THE GREEN GOODNESS OF.... KALE!

Hi Beautifuls!

This is one of my favorite green smoothies, of the moment. I know to some of you, it may look pretty ominous. I've been there so I do understand. But trust me when I say it is delicious. This is one of the recipes that I featured in a recent post. It hales from The Raw Mocha Angel's blog and is quite delish!

One of it's key ingredients, the one that gives it it's green glow =), is kale. The recipe calls for 3 kale leaves but I wanted more of a punch and added a fourth one. Still delicious. I want to provide you a little information on this green goodies nutritional benefits to our bodies.

Kale is an excellent source of vitamins B6 (lowers your risk of stroke, heart disease, cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's disease, and many degenerative diseases) and C (antioxidant,immune system), carotenes, and manganese. It is also a very good source of B1, B2, and E (antioxidant, prevents hair loss and a whole lot of other good stuff). It is rich in calcium, lutein, iron and Vitamins A,C and K also. And is also a great source of fiber, iron, and copper.

The naturally rich sulfur content of kale deserves a bit more discussion. Science has discovered that sulforaphane, helps boost the body's detoxification enzymes, possibly altering gene expression. This in turn is believed to help clear carcinogenic substances in a timely manner. Sulforaphane is formed when cruciferous (meaning in the mustard family) vegetables like kale are chopped or chewed. This somehow triggers the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer causing chemicals, of which we are all exposed to on a daily basis.

OOH.. I CAN'T WAIT!!

Hi Beautifuls!

How are you on this lovely Thursday? I hope well. Thanks for the comments on yesterday’s post. I wrote that a week or so ago when I was really frustrated about some things so I really needed to vent. I appreciate your comments. Today’s post is totally lighter given upcoming events.

You see, I’m a geek at heart. (At least, as far as movies are concerned.) I enjoy all types of movies…dramas, comedies, foreign films, action, horror/thrillers (Uh, in small doses.) But my heart loves sci-fi, fantasy & some anime’. My love for these genres go back to my childhood when I’d stay up late watching episodes of “Lost in Space”, “Night Gallery”, “Star Trek” and movies (the original black-n-whites) like, “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, “Them”, “War of the Worlds” or “The Day of the Triffids” to name a few. I’ve been hooked since before puberty.




Which leads me to say that I am so hyped about “Wolverine: X-Men Origins”. I cannot wait to see Hugh Jackman rip it up on screen as Wolverine. Not only him but the characters Gambit, Wraith, Silverfox and more. Please believe. I will be up in the theatre this Friday. Yes indeed. But this isn’t the end. “Star Trek” is coming out next week. Now, I’m not a deep Trekkie but I’ve followed Star Trek since William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, & foxy Nichelle Nichols graced our television screen in the groundbreaking original series.





Then “Terminator Salvation” is coming out later this month. Whoa!! And guess what popular rapper/actor will be in it? (With his fine self.) Common! Hello-o. Looks like I’ll be in the dark all month long.




Okay.. Maybe I am a geek. But I sure as hell am a fly one! Lol. =)
Anyhoo… I just had to express my excitement about these films.
What movies are you all fired up to see? .....

IS BLOOD REALLY THICKER THAN WATER?...

Good Morning Lovelies,

Today I want to talk about family. More directly, how do you deal with a not so positive family and keep a positive mindset. I bring this up because I, like most people, have a family with some disfunctionality. And I must admit, it goes beyond the immediate. I actually have traced it back to my grandparents. Trust me. This is far enough. I see how something tragic & painful from your childhood can affect EVERY aspect of your life. From sibling to spousal relationships..to friendships..to daily social interaction. Even down to how you raise your children. Have you considered this?... I have. In fact, I've considered it a lot seeing as I don't want to repeat any of the same negatives in my life and the raising of my child.





Which brings me to the gist of this post. My question is how do you handle any negatives that may come from your family? And by "negatives" I mean habits, verbal, emotional, (d.) all of the above and then more. Do you confront it full-blast...lovingly...timidly or not at all? Do you or have you totally separated yourself from your family? Do you spend time w/them in small infrequent doses, or suck it up, turn a blind eye & hang w/them all the time because they're still family?...




I ask these questions because I don't believe in surrounding myself with negative people or in a negative environment. Not at this point in my life. It's just not healthy. Regardless of who it is. No, I can't see myself completely cutting off from family (unless it was a really dangerous situation) but I will back away & do them in doses, if necessary. Don't get me wrong. I love my fam dearly, but if I feel like my (or even more so, my daughter's) emotional, mental and/or spiritual well-being is at stake of being tampered with, drained, or dare I say, "infected" by any negative habits, thought patterns, words or deeds coming from family then blood relation or not, our time around family will be limited. Does this make sense?...

So tell me your thoughts on this...


**Please note that this post was written during a family drama occurrence.**

TUESDAY'S TRESSES

Hi Beautiful Ones!

I hope that your day is going well. I've decided to designate Tuesday's to hair & everything hair related. I figure this will help motivate me to post pics more. My blogging organization is getting better, yes?..

Last Friday, I mentioned how lazy I've been w/my hair. I had been wearing it in a bun during the week and then a puff during the weekend. So I decided to post pics of both. Oh, how I long to do something different but my mental energy is more focused on my dietary habits & getting my azz back in shape! But I digress....

le photos.....



















Now, if you didn't notice, my hairline is leaving alot to be desired (from me & my tights puffs/buns), so over the weekend I wore....

two-strand twists








I'm making sure I keep my hairline moist and stress-free!






I was rather proud of the outcome. So until whenever, my routine will be two-strand twists during the weekend after I wash/deep condition, and twist-outs during the week. I will work on getting a photo of my twist-out.

Btw, I used Qhemet's Olive & Honey Hydrating Balm & Sheamoisture (which you usually can find at your local beauty supply store) to twist. Topped it w/Aubrey Organics B5 gel. And sealed my ends with Coconut Oil.

What's your regimen like right now?.....

GOOD NEWS MONDAY!!

Good Morning Beautifuls!

Did you notice how gorgeous you are?.. Did you greet yourself this morning with a smile full of love? Perhaps a hug...I sure hope so. You're so worth it!

Our good news comes out of the ATL on today. WXIA(11Alive), a local television station began "Random Acts of Kindness" awhile ago. This is how it goes....

How Does This Work? 11Alive News Today is waking people up all over Metro Atlanta with a random act of kindness. Maybe it's a free cup of coffee or paying for your parking for the day. When we did it, we gave out a card -- green, blue, orange, purple, or tan. Each card has a number on it.

Here's where you come in.

Take the card and pass it on. Do something nice for someone; if your neighbor is moving, carry a couple of boxes. If your co-worker needs a ride to work, clear some space in your backseat. Whatever it is you do, we want to know about it, and that's why we put numbers on each card.

If you have a card in your possession, use this form to see where the card has been and what random acts of kindness it's been a part of. We'd also love it if you would to tell us how you got it -- did someone offer you a good parking spot at the store? Help you fix your computer? Or was it as simple as your next-door neighbor taking out your trash? Whatever it was, tell us about it and help us track the cards we're giving out.

Now, we're not trying to be vicarious or anything, but we're curious as to how you passed the card on. If you've got some pictures or a little video you shot with your cell phone, we'd love to see either one. There's a photo gallery below where you can upload your pictures, and if you took some video, upload it.

Help 11Alive News Today make Metro Atlanta a little nicer for everyone. Because karma is good.

I love this idea. I think it is so sweet. Stuff like this can make a person's day.
What do you think? What's something good going on in your world?...
Btw, how was your weekend?...

**You can find the above image and others on explodingdog.com.**

TWEET ME...IF YOU PLEASE

Hi Beautifuls!

I hope that you are having a wonderful weekend! It's a little hot in the "A". I believe our high is around 85. The sun is out full-blast. It's a beautiful day, however I must admit that I miss that cool breeze. I hope that the weather is lovely wherever you are. =)

I have a quick confession to make... I've been on Twitter for awhile now (shockingly since September) but honestly was not sure whether I would stay with it or give it up. It seemed a bit much to constantly type in random things. I suppose my concern was not fully being present in daily life if I continued with Twitter. However, I think I've figured out the best way to roll with it. Not quite sure I fully understand what I'm doing buuuuuut... if you're really interested in my daily goingon's and observations, follow me on Twitter.

Peace Out....
CO

UMM UMM GOOD!!

Good Morning Beautifuls!

I hope that all is well in your world. I honestly have been struggling with myself as far as attaining my dietary goals of a 70 to 75% raw vegan diet. I've come to realize that my biggest battle is my thinking. I am not the most patient person in the world and on top of that, I can be a bit rigid in my thinking. For example, I want a Greenstar juicer and a Blendtec blender and feel like I need those appliances to successfully carry out the vision that I have for myself. However, I have to save funds to purchase those appliances. This requires time. Here's where my "rigidity" comes in... I struggle with feeling like I absolutely have to have those particular items to successfully begin this journey. Now note this: I have a blender and a personal blender/grinder. Yeah. So I've had to put myself in check and break out the items I have and put them to good use. And so far so good. When I get to the point where I can afford my Greenstar and Blendtec that will be wonderful. But until then, I'm gonna use what I have until I can.

Here's some delicious, healthy smoothies I've made so far:

The Green Smoothie from TheRawMochaAngel
2 oranges
2 bananas
3 collard leaves, de-stemmed
3/4 C water
If it's your first time attempting a "green" drink, you can use one collard leaf. You can also substitute a different green. I used kale in mine. Or you could use spinach.


Green Smoothie from IntheRaw
3 handfuls fresh baby spinach
1 C frozen mixed berries
1/4 inch fresh ginger, grated (yummy)
2 C water

Both of these recipes are very tasty. If you need to, you can add a natural sweetener like agave, stevia or honey to taste. Always use distilled or filtered water and organic fruits and vegetables.

personal tip: Instead of ice, I use frozen fruit. After my bananas ripen, I cut them up and put them in a ziploc bag. I'm careful to squeeze as much air out as possible and then I toss them in the freezer until I need them. It really helps to prep beforehand as much as possible. If I have any leftover smoothie, I put it in a mason jar and put it in the freezer or fridge.

Have you tried any delish and healthy smoothie recipes lately?...