I'm BAAAACK!!!

LOL, I did it again!  I let life get in the way, y'all.  Life happened and it took me off my path.  I haven't blogged in over a YEAR!!!  That's not right, that's just not right.  Hmph, but a little voice inside told me to get back to what I love because I kind of lost sight of that.

I love playing in my hair, trying new styles.  I love playing in makeup even though I have NO CLUE what I'm doing.  I love the fact that I am a product junkie.  Yes, I own it.  I'm getting back to that.  I am going to be the real me that I love.

I Am Sick of Seeing Green!!!

So today is day 7 of my green smoothie challenge and let me tell you, this is not as easy as I initially thought. After drinking 3 smoothies for breakfast, lunch and dinner, green is becoming one of my least favorite colors!!

Days 3-5 weren't so bad during the day because I was busy at work and didn't really focus on the hunger. The evenings for me are the worst. The difficulties arise when I have to cook for the family.  I could be a mean mommy and make them drink smoothies too but I guess that would be unfair, huh?  If I have to suffer, we all have to suffer.  No!  Just kidding.  It takes more will power.  Like the other day for lunch, I had a taste for fried chicken that just would not go away.  But I held on strong.

Yesterday was day 6.  I drank a smoothie and ate a boiled egg for breakfast which was very filling.  I stayed kind of busy so again, I didn't notice I was hungry until, once again, dinner time.  Last night's dinner consisted of a scrumptious smoothie made with spinach, pineapple, strawberries and peaches and pecans.....yummy, yummy for my tummy....right!!!

Today, day 7.  I woke up with hunger pangs and a craving for coffee like nothing I've experienced during this challenge.  I thought about a smoothie but then hubby took out the potatoes, green peppers and onions, and I immediately knew what time it was.  I took extreme delight in eating potatoes, turkey sausage, grits, scrambled eggs and toast with jelly!!!  That food tasted like the best meal ever!!!!  Yes, I know, none of those food items are in the book but I am entitled to a weak moment and today was mine.

Only 3 more days and I plan to do much better although the past 7 days weren't so bad.  I'm going to finish this challenge on top, no more weak days...hopefully!

Until next time, keep moving forward!

Nikki

I've Been Challenged Again!!!

Ok, so yeah, the title says it all. I have taken on another challenge all in the name of weight loss. I really have to do something about these extra 25 lbs that are hanging around. For the next 10 days, I will be doing a Green Smoothie Challenge inspired by the author, nutritionist and weight loss expert JJ Smith.
During this challenge, I must replace the 3 major meals of the day with a smoothie. In between the smoothies I can snack on nuts, fresh fruit and vegetables. I know y'all see something missing here in this list of foods....MEAT!!! Yep, no meat for the next 10 days UNLESS I choose to do the modified version of this challenge. The  modified version allows you to eat foods high in protein like chicken or boiled eggs. 

Ok, so day one was actually yesterday.  My green smoothie of choice consisted of spinach, mangoes, strawberries, green apples, grapes, protein powder and some good ole agave nectar (I love this stuff!!)

I drank this for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I also drank lots of water and a hot cup of detox tea.  During the day, I felt pretty good.  Surprisingly, I wasn't hungry and I didn't crave coffee either.  However, in the evening after I drank my dinner, I still felt empty.  I tried drinking more water.  I even snacked on a handful of pecans but that just wasn't cutting it.  I needed something with some substance.  Oh well, there goes my commitment to the full version, boiled eggs for dinner it is!!

Day 2 is today.  This morning's smoothie consisted of spinach, kale, peaches, blueberries, protein powder and agave nectar.  My first batch didn't turn out too well.  I don't know what that mess was.  Green smoothies are not suppose to be brown!!!  The second batch was a little better after adding more spinach.  It was meh!!!  Since I didn't want to waste it, the weird looking concoction ended up being breakfast and lunch.  I wasn't too thrilled with this one, good thing I had some cut up cucumbers as my back up for lunch.

This was dinner!

Now that's what I'm talking about.  This one right here, hmmm hmmm.  Spinach, pineapples, peaches, protein powder and agave nectar.  I felt like I was WINNING with this one.  (Yeah that was corny...don't judge me.)  The pineapple and peach blend reminded me of a refreshing tropical drink.  It tasted similar to Tropical Smoothies Island Green Spinach & Kale smoothie without the kale.

This evening I was extremely hungry.  I think probably because I didn't drink much of the mystery smoothie from earlier.  To cure my hunger pangs I opted for a few slices of rotisserie chicken and a big glass of water. Ahhh, now that's better.

I think I will duplicate this one for tomorrow as well, maybe add in a few strawberries.  My goal is to not eat anything other than fruit and vegetables tomorrow.  Pray for me!

What about you?  Think you can do the 10 day green smoothie challenge?  If you've done this already, please share your tips on how you overcame your hunger.

Until next time, keep moving forward,
Nikki

No sugar? Hmmm, let's think about that!

While in one of my Facebook groups, I was invited to try a challenge.  I'm normally one who takes on challenges fairly well but this one had me very nervous and doubtful.  I was challenged not to consume any sugar in my diet for 7 days.  Too easy, breezy I thought.  I can give up chocolate, cookies, candy and besides I don't drink sodas anyway.  Then I read the guidelines and it said: No added sugars, no foods with sugar, no artificial sweeteners, not even my favorite agave nectar.  No honey, molasses.  No white sugar, no brown sugar.  Not even Splenda.  

I sat there and read the guidelines over and over and then it hit me!!!  Do you know what that really meant? No coffee!!! Um, Houston we have a problem, a big problem!!

But I was up for the challenge.  The first day was difficult.  I'm not going to lie.   I was so used to preparing my oatmeal with raisins, cinnamon, apples and brown sugar in the mornings for breakfast.  But now that I couldn't eat sugar I was stumped.  So I did what most of us do when hungry;  I stood with the refrigerator door wide open, just staring.  Staring at the food I couldn't eat.  Trying to analyze the amount of sugar that's in that. How much sugar is in this?  Finally I made a decision.  Breakfast will be 2 hard boiled eggs and coffee.  Uh nope, scratch that!  No coffee, remember you don't like black coffee, Nikki.  Did I forget to mention I couldn't use my vanilla caramel creamer in my coffee either.  Hmph, somebody's going to be cranky today!!! 

Lunch was worse because I had no plan.  I drove around wasting my lunch hour trying to find something with no sugar to only end up buying a side salad from McDonalds.  Dinner was much better because my hubby already had something fairly healthy planned anyway.  Grilled chicken and green beans, I didn't eat the starch.   By the end of the day, I realized that to be successful on this challenge, you have to plan your meals.

So with day one down, I properly planned my meals and actually read the below suggested grocery list that was provided.

Produce
____ Fresh fruit (all) ____ Fresh vegetables (all)____ Dried fruit (no sugar added)

Dairy

____ Milk, low-fat ____ Almond milk, unsweetened____ Coconut milk____ Greek yogurt, plain, low-fat
____ Eggs____ Cottage cheese, low-fat ____ Feta cheese, low-fat ____ Parmesan cheese


Beverages
____ Pomegranate juice, 100% pure juice____ Fresh squeezed orange juice, home made
 ____ Green tea, home brewed____ Water infused w/fruits (e.g. limes and raspberries)


Meat, Poultry and Seafood

____ Wild caught salmon ____ Lean ground turkey or chicken ____ Chicken breast
____ Tilapia, cod or white fish____ Beef tenderloin____ Canned tuna


Grains
____ Quinoa ____ Brown rice____ Old-fashioned oats ____ Steel cut oats
____ 100% whole wheat/grain pasta____ Ezekiel bread/wraps____ Whole grain bread and wraps (no sugar added)


Canned Goods
____ Spaghetti or marinara sauce (no added sugar) ____ Chickpeas
____ Beans (navy, kidney, white, ect.) ____ Lentils
____ All natural tomato paste or tomato sauce____ Low sodium chicken or vegetable stock


Flour
____ Whole wheat flour ____ Coconut flour____ Rice flour____ Almond flour


Nuts, Seeds and Oils

____ Olive oil ____ Coconut oil, unrefined
____ All-natural nut & seed butters(almond, cashew, peanut, tahini)
____ Raw or roasted nuts (without added oils, salt or sugar), especially walnuts, almonds and pistachios ____ Raw or roasted seeds, especially pumpkin, flax, chia or sunflower seeds

Condiments/Misc.
____ Mustard____ Salsa (no sugar added)____ Guacamole
____ Unsweetened, organic applesauce____ Balsamic vinegar____ Rice vinegar
____ Apple cider vinegar____ Lemon/lime juice

As you see, you actually have a lot to choose from.  The hard part is figuring out how to prepare your food without any type of added sugar.

The rest of the week went fine, it wasn't easy but I survived.  By day 3, breakfast got a little boring.  Egg sandwich on whole grain bread was no longer appealing. So I switched it up and ate yogurt with granola mixed in it.  My version of the fruit and yogurt parfait at McDonald's.  I know granola is not on the list( don't judge me lol), but the package said it didn't have any sugar added.  A couple of days, breakfast consisted of pomegranate juice, trail mix with a few raisins and a banana.

Lunch and dinner became a little easier now that I had a plan and I took the time to actually think about my meals.  Like I said earlier, you can be successful eating less sugar if you take the time to plan.  Now don't get me wrong, this still was no walk in the park.  Every time I thought I could prepare one of my usual meals, it hit me!  Nope, it has sugar in it.  One of my favorite snacks is cut up cucumbers marinated in a raspberry vinaigrette dressing.  However, since the vinaigrette has sugar, I had to kick it to the curb (temporarily.)

Did I go the entire 7 days without any kind of sugar?  NOPE!!!  Being sugar free is hard, people!  Especially according to these guidelines.  One day this week, I had training at work and I knew I was not going to make it without my coffee.  So, yes, I cheated.  I had my coffee AND I added 2 packs of Splenda.  It was the best thing eveeerrr! I tried black tea with no sugar and it was THE WORST...ugh!  On the same cheat day, I was tempted with the best sugary sweet known to mankind....a Krispy Kreme doughnut.  I didn't do it y'all.  I do have some standards.

Yesterday marked day 7 and I feel that I really accomplished something (pat myself on the back.) I think I will actually extend this challenge with a few provisions.  I like my coffee.  That is my truth and I'm sticking to it.  I probably wont use Splenda anymore and opt for the agave nectar. No more vanilla creamer, just plain low fat milk will work.

During this challenge, I exercised.  I had to keep my mind off of the cookies and potato chips in the pantry.  I walked on my treadmill, walked outside and pumped some weights almost every day.  I'm not sure if I lost any weight during this challenge because I refuse to get on the scale because it's the enemy.  But I was able to slide a pair of slacks over these curvy hips that I couldn't fit a week ago.  One goal down, many more to go!  YES!

So tell me, have you tried the eliminating sugar from your diet?  How did it work for you?  Give a sistah some tips.

Until next time, keep moving forward!
Nikki

Product Review: Bobeam's ACV & Bentonite Clay Shampoo Bar

Curl cream, curl jelly, leave in conditioner, hair lotion, hair butter, hair spray, oil, aloe vera gel, Ecostyler gel, homemade gel....You name it , the list can go on and on.  Some of us use a lot of products on our hair to get that twist out just right, lay those edges nice and smooth for our up-do, or make our wash and go curls POP! 

Because our hair thrives on moisture, we tend to shy away from shampoo.  We know certain shampoo can strip our hair of its natural oils and make our hair feel very dry and brittle.  Therefore, some opt to just co-wash.  Co-washing is the process of using conditioner to cleanse your hair instead of using shampoo.  This is normally okay and a lot of people swear by it.  

I'm one of those people who hardly ever used shampoo to wash my hair, maybe every 2 months or so.  I always reached for my ole' faithful Avalon Organics Biotin Conditioner  and go to town.  But about a month or so ago, I decided that I needed to give my hair a good cleansing, a good clarifying cleansing.

To read more about my cleansing of choice, click here. 

Until next time, keep moving forward!

Nikki

Oils, Oils, Oils...So many to choose from!!!

When I first decided to put the creamy crack to the side, I will admit that like most women who decide to embrace their curls, I was overwhelmed.  I really wanted to make sure that I did everything right.  I wanted to ensure that I gave my hair the proper treatment to stimulate growth and most importantly, be the healthiest it can be!

I've always been the type of person who preferred a natural remedy when it came to my health and well being.  I abhor the thought of taking prescription medicine.  I'm one of those people who will just let a cold or flu take it's course, that is until I just cant endure the body and head aches anymore.

While learning about my hair, I realized that my hair can get very dry quickly if not properly moisturized.  I also learned very quickly that using certain oils made my hair very oily and greasy.  That was not a good look at all!  So during my research on how to achieve healthy, long natural hair, I was pleasantly pleased at all of the natural products that were suggested, especially oils that I already had.

Click here to continue reading.

Until next time, keep moving forward,

Nikki

Make That Lipstick Smooth, Girl! How I Relieved My Dry, Flaky Lips

With this harsh, Artic weather we've been experiencing in Virginia lately, I've noticed that my lips have become unusually and extremely dry.  They have become chapped and cracked which is not attractive at all and I just couldn't understand why.  I mean, every night I apply my Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm to keep my kissers moist which promises 8 hours of moisture.

So after a week or so of no improvement, I Googled the ingredients of the lip balm to try to figure out why it isn't working.  Among the long list of ingredients I couldn't pronounce (red flag #1) I found that it contained petrolatum (red flag #2.)  Hmmm, that got my wheels turning and my research continued.  Petrolatum is sold as a skin ointment and approved by the FDA as a skin protectant.  However, some side effects of  this petroleum byproduct are premature aging, suffocating the skin, aggravating acne and has also been found in breasts tumors.  After reading that, you know where that ended up....the TRASH!!!

So, now what do I do?  I'm constantly licking my lips which is not healthy for my lips either and my favorite go to lippie, MAC's Diva, is no longer gliding on smoothly.  Oh!  Houston we have a problem!

So I decided that my kissers needed a little TLC.  Just like exfoliation is great for our skin, the same applies for our lips.  Again my wheels are turning.  I looked in my bathroom and found my Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub that I absolutely love.  I could use this on my lips but then I decided to put on my kitchen chemist hat and came up with the below recipe for a lip exfoliant.

OATS AND SUGAR LIP SCRUB RECIPE

1/2 tsp GROUND OATS
1 tsp BROWN SUGAR
1/2 tsp GRAPESEED OIL
1/4 tsp VITAMIN E OIL
1/4 tsp HONEY

To grind the oats, I used my ole faithful Hamilton Beach blender, no food processor, just a regular blender did the job well.

Mix all the ingredients together.
Apply a small amount to your lips and gently rub for about a minute or so.
Gently rinse or wipe off with a warm damp cloth.
Now, enjoy your luscious smooth lips!

This is super easy to make with ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen pantry already.

I would love for you all to try it and let me know how it worked for you.  Say bye bye dry lips!!  MUAH!

Until next time, keep moving forward.

Nikki