Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Natural Hair Growth And Its Three Sources


My natural hair journey inadvertently started with a quest to repair my damaged,  relaxed hair.  I returned to hair care forums in January 2011 to refresh my knowledge on hair growth and retention methods. This era was quite different from my forum browsing days in 2005. Then, relaxed girls were “stretching their perms." Fast forward to 2012, "stretches" have evolved to “transitioning to natural." And, getting a relaxers has evolved to "tex-laxing."  

By observation from forums, hair growth and retention appeared to be more effective on natural hair women. This new wave of "transitioning" and "going natural" was a way to achieve longer, stronger hair. The obsession with hair growth reached epic proportions. I witnessed online groups acquire thousands of new members in weeks due to the newest fad of growth potions or topical agents.

Many women joined growth challenges with pregnancy vitamins, biotin pills, fish oil, miconazole nitrate, carrot juices, teas, and various hair stimulants such as castor oil or even cayenne pepper.  I even jumped on the bandwagon with my own peppermint and castor oil challenge.  By the third month of transitioning, I truly believed I saw growth progress from my peppermint/castor oil challenge.




After seven months of transitioning, I big chopped on August 7, 2011. As my natural hair grew out of the TWA stage, the knowledge I acquired became second nature, and all of my regimens were thrown out the window. I stopped participating in growth challenges.  The scalp massages stopped. But, my still hair grew and retained better than ever.  I couldn’t believe the back of my hair grew at the same rate as the front, with no potions or topical agents.  I found myself “scratching my head” many times, researching the source of this mystery growth.  I had no clear answer.  Did this mean that my growth from potions or topical agents from the past were an illusion? No!


I believe hair growth is a combination of three areas: topical agents, DHT blockers and  internal nutrition. There's also a fourth leg, which includes hair retention methods, but I will focus solely on the scalp!




TOPICAL STIMULANT:  A topical stimulant works to increase blood circulation to the scalp; it also encourages healthy scalp with anti-fungal or anti-bacterial agents.   
  • Castor Oil
  • Peppermint Oil
  • Mustard Oil or sulfur oils
  • Aloe Vera
  • Lemongrass
  • Chlorophyll  (juiced wheatgrass or powdered greens)
  • Lavender
  • Teas (Camellia Sinensis Teas and Rooibos)
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Brahmi- Amla
  • Scalp Massages


DHT BLOCKER:  A DHT blocker prevents the  dihydrotestosterone hormone (DHT) from killing off hair follicles that lead to baldness.  


  • Horsetail
  • Saw Palmetto
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Licorice
  • Safflower Oil
  • Sesame Oil
  • Stinging Nettle


INTERNAL NUTRITION:  Internal nutrition consists of food or supplements that encourages healthy hair and healthy hair growth.

  • Essential Fatty Acids / Omega 3’s (promotes collagen turnover and collagen foundation, which encourages keratin formation in skin and hair)
  • Vitamins A, C, E - (antioxidant protects cells from free radicals and promotes collagen which encourages healthy keratin formation).
  • Greens (green leafy vegetables adds oxygen to cells, encourages, healthy cell turnover of collagen, which is beneficial to keratin formation).
  • Trace Minerals such as Silicon, Sulfur and Copper (cucumbers, brazil nuts)
  • MSM (methlysulfonylmethane are the sulfur bonds in keratin).
  • B-Vitamins


Hair Loss Prevention

Hair Growth Topical Stimulants

Sources:
Eating for Beauty by David Wolfe
Cortisol Control and the Beauty Connection

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Incredible Artistry with Quilts!



Where have I been?

Besides switching careers, diets, learning new languages, and watching many documentaries, I took the time to view spectacular quilts at the International Quilt Festival!  This isn't a "granny pastime" but a display of incredible art, craftsmanship, history, storytelling and technology.

Enjoy my video and pictures below!









Sunday, September 2, 2012

Food & Nutrition: 50 Docs Challenge! Finished 20 of 50!

 



I placed myself on a 50 Documentaries/Films/DVD challenge during my transition to raw foods lifestyle.  I'd say this is an excellent general introduction into:  raw foods and plant-based diets, industrial agriculturepreventative health care and disease reversal (cancer, heart disease, diabetes), nutrition basics, the bio-tech industry, gmos, the conventional medical industry, homeopathy and alternative medicine; options in organic and urban farming, government subsidies, and raw food recipes and lifestyle changes.

One of my career goals is to get certified as a health & nutrition coach and minister.

The time I spent watching the first 20 documentaries equals 32.75 hours of work, which isn't too far from a full-time workweek of increased knowledge.  If I were to equate this with a three-hour college course, which totals 45 hours a semester with a minimum of 90 study hours, I will be in my first quarter.

I'm happy to reach my first benchmark goal.
20 List
  1. Super Charge Me (Jenna Norwood)
  2. Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes From Within
  3. Eating (Mike Anderson)
  4. The Future of Foods 
  5. Healing Cancer from Inside Out (Mike Anderson)
  6. Raw Kitchen Essentials - Dan "The Man" MacDonald
  7. Raw Food Made Easy by Jennifer Cornbleet
  8. The Beautiful Truth: The Worlds Simplest Cure For Cancer 
  9. The Raw Gourmet by Nomi Shannon (3 DVDs)
  10. God's Way To Ultimate Health - Seminar (George Malkmus)
  11. Forks Over Knives
  12. Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills
  13. Sweet Remedy: The World Reacts to an Adulterated Food Supply
  14. Breakthrough: A Documentary About A Raw Food Family
  15. Breaking The Food Seduction (Modern Manna presentation by Dr. Neal Bernard)
  16. King Corn
  17. Fat Sick and Nearly Dead
  18. Latest In Clinical Nutrition Vol. 8 by Dr. Michael Greger
  19. What's Not Cooking In Rhio's Kitchen 
  20. Fresh
These videos will inspire you to change your thinking about food, lifestyle choices, the environment, and personal nutrition.  I am happy to sit as a student and complete 40% of my 50 Documentary/DVD/Films challenge.  As a student, I've taken a lot of notes, and have a lot of reviewing to do.  Of course, this has expanded to "100 Docs," which will focus more on nutrition, but 50 is my goal!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Raw Vegan Transition: My First Three Months

Transition To Raw Vegan



What I Learned So Far

  • I worry less about proteins because I am getting the most nutrients, antioxidants, and enzymes I've ever received!
  • I can't overeat nuts for protein. Nuts are high in fat.
  • Rotate your greens; greens have protective qualities and can cause reactions.
  • Stop worrying about acquiring the next shiny "kitchen appliance." 

 Things I Have Yet To Do

  • Join a COOP or CSA for organic fruits and vegetables
  • Finish my container garden (I'm late!)
  • Buy "raw vegan" kitchen appliances  (knives, food processor, blender, juicers, dehydrator)
  • Start Juicing

New Things I've Tried

  • Green Smoothie (Arugula, Mango, Pineapple)
  • Medjool Dates
  • Papayas 
  • Nutmilks
  • Lots of Coconut Water
  • Soaked & Dried Nuts & Seeds (Almond, Pumpkin, Walnuts)

Docs I've Watched

  • Forks Over Knives
  • Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead
  • Reversing the Irreversible by Victoria Boutenko
  • Is Raw Food For You by Victoria Boutenko
  • The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Raw Food Lifestyle
  • Supercharge Me, 30 Days Raw

Books I've Read
  • Wheat Grass by Ann Wigmore
  • 80 10 10 by Douglas Graham
  • 12 Steps To Raw Food Victoria Boutenko
  • Ari's Raw Foods Essentials

More Books To Read
  • The China Study - T. Coleman Graham
  • Eat To Live by Joel Furman
  • Thrive - The Vegan Nutrition Guide To Optimum Performance In Sports

Raw Food People I Like

Green People I Love

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Twist Out Challenge Results



I've hated the twist out since my first failure in September 2011.  I never understood the natural hair hype around this style.  It was a timely style and looked beautiful on everyone else, except me.

After sporadic attempts, I participated in a May 2012 twist out challenge.

I think I found a new love!

Viva to the twist out!




Saturday, April 21, 2012

All Black Women Will Have Natural Hair In A Decade (Revise)



In July 2011, I gave six reason why I believed All Black Women Will Have Natural Hair In A Decade.  If I were to compare my feelings in 2012 to last year, nothing has changed.  It appears everything is coming into fruition, but not in the way of mass change, but gradual change in psychological, environmental, workforce, hair care and style possibilities.    I prefer gradual change because it has nothing to do with fads or trends, but growth and acceptance.    


Watch both videos below, and send your opinions!


2012

2011 
The video that started it all

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Self Esteem Bootcamp: Love Your Nose!

Self-Image & Confidence 

 My nose is an expression and symbolism of the women I admire.  My mother and my grandmother mean a lot to me, and changing my features would be erasing their images in me.  I believe makeup artists should enhance features instead of changing them.