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Samantha Clowe never wanted to be a 'fat bride,' and now, sadly, she won't be one at all. The obese 34-year-old, who was looking forward to her upcoming nuptials, died after an intense crash diet. Described as "fit and healthy" by her family, Clowe lost 42 pounds in 11 weeks on the controversial Lighter Life Diet, which restricts dieters to just 500 calories a day.

We're all aware that crash diets aren't great for you, but you can die from them? You bet -- and this isn't even the first time this diet has killed someone. Just last December, a mother of five died after drinking 4 liters of water, as was recommended by the program. Amazingly, you need your doctor's consent to sign up for the program. Is anyone else having a hard time believing that a trained medical professional would give the OK for this kind of extreme diet?

If you missed our daily postings this past week, we invite you to take some time to catch up on our prior week's news and gear up for a new week of healthy living information and inspiration.

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Have a great week everyone!

We've all been there -- doing the old crash diet days before a big event, determined to make up for our sins in the last few months by erasing them with near-fasting eating habits. So I guess we can commiserate with Britney Spears amid reports that she's frantically trying to slim dow in preparation for her upcoming live performance on the popular British talent show X Factor. It will be her first time on British TV in five years.

"She goes to bed hungry and is dieting so hard she's suffering from insomnia, anxiety, flushes and shakes," says a friend close to the singer. "Her father and the people around her are trying to get her to eat more, but Britney is determined not to be criticised for having any extra bulk."

Fair enough, I guess, considering the fury she raised when she performed last year with a bit of extra padding. Still, I hope she's dieting healthfully.

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Among the many diet fads that have come and gone over the years, the one terribly dangerous approach to weight loss that, for reasons well beyond me, remains is the crash diet.

Not only does the crash diet lead to the yo-yo effect (when weight loss occurs, only to be followed by excessive weight gain), but it also toys with your lifespan, say researchers from Glasgow University in Scotland. Citing the researchers' findings, Men's Health reports that constant feast and famine is believed to encourage abnormal cell formation, due to a lack of nutrients and irregular growth spurts caused by binging.

As part of their study, the researchers conducted tests on fish they allowed to eat heartily for some time but then starved them for a short period thereafter, finding this back-and-forth of calorie abundance and calorie restriction cut their life expectancy by 25 percent.

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Are wedding bells in your future? June is the most popular month for weddings, so this year's June brides are probably scrambling to make sure they're as fit as possible for their big day. After all, who doesn't want to look absolutely gorgeous on their wedding day?

Just because your goals are hinged on one big day, there's no call to diet unhealthily. Exercise and eat healthfully, aiming to lose 1-2 pounds per week. Crash diets don't work in the the long-term and they can rob you of energy. You want to be energized and ready to dance the night away on your wedding day so don't make unhealthy choices. In addition, regular exercise and good nutrition can help you deal with the stress of planning your wedding. While you can't lose weight in any certain area, you can focus on toning and strengthening. For example, if you're wearing a strapless gown you may want to add extra exercises for shoulders and upper arms.

As you gear up for the big day, ask your fiance or a bridesmaid to join you in your new fitness routine. It can be just one more fun pre-wedding event.

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Crash Diets are generally regarded as a bad, baaaaaad thing. But they don't have to be the pariah of healthy living ... there are some quick -- and healthy -- ways to drop a couple of pounds before a big event. In fact, there are even some crash diets that doctors will do. Need examples? Here are some crash diets from real doctors:

• The salad diet: stick to salads and lean protein and the pound will drop off
  
• The no liquids diet: Cutting out soda, juice and alcohol it is a surefire way to trim down
• The seafood diet: Limit your carbs and go for fish and seafood instead.
  
• The no-snacking diet: Quit mindlessly eating and prolong your hunger until meal times to slim-down quick
• The portion-control diet: Measuring out your food and sticking to an allotted amount of calories will help you lose weight fast.
  
• The meal-replacement diet: Going on the Slim Fast plan or another meal-replacement diet will help you lose weight in a short amount of time

Keep in mind, though, that these are quick fixes and won't lead to long-term weight loss unless you can maintain your healthy eating. Read the full article for more information on how to slim down for good.

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One of the most annoying things about relying on public transportation is that it never seems to arrive on time when you need it to. According to an analysis of statistics from NYC's Metro Transit Authority, skinny girls could be one of the major reasons your train gets delayed.

Huh?

It's not as out there as it sounds. "Sick customer" is listed as the Number 3 cause of disruptions between October 2005 and October 2006. According to MTA personnel, these ill passengers are often women who faint during the morning rush hour after going on crash diets.

As reported by New York's Early AM newspaper, "You have women trying to get their bodies tight for the summer and they won't eat," said Asim Nelson, a Transit emergency medical technician based in Grand Central Station. "Not eating for three or four days, you are going to go down. If you don't eat for 12 hours you are going to get weak."

So have some breakfast, and quit holding up everyone else's commute!

(Thanks to Gawker for the link)

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