Pescatarian...WTH is that?!? And New Foods

Hey lovelies! This is another blog about my semi-vegetarian diet. I have learned that pescatarian is the scientific term for someone that does not eat meat except for fish and shellfish. It has been debated whether fish is considered a meat but it is. it's fillets are made of protein and it has flesh. This is okay with me because I did not choose to take this journey because of a label. My choice was made because I wanted to eat healthier. Will I ever stop eating seafood? Maybe, but not any time soon!

Lately I've been trying out new foods and things that I usually wouldn't eat on a regular basis. Some of the new foods I've tried are Avocado and morning star veggie burgers and breakfast sausage patties. I thought the avocado would be disgusting but it actually has no taste. It's great if it is paired with things such as a salad with something sweet. For an example I usually make a salad with spinach, apples, carrots, raspberries, blueberries, cucumbers and sometimes cheese. The sweetness from the fruits kinda gives the avocado that "something". Another thing is that the avocado's texture is so creamy, it's weird because you expect creamy things to have a taste! I also made homemade shrimp fettucini Alfredo and I added avocado in it. It complimented the dish so well because of its creaminess. The morning star veggie burgers are so tasty! I was actually surprised! I give them 4 out of 5 stars only b/c tasting bits of veggies kinda freaked me out but I need to get use to it anyways. The sausage patties get 5 out of 5 stars. Even though it wasn't meat is still had kind of a sausage taste. Even my daughter liked it and she's very picky so you know it taste good! Other things that I have eaten before but not that often were green peppers in my salad and spinach. it actually taste better than romaine lettuce to me.

I haven't had any red meat, poultry or pork in the last 3 days! yay! so happy! Maybe this transition won't take as long as I thought. I am going to try to cut down my seafood intake to once a week though. I want most of my diet to be mainly vegetarian but I'll sneak in a fish fillet or two every now and then.

Chunky Braid Out

Ever wanted that big fro look? Well this is one way to get it without blowdrying and adding heat damage. The first thing I did was make sure my hair was completely dry. Then I parted my hair in big sections (I'd say 2-3 inches thick). Use a product to help moisturize but not "wet" your hair (i.e. hair creme). I used oyin handmade's burnt sugar pomade but you can also use plain shea butter or shea butter mixed with oils. Gently comb curls out of each section (ends to roots) and then braid. After sleeping on them over night (or longer) take them out, fluff and voila!

New Protective style: 3 Strand Twists/twist Out

Hey Lovelies! If you are following my on twitter you probably know about my latest protective style: 3 strand twists. I first saw a tutorial a while back from a lady on youtube showing different ways to start locs. Recently her channel was deleted so I searched for another video and found one (click here for the video). Unfortunately I need to purchase a new camcorder so I won't be able to post another live tutorial until after my birthday on August 23rd (a long time, I know!). Anywho, 3 strand twists look and sound difficult to do but they are really not. I did mine fairly small (and with all the breaks I took) I'd say it took a combo of 4 hours to finish. Not that bad, micros take longer than that!

Products: I used my shea butter creme to do the twists. Click here for the recipe. And to take them out I rubbed coconut oil on them to give it a shine. I was thinking that the next time I do a protective style I will add jojoba oil to the coconut oil b/c jojoba is good at smoothing the hair cuticle and eleminating frizz.

How long did the twist last? My issue with the twists is that since I'm a wild sleeper I'd wake up and find a few sticking up but I just fixed that by pinning the front in a style. After a 4 days I took them out.

How long did the twist out last( pic in the top right corner)? The twists out surpisingly lasted for a long time. I ended up washing them out after the 3rd day because of my regimen but I know they would have lasted longer. They didn't frizz easily and the curls still had definition. I just put my hair in four loose ponytails and then put a satin bonnet on at night to preserve them.

Conclusion: I like 3 strand twists, its a better way to elongate your fro as still get that twirl that twists outs give your hair. I felt good rocking just the twists because they reminded me of locs. This is definately the method I will choose when I decide to get locs. when I took the twists out I didn't really like it at first because the curls were so defined! It felt fake. But they had a chance to frizz a little the next day and it looked better to me. Hope this helps! Peace and Blessings.

Finally!! My Coco-Veggie Mix Recipe

Guys, I have found the best thing to "awaken" your hair in the morning. I love it for my hair, it works best on my daughters hair (3 type mainly 3b/3c) and it smells wonderful! It's a spray I use, you already may know about it's roots: Vegetable Glycerin and water. I just added coconut oil b/c I like the benefits of it. So here you go! (To see what the mixture looks like click here for my youtube video)

Ingredients:
coconut oil
vegetable Glycerin
Water
1 spray bottle (oz does not matter)

Directions:
I divided the ingredients into parts because it's easier when you are working with different sized spray bottles. Some could be 6 oz or 8 oz. Okay, fill half of the bottle with water. The oil and glycerin are going to take up the other half so you are going to fourth those ingredients. So fill one fourth of the bottle with the glycerin and the last fourth with coconut oil. Shake bottle before use every time.

**Note: Coconut oil melts at 76 degrees Fahrenheit so if where you store this mixture is colder than that it will start to solidify. This became a problem to me in the winter months. Some tips I got from my subscribers on youtube.com that worked best for me was to sit the bottle in a bowl of hot water or put it in the microwave for a few seconds (maybe 10).
Peace and Blessings

Correction on my Vegetarian Transition Post

Ok, yall know I'm new to this. For some (sad) reason I thought that vegetarians can eat sea food and vegans were the ones that don't. NOT! The only difference between the two is that vegans don't eat any animal products and vegetarians still eat eggs or milk and cheese and butter. If I want to still eat fish and other forms of sea food I would be considered a semi-vegetarian. Which, like the book described, is like being a little pregnant. Either you're not or you are. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Maybe I'll cut out meat all together and only eat fish and other seafood on special occasions, or maybe cut out fish and just eat seafood (called a crusto-vegetarian). I'm not totally sure yet. Heck, maybe I'll stop eating seafood too. Thanks for reading this. Peace and Blessings.

My Love: Coconut oil!

First I want to say, many people, especially African American women are use to greases, pomades, or hair lotions to moisturize their hair or give it shine but these products make the hair feel greasy and weighed down. In my opinion the best thing to do is to is to find a favorite oil. Use it to oil your scalp or add it with water in a spray bottle for added moisture. My favorite is coconut oil and I make it known! Many people ask about the benefits of coconut oil and here they are:

According to organictfacts.net the human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria. It fights viruses such as influenza. This is why it has been extensively used in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicine system. Coconut oil contains less calories than other oils so it is recommended to athletes or people who are dieting. It helps boost energy endurance and performance of athletes. Coconut oil contains 90% of fat but it is easily converted into energy and does not accumulate to cause negative effects in the heart and arteries.

For the hair: It helps with healthy hair growth and provides shine to the hair. Regular massaging of the scalp prevents dandruff or lice (especially if the kiddies are in school) even if the scalp is dry. It is a great conditioner (coat hair for a pre-poo) and helps re-grow damaged hair.

Stress relief: Massage some coconut oil on your head to remove mental fatigue.

Skin care: Coconut oil has the same effect as mineral oil for the skin but without all the side effects that mineral oil has. It prevents dryness and flaking of the skin and prevents wrinkles and sagging which comes with age. It helps treat skin problems such as psoriasis, eczema and dermatitis.

Dieting: Coconut oil contains short and medium-chain fatty acids which help take off excess weight. It increases metabolism by removing stress from the pancreas therefore burning more energy and helping overweight and obese people reduce their weight. It also promotes healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems.

Other: promotes healthy digestion, boosts immune system, helps control blood sugar and insulin production for diabetics, and it can speed up the healing process of bruises.

Well, there you go! Some information on the benefits of Coconut oil for your WHOLE body! Peace and Blessings.

Reference web site:

http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html

A new Journey, a New Transition

Hi again! As you know I've recently have transitioned to and conquered natural hair. Now I feel like it's time for a new journey. I have recently been interested in eating healthier. In studying about that I discovered that most meat found in the supermarkets have pesticides in them and since the animals aren't free to roam and graze they have more saturated fat content than animals that do. Exposure to pesticides can lead to forms of cancer and leukemia. After finding that out I have decided to become a vegetarian. Unlike Vegans who don't eat any type of meat (including fish) or dairy products (eggs, cheese, milk) vegetarians can. I love seafood so I can't stray away from that. And I have two little ones so calcium is vital for their developing bodies. In eating eggs, cheese and milk i will purchase organic. In fact I will try to purchase all my food organic if possible. Most fruits and vegetables contain pesticides also. To avoid that it's best to purchase fruits and vegetables that are in season from local farmers.

One concern i had was that I'm underweight my 10lbs. I've always been underweight and it's hard for me to gain weight. I don't want to lose anymore weight by cutting out meat and I don't want it to hinder my weight gain either. So I joined a vegan and vegetarian group on Cafemom.com (great site if you have kids or are expecting) and I got some great advice from jellyphish. Here's what she wrote:

Welcome! I have been underweight my entire life and gaining weight hasn't been any more of a struggle since I've been vegan. I also did t lose any weight when I transitioned. It's all about maintaining a healthy, balanced diet. Some great foods to help gain weight are carbs, avocados, nut butters, and seed/nut/veggie oils. Cook everything with oils and eat a lot of thicker foods, and make sure your diet is balanced. Remember these two things: gaining weight is all about taking in more calories than you burn, and animal fats and proteins only offer unhealthy weight gain (this includes meat, dairy and eggs).

I am going to transition because of my living situation, when I cook I have to cook for everyone in the house and since I'm currently staying with family until I move in March 2010 to PA....well lets just say you can't teach an old dog new tricks! I will first try to cut down on my meat intake and add more fruits and vegetables. I will also add in the foods that jellyphish suggested. I will keep everyone posted on my progress! Peace and Blessings.

My Homemade Conditioner: Avocado and Coconut Milk ( and then some!)

Okay guys! I haven't done a deep conditioner in forever so I decided to make one on Sunday. I used avocado, coconut oil, coconut milk, and honey.

Why I chose these ingredients:

1. Avocado: According to an article written by Dr. Phillip S. Chua its rich in vitamins, fatty acids, and vitamins that will bring back luster and soften hair. ("Avocado for your hair", 2009)

2. Coconut milk: Provides slip for easy combing and strengthens hair.

3. coconut oil: Adds shine and strengthens hair

4. Honey: adds moisture.

Measurements:

1/2 Haas avocado

2tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup of coconut milk

1tbsp of honey

Directions:

Mix everything into a blender. Apply to freshly shampooed hair. After hair is saturated comb through and put on a plastic cap to let hair sit for at least one hour. Wash out and voila!

After results:

My hair felt soft! It wasn't super soft but I did notice a difference. Next time I'm thinking of adding more coconut oil and honey. Check out my video with more pics by clicking here.

Reference:

Dr. Chua, P. "Avocado for your hair"

Retrieved on July 13, 2009 from http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/opinion/view/20090330-197028/Avocado-for-your-hair

First Braidout

So I was suppose to keep the braids I recently did in for 5 days but they started to get frizzy. I decided to take them out and the pics above are the end results! I love it! I've always done twist outs hoping that it would stretch my hair but it never stretched my hair enough and the braid out did just that.

I believe that the braids got frizzy because I didn't tie down my braids with a scarf at night, instead I just wore a satin cap which didn't protect against rubbing.

The way i maintained my braids and braid out was to go over my scalp and hair w/ coconut oil everyday.

If i could have done anything different I would have tied my braids down at night and also have done them smaller so that the braids would have lasted longer.

Hope this helps everyone!
Peace and Blessings

Trimming...When is it Necessary?

Okay, I would consider myself a newly natural since I'm only 6 mos in. i haven't had a pair of scissors to my head since my BC so I was wondering how often should a natural trim their hair? I went on Youtube for my search and found one video where the female said to trim every 3 mos although she did more of a "dusting" than a trimming. Everyone else just showed how they did it. I went looking on the Internet and found something that makes since. One forum where a professional long hair care dresser said if you want to grow long hair why would you cut it so often? She recommended every 6 mos. Now that's for people who don't add heat or chemicals to their hair. Of course the more heat and chemicals you add to your hair the more likely your hair is going to break and split. I made the huge mistake of dying my hair about a month ago. Never again. The fumes that permeated from the coloring were so strong I would not let my daughter in the room for fear that she'd breathe in the harmful chemicals. Anywho, that's another subject all together. Even though this lady recommends every 6mos she also stated that she knows people who never trim their hair ( and I do too).

Another thing I'd like to state is that in having kinky, curly hair you do not have to straighten or blow dry your hair to trim it! just section and trim off the desired length.

In conclusion, I am going to follow this person's advice and trim my hair (meaning 1/2 an inch) every six mos. I will write a post w/ pictures when I do later this month.

My Whipped Shea Butter Mix

**FIRST PIC IS OF THE SHEA BUTTER CREME (MIXED W/ WATER) AND THE SECOND IS JUST THE SHEA BUTTER MIXED W/ OILS.

Of course I'm not the first person to mix their shea butter with oils to create the perfect styling creme/ butter but I chose my oils according to what I like and my hair likes. First shea butter is a natural moisturizer for the hair and will do what those old school pomades and greases use to but without the damaging ingredients. The oils I chose to use are coconut for the repairing and strengthening properties, olive for the moisturizing properties, jojoba for the smoothing properties, and tea tree oil because it fights dandruff. Of course the peppermint oil is for scent and you can choose whatever scent you like.

Ingredients

at least 1lb of unrefined shea butter (it doesn't have to be exact)

1 tbsp of olive oil

2tbsp of coconut oil

1tsp of jojoba oil

10 drops of tea tree oil

15-25 drops of peppermint oil (or your choice scented essential oil)

Directions

in a mixer using a whipping blade (I used the magic bullet) whip together the shea butter and all the oils. I don't know if it will do this w/ your mixer/food processor but the butter will melt down and it will appear liquid-y...let it sit in the fridge to become a solid again!

***IF YOU WANT TO TURN YOUR BUTTER INTO A CREME, ADD WATER!! What I did was take half of my shea butter mix and put it back in the mixer and slowly added water. No I did not measure. Do it until you get a thickness to your liking. If I guess-stimated I'd say it was 1/2-1/3 cup of water. The creme is great for twists b/c you can feel the hydration coming from the added water.

Okay guys! You won't be disappointed I promise!

Peace and Blessings!

My Take on the new Back to Napptural Movement

To be honest when I first decided to transition it wasn't because many people were doing it, matter of fact I've never heard or seen a movement going on. I live in the deep south and "different" isn't necessarily popular in my area even if it means being healthy. As you know my first initial reasoning for going natural is that I was tired of getting relaxers. Then after doing research I found out about the harsh chemicals being used in relaxers and the damage it does to your hair. Also I found out about the true disdain most African-American women have for naturally kinky, tightly curly hair. That's when I decided going natural was not just for me but also for my girls to have pride in who they truly are.

I an so proud of my fellow sistas for taking that journey back to "normal". This is who we are and we should be proud about our beautiful manes! Now that I'm natural I notice I hold my head higher, I don't hide behind hair and my facial features are more prominent. My hair just looks...right! To explain more, we are always trying out new hair styles trying to find the one that looks the best on us and me going natural and wearing my fro, I find that it fits me perfectly. And I've noticed that on other naturals too. God gave us strong, bold and beautiful features. Our full lips, broad noses, high cheekbones, either big eyes or sexy slanted ones....we were not meant to hide behind hair...no hair should cover our face.

Another thing that I find interesting is that I felt that I wouldn't be as attractive anymore without my long flowing mane. Honestly that couldn't be any farther from the truth. Men generally do not go for girls that wear weaves. They like females who wear there own hair...whether that be relaxed hair or natural, short or long. Having talked to a few men they actually are liking the fact that women are going back to their natural hair. It's all about confidence.

Everytime I run across another sister growing out their natural hair or a brother growing locs it makes me smile and proud of my choice. Maybe in the next 10-20yrs the majority of black people will be rocking their fros and relaxed hair will not be normal!

Homemade Jojoba Gel!!!!

This is what every body's been asking for since GypsyCurls took down the video...I will be doing a vid soon but until then here is the recipe. You can find all the ingredients at any local health food store. This gel will define your curls and give a soft hold. Click here for my application video. This is also great for putting hair in a puff.

**WARNING! If you make this mixture too thick you can't go back so be easy on the xanthan gum!

ingredients

1/2 cup of aloe Vera gel

1/4 cup of jojoba oil

1/4 cup of vegetable glycerin

1/2 tsp of xanthan gum

15 drops of your choice essential oil (i use grapefruit) for scent

Directions

In a blender/food processor using a whipping blade or by hand using a whisk mix aloe vera gel, jojoba oil, and veggie glycerin. Next add the Xanthan gum. **I DON'T USE THE WHOLE 1/2 TEASPOON!!! LEAVE ABOUT A PINCH LEFT!** Let the mixture sit for about 15-20 mins to thicken. It shouldn't be runny or as thick as pancake batter (see pic). If it is not thick enough add the last pinch of the Xanthan gum. Last mix in 15 drops of your choice essential oil.

The Best Products for MY Natural Hair

**Disclaimer: What works for ME may not necessarily work for YOU.





In this post i will talk about what I currently use to maintain my natural hair and why.





1. Black soap: Like I said before I use this as a shampoo. I love it. The smell isn't the best but it doesn't stink. More like a fresh clean smell. The only con about it is that it burns like hell if it gets into your eyes!





2. My Honey Child's Jamaica Island Conditioner: This is a great light weight/rinsing conditioner. I love the smell. It's coconut, pineapple and some other fragrances. I said that if Jamaica had a scent, this conditioner would be it. I also like this b/c of...you know....COCONUT!! I love what it does to your hair. After using this product your hair will feel oh so soft.





3. My shea butter mix. I actually have two mixes. 1st, shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, tea tree oil, and peppermint oil for fragrance. I use this to maintain my twists and twists outs. The second mixture is the same as the first except I add water. I found this mixture to be very hydrating. Its great when I do my twists especially when parts of my hair start to dry, it doesn't matter because the cream re-hydrates it.



4. Next I use my Coconut oil/ Veggie glycerin mix. Click here for my youtube video. If you're already natural you probably know about the vegetable glycerin mix (just veggie glyc. and water mixed together) helps to add moisture and "awake" your fro. Well I added coconut oil to that mixture to add the helping properties of the oil like strengthening of the hair and damage repair. And it adds shine.

5. Plain coconut oil: I use just the plain oil to rub over my twists before I take them out to add shine and also to oil my scalp. As you know coconut oil prevents dandruff.

6. Gels: I use a homemade jojoba gel to define my curls. Click here for my tutorial video. I also use a styling gel by Fantasia for a more defined style like my puffs. Its the clear kind. It's alcohol free and flake free.

Shampooing...How to

Ok, this is gonna be a quickie. Most people think when shampooing yout are suppose to lather your scalp and hair but that's not true. Shampooing to much is actually drying for the hair because it strips the hair of its natural oils. Actually shampooing is just to cleanse the hair and scalp of product build up or excessive dirt build up such as after swimming. The proper way is just to shampoo the scalp...that's it...lather on the scalp not the hair. How will the hair shaft get cleansed you ask? When you rinse your scalp the lather will run down the hair shaft taking any dirt with it. Find a nice clarifying shampoo. I use Dudu Osun black soap. It's very cleansing. Co-washing is the key to cleansing the hair. Find a light weight conditioner also known as a rinsing conditioner. I use MyHoneyChild.com's jamaica island conditioner but there are some store brands that you can use. I believe that suave conditioners are light weight.

Also remember not to shampoo too often. If you use a lot of products try 1x week. If you don't, once or twice a month is just fine. I opt to doing it twice a month.