Sunday, March 10, 2013

7 Day Detox - Other Recipes

I fell off on posting my food photos, but I did continue with the 7-Day Food Detox.

Here's another dish that I prepared that I enjoyed (but my son did not - he actually said it was too sweet). It's a sweet and sour stir fry with brown rice. I cooked brown rice with a tablespoon of coconut oil (my new favorite cooking oil), a pre-packaged stir fry mix (broccoli, sweet peppers, carrots), and I added some corn. The vegetables were cooked in tomato sauce, pineapple juice with chunks of pineapple, honey, and a splash of vinegar.

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I thought it taste great, and I will continue to make this dish. For my son, I'm told he needs some meat with this dish - I can do that


Update on Product Usage

I think I used to be a product junkie, but I was mostly a 'recipe junkie' - I was always mixing something new because I just like to create things. I've been like this since I was a kid, growing up with my Caribbean Grandma and Mom, we cooked (my Grandma even made candy!). Anyway, I've always been that friend who knows how to make this, or mix that, for whatever ailment you got.

After chopping my hair off back on 2010, a lot of products worked great. On my short hair. Now that my hair is 7-10 inches long, a lot of things, methods just don't work anymore. I feel like my hair texture changed, even before I started coloring it again (at first for style reasons, now I'm actively covering greys ya'll!). And just in general, with my thick hair, it's just too damn much. This is why I kept my hair chin length from my teens thru my 20s. I remember now why my mom couldn't handle my hair and 4 other kids. I remember why she sent me to get a perm (I still wouldn't have done it myself, I'd have just kept my hair in braids). I remember it all, BUT I'm still not cutting it, and I still ain't getting a perm.

As a result of being overwhelmed by my hair, I took to keeping my hair up in a bun when I lost my job. Maybe once or twice a week I would take it out, but I'd keep it up all week, and it grew so much. And then I started incorporating one of those keratin conditioners in my co-wash routine, to handle all the frizz because I was doing less. The conditioner did a great job without changing the texture of my hair from what I could tell and feel, so I thought why not try the shampoo. 2 weeks later I realized that was a mistake. Also all the bunning was a mistake too. Interestingly my son said to me a couple months ago, 'Ma, you shouldn't tighten your bun.' I thought he was mistaken, my bun wasn't too tight.

Well, it either was, or my hair got mad at me for not doing anything with my hair because my shyt starting falling OUT. Whole strands. NOT breaking off... FALLING OUT. AND my hairline in the front has "eroded" - that's the nicest word I can think of.And I freaked out. I actually cried and flashed back to the time my mom was trying to save money and had her friend's 14 year old daughter named Tiny put a perm in and TAKE OUT my hair when I was 14.

A few weeks ago, I washed and conditioned my hair (I tried cleansing every other week, but I need every week), finger detangled, and loss so much hair, I could have made a wig for a small child. Even a friend of mine told me that while I still had a lot of hair, it looked thinner (the previous week we joked about how I looked like a poodle). I felt so defeated. And I truly had to dig inside and repeat "I am not my hair" to myself, and just remember all of the other things about me (I wasn't sure if the shedding was going to stop since it'd been happening for 2 weeks).

Then I remembered Shea Moisture produced hair products for thin hair. I hit up the local CVS and they only had the shampoo, so I purchased it and Organix's new Biotin and Collagen conditioner because I was not in the mood to drive around looking for the Shea Moisture conditioner. I used the products, along with performing a tea rinse, and while there was shedding, it was less.




I've also been oiling my scalp with the MTG oil (and a lot of peppermint essential oil mixed in to cover the smell). It's been 2 weeks, and my shedding has decreased significantly - I would say it's back to normal. I also finally obtained the conditioner, as well as the Hair Milk (off topic: the Hair Milk does nothing for my hair when wet, but when dry it gives my hair the boost it needs in between washing and I love it).
Looking at the photos, especially the most recent ones, I sit here and can't believe it. I mean I am looking at the Naomi Campbell hairline for real. I guess that's what I get for being careless with my hair. I did forget to take care of myself with the stress of job hunting and other emotional trials, but still.... Anyway, onward and upward.

UPDATE:
Yes, it's only been one day but I had to give my quick review of how the Shea Moisture conditioner worked. So, I co-washed last night, dividing two sides of my hair into 7 braids on each side (no more washing my hair loose). I sprayed, applied the conditioner and braided, put a plastic baggy over my hair and then went about my day cleaning. I didn't do any EVOO/ honey pre-treatment, just the water and conditioner. Rinsed and reapplied a small amount of conditioner and rinsed again.

I undid a braid, finger detangled, applied Shea Moistures Curl Enhancing Smoothie, my homemade shea butter cream, tension blow dried on a cool setting (for super thick areas at the root of some braids I applied warm heat for a few seconds), and then pinned aside as I went through this same process with each of the 14 braids total.

After drying, I went through my hair - now divided in 4 sections - and applied a small amount of the Yucca and Aloe hair milk, oiled my scalp (especially around the edges), pinned up in a very loose bun, applied my homemade hair jelly (mixture of curl activator and oils - I'll do a post on that), tied my hair down and went to bed.

This morning, the bun was big a poofy and soft and luxurious! I kept the bun in for part of the morning while I handled my business this morning. I just undid the bun, and my hair is even more soft and bouncy and big than I thought. It feels great.

Saturday, March 2, 2013

7 Day Detox - Day 2

Just wanted to share the Tuna, Sweet Corn and Jacket Potato meal that I just finished and that my son and I are now enjoying.


Here's what I did:
  • Baked potatoes in the over
  • Mixed 1 can of Tuna (water based) and a 1/2 cup of sweet corn.
  • Added 1 tbsp of yogurt

Topped the tuna corn mixture onto a split baked potato, and it tastes delicious!

I think I will be using yogurt instead of mayonnaise from now on in my tuna mixtures. Next time I will add the onions that I forgot to add.

P.S. Just found out about a cable network called Veria Living. Whaaaattttt? I love it. And they have a website too! Check it out: http://www.veria.com/

Friday, March 1, 2013

7 Day Detox - Day 1

I'm taking part in a 7-Day Detox and 3 week Low Carb diet with HangTight with MarcC as part of my aforementioned Quest for Abs (and peace of mind too). I'm actually excited and look forward to seeing some major changes in my body. In addition to embarking in this Quest for Abs, I also have to get rid of any extra fat on my body to help with my back problems. If I drop 10-15 pounds, honestly, I am giddy at the relief that I expect to feel in my lower and middle back.

Anyway, here is what I have done so far today in my Quest for Abs:
  • Walking: 4 miles
  • Breakfast: Oatmeal
  • Snacks: Strawberry yogurt, 2 granola bars w/peanut butter, brown rice cakes, popcorn
  • Lunch: Homemade Vegetarian Lentil soup
  • Drink: Cranberry water (made from cranberry concentrate)

Although I have listed Chinese Stir Fry with Brown Rice as my dinner, I think I may go with a spinach shake since I had lunch so late.

Also, you'll notice I have a lot of snacks there and it's because I realize I'm a grazer/ muncher. One of the biggest things I was concerned about upon embarking on this journey, is how was I going to replace my comfort food. I love popcorn (especially since I've sworn off the chocolate cake from my son's birthday, and peanut butter ice cream  - and anyone who knows me knows I LOVE peanut butter, plus ice cream, maaaannnnn...). Anyway, I spent the past few days prepping for the detox by increasing my cranberry water intake, ceasing with the red wine (even though there is a glass amount left in the fridge), drinking green tea, but I knew at some point I was going to need a variety of snacks (I guess it's the Gemini in me). I figured popcorn was the way to go, but I had to find the right topping because I know I can't do popcorn with no topping. And after much research and searching for a healthy option that my taste buds would love - coconut oil walked into the building.

I went to GNC and overpaid for 16 oz of coconut oil (this before finding out that my local fruit stand sells 12 oz for $4 after paying 3 times that for 16 oz. Not again!)

Back to the story... I coated the popcorn kernels with a tbsp of coconut oil, popped in the microwave, and then I did something that is going to sound weird but tastes so good. I melted 1 tbsp of coconut oil and 1 tbsp of honey, drizzled it over the popcorn, and then sprinkled the popcorn with cinnamon.

I personally can't taste the cinnamon, but my son did, and he loved it! And so did I. I love the honey flavor on my popcorn - who knew! I am beyond ecstatic that I found a healthy popcorn topping alternative- and that was real hard when I had powdered cheddar staring me in the face as I drizzled the coconut oil/ honey mixture on my popcorn. I was nervous, thought it might taste like crap. I gambled and won!

Stay tuned for other experimental recipes that I will be trying this month.