The Juicing Journey: Detox by Juicing! Reposted....

Good morning!! Since I'm on a juicing kick, I decided to re-post an article I wrote last year about the benefits of juicing (and juice fasting).  Now, I am not doing a juice fast, but the info is still good to keep in mind!

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Hi Folks!

Last night I took part in a juicing Q&A session sponsored by Soul Food Therapy, where it is Juicy June Month.  It was great! The guest was Kareen (a dietician) of  I am Eating Right. 

Have you ever heard of a film called: "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead"? Well it's about a man who cleans up an extremely overweight and unhealthy body by going on a juice fast for 60 days. 

This is what Kareen has done....TWICE!

Juicing for improved health is becoming a fast moving train.   I was enlightened on some things last night that I want to share with you.  As posted in The Juice Journey, I've dabbled in juicing and still make juices now....but I've never tried a juice fast.

Key Points:
1.  9 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day can boost your body's cancer fighting ability.

2. If using juice to replace a meal,  drink 32 ounces.

3. Benefits to juicing: increases energy levels,  you consume more veggies, and you look better (skin, hair and nails).

4. If partaking in a juice fast YOU MUST PREPARE YOUR BODY by eliminating junk (processed foods, caffeine, etc. one to two weeks prior).  And this goes for any type of  detox or cleanse.  (I am a witness!!!)

5. Exercise levels while on a juice fast will depend on you! Also, protein can be added to the juice if necessary.

6. Smoothies and juices are both excellent ways to fuel your body. Note that smoothies contain more fiber and will not give your digestive system a complete rest like juices will.  Juicing removes all insoluble fiber allowing the nutrients to be delivered in an clean, pure format.  There is a higher concentration of nutrients in juice compared to smoothies.

7. Juice fasting can last from one day to 60 days. A one day juice fast can help clease your palate and give your system a rest.

8. Discipline key in following any juicing or detox plan.  Having an accountability partner will help greatly.  It's a challenging experience not just physically but mentally and emotionally.  Personally, when you conquer the task of having self control, you have a deep feeling of accomplishment.  This is how I felt after my airplane food challenge (The Food Journey: Airplane Food).  Succeeding in the last two challenges have boosted my self control and is helping to keep me on track with this new challenge.

The first time Kareen did the 60 day juice fast she lost 40 POUNDS!!!

Because a juice fast is a form of detoxification, some adverse symptoms may rear their ugly heads.  According to Kareen, detox symptoms are the worst on Day 2 through Day 4, and decrease around Day 5.   I can attest to this.  We are on Day #4 of the 30 Day RAW Food Challenge and I have been feeling it!


Luscious Lacinto Kale Juice( Great Juice recipe!)

Grapefruit Mango Smoothie

Happy Juicing!

Peace and Blessings!

The Hair Journey: The Freddie D Fro!

Hi Folks...I'm back with another hair style.  This one is call the Freddie D fro.  It's affectionately named after the historical figure Frederick Douglas.  Namely because of the side part.  It got the name when a friend of mine joked that I looked like Frederick Douglas the first time I wore my hair this way.  All I was trying to do was give my Flo fro a twist. 

I will also share that I finally had the guts to wear this style to work.  I've been struggling with what styles are appropriate for work and which ones are not.  I've always considered the afro non work compliant...but with this much hair on my head...I decided to step into my uncomfortable zone and try it out.  I received positive feedback, and had to demonstrate 1) how long my hair really was by stretching out a piece and 2) show how I pat this Freddie D fro into submission.  LOL!

I honestly felt EXTREMELY LIBERATED that day!!! I had to pat myself on the back. 

Check it out!

Getting to the final result  (pictured below) consisted of these simple steps:
1 - picking the hair out
2 - making a side part
3 - forming a shape

Time: 10 - 15 minutes (tops!)


The first Freddie D Fro.  Notice the hair tapered at the neck.

 

Check out the side part!! That's what makes this look so fresh! 

 

 

Here is the work version! The back is not as tapered, but still very shapely. 

 

 

 

 

Even if you have a short to medium fro, you can still style it with flair!  Be open to continue to explore new looks with every 1/2 inch of growth!! :)

Peace and love!

The Hair Journey: Chunky Afro - Dry Twist Out Process

Hi Folks! As my hair grows, so does my exploration into various styles.  The choices seem to change with each 1/2 inch of growth.  It's been pretty fun to come up with different styles for each stage. One of the most maintenance free styles (meaning I can sleep on it an fluff it out the next day and still look cute)  is the chunky afro by way of the twist out.  My twist outs consist of two strand twisting my hair into various sizes based on the desired coil pattern.




For my chunky afro I prefer the dry twisting because it does not take as long to get big and sassy.  With wet twist outs, it make take a week, with water spritzing to get it to look the way I want. here is my process to get a sassy chunky afro using dry twists.

Step 1 - After wearing my hair in a Flo Fro for one day, I get some oil and begin to twist. 

 

 

Step 2 - Here are the completed twists. It took about 1.5 hours.   If I don't have to go out for professional events, I try to keep my hair twisted for a couple of days.  I DO NOT like wearing my hair like this with no coverings (hat, head wrap, etc.). I call them my Color Purple Miss Ceely twists.  Not cute.



 

 

Step 3 - After a day or more, I release the twists and let the spiral curls that result get acquainted with the environment. Take a look at the difference between Day#1 and Day#3.  I prefer the Day #3 look. 

 

 

 

Here is the back view.  See the coil/spiral pattern on each piece of hair on Day #1?  Day #3 is less defined and more sassy!  This is the look I love! I can wear my hair like this for a week, and it is still cute!!! Love it!  It's the "weathered" look.  I sometimes pull out the twists and do not cover my head while in the shower.  The extra droplets of water help the fro expand.

 

Are you a chunky fro fan?  Have one?? How did you achieve your favorite chunky fro look?

Peace and love!

In Pursuit of a Curl Pattern: Caring for Children's Curls

Hi Folks! It's been a while since we've heard from Kiki but she's back to give us an update on her curl pattern pursuit.  She's also sharing techniques on how she cares for her beautiful children's curly hair.  We will call them Princess K and Princess J. 

 

Here is Kiki in her own words.

 

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Wow,  I am at Day 80!  NO HEAT!   Yeah, I am still wearing protective styles.  Here is the latest one.  My curl pattern has double to about 3 inches.  Wahoo!  But, all I can do is wait and keep wearing these protective styles - NO BIG CHOP for me.  So, I turn my attention to Princess K and Princess J.  They have beautiful curl patterns and I am green with envy.

 

Day 80 - protective style

 

Let's start with Princess K:

Princess K's hair is easy peesy. The only non-positive thing about it is that it is somewhat fine.  So when it's is straightened, it can look limp and thin.  Otherwise Princess K has wash and go hair.  It doesn't take much heat to straighten, curl,  and blow dry.   Her hair is a soft, pliable grade.  It response well to any shampoo, conditioner, mousse, gel... whatever...  I can wash her every every week and spend less than 2 hours, start to finish.   This is the style that we do when she is wearing her hair natural.  I wash it, condition it, detangle with big tooth comb, add a curling product.  Most any curl enhancing product will work well.  This time we used Tahlia Waajid Curly Curl Cream.  This and this is what happens.  Easy! 



Princess K's wash and go curls

 

 

Princess J is another story: 

 

Her hair is very thick and it requires that you use the "right" products for deep conditioning and detangling.  It takes me several hours to do Princess J's hair.   You have to used a multi -phased approach to get to the desired result.  Fortunately, I discovered that Bees Wax works wonders on her natural tresses.   I started sectioning her hair after blow drying it, applying some Bees Wax and twisting it. I did this once a week.  

 



Princess J's freshly washed and twisted hair using Beeswax

 

 After the 3rd week of doing this, I noticed that her hair was very soft  and had a nice sheen to it.  After washing her hair it was far less tangled.  I have been using the same products on her hair for years, so I know that it was the Bees Wax!    AMAZING! 

 

 

 

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Great progress Kiki and your children are ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!  Thank you for sharing with us! I love the fact that you are keeping their hair natural. 

 

Stay posted!  There's more to come from this family of curlies!

 

 

Peace and blessings!

Get your curl on: Cream, Jelly or Souffle?

 I decided to give Kiki who has totally lost her curl pattern some ideas on how to turn her waves into curls (besides taking a HEAT BREAK).  I went out today on an unrelated errand and ended up in the hair care section of two stores curiously looking for what's new in the "get yo curls together" arena. I felt like a secret shopper...and anxiously waited for a store clerk to reprimand me for taking pictures...but none of that excitement ever happened. 

 

This week has been a BEAST for me and I have be unmotivated to do anything to my hair except wash it.  I actually tried some curling products that have been sitting in my bathroom for a while to see what would happen.  If your hair is like mine then you may be struggling with taming multiple textures at the same time.  The front and top of my hair has a tendency to be frizzy with less curl.  The sides and back are very curl compliant and are a joy to work with! :)  So far this week I've used: Beautiful Curls, Shea Moisture and Tahlia Waajid to provide my curls some structure.

 

Curls by shea butter and Tahlia Waajid - love these curls...soft, somewhat defined, cute! Right?? :)





Now here's the skinny on what I found today:  some are all natural, some are made by niche brands and one came from the Dark and Lovely giant.  Since our hair textures are so diverse, I'm not sure which product will work best for you.  I would love to try all of them...but fear I'll waste money in the process.  I'm just going to pick a few and see what happens.  Hopefully these can be useful for Kiki's journey as well.

This was a new brand for me: Curls - Curl Control Paste ($7.99)

Good ole curl activator! I didn't know this was still in production!! ($3.69)

Shea Moisture - Curl & Style Milk (10.99) and Curling gel soufflé ($12.99)

Curls unleashed - Curl Defining Crème and Curl Boosting Jelly ($15.99)

My favorite Taliah Waajid - Curl Sealer (I've never used) and Curly Curl Cream (LOVE IT!) - ($8.29)

Yes...the big brands are in the curly game too! Dark and Lovely - Curl Defining Crème Glaze ($10.69)

Jane Carter - Curl Defining Cream ($18.99)

Here is a remix on the good ole curl activator - Twisted Sista - Curl Activator and Curl Spray ($7.99)

Curls by Shea Moisture

Curls by Shea Moisture - Surprisingly it gave me nice soft curls...this product was out of rotation based on my prior experience with it....I'll be using this product again!!

What curling aide did I forget?  What do you use in your hair???

Peace and blessings!

Does this look okay for work?

Would this look be acceptable in the workplace??

Have you ever asked yourself that question?  I have.  I tend to wear less conservative hair (and clothing) styles outside of work.  I was taught that you have to look professional in the workplace.  But what does that actually mean? Especially in 2013 where I've seen silky straight perms to mo-hawks on men and women to huge twists outs, locs and  micro braids - all in the workplace.  I've questioned the eccentric nature of my hairstyles for the workplace and I have been surprised by getting compliments on the styles I felt were too radical and slightly inappropriate (More Coping Skills.....).

Would bantu knots fly in the work place??

 

In the 1950s and 1960s, a Black person who had an afro was considered radical.   That's what the afro was at that time.....radical.....a symbol of freedom and of getting back to our roots. It started out being a huge political statement.   Braids, afros and other "ethnic" styles were considered un-professional.  There were even cases in the 1980s of women being fired from their jobs for having cornrows or other forms of braids. Society's idea of beauty impacted what was considered professional.  At that time straight hair that mimicked European culture was the ideal.  It was all about the press and curl and later on the chemical relaxer.  This history has influenced my view of what "professional" means in the workplace.  I'll say it again: I have felt a bit nervous about sporting my various faux hawk styles at work.  But at the same time I feel like I've been brainwashed to believe that my natural tresses need to be trained for the workforce.  I DID make it a point wear twists (a typical style for me then) for my job interview.  I only used to straightened my hair once a blue moon anyway and I wanted my employer to see the "real" me....twists and all!

When I look around my workplace these days I see women of all hues with curls flowing, locs dangling and natural vibes dripping from their tresses!  I love it and feel encouraged.  Being neat and presentable is still important and key to maintaining a professional vibe.  I know for certain that trends in society influences my work environment.  Societal trends are the bread and butter for MOST industries.  From my vantage point - the fact that natural hair is all the rage promotes acceptance from corporate America.

Here's what women who took my "Spill your Hair Guts" survey had to say about society's view of natural Black hair:

"Society's view of natural black hair has changed....unless you live in the hick-hock country."
 

"I think right now it's a trend to be natural. People are doing it because everyone else is. Only time will tell if this resurgence in natural hair will continue. I am seeing more natural styles on mainstream commercials. Its kind of exciting. Not everyone I see is light skinned with curly hair either. I think its great."
 

"Within the black community in certain areas - yes society's view has changed. I found that natural hair is not as common place in the South than it is in the North East. I do find that non-Black people are not as critical of natural hair and express appreciation for it more then some in the Black community. I also live in a very liberal area, so the non-Black community is more open minded."
 

"I think society's view is changing, but more importantly our view needs to change also. I know people who second guess what they feel comfortable wearing in corporate America. Once you have inner confidence and take care of your hair everyone else will accept you, no matter what the style. Also we are always wanting another person's hair curl pattern, instead of our own. We need to learn to appreciate and love our hair."
 

"Actually I don't care how society views natural hair because I cannot live in someone else's reality - only my own and as far as I know I was born perfect, so should I change who I am for society? Ha! Never that!"


66.7% of respondents said that their natural hair was accepted at work.  16.7% felt that they were sometimes accepted and 16.7% said that even though their hair was accepted they still received comments about it.

In summary Naturalistas  are in a good place when it comes to society's changing view of natural hair and how it's being accepted in the work place! We still have a long way to go to accept our own beauty, but we are well on our way! I want to give a BIG thank you to all those women who paved the way for professional self expression!

Thanks again to all the beautiful women who shared their time and thoughts with The Natural Journey For Life! Big up!!! :)

What are your thoughts? Please share!!

Peace and blessings!