turbo training.

what what. turbo training was insane. to give you an idea of how hard it was imagine the instructor giving you clear directions that you should bring a change of clothes. i'm glad i did. i could've changed one other time before driving home, but i didn't. i changed at home. but wow. it was really inspiring to be around people who are working towards health of others. it made me happy.

SPRING!

We had an unusual Sunday morning. Since we have one car and we had two different plans, K took the car while I waited for a ride to practice a gym routine with a friend. I cleaned a little bit. Then I decided to do one of my first outdoor runs. Im sort of training for a half-marathon again. I was hit with a calf muscle injury about three weeks ago. Usually I work through the pain, but this time I realized I needed to listen to what my body was telling me. I was happy that I stopped running. I kept going to classes. I felt my calf heal little by little. And today it was so worth it. I ran a few miles outside which says a lot...1) it's sunny 2) outdoor running is much more difficult 3) I'm running in a new neighborhood. It was really exhilarating. I got back just in time to go to the gym and practice the new Turbo routine with an instructor...and then came home and walked Dolly outside. I could barely stand how beautiful it was. I knew I couldn't spend all of the time inside today. So i've been outside for a good amount of time today.

I saw really beautiful signs of spring and was really thankful. Tomorrow it's supposed to be really really nice. It's supposed to be something like 60 degrees outside tomorrow. Yeah!

Hmm. Also managed to learn a lot about sugar alternatives this week. The reason people get addicted to sugar is the harmful effects it has on your blood sugar...it raises it and then it drops. So, i'm learning about agave nectar. I'm loving it. I don't eat it very often, but once a week I bake a gluten free, refined free banana bread. I freeze most of the slices and eat them when I'm wanting a little extra during the week. I also made some 'chocolate' chip cookies with grain sweetened chocolate...oatmeal and gluten free flours. I feel like the decisions I've been making have definitely made me feel better. My energy is returning to me. I don't feel so bloated or just blah.

Here's to a new week!

school?

I found this program online through a series of random steps...

http://www.integrativenutrition.com/index.aspx

It's everything I'm interested in...health, eating, exercise...mental...spiritual...and you can do distance learning! or you can do it in NY!

Anyway, I was just happy I found a program that I didn't even realized existed!

that's it. j

my hair and health

Thank you for all of the comments and questions about my hair. It means a lot that people are going to join me on this journey. I have a few more weeks until my next hair appointment...I haven't made the appointment yet, but I know i'm going. I can feel the familiar texture of new growth and I'm loving it. I can't wait to meet my new friend, my hair.

Also, thanks for joining me on my journey towards health. I've adopted a way of eating that feels very me these days...I have yogurt most mornings (thanks del marie!) I've removed most refined sugar, as I can, from my diet. I eat much more fish-friendly vegetarian. And I stay away from must gluten and big time dairy (cheese and all) I feel really good these days. I have noticed that my skin is better...I have more energy (sans daylight savings time or whatever) and that I just feel better...not as bloated as I usually feel...

I'm feeling like i'm actually enjoying the food that I'm eating in a new way...that's it.

thankful

Saturday I bought a new journal. I now have a knock-off moleskin that was $5.99 before tax. I love it. I've written in it a few times...disjointed words and thoughts that will hopefully come together to be a part of my book. I know that I have a book in me and I haven't listened much to that constant...write a book, write a book. so for now, i'm using my journal and writing. and only time will tell!

natural: i am not my hair

I've decided to let my hair live naturally. I asked a lot of good friends their journeys with natural hair. I've googled everything under the sun. I talked it through with my mom and felt that I was able to articulate what brought me to this place.

I enjoy the consistency that a relaxer gives my hair. It's bone straight and easy to manage. My hair was long. My hair dresser would tell me how much my hair had grown since I'd last seen here...and then the creamy crack would hit my scalp, i'd feel the burn, look in the mirror and relax because my hair was about to be straight. (funny that the product is even called a relaxer) The last weeks before a retouch, I would curse new growth...those little curls that caught all combs and brushes. Those little waves needed to be taken care of. So, this last time I sat in Classy's chair and talked with her about what I wanted to do. I wanted to make my next appointment for either a retouch or a trim.

So, i'm a few weeks in from my most recent retouch and I'm looking forward to the journey with natural hair. I almost forgot to write what made me some to this conclusion.

A lot of times I would tell Kenley that I wanted our future kids (we aren't pregnant) to have his hair. Yes, his hair is beautiful, half asian, half black. He has these glorious, flowing curls that seem so easy to manage. The more I would say that, the more I would wonder what that meant about my hair. I don't even know what my real hair even looks like other than the inch of new growth that I tell to straighten up. I remembered watching Good Hair and all of the questions I had coming out of that movie. What would I tell my kids about their hair? That it's a beautiful mixture of the Sturdivant-Wilson's Thai, African, Caucasian, Native American heritage? And that's why it's sometimes curly, sometimes has a red tint...why it's frizzy in the summertime. Yes, I think I would tell them that...and I had to start telling myself that. My hair does represent my family and my heritage. I didn't want to keep adding these strong chemicals to my hair. I want to put good and healthy foods into my body (hence my renewed commitment to eating vegetarian, leaning towards vegan). I want to honor my body with what I do to it and what I put into it. Trust me, I don't get it right, hardly ever, but I'm trying and I know I need to try.

I also want to understand what I find as beautiful and where in my life have I been conditioned to think something is beautiful (straight hair)...and I'm not my hair anyway (check the lyrics below).

I'm looking forward to the freedom that I think I will have with my hair. I know that this won't be an easy journey. It's something so new and something that I can't even plan for...but it's something that i'm anticipating. I'll probably keep blogging here about whole health...and include my hair in it...that is part of me. :) If you have any tips for hair and skin care...naturally, let me know!

Also, here's some education if you don't know what happens when I get my hair relaxed, here you go:

lyrics to india.aire's not my hair.

Little girl with the press and curls
Age 8 I got a jerry curl
13 and I got a relaxer
I was the source of so much laughter
15 when it all broke off
18 when I went all natural
February 2002
I went on and did what I had to do

Cuz it was time to change my life
To become the woman that I am inside
97 dread locs all grown
I looked in the mirror for the first time and saw that (hey)

(Chorus)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations (no)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am the soul that lives within

(Spoken)
What she do to her?
I don’t know; it look crazy!
I like it.
I might do that.
I wouldn’t go that far.

(Verse 2)
Good hair means curls and waves.
Bad hair means you look like a slave
At the turn of the century
Its time for us to redefine who we be
You can shave it off like an African beauty
Got in on “loc” like Bob Marley
You can rock it straight like Oprah Winfrey
It’s not what’s on your head, it’s what’s underneath (say hey)

(Chorus)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations (no)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am the soul that lives within

Does the way I wear my hair make me a better person
Does the way I wear my hair make me a better friend
Does the way I wear my hair determine my integrity
Expressing my creativity

(Verse 3)
Breast cancer and chemotherapy
Took away her crown and glory
She promised God if she was to survive
She would enjoy everyday of her life
On national television her diamond eyes are sparkling
Baldheaded like a full moon shining
Singing out to the whole wide world like hey

(Chorus)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations (no)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am the soul that lives within
(Repeat)

If I wanna shave it close or I wanna rock locs
That don’t take a bit away from this soul that I got

If I wanna wear it braided all down my back
I don’t see nothing wrong with that

my birthday

i'm still around. i'm 29. i just haven't been a good blogger. we also moved. and i'm so happy. our new place is perfect. and today starts the half marathon training. my goal is to actually really train for this...mind, body and soul. watching what i eat, being still, reading and writing and praying. and running.