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Category: 2010 1st quarter book review

THE SEXY SEVEN–Seven Tips to Dressing 7lbsThinner! 1st Quarter 2010 Book Review

[ 0 ] April 2, 2010 | Shelley Zurek

Want to Look Slimmer for Spring?

Now that we’re shopping for spring clothes and shedding winter layers, those extra pounds will surely show. So, before you hit the shops, keep these SEVEN slimming secrets in mind:

1. Beat Up the Muffin Man

Finding the appropriate undergarments is one of the most important parts of looking your best. If your underwear or bra is too tight, it can give you that muffin-top appearance or back fat that can make you appear larger than you are.

2. Get Waisted
Adding a belt to highlight your waist – the thinnest part on most women’s bodies -can instantly make you look 7lbs thinner. Creating curves can often draw the attention to the waistline creating a slimmer and sexier style.

3. Boost Your Humps

Whether it’s your boobs or your butt, whatever your best feature, flaunt it. Wearing something that flatters your figure best will draw more attention to those areas you’re proud of.

4. Smooth Your Lumps

Smooth out lumps and bumps with a body shaper that sucks you in and tightens you up in all the right places. Not only does it instantly make you look thinner, it also hides the cellulite and bulges you try endlessly to get rid of.

5. Get High-er
Heightening those heels can lengthen the look of your legs and give you a slimmer appearance. A good investment piece for spring that every woman should own is a pair of leg-lengthening, pointy toe, nude pumps. That’s the key to looking longer and leaner!

6. The Wrong Ruffles

Avoid bulky fabrics and ruffles in ‘all the wrong places.’ Ladylike trends like ruffles are huge this season but watch the recent emergence of skirts with ruffles in places that aren’t flattering on most women, like the hips. The last thing you want to do is bring attention to trouble spots. Instead, opt for a fitted, hi-waisted pencil skirt, with some ruffle detailing on the hem.

7. Shine Bright, not Badly

Fabrics with sheen may seem sexy, but can really pack on the unwanted pounds. Opt for shiny accents on clothes, as opposed to all over shine. Also, we all love white pants for spring but if you’re heavier on the bottom, stick to a nice tailored trouser, as opposed to a white pair of skinny jeans, which can make you appear heavier. It’s also good to avoid big prints (which make you look BIGGER) and pay attention to details like neckline and the ‘rise’ on your pants.

Information provided by Bestselling “Bra Book” Author and Style Expert, Jene’ Luciani, who has been quoted in Cosmo, the Chicago Tribune and the NY Daily News, and appeared on national TV outlets including Fox News Channel and the Style Network. “Just getting the proper fitting bra can take pounds off your figure instantly,” says Luciani. But there are also some other easy ways to trim your figure, without having to hit the treadmill.

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Write your Memoir–Women over 45–2010 1st quarter Book Review

[ 0 ] March 31, 2010 | Shelley Zurek

The Soul of Telling Your Story

Chief Blonde Remarks: Did you ever try to organize your photos online or even in photo albums? Did you struggle with what organizational approach to take when laying out the pictures of your life? Chronologically? By event? By person? And what do you throw out and what do you keep? Should you scrapbook the pictures or just put them in order in a photo album or just throw them in a box and walk away? Well that’s exactly what it is like to write your memoirs but a whole lot harder. If you really have a story to tell, Write Your Memoirs will help you get there and make the later reading of that writing pleasurable for yourself and your readers!

The Publisher says:

Of all forms of writing, the memoir is perhaps most personal. In Write Your Memoir, The Soul Work of Telling Your Story, literary professor and author Dr. Allan Hunter, demonstrates a compassionate understanding of the writing process. The book is intended to assist, educate and inspire those who wish to write their memoirs. For over 30 year, Dr. Hunter has guided hundreds of people who wished to tell their stories to an honest exploration of their lives and in this manual he lays out how to do it. Anyone, who picks up this book, learns within the first few pages that Hunter cares about writers, understands the process and knows how to encourage and create honest and genuine results.

Dr. Hunter’s approach is an unusual one in that he advocates something he calls ‘soul work’, a psychic process that involves exploring the inner experience of the writer. Hunter shows that writing one’s memoir can move the writer to a different relationship with him or herself and their past. The book offers exercises and resources to clarify those experiences thereby resulting in a richer story, a more fully realized memoir and a profoundly changed writer. This is Dr. Hunter’s fifth book and as always his clear style is filled with humor, insight and sensitivity.

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The Art of Overeating–Women over 45–2010 1st quarter Book Review

[ 0 ] March 31, 2010 | Shelley Zurek

A Bellyful of Laughs about our Food-Phobic Culture

The Art of Overeating is a satire on our diet-obsessed culture released by psychotherapist Leslie Landis who believes humor is a better way to deal with eating issues than shaming someone. Her husband, Martin, is a world-class overeater and has lost 25 lbs. since the launch of her book at Barnes & Noble. He didn’t want
to be the poster boy for overeating! It is a beautifully illustrated hardback and sells for $9.95 For more info, visit; www.TheArtofOvereating.com or purchase at amazon.com.

The video below gives you the author’s tongue in cheek intro to the book!

Chief Blonde says: The pictures and remarks in the Art of Overeating by Leslie Landis combine for hilarity! “Always stand by the kitchen door so you can grab the whole tray of hors d’oeuveres before the server gets to the other guests. Insist that you are taking care of a special group of elderly or infirm people.” or “Overeating is a noble and unselfish act. As you put away gargantuan amounts of food, those sharing the meal with you will be so put off by your example that they will order less, eat less and pass on dessert.” It’s the ridiculousness of it all that makes you realize the true obsession that we have in this culture with food. A perfect perfect gift for a woman over 45 who would much rather not struggle with the “food” issue everyday!

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GOLDEN DOOR COOKS AT HOME–2010 1st Quarter Book Review

[ 0 ] March 28, 2010 | Shelley Zurek

Favorite Recipes from the Celebrated Spa

By Dean Rucker with Marah Stets

Golden Door Spa Recipes and Tips – the Perfect Gift to Kick-Start Healthy Living in the New Year!

With Easter and Spring right around the corner, it’s time to turn to the health and wellness experts at the Golden Door spa for the perfect gift idea to promote healthy living. Since the opening of the world-renowned Golden Door spa fifty years ago, guests have dined on an inspired collection of bold and innovative, yet healthy cuisine. The Golden Door chefs, eschewing food fads and fleeting diets, have always created an ever-evolving menu grounded in timelessly healthy and delicious whole foods — reminding guests that a healthy lifestyle can be a pleasurable choice. And now in Golden Door Cooks at Home: Favorite Recipes from the Celebrated Spa (Clarkson Potter, April 2009; $40.00/hardcover), the spa’s executive chef Dean Rucker shares his most sought-after recipes and cooking tips.

With a focus on lean proteins, whole grains, fresh vegetables, and other wholesome foods, the recipes in Golden Door Cooks at Home combine ingredients in remarkably delicious ways. After one bite of any of Chef Rucker’s dishes you’ll understand why his cuisine is a highlight of the Golden Door spa experience. These are just some of the creative recipes in the book:

· Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Caramelized Cauliflower

· Teriyaki Black Cod with Sticky Rice Cakes and Seared Baby Bok Choy

· Adobo-Marinated Grass-Fed Flank Steak

· Soft Rosemary-Lemon Polenta with Sweet Corn, Oyster Mushrooms, and Rainbow Chard

· Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake with Orange Sauce

Copies of the book, autographed by Chef Dean are available from the Golden Door Boutique:

(800)857-0500 www.goldendoorboutique.com

The Chief Blonde remarks: Oh, this book is jammed with yummy recipes. Pictures galore! So very healthy and tasty! I made the Garden Vegetable Soup with Pistou!!! Oh my goodness. It was beyond yum! Really! Take a look at picture below, the video of me making the soup and final–the recipe! HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS COOKBOOK!

Garden Vegetable Soup with Pistou

Made from basil, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese, pistou is stirred into soups, stews, and pastas to add aromatic flavor and color. Ordinarily, that savory burst comes from a large amount of olive oil and cheese, but my version uses no oil and just a bit of Parmesan. The trick is to puree the pistou ingredients with some of the hot soup and then stir this mixture back into the soup. This method gives the soup the extra body and robust flavor of classic pistou without the added fat. Serves 8

1 cup dried flageolet, great northern, or cannellini beans

6 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock (pages 268 and 269) or store-bought low-sodium broth

1 bay leaf

1 medium carrot, diced (1/2 cup)

2 celery ribs, diced (1 cup)

1 medium zucchini, diced (1 cup)

4 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 cup)

1/2 small leek, thinly sliced (1 cup)

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1 cup packed coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1/2 cup sliced scallions (white and green parts)

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1/2 large ripe red tomato, seeded and diced (1/2 cup)

Rinse the beans in cold water and pick over them, discarding any stones or debris. Place them in a large bowl and pour in enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Let stand overnight.

– Drain the beans, discarding the water. Transfer the beans to a medium saucepan and add the stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer gently, partially covered, until the beans are tender, 40 to 50 minutes.

– Stir in the carrot, celery, zucchini, green beans, leek, salt, and pepper and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

–Combine the basil, parsley, Parmesan, tomato paste, scallions, and garlic in a blender. Add 2 cups of the hot broth to the blender and process for 20 seconds, until the mixture is well blended and smooth. Pour the blended mixture into the soup and stir to combine. Stir in the diced tomato. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and serve hot.

Nutritional Information (per serving): 120 calories; 1g fat; 0.5g sat fat; 10g protein; 19g carb; 6g fiber;10mg cholesterol; 308mg sodium

Reproduced with permission from Golden Door Cooks at Home: Favorite Recipes from the Celebrated Spa by Chef Dean Rucker with Marah Stets

(Published by Clarkson Potter, April 2009, Hardcover, 288 pages.)

Blog Note: Chief Blonde was provided a review copy for this Blog post. Opinions are the Chief Blonde’s alone.

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From Fat to Fit–Women over 45–2010 1st quarter Book Review

[ 0 ] March 28, 2010 | Shelley Zurek

One-Step Easter Eating Plan: Let Your Fork Do the Heavy Lifting

Don’t want to be the FAT bunny this Easter?

If you’re committed to hosting the Easter Egg Hunt, you will face a never-ending array of tempting food choices. If you’re not careful, the pounds you add are likely to become lifelong companions.

Some of us are very strict about our diets. We bring our own food in a plastic container and eat it while others enjoy the holiday fare. Others of us are perhaps a little too self-indulgent, denying ourselves nothing.

Carole Carson—dubbed “An Apostle for Fitness” by the Wall Street Journal—is the coach for the AARP Fat 2 Fit online community and the author of From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction. Carole offers one simple step you can take at parties that will help you minimize your caloric intake:

Eat nothing except what you can put on a fork.

In other words, eat foods only where you can sit down and use utensils, including your fork.

The calories in those bite-size nibbles and finger foods you eat unconsciously while standing and talking with friends and acquaintances quickly add up. You can easily consume 600–800 calories solely from appetizers. The same holds true when you are preparing food for your own party. The little nibbles you take to “test” your appetizers count, as far as your body is concerned.

By limiting yourself to food eaten with a fork, you can minimize the accumulation of unwanted pounds during the holidays. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful weigh to start having fun this spring?

The Chief Blonde Says:

From Fat to Fit:Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction by Carole Carson is a FUN read. You can’t say that very often about a diet book. Written by a 60-something dynamo, Carole describes how she took her 5′ 1″ frame from 182 to 120 going from a size 18 to a size 6. Then she went on to inspire a whole town to shape up losing 4 tons in the process. Doesn’t sound like your average diet book, right? The difference I see here is that it is the story of a personal journey versus an expert advising from afar. She details all her funny stories along the way. Carole is so inspirational she now teaches her approaches and has appeared on the NBC Today Show, CBS’s Early Show, MSNBC’s Countdown.

Carole Carson, as a weapon of Mass Reduction AND a Woman over 45 (like we are) is truly an inspiration! Keep up the great work Carole. www.fromfat2fit.com.

Blog Disclosure: Reviewer was provided a review copy. No compensation for this post was provided. Opinions are the Chief Blonde’s.