Instagram Does Not Define “Black” Women: A Response To Kodak Black

In a recent video on Instagram Live, 20-year old American rapper, Kodak Black, let his fans know how he felt about black women stating, “... I don’t really like black girls like that, sorta kinda.”

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Following his comments, many black women took to social media to let Kodak know that they were not looking for him anyways.

The rapper obviously has no shame in making his preference for women with a “lighter complexion” known as his music is a reflection of his attitudes. On a song titled, “Fresh Out (My Struggle)”, Kodak raps:

Ay, where them yellow bones?
I don't want no black [ ]
I'm already black, I don't need no black [ ]

In response to the backlash, Kodak Black attempted to clarify himself in another post stating that he loves “black African American women”, but it’s just not his “forte to deal with a ‘darkskin’ woman”.

Although Kodak’s Instagram account has since been deleted, his comments - or preferences - bring about a bigger question regarding Instagram as a social media platform.

Yes, Instagram serves as a tool through which users can market themselves and build their brand. But, Instagram is not always a safe space for marginalized groups in that it cannot funnel out the forever embedded, Eurocentric ideologies that are disseminated through videos, photos, and comments.

This brings us back to last year when London-based Youtuber Jennifer Olaleye posted a selfie on Instagram and a girl tagged her friend in a comment which read, “I don’t know where dark skinned girls are getting this confidence from :/”. The girl’s friend later replied, “I think the confidence is fake tbh.”

Olaleye’s response highlighted the fact that her confidence was not in fact rooted in her being dark-skinned. “My confidence is very much real!” she commented, “And does not come from my beautiful gorgeous melanin infused skin! But from knowing that I’m simply a child of God :D.”

Well said!

Colorism is real. If it weren’t, then darker toned individuals like Kodak would not feel the need to distance themselves from their most obvious feature in an effort to be different.

Like Kodak Black, everyone is entitled to their likes or dislikes and are free to express their preferences. Thank you First Amendment!

However, the issue is not that Kodak Black prefers lighter women.

The issue with his comments is that they do not give a real basis for putting ‘darkskin’ women into a category, implying that these type of women possess certain qualities or characteristics that are unfavorable.

Platforms like Instagram, a source of media consumption for 400 million users on a daily basis, should not be a space in which black women feel forced to define or re-define themselves. Still, within an environment in which likes and comments are a constant source of approval - or lack thereof - it can be difficult to challenge the venom of colorism while simultaneously working hard to ensure that one personally does not become the source of speculation. Because who wants that?

The best way to combat the stereotypes associated with black bodies is to be comfortable with one's self independent of external approval. Instagram can be a medium through which black women empower themselves, but it can also be a constant source of comparison to other women of different backgrounds or of different shades.

In these types of scenarios, it’s important to hold onto and give momentum to the #BlackGirlMagic, #BlackisBeautiful, #TheDarkerTheBerryTheSweeterTheJuice movements that sprout from the hate directed towards women with darker complexions. It is also equally as important to not project notions of other-ism onto other black women simply because they have a lighter complexion. No one should be made to feel less than simply because of their skin tone.

Share your thoughts in the comments. 

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Ariel is a 23-year old SoCal native, working professional, and Alumna of the University of California, Berkeley. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and through her studies, acquired a passion for gaining knowledge that would improve the quality of her life and further allow her to interact with and touch people in a positive way. You can follow her own blog, The Freewoman Diaries, at http://ift.tt/2nEOKhg

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Coconut Oil Is Going to Kill Us All (or Maybe Not…)

I was beginning to rest on my laurels. It had been months since the inbox had flooded with upset readers asking me to address the latest episode of the conventional establishment’s attack on healthy food and living. Until last week, when people starting freaking out about the American Heart Association’s attack on coconut oil. As USA Today put it, “Coconut oil isn’t healthy. It’s never been healthy.”

I was surprised. While I get most of my scientific references from USA Today (the “Works Cited” section of my upcoming keto book is just a single link to USAToday.com), and they’ve never let me down in the past, I didn’t know what to make of their coconut oil claims.

Had I entered an alternate timeline? Did the Tokelau people of the South Pacific obtain 50% of their calories from PUFA-laden soybean oil, and not saturated fat derived from coconuts? Did the Kitavans thrive on an admittedly high-carb diet not by supplementing it with coconut cream and meat, but by dousing their yams and fish in Unilever margarine shipped in from across the ocean?

I did some digging, revisited some other sources I’ve used in the past. Turns out I wasn’t crazy. Everything was the same. The Tokelau people really did show zero signs of heart disease despite eating a 50% coconut fat diet. They really did start getting fat and diabetic and heart diseased only after the introduction of wheat, sugar, and vegetable oils. And the Kitavans did eat a high-coconut oil, high-carb diet and thrived while doing it.

I could probably stop this post here. I mean, 50% of calories from coconut oil and pristine health is about as resounding a debunking of the AHA’s position you could produce. Let’s keep going, though….

When it boils down to it, the AHA’s condemnation of coconut oil is just another salvo in their futile war against saturated fat consumption. They focus only on the tendency of coconut oil to increase LDL and ignore everything else it does, even referring to coconut oil’s lack of “offsetting favorable effects.”

LDL has something to do with heart disease. Maybe it’s the LDL particles. Maybe it’s the oxidized LDL. Maybe it’s all that and more. I just wish the AHA would branch out a bit is all. For example, you’d think the American Heart Association would find it interesting that PUFA metabolites are actually biomarkers of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (fatty liver + liver inflammation). If you want a non-invasive way to diagnose it, just look at how much PUFA they’re metabolizing. They don’t. Maybe they haven’t seen the research.

It’s hard to blame them; their entire world rests on the foundational axiom that LDL cholesterol drives heart disease. If they question that axiom, everything starts falling apart real fast. Their continued existence depends on them not noticing “offsetting favorable effects.” 

About those supposedly missing favorable effects, coconut oil does many different things besides raise LDL, many of which are “good.”

Coconut oil consistently raises HDL in humans who eat it. Higher HDL is linked to protection from heart disease, and higher HDL:Total cholesterol ratios are often the best predictors of protection from heart disease, beating the AHA’s favorite HDL:LDL ratio in predictive power.

It even improves cardiometabolic status in heart disease patients—the group the AHA is convinced coconut oil will kill. Patients who ate coconut oil saw reductions in waist circumference and body weight and increases in HDL. Another study also found that coconut oil reduces waist circumference, albeit with the biggest effects seen in males. That said, an even earlier study found that overweight women were able to reduce abdominal fat using dietary coconut oil. Seems to be good for goose and gander, even if the geese have heart disease.

To the AHA’s credit, a doctor quoted in the USA Today article noted, “You can put it on your body, but don’t put it in your body.” You just got permission to rub it on your skin as lotion, make it into deodorant and apply it to your armpits, and use it to condition your hair. 

Personally, I put stock in actual clinical research into the topical effects of coconut oil—without the same fear-mongering around its dietary intake.

In hair, the shorter-chained fatty acids allow coconut oil better penetration to the hair proteins. This protects them from sun damage and results in less hair protein loss when compared to mineral oil or sunflower oil.

On the skin, coconut oil performs admirably against mineral oil in the treatment of scaly skin. It also beats mineral oil in dermatitis patients.

Oil pulling with virgin coconut oil (swishing it around in your mouth, making sure to get between the teeth, before brushing or eating in the morning) reduces the presence of cavity-causing bacteria in the saliva. Just don’t swallow.

The late Seth Roberts eliminated toenail fungus with virgin coconut oil. He applied a thin layer to the affected foot each day, then covered them with socks. This is just an anecdote, but we know that lauric acid—one of the primary fats in coconut oil—is antimicrobial.

In the interest of fairness, I’ll follow up with some negatives. Coconut oil isn’t a panacea.

It’s terrible for frying eggs. Maybe I’m doing something wrong, but my eggs always stick when I try to use coconut oil as the frying medium. No, I’m not adding the eggs too early. This doesn’t happen with other fats. The taste isn’t great with eggs, either, to be honest.

Coconut oil is not the same as whole coconut. The cultures that did so well on high-coconut fat diets weren’t eating spoonfuls of refined (or even virgin) coconut oil. They were by and large processing and using the whole coconut—flesh, juice, fiber, and all. It’s one of the reasons why I’ll often turn to coconut butter over oil, like if I’m making a curry. Coconut butter is flesh and fat and fiber. If you intend on emulating the Tokelau diet with 50% of calories from coconut fat, stick to whole coconut, not straight oil.

It does raise LDL. This doesn’t worry me, especially given all the “offsetting favorable effects,” but it may be an issue for certain people. Anytime you make a big dietary change—like suddenly eating a bunch of coconut fat—you should track changes to your physiology and biomarkers.

I will say this for the AHA: At least we can dispense with the accusations of conflicts of interest. After all, the coconut industry of America just pledged to donate up to $500k from coconut seed sales to the American Heart Association. For the AHA to come out strongly against coconut oil after getting such a sweet deal only confirms the objectivity of the assessment. Even if they’re wrong, they’re not biased.

Oh, wait. It was the soybean industry that pledged to donate the money to the AHA? Never mind.

Anyway, that’s my take on the latest AHA attack on coconut oil. What’s yours?

Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care!

The post Coconut Oil Is Going to Kill Us All (or Maybe Not…) appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

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Netflix Releases Dope New Trailer For Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have It" Series

Photo Credit: AP Images/Invision

By Sharee Silerio

From “School Daze” to “Crooklyn”, “Malcolm X” and “Do the Right Thing”, Spike Lee has written and directed a collection of classic films that focus on culture, racism, sexism, colorism and life as a black person in America.

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Another one of Lee’s classics is his debut 1986 award-winning film “She’s Gotta Have It”, a “sexy comedy” about a Brooklyn artist named Nola Darling and her three lovers; the cultured model, Greer Childs; the protective investment banker, Jamie Overstreet; and the sneakerhead, Mars Blackmon.

All three want her to settle down with them, and hilarity ensues as she and they work out the conflict between their hearts, desires and reality.

This fall, the movie will be turned into a 10-episode television series, with Lee as the creator and director of the entire series, including serving as executive producer along with his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee.

This time around, the young, attractive and sexually independent Nola will be played by chocolate beauty DeWanda Wise (‘Underground’, ‘Shots Fired’).

The Netflix Original series and Spike Lee Joint premieres on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23.

Based on the teaser, it looks like the show might be the next Netflix hit!

What do you think about the teaser? Have you watched the film ‘She’s Gotta Have It’? Will you be tuning in?

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Sharee Silerio is a St. Louis-based freelance writer, Film and TV writer-producer, and blogger. When she isn’t creating content for The Root or The St. Louis American, she enjoys watching drama/sci-fi/comedy movies and TV shows, writing faith and self-love posts for SincerelySharee.com, relaxing with a cup of chai tea, crafting chic DIY event décor, and traveling. Review her freelance portfolio at ShareeSilerio.com then connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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5 Products for Long-Lasting Makeup During the Summer Heat

Summer months are full outside activities. We love social gatherings, lounging at the beach and traveling with family and friends. Amid it all, the temperature could potentially be a deal breaker for your makeup. Having it ruined by heat and humidity is a fear of most beauties. No need to use heavy powders in the blistering heat. Try switching up your arsenal and consider using these lightweight products to help keep your makeup flawless!

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FOR YOUR FACE

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water
This 2-in-1 primer and setting spray hydrates, preps, and refreshes skin. It instantly absorbs into skin, leaving it looking ultra-soft. It can be used to refresh your makeup throughout the day. This product is cruelty-free, non-acnegenic, ophthalmologist and dermatologist tested, and works for all skin types. It is available to purchase at Sephora.

Coty Airspun Translucent Loose Face Powder
This top selling loose powder is blended with air to provide ultimate coverage with a lightweight feel. This translucent face powder can be used to hide tiny lines, wrinkles and blemishes to give a flawless finish. It is a great product (available at Walmart) to use as a finishing agent to set makeup.

IMAN Skin Tone Everner BB Crème
Iman Skin Tone Everner BB Crème is perfect for summer months. “It has a shear hint of color that compliments the natural tones of Women with Skin of Color.” It aids in keep your skin even, nourished and hydrated. Some of the ingredients includes: Grape Seed, Almond, Aloe and Vitamins A, E & C. This product is available to purchase at Walgreens.

FOR YOUR EYES

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow
Bobbi Brown bestselling and award-winning Long-Wear Cream Shadow lasts for up to 12 hours of water, sweat, and humidity, which is perfect for the summer heat. It glides on comfortably-leaving a soft, velvety finish. It’s also fragrance-free, safe for contact lens wearers, and ophthalmologist-tested. This product is available to purchase at Sephora.

FOR YOUR LIPS

Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick ($14.00)
The Sephora Collection bestselling Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick is silky, long-lasting, and keeps lips covered with bold color from morning to night – no need to reapply or touch up through the day. Infused with avocado oil, this high-coverage lip color is never sticky, and won’t dry out lips. There are 39 colors to choose from.

How do you combat heat and keep your makeup fresh?

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Monica is a Milwaukee native, wife, mother of two, step mother of one and working professional.  In her spare time she enjoys reading,  shopping and following the current trends of natural hair, beauty and health, all while pursuing her Bachelors Degree in Business Management and Leadership. You can follow her on Instagram@allbeautyandhair and Twitter @allbeautynhair.

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Introducing the Primal Endurance Mastery Course!

I’m thrilled to introduce the launch of an exciting new direction for our educational and publishing ambitions here at Primal Blueprint: The Primal Endurance comprehensive online multimedia educational mastery course. Quite simply, this endeavor brings the Primal Endurance book to life with a robust library of instructional and interview videos, audio content, and digital books based on content in the Primal Endurance book and podcast.

Like our Primal Health Coach course, your course enrollment avails you to an online portal where all the content is thoughtfully organized and easy to navigate. You’ll be able to stream or download the Primal Endurance book and audio book, numerous other eBooks and audio programs, and access a massive library of videos consisting of interviews with the world’s leading endurance athletes, coaches and trainers—as well as leading experts in health, science and medicine.

There are over 120 videos in this course, hitting you from every direction with impactful content to help you achieve the primary objective of the Primal Endurance approach: escape chronic cardio and become a fat burning beast!

Brad Kearns, my co-author on Primal Endurance, hosts the online course. He traveled the continent conducting the expert interviews, and also walks you through the entire content of the book in carefully structured, bite-sized videos aligned with the book chapters. If you’re too busy to read or if you like to augment your book knowledge with video instruction, this course is for you. Here are just a few examples of the valuable video content:

Chapter by chapter presentation of the book content, consisting of both lectures and practical instruction. You’ll get everything from step-by-step recipe videos, running technique instruction and drills, swim technique instruction and drills, and a series of “Finishing Touches” videos giving you concise marching orders to become healthy, happy, stress-balanced, fat-adapted Primal Endurance athlete.

• Olympic triathlon gold medalist Simon Whitfield shares his deepest feelings about what made him a champion, how he lost perspective with his mindset and logistics, and how he made a dramatic turnaround to return to the Olympic medal stand with a silver 8 years later.

• Former Los Angeles Lakers Strength and Conditioning Coach Tim DiFrancesco takes you through five mobility flexibility exercises so you can discover your weaknesses and high injury risk areas, then delivers corrective exercises to get you a rock solid performance foundation.

• Movement Nutrition Queen Katy Bowman discusses the critical importance of engaging in more frequent and varied forms of everyday movement, and warns against manifesting the “lazy athlete” mentality where you are overly sedentary outside of your devotion to regular workouts.

• Mobility WOD and Crossfit San Francisco legend Kelly “K-Starr” Starrett reflects on the athlete mindset, the need for a foundational, comprehensive training approach instead of shortcut approach, and the intricacies of proper hydration.

• Dr. Phil Maffetone, the pioneer of aerobic training and balancing fitness with health, shares the secrets of his 30+ year journey guiding endurance athletes away from breakdown and toward health and longevity.

• Dr. Cate Shanahan scares the heck out of you, detailing the dangers of consuming refined vegetable oils and sharing how to improve your fat burning capabilities both on and off the race course.

• Kimmie Smith and Dr. Dawn McCrory deliver a complete self-myofacsial release program using Yoga Therapy Balls. You’ll not only work through your rough spots, you’ll stimulate a parasympathetic nervous system response that’s guaranteed to help you completely unwind from a busy day of work and/or training.

• Fat- and keto-adapted ultramarathon running star Zach Bitter details the powers of keto-adapted endurance performance, including how he ran all night for 40 miles of pacing at Western States 100, consuming only water and liquid amino acids.

• Ageless wonder multiple world champion triathlete Pete Kain becomes your personal trainer with a demonstration of assorted creative gym exercises with the Bosu ball, stretch bands and a fun progression of core exercises from beginner to awesome “feel the burn” level 10!

• Primal Endurance’s own Lindsay Taylor, Ph.D, ironman triathlete, behavioral psychologist and Facebook Primal Endurance Group hostess, talks about the psychological aspects of successful endurance training – setting healthy goals (and recommitting each day), and cultivating intrinsic motivators.

It’s no secret that endurance athletes struggle from over-training syndrome, difficulty reducing excess body fat, and dietary patterns that promote carbohydrate dependency. The Primal Endurance Mastery Course liberates you from these hazards so you can pursue ambitious goals while preserving your health and maintaining a balanced life. You’ll follow a simple, enjoyable, intuitive approach that is less stressful, less exhausting, and that enables you to go faster on less total training time.

In the process, you will enjoy an effortless reduction of excess body fat that is so elusive when you train in the old chronic cardio/carbohydrate dependency paradigm. Instead of doggedly following rigid schedules and weekly mileage obligations, you’ll become flexible and empowered to always make the best decisions to protect your health and build fitness.

No more frustration with recurring illness, injury, and burnout episodes that leave you discouraged! The simple, commonsense principles of Primal living and training are appropriate for all enthusiasts—from elite professionals to raw beginners.

If you want to see what the course is all about before pulling the trigger, Brad Kearns has created a series of videos called “9 Steps to Becoming a Primal Endurance athlete.”

This content will give you a good feel for what the course material covers, but you will be absolutely blown away at the volume of content in your digital library, especially the exclusive, in-depth interviews from some of the greatest endurance athletes of all time and also some of the leading health, performance and medical experts in the endurance scene, particularly the burgeoning fat-adapted and keto endurance scene.

You can also check out the Primal Endurance Facebook Group if you want to engage with Primal Endurance enthusiasts. This is a private space to share thoughts openly, and to get input and support from others as you embark on this journey to living and training Primally.

Are you ready to gain mastery over the challenges of endurance training? I’m offering this course—with lifetime access to all the resources here PLUS ongoing members-only support and additional educational materials we add over time—for a special introductory rate you won’t want to miss. It’s limited time only, so don’t wait! And just to sweeten the deal, I’m throwing in a free pack of my PRIMAL KITCHEN® Coconut-Cashew Bars for the first 100 people who sign up.

Want to learn more? Check out more about the course here. This course is near and dear to my heart, folks. I can’t wait for you to join me and see what we can make possible for your training success and lifelong health. Thanks, as always, for your support.

The post Introducing the Primal Endurance Mastery Course! appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

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10 Serious Hair-inspirations from the 2017 BET Awards

Photo: Getty Images Issa Rae at the 2017 BET Awards

Written by Alma J. Hill

Award shows are for hair envy, no matter the event. The BET Awards is one of the few occasions where you will see black women embracing their natural textures in all their unique glory. This year did not disappoint with TONS of amazing, intricate designs atop our favorite celebs heads. Here's just a few that gave us some serious hair inspiration. If you need me. I'll be on Issa Rae's Instagram all day, trying to find her stylist.

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1)Erica Ash brought edgy class to her look with a beautiful loc'd updo.

2) Goapele can rock a fade like no other. Add a clean part, and her slay is complete.

3) I don't know why the board didn't award Issa Rae's stylist. EVERY TIME, she looks goo. This time, a hybrid braided extension fell over the shoulder, with mini plaits to separate... this masterpiece is too beautiful to comprehend.

4)Nozamo Mbatha topped off her African Inspired look with a crown of an updo. An intricate bun which incorporated a few twists and an accent addition completed her fit.

5) Justine Skye took her bold color of choice and owned it. Who says darker women can't rock bright colors?

6) Yvette Nicole Brown, I always recognize by her hair. Her coiffed curls were simple and swept to one side. I'm peeping this look for my next protective style.

7) Logan Browning went baby-doll chic. A side part with a slick crown led to an almost unexpected explosion of curls right above the ear. It's almost reminiscent of the 1920's. We're here for it.

8) Sierra McClain isn't done with the Lemonade Braids. Her box braids fell to the side instead of straight back and were interlaced with blonde (or is that gold) highlights. The length only complimented her short business like attire. Issa look.

9) Yara Shahidi has naturally looser curls which she tamed perfectly for this night. She showcased her natural texture simply, effortlessly, by just letting her hair BE.

10) Pearl Thusi stunned with a larger than life fro low hanging afro, which 4C women can really appreciate. No perfect twist out, not a drop of Eco Styler in sight. Just a confident blow out full of volume and class.

What was your favorite hairspiration from the BET Awards? Share in the comments!

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Alma Hill is a freelance journalist, actress, and mother living in Orlando, FL. A frequent contributor to online and print media publications, she believes that the words from our mouths will change the world. Born in Charlotte, NC, she's a millennial with an old soul who appreciates a good meme as much as a Miles Davis album. Brave souls can follow her on Twitter @_mynameissoul,but you have been warned. 

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5 Events For Black Professionals Attending Essence Fest 2017

Photo Courtesy of Nappi Hour

Last year, over 450,000 attendees showed up for Essence Fest in New Orleans. This weekend, Essence Magazine returns to New Orleans for the 22nd annual Essence Festival. While many attendees are there for the concerts, each year, tens of thousands of young Black professionals peruse the city and attend local events. Below we've put together a list of must attend events for Black Professionals headed to Essence Fest 2017. Check out the list and let us know if you're coming.

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FRIDAY

The Annual All White Party ft. Terrence J. + Toya Wright

Purchase tickets here.

NAPPI HOUR

"Come let your hair down after work" at Nappi Hour.

Since launching in January 2017 in Chicago, Nappi Hour has become a monthly destination for young Blacks/creatives in the Chicagoland area. After several successful monthly installations in Chicago, Nappi Hour is headed to Essence Fest. Ticket purchase includes 2-hour bottomless rum punch and Nappi Juice.

Location: 14 Parishes NOLA
Time: 9pm
Cost: $20 Advanced Tickets, $30 Last Call
(Tickets include 2-hour bottomless rum punch and Nappi Juice from 10pm-midnight)

Purchase tickets here.

SATURDAY

DAMN THAT DJ DAYPARTY
Music By: Kid Capri
Location: Le Meridian New Orleans
Time: 2pm-8pm

RSVP here.

GRITS & BISCUITS

Launched in 2010, Grits & Biscuits combines all of your favorite dirty south music amongst a crowd of young Black professionals who come ready to let loose and have a good time. Since it's launch, the event has sold out in cities such as New York, D.C. Chicago, Atlanta and Houston.

Time: 10pm
Venue: House of Blues
Cost: $20

Purchase tickets here.

SUNDAY

RCS #GlassHouse Day Party

New Orleans Jazz Market

Sunday July 2, 2017

BRUNCH, MIMOSAS & MORE
• Drink Specials
• Free Champagne for ladies the first hour
• Food Curated by Season of Lousiana`

SOUNDTRACK :
• DJ Chris Major & DJ RQ Away

HOSTS :
• Red Clay Soul, Absolut Elyx, Absolut Lime, Avion Tequila & Martel

Purchase tickets here.

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