Beyonce reportedly lost 20 pounds in 10 days just prior to filming Dreamgirls by going on The Master Cleanse aka The Lemonade Diet. 

Oprah did the Quantum Wellness Cleanse by developed by Kathy Freston.  You can read all about her experience on Oprah.com

Everywhere you look, there are Detox Diets.  Some with ingredients you purchase in the store and drink with water, some with instructions on certain foods and drinks you can buy yourself and make at home.

I can’t get past the idea of eating NO food (for 10 days!) with The Master Cleanse, and the Quantum Wellness Cleanse includes very few foods that I like and lasts for 21 days.  I suppose I’m not very disciplined anyway…I really, really, really love food!

Besides, isn’t it the job of my very capable liver to screen any toxins that I may accidentally consume?  I’m just not sure that the benefits would outweigh the discomfort of being on the diet.

If you are thinking about starting a detox or a cleansing diet, please do your research first and talk with a doctor.

Here’s a great link to an article on WebMD that may help:  http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/detox-diets-purging-myths

What do you think?  Have you considered going on a detox diet?

Have you already tried a detox or cleansing diet?  Tell me about it – I’d love to hear about your experience!

My handsome hubby and I am embarking on yet another diet attempt.  Over the years, we have tried South Beach, Bob Green’s Best Life Diet, visited a weight loss clinic, etc.  Along the way we have learned a few things and in general, we make much wiser choices than we did when we first got married.  From late 2007 to last June, I lost a total of 40 pounds.  YAY for me, but unfortunately, I have gained about 12 pounds of that back a little at a time.  I’ve been feeling a little sluggish lately, and I know part of that is because I haven’t been working out, but a large part of it is related to my diet.  For the most part, I make healthy choices, I love veggies and I watch my portion sizes.  Yet, the weight gain seems to be most visible around my waist.  Time to get rid of it!  Jorge Cruise, author of the Belly Fat Cure to the rescue.

I’m so glad I ordered this book from Amazon, ($11.66) because it helped me realize that even without eating sweets, my sugar consumption has been way too high.  For example, most days, I eat a Nutri-Grain Cereal Bar for breakfast.  With only 130 calories, I thought I was making a pretty good choice.  WRONG!  These have 12 grams of sugar per bar, leaving only 3 grams for the rest the Belly Fat Diet’s recommended daily sugar intake.

I’ve never been much of a soda person, but for those of you who are, one regular Coca Cola has 39 grams of sugar, 24 grams more than your entire recommended daily allowance on the Belly Fat Diet.  Personally, I would much rather eat my sugar grams than drink them, unless of course we are talking about milkshakes…but I digress.

Sugar is associated with a number of evils when used in excess.  Here are just a few of them:

Taken from www.HealingDaily.com

• Sugar can suppress the immune system.
• Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, and concentration difficulties
• Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
• Sugar can reduce helpful high density cholesterol (HDLs).
• Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol (LDLs).
• Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
• Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.
• Sugar can cause kidney damage.
• Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
• Sugar can promote tooth decay.
• Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.
• Sugar can increase total cholesterol.
• Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
• High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
• Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
• Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
• Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
• Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.
• Sugar can cause depression.
• Sugar can increase the body’s fluid retention.
• Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
• Sugar can cause hypertension.
• Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
• Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha and theta brain waves, which can alter the mind’s ability to think clearly.

Who needs all this extra health trouble?  Chances are, you can decrease your daily sugar intake by just omitting one or two things from your diet.  I challenge you to join me on the road to wellness by decreasing your sugar intake.   What will you give up for better health?

 Source

Inevitably, at least once a year, I allow my priorities to get completely out of line. Honestly, I have several self-destructive behaviors that you would think I would overcome as I get older. Some I do, some I don’t. Here are a few of the repeat offenders for your reading pleasure:

• Zombie TV marathons – I am so tired at the end of the day that I crash in front of the TV, watching an absurd amount of TV when I really should be sleeping. Seriously, I really should clean my own house instead of watching Niecy Nash and her crew clean someone else’s.
• Poor food choices – lately, I grab whatever is quick and keeps me from having to cook. Never mind that it isn’t the best choice, it’s fast and I can eat it at my desk.
• Skipping workouts – I had a real workout today for the first time since March and my body can feel it. I know I am so much better at everything when I take that time for myself, so why do I dread it so much?
• Procrastinating the hard stuff – I’ve been doing this a lot lately. I just need to put on my big girl panties and deal with things – at the top of the day, no less.
• Working long hours. I know you do this too, and some days call for long hours, but not every day. I tell myself all the time, “When I get caught up I can go back to regular business hours.” Guess what? I will never be caught up – I just need to prioritize better.
• Not nurturing my relationships. I couldn’t tell you the last time my sweet hubby and I had a date night. How on earth I ended up with a wonderful man who puts up with my idiosyncrasies is anyone’s guess. My son has spent a large portion of his summer as a gamer. I console myself with the fact that most of the games are educational, and it’s too hot outside anyway. I have some amazing girlfriends, but honestly, I couldn’t tell you what most of them have been up to. I. am. awesome.

Really, the list goes on and on. My son starts back to school next week. Back to school time has become a sort of checkpoint point for my annual goals aka New Year’s Resolutions. When I look back to what my life was like this time last year, I was in a much better place than I am now. As a result of having taken on so much this summer, I am overlooking important details – both in my personal life and business.  Why, why, why do I do this?!

It ends today.

I have spent the better part of the last two days feeling sorry for myself and beating myself up. Strangely, I think I needed to experience this low in order to gain the resolve to make some changes. Does anyone else feel this way about life, or am I losing it? Wait. Maybe I don’t want to read the answers to that.

Actually, I decided to share this today because I suspect that some of you do the same thing, right? (Please say yes, please say yes!)

If you feel the same way, invite me to your pity party – not only will I be there, I’ll bring the chips and salsa. Thanks by the way, for stopping in to mine.

I have struggled with back pain since a car accident in 1994 that nearly took my life.  In 2006, I spent a year in physical therapy and was tested for every auto-immune disease you can think of because of my intense pain.  Eventually the physical therapy worked, but not without pain during the exercising and workouts that my therapist prescribed.  I much prefer exercise over medication, so even now when I have flare-up’s, I can do the exercises that I learned in order to get relief.  (That and generous applications of Icy Hot.  Not the best smelling stuff in the world, but it helps my pain when nothing else does.)

Lots of things can create back pain and after talking to so many wedding professionals, I’m convinced we don’t take care of ourselves as we should while we are working to create excellence for our clients.  Here are a few common reasons why you may be experiencing back pain and what you can do about it.*

1)  You work too much.  Did you know that sitting puts 40% more pressure on your spine than standing?  Back muscles weaken if you don’t use them; inactive joints lose lubrication and age more quickly.  Get up and walk around for a couple of minutes every half hour—take trips to get water, use the bathroom, or grab papers off the printer.

2)  You’ve been skipping your workouts.  Get moving to alleviate aches and pains.  Even a light workout such as walking gets blood flowing and eases stiffness associated with back pain.

3)  Take up yoga.  Because it promotes deep breathing and relaxation, as well as stretching and strength, yoga may help with both emotional and structural triggers of back pain.

4)  Ignoring the pain could make it worse.  Over time, an increase in muscle tension intensifies pain.  Identify and write down details of your pain throughout the day and in varying situations.  Relay that information to your doctor or physical therapist.

5)  You’re stressed.  (No joke!)  Chronic or acute stress can directly trigger back pain and cause your whole body to clench up.  Muscles that contract need to relax eventually – if you’re stressed all the time and those muscles stay tight, it can eventually cause major pain.  Think of ways to calm down such as exercise, hanging out with friends or family.  Relax and read a book.  Listening to music has been proven to be particularly helpful.

Most importantly, see a doctor.  You could have an issue that cannot be treated by any of the means, or that could be aggravated by exercise.  A doctor can prescribe the best form of treatment for you based on your condition.

*Information for this post was adapted from an article on Prevention.com

Do you suffer with back pain?  What is your favorite back pain remedy?

I have struggled with back pain since a car accident in 1994 that nearly took my life.  In 2006, I spent a year in physical therapy and was tested for every auto-immune disease you can think of because of my intense pain.  Eventually the physical therapy worked, but not without pain during the exercising and workouts that my therapist prescribed.  I much prefer exercise over medication, so even now when I have flare-up’s, I can do the exercises that I learned in order to get relief.  (That and generous applications of Icy Hot.  Not the best smelling stuff in the world, but it helps my pain when nothing else does.)

Lots of things can create back pain and after talking to so many wedding professionals, I’m convinced we don’t take care of ourselves as we should while we are working to create excellence for our clients.  Here are a few common reasons why you may be experiencing back pain and what you can do about it.*

1)  You work too much.  Did you know that sitting puts 40% more pressure on your spine than standing?  Back muscles weaken if you don’t use them; inactive joints lose lubrication and age more quickly.  Get up and walk around for a couple of minutes every half hour—take trips to get water, use the bathroom, or grab papers off the printer.

2)  You’ve been skipping your workouts.  Get moving to alleviate aches and pains.  Even a light workout such as walking gets blood flowing and eases stiffness associated with back pain.

3)  Take up yoga.  Because it promotes deep breathing and relaxation, as well as stretching and strength, yoga may help with both emotional and structural triggers of back pain. 

4)  Ignoring the pain could make it worse.  Over time, an increase in muscle tension intensifies pain.  Identify and write down details of your pain throughout the day and in varying situations.  Relay that information to your doctor or physical therapist. 

5)  You’re stressed.  (No joke!)  Chronic or acute stress can directly trigger back pain and cause your whole body to clench up.  Muscles that contract need to relax eventually – if you’re stressed all the time and those muscles stay tight, it can eventually cause major pain.  Think of ways to calm down such as exercise, hanging out with friends or family.  Relax and read a book.  Listening to music has been proven to be particularly helpful.

Most importantly, see a doctor.  You could have an issue that cannot be treated by any of these means, or that could be aggravated by exercise.  A doctor can prescribe the best form of treatment for you based on your condition.

*Information for this post was adapted from an article on Prevention.com

Do you suffer with back pain?  What is your favorite back pain remedy?

Tags: Atlanta Wedding Planner, Wedding and Event Professionals, Wedding & Event Planners, Wellness Wednesday, Back Pain, Bad Back Habits

June has been a difficult month for me regarding scheduling.  New clients, speaking engagements that required travel, June weddings and my son being out of school have pulled my attention away from The Stylish Planner.  I can remember thinking during the first week of June that I should dedicate a post to explaining that I may not be able to blog everyday during the month of June, but I just never got around to it.  Being in a position where I am not able to keep commitments (in this case, self-imposed) really brings me down and I become my own worst enemy, beating myself up for not being able to get it all done.  Deep down I know that the priority should be placed on my clients and is better focused on revenue generating activities, but I know how disappointed I can be when others do not stick to commitments, and I can’t bear the thought of my causing disappointment in others.

Walking along my usual worry path one day last week, something in me just decided to let this one go.  The truth is, readers of The Stylish Planner are most likely too busy to read every post this month, anyway.  It is the biggest wedding month of the year, after all.  I have good, solid content in the archives for any new readers that come along.  It really is not the end of the world.  Wow – I wish I would have had the clarity of mind to think this way back on June 1st.  I could have saved myself a lot of anxiety.  And written this post then instead of now so you would know why the posts were not timely this month.  And let you know that July will bring the return of daily posts.  There, I said it – now we all know what to expect!

The freedom of letting it go, releasing the worry and making the “announcement” is therapeutic.  I forgive myself for not being able to do it all.

And you should too.  What will you let go of today?

NOTE from Jeannine:  I’m really excited to have Mary Dann-McNamee as a guest contributor today on The Stylish Planner.  In addition to sharing her actual wedding wisdom with us, Mary has also generously offered to contribute an autographed copy of her book, Wedding Wisdom for a giveaway to one lucky winner!  Winning is easy, just read Mary’s post today and leave a comment below.  One winner will be randomly selected to receive an autographed copy of Wedding Wisdom.  Enjoy!

As one of the most sought-after wedding planners in Southern California, Mary Dann-McNamee has been responsible for creative and compassionate wedding and event planning since 1991.  Mary holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy.  Her passion for the industry has led her down many paths, including becoming a contributing writer for the following magazines: Inside Weddings & Ceremony.  She has a been the on-air talent for the nationally syndicated television show "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" as well as WE Network’s “Platinum Weddings".  Dann-McNamee is a notable speaker, mentor and career counselor to event professionals world-wide.  She launched her gifts and stationery line, which includes, The Mary Dann Collection: Gratitude Notes and custom created "Wedding Wands".  Mary has also produced two DVD’s: "The Wedding Planner Path" and the "The Balanced Planner” and is the co-author of the newly released book "Wedding Wisdom".  Check out Mary’s website at: www.marydann.com and follow her on twitter: @marydann

Habits to start in order to stay balanced!

-Know that you “make or create time” it does not come knocking at your door.  Avoid saying “I don’t have time”.  The truth is you have not created the time.

-If a task takes longer than 30 minutes, put it in your calendar to make time to have it completed.

-Practice finding at least 20 gifts throughout your day. Gift of getting home safely, gift of a new prospect call, gift a new idea, gift of a positive email you did not expect, etc.

-Decrease the negative remarks and “self-talk” to oneself.  Stop telling yourself your short falls.  Start highlighting your positive choices.

-BREATHE with purpose. Inhale with a mantra of “I Love you” and exhale with the mantra of “Thank you”.

Leave your comment here to be placed in the random drawing for Mary’s book, Wedding Wisdom.