kate or one of the eight. The amount of milk and bread consumed daily would be enough to put me over the edge, never mind...

Would you prefer knowing the truth or living in ignorance? Assuming knowledge is power and ignorance is bliss, which would you prefer - power or bliss? Here follows 'the truth about Sushi!' from Janice Taylor, Beliefnet.com Sushi Lover. As...

What if this Beliefnet blogger were to tell you that there is a healthy and guilt-free food readily available - sitting in your supermarket - waiting for you - that is more comforting than mac n' cheese, chocolate pudding, whipped...

This Beliefnet blogger wants to know, "How do you know when you are sated?" While leading an amazing Our Lady of Weight Loss enLIGHTens Workshop, I tossed the following question out to my group. "How do you know when you...

I woke up to a lot of hubbub about the inescapable - no way you can miss it - massively huge in size and message - Calvin Klein billboard displayed on Lafayette and Houston Streets in SoHo (NYC) today. Unbuttoned,...

Food, Inc. is a mind-blowing, stomach-twisting, eye-opening and ultimately heart-breaking film. See it - today! Filmmaker Robert Kenner 'lifts the veil' on our nation's food industry. Our food supply is now controlled by a handful of for-big-profit corporations who...

Are you stressed? Irritable? Having trouble sleeping? Do you feel like screaming? Crying? Pouring a jug of water over your boss's head? We all feel stressed from time to time, so it is essential to have an arsenal of coping...

Chances are you've heard about the Laws of Attraction. The basic concept is that you attract into your life whatever you think about. Positive thoughts and beliefs create a positive life; negative thoughts and beliefs attract negativity. One sure way...

Janice Taylor, Beliefnet blogger, reporting in from Omega Institute of Holistic Studies in The Catskills, New York. Our Lady of Weight Loss and I are leading a workshop entitled "Our Lady of Weight Loss EnLIGHTens." (She always gets top billing!)...

This Beliefnet blogger asked Kick in the Tush Club members to answer the following question, "What is your good morning recipe?" And Sunny Gal answered! Good goin' Sunny Gal! Thanks!!!! 10 Sunny Ways to Make Your Day a Good...

Today's weight loss question was inspired by The North Wind from Aesop's Fables. The North Wind boasted of great strength. The Sun argued that there was great power in gentleness. "We shall have a contest," said the Sun. Far below,...

As an antidote to National Donut Day, Our Lady of Weight Loss gave a shout out to the Angel of Avocado. "HELP! Send a healthy recipe, now! Look what the big chains - Dunkin' Donuts, Krispy Kreme - are...

A special twitter tweet from Dena Ross, Entertainment Editor of Beliefnet! Dena said, "We've selected the stars who use the micro-blogging service in the best way--to offer positive thoughts and advice to their followers. Click here to see who they...

The hype for The Twilight Saga: New Moon has begun. I caught a trailer for it this morning. Looks good, if you like Vampires, and who doesn't? And speaking of New Moons, I was wondering if you were aware of...

On Tuesday, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington DC consumer group announced its 2009 Xtreme Eating Awards. All award winning dishes were chock a bloc with calories, layered with salt, fat, sugar on top of fat,...

Mo'Nique, the full figured - fat is fabulous - celebrity and author of Skinny Women are Evil and Skinny Cooks Can't Be Trusted, finally reached the point of no return when she topped the scales of injustice at 262 pounds....

If you inexplicably had an irresistible urge to go on a chocolate or ice cream run late last night, a taco binge, or a combination of the above, feel free to blame saboteur Conan O'Brien. During his last night's premiere...

Just hours after falling from grace, from an expected sure thing, to second place in the Britain's Got Talent finals, Susan Boyle was whisked off in an ambulance to a London clinic under police escort, reportedly for treatment of exhaustion....

There a multitude of self-help books in the marketplace that speak to the idea of self-acceptance, self-worth, self-love - in fact - I've authored two of them! And with that in mind, I have to say that Howard Glasser's new...