6 MONTHS

Happy 6 Month Birthday to my babies, born in March of 2010!

I am so happy with my Sisterlocks and I only regret I did not get them sooner. 

These were taken 3 days after curling on pipe cleaners.  They were really tight at first. 

Naturally Professional: Rahkia

It's Monday and most are back on the grind. Crown and Temple is happy to introduce our new series, Naturally Professional.  This series will examine the experiences of natural women in the professional world. 

Please join Crown and Temple in welcoming our first Natural Professional of the series, Rahkia, a Writer who works for a public relations firm.  

CT:

How long have you been natural?

Rahkia:

My last perm was in October 2002. I cut off all the relaxed parts in September 2003. (I asked my roommate to grab a pair of scissors and we just cut until we didn't feel any straightness anymore)

CT:

What made you decide to wear your hair in a natural style?

Rahkia:

I had always loved the way un-processed hair looked... and always hated the routine of going to get my hair done. It was painful, time-consuming and took entirely too much effort to maintain styles. And perm smells awful!

CT:

How do you wear your hair?

Rahkia:

I usually go back and forth between twists and twist-outs. I have flat-ironed my hair twice within the past year, just to see how long it was. Occasionally, I'll rock a large afro puff in an unexpected position (e.g., low and to the side, up and off center, etc). Sometimes when I twist my hair, I'll experiment with updos.

CT:

What kind of work do you do?

Rahkia:

I am a writer. My background is in newspaper journalism and I currently work at a public relations firm in Birmingham, Alabama. I also freelance.

CT:

What kinds of feedback do you receive about your hair while working?

Rahkia:

It's interesting you ask that; I started my career with natural hair and had no problem. No one has ever said anything negative to me about my hair. If anything, it's a conversation starter (i.e., "How long have you been natural? What products do you use?" and the standard "how did you get your hair to do that?") I have heard some comment that natural hair is more accepted in a creative environment such as journalism and public relations. I can't really speak to that.

CT:

Speaking of products, what products do you use?

Rahkia:

Almond oil, olive oil and coconut oil. I LOVE these! They really do a good job of moisturizing and they're not heavy. I also like Carol's Daughter Hair Milk. I discovered the joy of sulfate-free shampoos last year and use the Aubrey Organix line. I also use EcoStyler to define my curls. Those are the basic staples in my hair drawer. For co-washes, I like to use Suave conditioner. Not sure of the line, but they come in green bottles and have almond and Shea Butter. I just tried Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner and I like that too.
 

CT:

Have you encountered any negative experiences working with natural hair?  If so, please share your experience?

Rahkia:

No, not in the workplace. Most of the questionable comments I hear are in social settings. I recall one instance I was at a cookout, talking with a group of other women about natural hair. I was the only natural head there; two others were considering. A young man walked in and plainly announced that he didn't like natural hair. I said, "That's fine," and returned to the conversation I was having.

Living in the Deep South has been interesting. I grew up in the D.C. area, where natural hair isn't a big deal. I've found that in the South, a lot of people still cling to the idea of good hair vs. bad hair. I wasn't familiar with that until I moved to the South.  I had one woman tell me, "If I had good hair like yours, I would go natural too." My parents never assigned value to the texture of my hair and I believe that is the reason I find those kinds of statements ridiculous.

CT:

It is interesting you mentioned the comment from the young man.  Do you feel it is important for our men to not only accept but support our natural beauty?  Why or why not?

Rahkia:

I think it is of the utmost importance for black men to accept and support natural beauty. There are enough negative messages about black women. When these are repeated and reinforced by black men, it's all the more painful. That said, that one experience I mentioned is the only such experience I've had. 

CT:

How do you deal with any negative comments about natural hair?

Rahkia:

Give them the Kanye shrug and keep it moving.

CT:

What advice would you give to women who wish to transition to natural hair while maintaining a professional career? 

Rahkia:

As I mentioned earlier, some women feel that natural hair is more accepted in certain fields. I don't know if this is the case.  But if a woman is concerned about maintaining professionalism while transitioning to natural, she has a lot of styling options to choose from: straw sets, twists, weaves (contrary to popular belief, natural women are not necessarily anti-weave), wigs, etc. I do not recommend flat ironing or hot-combing virgin roots to blend with the rest.

CT:

I have noticed a lot of people have various definitions to define natural.  What does being natural mean to you? 

Rahkia:

To me being natural means not relaxing your hair. I tend to stay away from all the debates and discussion; it contributes to hair snobbery.

Natural Hair Inspiration (Nerissa Irving)

Ms. Irving is one of my all time favorite natural models.  Just look at her, she has beauty that shines from the inside out.

Irving was born in Jamaica and relocated to the United States at a young age.  Nerissa's long silky traditional locks define her mythical and exotic physical features.

This beautiful Queen does not survive on her looks alone, as the CEO of her company, Imperial Goddess Incorporated, she plans to launch a hair and body care line and calendars.  Additionally, Ms Irving is writing her first novel, scheduled for release in 2011, is the face of Jamaican Mango Lime hair care line and is working on a fitness DVD series.

Chicken Stir Fry from the Dr. Oz Just 10 Challenge

Art Smith’s Chicken Stir Fry

 

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Ingredients 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ½ onion, chopped 4 tsp of fresh ginger, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 cup of...

This stir-fry recipe by Chef Art Smith is just what you need to kick-start your 10-pound weight loss. The garlic can help prevent weight gain by lowering your blood pressure, insulin levels and your “bad” cholesterol. Bonus: It takes only 10 minutes to make and costs less than $10 to feed a family of 4.

Added to Recipes on Fri 09/10/2010

Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ onion, chopped
4 tsp of fresh ginger, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup of cooked chicken breast, shredded
2 cups of multi grain rice, cooked
4 cup of fresh spinach
4 tsp of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper

Directions
Cook rice according to directions on box. Heat skillet, add onion, celery, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add cooked rice, spinach and chicken and toss. Season with salt and pepper and chopped parsley. Serve.

Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

 If you know me you know I absolutely love tacos.  I am trying to lose weight but can't imagine for one minute, giving up tacos.  The other night I made nachos for the family and decided I would try a Taco Lettuce wrap and it was tasty.  

I made one substitution:

I am not really into sour cream but if you are try plain Greek yogurt,  you will cut calories, skip the fat and it tastes just like the real thing.  

Turkey Lettuce Wrap Tacos with Chiles, Cumin, Cilantro, Lime and Tomato-Avocado Salsa
(Makes about 8 tacos, recipe adapted from Molly Watson's Turkey Tacos, discovered via Twitter from Marisa.)

For tacos:
1 T olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic (I used minced garlic from a jar, but fresh garlic would be even better)
1-2 T diced green chiles (I used about half of a 4 oz. jar of diced green chiles, recipe called for fresh chiles which would be a bit hotter)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground chipotle chile powder (recipe called for cayenne)
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 large bunch cilantro, finely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups chopped cilantro. I used 1 cup in tacos and 1/4 cup in salsa. Use more or less cilantro to taste.)
2 T fresh lime juice
2 large heads romaine lettuce (or use iceberg, Boston lettuce, or butter lettuce)

Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan then add minced garlic and diced green chiles and saute about 1 minute. (I used a non-stick pan. If you use fresh garlic and chiles, I'd cook them a bit longer.) Add cumin and ground chipotle or cayenne and cook about 1 minute more. Then add turkey and salt and cook over medium-high heat, breaking apart with the back of the turner as it cooks. Cook about 5 minutes, or until turkey is starting to brown.

While turkey cooks, thinly slice green onions and set aside, then wash cilantro, spin dry or dry with paper towels, and finely chop cilantro. Cut off root end of lettuce, discard tough outer leaves, and wash lettuce and spin dry in salad spinner or dry with paper towels.


When turkey is lightly browned, add sliced green onions and cook about 2 minutes. Turn off heat, then stir in 1 cup chopped cilantro and 2 T lime juice.


For salsa:
2 medium avocados, diced
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T olive oil (optional)
sea salt to taste


Peel and dice avocado, place in glass or plastic bowl and toss with lime juice. Stir in chopped tomato, chopped cilantro, and olive oil, season to taste with salt.

To assemble tacos:
Spoon 2-3 large spoonfuls of turkey mixture into each piece of lettuce. (I used the inner more folded pieces of lettuce and saved the flatter outer pieces for using in salad.) Top meat mixture with salsa. You could also eat this mixture inside whole wheat tortillas or pitas, or even corn tortillas if you're not a South Beach dieter.

The Water Challenge

As many of you know I have been on a personal journey to health and wellness.  I have learned so much on this journey about activity and portion control and the way I think about food and eating in general. 

The other day I was watching a news story about a new supplement they were using to help individuals shed pounds.  They went on and on about this new supplement and how it might actually be assisting people in reaching their weight loss goals.  Finally, they named the supplement.....WATER. 

I have really increased my water intake ever since embarking on this journey to health but the medical professionals who conducted this recent study said they required the test group to drink two, 8oz glasses of water before eating and they lost on average 5lbs more than the group trying to lose weight without the water supplement. 

I have decided to give the water supplement a try.  I will drink two, 8oz glasses of water before my meals and snacks to see if it works for me.  The study suggested people felt less hungry when they actually sat down to eat and therefore ate fewer calories. 

I have often read people tend to mistake thirst for hunger so this is by far is not the first time that I have heard more water is good for maintaining a healthy body weight. 

How does water fit in to your nutrition plan?