Don't Wanna DETOX?

It's Springtime! DE-TOX Time!! Not up for it? Neither am I! But, here's some things We Can Do to give our bodies a bit of a break from all the excess:

AM DO's            

1. Water First {with or without a little lime juice}- as many glasses as you can stand before you absolutely have to have something to eat! Spread your glasses apart, don't just gulp for gulping's sake. Wake up earlier if you have to so you can make sure you've used the facilities enough before you venture out. *'Tis the season for earlier a.m. rising, anyway.
2. Smoothie & a Bar {some type of granola bar, that is}- Make sure it's a FRUIT Smoothie! Fruits are for the a.m. and you'll appreciate that boost you get from all those natural sugars and vitamins. And, take it with you if you can. You'll want to wait at least a 1/2 hour after your final glass of water before you drink it. Half hour after that, if you still feel really hungry, eat an energy bar. I have mine around 11a.m. Clif Luna Bars are my faves~ Caramel Nut Brownie; White Chocolate Macadamia; Chocolate Raspberry; and, Chocolate Dipped Coconut~ FYI: There are other flavors besides chocolate! :-)
1. Alternative- So Delicious Coconut Milk Or Amande Almond Milk Non Dairy YOGURT. Dip Apple or Strawberry Slices in the yogurt, then dip into Nature's Path HEMP Plus Granola..Yum..Freakin' Yummm...

PM DO's

1. Big Salad {this can be in place of or in addition to your lunchtime usual}- Make sure you get your daily dose of fibrous greens. Green Leaf. Red Tip. Radicchio. Arugula. Boston. Endive. Red Chard. And, Romaine {which I've recently become pretty fond of} *Include Spinach for iron and other minerals. "Why Salad?" you ask. Regularity is Key~ to Health, Wealth and Great Skin! {doesn't that make you Happy?!!}
2. Skip Dinner?? {did I say to eat a big enough lunch to satisfy you?}- Who says you Need to eat dinner, anyway? You've had your drinks and a light snack. Make this meal count. Who said you had to skimp on your salad, especially, if that's going to be your largest meal of the day? Go ahead, you know how to live a little! Enhance that salad! Douse on the nuts & seeds, raisins, sprouted beans, nori, croutons..whatever floats your boat. Or, lightly embellish with cucumbers, avocado, etc, etc... Whatever you do, you had better enjoy it!!
3. Snack It Up! {snack often}- Tortilla Chips & Salsa. Tortilla Chips & Hummus. Popcorn {Little Lad's Herbal is good}. Nori & Avocado. Nuts & Raisins. Raw Veggies. 

PLEASE Do NOT

• SMOKE {cigarettes}.
• DRINK ALCOHOL.
• Eat FLESH {beef, chicken, goat, alligator, fish...} More Than THREE Times a Week.
• Eat FRIED FOODS More Than ONCE A WEEK.
• Drink SODA, SWEETENED JUICES.
• Eat CANDY.
• DEPRIVE YOUSELF of REST {you'll need lots of energy to keep yourself from doing all the please do not stuff!}.

OTHER STUFF

• Begin Your Day on a POSITIVE NOTE~ Affirmations, Exercise, Focused Breathing, Reading This Blog... :-)
• DON'T GO OUT TO DINNER WITH FRIENDS.. Stay Focused!!!!!!
• TAKE IT EASY. Don't be so hard on yourself if you mess up. Pick up and start again. ~Forward Ever~
• If you're an Everyday Coffee Drinker, SUBSTITUTE HERBAL TEA and drink tons of it throughout the course of the day. Sweeten with AGAVE NECTAR. You'll lose water weight and, some fat cells to boot!! Not to mention, your hair and skin will shine and sing your praises. 
• You can even Taper Down to Every Other Day Coffee and Tea. You gotta start somewhere, right?!!

YOU CAN DO IT! OF COURSE, YOU CAN!!!    :-)

BigGER Love

Did you see the Season Finale of "Big Love"???

I did. I cried! Did you? I mean, what an emotional roller coaster right from the beginning!! I'd be doing my deep breathing exercises whenever I'd see Bill onscreen. I could feel his tension {he was always so darn tense!} in every single episode. Whether it was during the earlier years of his struggles with the Home Plus franchise or around the never-ending issues within his marriage{s}, it was Always Sumthin'! There was always some type of Major Drama that Bill and his wives had to contend with. But, this was the very first episode where I experienced having to let the water flow from my lids. My heart was full of all kinds of feelings: joy and sadness included.

Throughout the show's duration, I wasn't really cool about Bill and his family not being accepted by the dominant society. I'm not cool with people being treated as outcasts, in general. My thing is, if you don't like something, don't get involved in it. Mind your own business, right? So, for me, this wasn't just a controversial dramatic cable series. There's no such notion as art for art's sake in my book. The kind of bigotry Bill and his family experienced happens everyday in "real life"..True Story! Aside from the fact that Bill's particular religious beliefs seemed a little ignorant and backwoods to me..My Truth, people!..I feel like they still had every right to practice freely and live their lives as they saw fit. They weren't harming anyone and their intentions appeared to be loving. And, while we're on the subject of intent, what of the business of Margene {sp} being 16 when she and Bill married?!! Exactly what were each of their intentions? .. Hmmm.. That's a whole 'notha issue. I'm not judging, just saying.. {P.S~ Men aren't that foolish are they?.. Rhetorical question- HA!!- I know they are}

Anyway, LOVE happens to be one of my favorite topics of discussion. Rule #1~ LOVE IS LIFE. Question: How do we know when a thing is living? Answer: It grows/ changes/ expands. Love does all those things. Love is growth, change and expansion. Wherever Love exists, Life exists.

If you're not growing/ changing/ expanding, then, by default, you are diminishing/ remaining static/ decreasing. I'm not saying that if you're not practicing polygamy, you're not living! {That's funny} What I am saying is that if you're not having lots of sex, you're not living!!.. Joking! On the contrary, despite popular belief, polygamy is as complex as, if not, more than, other types of unions- not just about sex. Seriously, what I am saying is that individuals should begin by learning to love themselves more wholistically, spreading that love to family members, friends, significant others and if that means eventually increasing your current circle of significant others, so be it. Were you listening to childlike, innocent Margene when told Bill that her wanting to explore the world outside of their family/ community would be in addition to rather than in place of what they had? She said, "You're my anchor. You're my home. But, someday, I do want to meet new people and share what's in my heart with others."~ BANG! That's BIG'! That's Love.

Bill and Barbara's love began small, just intimate enough for the two of them. Later, it grew to encompass a larger union. They faced enormous challenges with life-altering consequences; many, not unlike those faced by monogamous couples. Where Bill & Barb differ greatly from monogamous couples is in the fact that their type of union {polygamous} is illegal and considered sinful by most religious institutions and authorities. SCREW THEM!! ..pun intended..

Ever the cheerleader for True Champions, I'm givin' a SHOUT OUT to All Polygamous Families!

You Choose Your Way regardless of the what others say. You Choose Love as a Way of Life. And, just like Bill's wives eventually learned, you Overstand that LOVE is about Acceptance, Allowance and the Acknowledgement that it is owned by no one, yet, it BELONGS TO ALL. Love is really BIG. In fact, it is Bigger than we can ever imagine.

All We HAVE To Do, All We CAN Do, is Allow Love to Grow.. Bigger and Bigger and BIGGER...

~HEALTH IS WEALTH~

Copyright © 2011 Motha Nature, Harlem, USA

Repost--> SPRING INTO GREAT HEALTH!!

Springtime---> The time to Move Forward with whatever it is you say you really want. Spring represents Renewal/ Energy/ Detoxification/ Rebirth/ Optimal Health.
~Every Fruit has Its Season~
BOUNTYFULL BERRIES Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, etc… are Plump, Delicious and Packed with Antioxidants, Vitamins and, believe it or not, Minerals (especially darker ones). 
Berries Tone Fat Cells while Expelling Mucous. Strawberries, eaten in large doses, are known to ease pain. For Healthy, Glowing Skin EAT YOUR BERRIES DURING SPRINGTIME!!
WOMEN, Berries Will KEEP IT TIGHT in all the places that matter most. *Wink*
Berries are healing and astringent for the uterus. Eat in abundance if you suffer from FIBROIDS or just want to restore WOMB HEALTH.
*As with all the fruits and vegetables I discuss, ORGANIC (when available) is the way to go! *
Enjoy berries on top of granola, oats, or all mixed up into a Sweet Spring Berry Salad.
Spring Berry Salad Mix a variety of berries together in large bowl. 
Sprinkle a dash of Cinnamon powder. Grate a smidgen of Fresh Ginger onto the mixture. Add Agave Nectar. Squeeze Fresh Lime Juice over the salad. Cover and Let Sit for 15-30 minutes. ~Enjoy~

~Health Is Wealth~

Copyright © 2010 Motha Nature, Harlem, USA

WINNING

The phrase health is wealth takes on even greater meaning when we begin to apply it to every aspect of our lives. The concept of health applies to more than physical wellness. It's a wholistic term encompassing spirituality AND mentality.

It has been said before and I like to reiterate it: It's not the messenger, it's the message.

The thought that individuals have the power to accomplish ANYTHING we focus Energy, Intent and Will on is as ancient as the eldest beings of this planet and, beyond. In fact, humans have been transforming that thought into reality since our existence. Evidence of this is as complex as the design and, subsequent, construction of the largest physical edifices and the most intricately detailed mechanical structures we know {bridges, airplanes, buildings...}. If it is possible to conceive and manifest monumental machines, why, then, do we find it so difficult to grasp that we have the power to harness the same energy and put it into curing ourselves of whatever ails us. Whether the illness is addiction, cancer or H.I.V., we can think it and it is so. It has been done time and again. Not a believer? google it!

When Charlie Sheen stated that he handled his addiction that way, people mocked and snickered in disbelief. Beneath what appeared to be the outrageous statements of a troubled and crazy individual, I heard Universal Truth. While watching his interviews, I found that I related to much of what he was saying. I've been aware of the my power to create with my thoughts all my life. It's, partly, a Pisces thing. As an adult, I've become even more consciously aware of it. In my experience, I have overcome acne, eczema, migraines, shopping addiction and a host of other illnesses. My father was addicted to crack in the early '90s. He, too, overcame his addiction with the power of mind. Inspired by thoughts he had while reading a letter I wrote him, he made up his mind to stop using crack and he did.

Ponder the meaning of these phrases: make up your mind; change begins in the mind;what you can conceive, you can achieve. Those are just a few of countless similar sayings alluding to the power within that we all possess. What meaning, if any, do they have for you?

Perhaps you hadn't given thought to any of the above. I trust that, after reading this post, someone will. Crazy-ass Charlie Sheen has. What's more, he has transformed his life and is creating the effects he desires. And, for that reason, he is WINNING.

~Health Is Wealth~

Copyright © 2011 Motha Nature, Harlem, USA

9 Golden Laws of Healthier HAIR & SKIN

LAW #6~ SWEAT!

Want a Gorgeous Glow?

You gotta DETOXIFY from the Inside Out!

Sweat it out/ Let it out!!

I'm just not that into the gym, you say. That's fine {neither am I}. But, in order to get your perspiration on, there needs to be Some Kinda physical activity.

No need to make it a chore, though. Be creative. I say, Do what you like! Get your boogie on- Wind ya waist to Dancehall music/ throw on some Old School Hip Hop records and do the runnin' man; Clean your place from top to bottom- several times a week; even better, have some SEXercise- grind it up! {in addition to your great new skin, you'll be in a really great mood}~ seriously. ;-)

Whether you choose traditional or alternative forms of movement, commit to doing it as often as possible. Schedule it on your calendar as if you were taking a class {even if you'll be running up and down steps for an hour a day}.

Make it happen!!

You Can Do It!

Your Hair Will Thank You...

Your Skin Will Thank You...

~Health Is Wealth~

Copyright © 2011 Motha Nature, Harlem, USA