Coily World!!

Monday, June 15, 2009

My Hair Today....

I put my hair in a puff yesterday using IC gel and Cantu Leave-in. What I love most about my puffs is that I do NOTHING to revive them! I spritz a little water and it's good for day 2!!!! I will rock this all week long, more than likely! (Unless I have a hair appointment. I have given up on Brownstone!! LOL) Might add a headband or scarf, but this is it for the week!

15 Beautiful Uses for Olive Oil

(from http://www.thebeautybunny.com/)

Olive oil is one of the most popular ingredients in cooking, but if you’ve never used it for beauty, you’re in for a treat. Why? Olive oil is rich in squalane, a natural emollient that penetrates skin without leaving a greasy film behind. Beyond that, it’s packed with Vitamins A & E and a number of polyphenols that already make it a popular inclusion in beauty products. Check out the below list for 15 inventive ways to get gorgeous Italian-style:

1. A little EVOO makes a fabulous substitute for foot cream. Just rub some on your feet before you go to bed, put on some socks and wake up with super soft feet!

2. Bad sunburn? Mix olive oil with white vinegar and apply before a warm bath to soothe and heal the burn.

3. Banish frizzy hair by putting a couple olive oil in dry hair.

4. Smooth generously onto hands before bed, put on white cotton gloves, and wake up with soft, youthful hands.

5. Dandruff issues? Mix olive oil with almond oil and leave on scalp for five minutes. (If it starts to burn, rinse it out.) Rinse well to clear hair of dandruff.

6. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to your bath to calm red, irritated skin.

7. Soothe chapped lips by smoothing on some olive oil.

8. Olive oil makes a great anti-aging moisturizer, since it contains polyphenol hydroxytyrosol, an antioxidant that helps to hold cell walls intact and thus reduce the signs of aging.

9. Apply a little olive oil to a Q-tip and use it as a makeup remover.

10. Soak thin, brittle nails and ragged cuticles in a small cup of olive oil to soften, smooth and strengthen them.

11. Massage olive oil into your hair, then leave hair covered with a shower cap for 30 minutes. Shampoo and discover softer, more lustrous hair with fewer split ends. It makes a great pre-poo.

12. Sensitive skin? Go easy on your legs by using olive oil as a shaving cream.

13. Slather on olive oil before braving the sun – it’s rich in Vitamins A and E, keeping skin from drying out in the heat while protecting you from UV rays.

14. Rub on elbows and knees for intense moisturizing.

15. For stained nails and fingers, simply add a few drops of lemon juice to olive oil and soak your fingers in it.

My College Classmate, Monica Bowie, is STILL Missing.....

Monica has been missing since July 5, 2006. There have been no published leads in some time now. Chances are, you haven't even heard of this case. Nancy Grace had her family on her show ONE TIME. In contrast, families of Natalee Hollaway, Caylee Anthony, and other missing people have been on her show night NIGHTLY for months at a time. A lot of the articles I've read about Monica have included some very negative information about her lifestyle, none of which I will mention. I don't think any of that determines a person's "worthiness" to be found.

I think about Monica all the time. I just visited my alma mater yesterday, and I felt bad that Monica wasn't able to do the same thing. Someone, SOMEWHERE knows something! I can't even imagine what her family is going through.

Anyone with information about Monica can call DeKalb County Police at (770) 724-7850.

Missing Woman's Family Still Hopes

Their hands clasped in prayer, family and friends of a missing DeKalb County woman sought strength from a higher power before hitting the streets for a second time this week, hoping to find out what happened to Monica Bowie. Police believe someone kidnapped 34-year-old Bowie from the Berkshires at the Lenox Park Apartment complex July 5. Neighbors heard a scream then saw a car drive away. That car was later found in southwest Atlanta.

Wearing shirts displaying her image, loved ones fanned out across Buckhead Friday, passing out flyers and going door-to-door talking to neighbors. DeKalb County Police showed for support but currently have no leads in the case. Linda Howard refers back to a higher power when it comes to the answer to her daughter's whereabouts.
"When he decides, it will end," Howard said. "She still is missing. She will be found."

On Thursday, this same group of friends and family went door to door in that neighborhood, hoping someone saw something. Saturday, they returned to Bowie's neighborhood. The group stopped cars, covered windshields and hit high rises with flyers. Linda Howard wants her 34-year-old daughter's face everywhere.

"She's somebody's daughter," Gerald Griggs, Bowie's attorney. "Let this end!"
A reward fund has been established in her hometown of Pittsburgh and in Atlanta. Donations can be made at any Bank of America.

***************************************************************************

The tips below were posted on an article from March 31, 2008 on http://www.blackandmissing.blogspot.com/

Here's how we can all take action and do our best to keep Monica's name alive and let Monica know that we are still searching for her. If you would like to help, there are several things you can do:

1. Distribute her flyer. You can print them out or place it on your blog, website or Myspace/Facebook pages. You can find the flyer at the DeKalb County Police Department's website here.

2. Use Monica's picture as your avatar on message boards or social networks until she is found. I have uploaded one on Flickr for public use here.

3. Contact the media and demand that they cover or do an update on Monica's case. NOW.org has a list of media contacts for all states. To find the contacts for Georgia's news stations, papers, tv and radio stations click here. You can also find a list of national news stations by going to the page entitled "Media Contact List" on the right sidebar of http://www.blackandmissing.blogspot.com/.

4. Donate to the Monica Renee Bowie Reward Fund at any National City Bank under Linda Howard, Trustee to help cover for any costs that might help Monica's case. There is also a fund in Bank of America in Atlanta.

5. Or you simply copy and paste this post on your blog or send it to your email contacts to help spread the word. Any help that you can give is great. I'm sure Monica's family will really appreciate us being involved in her case. If you want to read more about Monica's case, I compiled a list of articles below:

Monica Bowie kidnapping falls through cracks

Arrest Made In Connection With Pittsburgh Native's Kidnapping

Missing coverage for missing peopleMonica Bowie kidnapping suspect charged

Man Charged in July Kidnapping

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Big Chop Videos...

Good morning! As always, I'm up at the crack of dawn.... before the birds!!! I'll regret this tomorrow, I'm sure! There's something about a bright, sunny day that propels me out of bed! LOL

Anyway, in honor of Spring, and all things NEW.... some BC videos to help those that are on the fence!!! Let those scraggly, relaxed ends GO and experience TRUE FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!

As for my OWN hair, it's looking a mess. I'll probably wash it and put it in a slicked-back curly puff. I like a nice, DRY puff too... but today, I think I'll slick it back with my IC gel. I use a bra strap for my puffs, and then a ponytail holder over that.

Have a great day, Coily Girls!!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Coily Girl of the Week: Model and Actress Shakara Ledard!!!!!!!!!!!!

Born to a Bahamian mother and a French father, who own several upscale clothing boutiques.
Measurements: 34-24-34
She has brown hair and brown eyes.
She moved from the Bahamas to the United States at age 14.
She grew up in Nassau, Bahamas.

An Evangelistic Start...

When Shakara was nine, she met supermodel Linda Evangelista and tagged along with her on a Vogue shoot. After being encouraged by Linda that she too could be a model, the deal was sealed. At age fourteen, Shakara left her island paradise and set out for America to continue her formal education. Her first modeling opportunity came soon after when she posed for a JC Penney catalogue shoot. One year later, she signed with a Miami Beach Modeling Agency.

While modeling part-time, Shakara attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and graduated with Honors and an Associate of Arts Degree in Fashion Design. Armed with her degree, Shakara moved to Chicago where she had several modeling contracts with catalogues, magazines and billboard ads all over the country.

A tomboy at heart, Shakara feels that as a model she is portrayed completely different than whom she really is. "I can get by in a fuchsia skirt and green blouse," says Shakara, "but I do wear my signature flower in my hair to remind me of home."

Swimsuit Girl With A Secret...

Life as a model can be stressful but the playful Shakara is at total ease with herself and dances when she wants to relax after a hard day. As a matter of fact, dancing is her favorite activity and when she is not on the job, she can often be found at the park, dancing to the beat of African drums.

Since moving to New York, where she now resides, Shakara has booked two national designer campaigns, worked with major magazines, as well as appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue two years running. She also posed as a Victoria's Secret model for the Spring 2000 campaign. Even with her success, Shakara still finds it an occasional struggle to overcome stereotypes and racism in the fashion industry.

Motivated to be a voice for black women in the business and driven to abolish what she perceives as an attempt to take away black feminine ethnicity, Shakara wants people to recognize the beauty inside a person.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Two pics that would make ANYONE want to go natural!
I am in AWE!!!!!!!!!!!

My Hair Today....

Good Morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope everyone is having a good day. As for me, June 23rd can't get here soon enough. The boys in my class have been fighting each other and/ or creating some kind of trouble everyday!! The worst part is, I can't get any support from the parents, because they ALL believe it's NOT THEIR CHILD that's the problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you know what a headache this is? I am the kind of teacher that always keeps an open line of communication with parents, have even gone so far as to give my cell phone number to some of them.... only for them to believe I have a VENDETTA against THEIR CHILD!!!!!!!!!!!! This is madness.

All of the incidents that have occured have been outside on the playground, and I am basically working with limited info because I am NOT OUT THERE WITH THEM!! I'm at lunch!!!!!! There are Aides that are outside with them at lunch. When I try to find out, I always end up with some kind of jumbled up story. Needless to say, I'm starting my day off with a migraine.

Anyway, today, I am rocking a black snake-skin looking headband with a black dress. I felt pretty good when I left the house. My curls have shrunken COMPLETELY with the humidity!! LOL

Hope you all are having a good day.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Holly Robinson Peete

Monique Coleman of "High School Musical"

Sherri Shepherd of "The View"

Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon and son. Do you see a resemblance?

Monday, June 8, 2009

Lifted off of Mediatakeout.com..... (LOL)

They are reporting that Usher has something goin' on with his "Product Manager"...; but nevermind that! She's a Coily Girl... so I HAD TO post her pic. They appear to be on a date to ME, but hey... what do I know? I'm just a BLOGGER! LOL

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Good Morning!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm up early, as usual!!!!!!!!! Trying to plan out my day! I love to go to the park and walk on the bike path on days like this. I think the path is like 4 miles. As long as I have my Ipod, and a good pair of sneakers, I can walk most of it. This path is right next to the river, so it is GORGEOUS in the morning!

What's on YOUR agenda? My hair is looking a WRECK!!!!!!! I tried to keep the twistout going one day too long, and the result was UTTER CHAOS! LOL. My hair was a huge, dry MESS yesterday. I HAVE to wash it today. At this point, I don't know what else would save it. LOL

So, I started my day off with one of my favorite cereals, Banana Nut Crunch. To my dismay, this cereal has 240 calories BEFORE THE MILK!!!! Here I was, thinking I was eating a low calorie cereal, but come to find out, once I add milk, I've consumed almost 400 calories!! I know Special K Vanilla Almond has only 110 calories, and I assumed the B.N.C. was low-calorie also. Surprise, surprise!! LOL This makes me want to research to see what cereal is actually lowest in calories and healthiest. I have read, though that cereals containing whole grains like wheat, barley, oatmeal, spelt and rice are unhealthy because they are acid-forming. It's so hard to eat healthy, when you find out the foods you've been eating all your life are BAD FOR YOU!!!!

Well, time to get out and enjoy this sunshine. Enjoy your day! :)

Love this flower pic!!! This is "Butterflyz". You can check out her Fotki page here. http://members.fotki.com/joline/about/

FLOWER POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last weekend, we had a going-away party for my cousin who is moving to California. I rocked a flower in my hair for the first time since going natural. I hope to post some pics. I don't reallyhave any from my OWN camera, because I mostly took pics of other people.Hopefully, someone else at the party has one. Anyway, I love flowers. I actually got mine at Target for like $7.00, but I think I'll be going to Michael's to buy some flowers to make my own clips.

Happy Sunday!

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Good Morning Coily Girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Saturday! The sun is shining at last! I'm a summer baby,so I NEED SUN! My moods are directly affected by weather!

Well, I had a computer mishap this week, which is why you haven't heard much from me. Ended up having to do a system restore, and lost all kinds of pics and music. I wasn't happy, but apparently, it was necessary.

What's on your agenda this weekend? I've decided to teach summer school, so I will be attending an Orientation this weekend. After that, it's SUN, SUN, SUN!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

I dry twisted my hair again last night. If it's looking too crazy, I just might try my fro-hawk today!! It's been so humid here, with the rain. My hair was HUMONGOUS yesterday. TOO big to wear out, so I wore a headband, and even THAT couldn't control the big-ness. LOL I wish I had pics, it was kind of funny, really!

Well, be safe this weekend. If you're in the Northeast, enjoy the gorgeous weather!!!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

My Hair Today.....

DIANA ROSS HAIR!!!!!

OMG! I love my hair today. I'm telling you.... this dry twistout is THE TRUTH!!! LOL Wow.. my hair is sooo much fuller. Who knew hair could look better 5 days after a fresh, wet twistout?? I love big hair... so I am really happy today!

I feel like a fool for doing my wet twistouts so frequently when all I had to do to revive it was dry twist it at night. Well, you live and learn, I guess. Hopefully, this will help some of you. :)

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

My Hair Today...

Good morning Coily Girls!!

Okay, so I found another natural hair place not too far away from where I live. This place is called "Nnobis Natural Nack." From what I could tell on the outside, it doesn't look as nice as Brownstone. It's kind of "in the hood", and it doesn't have that modern look and inviting colors that Brownstone has. Maybe I'm weird, but I like for a salon to be kind of "fly" appearance-wise. Brownstone is the only place I know of in Philly that looks like that. (We don't have a lot of natural hair places !) Philly is truly a "perm city." In contrast, Baltimore is FULL OF NATURAL SISTAS!! OMG... I loved seeing all the variety of styles and the availability of natural hair products there!!!

I still get strange looks when I'm walking around Philly. Sometimes I get an occasional compliment. I still don't see what is so "crazy" or "profound" about my hair that they feel the need to stare that way. I must admit, before I went natural, I used to stare at girls with natural hair too, but it was because I liked their look, and wanted to be natural myself. I have NO IDEA what THEIR looks mean!! LOL

Monday, June 1, 2009

My Hair Today....

Would you believe this is a THREE DAY OLD TWISTOUT??? I read on someone's Fotki that dry twisting your hair every night and adding shea butter to the ends will revive your twistouts and make them last longer. Well, I tried it... and I ended up with better hair than the FIRST DAY! My hair is so full today, and I actually love the way it turned out!!

I don't have a whole lot of days that I LOVE my hair, since I still consider myself to be in the learning stages with natural hair. I'm getting better at it... but I still haven't achieved my hair goal! (Lengthwise- my short-term goal would be bra strap length straightened. Long-tern, I want my hair to be WAIST-LENGTH straightened!)

I am FINALLY getting complimented on my hair, though, from all the "nay-sayers" who thought I was crazy when I chopped my long, straight, hair into an afro... and from people on the street as well! When I first cut my hair, I HATED IT, and considered it my "ugly phase!" Everyday, I am loving my hair more and more... and I will never regret my decision to go natural.

By the way, I called Brownstone, (a natural hair salon here in Philly) on Friday, DURING BUSINESS HOURS, and got their answering machine. I was trying to make an appointment for this past Saturday, but I STILL HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THEM!!!! I'm beginning to think this is a bad omen. I mean, what salon would take 3 days to return a call?? Not a very good look.

P.S- I haven't tried my fro-hawk yet! I think I'll wait and see how long I can stretch out this twistout and try it then.

Have a great day!

6/13/09 Called Brownstone again 2 days ago, and NO ANSWER! Do you think they just don't want new customers? LOL

Thursday, May 28, 2009

"Misskrisnew's Fro-hawk Video"

Could you rock a "Fro-Hawk?"

I think it's such a cute style!! I think I'm gonna try it this weekend, but I think my front might be too long! Most of the people I see wearing it have short, layered hair on top, and my hair is basically all one length, and NO layers. Still, I think I'll experiment this weekend before I wash my hair, just for a change! I think I'd like that look for the summer!

6/13/09 OK, so yesterday I attemped a "one-sided" Fro-Hawk! It was okay, I guess. I will post the pic later. I guess it was "rock-able." LOL

My Hair Today...

A wash and go from yesterday with a polka dot scarf. I looooove scarves, and I wear them on my head, neck, shoulders and hips. I love to get creative with them. I actually have this same scarf in three different colors. (I do that a lot!)

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

What an absolutely DREARY day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was raining and windy...perfect for staying in bed.If it's like this tomorrow, I just might!!!!

Friday, May 22, 2009

Lisa Bonet

Isn't this gorgeous?????

I am soooo feeling Lisa Bonet's hair in this pic!!! I think when I do get my hair cut, I'm gonna cut the front shorter so the curls can frame my face more like this. Right now my hair is all one length, even though you can't really tell when it's curly!

I found this poem while I was surfing the net......

Coil vs. Comb
by Sharon Harvey Rosenberg

Tight curls
wound like small coils
in a retractable pen
have no patience
for hard plastic combs
with jagged seams
and sharp teeth
biting
through the dense spirals
spinning
around my head.

Snapped, my naps snap back.

Tugged,
the tight texture tenses
against those little teeth.

And with vengeance,
my hair
breaks combs
into plastic
pieces.

And the coils spring back.
Like the spring in my pen
held in knowing fingers,
twisting strands of lines.

Forming follicle phrases from:
Curls coiled in S's, O's and Z's

Spelling my hair free
in long hand.

Black Skin Is Beautiful, But Beware Its Darker Side

By Tamar Nordenberg

Forget the old-school stereotypes, like black skin's always oily. There's little about African-American skin that is safely assumed, except that it can be supersensitive — its pigmentation, called melanin, may rebel against the wrong products by developing a discoloration that can stick around for months or years.

Take these skin-safe tips to heart. The nation's top dermatologists advise following these rules to preserve your dark skin's smooth, rich tone:
Stick With a Simple and Safe Skin Care Routine.Cleanse your face daily — as little as once a day if it's dry, up to three times if your goal is to remove excess oil. Gentle treatment is key for any skin type — avoid abrasive cleansers or irritating cleansing puffs or loofahs. And use moisturizer only if your face feels dry without it.

Pick the Best Products for Your Skin Type.Experts' favorites are nothing fancy — drugstore brands will usually do — but use products designed for your skin type. Favor products for sensitive skin, especially if your skin is dry — products with harsh ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid can wreak havoc on certain skin types. Want to try something new on for size? Go ahead, but use it sparingly at first.
Protect Yourself From Skin Cancer.Darker skin does provide some protection from the sun's UV rays, but don't count on it alone. Skin cancer is less common, but can be more deadly, in those with darker skin. Begin each day by applying a sunscreen or moisturizer with an SPF 15 to 30. And reapply sun protection often while you're in direct sunlight.

Mind Your Skin When You're Taking Certain Medications.Many drugs increase sun sensitivity, making it especially important to apply sunscreen or avoid the sun altogether. Among these medications are birth control pills, antibiotics, acne medicines and cancer drugs. But there are many others, too. Ask your doctor if your medicine makes the list.

Get Help in a Hurry When Your Skin's in Distress.Whether your problem is acne or another condition, it's much easier to prevent problems from lingering if you address them promptly. A trip to the dermatologist might save your skin — and even save you money by preventing you from purchasing a panoply of products to wage the battle against the condition.

Avoid the Common Makeup Mistakes.Match your makeup with your skin tone for a natural look. "Makeup made especially for women of color has come a long way," says dermatologist Wendy Roberts, M.D., who adds there's nothing wrong with relatively cheap drugstore brands. Have dry skin? Oil-based makeup is best. And for acne-prone, oily skin, water-based is the way to go.

Seek Out a Specialist for Prescription Therapies or Cosmetic Surgery.When you want more advanced skin care than you can apply yourself at home, there are professional treatments that might help, both low- and high-tech. Whether you're thinking about a prescription acne drug, facial peel, microdermabrasion, laser treatment or other approach, ask around for an expert in treating dark skin. In inexperienced hands, these more complex skin therapies can end up ruining your look rather than rejuvenating it.

Single, BROKE Female...

Good Morning!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I had to put the trim and color on hold. For one thing, I am completely, FLAT BROKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate when that happens on a holiday weekend, because that just gives me an extra day to be at home MISERABLE and realizing how BROKE I am!!! At least work would give me a distraction! To makes things worse, I heard the weather's going to be BEAUTIFUL this weekend! LOL

Needless to say, I don't have big plans for the weekend. My original plan was to hit the beach and boardwalk and just enjoy the sun. I may STILL do that, but we'll see. The truth is, I have been in a hole, financially speaking, since Christmas. I always tend to over-spend during the holidays when it comes to gifts for friends and loved ones. The result is, I end up paying, at least until the summertime, when I can recoup that money by teaching summer school. This Christmas will be different!!! I will no longer do this to myself!! LOL

On a positive note, my diet is going well. I am at 123 lbs now. The only place I really notice the weight coming off is my waist, and that's not really where I needed it!!! All of my clothes are really loose in the waist now, but I still don't see my ABS! LOL This means I need to kick the cardio up a notch!!!! I think I'll buy "Hip Hop Abs" next week.

Well, lunch is over. Gotta get the kiddies from the schoolyard. Here we go.... 33 rounds of "He hit me!", "She kicked me!" LOL

Have a good day!!!!!!!! LOL

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

America's Next Top Model is... Teyona Anderson!!!!!

I have to admit, she was my favorite from the beginning!!! She has a nice, easy-going personality, and of course, she's very beautiful. I thought Allison had a unique look, but I was a fan of Teyona's from the first episode!!

My favorite Top Models of all-time are: YaYa, Ebony, and Nik-- three naturally gorgeous women I will feature soon for "Coily Girl of the Week."

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Hi everyone!!!

My allergies are HORRIBLE right now!! Sorry I don't have a lot to say today, but it's a little hard when you're all drugged up!! I'm just waiting for this Claritin to kick in. (Actually, it's the CVS version of Claritin which seems to work better for me AND costs less!!) GO figure.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Time for a trim!

I have not had a trim since May 2008, and it is TIME! I read on "Tightly Curly's" blog how she doesn't trim her hair, or waits a looong time to do it. I wanted to see if I could go a year. I'm trying to get my length back, so I thought this might help. My ends are starting to knot, so now I know I can't go any longer! LOL

Anyway, I am going to try a different salon this time. It's a natural hair spot called "Brownstone". I had been going to the same stylist who did my hair when it was relaxed. Now I think it's time to go to someone who knows about natural hair. I plan to get a color and a nice trim, possibly a layered cut. I want BODY! I will post my pics!

Amy Holmes- Republican Strategist

She's another one of my faves. (Hairwise, anyway! LOL) I have to admit, I enjoyed watching her during the election coverage too. Although I disagree with MOST of what she says, she's quite likeable!!

Tiffany "New York " Pollard.....

Did you know she was natural? You learn something new everyday! I am pleasantly surprised! She is soo much cuter without the weave!

Donna Richards0n-Joyner, fitness guru, appears to be natural (or at least TRANSITIONING in this picture!!)

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Coily Girl of the Week: Joy Denalane

Talk about GREAT hair!!! This girl has always been one of my hair idols.

I also love her music! I feature her songs often in my podcast, "Fusion 101 with Robyn Romele." You can download my podcast here: www.fusion101.podomatic.com

Got (almond, rice or soy) milk??

By: Martina Navratilova Source: AARP.org

Many people don’t get along well with cow’s milk because they’re lactose-intolerant, meaning they lack an enzyme needed to digest lactose, the sugar in milk. Then there are those limiting their dairy intake to cut back on saturated fat and cholesterol, or on animal products in general. The challenge here is that many of our favorite dishes are prepared with dairy products, and they're so delicious, they're hard to give up. Fortunately, there are many great-tasting, plant-based alternatives on the market that serve as fine substitutes and are loaded with minerals such as zinc, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and iron. Here’s a rundown:

Almond milk is my favorite, and I make my own. Soak 1 ½ cups of raw almonds in four cups of water overnight. Blend this mixture in a blender and strain it to remove the almond granules. The result is a delicious, creamy, nutritious milk that can be used over cereals and in smoothies. I love to mix a cup of my almond milk with a cup of raspberries and a little honey for a delicious smoothie. You can store this almond milk for three to four days in the refrigerator. Almond milk doesn’t have as much protein as cow’s milk, but it compensates by being loaded with other nutrients, such as vitamin E, an antioxidant compound that may play a role in prevention of many diseases.

Rice milk is yummy and tastes great on cereals. It’s not very high in protein, but happily, its fat content, at four grams of fat per cup, is less than that of whole milk, yet slightly higher than 2 percent milk.

Soy milk is another great option, and it comes in many flavors, from plain to vanilla to chocolate. It generally has a thicker, richer texture than cows' milk. Like the soybeans it comes from, soy milk contains lots of plant protein and isoflavones, which have been shown to modestly decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. It averages about four grams of fat per cup. Other great dairy substitutes made from soy include cheeses, yogurts, tofu, and ice creams.

All three of the plant-based milks can be enjoyed straight from the container, in drinks like smoothies, or in cooking or baking. When choosing a non-dairy milk, look for enriched products. Unfortified versions are low in several key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, both of which are key players in good health. Make sure to check and compare nutrition facts on the labels to be certain you’re getting the most for your bucks. Also, be sure to obtain bone-saving calcium through calcium-rich veggies, such as broccoli.

Now for those of you who love cow's milk, my advice is to choose low-fat organic milk and other low-fat, organic dairy foods. They’re produced differently from conventional dairy products—no antibiotics or growth hormones, and organic feed for the cows—but that doesn’t alter the nutrient content, taste, or cooking capability one bit. Buying organic foods is not necessarily expensive either, though shopping around pays off. Places like specialty stores, co-ops, gourmet delis, farmers’ markets, and community-supported agriculture programs, sell organic foods that are economically priced. With the growing demand for organic foods, the prices have come way down.

Does drinking ice water burn calories?

For anyone trying to lose weight, this question is an exciting one! If you simply want to know if your body burns calories warming up the water, the answer is yes. But if you want to know if drinking a lot of ice water can help you lose weight, or keep weight off, this "yes" needs to be qualified with some calculations.

Ice water won't replace a healthy diet, but it will burn a few extra Calories.First of all, calories are case-sensitive. There are calories and then there are Calories. Calories with a big "c" are the ones used to describe the amount of energy contained in foods. A calorie with a little "c" is defined as the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius.

What most people think of as a Calorie is actually a kilo-calorie: It takes one Calorie to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius. So when you drink a 140-Calorie can of cola, you are ingesting 140,000 calories. There is no cause for alarm, because the conversion applies across the board. When you burn 100 Calories jogging a mile, you are burning 100,000 calories.

So, considering that the definition of a calorie is based on raising the temperature of water, it is safe to say that your body burns calories when it has to raise the temperature of ice water to your body temperature. And unless your urine is coming out ice cold, your body must be raising the temperature of the water. So calories are being burned.Let's figure out exactly what you're burning when you drink a 16-ounce (0.5 liter) glass of ice water:
The temperature of ice water can be estimated at zero degrees Celsius.
Body temperature can be estimated at 37 degrees Celsius.
It takes 1 calorie to raise 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius.
There are 473.18 grams in 16 fluid ounces of water. So in the case of a 16-ounce glass of ice water, your body must raise the temperature of 473.18 grams of water from zero to 37 degrees C. In doing so, your body burns 17,508 calories. But that's calories with a little "c." Your body only burns 17.5 Calories, and in the grand scheme of a 2,000-Calorie diet, that 17.5 isn't very significant.

Learn More:

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But let's say you adhere to the "eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day" nutritional recommendation. In 64 ounces of water, there are 1,892.72 grams. So to warm up all that water in the course of a day, your body burns 70,030 calories, or 70 Calories. And over time, that 70 Calories a day adds up. So, while you definitely shouldn't depend on ice water consumption to replace exercise or a healthy diet, drinking cold water instead of warm water does, in fact, burn some extra Calories!

Friday, May 15, 2009

CURLY GIRLIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is me and one of my students. She has gorgeous curly hair!! Her mother is also a friend of mine.