Two-Strand Flat Twists/Twist-Outs – Why it’s my new go-to style!!

by Mae on April 14, 2013

Most of you know that for the past few years, my go-to style has been the two-strand twist out, however, I think I may have found my new go-to style…two-strand flat twists (and the twist out from this style as well)!!

The reason why I hadn’t tried this style much earlier was because I didn’t know how to two-strand flat twist. I started practicing at the beginning of this year, and I think I’m finally getting the hang of it..woohoo!!

Here a couple reasons why this is my new favorite way of setting my hair

1. It’s easy for me to do on wet hair or dry hair that has been lightly stretched via blow-drying

2. I can do less two-strand flat twists compared to regular two-strand twists for an equally defined look

3. This is related to #2 in that it takes me WAY less time to do the fewer two-strand flat twists than my normal number of regular two-strand twists

4. I don’t have to separate my hair as much when I take the two-strand flat twists down, which means less frizz!

5. I have more definition from root to tip, which allows me to wear the style for a longer period of time

Is this one of your favorite go-to styles as well? I would love to hear your tips and tricks! 

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Fit Foodie Alert: Miso Kale Chips (aka, a yummy & healthy potato chip alternative) by Dr. Phoenyx Austin

by Mae on April 8, 2013

Fit Foodie Alert: Miso Kale Chips (aka, a yummy & healthy potato chip alternative)

by Dr. Phoenyx Austin

For today’s post I wanted to keep things short and sweet (actually salty and crispy) with a delicious and healthier alternative to the ever popular sandwich pairing… potato chips!

Crunchy Miso Kale Chips (aka the yummy potato chip alternative)

Personally I’ve never been a fan of “low fat” potato chips because so many brands I’ve come across have a certain weird, artificial taste that I’m not too fond of.  You know what I’m talking about? Well anyways, I know many people that feel the same way and I always recommend that they try kale chips as a low-fat potato chip alternative. At first I usually get this funny look of ‘Really?! Kale instead of potato chips?!’ But then they go home, try out the recipe, and are totally hooked.

And besides tasting great, what I really love about these chips is that they’re made of kale, which is one of the most nutritionally dense foods you can find that’s loaded with calcium, fiber, vitamin A, C, K, and tons of fiber.

Crunchy Miso Kale Chips

What you’ll need:

(makes about 6 servings)

1 bunch of kale or swiss chard, stemmed and torn into bite-sized pieces

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons white miso (or low-sodium soy sauce)

*There are as many ways to make kale chips, so don’t worry if you don’t have soy or miso. You can easily use a pinch of salt and your favorite spice blend to sub for flavoring. The key is to make sure you wash and thoroughly dry each kale leaf before you bake so that you up the crisp factor and avoid steaming the greens.

How to prepare:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and soy or miso (or your alternative seasoning). Rub greens between hands to thoroughly coat in oil and seasoning,

3. Spread greens in one layer among rimmed baking sheets and bake until dry and crisp but not burned. Should take about 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Eat within 24 hours, and store up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

And there you have it guys! Chips that are very easy to make, incredibly nutritious and deliver the same yummy potato chip mix of crispy-crunchy-salty. Oh, and I kid you not when I say these chips are downright yummy. So if you plan on serving to guests, I’d definitely make more than a few handfuls because these chips will go fast! Enjoy!

Have you ever tried kale chips? Did you like? Know any other healthy potato chip alternative recipes? Let me know in the comments. – Dr. Phoenyx

Dr. Phoenyx Austin is a physician, author, and creator of DrPhoenyx.com, a fitness & lifestyle blog. Check out her awesome natural hair care book If You Love It, It Will Grow – available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes. And don’t forget to say hello to the doc on Facebook and Twitter!

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:: GIVEAWAY :: Soultanicals Knot Sauce Coil Detangler & Wrapper’s Delight Hydrating Kink Drink

by Mae on April 3, 2013

It’s always exciting to share a new company that I’ve come across that delivers quality, natural hair & body products! 
Let me introduce you to Soultanicals and their vegan line of products that are definitely worth a try.
 
Keep reading for a chance to win 2 products from their line as well! 
******************************
Soultanicals is an earthy, self-love collection of hand-crafted, soul-infused, melanin-inspired, body/hair love products made with a unique blend of organic, plant-based, herbal, and African botanical ingredients.

Our high-quality botanical line combines our passion for self-love with the holistic culture and traditions of Mama Earth and is 100% toxin-free, cruelty-free, vegan, and free from all artificial preservatives, fragrances and dyes. We maintain our high quality by always being handmade to order and delivered fresh to our customers.

Made for the funky, earthy, natural-lovin’ individuals who are conscious about what they put on their hair & body. Our products speak to the beauty conscious, self lovin’, culture lovn’, revolutionary & playful spirits who like to stand out with timeless, soul-centric originality.

The products to be given away include (a bottle each) Knot sauce and a Kink Drink for 2 winners:



Knot Sauce Coil Detangler (our bestseller): A Nappilicious Reinvention of A Natural Hair Detangler, Super-Naturally Emphasized with Blue Malva Herb, Brocolli Seed Oil & Coconut Nectar for Excellent Comb-Thru Spreadability & Extra Softness! A lusciously creamy, delish blend of cake batter and butter icing with a hint of vanilla. The Proof is in the Sauce!
Wrapper’s Delight- Hydrating Kink Drink: Take your hair’s health and hydration into your own hands and diversify your follicular palate with a blast of this healthy hydrating kink drink. Replenishing, Hydrating and Refreshing, this drink is outstanding when chilled. It is an afroliciously vegan delight that is great for all tresses.
(Please follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below to enter)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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5 Tips for Supreme Fitness and Fab-ness! by Dr. Phoenyx Austin

by Mae on April 2, 2013

5 Tips for Supreme Fitness and Fab-ness!

by Dr. Phoenyx Austin

5 Tips for Supreme Fitness and Fab-ness! by Dr. Phoenyx Austin Ok ladies, it’s time to run down this week’s list of 5 tips for being your most fit, healthy and fab! Use these tips to inspire you, and please share with anyone who needs a bit of inspiration too. Remember guys, you can be as healthy, happy and fabulous as your heart desires. Just get fired up, get educated and get commited to the goal. I believe in you. Do you believe in you? Of course you! Here we go!

1.  Get healthy and creative with your food.

Healthy eating doesn’t mean you have to feel deprived or perpetually starved. There are tons of foods that are totally healthy and incredibly delicious. Just open a healthy cookbook, check out the healthy food porn on Pinterest, shop at the farmer’s market or ask a local chef for healthy food recommendations. Trust me, healthy and yummy can go hand in hand. You just need to get in the kitchen, get creative, and challenge yourself to try new foods and recipes.

2.  Get your calcium and vitamin D.

As women age, we naturally lose bone density and strength. This is especially the case with Black women. That said, to prevent things like broken bones and hip fractures later in life, you need to start taking care of your bones now. Essentially bone health comes down to two things: calcium and vitamin D. Calcium is a mineral that strengthens your bones, and vitamin D helps your body to absorb calcium from your foods. So the next time you grab a meal, try to throw in a few calcium rich foods like cheese, yogurt, milk, and dark leafy greens like spinach and kale. And of course, you can also take a daily calcium supplement with vitamin D, if that’s what you prefer.

3.  Don’t go to bed angry… or with makeup.

I know a lot of women that think nothing of going to bed with makeup on, but this is a big skin care faux pas.  And if this is something you do, I’d highly suggest that you start taking those 10 minutes before bedtime to wash your face. Why? Because sleeping in makeup will lead to clogged pores and the formation of skin occlusions called microcomedones, which attract acne causing bacteria to your pores, which can then lead to inflammation, more breakouts, and skin that becomes scarred and blotchy. No bueno.

4.  Find your fitness inspiration.

So many of us struggle with getting in shape and it makes things so much easier when you have someone you can look up to for inspiration. And that’s precisely why I encourage women to find a fitness inspiration and use that person to keep you motivated. For example, one of my biggest fitness inspirations is Jillian Michaels. Her body is sick, I can identify with her feistiness and I can tell she really cares about helping people. And yes, Jillian is a tough-as-nails chick and scares the heck out of some folk. But she’s about the business (which I love) and her passion truly inspires me to stay on my fitness game.

5.  Smile!

One of my favorite Pinterest pins has this written on it: “A smile is the most beautiful curve on a woman’s body.” Yeah, you like that don’t cha? Feel free to re-pin J. And honestly I just love that pin because there’s so much truth to that saying. Your smile is your most beautiful curve, and it’s your light ladies. So every morning you wake up, and every day you’re out and about, just take a few precious moments to smile. It’ll make you feel better and it’ll let your inner light shine.

What fit & fab tips can you share with others? I’d love to know! Post in the comments and tweet me at @Dr_Phoenyx. Can’t wait to read what awesome tips you have to share! – Dr. Phoenyx

Dr. Phoenyx Austin is a physician, author, and creator of DrPhoenyx.com, a fitness & lifestyle blog. Check out her awesome natural hair care book If You Love It, It Will Grow – available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes. And don’t forget to say hello to the doc on Facebook and Twitter!

 

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Fitness Fundamentals: A Beginner’s Guide to Exercise Balls by Dr. Phoenyx Austin

by Mae on March 29, 2013

Fitness Fundamentals: A Beginner’s Guide to Exercise Balls

by Dr. Phoenyx Austin

Have you ever noticed how most people will hit the gym and use the same equipment over and over again? Maybe you actually do the same thing yourself. Take me for example. I’ve always been a fan of working out on the treadmill. And for many years, I would just go to the gym, hit the treadmill and pretty much ignore any other piece of exercise equipment. But then one day, a personal trainer put me onto exercise balls. Basically I asked him what exercises I should do to tone up my abs. And he suggested a few exercise ball routines. Now I must admit, I was kinda cocky and thought, “Really dude? There’s no way those cutsie looking balls are going to get me the flat tummy I want.” But boy was I wrong! Because the next day my abs felt like I’d done 1,000 crunches. And the next day I couldn’t wait to go back for more!

Now in addition to showing me some really cool exercises, one thing my trainer also emphasized was maintaining proper form when working out with an exercise ball. This way I’d really be able to target my ab muscles without putting stress on my back. So that said, I’d also like to share a few of those personal trainer tips with you. This way, you’ll also be on point with your workout, should you decide to get in on some exercise ball action.

Exercise Ball Rule #1: Pick a ball that’s appropriate for your height

Exercise balls, like people, come in different sizes. So you want to pick a ball that’s specifically designed for your size. Below you’ll find a handy ball selection guide that I’d recommend you use. And just in case your ball doesn’t have a measurement on it, use this rule of thumb to gauge if you’re using the right size ball: If you sit and your hips are higher than the knees, the ball you selected is too big. Or, if you sit and your knees are higher than your hips, the ball may be too small or not properly inflated.

 HOW TO PICK A BALL

Suggested Ball Size Your Height
30-35 cm < 4’10″ tall
45 cm 4’8″-5’5″ tall
55 cm 5’6″-6’0″ tall
65 cm 6’0″-6’5″ tall
75 cm over 6’5″ tall
85 cm if you’re heavier or long-legged

Exercise Ball Rule #2: Make sure your ball is properly inflated

Exercise balls are actually designed to be unstable when you’re sitting on them. It’s the firm, round, instability factor that helps to work, “stabilize” and strengthen your core muscles (aka your ab and lower back muscles). That said, when picking a ball, always go for the one that’s fully inflated because it will better maintain its shape and give your core muscles a better workout.

Exercise Ball Rule #3: Knees at 90° and feet at wide stance

When sitting on the ball, place your feet flat on the floor and open your legs to the ball’s width or slightly wider than hip distance.  This will reinforce proper spine alignment and prevent unnecessary pressure on your joints. Also, make sure your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle and that your hips are level with your knees.

Exercise Ball Rule #4: Head up, shoulders down, neck straight, spine neutral

Because exercise balls don’t provide support for your back, you want to pay close attention to maintaining good posture. So no hunching or slouching on those balls ladies. Your head should be up, neck straight, shoulders should be down and back. And make sure to maintain the natural curves of your back to keep a neutral spine. Sitting this way will prevent putting too much strain on your lower back, and it’ll also force you to work those ab muscles that are just dying to make their sexy Spring Break debut.

So I’m curious guys- Do you work out with exercise balls?  What are your thoughts on exercise balls? Like ‘em or leave ‘em? – Dr. Phoenyx

Dr. Phoenyx Austin is a physician, author, and creator of DrPhoenyx.com, a fitness & lifestyle blog. Check out her awesome natural hair care book If You Love It, It Will Grow – available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes. And don’t forget to say hello to the doc on Facebook and Twitter!

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