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Friday, June 26, 2009





Something You Should Know....


High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup is a sugar derived from corn. It may cause gastrointestinal distress and elevated triglycerides. It is also associatedwith blood sugar problems, depression, fatigue,B-vitamin deficiency, hyperactivity, tooth decay,and periodontal disease. Large amounts have caused tumors in mice.

Corn is one of the most commonly genetically engineered foods produced in the U.S.and genetically engineered corn is commonly used in processed foods. Genetically engineered ingredients are not labeled in the United States.









Coily Girl of the Week: Meet Sugary Snowpea!




Q: Do you straighten your hair? What precautionary measures do you take?

A: Well, I've been thinking about straightening my hair for my next birthday at the end of the summer, but to be honest, before I decide to do anything like that I would really really have to research how to do it safely. I colored my hair myself last fall and though it's healthy, I have no idea if straightening my hair would damage it. I'm really not tryna kill my naps! I love them so!

Q: Your current products/ routine:

A: I'm really cheap when it comes to my hair products, which is why I don't have alot of information on my fotki about what I use and all that. I like to keep it simple, when I first went natural I was buying any and everything that I read on natural hair boards that seemed worth the shot, but I only ended up wasting money.

Finally, I've arrived at some pretty wonderful cheapies that never fail. In cold weather months I try to keep manipulation pretty low, so I keep my hair twisted for the most part. I use my own homemade batch of shealoe butter which is pure yellow shea butter mixed with oil and aloe vera gel. I condition wash or co-wash my twist every week with any V05 Moisture Milks conditioner that smells good and stir some veggie oil into it.

I deep condition my hair, no matter the season, every two-three weeks. This includes thorough detangling with Suave Humetant or a Suave Naturals conditioner, veggie oil, and V05. Once a month I do a protein treatment, I don't think this was as important before I colored my hair, but now that it is colored, I never miss a protein treatment.

I use Lekair's Cholesterol conditioner, or Creme of Nature's Moisturizing Conditioner (this one is pretty hard to find these days) both have the perfect amount of protein for my strands. I find the key to getting great results with cheapies are mixing them with an oil that your hair likes and letting them sit for a while underneath a plastic cap and allowing the heat from your head to work it's magic.

I try to wear puffs and braidouts mostly in the spring and summer. For puffs I'll use a brown protein gel or IC Fantasia's clear gel (both without alcohol in the ingredients) after co-washing, for braidouts I'll use my homemade shealoe butter. As for a shampoo, I'm not big on them, I only use them if my hair has lots of build up from products or before my monthly protein treatments. I'll either use my Verifen Moisture Shampoo(not actually a cheapie, cost me $30bucks but it's last two year s now) or a Sauve Naturals shampoo.

Q: Your hair type:


A: In the beginning of my journey I drove my self crazy trying to place myself in the "proper" hair category, I found it fustrating and limiting. I would search Fotki albums and study all the information I could find online and actively get involved in the chats on the hair boards trying to indentify with one hair type.

I realized that though my hair had lots of similarities with other beautiful heads of natural hair, I still couldn't find what I thought was an exact explanation of my hair texture. So now, I just say that I'm a type four.

There are at least three separate types of kinks in my head. They range from strands in the back that are easy to define with product and are s-shaped tight curls,and in the crown I have wavy almost straight strands. In the front, I have kinky,tight strands. That's all I know!

Q: Has reaction from family/friends/opposite sex been positive or negative?

A: When I told the women in my family that I was going natural they thought I was crazy! I think they assumed this was something I was doing because I saw women on the internet doing it and so I just had to do it too, another example of that damned computer influencing me!

Actually they were sort of right, if it wasn't for NP(a hair board I belong to) I would've never known how beautiful natural hair could be for ADULTS!

My family has never thought natural hair was "bad" or "ugly" but it was for young children that were too young for relaxers. Friends were on the fence, no one really knew of someone who had a head of great looking natural hair and most pictured me with a permenent super short doo.

While I was transitioning all anyone could say was "I don't know how you do it!" "What are you going to be able to do with it?" Now that I've been rocking my hair natural for a little over a year just about everyone even strangers will ask me how I take care of it and tell me how much they like it. Some friends and a cousin are even considering becoming naturals themselves! As for the man in my life he's been ever so supportive since day one, he finds my hair to be really "sexy"!

Q: Your hair length goal:

A: It's so funny, when I was relaxed I was so obsessed with length. My hair was never long enough for me! Now I'm all about the health of my hair, if it's protein treatment weekend and someone ask me to go out, I just might pass up a night with friends to keep my strands healthy! I want super big hair, and that comes along with length. One day I would love to have this great big mound of sexy hair that floats down my back, but there is no real length goal I guess. A really long thick braid that hits the small of my back is beyond a goal...more like a fantasy!




This pic is soo fly! Lovin' the whole look! Love the contrast of her pink dress with the dark street and plants behind her!









Fro-hawk!!!! Rock it, GIRL!!!!!!!!!11




Lovin' her cute earrings! (and the hair , of course!)





I think I'll rock this style tomorrow!






Thank you, Sugary Snowpea!
To see more of her pics, and her gorgeous hair!) check out her Fotki album at www.fotki.com/sugarysnowpea



In Loving Memory.... Michael Jackson (1958-2009)

There are no words right now to express what I'm feeling! His music was such a big part of my life! Losing him is like losing a family member. I have been rivoted to my tv set this morning, hoping to hear SOMETHING that might make sense of this.

May he finally rest in peace.









Monday, June 22, 2009






Good Morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why am I smiling? Tomorrow is the last day of school!!!!!!!!! (with my students, anyway!) Today, only 15 kids came! (Out of 33.)

Today, I'm just cleaning my my room and packing things up for the summer. Of course, I'm teaching summer school, but I have about a week vacation before that starts! I'm giving my class a FIESTA today with icecream cake, hotdogs, chips, and soda. They worked hard this year, and most of them are reading at least 2 levels ABOVE grade level. This was a smart group of kids. I hate to see them go, because WHO KNOWS what I might get next year!

My hair was a wash and go from yesterday that was still wet last night. Rather than sleep on it and wake up with a knotty mess, I twisted my hair and then untwisted it this morning. I like it.

Have a GREAT DAY, Coily Girls!



I am always "stretching" my hair to see the length. I'm still amazed at how fast your hair can grow when you're not relaxing it. Hard to believe I cut all my hair 2 years ago, and it's longer now than it was before I cut it.



I'm trying to show you my hair color. Can you see how it's black at the roots? I'm still on the fence on whether or not I'll be honey blond or black this summer. I'm really leaning towards keeping it lighter, but it's such WORK! Not to mention, I have some gray strands I really want to cover. I'm not ready to show my age yet! LOL

So, what do you think? Should I stay light or go DARK??






This summer is going to be all about experimenting with different products. I have never tried Miss Jessie's, although I'm not sure I want to get addicted to it, since it costs a fortune. I'm really looking for something that makes my curls pop and keeps them moisturized with as little work as possible. I am not trying to spend a lot of time on my hair this summer.
Pretty much I know that Kinky Curly is a "no-go" for me. I have never figured out how much of the detangler and gel to use, so I give up!! Besides that, it's VERY HARSH and drying.
By the way, I purchased a hair oil that I'm really feeling from Savannah Essentials. They also sell shea soaps, gels, shampoo bars, lotions, scrubs, and shea baby products as well. This stuff smells good. I bought the "Blessed" scented oil. The website is: www.sheabutterstore.com.
You can also call 866-455-soap.


Sunday, June 21, 2009






My Cousin Tina's BC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tina had been transitioning for over a year, and this weekend she went to Devachan in NY, and cut off the remaining relaxed ends!!!!!!!!!! She's not crazy about this cut,but I think her curls look really silky and lush! I love this look on her! I need to find out what products she's using, because her curls look sooo touchable and soft!

One cousin down... 2 sisters, my mom,and another cousin to go! LOL











Are You Down?

This is Coily Girl, Laura Izibor-- singer, songwriter and producer.
Born to a working class family in Dublin, Ireland, Izibor admits she didn't grow up in a musical household. "My mother raised five kids on her own, so there wasn't much time to buy records ? it wasn't that kind of home. I found myself fancying music at about 13." Once the love for musicians like Stevie Wonder, Candi Stanton, and Roberta Flack took hold, she was smitten for good. "One door opened to the next ? first I discovered Marvin Gaye, and then Otis Redding, and I just fell in love with soul music."

At the age of 15, Izibor won a prestigious national performance competition, the "2FM Song Contest." At 17, she started work on her debut album, taking the time to really hone her songs. Let The Truth Be Told was recorded over the course of four years in a diverse range of cities: New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Dublin among them. Laura also performed live constantly during this period, finding her true home onstage. Having performed several sold-out shows in Ireland, and opened for acts including James Brown, Angie Stone, and The Roots, she's earned the affectionate moniker "The Soul of Ireland" from the folks back home.

Early 2009 will reveal the fruits of this process, when Izibor releases the fully self-penned and co-produced Let The Truth Be Told. "The title felt like a strong, almost biblical statement," she explains. "I've written this album because it's my truth. It's a sincere record and it has a feel of survival in it as well." Izibor resisted the urge to feature established artists on various tracks, instead creating a revealing, and very personal, document of this moment in her life. "I didn't want to be anybody's protégé," she says. "It's very tempting to put in the reinforcements, but for my debut album I wanted it to be 100% from me."

The songs are ripe with authenticity, from the sassy, soulful album opener, "Shine," to the magnificent and deeply personal "If Tonight Is My Last," to the anthemic and inspirational "Mmm," which colored the soundtrack of Step Up 2: The Streets. With her tracks also featured on Grey's Anatomy, The Hills, and The Nanny Diaries, Izibor has found that airing her heartfelt take on life and love has translated to the hopes and struggles of various characters, as well as to the people at home watching them. "I hope people take away a sense of honesty and realness in the record. They're just songs written from a really sincere place, and hopefully people can connect to it on some level and relate their own lives to it as well."

For Izibor, the process of bringing her Truth to light has had a long gestation period, taking her around the world and back. She's poised and ready for her moment. "Life is good. Music is amazing. It's just a great, unusual thing to be doing what I love, and I'm genuinely grateful. I come from a working class family, so my bothers and sisters and my mother worked so many jobs their whole life, just trying to provide for us. That's why I'm extremely humbled and grateful to be able to do something that is not only what I love, but pretty unbelievable."






















Saturday, June 20, 2009




So... I found an article about "Sodium Benzoate" that I thought you might find interesting. More proof that we need to be better informed about what we eat and drink and READ LABELS!



Sodium benzoate - what you should know...

Sodium benzoate is the most widely used preservative in the world. You'll find it in beverages of all sorts of foods, liquid nutritional supplements, toothpaste and oral care products and pharmaceuticals to name a few. Sodium benzoate can cause skin rashes,gastrointestinal upset, hyperactivity in children, and neurological disorders. It has also caused birth defects in lab animals.

Sodium benzoate, along with potassium benzoate,when in a product containing ascorbic acid orvitamin C, can form benzene. Benzene is known to cause cancer. Here is a list of beverages found to contain sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate and ascorbic acid:

Country Time Lemonade
Crystal Light Sunrise Classic Orange
Diet Pepsi Twist
Diet Pepsi Vanilla
Diet RockStar Energy Drink
Fanta Orange
Fanta Pineapple
Fruit20 Plus 10 Natural Apple
Giant Fruity Punch Cooler
Hawaiian Punch Fruit Juicy Red
Hawaiian Punch Lemonade
Hi-C Blast, Orange Supernova
Kool-Aid Jammers Blue-Raspberry
Kool-Aid Jammers Cherry
Kool-Aid Jammers Grape
Kool-Aid Jammers Orange
Lo-Carb Monster Energy
Monster Energy
Pepsi Twist Lemon
RockStar Energy Drink
Sierra Mist
Sunkist
Sunny D
Sunny D Baja
Sunny D Intense Sport Cool Punch
Sunny D Orange-Fused Strawberry
Sunny D Smooth
Sunny D Smooth + Calcium
Tampico Citrus Punch
Tampico Grape Punch
Tampico Tropical Punch
Tropicana Twister Diet Soda (Diet Orange)
Tropicana Twister Soda Grape
Tropicana Twister Soda Orange
Tropicana Twister Soda Strawberry

Do you drink any of these beverages or give themto your kids? If so, either you or your kids maybe drinking a product containing cancer-causing chemical, benzene. It's not only beverages, but all products, that need to be checked for these ingredients.

Learn more about food additive safety at http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=BlaSB&m=1q37239DwcIEsC&b=nRABQ3YP0Hl6HvMJBTOSTg

Dr. Christine H. Farlow, D.C."The Ingredients Investigator "Protecting you from harmful food additives." www.foodadditivesbook.com

Friday, June 19, 2009




Why do black women fear the 'fro?
By Cheryl Thompson


LUCAS OLENIUK/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO
Canadian opera star Measha Brueggergosman

As a black woman living in Canada, I often feel invisible when it comes to my natural hair. The television series da Kink In My Hair (which just wrapped up its first season on Global television) taps into a lot of the issues black women have with hair, but on the streets of Toronto, it's a whole other story.


Some people might be offended by what I have to say, and others might think: "It's just hair. Get a life." Fair enough. But, since freeing myself from the dependency of chemically relaxing my hair every eight weeks, I feel it important to use my voice.

Too many black women can't remember what it's like to feel their natural hair. I know several, who have not felt their scalp since Bobby Brown was a member of New Edition. And I have sat in hair salons with women who spend more money on their hair than their education.

I also know a lot of black women who secretly want to go natural, but fear the reaction at work, what their family will say, even that their partner will leave them. If hair is just hair, you'd think going natural would be just as easy as processing your hair.

Then there are weaves, a process by which synthetic or real hair is sewn into one's natural hair to give the appearance of long, flowing, straight hair. While many women, irrespective of race, wear weaves (they're common in Hollywood), black women wear them to cover up, not merely enhance, their natural state.

Talk about hair is so woven into the black female experience that people often make jokes about who has "good hair" and who has "bad hair." In the song "I Am Not My Hair," India Arie sings, "Good hair means curls and waves/Bad hair means you look like a slave." A lot of people might not have a clue as to what she's talking about, but, as a black woman, I sure do.

One of the first things I learned as a child was that "bad hair" was not the same as having a bad hair day. It was a matter of texture. "Good hair" was the complete opposite of nappy, tightly coiled hair.

Admittedly, some black women have naturally long, straight hair, but most of us do not. As such, this is not about burning down the relaxer factory, or snatching a weave off someone's head. It's about uncovering the truth: when a black woman turns on her television, reads a magazine, or watches a movie, most of the images of black beauty she sees are fake, and her natural self becomes even more difficult to love.


Amid all these images, and all the time spent thinking about how to "fix" their hair problems, black women across North America face harsh realities that are not being discussed. A lot of black women are stuck in low-paying jobs, we're barely seen on television and in film, and we're often negatively depicted as hypersexual vixens in hip-hop.

In the book Hair Raising: Beauty, Culture, and African American Women, Noliwe Rooks says African Americans spend three times more than other consumer groups on their grooming needs.


Further, according to a 1997 American Health and Beauty Aids Institute survey, African Americans spend $225 million annually on hair weaving services and products. While these figures are from the '90s, it is fair to assume that similar results would be found today, and would also be applicable in a Canadian context.

The biggest hurdle facing black people across the diaspora is a lack of history, especially when it comes to hair. Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America, by African American authors Ayana Bryd and Lori Tharps, is a good starting point. When you read books like this, you begin to understand why hair is socially, psychologically and culturally significant to the black female experience. While history is always a difficult subject for any oppressed people, you won't ever know where you're going unless you know where you're coming from.

I'm old enough to remember when people sported afros. I never quite understood why they did it when I was younger but since then, I've read numerous books and seen countless movies chronicling the period. When black people went natural in droves, it wasn't just about sticking it to The Man or a sign of cultural solidarity, it was also about self-love. The people who continued to straighten their hair were seen as turning their backs on their roots. Unfortunately, by the early 1980s, the Jheri Curl came along, and hair processing once again was the rule.

This history of hair alteration saddens me. Sure, all women have body image issues and anxiety about their looks. We're too thin, too fat, not pretty enough or not feminine enough. Yet people rarely discuss how black women have been chemically altering the natural state of their hair for more than 100 years, and continue to spend money they sometimes don't have to hook up a tight weave, just to be like everyone else.

In addition to hair, black women have a lot of other issues that are rarely discussed. For instance, according to the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, black women are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Similarly, in the U.S., according to DepressionIsReal.org, a 2007 study found that depression among black women is almost 50 per cent higher than among white women. And black women are twice as likely as black men to suffer depression.


And so, it's not just about hair. It's about a lack of cultural awareness and an internalized negative pathology. In order to transcend a troubled past, you have to engage in an open and honest dialogue, but that requires acknowledging there's a problem.

On one level, I can understand why black women do what they do to their hair (I used to do it too). Natural black hair can be very difficult to manage and sometimes you just want to try a new look. Having said that, there are lots of products, books, websites and hair salons that cater to natural styles, but it requires effort to find them.

The last thing I want to do is pass judgment or demand that all black women run out and grow an Angela Davis 'fro or Alice Walker dread-locks. However, part of the process of healing is seeing yourself for who you are, and most important, accepting who you are.

****************************************************
Cheryl Thompson is a frequent contributor to Chart Magazine. She received her MA from Ryerson University's communication & culture

program last year.







Thursday, June 18, 2009








Coily Girl of the Week:
Meet Naturaldelta04!!

I love her hair! I've been stalking her Fotki page for a while now, and am HONORED to have her as my first Coily Girl interview!!


Your hair type:


Yikes!!!! I don't really know what my hair type is. My curls are extremely tight and they're consistent all over! So whatever that is! :)


Your current products/ routine:

I am a total product junkie!!! I will buy and try anything at least once! I guess the products that are pretty consistent within my hair regimen are the Garnier Fructis shampoo and conditioner. Pantene Pro-V relaxed and natural products and Suave naturals Shampoo and conditioner. To keep my hair moist, I use a lot of coconut oil and shea butter and recently I've invested in some Carol's Daughter products.

As far as a routine goes...I'm pretty boring. (Ha ha!) I either wash, twist and take out once a week, wash and go, straighten or blowdry, braid and take out. Nothing too exciting, but I have those styles down pack and they don't take much time,
(Except straightening), which is what I like about them!


Has reaction from family/friends/opposite sex been positive or negative?

My mom was definitley not a fan in the beginning. She's used to hair being "fried, dyed and laid to the side." lol! And my aunt still does not enjoy hair in its natural state. But of course they didn't stop me. I love them dearly, but I love being natural and wouldn't change it for anything!

I used to say that I would NEVER go natural. I wanted my hair to be down my back and blowing in the wind at all times. But after all the chemical damage, I had no chioce. And I'm actually glad that I damaged my hair with color and relaxers because I would have never known about this thing called "natural". My guy friends LOOOOOOVE it! They think its hot;) And I get compliments all the time, even on the days I hate my hair!


Do you straighten your hair? What precautionary measures do you take?

Yes, I straighten my hair about 3 or 4 times a year because I enjoy switching things up from time to time. I must say, I don't really take any precautinary measures when I do. My hair has been pretty good about reverting back to its curly state and I'm thankful for that thus far.

Your hair length goal:

I don't really have a hair lenth goal because I am more about healthy hair as opposed to long hair. I've cut my hair 3 times since I've been natural because I get bored with a style/length very quickly. I think whether your hair is relaxed or natural, short or long, it should be healthy!

I may leave the scissors alone for a while and see if I can get it to armpit length by 2010. But HEALTHY always looks good:)


To see more pics of Naturaldelta04, visit her Fotki page at :
www.fotki.com/naturaldelta04



Naturaldelta04 w/ relaxer. (on the left!)



The BC!!!








Definitely feelin' that gold headband!


Her gorgeous hair today!!






Updo (I will be stealing this look!!) LOL


Natural hair-- straightened (Cute outfit, don't you think?)


I just love her style!! Thank you, Naturaldelta04!





Wednesday, June 17, 2009



My Hair Today....

In a puff, as promised... with a headband. I won't post any more pics until I do my hair. (Which won't be until at least Monday.) I'm feeling lazy, and my class is kicking my behind with their "Summer Fever!" LOL. Little do they know, their teacher's got it too!! :)







Dangers of Food Additives and Preservatives

Did you know the food you buy from your local grocery store can make you sick or even KILL YOU? It's true. There are additives and preservatives in many foods that can cause migraines, cramping, behavioral and learning problems in children, asthma, and even CANCER!!!

Reading food labels taught me a lot about how our health is being compromised by the chemicals being added to food to give it a longer shelf-life. It's deep, really. The bottom-line is MONEY. Companies like Pepsi pay big money to grocery stores to have them stock their shelves with unhealthy food. We, as consumers, have to educate ourselves on what we're eating, because the GOVERNMENT is certainly not looking out for us!!

Here is a very informative article that I believe everyone should read!

Luvbenet



Food Additives and Preservatives That Should Be Avoided

Many foods could be sabotaging your plan for healthy eating. Chemicals create mutations through chromosome damage, interfere with immune system function, and have been shown to cause a multitude of serious health conditions.


Even if all of the food additives used in our foods were safe individually, rarely does any processed / convenience food have only one additive in it. And nobody knows the effects of the many different additives when they are assembled together in a single product. There are literally thousands of various and potentially dangerous combinations.

Have you noticed that the product labels on many foods today seem to be an undecipherable code of scientific mystery words? That’s because more and more manufacturers are opting to use dangerous preservatives, sprays, and chemicals to increase the shelf life of their products and to enhance taste, texture and visual appeal; all at the cost of our nutritional needs.


Many natural ingredients in processed foods are being replaced with their “chemical taste-alikes” to cut costs. So, not only are we bombarded with the toxic chemicals that are in our carpeting, upholstery, cleaning products, etc., we now have to deal with them in the foods we ingest.

Worst Food Additives

Here is a list of some of the worst food additives. Check food labels to make sure that what you buy does not contain these ingredients.

BHT, legal in the U.S. but banned in England, is associated with liver and kidney damage, behavioral problems, infertility, weakened immune system, birth defects and cancer.

Artificial coloring - contribute to hyperactivity in children; may contribute to learning and visual disorders, nerve damage; may be carcinogenic.

Aspartame and all artificial sweeteners - may cause central nervous system damage, menstrual difficulties, may affect brain and growth development in unborn fetus. Dangerous excitotoxins. Artificial sweeteners: aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), sucralose (Splenda), neotame, saccharin (Sweet ‘N Low), acesulfame-k )Sunette, Sweet-n-Safe, Sweet One)

Brominated vegetable oil - linked to major organ system damage, birth defects, growth problems; considered unsafe by the FDA, can still lawfully be used unless further action is taken by the FDA . (used in fruit juices to give them a long shelf life)

Carrageenan - stabilizer and thickening agent; linked to toxic hazards, including ulcers and cancer; In addition to suppressing immune function, carrageenan causes intestinal ulcers and inflammatory bowel disease in animals and some research indicates that carrageenan is associated with causing cancer in humans. (This is what researchers use when they want to create cancer cells for laboratory experiments)

Partially Hydrogenated vegetable oils - associated with heart disease, breast and colon cancer, atherosclerosis, elevated cholesterol, depressed immune system, allergies.

Nitrates - form powerful cancer-causing agents in stomach; can cause death; considered dangerous by FDA but not banned because they prevent botulism.

MSG - may cause headaches, itching, nausea, nervous system and reproductive disorders, high blood pressure; pregnant, lactating mothers, infants, small children should avoid MSG; allergic reactions common; may be hidden in infant formula, low fat milk, candy, chewing gum, drinks, over-the-counter medications. (
MSG - A dangerous excitotoxin)

Neotame - similar to aspartame, but potentially more toxic; awaiting approval. A dangerous excitotoxin.

Olestra - causes gastrointestinal irritation, reduces carotenoids and fat soluble vitamins in the body.

Potassium bromate - can cause nervous system, kidney disorders, gastrointestinal upset; may be carcinogenic.

Saccharin - delisted as a carcinogen in 1997, however, studies still show that saccharin causes cancer. A dangerous excitotoxin.

Sucralose (Splenda)Tests reveal it can cause up to 40% shrinkage of the thymus gland. It also causes swelling of the kidneys and liver, and liver calcification. Splenda has basically been chlorinated. 3 hydroxyl groups (atoms composed of hydrogen and oxygen) are selectively removed and replaced with 3 atoms of chlorine. The sugar molecule has now been transformed into a chlorocarbon—a chemical agent that has no place in the human diet.

Sulfites - destroys vitamin B1; small amounts may cause asthma, anaphylactic shock; dangerous for asthma, allergy sufferers; has caused deaths; banned on fresh fruits and vegetables, except potatoes.

Sweet 'N Low - contains saccharin. A dangerous excitotoxin.

If the list of ingredients on a package label is long, there are probably a lot of chemical additives in the product, and you're risking your health by eating it.

Children

In children, the organs responsible for detoxifying, or removing harmful substances, are not as effective as those of adults. Unfortunately in many families, children tend to consume more heavily processed foods than adults, (in various snack foods, cookies, cereals, chips, boxed convenience lunches) so these additives have a disproportionately higher impact on them. A parent’s job of providing nutritious foods is made even harder because of the wide array of brightly packaged, tasty, quick and easy foods that are intensely marketed and widely available.

Prepared foods and mixes offer convenience, but remember with convenience comes the use of at least some of the 3000 various food additives.

Read Ingredient Labels

Start reading labels, and chose products that are labeled "preservative-free." Scrutinize convenience, or pre-packaged products that claim "no added preservatives." They may nevertheless contain ingredients that were already preserved prior to inclusion in the final product. For example, almost all lard, used in baked goods, is treated with BHA or BHT.

Eating healthy may require some lifestyle adjustments. You’ll probably have to shop more often because all-natural foods will spoil sooner. Most foods are not meant to last months and months. Many people erroneously consider it completely normal to keep their pantry shelves and freezers full of a wide array of ready to eat food choices.

Just because you’ve always done it this way doesn’t make it the best choice for your family. Fresh food is plentiful in America—do you really need to re-create an unhealthy, mini grocery store in your kitchen for the sake of convenience?

Eliminate Toxins From Your Foods

You can eliminate many of these toxins from your life by changing how you have choose to manage your meals. Make the time to start cooking foods from scratch. Eat raw fruits and veggies instead of processed snack foods. DON’T BUY CONVENIENCE “SIDE-DISH” MIXES! If you want a delicious rice dish—cook rice (preferably brown rice) in some broth and flavor it with seasonings!

Most people don’t believe that it can actually be less expensive to eat more natural, but it’s true. Try it. Get back to eating the natural foods our bodies were intended to eat.

Cravings:

High doses of sugar, salt, and trans fat, which are cheap fillers in convenience foods, cause cravings because they disrupt the brain’s natural chemical balance. The more processed foods you eat, the more you crave them...and the vicious cycle continues. Natural hunger becomes distorted when the body’s chemical balance is upset.

Supplying the necessary substances required for chemical balance is the key to overcoming unhealthy cravings. Adding supplements to your diet can be very effective in both removing toxins as well as helping to restore chemical balances.It’s absolutely imperative that you try to limit processed and pre-packaged foods, because unless you’re eating organic, you may still be exposed to dangerous toxins on the foods you probably consider to be the most healthy!

Organic packaged and processed foods have little or no added synthetic colors or preservatives, and of course, organic fruits and vegetables are always your best choice. Non-organic produce is sometimes exposed to various forms of detrimental processes. For example, sulfur is used to keep dried fruit fresh, formaldehyde is added to disinfect frozen vegetables, and potatoes are coated with maleic hydrazide to inhibit their natural “sprouting” tendencies.

Sodium nitrate, a suspected cause of stomach cancer, is used as a preservative for bacon, sausage, ham, and bologna. Even some bagged lettuce is sprayed to extend it's shelf life. Do you like ice cream? You have carboxymethylcellulose, to thank for that super creamy, smooth texture. It has produced tumors in 80% of rats injected with this chemical “stabilizer”.

Not even bottled fruit juices can escape profit driven chemical interference. Brominated oils are added to bottled juice to maintain a look of freshness even after months of storage. Aluminum compounds, which are added to baking powder, aspirin, antacids, beer, and table salt, have been discovered in high concentrations in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients.

It's nearly impossible to eat completely "toxin free", so just do the best you can...

Unfortunately, it’s not realistic to expect to totally eliminate all toxins from the foods we eat...not unless you live apart from normal society and raise all your own food! But you can at least try to minimize them whenever possible.

About the only time we can consistently assure healthy choices is by the foods we prepare in our homes. Restaurant food is typically packed with artificial, processed ingredients. Make the meals you prepare at home the one place you know you are doing the right thing for your family.

How can you counteract the damaging effects of preservatives, additives and chemicals?

Many nutrients have the ability to counteract the damaging effects of toxic substances, so one of the best defenses for maintaining good health in our “toxin filled” society is by adding supplements to your daily routine. Fulvic has the power to attach itself to harmful toxins and flush them from the body. In addition, when you supply your body with proper co-factors, like the ones in Super Multi Liquid Vitamins, you will significantly increase the absorption of the nutrients in your food.

Right now your body’s resources are waging a daily battle against preservatives, additives, toxins, and chemicals. Help protect yourself against disease with products and lifestyle choices that support and enhance natural immune system function to its fullest capacity. With some thoughtful changes you can create lasting health, energy, and well-being for your family.
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Monday, June 15, 2009



My 2 year Nappiversary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I almost forgot!! I finally hit the two year mark. It has been 2 years since I bc'ed, but about 3 and 1/2 years since my last perm!! How cool is THAT??













Natural Kids and Babies ...






























I can't wait to have a little girl so I can play with her hair!! I often wonder what my hair would look like NOW if I had never had a perm. I'm sure the length would be CRAZY!!!!!! One thing is for sure, kids today definitely have more options for their hair than I did growing up. Not only that, natural hair is very "fashionable" for black children now. LOL. I hope this trend lasts! There are so many natural products to care for their hair, so hopefully more kids will realize they can STAY natural.