It's only been two months since I chopped my hair off...I know, weird huh. My hair is growing like a beautiful plant. I really like it. Today I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled...and said, I really like my hair.
So, Friday night K and I went to our friend Caleb's art opening. It took us 30 minutes to get into the actual show. We kept running into friends and catching up. It was really fun to celebrate. Moving on...I'm chatting it up with friends Emily and Amanda when a stranger, who looks familiar, taps me on the shoulder. She asks if I would be interested in attending a natural hair meet up. I was so happy that I wanted to scream a little bit. OFCOURSE. I'll get to learn from others who are vets and newbies and figure out what they use...how to make homemade products! And anyone who wants to come can come...anyone who wants to learn more about hair and good hair products.
Finding like-minded people who care for their hair and their health inspires me...
What's inspiring you today?
Showing posts with label whole health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label whole health. Show all posts
Monday, August 9, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
being black and healthy
One of my favorite bloggers mentioned this blog. The blog is about obesity in the black women community...and the author summarizes the blog as
Read the response by a fellow blogger. And tell me what you think.
I'm black and I am a woman. Part of my journey into health has been in discovering what it means to be a healthy black woman. A few years ago I was tipping the scales close to 230/240. I'm not too tall either. I didn't get any height from my 6 foot 4 inch dad. I got a little bit of my height from that and my mom's beautiful 5 foot 2 inch frame. Do the math and you get me, I'm what, MAYBE 5 foot 5...MAYBE. Okay, maybe 5 foot 4. Shoot. I'm short, but i'm okay.
I haven't been shy about my weight journey. I have shared that it's beyond the number on the scale and I feel like the blog author really neglects the issues that surround what it means that there is a high percentage of black women who struggle with their weight.
Another quote:
At what point do we find it appropriate to call out our sisters, brothers, our family on such an intimate issue without an ounce of grace or true, authentic accompaniment. If I went to any nutritionist or health advisor and he or she said that to me, I would give up.
Our health journey isn't just ours. As a black woman, I get to look at my rich history that is scattered all over the world. When I traveled to Sierra Leone, I remember seeing myself in the beautiful skin and curves of the women. I heard my family in the laughter shared in tight modes of transportation. And there was something beautiful about the bodies of the women and how they loved them.
This isn't about the weight. It never has been. It's about how anyone, me, you got to the point you are or were. You can lose all of the weight and be put in the size 2 category, but if you don't love yourself at the size you are...then you haven't figured anything out. You may be skinny, but you won't be happy. And if you aren't happy, then what's the point. No, for real.
We need to look into our history and see what's going on. Black women were objectified throughout the years of slavery...and even now in music videos...
Black women need to recover our bodies, our beauty, our emotions, our stories. And share them. We need more places to share our stories and explore what it means to be a black woman in the United States (or wherever) and what does it mean to be healthy.
And we need less posts that write THIS:
Do not be ashamed of your body. Embrace it and love it for what it is...at this point and at the next point. And like I've said, weight issues aren't about food in and food out...it's about what's going on with our emotions and dang, that blog author missed that big time. That's too bad. It seems like the blog gets plenty of traffic and it would be nice to see some good energy and inspiration go out from there.
Again.
Embrace your body today...and share your story and journey. And ask for help. You can do this.
Stop trying to justify your fatness. You are doing yourself, your mothers and your daughters a disservice by teaching them to accept their unhealthy frames.
Read the response by a fellow blogger. And tell me what you think.
I'm black and I am a woman. Part of my journey into health has been in discovering what it means to be a healthy black woman. A few years ago I was tipping the scales close to 230/240. I'm not too tall either. I didn't get any height from my 6 foot 4 inch dad. I got a little bit of my height from that and my mom's beautiful 5 foot 2 inch frame. Do the math and you get me, I'm what, MAYBE 5 foot 5...MAYBE. Okay, maybe 5 foot 4. Shoot. I'm short, but i'm okay.
I haven't been shy about my weight journey. I have shared that it's beyond the number on the scale and I feel like the blog author really neglects the issues that surround what it means that there is a high percentage of black women who struggle with their weight.
Another quote:
My goal here is to get you to accept that most of you don’t really have a handle on your health and that you were NOT born to look like a hippo. You have a problem with food and you need to practice healthier eating habits and take better care of your health.
At what point do we find it appropriate to call out our sisters, brothers, our family on such an intimate issue without an ounce of grace or true, authentic accompaniment. If I went to any nutritionist or health advisor and he or she said that to me, I would give up.
Our health journey isn't just ours. As a black woman, I get to look at my rich history that is scattered all over the world. When I traveled to Sierra Leone, I remember seeing myself in the beautiful skin and curves of the women. I heard my family in the laughter shared in tight modes of transportation. And there was something beautiful about the bodies of the women and how they loved them.
This isn't about the weight. It never has been. It's about how anyone, me, you got to the point you are or were. You can lose all of the weight and be put in the size 2 category, but if you don't love yourself at the size you are...then you haven't figured anything out. You may be skinny, but you won't be happy. And if you aren't happy, then what's the point. No, for real.
We need to look into our history and see what's going on. Black women were objectified throughout the years of slavery...and even now in music videos...
Black women need to recover our bodies, our beauty, our emotions, our stories. And share them. We need more places to share our stories and explore what it means to be a black woman in the United States (or wherever) and what does it mean to be healthy.
And we need less posts that write THIS:
To you unhealthy size 16 women who write all these “We aren’t all a size two posts”. Please sit down and just accept that you are overweight and stop glorifying it. If you are heavier than your man (unless you just like your men bony) then you should be ashamed of yourself.
Do not be ashamed of your body. Embrace it and love it for what it is...at this point and at the next point. And like I've said, weight issues aren't about food in and food out...it's about what's going on with our emotions and dang, that blog author missed that big time. That's too bad. It seems like the blog gets plenty of traffic and it would be nice to see some good energy and inspiration go out from there.
Again.
Embrace your body today...and share your story and journey. And ask for help. You can do this.
Friday, May 21, 2010
31 days til(l) Summer Challenge: Why I'm a vegetarian
So one of the things that people could choose on the challenge was to eat vegetarian for a day. One of my friends asked me why I was a vegetarian. I haven't answered it in awhile. It seems like the reasons vary from day to day sometimes.
I've been a vegetarian since I was 15...so almost 15 years. I would give up meat once a year during Lent...and after one season I didn't incorporate chicken back into my diet. I had a friend who was a vegetarian and I at least had a reference for meat-less eating. So after chicken, I noticed how I felt when I ate red meat. I was always lethargic and felt really heavy. I became that vegetarian. I ate everything that wasn't meat...tons of pasta and junk food. Oopsies. I think when I was in college I began to understand and expand what I could eat as a vegetarian. I incorporated more proteins and tried to eat more balanced meals. There were days that I would just eat vegetarian chili from the ZT Johnson cafeteria...and times i'd eat subway and other times i'd eat cheese pizza. I didn't have a strong grasp of whole eating at that point.
I went to grad school and packed on the pounds. I had a love-hate relationship with Betty Crocker and the neighborhood Coldstone...oopsies poopsies. Moved to Omaha and tipped the scale around 230.
I was still a 'vegetarian.' I started on Weight Watchers. I began thinking more about the impact that my food had on my health and on the rest of the world. By this time I had traveled to a number of our fields..and it's the story we hear often...Americans are obese while the rest of the world is starving. So, those are two aspects of why I'm a vegetarian, health and others. I don't get it right all of the time. I try to choose healthy, whole foods that are hopefully grown somewhat locally, but again, don't get it right all of the time.
I've also incorporating some seafood into my diet. That's the trickiest part. I also love love love animals. I wear leather though...so I'm not a card-carrying Peta member. K and I went to Miami for our honeymoon and I gotta tell ya, I had to have some seafood when I was there...hello Ocean :) So since then I have seafood a few times a week.
If you're doing the challenge, try going veggie for a day...I can give you some really fun websites and recipes, there are so many options. I try to eat whole foods, well-rounded and balanced meals....good grains, veggies, fruits, dairy...I get it all in.
Like I've said though...it's not about what you put in your body...it's what is happening on the inside with your emotions. Deal with 'em, don't starve 'em or gorge them with food....deal with them and be friends with them. They're your emotions, they want to be paid attention to, that's it. They don't want to control you.
I've been a vegetarian since I was 15...so almost 15 years. I would give up meat once a year during Lent...and after one season I didn't incorporate chicken back into my diet. I had a friend who was a vegetarian and I at least had a reference for meat-less eating. So after chicken, I noticed how I felt when I ate red meat. I was always lethargic and felt really heavy. I became that vegetarian. I ate everything that wasn't meat...tons of pasta and junk food. Oopsies. I think when I was in college I began to understand and expand what I could eat as a vegetarian. I incorporated more proteins and tried to eat more balanced meals. There were days that I would just eat vegetarian chili from the ZT Johnson cafeteria...and times i'd eat subway and other times i'd eat cheese pizza. I didn't have a strong grasp of whole eating at that point.
I went to grad school and packed on the pounds. I had a love-hate relationship with Betty Crocker and the neighborhood Coldstone...oopsies poopsies. Moved to Omaha and tipped the scale around 230.
I was still a 'vegetarian.' I started on Weight Watchers. I began thinking more about the impact that my food had on my health and on the rest of the world. By this time I had traveled to a number of our fields..and it's the story we hear often...Americans are obese while the rest of the world is starving. So, those are two aspects of why I'm a vegetarian, health and others. I don't get it right all of the time. I try to choose healthy, whole foods that are hopefully grown somewhat locally, but again, don't get it right all of the time.
I've also incorporating some seafood into my diet. That's the trickiest part. I also love love love animals. I wear leather though...so I'm not a card-carrying Peta member. K and I went to Miami for our honeymoon and I gotta tell ya, I had to have some seafood when I was there...hello Ocean :) So since then I have seafood a few times a week.
If you're doing the challenge, try going veggie for a day...I can give you some really fun websites and recipes, there are so many options. I try to eat whole foods, well-rounded and balanced meals....good grains, veggies, fruits, dairy...I get it all in.
Like I've said though...it's not about what you put in your body...it's what is happening on the inside with your emotions. Deal with 'em, don't starve 'em or gorge them with food....deal with them and be friends with them. They're your emotions, they want to be paid attention to, that's it. They don't want to control you.
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