Hair Product Giveaway by Just Naturals Organic Care

Last week I was raving over how great Just Natural Organic Care Products are. If you missed my post check it out here.  Well I love them so much that I am going to share them with you! Two lucky winners will win a "Fitness Goddess Sweat and Refresh" Haircare pack by Just Naturals Organic Haircare. This prize includes their Shampoo and Conditioner. These products retail at 45 bucks but two of you will get to try them for free! All you have to do is enter the random drawing below. Good Luck!

This creamy organic shampoo has been formulated to naturally
revitalize dry hair from your roots to the tips. Leaves your hair soft
and full of shine without weighing it down.

This creamy thick natural conditioner penetrates to protect and
moisturize from the inside while closing cuticles on the outside for
hair that is left healthy, shinier and silky smooth.

USE THE WIDGET BELOW TO ENTER !  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD HAIR

Our Hair has been quite the hot topic lately. Hopefully you read my recent post on "Black Hair."
Well, Chris Rock has decided to make a movie about Black Hair called "Good Hair." One of my sorority sisters sent me the link this morning. Apparently, Chris Rock was motivated to do the documentary/comedy after one of his daughters asked him why she did not have "good hair." The documentary will touch on the history of our hair and hopefully explore why little girls are struggling with the "good hair issue." I think it is great that this issue is being addressed in this comedic/educational format. I am currently struggling with the issue of transitioning to natural hair myself. My mother and two sisters have both transitioned and I am the only one hanging on to my relaxer. I know that I will make the transition eventually, I recognize the harm that relaxers cause. Why would I want a chemical that can burn through an aluminium can (check the trailer) on my head? Or a chemical that is unsafe during pregnancy? And who wants go through "torture sessions" ( check the video---ICE T) for the rest of their life?


I wonder if the document will touch on our hair and health. I hope it does. Anyway, I just wanted to quickly share the trailer with you all. Click here to view it!


Oh and here are some pics that reflect my experience with the "good hair" issue. I begged my mom for a relaxer forever because I like many young girls thought that straight hair was prettier. The first pic is my length at with first relaxer and the other pic is my hair present. Now the present pic is my cut that was the result of damaged hair. (You all should feel lucky cause i'm sharing childhood pics with ya!)

Comment!

Share your stories of how "Good Hair' influenced you as a child.....

What are you thoughts on the documentary?

Thoughts on the conditioning of black women to want "Good Hair"


Let's Discuss!

How to eat Fast Food

Let's face it, it's tough to avoid fast food. Balancing work, school, relationships, family, etc. is tough enough. Trying to squeeze in exercise and cooking can make things really difficult. I know I preach the importance of cooking and eating healthy all the time but let's be realistic sometimes you just can't pass up the convenience of grabbing some fast food on the way home. Now I am by no means advocating eating fast food over cooking. But if you are going to stop by a McDonalds on the way home, lets figure out a way to make the healthiest decisions possible.

I did an article on the lack of healthy options in our communities a while back called "Popeyes or KFC." I think the lack of options in our communities is terrible. It is unfortunate but just because they put that poison (food) in our communities, doesn't mean we have to make terrible choices......

Maintaining my weight loss is super important to me right now but eating fast food is sometimes unavoidable. I have developed a few strategies to be sure that I stay within my calorie limit and maintain my weight loss. I typically eat fast food for lunch 3-4 x a week. I also eat at restaurants like every weekend. I love trying new restaurants, but I refuse to undo all my hard work. So here are some tips I hope you find useful.

1. Just eat the sandwich/entree ---- Don't believe the hype, there is no value in a "value meal" Unless you see value in Type 2 diabetes. You can really save on the calories by cutting out the fries or chips. Now I know that may not seem easy because the fries/chips fill you up. But give it a try eat your sandwich and see if you are still really hungry. If you are bring your own side (yogurt, fruit, string cheese). Bringing your own side will also save on $$$$. This is the most important rule. *You can also get a side salad, you can one at McDonalds/Wendys/Burger King/KFC for just a $1.


2. Drink Water with lemon or a flavored water----- I did an article about the unnecessary calories that pop/soda adds to your meal. Check out the post...."You are what you drink." If you don't feel like reading the post, then just trust me cut those drinks and substitute water.

3. Drink Green Tea---I could write a whole post about the benefits of green tea (in fact I might). Drinking green tea everyday has helped speed up my metabolism. It's especially great for after eating heavy meals.

4. Grilled---This is an obvious one but you should always choose grilled over fried.


5. NO MAYO--- Mayonnaise can add over a 100 calories to your sandwich. It is so not worth it. Have mustard instead. This applies for dressings too, especially creamy ones. Always choose the vinaigrette over a creamy dressing.

6. Plan Ahead---check out calorie count websites like Calorie Lab before you eat. You can easily access must calorie sites from you cell phone.

7. Satisfying a sweet tooth--- Of course adding a sundae or candy bar to your lunch/dinner can really add the calories. For dessert there are a couple healthy options. I like to a have Yoplait/Dannon yogurts (Key Lime, Orange Creme). They are just sweet enough to fulfill my craving. Sometimes I will crumble up graham crackers and mix them with the yogurt. Also, you are usually pretty safe with lowfat frozen yogurt. At McDonald's you can get it for $1 and 120 calories....not bad.

Eating healthy does not have to be difficult. It just takes a little bit of thought. These are a few of my tips I may add more, so check back!

Comment!!!

What suggestions do you have for eating healthy in this fast food nation

Free Yourself: Caring for Black Hair

It's time to stop being a slave to the hair salon and learn how to take care of your own hair!

If your hair is still preventing you from working out, it is time to free yourself by using hair techniques below.

I realized today that I have written several posts encouraging you all to take care of your hair so that it does not prevent you from exercising. However, I did not address basic hair care techniques. I know that not everyone knows how to care for their hair. Up until about 1 year ago I had no understanding of how to wash, condition, and style my relaxed hair. I had regular appointments at the hair salon and depended on my friends to maintain my hair. I only knew how to maintain my style until the next appointment. My hair is really really thick and I was always under the impression that it was just to big of challenge for me to tackle.

After spending last summer in Vegas my hair got really dry and I decided to try wash and condition it myself and it came out decent. I never thought I was capable of doing my own hair. I tried doing my hair a couple of times last fall and realized that I was perfectly capable of taking care of my hair.



Learning how to do my own hair has freed me from the stress of spending $65 at the shop and not being able to workout for a week. I wash my hair regularly, a minimum of once a week and it is getting healthier (I condition it a lot!) and longer. I still get my relaxers done professionally and get blowouts at the egyptian spots here in Chicago (like the dominicans in NYC), but only if its a special ocassion. I love being in control over my hair, it saves me money and I can workout without feeling like I'm wasting my money.



Here are some basic hair care resources I found online:

Natural Hair Care

http://www.nappturality.com/

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=motown+girl

http://naturalblackhaircare.com/

Relaxed Hair Care

http://www.treasuredlocks.com/blhacafa.html#structure

http://www.blackvoices.com/blogs/2007/11/01/top-five-ways-to-acheive-healthy-relaxed-hair/

http://blackhaircarequestions.com/



Here is how I care for my hair:

I use Elasta QP Conditioning Creme Shampoo and wash to a lather 2-3 times.

I use Elasta QP Intense Conditioner and let it sit on my head for 15 min.

Next, I use IC deep conditioner with Olive Oil for an add'l 15 min , if I have time.

Next I towel dry it really good and blow dry it in very small sections (the smaller the sections the straighter it gets)

Then I use a Olive oil hair spray or oil to condition it before I flat iron it. I sperate my hair into small sections and flat iron. A little more hair spray and I am good to go.

The whole process takes me about two hours, but it is worth it plus its free!



After 3 or 4 workouts I will usually use a Dry Shampoo (spray that refreshes your hair) and then put it a ponytail (if I can't wear it wrapped). After the 5th workout of the week I will wash, condition and style it again and wear it wrapped over the weekend and then on Monday I'm back in the gym.

I developed my hair regime by trial and error. There were certain shampoos that I tried that dried my hair out. I finally found one that hyrdrated my hair. You will have to find what works for you but hopefully I have given you a starting point.

*I also started recently using aveda anti humectant which I use after blowdrying. It has helped maintain my style a littile longer than normal but I'm still not sure if it's worth the 20 bucks (I'll keep you posted).

More tips on how to care for your hair?
How did you learn how to wash, condition, and style your own hair?
Know of any additional resources or products?

Sweat Hard, Without Damaging Your Hair

These tips are applicable to all hair styles: braids, locs, relaxers, etc. No matter how you wear your hair you have to make sure to remove the sweat to keep it healthy.


If you are doing a lot of cardio you may have noticed that your hair feels a little drier than usual. When I first started working out the sweat was really drying out my hair because I was not washing it enough. Now, I make sure I get the sweat out of my hair by washing it after 3 workouts and sometimes between workouts I will use a "no-rinse shampoo." There is also Aveda Reviving Mist which I hear works great in between shampoos (I haven't tried it yet)


The Black Women's Health Imperative Wrote a great article about what happens to your hair when you sweat. The section below describes had damaging the sweat can be.

"Remember that the scalp is skin, and just like the skin on your face you must clean it on a regular basis, or you will develop a build-up in the pores. You have heard experts warn you about going to bed without cleaning away your makeup, because it can cause aging damage to your face. Well, your scalp has pores and follicles that must stay clear and clean in order to keep a healthy environment for healthy hair growth and to inhibit an itchy scalp, or scalp disorders. When you sweat, your hair becomes dehydrated and brittle causing aging damage, which can shorten the life of the strands."

Use this Tips to avoid dry and brittle hair! (from www.blackwomenshealth.com)

Quick-Fix Part 1: Clean and Condition

Step 1. In the shower rinse your hair as you rinse your body.

Step 2. Apply shampoo to your hair as you lather your body. Using an acid-balanced shampoo is safe on your hair, scalp, and body, and it saves time.

Step 3. Rinse your hair and body.

Step 4. Apply conditioner and let it sit while you shave your legs or lather your body one more time.

Step 5. Rinse your hair as you rinse your body.

You are now clean and conditioned from head to toe.

Quick-Fix Part 2: The Five-Minute Hairstyle

The Quick-fix regimen is to style the hair, which for some can be a real challenge. When starting a workout program, some women will cut their hair short, get a curly perm, or braid their hair with extensions. Those are options that you can choose, but don't ever feel forced. There are ways to keep your hair styled without making an atypical change just to manage your hair.
After your quick-fix shampoo and condition, you are ready for the next part.

Step 1. Wrap your head with a towel while you dry off.

Step 2. Remove the towel and lightly apply a leave-in conditioner.

Step 3. Apply a sculptor setting lotion to your hairline. If your hair is curly, apply a moisturizer before the sculpting lotion, then smooth your hair back flat if it's short, or gather it into a ponytail using a cloth holder for longer hair.

Step 4. Spray a sculpting mist to your hair and hairline, and then tie a satin scarf around the hairline.

Step 5. Apply a hair attachment (e.g., bun, fall, or drawstring ponytail).

Step 6. Secure the perimeter with bobby pins, and then remove the scarf.

full article: http://www.blackwomenshealth.com/2006/articles.php?id=142


Do you have any additional tips on keeping your healthy?

*-I forgot to mention the importance of conditioning. Every time I wash my hair I deep condition it for at least 15 minutes.-*