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Everything about this video is a blessing Daniel Caesar, H.E.R, the backup singers, the drummer, pianist, and guitarist… *EVERYONE*

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Black Poetry 

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Some knowledge ✊🏾

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My 21 Day Juice Cleanse Experience & Weight Loss Journey So Far

In January I stepped on the scale and was overwhelmed by the numbers that stared back at me. What I saw was a reflection of all of the stress, bad eating and lack of consistency in the gym that I let myself drown in. Even knowing those things, I stood there and wondered how I'd let myself get to that place. 45 pounds later, I've realized that it was because I stopped putting myself first. Not prioritizing my health resulted in years of me doing the minimum and crying wolf when I didn't see the results I wanted.

Well as they say I was "tired of being sick and tired" after seeing the highest numbers I'd ever seen on the scale and It was the reality check I needed to finally put myself first again. So, how did that result in a 21-day juice cleanse? I wanted something different and drastic to jump-start the new lifestyle I knew I needed. I came across the documentary "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead," and was hooked after seeing the key benefits juicing provides. First and foremost it's a great way to detox your body from all of the many toxins we stuff it with and simultaneously feed nutrients to help reboot it in the best way. To simplify this I thought I'd breakdown my experience in three categories; the good, the bad, some tips and what I did after the cleanse to keep the weight off. So here we go:

The Good

Improved Digestion- This was the benefit that really got me on board to do a juice cleanse because I've struggled with good digestion for awhile. Because your body isn't working as hard to break down so much food, it is able to reset during a juice cleanse. I've seen great improvements in this area since the cleanse. 

Energy Boost: Because your body isn't working so hard to digest whole foods, it disperses that energy elsewhere. I got the BEST sleep I've ever gotten in my life. I didn't need a full eight hours of sleep to feel refreshed and well rested. I'll admit that I'm usually dragging myself out of bed but during that cleanse I was up at least an hour before my alarm and didn't feel tortured by it at all. 

Glowing Skin: While one of the detox symptoms I experience was small bumps on the side of my face, once the symptoms passed my skin glowed like never before. It also may have been due to getting great sleep for once but I definitely experienced skin that looked alive and dewy. 

Weight Loss: I put this last because it honestly was just a benefit on top of everything else I experienced. Even though I started the cleanse to drop weight, the stuff I learned about my body made the weight loss itself seem small. By the end of the cleanse I dropped around 15 pounds.

The Bad

The good definitely outweighed the bad for me and everyone's detox symptoms are different. But I want to be transparent and share some of the negative side effects I experienced during the cleanse. My symptoms during the first week of the cleanse ranged from intense cravings, minor acne, mucous, coated tongue. All are signs of toxins leaving your body. Check out this video for a breakdown of different detox symptoms. 

Tips

- Don't think you have to do 21 days to see the great benefits of a cleanse. I'm still trying to figure out how I made it to 21 days but what I do know is that I was eager to challenge myself. I'm not opposed to doing another cleanse but It definitely wouldn't be that long again. I'd personally recommended doing at least a week because that's when I started to experience some of the benefits. 

-The week before you do a cleanse, prep your body by adding more veggies and minimizing how much meat you eat. 

-I drank around Drink 96/126 ounces a day and was never hungry. I tried to drink as much water but most days I drank around 96 ounces of water as well to help flush everything out. 

-Go vegan or vegetarian for at least a week after the cleanse. This will help your body readjust to whole foods again, instead of shocking it with a burger which can hurt all of the progress you've made. 

-Social life? Not that I've really had one myself (lol) but when I did go out during my cleanse, I just drank a juice right before and drank water all night. It was a struggle in environments where I was clearly the soberest person there but in the end, it was worth it. Just hold your glass of water and try your best to pretend it's your favorite drink. (more than likely you'll remember it's just water)

After The Cleanse

It has been six months since I ended my juice cleanse and I've not only managed to keep off the weight but I've lost another 30 pounds. Like I said before, the cleanse was simply something I did to jump start a new lifestyle I knew I needed. I don't want to leave the impression that it should solely be a way for you to lose weight. If you don't have the right mindset you can easily fall back into past traps. I knew once the cleanse was over I needed to focus on consistently going to the gym and eating as clean as possible. 

Working Out

Have I been perfect? No, I've missed maybe two or three weeks in the gym during the last six months (because life happens) and a box of Popeyes has made its way onto my lap a few times (because It's the best chicken). But because my mindset is different, I no longer let moments like those stop me from pushing. What I've tried this time around in the gym is going to a variety of group classes which I highly recommend for gym newbies. I now take cycling, tabata, pure strength and insanity at XSport. I also give myself mini challenges, like in July I aimed for 31 days of movement, where I'd do at least thirty minutes of some form of exercise a day. Though I only made it to 28, that was a win for a girl who has struggled with consistency in the past. 

Eating Clean

Because I'm very mindful of my digestion issues, I'm implementing less meat and more veggies on a more consistent basis now. I've also become a meal prepper which I believe is key to me sticking to a healthy eating routine. With that said I don't have a fridge full of bowls, I just plan out what I'll eat for each meal during the work week and cook as I go. With that said, I still make it a point to have cheat days beecause I'm a #foodieforlife.

Self Care

This will forever be a work in progress but stress was one of the main factors that played a part in me eating a big beef from Portillos one too many times. How you feel mentally is a key player in you staying motivated to do pretty much anything in life. Working out has played a huge role in relieving my stress but now I try to stay more mindful of how I handle stress and things I can do to de-stress. Right now, reading, writing, working out and blogging, and even as an introvert socializing helps me destress. Finding things that make you happy and doing it will keep you on track with your goals in life. When you're consumed by the stresses of life it's easy to find yourself stuck in a non-progressive rut. 

Takeaways

If you made it this far in the post, hopefully, you've realized that there's no real magic trick to losing weight. It boils down to moving your body, watching what you eat and finding your groove with those two things. Hopefully, you've also realized that it starts with a mindset. Maybe you only try a 3 day cleanse, or just start to work out twice a week. Just do what's best for you, challenge yourself and be mindful of your mental health as much as your physical health. 

If you have any other questions about reaching your weight loss goals, I'd love to hear them in the comments! 

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Shrimp & Watermelon Summer Salad

It has been awhile, and when I say awhile I mean years since my last food post, so I'm super excited to be sharing one of my favorite eats again. Summer is almost over so I thought it would be great to share my favorite dish this season. I love it so much that I've been prepping it for lunch for the last two weeks. I'm all for a quick and savory meal and this salad is just that. light enough to not weigh you down and satisfying enough to give you the fuel needed to tackle your day. ok, I'm getting a bit dramatic (haha). 

I'm an experimenter (a good but mostly bad thing) in the kitchen, so I usually never measure and just season to taste. That is why I've had to learn the hard way that when something comes out good It needs to be documented. With this salad, I experimented by adding fruit, which I never really played around with too much. It was a pleasant surprise to taste how well the sweetness of both the watermelon and tomatoes complimented each other and because I'm a seafood lover, the shrimp was the icing this dish needed. 

Ingredients:

Shrimp: Seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, and lemon.

Quinoa

Watermelon

Tomatoes

Feta Cheese

Red Wine Vinegar dressing 

If you have any favorite dishes you've made this summer, I'd love to hear about them in the comments!

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😩😩😩😩😩😩

I’m dead

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Off The Shoulder Obsession

I try to avoid following trends because as well know they come and go. But there are some instances where what I believe are evergreen pieces make the top fashion trends list. Right now, off the shoulder anything falls into that category for me. I've shied away from this trend in the past because I wasn't comfortable showing the stretch marks on my arms and back. But the way my body positivity is set up these days! I'm no longer interested in covering my body out of fear of what others deem "imperfect."

I'm rebuilding my closet after dropping a significant amount of weight and I find myself reaching for every off the shoulder piece I see. Whether a simple top or dress, I feel effortlessly put together and a bit sexy when I wear them. 

Are you a fan of the off the shoulder trend?

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Looking on The Bright Side

I've been in my feeling on here for awhile now, so I kind of feel the need to lighten things up a bit before my blog becomes too much of a soap box about my life. On the other hand, at its core, this blog is a diary that chronicles my life's ups and downs and unfortunately, I've been in struggle mode. That's why having a space like this to flesh out my thoughts has been so important and therapeutic for me. I'll continue to mix in some light-hearted posts but today I'm back in my feelings. Sorry, not sorry. 

Now that I'm on the heels of my 28th year on this earth, I want to do everything I can to make it the best one yet. It's time to be intentional and for me, that means being more self-aware and moving with purpose. It means wiping off the fog around my life and seeing myself for who I really am. I remember saying that I wanted to write because I wanted to give a voice to the unheard. Lately, I've come to realize that I can't do that when I don't even know what my own voice sounds like. 

What am I going to do to find that voice?

Here's is why this post is titled looking on the bright side. Even though I'm not in the best place in my life, the fear of the unknown is turning into excitement. My life the last few years has been steered by where someone else placed me and now it's steered by ME. I've been in a bubble for far too long and now that it has popped, it's time to become a student of life again. 

Through reading, writing, sharing and really living I know I will see the growth I seek within. Out of those things, reading really sticks out to me. I use to love to read and now like most of us, I might read an instagram caption if I'm in the mood. I've been trying to take notes from the self-aware Queen, Myleik Teele, and she said something about reading that has stuck with me. To sum it up she correlates reading with self-confidence. Basically, you're not sure because you don't know enough or aren't an expert in something. I've had one too many conversations where I resulted to an emotional response or couldn't properly stand in my opinion simply because I didn't know. I'm done with feeling fragile, as if I'm a new student walking into class for the first time, late. By this time next year, I'll be standing in front of the class, with a moisturized twist out, my shoulders back and a voice of assurance. 

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This is 28

I thought about writing a long post dwelling on my end of twenties woes, but the reality is I’ve grown tired of the whole “oh no, I’m almost thirty” storyline. I’ve started to embrace the beauty that getting older brings. In my last bday post, I talked about wanting 27 to be about digging deeper into who I am and boy did I learn a thing or two. I was tested more than I’ve ever been emotionally and feel it could be helpful to share some of the good, bad and beautiful lessons I learned this past year. I hope something stands out and inspires you to welcome life’s changes with open arms.

-       Some may forget what you did, but more than like your words will linger. Say what you mean, and mean what you say.

-       No one is above hurting you, but remember you’re in control of how deep the wound goes.

-       There’s no “right way” to do love but never forget that it starts with you.

-       Boundaries are so necessary. But if you decide to break one or two, choose wisely.

-       There may be a chance to rekindle old friendships. Don��t be afraid to make the first move.

-       As much as you hate to hear it, time does heal. Next time, don’t rush it.

-       Family, as dysfunctional and trying as it can be, the love will fuel you like no other.

-        Financial freedom won't come from avoiding your bank app, or swiping your credit card as if it has no limit. Stop burying yourself in materialistic debt, it will eventually strangle you.

-       Watching my nephew grow, smile with curiousity, fearlessly climb stairs his tiny hands and feet can barely reach has filled my hard with a new kind of love. A love I hope to experience someday soon with my own. 

So, here’s to another year of growth! Though I feel the need to brace myself, I’m confident that whatever 28 brings, I can handle.

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Can You Stand the Rain video from The New Edition Story

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I can’t believe Diddy had niggas deadass doing this shit lmaoooooo

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I hope you all enjoyed your holiday! Santa was pretty good to me 😍!

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Photographer Emily Stein let the children take the lead and select their own poses. 

“I hope that people who look at the series would feel the positive energy of youth and the spirit of undiluted individuality,” she said.

See more here: A celebration of the natural hairstyles of black kids

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