Why is Hair So Important?

Hi Folks!  I have a guest post  tonight that  brings an extremely provocative view on HAIR to the dinner table.  Hair all over our bodies and the connection nature has to it will be explored in this article.   I hope you will read this with open hearts and minds.  I found that some statements made me question my own ideas about hair.

Mark P. is a natural enthusiast and herbalist.  Here he is in his own words.

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Why is hair so important?

Facial Hair (nose, ears, eyelashes):

When you think of hair the first thing that may come to mind is beauty.  Long flowing locks that are shiny, soft, and straight.  Some folks still categorize hair as good or bad hair.  I even saw something online about different stages of hair, stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3 and so on.  Now I was asked to share something on hair so I’m going to talk about hair as I see it.   I always say nature has all the answers and is ever present when intelligent men look for solutions.  Ever look up as you pass through the toll booth and the top of the toll plaza is lined with fine wires sticking up at various angles? Or even in the mall parking lot at the top of those light poles.  They may likely have these same wires sticking up.  One of the main reasons for the wire is to stop birds from landing, eliminating waste or building nests all over the signs and lights. Now for those people that clip unsightly nose and ear hair remember that hair was put there for the same reason and that is to offer protection from insects entering your body and (worst case scenario laying eggs and multiplying inside of you).  Especially with your nose and ears being so close to the brain. Eye lashes are there for the same reason, to prevent some little fly from getting into your eyes. Hair also offers protection from dust and other airborne particles we may not see.

Nose hair removal...is it really necessary?

Ear hair...hope yours is not as full and fluffy!

Eyebrows:

The eyebrows were not only designed to divert water away from the eyes but to also stimulate the pineal gland. Ever had a suspicion about something or someone you saw or heard of?  Have your eyebrows been activated by raising up? The outer eyebrow goes up and the inner eyebrow goes down and you’re like “what the heck is going on here?” Now you’re on alert and start paying closer attention to this person.  “Okay…suspect is 5’4” about 160 lbs., blue suit, white shirt, red tie”.   Then facial recognition kicks in and you’re also looking for specific identifiers (like a pin of the American flag on his suit). So now that your pineal gland has been activated the next phase is sensing the energy that every living thing in this universe is vibrating.  Antennas go up in the form of the hair on your body hair standing at attention.  Like hair standing up on your neck.  Now that all your antennas are up you should be picking up the suit's vibrations.  If you are picking up a bad vibe then of course you will be more alert and aware of your surroundings and if the vibe is cool your body will relax.  But since we don’t listen to our bodies that much anymore we are blind to things like this because the professionals may say that it can’t be scientifically proven.  But Googling the situation for how to react is always on the table.

Eyebrow raise.....lol!

Underarm and private organ hair:

We all know that the lymphatic system plays a very important role in our body’s immune system. In your body’s lymphatic system here are over 200 lymph nodes that help fight bacteria to keep us healthy (since this article is about hair I’ll keep information on the lymphatic system high level).  The heavy bush that grows in these areas (underarm and private organs) work together with your lymph nodes as they breakdown and kill bacteria. The vast amount of hair that grows in these areas help remove some of the toxic waste that may reside in the lymph nodes. Hopefully your eyebrows are up right now and you’re thinking like a two year old and asking “WHY?” What other high energy parts are in these regions? You are right, it’s the breast, uterus, prostate, etc.  So in a world where there are so many toxins around us on a daily basis, why remove hair from parts of your body that were designed to help in so many ways? Come on people…..what in the world is manscaping?  And ladies the main reproductive organs are covered with hair for a reason (I don’t wonder why so many are having problems with conception).  I’m not saying that shaving the hair from these areas is the only cause of all their problems but it is definitely a part of the equation.  I’m not going to go too far with breasts but when we shave the hair from our underarms and use deodorants containing toxic heavy metals lumps will form because we are shutting down elimination channels.  By doing this we take a gamble that the other elimination sites can handle the extra load.

Is shaving armpit hair really the right thing to do???

Head Hair:

Now let’s talk a little about the hair on the head that everyone looks at. Question: is it me or do only Black people use the phrase “natural hair”?  I have never heard someone from Asia, Europe, Mexico, or Russia say that they are wearing their hair “natural”.  Remember your hair is an antenna to the universe! Yes, in our ancestor’s days hair styles were used to tell age, status and who the village healer was.  Moving forward, slaves leaving Africa had their heads shaved. This was to destroy identities and connections with their homelands.   Interestingly, even today all military personnel get their heads shaved. When the connection is lost or limited an individual can be controlled and programed  easier.  Hair defines who we are.  Now their universe becomes smaller and the level of consciousness drops to just doing their jobs and not thinking critically.  Without a doubt black people are the most spiritual people on the planet and because of this, ways to control and distort their self-image were created.  Namely by promoting hate of the natural coils and kinks that grew out of their heads.  Resolution to a "bad" head of hear, could only be found through chemical or heat treatments.  Chris Rock did a special on hair and there was a scene where they applied one of the more popular hair products (chemical relaxers) that my sisters and some brothers use on their hair to a soda can and it ate up the can. If it can eat through a soda can…what must it be doing to our bodies?  I’m going to leave you with this because this is supposed to be a short piece on hair and I’m just carrying on.  I can tell when the body is copper deficient because hair starts to turn gray. Copper is one of if not the best conductor there is. We know that a coiled antenna gets better reception than a straight one.  So I always say to people "don’t only look at the big picture as a whole".  Look through, under, behind, on the sides and in every corner of that big picture. Love yourself and love your hair it means more than you know.

My Natural Tresses (2008)

I’ll leave you with this scenario:  Take any woman or man working in corporate America with a perm (chemical relaxer), shave their head and put them on a 30 day detox to remove those harsh chemicals from their bodies.  I guarantee their level of consciousness and awareness rise within 6 months and you will hear or see signs that they want to pursue their independent dreams loose the desire to work for others.   

Again, I encourage you all to love yourself and love your hair (all of it!).  It means more than you know.

Mark P.

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That was heavy folks! Any questions/comments/concerns???  I have issues with keeping hair on certain areas of my body....not sure I'm ready to let all my hair frolic and live a life of freedom!!  I stopped chemically relaxing my hair years ago, because it was damaged.  After I went "natural", I began to LOVE my hair and the ability to have such versatility.   I then realized the connection I have with my ancestors and heritage by choosing the natural journey.  Hair is a blessing and just like the liver, kidneys, heart and skin....it plays a vital role in being healthy.

Peace and love!

The Juice Journey: Morning Dew

Morning! Afternoon! Evening!! Night!

Here is a juice that will wake you up in the morning and give you energy to start your day!

All I can say about it is: YUM-MY!!!

Ginger root, honey dew melon, pineapple, green apples, Bartlett pears

Fresh juice before straining



Finished product! YUM-MY!!!

Try it and tell me what you think!  I'm trying to get a juice challenge going with some friends.  Let me know if you're interested too!  Just email me at: thennaturaljourney4life@gmail.com.

Peace and Love!

The Bantu Knot Out Time Line

 

Hi Folks!  I'm here with a Bantu knot update!

I pulled each knot out and styled it.  I was surprised at the choppy nature of the knots (they did not fall very nicely).  Very different in comparison to a twist out in my opinion.  I had to pin the back up to be satisfied with my look for the day.    Check it out! :)

Bantu knot explosion

 Back view - after pinning it up

 

 

  To recap here in my Bantu knot time line:

 



The Hair Journey: Bantu Knots

Hey hey hey!!! I've added a new style to my repertoire! Bantu knots!!

I wasn't sure how they were going to turn out (I've done them before with longer hair), but I needed another protective style to wear since I've noticed some breakage (especially in the front). 

Bantu knots are named after the African tribe called the Bantu.  The Bantu is described as many African tribes that speak Bantu languages.  The geography of where the Bantu lived spans from central Africa to southern Africa.  Countries like: Zimbabwe, the Congo, Tanzania, South Africa and Malawi, all have inhabitants that considered themselves to be Bantu.  Bantu means: people. 

The hairstyle consists of hair that is twisted into a coil reminiscent of a "knot".  It's a popular hairstyle for women with natural hair and quite easy to do.  Take a look at how I achieved my new look!

What I used: 
Soil pomade
Large tooth comb
Shea butter
Spray bottle
My hubby's hands/fingers (since he did it!) Big Up!! :)

Method:
1 - I started with damp hair
2 - parted hair with fingers into sections
3 - combed out each section and applied shea butter and soil pomade
4 - twisted into coils
5 - kept the knots in all night(covered with satin) and released them in the morning

Total time: 35 minutes



Fresh Bantu knots (from all angles)



Released Bantu knots

You can see that the coil pattern of the released knots is not very uniform.  I'm sure that has something to do with how each knot was created.  I'm okay with the non uniformity.  It's kind of funky!



Released Bantu knots

The next step I'll take is puling each released knot apart to create a curly fro.  For now, I'll leave these in for the next few days.  At night I  re-coil the really big ones with the least spiral and cover with a satin cap/scarf. Very low maintenance for sure!

More to come!

Peace and love!

Plants Are Cool: Ashwaganda - The Stress Reliever

Every month you will hear from the herbalists at Herbal Bush House in what I’m calling the “Plants Are Cool” spotlight.   I’ve posted about products that I’ve used in the past made by Herbal Bush House and they’ve kindly agreed to do a monthly post on herbs to enlighten us all.  They sell personal care products like face cream, shampoo, hair pomade, Gut Buster, probiotics, and a host of slaves and oils for various ailments and conditions.  All products are 100% natural and made with care.

So let me formally introduce you:

Herbal Bush House is dedicated to promoting knowledge of the use of food, herbs and water through educational programs within the community.  Their mission is to empower people with wisdom and understanding of the use of nature’s blessings to promote healthier lifestyles.

Now let's get down to business!

Ashwaganda: The stress reliever

Withania somnifera commonly called Ashwaganda (Ash-wa-gan-da) also known as Indian ginseng is an adaptive herb and one of the best I may add.  I love it. It doesn’t matter how hard and stressful your life may be.  A cup or two of Ashwaganda can ultimately bring that stress level down to zero. Stress can affect the body in many ways. For instance a person under enormous stress can develop high blood pressure, an over or under active thyroid, low libido, fatigue, digestive issues and a host of other ailments. Stress takes a huge toll on your adrenal glands. As you ascend into the burnout zone and are at the point where you can’t focus on anything and everything gets on your nerves, think of Ashwaganda as a good friend.  A friend there to help you through the hard times.  Because of the great adaptogenic properties of Ashwaganda coping with stressful situations can be simple whether at home or at the workplace. Ashwaganda is a general tonic that can increase energy levels in the body, it’s also know to help aid in proper thyroid function, insomnia, male and female fertility, anxiety and more. Ashwaganda is also known as Indian Viagra because it has been used by many men to rid themselves of impotence.

Ashwaganda!

Ashwaganda!

 Your health is your command!

Detoxificaiton: Liver and Onions - The Aftermath

 

Hi Folks! The liver flush is OVER!! Now, one of the first questions I had once the program was over was: “how do I know that my liver is really clean?”  I followed the prescription, but everyone has a different body and level of toxicity.  Should I have gone one more week?  I didn’t know my toxicity level prior to starting the flush.  I know I was pigging out on junk food and stressed out to the max so I’m certain some toxins were removed.  Since I’ve never done a liver flush in my thirty-something years on this earth, I know the last 5 weeks must have done my liver some good. 

Well I didn’t continue the flush.  I began to eat cooked food the evening of the last day (three spoonfuls).  But I stayed away from dairy products. 

Here’s what happened in the aftermath

 

 
1 – I didn’t feel any different physically

2 – My headaches came back – so I think I’ve acquired seasonal allergies

3 – I loss inches around my hip and belly area – I could wear my size 6 slacks again!

4 – No more bloating

 

I dropped inches and got rid of bloating

  5 - The anger dissipated

 

The anger is gone...

6 –  Brain Fog - two days later I went to a tea party and over indulged on sandwiches and quiche…….I went into the worst brain fog coma ever and was in bed knocked out cold by 7:45pm, woke up the next morning and ate VERY light.   I had no desire to eat ANYTHING heavy or cooked.  This is similar to what I experienced after the 30 day Raw Food challenge.  I had to revert back to 80% raw for about 1 week after the 30 days was over.  Cooked food made me feel heavy and sick.

Brain fog...it was terrible!

These sandwiches were dangerous.......sorry liver! I went too far!

 7 – No junk food cravings!

 

No thanks! Pass the pineapple please!!!

 

Next steps:

1 – Continue to refrain from eating dairy products and bread

2 -  Continue to juice and make smoothies

3 – Continue to drink more (water, herbal tea, water, water) and eat less! It makes a difference!

4 – Plan for the next liver flush in 6 months or so

5 – Join some fiends on a juice fast/juice challenge

6 – Continue to take hot bubble baths 2 -3 times a week

 

7 -  Monitor  what I but in an on my body.  We get toxins from house hold cleaning agents, lotions, pharmaceutical drugs and food.  I'm going to be more aware of what's going in an on my body.

Thanks for keeping up with me on the flush!!! Stay tuned for more!

 

Peace and love!

Detoxification: The Juice Fast and Anger

Hi Folks!  This is the last day of the juice fast!  The last few days have been emotionally challenging for me.  They say you carry a lot of emotions in your liver – especially anger.  I’m not sure how this happens or what the physical mechanism is….but I have been very angry over the last two days.  So maybe there is some truth to it.

 

 

Why I’m Angry:

For some reason it feels like the thoughts and feelings I was ignoring or pushing away have resurfaced over the last two days.  Instead of choosing a better thought process or looking at things from the “bright” side, I’ve chosen to dwell on hurt feelings and people’s ill behavior which has led me to feel angry, bitter and resentful. Whoa Nelly!! Where is all this coming from??? My liver??  When I did the 30 day raw food challenge, I found myself on an emotional rollercoaster, but this is more severe. 

Over the years, I’ve come to realize that I naturally hold grudges.  Especially if my feelings were decimated.  The last 2 years have been rather peaceful in that area and I’ve been actively working on releasing my grudgeful spirit.  You know…practicing to “let things go” and treat people the way you want to be treated in spite of how they treat you.  Well…the grudge is back!  And I don’t like it.  It’s too heavy.  I didn’t expect this.

Detox symptoms from the juice fast:

-joint pain (knees and shoulders)

-emotional roller coaster

What I’ve been drinking (and eating):

’ve been drinking the liver flush mix every morning along with the nutritional smoothie.  I’ve consumed more Mean Green and Carrot Delight juice, herbal tea and water.  I didn’t have a taste for the vegetable broth these last two days so I didn’t bother with it.  I actually felt quite satisfied at lunch time, but I still ate a banana and hummus around 3pm.  I NEEDED to munch!   Today, I had fruit and a bowl of cereal!!!! Ooops!! I can’t wait until tomorrow where I can eat more food!!

Keep me lifted up as I complete this liver flush and move to the next level.

Peace and love!

Detoxification: The Juice Fast

Hi Folks! This is day #2 of the juice fast.  I’m hanging in there. But it’s tough!  Yesterday was the first day and I had horrible headaches for most of it.  When I increased my water intake, the pain subsided a bit.  But I’m not sure if the headaches are detox symptoms or allergy symptoms….For some reason, I think I may have acquired seasonal allergies this year.  Hmmmm…..there is more to come on the allergy hypothesis!

The first day of the juice fast:

I was able to have a smoothie in the morning, but the rest of the day was filled with juice, water, herbal tea and potassium (vegetable broth).  There are no rules when it comes to the type of juice you can drink during the flush. So I’ve been operating like a juiceologist (is that a word???). Oh! I had a very small salad with greens to accompany my veggie broth for lunch.

I have a confession:  I ate three tablespoons of red beans and mashed potatoes (which are not on the approved list) last night!!!

Emotional triggers:

Since I’ve discovered/admitted that I am an emotional eater, stress triggers have been all around me (especially at work).  Normally I turn to sweets (ice cream, candy bars, etc.) but yesterday (and today for that matter), I’ve turned to my inner spirit (the Holy Spirit) to get me in check!  Three tablespoons of red beans and mashed potatoes is better than a candy bar for sure!! So I am not going to beat myself up or feel guilty about eating it.  I have too many other things going on that could beat me up….I’m not going to do it to myself!  Can I get a witness!! J

Detox symptoms from the juice fast:

1 – Headaches?

2 – Emotional irritation

3 – Hunger!!!

Here are the juice recipes:

Mean green (Juicer: Omega):

½ bunch of lacinto kale

½ bunch of dill

½ bunch of rainbow chard

½ bunch of parsley

½ bunch of dandelion

Mean green ingredeints (dill, parsley, kale, dandelion and rainbow chard)

 

A closer look at each green (note the leaf type and shape)

Omega juicer squeezing the greens

Mean green prior to dilution

Carrot Delight (Juicer: Jack LaLane):

8 Celery ribs

6 large carrots

3 golden beets

½ head of red cabbage

2 inches of ginger root

 

Juice prior to straining

 

Mean green and Carrot delight! :)

 

 

 

Peace and love!

Detoxification: Liver and Onions Part 4

Let the flush begin!!!

This week is all about the FLUSH!  I spent the last 4 weeks  preparing  for this.   I'm  finally going through with the liver flush.

Here is what this week will consist of:

Day 1  and 5 - Raw food

• Step 1 - Drink 8 oz of purified water
• Step 2 - Drink the liver gall bladder flush mix (see below)
• Step 3 - Drink liver gall bladder tea, blood detox tincture, anti parasite tincture, echinacea/golden seal tincture (this should be repeated 3 times during the day)
• Step 4 - Drink morning nutritional smoothie
• Step 5 - Consume only raw fruit and vegetables

Day 2, 3, 4 - Juice Fast

• Step 1 - Drink 8 oz of purified water
• Step 2 - Drink the liver gall bladder flush mix
• Step 3 - Drink liver gall bladder tea, blood detox tincture, anti parasite tincture, echinacea/golden seal tincture (this should be repeated 3 times during the day)
• Step 4 - Drink morning nutritional smoothie
• Step 5 - Drink fruit juice, vegetable juice herbal teas and potassium broth all day long

Day one is complete and I'm on to the juice fast.  I did not cheat yesterday!  I completed all steps with some irritation.  I WAS HUNGRY! I WANTED TO EAT MORE THAN FRUIT and VEGETABLES!  But I did not cheat - even when a co-worker began chomping on peanut M&Ms of all things!!!!!!!  I stuck to the plan as outlined! Whoop whoop!! 

Here is what I ate:

Breakfast - Nutritional smoothie (star fruit, mango, green apple, spirulina, banana, alkaline water)
Snack - banana
Lunch - Green salad (romaine lettuce, arugula, snap peas, carrots, cucumber, peppers, dried cranberries, and chick peas)
Snack - carrot sticks and grapes
Dinner - Smoothie (cherries, green grapes, avocado, fruit pulp (from juicer), alkaline water)

Here is the liver gall bladder flush mix:

• 8oz of fresh citrus juice (grapefruit, orange, tangerine, etc.)
• 8oz of purified water
• 1 - 5 cloves of garlic (start with one and increase daily)
• 1-5 tablespoons of olive oil (start with one and increase daily)
• ginger root (1 inch)

Liver gall bladder flush mix - orange, grapefruit, garlic, ginger, olive oil

Fresh juice

The mix  in the blender

Finished blend

 Here are the tincture ingredients:

Anti parasite tincture

Blood detox tincture

Echinacea and goldenseal tincture

Natural Pain Relief!

Hi Folks - I had a terrible experience at the dentist last week that I'm still suffering from. I ended up in a lot of pain and since I am in the process of flushing my liver, I didn't want to take any pain medication that my liver would have to process.  So I was advised to do two things: 1) take white willow bark tea and tincture and 2) place cloves and clove oil on the affected area. 

I was seriously on the verge of popping some pills, but I took a leap of faith and tried  the natural home remedies that were suggested.  Needless to say both applications worked extremely well and I now have two more natural remedies in my treasure chest. 

Let's talk about why these two plants sources (white willow bark and cloves) helped relieve my excruciating pain. 

White Willow Bark: 

1.  The bark from the willow tree  is actually  used to make medicine. The active ingredient in aspirin (acetyl salicylic acid), is derived from white willow bark.   The bark  is used to relieve pain from headaches, muscle aches, menstrual cramps, arthritis, and gout. 
2. Historically, willow bark was commonly used during the time of Hippocrates and people chewed on the bark to reduce fever and pain

White willow bark

How I used White Willow Bark: 

• I steeped the bark in hot water and drank as a tea (no sweetener) for three days.  The tea was devoid of any taste (which I prefer over extremely bitter teas). It was like drinking warm water. 
• After the third day, I added the white willow bark tincture in my herbal tea

White willow bark tea

Cloves: 

1. Cloves are the flower bud of a tree and are native to Indonesia
2. Cloves are used in various types of healing practices such as: Indian Ayruvedic medicine, Chinese medicine, and herbalism and dentistry where the essential oil is used as a painkiller for dental emergencies. 
3. It's an aromatic spice that is used in many types of cuisines.

Clove buds

                                  

How I used Cloves: 

• The first day I actually put 5 clove buds in my mouth where the pain was coming from. I kept them in ALL NIGH LONG.  Within 30 minutes the pain was gone. No joke!
• The next day along with taking the white willow bark tea, I applied the clove oil to the affected area using a cotton swab.  Initially, the oil burned but in about 15 seconds the burning sensation dissipated and I was left pain free. 

Clove oil

Cotton swabs used to apply clove oil

I am a true believer and witness to the healing power of willow bark and cloves.  If you have a dental emergency and are in pain don't hesitate to go back to the dentist to get retreated as necessary. I am not suggesting that you should not get rechecked if your soul leads you to that conclusion. 

 Honestly, I was a bit perturbed at the pain I should not have been in based on the procedure that was done. So I WAS NOT willing to go back to the dentist for ANY treatment. I still have pain, but my natural remedies are working.  If you have even minor aches and pains, try white willow bark.  You can contact Herbal Bush House for the tincture or go online for the tea or powdered versions.  If you are suffering from dental pain, try the cloves. You can find clove buds in any nearby grocery store and the essential oil in most health food stores. 

I'm more and more convinced everyday that nature can meet all of our needs! 

Please let me know what your experience is if you're brave enough to suck on some cloves!!!

Peace and love!

Watermelon Plum Smoothie

Hi Folks!  I created an awesome smoothie that I shared with co-workers and they loved it too!  It’s called the Watermelon Plum smoothie. 

Remember, smoothies are an excellent way of consuming raw foods.  You can put anything in a smoothie your heart desires making it a never ending treat for your palate.

Here’s the recipe:

3 cups of watermelon chunks

2 cups of frozen strawberries

Juice of 3 oranges

2 red plums

1 black plum

1tps of Ashwanganda powder  (more on this herb is coming so stay tuned!)

 

I believe this is the best smoothie I've ever created.

It’s great for the summer and had tons of vitamins, minerals and hydrating properties. 

Try it and let me know what you think!

Peace and love!

Detoxification: Liver and Onions Part 3

Hi Folks!

I'm on week three of my pre flush regimen.  So far so good!  I have not experienced any debilitating detox symptoms like in the past.  I started having headaches last week for about 5 days straight.  I think the toxins were getting loose and  revved up! I increased my water intake and hopefully flushed them out.

I also have less bloating and can fit into pants that I was not able to wear just two weeks ago!!!!! Awesome sauce!!!

I've  added probiotics back in to my regimen because the bloating I was experiencing prior to starting the flush was connected to my gut flora being out of control.  Probiotics help put the gut flora back into balance and decrease the daily bloating (gas forming) parties that bad bacteria like to have.  Ever seen your belly grow 3 more sizes through out the day leaving you feeling like a pig in a blanket?   Well that was me.

Gut bacteria

I've also been taking a natural supplement that helps move my bowels.  When you detox, toxins are eliminated from your body by various mechanisms.....bowel movements are one way.  And since the liver is an important part of digestion, you have to keep the bowels moving.  This is another product  from Herbal Bush House I've added to my daily regimen.

Natural colon cleanser: cape aloe leaf, barberry root, cascara sagrada (say whaaat??), garlic bulb, rhubarb, black walnut, cayenne pepper

My cravings for refined sugar have decreased and I'm able to quench my sweet tooth with fruit and hibiscus and cinnamon tea.  Alright now!!  I'm taking baths 2-3 times per week, exercising regularly, consuming more living foods and dry brushing my skin.  Overall I've been able to clean up my diet and I'm excited about the second part of the flush although I'm still a bit leery of what detox symptoms I may face.

Stay tuned!! :)

Peace and love!