The pineapple is a great method for keeping your curly hair looking amazing while you sleep. The NaturallyCurly community created it in order to stretch out the amount of time between wash days. By tying your hair up on top of your head, you keep it out of the way and reduce breakage, tangling, and disrupting your curl definition. For highly textured girls, this is a great way to stretch your coils too, depending on the length of your hair.
There are a lot of variations on the pineapple depending on your length of hair. But the basics are below.
Gather your hair into a high ponytail so that it sits on the top of your head. The key is to keep the hair from the back and sides of your head while sleeping. You can also create multiple ponies if your hair is either too thick or too short to gather in one ponytail. Be sure to use a satin scrunchie so that there is no crease in the morning.
Step 2 - the Satin Scarf
Use a satin scarf to wrap around your pineappled hair. Tie it around the front of your head so that you don't lay your head on the knot. You can skip this is if you sleep on a satin pillowcase.
Step 3 - the Takedown
There are multiple ways to take down your pineapple, and they are all a matter of preference. You will need to discover what works for you, so try a couple of methods. The most common way to take down your pineapple is to release the hair and fluff it with your fingers so that it regains its shape. Some pineapplers prefer to release their hair and spritz it with hair refresher to get some more definition. However, some naturalistas prefer not to tough the hair at all in order not to disrupt the curl pattern. Watch how Amanda lets down her type 4 coily hair after the pineapple without any manipulation:
Finished!
This technique will keep your curls from being completely flattened in the morning. Many kinky , coily, curly girls pineapple to keep their hair stretched, combating shrinkage. Adding the pineapple technique to your regimen will protect your curls and give you great looking hair between wash days!
Pineapple for All Lengths
If you have shorter natural hair, or extra long hair, you may be thinking that the pineapple isn't for you. You may have to modify your pineapple a bit, but it's not impossible. Check out this article on how to modify the pineapple based on your hair length: How to Pineapple for All Lengths. Troubleshooting the Pineapple Method
It may take a couple of tries for you to get the pineapple method just right. Sometimes the pineapple doesn’t work. Don’t give up! Try out these different techniques to refresh your hair after a pineapple. It may take multiple efforts, but you can definitely make the pineapple work for you. Read more: The Pineapple Method Didn't Work, Now What?
Do you pineapple? What's your preferred nightly routine?
This article was originally written in 2013 and has been updated for grammar, clarity, and relevance.
from Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Care http://ift.tt/1q5VgL4
Job stress, social conflict, illness (sometimes serious illness), financial hardship, our children’s struggles, a move across country, a divorce, a death of a loved one…they’re all events that can test our mental fortitude or—in more extreme cases—leave us emotionally adrift. Some people turn into a puddle during a critical emergency, while others jump in the middle of it to save the day. Yet, watch those same people face a protracted struggle like the death of a spouse or a child, and the one who managed the momentary crisis may have a much harder time. Adversity varies and challenges us in different ways. But our ability to endure and bounce back from stress, struggle, and loss is what emotional resilience is all about. What can our ancestors’ examples teach us about psychological hardiness and mental fortitude?
Genuine resilience demands a deep level of acceptance—the acceptance that even if some things in life shake or shatter us, that’s not the end of our story. Just as our physical bodies are vulnerable and resilient, so are our mental selves. We can survive a horrible car accident with damage to multiple organs and limbs—and still heal to a large, if not complete, extent. We can suffer a stroke—and more or less regain full functioning as other parts of our brain take over tasks previously handled by the damaged section. In the same way, we can recover from great emotional damage.
Let me be clear though. I would argue that emotional resilience isn’t about pushing down feelings or living in denial. There’s a mammoth-sized gap between being forbearing and simply unfeeling. Resilience isn’t seated in an original sense of inviolability, but in a commitment to and capacity for healing and continuing. Think adaptability rather than invulnerability.
I think we all recognize that Grok and his kin experienced loss and travail in ways modern first-world citizens can only imagine. Emotional resilience was truly a survival (not to mention survival of the fittest) mechanism. Child mortality and accidental death from animals or the elements were anticipated, albeit tragic, occurrences. No one was shielded from seeing the likes of a predator’s mauling, the face of starvation or the ravages of random disease.
Likewise, there were other shifts. People came and went from band to band. Others migrated. When you said good-bye for the season or for a migratory trek, you truly didn’t know if you’d ever see that person again. (And obviously there were no means of communication beyond in-person contact.)
We might be confounded as to how they could weather this amount of loss and uncertainty. It’s easy and convenient to just assume they were somehow less emotionally evolved—that they were less affected by these upheavals and tragedies than we moderns would be. This is false, of course. We don’t want to think of that kind of pain in anyone, considering our natural, poignant inclinations toward empathy certainly don’t make it a pleasant recognition. Nonetheless, when we fully acknowledge the capacity for others’ pain (in prehistory or on the other side of the globe today), we not only grasp others’ humanity, but we can see and honor what allows them to move through life in spite of what they’ve weathered.
Compared to the struggles of our primal ancestors, we might have it pretty easy. We may not be fending off daily threats to the survival of ourselves and our kin, but we have our own modern problems that can wear down our mental stamina and emotional equilibrium. Likewise, none of us are spared the eventual human losses. Aspects of the human struggle are truly timeless.
When we accept that emotional resilience isn’t about unconsciousness or desensitization, it breaks open the question: What really helps us weather life’s travails?
The works of various psychologists are often cited as a model for assessing (or a guide for strengthening) a person’s capacity for resilience. Although much research and models focus on children, I think most of us would say these domains and dimensions are just as relevant to our emotional health in adulthood. They stress the importance of “protective factors” that shore up psychological health and offer us both social resources and psychological reserves when adversity does hit.
They revolve around the idea of a “secure base” with elements like fundamental physical health, solid family and friend relationships, engaging educational/enrichment opportunities, talents and interests, positive values, and social competencies that allow for self-care and the need for communication.
The more secure we are in these essential areas, the idea goes, the more resilient we will be to various challenges that come down the pipe. In that way, the more we can shore up these various dimensions of life, the better off we’ll be.
Likewise, research suggests better communication and problem-solving skills as well as emotional regulation and executive planning abilities (creating a plan and following it) enhance our capacity to deal with psychological stress and crisis.
Clearly, these all would have figured into the picture for Grok and his kin. Social relationships, in particular, would have offered support for both the emotional toll and the logistical details (e.g. help with daily chores) of bouncing back from major events.
We lean on others for literal help with the efforts and tasks necessary to get through the day when we’re coping, but we also depend on the depth of the human bond itself to get us through those times. Just as we’re wired to empathize with others, we’re also wired to receive empathy.
Instead of getting caught up in the whirlwind of daily busyness, we can take the time for these dimensions that strengthen us. Just as we invest financially for our future security, we can invest in our emotional security by prioritizing social connections. We can keep in close and frequent touch with friends and extended family by calling or enjoying a night out or a weekend trip together. We can expand our social networks and invite new people into our lives.
We can deepen our sense of identity by pursuing outside interests and hobbies. Life is about whom we love and what we enjoy doing. The more we invest in our own enrichment, creativity and self-development, the more solid we are in ourselves and the stronger we can be in the face of stress or loss.
And let me add one of my favorite points here. For hunter-gatherers, the picture of identity and connection went beyond just human social networks. Their relationship with the natural world was an important part of their identity, a key element of communal belonging, and a supportive element for their psychological resilience.
Can you imagine not just believing intellectually, but believing both spiritually and emotionally, that nature was something to which you belonged—that it was an anthropomorphized force you were obliged to venerate and participate in as its kin? While I’m sure Grok might have better language (and stories) to illustrated this, you get the general idea here. That sense of deep, original belonging offered both a comfort and structure, and the psychological vestiges of this long-practiced belief system are part of our own psyches. Evolutionary psychology as well as the relate theory of biophilia take up this dimension of emotional well-being.
When we view our lives and those of the people we care about against this larger, cosmological (or simply evolutionary) backdrop, the toils and tragedies of regular life have a meaningful place. Modern humans generally view themselves as an exception to nature’s laws—as destined conquerors or shrewd hackers to the system. The result is we either feel like strategizing owners of the natural world or an unfortunate scourge upon it. Any possibility of true belonging and mutual consolation within the natural world disappears.
Living Primally for many people means cultivating something of that original relationship and benefitting from that sense of integration. There’s a grander, enigmatic power beyond us, and we all return to it. Those we love when lost are incorporated into it again in a way that isn’t just the literal dust to dust but is part of the mythic dance of life our ancestors understood. Grief had a clear and ritualistic role, and it too was communally revered. Ceremony and story placed feelings in a larger collective container. We can reclaim those rites for ourselves in our own lives however they make sense for us.
Finally, as I mentioned earlier, resilience isn’t about being emotionally impenetrable. Nor is it about simply being strong and solid enough to preserve the self that already exists. It’s not even about the grit to supposedly resist or keep out the negative effects of crisis. It’s about the ability to incorporate adversity and to grow from it.
Beyond the emotional regulative strategies and social supports we can use when we’re stressed or overcome, we can also cultivate a fundamental flexibility and adaptability within ourselves. Meditation and mindfulness practices can be helpful to this process. Exploring approaches like Stoicism’s negative visualization can help us let go of outcomes and our attachment to our will in exchange for peace with what is present now.
Because the fact is, things do fall apart. None of us are guaranteed an easy ride in life. The more we can let go of the idea that we deserve to not feel stress or pain or grief or frustration, the healthier we’ll be. Unconditional acceptance—for circumstances and the emotions we’ll go through in responding to them—is perhaps the ultimate form of resilience.
In the face of the most serious adversities and losses, we will come unglued to a certain extent. If we can see that as a useful adaptive response, we can work with it. If we put all our energy into resisting what is and how we’re feeling, we’ll suffer more than we need to. Grok and other traditional groups understood this far better than modern Western humans.
Maybe the most adaptable strength is the willingness to feel all there is to feel in a human life. It’s the willingness to change and be changed by circumstance. The less we clutch our current relationships, our identities, our locations, our jobs, our will and belief about how it all should go, the more emotionally buoyant we’ll be.
Not surprisingly, we find ourselves back at the beginning of the circle with that old Primal principle of advantageous adaptation.
Thanks for reading, everyone. I’d love to hear more about your understanding of emotional resilience. Share your thoughts in the comment board, and enjoy the end of your week.
The next time you want big ass 'day 3' hair on 'day 1', use this dryer to fluff your roots! I used to have to over-fluff my freshly set hair by separating curls, massaging and picking my roots to hide parts and then finally blasting the roots with my blow dryer's air concentrator to stretch the length for extra hang time and volume. Sometimes the results were dope, sometimes... just frizz.
The other day after a rod set, I remembered my trusty Andis dryer (that I always use for blow outs) and realized it was a pick, blow dryer and air concentrator in one! I focused on the top and crown (just the first inch of the roots) and ended up with huge, awesomeness on day 1.
Later Gators!
Nik
from Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Care http://ift.tt/21UBhKJ
11-year old Mikaila Ulmer, founder of Be Sweet Lemonade just landed a major distribution deal with Whole Foods. Ulmer, who uses a special flaxseed-based lemonade from local bee’s honey just signed a deal with Whole Foods to distribute her lemonade to 55 different locations.
Last March, Ulmer made an appearance on Shark Tank to pitch financing for the growth of Bee Sweet Lemonade. “One day I was like, I don’t just want to sell this out of my lemonade stand. I actually want to put this in stores and shelves,” she said in an interview with ABC’s News 8 in Dallas. After landing a regional deal with Whole Foods in Texas and three other states, the then 10 year old knew that she needed more money to help support her expansion. This led to an appearance on Shark Tank. It was here that she caught the attention of Shark Daymond John. He agreed to invest $60,000 for 25% of her company, if he could find someone to get her lemonade in more stores. “That’s my youngest entrepreneurial partner,” said John. Little did he know the expansion would take less than a year.
At this year’s SXSW festival, Ulmer was selected as one of the Top 10 Innovators of The Year as part of the MVMT50 Experience. The group of 10 was pulled from a total of 29 individuals highlighted during Black History Month this past February. It was here that the major distribution deal was announced.
On May 2nd, Bee Sweet Lemonade will re-launch as Me & The Bees Lemonade, but will still hold the same concept. Ulmer first got the idea to launch the company when she was four. Her family encouraged her to make a product for a Children’s business contest, which resulted in her getting stung by a bee twice. To overcome her fear, she started doing research on bees and realized that they were slowly becoming extinct. Simultaneously, her grandmother would send her a 1940’s recipe from South Carolina, which included her special recipe for flaxseed lemonade. From there the idea was born, and business hasn’t slowed down since. You can find out more about Mikaila Ulmer and her Austin, Texas based business here.
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Mike "Orie" Mosley is a freelance writer/photographer and cultural advocate from St. Louis. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Arts, Entertainment & Media Management from Columbia College Chicago and a Masters in Higher Education Administration from LSU. He is also the co-founder of music and culture website http://ift.tt/1QXC23X. In his spare time, he's probably listening to hip hop & neo soul music, hitting up brunch or caught up in deep conversations about Black music. You can follow him on Twitter @mike_orie or on Instagram @mikeorie
from Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Care http://ift.tt/1M2WU9L
In a popular 1958 song, Nina Simone's powerful lyrics helped to demonstrate the pride in being a young person of color. Today, young social activists are taking a stand, using their platforms to speak up and educate their peers.
N.A.A.C.P. Image Award winner Yara Shahidi, who stars as Zoey Johnson on the ABC show Black-ish, uses her celebrity status for social good. “I’m filming nine and a half hours a day five days a week, but whenever I have a free moment, I’m talking to the U.N. or working on how to get Yara’s Club (her mentoring program) launched,” she told the New York Times. "Giving back is not just something you do as an adult."
The 15 year-old Teen Choice Award nominee maintains a 4.6 GPA, and is enrolled in AP Calculus and honors chemistry. She appeared in a public service announcement for DoSomething.org earlier this year, encouraging young women to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).
Hunger Games star Amandla Sternberg is also speaking up for social change. The 17 year old's video "Don't Cash Crop On My Cornrows," a commentary on cultural misappropriation, went viral. "As Azealia Banks observed in her tweets, white musicians who partook in hip hop culture and adopted 'Blackness,' Iggy Azalea in particular, failed to speak on the racism that comes along with Black identity," Stenberg said. "What would America be like if we loved Black people as much as we love Black culture?"
The actress and activist, who is this year's Black Girls Rock "Young, Gifted and Black" celebrant, is set to star in The Hate U Give, the movie adaptation of the young adult novel by Angela Thomas inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and the death of Oscar Grant, an unarmed young man shot by police at Oakland, California's Fruitvale Station in 2009.
This generation is growing up conscious and active, unafraid to organize and speak out.
President Obama spoke of young leaders, saying, “What I am most encouraged by is the degree of focus and seriousness and constructiveness that exists not only with existing civil rights organizations, but this new generation. They are some serious young people. I told them that they are much better organizers than I was when I was their age, and I am confident that they are going to take America to new heights.”
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Tiffani Greenaway is the wife and mom behind MyMommyVents, a New York city parenting blog. Her tips have been seen on Yahoo Parenting, Mommy Noire, and Fit Pregnancy. Find more of Tiffani's work at mymommyvents.com.
As I mentioned earlier this year, our personal ancestry can help determine how we respond to certain dietary, behavior, exercise, and lifestyle patterns. The big question remaining is this: does going Primal mesh with some of the more common polymorphisms? Yes. The Primal Blueprint is a living document. Its foundation rests on pre-agricultural human evolution, but by remaining flexible and offering ample room for personalization, it acknowledges the fact that evolution has continued to occur.
Let’s take a look at five genetic mutations and how the Primal way of eating, living, and moving can help mitigate their downsides.
1. Aerobic exercise “non-responder” genes
By now, you’ve likely heard of exercise “non-responders”—people who don’t respond to cardio the way they’re supposed to. Rather than experience health and fitness benefits, an exercise non-responder might see no changes, or even detrimental ones when they exercise. These non-responders seem to cluster in families, an indication of genetic influence.
Aerobic exercise non-responders are the most common. Whereas about 85% of the population experiences big improvements in VO2max after sustained endurance training, about 15% do not. They can work hard, about as hard as the others, and follow the same protocol yet experience almost no improvement to their oxygen consumption rates. In some people, endurance training can even degrade their health. They actually experience worsened insulin sensitivity, lower HDL, and elevated blood pressure when they train.
If a person is an aerobic non-responder, they do the work but see little benefit unless they really up the intensity and duration of their aerobic training. This means they have to lapse into chronic cardio territory just to get the “benefits,” and that carries its own set of problems as I’ve discussed many times before. Since animal studies suggest that exercise non-responders are more reliant on glucose for energy, that their blood sugar levels decline more rapidly and they can only run about half as long during endurance exercise, increasing the intensity and duration isn’t sustainable.
What does seem to work is high-intensity training. The experts claim that non-responders need high-intensity, high-volume training to see results, but when you examine the study designs you find they haven’t tested the kind of high-intensity, low-volume training I promote. For instance, sprint interval training works for exercise non-responders. They may have to increase the number of workouts they do, but at least they’re getting somewhere without having to spend several hours a day in that elevated HR zone.
There’s also a psychological component to movement that most training programs neglect: is it enjoyable? If you’re a non-responder with low blood sugar seeing very few results, you’re not going to keep plodding along the treadmill. But that same non-responder may have a blast playing Ultimate Frisbee, or learning a martial art, or breaking through the clouds to reveal a stunning sunrise on an early morning hike. Incorporating, or indeed focusing on play as the proximate goal of training and movement is a winning strategy for people with a genetic aversion to exercise.
But those genetic polymorphisms are linked to soft tissue injuries across the population. What’s the “population” doing?
They’re eating inflammatory diets. They’re not exercising or moving much at all, and when they do, they do it wrong. If they’re dedicated exercisers, they probably train too much. They’re not eating the whole animal. That’s how I used to be, and sure enough, I ended up with a steady stream of soft tissue injuries. When I went Primal, they stopped.
Going Primal helps in multiple ways:
By promoting correct movement patterns. Less sitting (so you don’t get so stiff and creaky), more full body compound movements (so you’re not isolating your tissues and placing undue stress on them), less chronic cardio (which increases inflammation and chronic loading patterns), more strength training (placing acute loads onto tissues with plenty of recovery time promotes stronger tissues).
More dietary collagen. Regular diets don’t provide enough dietary collagen to meet the body’s daily glycine requirements. Since glycine contributes to rebuilding and repairing collagen in the body (cartilage, tendons, ligaments, fascia), inadequate collagen can open you up to soft tissue injury. By promoting the consumption of bone broth, gelatinous meats, and collagen supplements, the Primal eating plan usually leads to greater collagen consumption.
3. PUFA metabolism variants
FADS1 controls elongation of shorter-chain polyunsaturated fats into their longer-chain counterparts. People with certain FADS1 mutations are bad at converting alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) into the longer-chained (and extremely important) omega-3s EPA and DHA. In pregnancy and nursing, these mutations can lead to impaired levels of omega-3 in the breastmilk and lower IQ in the fetus. To get enough of the physiologically relevant forms, they need to eat them directly.
If there’s one thing the Primal way of eating does well, it’s promote the consumption of healthy animal fats containing long-chain PUFAs. Indeed, certain people simply need to eat more fatty fish to be healthy. I’m one of them, likely owing to my Scandinavian ancestors coastal living and heavy reliance on marine foods.
Other PUFA metabolism variants affect the conversion of linoleic acid into inflammatory compounds. If you have these variants, higher intakes of linoleic acid (around 17 grams per day in one study, which is typical for people eating regular modern diets) are associated with breast and prostate cancer.
In the end, no one benefits from excessive intakes of omega-6 PUFAs and some are harmed. On the other hand, eating adequate amounts of omega-3s through marine foods and pastured eggs is safe for everyone and especially crucial for some. Going Primal takes care of all that by eliminating the most concentrated source of linoleic acid (processed seed oils) and emphasizing regular fatty fish consumption. The modern western model of high omega-6 intake through seed oils and low omega-3 intake is bad for every polymorphism; going Primal reverses that.
4. Glutathione synthesis genes
Whether it’s countering airborne pollution, detoxifying toxins like ethanol, or regenerating immune cells, glutathione is the premier antioxidant in our bodies. Unfortunately, some people just don’t make enough glutathione to deal with modern insults. Multiple genes determine how much glutathione we synthesize. Among them, GCLC is the gene regulating the cysteine-to-glutathione conversion pathway. GCLC-knockout mice with the cysteine-to-glutathione pathway severed normally develop severe steatosis and die from total liver failure within a month. Giving them a concentrated source of n-acetylcysteine (NAC), a widely available and inexpensive supplement, restores some glutathione synthesis by providing the necessary building block and rescues them from liver failure. They’re not rescued from death—the mice do end up with chronic cirrhosis of the liver—but they live longer.
Forget any other diet. With its forests of broccoli, spinach, and asparagus and the acknowledgment of liver’s nutritional supremacy, the Primal way of eating can be exceedingly rich in folate. This makes it a great choice for MTHFR mutation carriers with an impaired ability to convert folic acid to folate. Folic acid, the most common supplemental form of the vitamin, can work for folks without a MTHFR mutation, but the form of folate found in food is the most helpful for people with a mutation.
What about veganism, Sisson? Isn’t that going to be ideal? Sure, vegans—at least the ones who actually eat vegetables—have the biggest folate intakes of anyone. But there’s another nutrient whose requirements are often elevated in MTHFR people: B12. And because B12 is only found in animal foods, vegans are almost guaranteed to be deficient without supplementation. So when it comes to correcting the common deficiencies inherent to MTHFR polymorphisms, going Primal helps.
There are other polymorphisms—too many to cover. But these were five that jumped out at me. What about you, folks? Got any questions or comments about these or other genetic variants that interact with your Primal lifestyle?
Almost 2 years ago I gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl, ever! The pregnancy and the idea of being someone's mom was new to me, so I really didn't know what to expect! I did, however, know all about postpartum shedding and what could possibly happen to my hair after I had my baby. I spoke about how I dealt with postpartum hair loss here. I then began to notice texture changes with my hair.
I like to be transparent with my readers, to let you know what I'm going through in hopes that it may help someone else. As we all know, change can be difficult, no matter how minor or major they're perceived to be. I’m not going to lie, as I noticed changes in my hair I got a little sad.
Pre- pregnancy my hair was long thick and I had a looser curl pattern. If I had to type it id say 3c maybe.
During my pregnancy, my hair thrived! This is because during pregnancy, the higher levels of estrogen prolong the growth phase, which results in less shedding and thicker hair. Some women also notice that their hair becomes shinier and more moisturized during pregnancy, or that it changes in texture. Many women notice these changes. For me, my hair was fuller, thicker and doing well. I took my prenatal vitamin everyday and drank lots of water.
I breastfed my baby for 9 months when she suddenly stopped on her own. I began to take post-natal vitamins and stopped taking my prenatal vitamins since I no longer needed the level of nutrition I required while breastfeeding. A few months after that, I replaced the postnatal vitamins with a regular women's multi.
This is when I really began to notice another drastic change with my hair. My thick hair began to break off, it was less dense and lacked volume. It was growing, but it was now thinner. I thought to myself that it was all in my head. But as I began to look back at pictures it was evident.
I had to totally switch up my routine. Things I used to do no longer worked. I noticed that my hair was always super dry. I went from deep conditioning every 2 weeks to once a week, with heat. I always do the L.O.C. method. My hair was so different that the styles I used to do no longer looked the same. I just couldn’t get that same look! So I just started to wear my hair in a bun every. single. day (my way of protective styling). This turned out not to be a very good idea because I neglected my ends, and didn’t moisturize my hair properly (bad idea). I recently visited the Chicago Curl Collective to get my hair straightened. Moral of the story I had to get 2 inches cut off!
I decided to embrace my new texture and learn to care for my hair all over again. I’ve had to put in place new techniques and take a different approach and it's okay. This natural hair journey is really a “journey”. I’ve been rocking with it since 2009 and everyday is a new adventure and a new learning experience. I knew that I would experience changes, but I had no idea that I would have to learn care for my hair all over again, with a new texture. Im still learning. My hair may never return to how it was pre-baby and I’m perfectly okay with that.
Have you experienced changes in your hair postpartum? How did you overcome the changes?
from Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Care http://ift.tt/1SmynJu
Change your hair habits. If you are removing them from the equation and making sure you are cutting them completely off, then you are either prone to them or not changing your hair habits to rid future split ends from occurring. Here are some easy tips on keeping split ends at bay.
Lay off the heat
Direct heat appliances like flat irons or blow-dryers are really bad for hair especially for curly hair. You should be using them sparingly like a few times a year, as constant use can cause make your ends even worse. There are several techniques for straightening and drying hair without heat, so opt for those and limit heat styling to special occasions.
Hydrate and seal
These are crucial to length retention as moisture keeps dryness at bay and sealing keeps that moisture in and protects the hair. When you follow these two steps your ends will have no choice but to get in line and stay moisturized and together.
Make your hair stronger
This is the best way to reduce their occurrence. You can make sure to use products with better ingredients and use protein treatments regularly like monthly. Also just consulting with a salon you trust on products that might work better for your tresses will also be a great asset to ensuring you are getting what you need from them. Another way to get stronger hair is to eat well, stay hydrated (that goes for your hair too) and reduce stress.
Wash hair only when necessary
You do not have to wash weekly or several times during the week, because excessive shampooing can lead to dryness and you guessed it…more split ends. Use a clarifying shampoo only when needed and opt for a sulfate-free one when you do not have excessive buildup.
Pre-poos
Since shampooing can be pretty rough on the hair, try to pre-poos as they will help to protect the hair from the friction and the surfactants that strip the hair of dirt, sweat, and natural oils your hair actually needs.
Find a great leave-in conditioner
Leave-in conditioners help to protect the hair from regular wear and tear and well as reviving the hair on that second, third, or longer days. They keep the hair hydrated and elastic so it is less prone to breakage and less likely to begin splitting. They also help with environmental factors like dry weather or the scorching sun.
Don’t put off trims
I know sometimes we do not want trims, but getting trims when necessary combats daily wear and tear on our hair. Trims when needed keep the split ends at bay and will keep them from getting worse as they will if you ignore them. I usually know it is time for my bi-annual trimming when the fairy knots start creeping up. Either put it on your calendar or look for the signs.
from Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Care http://ift.tt/1SmuPXP
Three Black women in Chicago are changing the way Black people celebrate day parties. Only six months ago, Lauren Ash, DJ Chardonnay and Nickecia Alder joined forces to launch Party Noire. In just a short amount of time, their success has by far exceed their expectations. We sat down with DJ Rae Chardonnay to talk about the success of the day party, challenges and how they've found their niche: celebrating Black women. Continue >>>>>> CN: Six months ago, you launched Party Noire with Lauren Ash and Nickecia Alder. What inspired you all to launch the party? How did you all meet?
RC: I met Lauren via mutual friends who constantly mentioned that we should know each other. We were introduced via email and social media and I later attended a Black Girl in Om event. Lauren and Nickecia met at a BGIO event at the Silver Room but were previously connected via social media platforms. I’d say that Party Noire was created out of necessity. There was no space for young Black people to gather in a meaningful way and in particular young black women and creative individuals. We wanted to create a space intentional for celebrating each other.
CN: Where did the name come from?
RC: We did a lot of brainstorming on things related to Blackness and played around with a few different titles that included the word Black. We landed on Noire because if its appeal and how nicely it flows. We wanted to be as clear as possible in our intentions.
CN: Party Noire really focuses on the Black woman's experience if I understand correctly. Is there anything specific that you do differently that captures the attention of the Black woman?
RC: I think that we are already very women focused in most of our individual endeavors. Coming together as a collective gave us all a larger platform to express that focus. I think the highlighting of sisterhood and kinship amongst Black women is a large part of what captures the attention of Black women who enjoy Party Noire is the freedom that is expressed by the women who attend and how our photographer RJ Eldridge, so beautifully captures that vibrancy. In each photo that he has ever taken for us I’ve seen nothing but pure joy in the faces of our partygoers.
Photo by RJ Eldrige
CN: Has there been a difference in how Party Noire is received by the average Black male, who might be used to a male dominated party industry?
RC: I believe this is a bit more complex. What is the average Black male in 2016? Who is that person? We definitely see fewer straight Black men at Party Noire. However the ones that do attend are very welcoming to the diversity Party Noire brings. Some of our queer Black men partygoers have expressed that they feel well received by our straight Black men partgoers. It wasn’t until this most recent party that we noticed a significantly larger amount of straight Black men. Some were obviously not the most comfortable but seemed to be intrigued enough to stick around. We think this may be because Party Noire challenges the reasons why most people party. Our community is very inclusive and diverse and our priority is to create a space for a nonconforming #BlackJoy turnup. I’d like to think that we get a significant amount of support from those who may be considered veterans in the Chicago social scene, most of whom are straight Black men.
CN: Can you tell us about your co-founders, Lauren and Nick? What role do each of you play in the success of Party Noire?
RC: Lauren and Nick are amazing young women who concurrently run their own businesses. Nick is is the founder of Black Girl Fly Mag and Lauren is the founder of Black Girl in Om. In the most literal sense we all do a little bit of everything to keep our ship afloat. I think that because we all independently run businesses of our own we’re are naturally adept to doing each task necessary, so we all pick up the pieces where we need to in order to make Party Noire a monthly success. More recently we’ve implemented a bit more of a process and have set some clear outlines on who is responsible for communicating with the various entities involved in Party Noire. For example I handle all communications regarding music and DJs, Lauren handles the bulk of our social media and Nick corresponds with our direct supporters. While these are three important tasks, they are only a portion of what goes into making Party Noire what it is.
Photo by RJ Eldrige
CN: Day parties have been extremely successful in cities like New York, DC, and Atlanta. Were there any challenges you first saw trying to introduce a different variation of this concept in Chicago? How has the weather factored into people's decision to attend?
RC: Not particularly. I think we experienced more identifiable challenges after the first iteration. We took some time to reconsider our approach to how things are communicated to everyone involved and became more strategic in our social media presence. It’s an ongoing learning experience and I think each party has presented a new learning opportunity. In Chicago, weather is definitely always a factor. We battled a snowstorm for our third party but still had a beautiful and abundant turnout. The great thing about winter weather challenges is that we always have the summer too look forward too.
CN: Hyde Park has always been this huge cultural hub in Chicago, despite the cities continuous attempt to gentrify it. How did you all select The Promotory? Were there any hesitations of people attending because of its Southside location? RC: We selected The Promontory because it has become a staple venue in the Hyde Park neighborhood and imagined it to be a great central location and welcoming space. Lauren and I had previously done work with the venue before and have always enjoyed working with their team. If there are hesitations on coming to the Southside they have not been expressed to us. People come from all over the city to attend Party Noire and that in itself is very humbling. Chicago is a huge city and Hyde Park is not the easiest neighborhood to travel to particularly via public transportation. We’ve gotten asked to put out requests to carpool from the Northside because it was imperative that these individuals made it to Party Noire. I feel like many people have expanded their own already established communities with connections made at Party Noire. I think people see more benefit in being there than not being there so location becomes a less important factor. Unless of course there’s a snowstorm.
Photo by RJ Eldrige
CN: If you could describe the atmosphere of this event in three-to five words, what would you say?
RC: Here for #BlackJoy. Always.
CN: As a DJ, what approach do you take when selecting the music for this event? Is there anything you might do differently than a different gig?
RC: I generally do not plan my sets. I like to have fun with the music that I play at any gig, really. If we propose to do a musically themed event I will plan for that accordingly. Besides that it’s all very free flowing. I play the music that we as a community have a general interest in be it old school or new and I like to introduce music that our attendees may not be very familiar with from time to time. In terms of our guest DJ’s, I like to make sure that I am familiar with their execution and what music they are most comfortable playing.
CN: Lauren and Nick are both founders of their own publications, Black Girl In Om and Black Girl Fly Mag. How have these online platforms helped support the growth of the brand Party Noire?
RC: Lauren and Nick’s platforms have helped with growth exponentially. Their brands were already established to cultivate the kinship of Black women. Women who feel connected to BGIO and Black Girl Fly Mag trusted that Party Noire would be an extension of what their brands represent, which is the continued uplifting and support of women of color, Black women in particular.
Photo by RJ Eldrige
CN: Six months from now, when you reach your one-year mark what do you see Party Noire evolving into?
RC: I see Party Noire evolving into an intersectional community staple event and not just for Chicago. We will continue to celebrate the vibrancy of our community by bringing unique ideas into our execution and maintaining the mission of cultivating space for #BlackJoy. CN: Can you provide is info on pricing, time and the next Party Noire party in Chicago?
RC: The next Party Noire is April 23rd from 2:00-8:00pm at The Promontory in Chicago. Tickets are available for $10 pre-sale and $15 at the door. You can find out more information about it here.
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Mike "Orie" Mosley is a freelance writer/photographer and cultural advocate from St. Louis. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Arts, Entertainment & Media Management from Columbia College Chicago and a Masters in Higher Education Administration from LSU. He is also the co-founder of music and culture website http://ift.tt/1QXC23X. In his spare time, he's probably listening to hip hop & neo soul music, hitting up brunch or caught up in deep conversations about Black music. You can follow him on Twitter @mike_orie or on Instagram @mikeorie
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Strip away the skin, fascia, muscles, organs, blood vessels of a human and you’re left with the bones: the foundation providing passive structural support. Many people accept that we can affect and even control the health of the rest of our tissues. Muscles? Just lift. Cardiovascular system? Do some cardio and lose weight. Teeth? Stop sugar. But bones just wear down the older you get. Everyone knows it. And sometimes bones just break. There’s nothing you can to prevent it and nothing you can do to improve your healing except wait and hope. If you want stronger bones, you’ll need some pharmacological assistance provided by a white coat-clad adult wielding a prescription pad.
But bones aren’t inert. They are living metabolic tissue. And though we can’t tell them what to do directly, they grow—or diminish—in response to the signals we send. What kind of signals should we be sending?
1. Lift hard and move quickly
Bones respond to intensity. Forceful impacts, heavy weights, high mechanical loading—these are a few of your osteoblasts’ favorite things. They are unmistakable signals that trigger your bones to begin fortifying themselves.
In one study, researchers attached activity monitors to the hips of adolescent boys and girls. As they went about their week, the monitors tracked their exposure to forceful impacts. People whose hips experienced impacts of 4.2 Gs (activities like 10 minute mile runs or 15 inch box jumps qualify) or greater had the sturdiest hips. Next, they attached monitors to a group of women over 60 and ran them through an aerobics class consisting of brisk walking and box stepping. None of the older women experienced an impact over 2.1 Gs, yet they still saw bone density benefits.
Old bones respond to the same training signals. For instance, older endurance runners have lower bone density than age-matched sprinters, and senior athletes who engage in high-impact activity have higher bone density.
But older adults don’t have to join CrossFit to start seeing benefits to their bone density. Another study found that premenopausal women aged 35-50 who hopped in place 20 to 40 times a day (broken up into two sets of 10 or 20 with 30 seconds of rest in between hops) for 16 weeks experienced improvements to their hip bone density; those hopping 40 times a day saw bigger improvements. That’s very doable. And if you’re a postmenopausal woman (at greater risk for osteoporosis than premenopausal), you can throw on a weight vest when you do your hops.
With regards to changes in bone density, exercise is site specific. Only the bones you subject to stress will respond.
2. Animal protein is safe and good to eat, so chow down
Go to any online vegan community and you’ll hear that animal protein leaches calcium from our bones. To support this assertion, they’ll cite studies showing that increased meat intakes lead to increased urinary output of calcium. So, is that steak you ate yesterday making you piss out desiccated femur?
No. Increased protein intake actually increases calcium absorption, and researchers who’ve looked into the situation closely conclude that, as bone health is linked to lean muscle mass, activity levels, and physical strength, the average protein intake is inadequate for optimal bone health especially among the elderly. If anything, “more concern should be focused on increasing fruit and vegetable intake rather than reducing protein sources.” Meanwhile, older men with the lowest protein intakes tend to have the greatest bone loss.
The reverse is true. Animal protein protects and strengthens bones and you should make sure to eat enough of it if you’re interested in preserving and/or building bone health.
3. Dairy helps, so give it a chance if you can
Dairy gets a bad rap. It’s “acidic.” It “leaches calcium” from your bones. You “can’t absorb” the calcium it does contain.
For optimal results, eat dairy that contains additional bone-friendly nutrients, like gouda cheese (with vitamin K2) or yogurt/kefir (which seem to induce more favorable changes to bone metabolism than unfermented dairy).
4. Maintain good sleep hygiene
Yeah, yeah. Sleep’s important, Sisson. We get it. But allow me to display just how high quality sleep—or the lack thereof, rather—affects bone health.
In older folks, self-reported sleep duration is inversely associated with osteoporosis. Less sleep leads to greater bone loss. More sleep protects against it.
Melatonin, the hormone that induces sleepiness at night, plays a huge role in bone metabolism. For instance, removing a rat’s pineal gland (which produces melatonin) significantly lowers their bone mineral density.
Too much or too little sleep are both linked to osteoporosis, with daily sleep durations of 7-8 hours, 9-10 hours, and 10 hours all showing a relationship to low bone mineral density.
We can’t know if this is a causal association, of course. Osteoporosis and one’s sleep needs may have a common determinant. But given the role melatonin plays in bone metabolism, optimizing sleep and circadian rhythm is a good idea. Either way, lack or excess of sleep is probably an indication that bone health may be compromised.
5. Drink mineral water
Historically, all water was mineral water. Whether it came from mountain springs or local wells, water came imbued with magnesium, calcium, and other trace minerals. But water loaded with minerals like calcium and magnesium is hard water; it’s bad for lathering soap, it leaves mineral films on dishes and pans, it can gunk up plumbing, and it has a distinct taste (which means “tastes bad” to many people). Thus, most tap water is softened and most bottled water is glorified tap water, filtered to remove “impurities” (which include minerals). And some people, fearing fluoride and other nebulous elements, drink distilled or reverse-osmosis filtered waters containing essentially no minerals at all. This leads to lower bone-friendly mineral intakes and a host of health issues (PDF).
Meanwhile, areas with high mineral content tap water tend to have lower rates of many degenerative diseases, including osteoporosis (PDF). Calcium in mineral water is highly bioavailable, equivalent to the calcium in milk. Magnesium, too. Both minerals are extremely important for bone health and mineral water is an effective, delicious way to obtain more of them. You don’t even have to change your behavior much. You’re already drinking water; it’s a fundamental requirement for biological organisms. Just drink a different kind of water. I suggest Gerolsteiner, a German brand loaded with calcium and magnesium that comes in glass bottles.
A mineral water habit can get expensive, though. Consider making your own.
6. Get enough of these specific nutrients and foods
Melatonin: Getting plenty of full natural light when you wake and throughout the day, avoiding blue light in the evening, and getting to sleep at a normal, consistent time promote healthy melatonin production, but supplemental melatonin has also been shown to improve bone metabolism and health and even counteract osteopenia. Are the people who benefit most from supplementation doing everything they can to optimize circadian health? Probably not. Does melatonin work? Yes. Just make sure to take it when you’d normally make it—an hour before bedtime.
Cod liver oil: If you want to supplement vitamin A, stick to cod liver oil, which has the correct pre-formed retinol form and enough vitamin D to balance your intake. Isolated vitamin A supplementation without concomitant vitamin D tends to perform poorly, while high retinol levels achieved via cod liver oil do not contribute to poor bone health.
Blackstrap molasses: For a triple whammy of bone supporting nutrients, have a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses. Just one will give you 180 mg of calcium, at least 48 mg of magnesium (and I’ve seen brands that give almost 100 mg per tablespoon), and about 20% of your daily copper needs.
Gelatin or collagen: People don’t often realize that collagen makes up a significant portion of the bone matrix. Without collagen present, bone would be overly hard and likely brittle (PDF). Collagen provides elasticity, not enough that you could make the Fantastic Four but enough that your tibia doesn’t shatter at the slightest provocation. I prefer gelatin over collagen hydrolysate because you can use the former to make fantastic sauces, curries, and gravies, but either one provides the basic collagenous building blocks that we use to make bone. Eating enough gelatin can also offset the inflammatory load caused by excessive amounts of methionine, the amino acid found abundantly in muscle meat.
Vitamin D, vitamin A, and vitamin K2: The Third Triumvirate, these three synergistically promote healthy bone metabolism. Both vitamin D and vitamin K2 have been shown to improve osteoporosis, and people often say that vitamin A is bad for bone health, but they actually promote better bones when obtained together. For vitamin D, get sun exposure or supplement to reach a blood level between 30-50 ng/dL. For vitamin A, eat liver once a week or take the aforementioned cod liver oil (which is also a source of vitamin D). For vitamin K2, eat natto, gouda, and goose liver.
Leafy greens: Greens like kale and spinach contains important minerals (calcium and magnesium) and polyphenols for bone health and inflammation.
Small bony fish: Bone-in fish like sardines provide the important pro-bone trio of animal protein, anti-inflammatory omega-3s, and bioavailable calcium.
Also, check the list of pro-bone nutrients, vitamins, and supplements listed in the recent Dear Mark post. Those that increase the healing of broken bones will also fortify otherwise healthy ones.
7. Avoid chronic inflammation
There’s strong evidence (both mechanistic and observational) that inflammation and bone health are linked.
Amid all the hullabaloo regarding the relationships of animal protein, dairy, and other “controversial” foods with osteoporosis, everyone can agree that fruit and vegetable consumption has a positive connection to bone health. Study after study shows that greater intakes of fruit and vegetable (and potassium and magnesium which are markers for produce intake) predict better bone health.
There was even a controlled trial from earlier this year that found a diet consisting of vegetation known to have specific bone-friendly micronutrients and compounds—bok choy, red lettuce, Chinese cabbage, citrus fruits, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme—improved bone metabolism biomarkers compared to a control diet and an intervention diet full of regular old vegetation (PDF).
Sound like a lot to take in? For the big takeaways, the interventions that provide the most benefit, the things you can tell your mom (or yourself) to start doing and expect actual results without getting bogged down in the details, try the following:
Lift heavy things twice a week. “Heavy” is relative (it just has to be heavy for you, not for Internet lifting board denizens). Even “things” is relative (it could be your own bodyweight, which isn’t an external thing in the normal sense of the word). But “lift” is unequivocal.
Expose your body to strong but manageable impacts. Sprinting will do it. Olympic lifting, box jumps, jump squats, playing sports will do it. But so will simply hopping in place, if that’s what you can manage.
Perform but don’t rely on low-impact exercise. Biking, swimming, and brisk walking are great ways to stay active and get in shape, but they don’t exert enough impact to stimulate bone strengthening.
Obtain enough calcium (600-1000 mg), magnesium (400 mg), and trace minerals. A liter of Gerolsteiner would get you on your way. High quality full-fat dairy and leafy greens round out the rest.
Obtain enough vitamin D, vitamin A, and vitamin K2. Get regular sun exposure or take a vitamin D3 supplement (vitamin D). Eat liver once a week or supplement with cod liver oil (vitamin A). Eat natto and gouda regularly (vitamin K2). To be sure, take a vitamin K2 supplement, since not everyone can stomach natto and I wouldn’t trust my K2 intake entirely to gouda.
Eat a variety of colorful fruits, vegetables, spices, and herbs. These provide important minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients, and antioxidant compounds that can reduce inflammation and improve bone health.
Avoid chronic inflammation.
If poor bone health is present, look into some of the supplements listed.
The longer you wait to enact these changes, the more interventions you’ll have to introduce. It’s easier to keep what you have than get back what you’ve lost.
What about you, folks? How do you address bone health? Since going Primal, has your bone density improved (if you’ve checked)?
There are a ton of blogs and Youtube channels devoted to girls and their curls- -how to style them, dress them up, keep them healthy etc. There is almost no information online devoted to young boys with highly textured hair. What about those of us with little princes who don’t want to chuck up the deuces to that beautiful hair and “just get a fade”? Every blue moon I may see a little boy with locs or cornrows, but almost never free flowing a la Jaden Smith. It's frowned upon to have your son rock his curls after learning how to talk, as the old wives tale goes.
Read More!!>>> My son, Kai, is 2 ½, and I decided that I am not going to cut his hair (again…this will be explained later) to conform to the norms of African American society. My son has a beautiful head of hair. His curls have tightened up a bit since he was born, and they are gorgeous. Even while wearing a blue outfit, with airplanes, and tiny chuck taylors, he is mistaken for a girl. I began to think that maybe it was his hair, which I used to keep in box braids. Apparently, many people think that having long hair is more of a feminine aesthetic. My thoughts were confirmed by my BF’s mother when she stressed that he really should get his hair cut. Her reasons were that “he needs to feel like a boy” *side eye on deck*. After much thought, I lopped off a few of his braids. I gave in ya’ll, I cut my baby’s hair . We took him to the barber to complete the job I started, and he cut Kai’s hair to this <> long. It was literally 1 ½” long and lop sided. The “barber” cut his hair with industrial scissors so I had to go back and cut even more to get rid of any split ends that may have emerged from the butchering of his tiny head.
I cried….and cried….and cried. For a week straight. I don’t know if it was because his hair was gone or the fact that I gave into pressure and did something I didn’t want to do in the first place. After that, I vowed to never cut his hair again. That was about 8 months ago. His hair is almost as long as it was pre-cut. I started my own blog that focuses on natural hair kids, especially boys, to help other mothers in this predicament. I provide tips and styling options, and ask and search for answers to the questions: Does long hair really equal feminine? Doesn’t boy hair require just as much care and attention as a girl’s does? This journey is just beginning and I hope there are other mother's interested in taking it with me.
UPDATE:
Since this guest post was written there have been more resources available to mothers who want to grow their boy's hair. There are still strides to be made, but here are a couple of resources to start with if you have a little boy and need more information on how to care for his hair.
Youtube - there are many videos now on how to care for boys' hair, no matter what length. Here's just one example that you can watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG2Q6RwG2Gw
Blogs - While there's still work to be done, here are some blogs that mention taking care of boys' hair. Let me know in the comments what other blogs you suggest!
Weigh in! How do you feel about boys getting their hair lopped off on their 1 year birthday? This guest post was originally written in 2011 and has been updated for grammar and clarity.
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Over the past several years, Chicago has consistently been in conversation as a city producing some of the most talented hip hop artists. But while we've seen the rise of the likes of Vic Mensa, Chance The Rapper and Mick Jenkins, there's another group who isn't getting the shine they deserve. Black female singers. Below we highlight some of the prominent and upcoming Black female singers on the rise in the Chicago music scene. Continue >>>>>>>>>>>>
Akenya
In 2010, Akenya released her debut EP 'Overcome.' At only 23 years old, she has opened up for Esperanza Spaulding and collaborated with the likes of Chance The Rapper, Mick Jenkins and NoName Gypsy. The Chicago native caught my attention recently when Soundcloud's shuffle algorithm introduced me to her track 'Absent Mindedness.' Her style eloquently combines jazz, poetry and neo-soul. Although only two songs on her current Soundcloud, they're enough to keep you wanting more until she drops her follow-up EP sometime this year. Give her music a listen below.
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Jean Deaux
Hailing from Chicago's west-side, Jean Deaux has used her roots in house, r&b and hip hop to define her district electronic sound. Her 13.5 thousand followers on Soundcloud has led her to a recent performance at the House of Vans showcase at SXSW and a takeover of Nylon's snapchat. She's collaborated with the likes of Mick Jenkins and production/creative collective THEMPeople. While she's caught my attention with her tracks XYZ and Don't Kall My Name, Alone is by far my favorite. The 8-min track produced by Nico Segal and ThemPeople touches on not wanting to be alone after the ending of a bad relationship. "Have you ever been so in love with somebody that you never wanna be alone?" Give it a listen below.
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Daryn Alexus
Daryn Alexus is originally a DC-native who migrated to Chicago like many artists to attend Columbia College Chicago. But music wasn't a new idea to her as she attended the world renowned Duke Ellington High School for the Arts. The school boasts such notable alumni as Dave Chapelle and Angela Davis. The 25-year old singer touches on real issues many millennials/creatives can relate to. Student loans, past due bills and following dreams. "Bow your head and say a prayer.// For the little girl who lives inside of me." She's garnered a increasing following in Chicago, catching the attention of the Chicago Tribune. In an interview with the Tribune, she speaks on how the passing of her aunt (also a singer) in 2012 is what led her back in pursuit of music. To date, Alexus has dropped two projects, Green and The Wildflower Series. Some of my personal favorites are '1990' and 'Then Again.' Out of the 5, she's probably the one I have the closest connection with. I witnessed first hand her very first performance while a student at Columbia. She's come quite a ways over the past several years, and it's only a matter of time before I believe her music will meet the speakers of the masses. On April 10th, she'll be performing at the world renowned Double Door in Chicago. Check out her music below.
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Eryn Allen Kane
You can't mention the Chicago music scene these days without brining up the name Eryn Allen Kane. Like Daryn Alexus, Kane also transplanted to Chicago from Detroit to attend Columbia College Chicago. But it wasn't until after graduation that she started to gain the attention of music lovers all around the globe. She's been co-signed by Prince, which would later lead to a collaboration between the two and a special performance at his benefit concert for Baltimore, live-streamed by Tidal. Around the same time, she would catch the attention of Spike Lee, who hand selected her to play a small supporting role in Chiraq. Last year she dropped Aviary Act I and less than a year later followed up with Aviary Act II. One of my personal favorites, Piano Song was featured on an episode of Being Mary Jane. Kane has collaborated with the likes of Chance The Rapper and Donnie Trumpet, who helped boost her name before releasing her solo material. She's easily the most popular of the five, but has somehow maintained her graceful, charismatic personality in spite of everything that's happened over the past year. If for some reason you haven't heard of Kane before now, or simply forgot, you'll quickly fall in love with Kane's powerful, soulful voice. No doubt, Have Mercy is a personal favorite of the fans, amassing over 660,000 spins on Soundcloud and over 100K views on YouTube. Listen to her music below.
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Jamila Woods
You might recognize Jamila Woods from Chance The Rapper's Sunday Candy or Macklemore's "White Privilege II." Woods earned a BA in African American Studies and Theater & Performance Studies from Brown University. Although she's made a name for herself as a singer, Woods is just as respected as both a poet and activist in Chicago. She currently serves as Associate Artistic Director of Young Chicago Authors where she helps organize the largest poetry festival in the world. In 2012, Woods released her debut Chapbook, 'The Truth About Dolls' inspired from a Toni Morrison quote. Earlier this year, she would pen a record deal with Chicago label, Closed Sessions. Her controversial collaboration with Macklemore is what caught many media outlets attention as they wrote about their new discovery of the Black female singer on the track. Her song Blk Girl Soldier speaks on the Black Girl Magic movement, paying tribute to freedom fighters like Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth and Assata Shakur. "But what they don't understand. //She don't give up." Give it a listen below.
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You found yourself at a window table in a cafe with your bestie. You sipped tea, nibbled pastries and gossiped about your college roommate who had recently posted pics from her entirely ratchet wedding ceremony for all of social media to consume. As you scrolled through your feed, bestie shared a laugh with the cute waiter, y'all paid, hopped in an Uber and went to your apartment.
When you woke up this morning, you realized that it was 'just a dream' and that you hadn't gone anywhere or done anything. But don't forget, while you were dreaming, before you WOKE up, it all seemed very, very convincing--
In the dream, you had a dream body that could feel your dream phone as you scrolled through the dream pictures. Your dream mouth tasted the dream tea and dream pastry. There were dream tables, chairs, cups, silverware, walls... all of which appeared very solid and real. For instance if you'd stubbed your dream toe on the leg of the dream table, you'd dream cuss.
Your dream eyes admired the view from the window-- the blue sky, the fluffy white clouds, the tall, old oak trees, the bright sun, the cars and pedestrians, all going about their business. There were other dream folk in the restaurant too-- like the cute waiter and your bestie, who seemed to have their own thoughts and opinions... their own consciousness. For example, you didn't know what your bestie would say next or what the waiter would say to her, or even what he would do when he got off work. Then you guys hopped in a dream Uber and traveled through space and time to end up at your apartment.
But the thing is, you created that entire experience, right there, in your bed, in your room, in 'your mind', last night. You created a cafe, old ass trees (that looked like they'd been there for centuries, long before you arrived on the scene), and cute, free-willed waiters. You created time and space for your dream body to travel through. But all of that took place right there, 'in your mind', in your room, and was made up of one thing, consciousness. Every object in the dream had the same essence-- the trees, the bestie, your dream body, the tea... only consciousness appearing AS different objects. And while you were dreaming, it felt real. It felt like there were lots of things going on, most of which you had no control over. Most of which must have existed before you and your friend arrived at the cafe. And if a dream CurlyNikki would've strutted into that cafe and walked right up to you and said, 'bish, wake up, this a dream!' You would've thought she had lost her whole entire mind.
So ask yourself, is it possible that Consciousness is dreaming this moment right here, right now? There's only one thing going on and You are it. You just forgot. Remember to remember, my friends.
Stay Woke,
Nik
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Job stress, social conflict, illness (sometimes serious illness), financial hardship, our children’s struggles, a move across country, a divorce, a death of a loved one…they’re all events that can test our mental fortitude or—in more extreme cases—leave us emotionally adrift. Some people turn into a puddle during a critical emergency, while others jump in the middle of it to save the day. Yet, watch those same people face a protracted struggle like the death of a spouse or a child, and the one who managed the momentary crisis may have a much harder time. 
As I mentioned earlier this year, our 
Strip away the skin, fascia, muscles, organs, blood vessels of a human and you’re left with the bones: the foundation providing passive structural support. Many people accept that we can affect and even control the health of the rest of our tissues. Muscles? Just lift. Cardiovascular system? Do some cardio and lose weight. Teeth? Stop sugar. But bones just wear down the older you get. Everyone knows it. And sometimes bones just break. There’s nothing you can to prevent it and nothing you can do to 
