The Art of Henna; The Ultimate Body Art Book and Kit With Book

I have almost every henna and mehndi book published. Though it is not the best book out there, the fact that is comes with a pre-made ready-to-use paste in a tube as well as powder you can mix for yourself is a really nice feature.

The book included gives a nice history of henna including it use in weddings and medicine as well as its use for hair, perfume and decoration. Instructions are included for both the pre-made tubes & powders that must have ingredients added. Though one is included, there are step-by-step instructions accompanied by b/w illustrations for making your own cone. It liked it that recipes from different areas like Pakistan and northern Africa are included. There are also 8 exercises for learning to draw the designs. The best thing about this book, is that it shows more designs that are on body parts other than hands and feet than other books.

If you really want get serious about doing mehndi and want it to be darker and last longer you need to get fresher paste and probably won't want to use any in a pre-made tube. However, this is wonderful for those just getting started or if you just want to experiment without a lot fuss.

Wow! I bought this kit for ALL of my friends it's fantastic! Not only is it fun and informative reading, but the kit includes everything you need to get started creating your own designs. We had a great Henna Party and now others are doing it too.

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Ten Keys to Helping Your Child Grow Up With Diabetes, The

Dr. Wysocki, a child psychologist,draws from his wealth of experience dealing with children, teens and families affected by diabetes.

He conceptualizes the layers of diabetic management as a pyramid. Like the food pyramid, the first steps are the basic staples and other steps follow. Basic, factual knowledge serves as the basis. He discusses other common challenges faced by the family of a young person with diabetes. I particularly liked his sections on communication and on dealing with crises. He shows how certain common family conflicts might play themselves out in a family affected by diabetes.

He does a superb job of discussing the specific self-care steps a young person must master in order to move toward independent diabetes management. Some families and clinicians have set ideas about when a child should manage the diabetes independently. He takes a more moderate view. One must judge the developmental readiness of each individual child and adolescent.

In the section on dealing with the health care team, he talks about gradually allowing the child and then the adolescent to take a more central role in communicating with his care team.

This is a very informative book. It is a must-have for those families who have children with diabetes.

Condensing many of the possible things one could say about raising a child with diabetes into 10 key points makes it easy to apply the book to your life.

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Makeup Girlfriend: Tips & Techniques for Your Sexiest Makeup Ever!

I've known Katarina for years and have never seen her look anything less than AMAZING. Always perfection. I can't wait to get my hands on this book and finally learn her secrets!

Reading this book was just like sitting down with your best friend to talk tips and tricks. I loved the casual, personal and funny flair to her writing style. Also, she writes about women as if we are ALL beautiful, regardless of our pimples or blotchy skin she just wants to help us uncover the Diva in us all, lol! Not to mention that she is not motivated by "hidden money"; she'll use the brands "Lancombe" and "Clinique" in one breath because she VALUES a product of theirs, NOT because she is SELLING a product of theirs! Loved this book! Marching to the make-up counter with confidence!

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Better Birth: The Ultimate Guide to Childbirth from Home Births to Hospitals

Often times when I am working as a doula with couples I try to impress upon them that giving birth is 90% an emotional/spiritual experience. A woman is not only giving birth to a new human being, but to herself as a mother, and what's more, she is giving birth to a new family. Not only this, but birth is one of the most primal experiences a human being can go through and in that it calls upon the deepest parts of your being to be faced, dealt with, challenged, and ultimately called upon. Finally, with the publication of Denise's book, BetterBirth, I have a resource I can hand to my clients to help them get at this core. Denise's book, which is the exceptionally beautiful culmination of a life's work of supporting, coaching, and challenging people to be the best they can be combined with her expertise in childbirth, is a treasure trove of useful tools and information to help parents prepare for this most auspicious rite of passage in life. Denise book gives practical information on how to prepare mentally, physically, and spiritually for the birth of your new child. Everything from her toolbox with helpful tips on preparing one's body for the birthing process, to her very thoughtful and thorough tips on how to plan for the immediate postpartum period, this book is chock-full of useful information. This book is amazing and I can't think of anything better for a couple to read in fact, I hope that each and every couple gets this book in their hands as soon as they realize they are pregnant. This book will prepare women for birth in a way not found in other birth preparation books. What a gift Denise has given women and couples! Nicole Heidbreder. Director of International Development for DONA International.

I read this book after I had already given birth three times and I wish that I had had this book to refer to. Denise Spatafora really provides a tremendous amount of information about all the decisions around conceiving and giving birth. Each of my births was so different from the one before and I had little idea of what I could do to understand the process. Now I know. After reading Better Birth, you will feel empowered and prepared for the birth of your child. The book addresses women as intelligent, intuitive, and emotional people capable of making the best decision for themselves. I really appreciated the birth stories that pepper throughout the book. It provides the reader a way to personalize the information that a woman and her partner need about everything from conceiving, connecting with their unborn child, preparing for birth, giving birth the way that feels "right" for you , to postpartum. I think this book has some definite advantages over the other birthing books. It addresses factors that they ignore or hardly address including the affect of your emotions, thoughts, actions on your baby conceived or not!

The other thing that is great about this book is that it breaks things down into manageable parts and gives specific techniques that I wish I had had when I was pregnant. It talks about all the issues surrounding birth without instilling fear or dread. It describes all the processes around birthing allowing the reader to make informed decisions and to trust her own body. One of the best things in the book is the BornClear Toolbox which has a series of exercises on visualizations, meditations, affirmations, writing, breathing techniques, and art to help you alleviate your fear, connect with your baby and get ready for childbirth. This is THE book to get if you are pregnant or trying to conceive.

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I purchased this book a few months after I had decided to have a natural birth. It was a wonderful companion piece to the hypnobirthing class I was also taking.

Although the class was very informative, it was Denise's book that gave me the tools I needed to have a successful natural delivery. I credit this book with helping me understand childbirth on new level and giving me the courage to embrace the "beautiful pain" that comes with child birth. I was able to move past my fear and actually be excited for birth. As Denise says in the book, it's not only your child's birth, but the birth of you becoming a mother. I owe a lot to Denise and her book, my labor only lasted 13 hours, it was unmedicated, and a beautiful life changing experience. I would recommend anyone interested in a natural birth to get this book.

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good book. full of necessary info and makes the pregnant reader feel comfortable about all those little "pains" that scare us. Leaves the reader with a sense of security in her pregnancy and lots of information on the expectant 9 months and newborn baby care. Great book for pregnant mommies and daddies. a definite recommend.

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Denise's approach to childbirth changed my life as I prepared to bring our first son into the world. Better Birth carefully and thoughtfully outlines your options throughout the pregnancy and birthing process, in many cases giving you the pro and con of whatever choice you might make.

For us, the BornClear Toolbox was a lifesaver. It helped me understand that I can shape my birthing experience and allow my mind to lead my body in ways that were productive and healing. I attribute a HUGE part of my short (under 8 hrs!), unmedicated and amazing delivery to Denise. Denise lead us (my husband and I) to know ourselves better, including the possibilities and the limitations we put on our lives. In addition, her ability to tap into the major roadblocks to a positive birthing experience lead to other miracles, ones that positively affected the birth of our son.

If you are willing to take her words to heart you have an incredible opportunity to know yourself and your body better and perhaps even heal parts of yourself. Most important you can give your child the gentle birth he or she deserves. It is more than a book on having a better birth, it is a book on creating a better life.

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The Germ Freak's Guide to Outwitting Colds and Flu: Guerilla Tactics to Keep Yourself Healthy at Hom

My husband (a general surgeon) and I read this book on a recent trip to Texas and not only was it a fun read but a very informative one too! It's definitely an eye-opener and as parents of a 4-year old son (we can't afford to get sick!) we feel it's a must read for anyone with small children. One thing is for sure, after reading this book you'll never look at airplane blankets, hotel room comforters or department store makeup displays the same way again! You'll also be more inclined to take small steps like washing out your water bottle with soap before refilling it. Considering a cold or flu can set you back for weeks (or more!) when it only takes about 30 seconds to put into action the recommendations made in this book I couldn't agree more with the authors that I would much rather be safe than sick!

As the world grows smaller and disease severity increases, it is the optimum time for a book such as The Germ Freak's Guide to Outwitting Colds and Flu. How does one stay healthy in the workplace, traveling and shopping? This book tells you how.

The book is divided into three parts.

1) Germ Freak Basics covers how-to tips to avoid getting sick. It offers such suggestions as always using a tissue to open doors, push elevator buttons or turn on water faucets, remembering to discard the tissue after each use.

2) This section looks at all the situations in which you may encounter germs and how to avoid them, from grocery shopping (shop off hours to avoid crowds, carry disinfectant wipes to clean cart handle); using a public restroom (use the first stall--it is the cleanest); to working out (disinfect or sanitize machines before use).

3) Part 3 looks at the best ways to keep your babies and children healthy (do not let anyone but family hold babies, never let children go into the ball pit play spaces).

Also included are many other informative and fun snippets and sections. "Gotta Haves" are inventions and products that are available to the average germ freak such as the Wakmah, a multipurpose plastic sucker that can be used to open doors or hold onto in subways, or the disposable Table Topper Stay-in-Place Table Mats to take to restaurants.

"Over the Top" gives various germ-preventing scenarios and rates them. "Use Them or Lose Them" analyzes different products (anti-bacterial cutting boards? Lose them). "Germ Freak Horror Stories" are, well, self-explanatory!

This in-depth book has information for all levels of "germ freaks: latent, blatant or wannabes." With a style and sense of humor that makes it both enjoyable and educational, this is a health guide that should be read by all. It is accurately subtitled "Guerilla Tactics to Keep Yourself Healthy at Home and Work and in the World."

Armchair Interviews says: While many readers may find some of the suggestions useful for only true, over-the-top "germ freaks" it still gives many ideas to keep in mind as we go about our daily lives.

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I loved this book. Easy reading blend of super humor mixed with great advice! The practical tips and reminders on basic hygiene and how to avoid pitfalls of infections are necessary for everyone! Anyone that goes out in public must read the why and how to avoid coming in contact with sick people. You never know what you are touching and this handy book gives examples when you must watch out and what not to do! The etiquette reminders are hilarious...and on point!

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Hey, I mean it! If everyone would just follow some of the practical advice in this incredibly easy-to-read (and entertaining) book, there would be less germs, thus less sickness, to be caught. I was always a germ-phobe, and now I must be extra-vigilant as I am a kidney-transplant survivor. I'm also about to be a mom. Just the thought of waiting in a pediatric office in the near-future is giving me the heebee-jeebees! Mrs. Janse is also a mother of twins and gives great advise on how to keep your little one from turning into a germ-magnet and making you sick, too.

My Top Three?

-Washing your hands to the alphabet....

-Using the disinfectant wipes at the grocery store before grabbing a cart....

-Making your doctor wash their hands before examining you.

One I'd like to add that I didn't see mentioned?

-If you valet: Have sanitizing wipes in your glove compartment and use to wipe-down your steering wheel after receiving your car ESPECIALLY at a hospital! EEWW!

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What a great read! I laughed out loud in so many parts of the book. The author is smart and funny and lends such great information about keeping clean and healthy in some not-soclean surroundings that we all have to deal with (i.e. the gym, the office, the airport, etc.). I want to give a copy to everyone I know!

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In Fitness and in Health

i have known the author since 1993, and he has changed my life as he has changed countless other health enthusiasts. he has coached world champion athletes like triathletes mark allen and mike pigg, he has been called by velonews, "one of the most sought after endurance coaches in the world," but if there is one book an athlete, or someone contemplating getting into shape, needs to read, this is that book. nutrition, fitness, stress, training, it's all in here; phil is usually light years ahead of the health industry pundits. i have given this book to dozens of friends, so far no complaints.

This book sheds a bright light of truth on many of the myths and marketing ploys used in the food industry today. Furthermore, Dr. Maffetone's writing style is clear and he provides ample supporting data and references for his assertions. I have been following the "Maffetone Method" of fitness and nutrition for 9-months. Close friends and relatives see a measurable difference in me weight loss, more energy and a youger complexion. Additionally, I have less aches and pains, and have greatly improved my aerobic endurance. Finally, this book is especially important for parents who care about their children's nutrition. You might be surprised to know that the glass of juice and bowl of fortified cereal with low-fat milk you fed your child this morning is causing them to fall asleep in class...

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This information in this book radically changed my outlook on exercising. Before I read this book I would jump rope for 15 minutes every morning. Then spread out through the week I would go on high intensity bike rides 4-5 days a week, weight lift 4 days a week, and do high intensity martial arts training 4-5 days a week. I though I was performing mostly aerobic exercise with the exception with the wieghtlifting. After reading his book I discoved that since all my activities were of high intensity I was mostly peforming anerabic exercise. The information in the book also explained why my body was so resistent to weight loss(adrenal exhuastion) and why I was getting injured on a regular basis.

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About 7 years back I went to a one day Triathlon camp out on Long Island and old Phil gave a talk. I am the type who will try anything if it makes some sense. I bought his books there and immediately started training with the 180-age formula and low heart rate method. I had been running triathlon for 2 years prior to using this method and there was no comparison in my level of fitness. I ran my first 1/2 Ironman (long course) and while I cut myself short on calories, I completed the race in a respectable amount of time. The proof was the next day; Even though I swam, cycled, and ran over 70 miles in a period of 6 hours, I had not one ounce of soreness the next day. Not one pain, cramp, pull or anything else that many experience with a race of this magnitude. I used his method religiously for 3 months prior to that race and have done so ever since. For those of you who do not do any kind of racing, improve your health by reading this book. You will find that many of the things that they are coming out with now (harmful transfats to name one), Phil Maffetone had been talking about for years. Skeptic's get there fuel from resentment; don't let others sway you away from living a healthy physical life style. By this book and keep it close at hand.

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This book changed my life! It gave me a whole new perspective on exercising and fitness. Most importantly that exercise is not a goal (to lose pounds), it is a WAY OF LIFE!!!

Basically it taught me that if you want to feel and be healthy... you really need to be exercising regularly for the rest of your life. It helped me understand metabolism and how exercise affects your whole system. I am constantly seeing health experts and trainers making many of the mistakes this book talks about, namely exercising to meet your target heart rate, building aerobic muscles vs. anaerobic muscles, etc.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS I OWN. I am constantly lending it out to people, or at least telling people I will lend it to them when i get it back from the last person I lent it to! :)

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Insider's Guide to Better Nursing Home Care: 75 Tips You Should Know

As a nurse for 35 years, I was curious about what the author had to say about Nursing home care. Let me tell you, she is 100% accurate about the staffing, and administrative policies. Anyone considering placing a parent or loved one in a home should read this book. I learned some things about the laws and patient rights myself.

Got this today and must say after the brief glimpse-over, I already know it is a must-read for anyone with a loved one in a nursing home. Of course, it is highly beneficial to have read this even before the patient is admitted, but, even if you pick this book up after your parent has already been a resident, it is still an excellent source of info. Oftentimes when a loved one is admitted, you cannot think stright, everybody is offering advice, you may not know what all you can expect, and some people may guide you wrong. But this book helps to help you see things more clearly and help you to understand things. This book will totally help make the best and the most of a very difficult situation, which can oftentimes be a draining one. While many of the things may seem commonsense, a lot of them are overlooked, and because of the overwhelming feeling of having a loved one in a nursing home, you may even forget to check into a lot of the 'little' things. This book makes sure you have all your ducks lined up and steers you clear of what issues to look for. If you've got a loved one whom you think may need to soon be admitted in to a nursing home, or have one that is already there, this book is a must-read. It helps take the pressure off of thinking about all the details, and helps to make sure even the little things are not overlooked. FIVE STARS!!!

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Nursing homes are plagued with horror stories of poor care which can lead to premature death. "An Insider's Guide to Better Nursing Home Care" is a guide for sons and daughters of elderly parents who seem destined for time spent in a nursing home. With advice and tips for giving one's parents the best care they can when they must use one of these facilities, "An Insider's Guide to Better Nursing Home Care" gives a series of tips and outlines about what to look for, what to look out for, and how to find the best facility to fill one's parents' special needs. "An Insider's Guide to Better Nursing Home Care" is a must for those who want to ensure their parents the best golden years possible.

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Consider reading this book if you have a loved one in long term nursing home care or a loved one approaching that time in his/her life! I found it to be a key resource.

Ms. Reed combines her work experience and training as an LPN with her professional degree as a lawyer to produce a book that is at once easy to read and informative as well as written with obvious knowledge, candor, passion and compassion for the topic.

Ms. Reed understands that taking care of a loved one in a nursing home setting can be a second, time consuming job so she provides practical, straightforward tips on how to insure your loved one is getting the best possible care. She explains the best ways to leverage your time and even how to work with members of other families (with loved ones in the same facility) to the betterment of your loved ones health care.

She provides all these practical tips in an easy to read format and even covers key legal statues in a way the lay reader can understand.

Managing the health care of a loved one in long term care is challenging, but Ms. Reed's insider guide certainly can make a difference in your life and in the life of your loved one.

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Gym on a wall: A complete family fitness center that mounts on any wall of your home (Rodale plans)

I bought this book when it first came out and built one of these units, which I still have and use to this day. One of the best bargains for the return that I know of. Aerobics and weight-lifting in one unit, easily built for around $300 in parts. I wouldn't be without it! As an architect, I am including this amazing unit in my new home, since it only takes up the space of a book case against a wall. I was able to improve on a couple of operational equipment details to simplify and bring this already remarkable unit a little more into the 21st century, but the original is certainly equally serviceable. I heartily and frequently recommend it to friends and clients alike. Last I knew, the author was the head of Michigan's state office promoting physical fitness. I really wish the book was still in print, reprinted or a new edition issued. Every family could benefit from this unit's use in homes. It easily does the job of equipment costing hundreds, if not thousands of dollars more. Buy this book before no copies are left to purchase!

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New Choices in Natural Healing: Over 1,800 of the Best Self-Help Remedies from the World of Alternat

This book is used to discuss the alternative ways for healing, for people looking for other methods of healing rather than expensive medications from the hospital. This book covers traditional and eastern ways of healing, as well as nutritional healing, such as food therapy, juice therapy, vitamin and mineral therapy. The book is organized by health problems, and has an introduction for each method of healing. It also contains a resource page where you can find information on each method.

If you are wanting to understand more about natural healing, this book is definantly for you!

This book has natural remedies for minor ailments (it specifically mentions that if symptoms are severe or persist over an extended period of time you should see a doctor). I have found it very helpful (I figured in the least it can't hurt me). This book is split into 3 parts.

Part I: This part contains an overview of what natural healing is and then gives descriptions of various methods used in natural healing (ex. acupressure, aromatherapy, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, yoga).

Part II: This book lists many ailments in alphabetical order. It is easy to look them up because they are written as an encyclopedia style reference. Some problems included are: acre, bad breath, colds, heartburn, jet lag, rashes, and warts. This part also includes illustrations of things such as massage and acupressure so that it is easy to lacate the areas yourself.

Part III: This part lists various resources in case the reader is interested in looking up more information or some organizations that deal with natural healing.

I would recomend this book for anyone who doesn't know much about natural healing but likes to try and heal themselves before seeing a medical doctor.

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New Choices in Natural Healing takes several areas of natural health care and incorporates it by condition. As an example, if you were to turn alphabetically, of course to Arthritis, you'd read a short paragraph describing the ailemtn, then a paragraph or two under Acupressure, Aromatherapy, Ayurveda, Flower Remedy, Food Therapy, Homeopathy, Hydrotherapy, Imagery, Juice Therapy, Massage, Reflexology, Relaxation and Meditation, Vitamin and Mineral Therapy, and -finallyyoga.

If you know much on herbs, you'd get frustrated seeing the cautious and very generic recommendations, and the same goes for some other areas. However, to have this much information on such a wide variety in one book is invaluable, an excellent idea and, even if not done completely up to par, worth owning. The authors act more as journalists in a way, objectively describing what the experts in each field would recommend for each condition, not taking an active stance much. The objective authors of course follow it up with ask your doctor and generic advice, but the book they've put together has served its use well enough.

The end section is great, as it's filled with illustrations on acupressure points, massages, reflexology jargon and charts, a few relaxation stretches, yoga illustrations (good amount of these). This section alone brought the book up another star I'm a visual learner, and the diagrams can assist many people. Great segment!

The beginning is well-done, also, telling about each area of natural healing with background details and such. Having a book at your fingertips that will point you in the right direction for a variety of natural techniques is priceless. In order to learn this much about each would involve buying multiple books about seperate healing techniques a book such as this saves mucho on the wallet, makes general browsing a breeze, and cuts your time in half. Not perfect in some areas, but certainly worth picking up!

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This is the best of the best. It tells you when to see an orthodox doctor, and gives you MANY choices in therapy options for all medical concerns. It's an all-inclusive guide to ALL alternative health methods, from Acupressure and Ayurveda to Sound Therapy and Yoga. I refer to it daily, and learn something new each time.

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I founded the book to be all that I expected and somewhat more. The medical information were easy to find. And the price was somewhat unbelievable at 1 cent. I keep the book handy for quick advice.

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The 3-Day Cleanse: Drink Fresh Juice, Eat Real Food, and Get Back into Your Skinny Jeans

I am not new to juicing, or to Blueprint Cleanse so I sort of knew what I was getting in ordering this book. However, a few aspects were quite disappointing to me. Dividing the book into roughly three sections:

The first third of the book (or so) is all good information, but highly repetitive and if you are health savvy enough to be attempting a juice cleanse, it is probably all repeat information to you. Really, an entire page on bisphenol-A?? Contaminants in drinking water? The importance of eating organic produce etc? Honestly, it felt like journalistic filler that could have been popped into any random magazine or newspaper article and unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years, it's nothing new or proprietary to cleansing or juicing. A little background is fine but it is too big a chunk of the text to be relevant to the topic advertised.

The middle third of the book is probably the section that ended up being most useful to me. It gave an overview of cleansing, tools etc needed, detox symptoms, what is normal and what's not, benefits, methods, etc. There are a couple charts and quizzes to assess yourself in various areas.

The last third of the book is recipes. This was a major disappointment to me. Some of the dressings and salads are okay but not worth the price of this book as a raw vegan cookbook. The juice recipes, however, are TERRIBLE. They are almost entirely comprised of fruit and rice milk beverages. I call them beverages because that's not fresh juiceDrinking fruit and processed rice milk is NOT A JUICE CLEANSE. There are exactly three 'green' juice recipes and they ALL contain fruit. Juice cleansing is amazing, but a juice cleanse following these recipes will NOT be. I bought this book almost solely for the cashew milk recipe and, having had Blueprint Cleanse cashew milk, I knew it lacked the cinnamon and simply added it back in. I've done the actual Blueprint Cleanse and it in no way resembles the juice regimen outlined in this book. To be honest, most of the fruit juices looked gross to me and I would also say most contained rice milk. A real cleanse should consist mostly to nearly entirely of the green juice. I do have a Norwalk and I use it regularly, so it wasn't hard to figure out the 'real' recipes for a cleanse like this. my approximation of the green juice would be:

a third to one half a bunch of kale

one small head of (dark green!) romaine or half a large head

handful or two of spinach leaves

dense handful of parsley

one bunch of celery

two cucumbers

3 lemons, peeled

5 apples, fuji are great for juicing (fewer if you don't mind the taste of the green juice)

one piece of peeled fresh ginger (I don't add this because I'm not a fan)

This makes 2-3 mason jars or about 1.5-2 days' worth if you are cleansing, and occasionally drinking another juice or two. You'd probably want more if you are only drinking the green juice. NOTHING like this recipe appears in the book. I guess the purchase was worth it for the cashew milk recipe, which is very good (with added cinnamon). I have been drinking one quart jar of green juice daily, with small glasses of other fresh juices like apple-carrot-orange (also nothing like this in this book, more of a Gerson recipe with added orange) and pineapple-apple-mint, a Blueprint favorite of mine that is SO EASY to make but again does not appear in any form in this book. Perhaps because pineapple is hard to juice in a centrifugal juicer, I don't know. I plan to branch out a bit more into beet juices and other vegetable juices but again this book was no help in that regard. There were next to no vegetable juice recipes included, and those are the ones with the major health benefits. While there is no added sugar in the fruit juices, they DO contain a good amount of sugar and if that is all you are consuming, you are not reaping the same health benefits. Maybe at some point they will write a book with better quality of information but unless you have other sources for the recipes or you know how to make your own green juices, this book is minimally helpful in following through on a cleanse.

I can't give this book 5 stars because there are no alternative recipes to the nut milks for people like me who are allergic to cashews. I also think they should have gone more in depth with the side effects you will experience while detoxifying. I got a weird rash all over my arms from the toxins coming to the surface reacting with the sun. My doctor prescribed Betamethasone cream which worked, and I realized when I exercised my arms also felt better because the sweat was helping remove the toxins from my skin. I am Kenyan-American so I don't wear sun screen regularly but I've learned my lesson after that incident (lol) and now wear SPF 100 when it's very sunny outside. You might also want to take a sea salt bath while detoxing as I did to help draw out the toxins the juices dredge up, it really helped.

I originally wanted to do the actual 3-day Blue Print Cleanse which delivers the juices daily to your house but it would have cost $250, which seems too pricey for me, so I figured I could just buy the book and a juicer and do the cleanse myself. I bought a Factory-Reconditioned Breville XXJE95XL Two Speed Juice Fountain Plus (which I love)from Best Buy for $75 and began reading the book and experimenting with the juice recipes.

I think this book is great. I discovered juice cleanses through my best friend who had success with both of her cleanses, but this book gave me a lot more information. For instance, drinking water with lemon in the morning and then having a green juice is best to help clean out your system from the night before.

I've been drinking juices every other day as a replacement for breakfast and lunch for over a month and I have noticed a remarkable difference. I no longer crave a lot of junk food and when I did give in and have a chicken nuggets meal from McDonalds, the food tasted so gross to me. I've also noticed the flavored sodas I used to love (orange, grape, etc.) now have a chemically taste and I can only drink Pepsi and ginger soda. My tolerance for refined sugar has also decreased. When I decided to treat myself to a slushy I got the first sugar rush headache I've ever had in my life. I don't crave sweets anymore, and when I get a little craving for chocolate I only need one piece to be satisfied instead of the whole bar.

And I can fit into skinny jeans again!

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I'd heard about cleansing and, for a long time, I have wanted to try a cleanse of some sort. Unfortunately, I'd only heard of the so-called "Master Cleanse"...the one with maple syrup and lemon. I'm sorry, the idea of basically starving yourself did not appeal to me. Then I heard about the Blueprint Cleanse. I looked up their site on line and was disappointed to see that 3 days of juice would cost $200. I'm a stay-at-home dad and money is a little tight so a $200 grocery bill for three days was not do-able. Then, low and behold, I found this book which basically gives you recipes and guidance to do a three-day juice cleanse!

There are many great things about this book aside from the reasonable price tag. First, they give a thorough explanation of why a juice cleanse might be better for you than other cleanses. They explain about the nutrients contained in the juice ingredients and they give you fairly straight-forward (and mostly yummy) recipes to make your own juices.

The authors are also honest with you. They admit that you will be fantasizing about food during the cleanse. (At the end of day 1, I was craving a nice, juicy hamburger...or a slice of pizza...or just about anything to chew!) They also give a list of some of the negative side-effects you may feel as toxins leave your body.

I have only three minor complaints in this book. First, there is a lot of pseudo-science. Really, there is little experimental data to show that expunging toxins via fasting really is healthful; there is mostly anecdotal evidence. My second complaint is that they assume you can pony up big bucks for a top of the line juicer. While they say you can use a $200-$300 juicer (which is still a bit pricey for most people), they really want you to buy a $2400 Norwalk juicer. Hey, I really want to buy one too, but I have a car payment to make. They acknowledge that less expensive juicers will have lower juice yields, but they provide no suggestions for how to make up for that. Common sense tells me to just throw another stalk of kale in the juicer, but is that okay? They don't let you know. My final complaint is that they want you to buy fresh, organic berries and other fruits anytime you want to do the cleanse. If you like to buy food in season at the farmers' market, this is just not possible. I ended up buying lots of frozen berries as I did my first cleanse in January...not an ideal time for fresh, organic fruit.

The bottom line is that this is a good book if you are interested in doing a cleanse but not willing to pony up $200. The juices are mostly palatable and the book is upbeat and easy to read.

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I am someone who has done the Blueprint juice cleanse twice (once for 3 days, once for one day) and the Juice 'til Dinner once (best food EVER).

The BPC is actually promoted through Exhale Spa, which I have been a member of since 2004. My reasons for cleansing were more for hitting the diet "reset" button after periods of time where I am being more social (i.e. drinking) and eating not as healthfully as I would like. I got the book to read further into the philosophy of the women who started the BPC as well as to get some healthy recipes, and the book definitely was great for both of those things.

After watching "Food Inc" and "King Corn", reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and realizing how industrial our food system is (and not liking it), I started to buy into the "eating natural and clean" philosophy which is actually really hard in today's world of processed everything and oversized portions. This book is a great way to jumpstart that lifestyle with super easy recipes and tips, as well as the logic behind the Blueprint Cleanse juice fast.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for quick, easy, healthy recipes or just interested in finding out more about eating cleaner.

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mythoughts

In my mind (read world) the word cleanse equates to fasting. While I am all for fasting for religious or Spiritual purposes...choosing to not have food just because I want to look good...well, not in my realm of thought. The word cleanse sends shivers down my spine because it means...NO FOOD! Or...at least that is what I have been led to believe.

Along comes The 3-Day Cleanse and it has changed my mind, a bit. I still am not thrilled over any "cleanse" routines but this one...I am willing to give a chance. Why? Because it seems easy, you can drink enjoyable juices and you are not stuck eating Cayenne peppers and lemon...anyone with me?

I understand that there are a lot of Toxins in our bodies just from normal living. They can affect our moods, personalities, energy and spirit if we leave them alone.

The Blueprint Cleanse is a great concept that is built around drinking fresh vegetable and fruit juices (I can do that!). You can start with 1-day on the cleanse and build your way up to the 14-day cleanse routine. It seem effortless. You change your juices based on the level of cleanse you choose.

There is a "Symptom" chart in the book that allows you to track the changes your body may go through as you participate in the cleanse. Each symptom has a description, a normal or not normal box and a comment as to why this may be happening and what you can do to rectify, alter or accept the symptom. I especially like this chart...being a "Type A" personality means I not only want to be in charge of everything...I want to know why my body is doing it!

At the back of the 3-Day Cleanse there is array of great recipes. Recipes that include Roasted Red Pepper Soup and Salsa Salad. I thought I'd never say these words...but....I am ready for cleanse!

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Curly Like Me: How to Grow Your Hair Healthy, Long, and Strong

I write this review as I sit here with my conditioner-laden, oh-so-defined teeny weeny afro in air dry mode. I've just finished reading "Curly Like Me" and I want to scream from the rooftops: "I've uncovered the Holy Grail of natural afro-textured hair care!!!"

If you're 1/10th as skeptical as I am when it comes to claims of a great hair technique, you'll want to know my credentials to see whether or not I'm qualified to make such a bold claim.

I'm biracial. My father is black and my mother is white. However, growing up, when asked the infamous "What are you?" question all you mixed chicks know what I'm talking about I would always apologetically suffix my reply with "...but I just don't have biracial hair". My brother has jet black big loose curls, but from infancy I was dubbed the one with the "bad hair" (not by my loving parents however, just the rest of the world). I believed it mind, body and soul. Why else would my evil hairdresser aunt force a relaxer on me when I was but a preschooler? Something must be very very wrong with my hair, I thought, since even with a relaxer it was an unruly Simba-mane. (I really did look like I belonged on The Lion King).

So, up until 10 months ago, I thought I couldn't live without the relaxer. Then one day several months ago, I decided to stretch my standard every 3 or 4 month relaxer fix by doing straw sets since it was so damaged. Time kept going and soon I was 6 then 7 months post, but with no thoughts of going natural. Then on month 8, a funny thing happened. For the first time, I really felt my new growth as I was washing my hair, what's this? Then I looked at it...CURLS?!?! Tight small spirally things growing from my head? YES! MY HEAD!

I began lurking on afo-textured hair care forums and other sites and began soaking up the knowledge from the ladies in the natural hair community. But, I feared that my hair wouldn't dry curly, that it would just turn into a hard matted Simba-poof; plus there was NO WAY I wanted to cut my hair.

About six weeks ago I heard about Teri LaFlesh and her method for the first time as I was lurking on a hair forum. I went to her Tightly Curly website, and I saw this biracial chick with hair to her butt. My instinctual reaction: jealousy and shame. All the feelings of my childhood rushed back. As a child, I would see biracial children with beautiful curls, soft and flowing or tight and spirally and I would be overcome with jealousy. I would see their hair flow down their backs whereas my relaxed ends seemed to be allergic to touching my shoulders and broke off at the sight of them.

What could this little hair queen teach me, I wondered. Surely our hairs have nothing in common! Then I saw her photo history; then I was floored. Her hair used to be a matted, relaxed Simba-explosion, like mine! Not a pretty cottony afro, not kinky spirals, but an evil, crunchy broken poof! I came to see that with her many hair disasters she could relate to me, and I began to become a Tightly Curly convert.

Fast forward a few weeks later as I waited with bated breath on THIS book to be released. At the end of April I snapped it up and bit into it like a...like a...like a person who really wanted to bite into something!

One day when I was reading it, I tried my Herbal Essences Hello Hydration on a bit of my hair where the relaxer had broken off to see if it would make curls and dry like that. I didn't think it would work. But it did!!! I began to see that other natural chicks with even tighter curls had done the method and experienced success. The scales began to drop from my eyes and I began to appreciate that there really is no such thing as "bad hair" after all. I came to appreciate that any hair that is healthy, happy and loved by its owner is "good hair", and I wanted good hair too.

Though the Tightly Curly Method is explained on the website, it is explained in greater detail in the book. I especially love the "Choosing Shampoos & Conditioners: What to Avoid" sections in the book as, since I don't live in the States, only a few of the recommended shampoos and conditioners are available. The book empowers me to find my own POOs and COs with in the recommended guidelines.

Teri has also gone to a lot of trouble uncovering hair and ingredient myths. Also, she describes on a molecular level what you're really doing when chemically altering your hair. I'm no scientist so I can't attest to the accuracy of her statements. However, I can say that what she had to say was scary enough to make me never want to hurt my hair with relaxers again. Ever.

I had originally planned to transition for another 6 months or so. But less than a week ago, when I was nearly done with the book, I was convinced that there was no reason for me to hold back. So, on that fateful Saturday afternoon of, May 1, 2010, I cut, I conditioned, I defined and I left in. FINALLY SOMETHING THAT WORKS!!!

I wish she had included in the book exactly how she came to discover this method, but that doesn't take away from the fact that this method works.

And so, dear reader, if you have tightly curly hair, do yourself a favour and purchase this book. Your hair will thank you, and it will thank Teri.

To Teri LaFlesh, thank you so much. My hair wants to be just like yours when it grows up.

To my hair, I promise from now on to love you unconditionally but always with plenty conditioner!

I was so excited when I discovered Teri's method, especially with the claim that it should work with most Afro-textured hair even if you don't have looser curls. As long as your curl pattern is still in tact you should be good to go, right?! Great! I read the book in one sitting and dreamt of a future head full of nicely defined, rain-proof coils. My daydreams included one where I'd run into Teri in Pike Place Market or something (since we both live in Seattle), I'd ask for her autograph and we'd compare our Rapunzel-length, Seattle-weather-resistant locks. Okay, I know that sounds crazy but I'd recently gone natural, was fed up, and my frustrations fueled my daydreams.

Anyhow, I digress. After many attempts, first following Teri's method by the book, then trying the many variations found online, I came to the conclusion that this method just wasn't my cup of tea. I have a nice, perfectly formed coil pattern when my hair is in its natural state but like many other reviewers I ran into issues with dryish, breaking locks. Sometimes it looked and felt filmy. There were just too many versions of this method and not only had I lost patience but I'd lost too much hair (and I wasn't willing to part with any more).

What I did take away from this book was an pleasant reintroduction to my natural coils which I hadn't seen since I was a kid. Teri gave me the confidence to go natural and the confidence that I could grow my hair to great lengths. She also put me on a path to find OTHER methods for achieving my hair goals.

Unbeknownst to me there's an entire community of black women growing long hair (very, very long hair) who don't use Teri's method. Their methods vary so one has more style choices; I mean what if you don't want to deal with the shrinkage? What if you prefer your hair straight? There's a long-black-hair method for just about everyone. Just spend a little time perusing YouTube and you're bound to find someone. (My favorites are LongHairDon'tCare2011, KimmayTube and BrittneyNGray). Most importantly, for me at least, these methods are far less time-consuming than Teri's and give me far more stylistic choices. I can go curly or straight. If you're skeptical, I can tell you that the thing that all these methods have in common (including Teri's) is that they don't advocate the use of chemicals, or the heavy use of heat (some heat is allowed); all require attention to keeping your hair moisturized and protected, especially while sleeping. As long as you follow these "rules" religiously, especially the moisturizing and staying away from chemicals, you should be able to retain more length. I'm personally using the flat-iron once a month method, moisturizing with olive oil and protective serum nightly, and mine has reached collarbone length with virtually no breakage. With commitment it doesn't take long to turn your hair-health around.

So, in short, Teri is still a "Hairo" of mine but I just prefer to use other methods. I just wish she'd done more experimentation with a greater variety of kinky hair types and acknowledged some needed variations.

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This is an excellent book! While I'm not directly bi-racial, my hair is exactly like Terri's due to white ancestry. I wish that I had known about using conditioner to keep my curls when they dried. My hair is short now because I cut 10 inches off to have relaxer free hair, but my curls are there and they feel great. I'm going to buy another book and give it to my bi-racial niece whose hair is a little looser than mine, but would definitely benefit from this book.

While books like curly girl are good, it left me frustrated because leaving a little bit of conditioner in my hair left me with fuzzy spots. This book filled in the pieces that were missing! Terri, thank you for this book, and thank you for going through what you went through to get your beautiful curls back. I get so many compliments from everyone even though I have a dreaded layer cut.

I would recommend this book for anyone who has curls when their hair is wet but turns to curly frizz when dried. I would recommend this book to kinky kinky tightly curled hair as well because this book preaches keeping moisture in your hair, and ALL curly hair need this. Good book!

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Whether you buy this book straight away or think about it for a while ... after you read this book, you'll realise like doing regular exercise, changing your career or leaving that loser boyfriend of yours, that this is something you should have done months or years ago. It really is a life changing book and when you have curly hair, you realise it is more than hair, it's an attitude and way of life.

After reading the book in one sitting, what strikes me about the book is that looking after curly hair is relatively easy and the less you do with it, the more likely you are to have beautiful curls. If you think about the money you have spent on useless hair products over the years and throwing away money on hairdressers who were clueless about how to cut and style curly hair, this book is such a worthwhile investment.

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How is a book a friend? IT SHARES ALL! Curly Like Me shares all the trials and errors Teri made throughout her hair journey. Not to mention every shortcut and secret she's learned along the way. The book talks to us in a clear, friendly tone, and it's spiced up with humor as well.

Curly Like Me addresses mistakes with a light heart. Teri mentions where she's been, but it's a small part compared to all the tips filling the pages of this book. We learn and move on from the past misunderstood hair to the future of embracing our hair as is and making it happy.

Like a true friend, the book supports and empowers us to be our best. Whether we use all the tips or just some, Curly Like Me gives us the information and tools to make informed decisions on our own hair. This book has become my simple, easy to use resource on curly hair care. I'm an on-the-go type girl who doesn't like to spend much time on hair, and I fit this method easily into my needs.

You can't go wrong with this step-by-step book. For me, the getting to know your curls and combing chapters by themselves were well worth the price. I like having the kindle version (iPhone app) as a helpful on-the-go reminder of steps, tools, and ingredients. Plus, it allows me to show fellow curly heads some of the book's tips at a glance.

The only thing I'd improve on or change is adding color pictures so the curls and styles demonstrated could be shown in more detail. Other than that, it's a perfect resource and friend. I think many will benefit from the overall time and research put into this book.

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