The Essence Total Makeover

Introduction by Susan L Taylor. Illustrated throughout with stunning full-colour photos, this gorgeous guide to health and beauty is a must-have for all black women. Produced in association with Essence, the world's largest black interest magazine, it provides essential advice on all aspects of inner and outer beauty, helping readers - spiritually, mentally and physically - to maximise potential and make the most of their assets.

If you could remember the confidence you felt when your prom date said yes, could it embolden you to ask for a raise today? Would the details of your early days with a heartbreaking ex help you recognize the potential red flags in a new romance? Marilu Henner says, "Yes!" In this revolutionary book, the author and memory expert helps you develop the ability to remember more of your past, to recall it more clearly, and most of all, to understand your memories as a blueprint for your future. While most of us may prefer to keep the unhappy times buried, Marilu has learned that only by remembering what happened then can we change our lives for a better now. This book will help you: stop turning painful memories into emotional baggage; discover your personal Memory Track; unlock repressed memories that are holding you back; recall memories faster and stop them from fading; and teach your kids to have great memories too.--From publisher description.

Eating Soulfully and Healthfully with Diabetes is a comprehensive guide that provides nutrition information and carbohydrate-counts for foods that will appeal to African Americans who suffer from diabetes. Author Constance Brown-Riggs, a certified diabetes educator with over twenty-five years of experience, shares her vast knowledge of nutrition and dietetics in order to encourage African Americans to prepare and enjoy traditional ethnic fare from the American South and the Caribbean while maintaining normal glucose levels and healthy food intake. As she encourages all people with diabetes to shed pounds, improve food choices, and exercise, Brown-Riggs provides important resources and valuable tips: A description of the Diabetes Soul Food Pyramid An extensive listing of traditional foods from the South and Caribbean Fast food and brand-name nutrient information and label-reading advice A two-week soul food menu plan and sample food diary A glossary of food terms Tips for upscale dining Eating Soulfully and Healthfully with Diabetes will not only provide life-saving information for people with diabetes but will also educate their families and serve as an excellent resource for health care providers and diabetes and dietetics professionals.

Articles from the "In the Spirit" column of Essence magazine offer advice and guidance on how to find peace, connect with God, and discover love for oneself, neighbors, and family.

Don't Have a Pity Party... Throw a Faith Fest Finding Hope in God's Word Lorna Lumpris thought her world had ended when she was downsized from her six-figure-salary corporate position. Instead, she found herself embarking on the adventure of her life. During an extended period of unemployment, Lorna came to know and trust God in a way she had never thought possible. Though she had been a faithful churchgoer for years, she had not seriously studied God's Word until she faced a series of overwhelming financial and family setbacks. When she did not have a leg to stand on, she discovered she could rest on the truth of the Bible. Now she wants others to find and grow in the same confidence that God can direct, protect, and provide for you as you trust Him to speak through the pages of scripture. From her years of study and personal, supernatural experiences with God, Lorna explains how you can find hope in the most challenging circumstances, as you look to the Bible.

Plenty of successful guides have been published for hip girls in general, but now the trendsetting black reader has a book of her own. Dedicated to chic sisters everywhere, Beautylicious! shimmers with wit and soul—an irresistible new recipe for loving, playing, and beautifying with verve. Chapters include: • Soul Power: Sizzle with radiance from the inside out • Queen Me: Treats to perk you up when the blues have got you down • Superfly: How to heat up your wardrobe without scorching your self-confidence • Fit and Fine: A toned body plus a healthy mind equals a sensational you • Beauty . . . Moi Way: Enhancing fabulous you • Fun and Frolic: Perfecting your swerve • Fête Accompli: Entertaining wtih style and soul • Date-o-Rama: The fast track to vixenhood • Mane Intrigue: Straight talk on finding a hairstyle that's as fabulous as you are • Luxe Life: The fine art of indulgence Beautylicious!also shares know-how from the Patron Saints of Fabulosity, along with tips for becoming a favorite hostess (and a favorite guest), staying cool in heated situations, and finessing that saucy outlook on life. The ideal gift, Beautylicious! sparkles with fun and flair.

These divas represent the voices of past and future generations, such as Tyra Banks, Terry McMillan, Harriette Cole, Maya Angelou, Iyanla Vanzant, Nikki Giovanni, Dawn Davis, Adrienne Ingrum, Carol Mackey, Oprah Winfrey, Rosa Parks, Shirley Chisholm, Coretta Scott King, Zora Neal Hurston, and Octavia Butler.

Bhagavad Gita is the condensed form of all the 108 Upanishads put together. Bhagavad means the Brahman and Gita means song. If one needs a literal translation of Bhagavad Gita, then it is ?the song of the Brahman'. Bhagavad Gita consists of 700 verses, mostly addressed by the Brahman, wherein He imparts the supreme knowledge to one of His creations. Brahman in this context is Lord Krishna, the incarnation of Vishnu or Narayana and the disciple is Arjuna, one amongst the five Pandavas. Since they were fathered by the king Pandu, they are called Pandavas. Pandavas are five brothers, each of them representing the five basic elements of the universe. It must be remembered that these five elements rule the five chakras, muladhara to vishudi. The verses of the Gita are in the form of questions and answers. Arjuna, the warrior clears his doubts from Krishna in the midst of a battle field. Krishna represents the Brahman, Arjuna represents soul and battle field represents the sensory organs of the gross body. The teachings of Krishna in Bhagavad Gita are practical and easy to follow. The concept of life is explained in these 700 comprehensive verses in 18 chapters. If one decides to follow the teachings of Krishna, he is not reborn. Even during this birth, if the sermons of Krishna are followed, one will not feel the miseries and sorrows. The cause and source of sufferings and the ways and means of getting rid of them are expounded. After all, it is the teaching of the Brahman Himself.

What makes fashionistas willing to pay a small fortune for a particular designer accessory -- a luxe handbag, for example? Why is it that people all over the world share the conviction that a special occasion only becomes really special when a champagne cork pops -- and even more special when that cork comes from a bottle of Dom Pérignon? Why are diamonds the status symbol gemstone, instantly signifying wealth, power, and even emotional commitment? One of the foremost authorities on seventeenth-century French culture provides the answer to these and other fascinating questions in her account of how, at one glittering moment in history, the French under Louis XIV set the standards of sophistication, style, and glamour that still rule our lives today. Joan DeJean explains how a handsome and charismatic young king with a great sense of style and an even greater sense of history decided to make both himself and his country legendary. When the reign of Louis XIV began, his nation had no particular association with elegance, yet by its end, the French had become accepted all over the world as the arbiters in matters of taste and style and had established a dominance in the luxury trade that continues to this day. DeJean takes us back to the birth of haute cuisine, the first appearance of celebrity hairdressers, chic cafes, nightlife, and fashion in elegant dress that extended well beyond the limited confines of court circles. And Paris was the magical center -- the destination of travelers all across Europe. As the author observes, without the Sun King's program for redefining France as the land of luxury and glamour, there might never have been a Stork Club, a Bergdorf Goodman, a Chez Panisse, or a Cristophe of Beverly Hills -- and President Clinton would never have dreamed of holding Air Force One on the tarmac of LAX for an hour while Cristophe worked his styling genius on the president's hair. Written with wit, dash, and élan by an author who knows this astonishing true story better than virtually anyone, The Essence of Style will delight fans of history and everybody who wonders about the elusive definition of good taste.