Healthy Kids (& adults too): Let's Move! Everybody move your body!

Hellloooo you all!!! I hope all is well with you and as the weather gets much better, in most part of the country, I hope you are seriously doing something about your health!  A little while ago I expressed the importance of fighting childhood obesity  http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/03/obesity-fighting-childhood-obesity.html and as you know from most of my articles aside from addressing obesity I greatly encourage

an active and healthy lifestyle!

 

As you can see this video is fantastic, dancing is such a great way to have fun and burn some calories!

But moving and fun do not always require any fancy musical beats and lyrics or any fancy room, it can be simple and totally natural....

(Picture found online) I do not know the location of the children above but I can tell they are having a good time, they are moving and they are proof that it doesn't take much to please kids...

(Picture found online of children in Thailand)! I love to see children being creative and using discarded objects as toys! Fun and moving can obviously be a great combination of creativity and simplicity! What adds charm to the picture is that I could classify their 'toy'as a Green toy! An old tire can bring great entertainment to children as you can see on the girl's sweet little face!  Well... an organized activity such as having your kids be part of an organization like these young soccer players  is also a way to get children moving and ensure that they stay active as you can see from this picture found on the link of an organization called Camp Shane! The Green factor here is that they are outdoors but another 'green factor' is quite obvious. The last 'Green factor' I am referring to here is money! It takes nice dollar bills for activities at this organization! But I am confident that when it comes to children's health its well worth the expense!Judging by all the exposure Camp Shane has received in the media they must be worth the investment!

 Camp Shane is in NY, Arizona and California, it's actually a youth weight loss camp that have been featured on TV on shows such Dr.Phil, Tyra Banks, 20/20, etc for their success in fighting childhood obesity! It's obviously not like any other summer camp! How many summer camps even have a weight loss resort?Well, I just don't know too many!

Now, a look at the special individual behind the Let's Move campaign that inspired this very article!

First Lady Michelle Obama!

Thankfully this nation is blessed with the leadership of a First Lady who is greatly conscious of the overall health of her nation and deeply care about the well being of her people. She has enlisted everyone and anyone including celebrities like Beyonce to assist in her efforts to fight childhood obesity and motivates children as well as adults to take care of their health. In sharing the selected videos I hope that youth and adults alike will find the motivation and inspiration they need to

get moving!

For more good videos on the subject of children's health please check the article http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/03/obesity-fighting-childhood-obesity.html

I hope the videos and many of the ones you will come across will inspire you to get moving! You might or might not be a fan of any of the individuals specifically mentioned in this article and it's not about being their fans! It's about being aware that:

•  your health matters
•  children's health matters
•  healthy children are the future of a nation
• there are many good reasons why you should get moving
• there are may ways that you can get moving
• there are simple things that we can do to be healthy
• small changes can have a huge impact
• you are not alone we are all in it together
• we all deserve a better body and a better life

So...To a healthy you and to your better body and to your better life, the natural way!!! Let's Move!

Please if you are new here or not yet committed (smiles) become a Follower and bless this community with your presence as a supporter and a health and wellness advocate! The more we are the merrier and healthier! (smiles)

Freely share all your comments and thoughts as you never know who you might be inspiring!!! 

 What do you think about the First Lady Let's Move campaign? What are ways that you can start moving? How have you been moving? Isn't it cool and interesting that one of the first thing she mentions is the kitchen garden?I think it is! (Check my previous article http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/04/benefits-of-gardening-my-edible.html for a peek at my container kitchen garden)!

N'na

The benefits of gardening: a sneak peek at my edible container garden

Gardening is a very rewarding activity and it feels great to have an edible garden as well. It's exciting to grow something new for the first time and it's rewarding to be able to bring some home grown food on the table!

The first time I harvested enough lettuce to fix a salad plate I was elated! I had limited myself to gardening flowers and herbs until now. I did not want to put forth the effort to get my yard ready for any substantial edible garden because I was not very confident in my abilities to maintain it! With the rewards from my container garden I am much more confident  in maintaining a large edible garden so I will keep you posted on my progress on this particular project! For now I invite you to take a quick tour in my container garden!

My first lettuce harvest

 It doesn't get more organic than that right? When you plant your own produces you don't have to be concerned about any recalls but you still have to rinse your food very well!

A very simple and healthy lunch: The strawberries are not from my garden, mine are still a work in progress

I tried to grow some strawberries last year but in seemed that some kind of creature was constantly nibbling on them before I could harvest even one strawberry! Thankfully I am being more successful this year...

The flowers are a very good sign that I have some nice strawberries coming...yeaah!!!

Yeaaaah some strawberries...

My Chives are 4 years old! They are a perennial herb that I find very easy to grow and much useful to use! As the weather get colder I generally cut them and freeze them, like this I can still enjoy them during the winter months. They are obviously great to top potatoes but they can also be used in soups and stew or to flavor sauces, mayonnaise, sour cream...

Some benefits of Chives: 

they are high in Vitamin C and A and contain essential minerals such as potassium, folic acid,calcium. 

Rosemary and Lavender

are among my older herbs too. They are great for bath, homemade scented sachets, adding scent to your cooking or body oil.

My thyme are 2 years old, obviously another easy perennial herb to grow! 

Some benefits of thyme:

The oil of thyme is used in aromatherapy to elevate the mood! The ancient Romans used it as a remedy for melancholy! Thyme also has some therapeutic properties. It possesses  expectorant and bronchial antispasmodic properties, making it useful in the treatment of acute and chronic bronchitis, whooping cough, and inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.

 Oregano is a must have herb in your garden! It's not only a delicious addition to flavor your dishes but it's full in antioxidants.

Some benefits of Oregano:

Oregano actually has 42 times the antioxidants of a medium size apple! 

Did you know that Hippocrates the great Greek philosopher and scholar used it for its medicinal properties? Oregano has many beneficial properties and it's worth considering as a natural remedy to some ailments! For example, it has antibacterial properties as well as anti-parasitical properties! It can be used as a natural treatment to E-coli! Thanks to its anti-bacterial and anti-septic benefits, the oil can be rubbed on wounds and cuts. In some cultures it's used as a pain-killer probably due to its anti-inflammatory properties, as the oil can also treat inflamed joints and muscles. Well as you can see much can be said about this special herb so more about it later.

This is my first year planting some habanero peppers, I am glad to see those flowers! Habanero peppers are greatly favored where I grew up as many cooks will consider that a dish without habanero peppers is weak in flavor. If you intend on losing weight, spicing your food with hot peppers such as those will assist you in that effort I will keep you posted on my harvest...

It's also my first time planting some broccoli, I am not sure what to expect but I think it's a head coming forth, stay tuned! I am also planted some Brussels sprouts and some tomatoes in my container garden.

 I think that there are 4 great advantages to container gardening:

1) It allows you to start small in case you are not confident.

2) It allows you to still grow what you want even if you do not have a lot of  space! So if you do not have a yard you can still plant an herb and edible garden.

3) It's practically low maintenance.

4) It can move with you once you change residence.

I hope this quick tour has inspired you to try growing something edible in case you have never done it before. Can you think of any more advantages to container gardening? What do you grow in your edible garden?

On hair: Talking hair with a Natural: Africa's hair journey part 2

About a month ago I posted part 1 of my conversation with my friend Africa Brown who lives in the UK.  I decided to divide the interview in two parts because it would have been too long to read in one chunk and my questions were obviously falling into two categories. The first set of questions was more about her hair care regimen as it relates to her hair journey  http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/03/africas-hair-journey.html  and the last set of questions I asked her were more about the social and personal aspect of her hair journey. As I was ending part 1 I promised to share with you part 2, here it is: the rest of my conversation with Africa Brown.  

A picture of Africa's natural hair on a work day! Look nice and porfessional!

I think that for some people who have had relaxed hair there is something and someone that triggered them going natural? Was someone an inspiration to you? Or did something take place that triggered your desire to be/stay natural? There was no real trigger for why I went natural. I only relaxed my hair due to lack of knowledge about my own hair, not because I wanted to emulate a white woman.

How did your friends and family react to your decision to go natural? I have had good reactions from my family. I have an aunt and sister, who are both natural, but wear wigs. I have been able to educate them on taking care of their hair. The next step is to get them to wear it out. The relaxed side of my family loves my hair but is afraid to go natural. My partner adores my hair and has been very encouraging.

Do you think that people treat naturals differently than girls with relaxed hair? How? No, not from my experience.

Where you live right now, are they a lot of natural? There are quite a few naturals where I live but it is evident that they are not maintaining their hair. I am currently looking at designing some afro hair care leaflets, which will basically show how to take care of natural hair the easy way. I see so many naturals, who I just want to educate on maintaining afro hair. So if I just hand them a leaflet this way I am helping them without them realizing.

 Do you think that being natural have influenced/improved you and your life? How? I am much happier as a natural. I do not care so much what other people think about my hair.

When I see some natural women I think that it takes a certain courage to be natural in a society where we are trained to look and act like others and I think that certain naturals have a higher sense of pride and purpose would you agree? I definitely agree with that. It does take courage and you have to be prepared for the stares and the ignorant comments. My boyfriend loves my hair and says it makes him feel closer to me as a black woman.

 Beside your hair being natural are there other ways in which you embrace a natural and green lifestyle? Like the use of natural remedies instead of depending a lot on medicine or the use of natural skin care? Any Green practice that’s important to you like recycling rain water, saving energy, recycling?I have stopped using products with parabens in them. I now use African black soap to cleanse my skin instead of using high street cleansers and I use Fairtrade shea butter from Ghana for my skin and hair.

 I have always led a relatively green lifestyle but I still have a way to go in regards to the use of medicines. I have also decided to make a change and buy black owned products only. I no longer buy from the Asian beauty stores. I am fortunate enough to have black owned stores in my area, although my main products are purchased online.

Do you think that most natural embrace natural ways in other area of their lives or not necessarily?No, not really. I know of a few other naturals who do not care about what they put into their bodies.

What advice would you give to anyone you want to be natural but is intimidated to do it mainly because of society? It is the hair you were born with and nobody can change that. Just accept yourself for what you have. I have heard many women say that natural hair does not suit them. I always respond by saying how can your own hair not suit you? They never have an answer for that!

What’s to you the most rewarding thing about being natural?Being able to show the world that I am rocking what the Lord blessed me with and that I am proud. I do not want to look like everybody else. I am me, I am Africa! I love my hair and I will never relax my hair again. My hair can do anything that I want it to do. I can change my hair and have a different hair style every day. No other race can do that. I am proud of my uniqueness.

Since I engaged this conversation with African Brown I have become more aware that many women are not as fortunate as she has been, to have a partner who is fully supportive of her natural hair. I have read about some women's concerns that their boyfriends or husbands are reluctant to their decision and some would go as far as giving them an ultimatum! I want to hear from you.Do you want me to share your natural journey? If yes simply send me a message at goodhealthdiva@gmail.com with the sugject: My hair Journey.
Are you a natural? How supportive is your man about your decision to go natural? If he was reluctant at first how did you get him to support your decision? Do you think that men have a say on their women's decision concerning their hair?Do you think that people do treat women with relaxed hair differently than they treat naturals? How so? If you are a man reading this article what is your take on the issue of natural hair?

N'na

The benefits of gardening: A whimsical idea Monet would have smiled at....

A few days ago I went to my garden for our morning ritual, ritual that consists of heading there first thing in the morning to see what new bloom was birthed, taking some pictures and embracing the love from the flower garden....
As I was walking back into the house this fun idea occurred to me: To float some clematis in my birdbath! Strange idea!!!I know...but that's the thing about being in love with nature...it's okay to think out of the box! I do not have a lily pond so the idea was pretty cute and whimsical!

N'na's garden: Clematis & birdbath

I know it's not Monet's Lily pond at Giverny but I think that even him would have smiled at the sight of this birdbath...



I went as far as bringing some clematis in the house and ...

Talking of Monet this blurry picture  I took this morning before the rain could  make for Impressionist art don't you think?

I think that the following pictures would have definitely inspired our French Impressionist and I will show you why I am confident of that....

Cypress Gardens, South Carolina

Cypress Gardens South Carolina

Cypress Gardens South Carolina

Now you see what I mean? Below each one of my photograph I found a painting somewhat similar. I can't deny it Monet is my favorite Impressionist. It's obvious that him and I share a common affection for nature. What about you?

I don't have paintings to offer you, just pictures, so here are more pictures taken this morning....


N'na's Garden: Iceberg roses & Catmint

 My neighbor's mom stopped by yesterday morning and we talked about many of the flowers she was admiring, she was curious about my Lemon balm which you can see in the picture below. Lemon balm is an herb I planted in my garden a couple of years ago! It's a perennial herb and it faithfully returns every year with more leaves that I enjoy as tea or simply as a room freshener because the scent is simply divine!  Since I do not use any chemical in my garden and stick to homemade organic fertilizers it's totally safe to consume the herbs that I plant in my flower beds!

N'na's Garden: Iceberg roses

N'na's Garden Iceberg roses



The climbing rose below bloom profusely and is just a delight to watch, it's also quite a mystery because it kind of grow wild too.....humm the many surprises a garden reserves!!!

N'na's garden: Climbing Roses

Claude Monet said " I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers"!

I love photographing flowers and I think that I owe to flowers my interest for art as a whole!

Flowers make life so beautiful, someone said "one who plants a garden plants happiness" , I hope that in sharing those pictures with you this morning I have planted happiness in your day! These 2 geese below have been planting happiness in my days lately!

 I will have to find them a name, any suggestion?

Thanks for taking this small tour in my garden! I hope you found inspiration in many ways and that you caught on the happy vibe! Nature is greatly represented in Art and Monet is a great inspiration to me! What about you? Who is your favorite artist?

N'na

Healthy refreshment : My homemade Punjabi Mango Lassi adaptation!

Last Saturday I was talking to a friend before heading to the salon to get my hair done and I mentioned to her that I would fix some Mango Lassi before going out! She did not know what a Mango Lassi was so I explained it to her before I started telling her about some great Indian spices she could use for health as well as beauty treatment! One spice I told her to shop for is turmeric! A spice I love to add in many things and you can read more about it on my article:  http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/01/benefits-of-turmeric.html
Anyway, since some of you might not be familiar with Lassi I guess I can give you too a little introduction to my Mango Lassi before sharing my version of it! I say my version because I am not sure that there is such a thing as the perfectly authentic Mango Lassi recipe. I think it initially starts with yogurt and mango but who knows how it finishes...

N'na's own: Mango Lassi

Lassi is a popular and traditional Punjabi-yogurt drink from India and Pakistan that is generally enjoyed fresh as a refreshment during hot weather. Punjab is simply a region in North western India and Pakistan, just in case you wonder what's a Punjabi yogurt! Punjab means the land of five rivers "Panj" means "five" and "ab" means "water"! I know I am sharing a recipe here but a little culture is good for you! Might as well feed the intellect too while we are talking recipe!




 So...Lassi  is made by blending yogurt with water or milk and adding some Indian spices. I think Punjab yogurt includes curry and turmeric among their Indian spices.  There are quite a few variations for the drink such as salted lassi, sweet lassi, mango lassi etc. The drink is called different things in different parts of the world! For example, in Turkey, a drink similar to Lassi is called Aryan,  while in Afghanistan and Iran a similar drink is called Doogh!

 Here on the left is a picture I found online of an Ayran drink, it's a yogurt and mint drinkThis one is a picture I found online representing a Doogh drink.


Anyway, to fix some Mango Lassi you mainly need Mango and Yogurt! I used plain Vanilla Yogurt. Don't worry,by the time I add some spices of my choices it will not be that plain.... I can guarantee that!!!!
In addition to Mango and Yogurt you add water or milk!
I personally would not add dairy milk to mine (having Yogurt is enough for me) I would suggest you add coconut milk, I think it's more tropical (smiles)...well that's my humble opinion...
Alright...what else..? Well...  let's  just use the pictures as a guide since they say a picture is worth a thousand words I will use them to save me some typing...

N'na's own: Mango Lassi in progress

I don't think that the recipe would specify to use some frozen mangoes but my version does! I am using some frozen mangoes as well as fresh mangoes. I always keep a stash of frozen fruits because it adds more texture to my drinks and I can benefit from them already being cold! I do my best to avoid crushing or adding ice simply because I want to take advantage of my blends full flavors and not 'water down the taste'.

In trying to decide what to add I am turning to my special 'natural medicine cabinet"! I call  this kitchen cabinet my 'natural medicine cabinet' because I use most of the things in there for their health benefits! More on that later.

Having to choose between water or milk I actually opted for coconut juice. I figured plain water would be boring to my taste buds and I was not in the mood for coconut milk! Coconut juice was a great compromise! I used about 1/4 of the can. (Next time I will try my Lassi with rosewater and let you know how it turns out)

Well... I know I said it's a Mango Lassi but it's my drink so I can add whatever I desire...I was thinking that the taste of pineapple juice and some pineapple could add extra flavors to my drink. You know...take it to the next level!!! I love flavors! So I used a couple of slices and blended them with a little bit of pineapple juice.

I sweetened with a little bit of honey this is truly optional, and figured I could make use of some spices from my ' natural medicine cabinet'! After all a Lassi include Indian spices... so I selected my own spices Ginger, Caraway, Fennel and a little bit of turmeric! I was actually hoping to add some Cardamon as one of my main spices but I did not have any left! I could have used other spices too but I figured my first selections were alright. I only added a few pinches of  my chosen spices.

I poured my mixture to my glass, decorated with some fresh mint from my garden and topped my drink with some crushed pineapple and mangoes. Why add the crushed pineapple and mangoes? I just felt that my promising refreshment could handle some extra 'texture' and hmm was I right! It was so good.... 

N'na's own: Mango Lassi

I did refrigerate my drink just a few minutes until I was ready to savour it!
I poured some in a glass and saved the rest for later enjoyment!
Keep in mind that the drink should be refrigerated before drinking, it's meant to be chilled and served as a refreshment for a hot day! I was able to enjoy mine without a long refrigeration simply because I have used some frozen mangoes in addition to the fresh ones!

Doesn't it look good????Now...you knoooow it tastes good! If it has mango alone it tastes good! Add all those other ingredients and it taste GREAT! Hey that's N'na's Mango Lassi! Taking a simple drink to the next level!That's the kind of things you drink and you smile for not apparent reasons...so..soooo....gooood!!!

N'na's own: Mango Lassi

 The leftover was a delicious treat later on in the day...

N'na's own: Mango Lassi

Voila, N'na's own version of a delicious refreshment! Mango and Pineapple Lassi! To be honest I haven't heard of pineapple Lassi, it's always Mango Lassi that I hear about but nobody said I could not come up with my personal variation! So from coconut juice to pineapple and some unexpected ingredients like Caraway and Fennel, my Lassi was not just delicious it turned out to be a very healthy refreshment!

Now, I have read that one variation of Lassi make people drowsy, that might explain why I yawned so much when I was at the salon getting my hair done! Who knows? I probably should blame the fact that I went to bed really late the night before (making a face)!

 If you have never tried a Mango Lassi it's worth trying, I guess any kind of Lassi is worth trying, but I can only recommend what I know for sure to be very tasty! Mangoes are delicious and are one of the healthiest fruits you can eat! It's also a great fruit for skin care and hair care treatments....if you want to know more about that you will just have to come back another time! Stay tuned! Become a Follower by joining this blog if you are new here, Like the facebook page Healthy can be done and Follow Goodhealthdiva on twitter as well! Alright that's it for today, hope you enjoyed learning about my adaption to Mango Lassi.
 I don't mess with alcoholic beverages so for a hot weather refreshment packed with health benefits I greatly recommend that you give the Mango Lassi a try!

Are you a Lassi drinker? If yes, what kind of Lassi do you drink? What's your favorite (healthy) hot weather refreshment?

The benefits of gardening: A sneak peek at my natural garden

Hello friends!
Hope all is well with you all! I know you all have noticed that it's Springtime... With the weather improving I am less often around my laptop and I am more busy getting my hands in the dirt!  Those past days I have been more active outdoors taking full advantage of the sun and especially....especially admiring my humble & enchanting N'natural garden in bloom! Yeaaah!!!

You know when we talk about living a natural life, being healthier and improving our lives, I think gardening should be at the top of the list of things that are recommended for a better body and a better life the natural way!
Think about it, to garden you have to move, carry things, dig, pull, lift, bend...well, you get the point...you got to stay mobile right? Well, that's great exercise and you don't have to time yourself or do some monotonous repetitive motions like when you are at the gym etc. You get the added benefits of seeing birds flying around, enjoying the breeze blow when you need it most, and you even get a free tan!

 Well those are just some benefits of the actual labor...Talking of labor I am sore right now, I feel like I have lifted some weights...when you think about the bag of 2 cf potting soil, the bags of 2cf mulch,  some weed pulling and moving some planters etc. I have had a good work out for the last 5 hours.  Time goes by so fast when you are doing something you enjoy, gardening is one such thing for me!!!
So I have had a good work out in while doing some gardening but I was in a great mood the whole time I was working and this is why...




Pink knock out roses and Salvia in bloom April 2011.
N'na's garden.

 

Yes, many of my flowers are in bloom! There are a few more roses and other flowers that are reserving me some surprises but today these flowers smiled at me....



Blaze roses and Clematis in bloom April 2011.
N'na 's garden




Mint, Clematis and more April 2011.
N'na's Garden

Clematis and Blaze climbing rose in bloom April 2011.
N'na 's garden.


  And I smiles right back! I got to be honest with you, it's much prettier in reality! Seeing them in bloom, and watching the bees actively flying around the Salvia... I have been waiting for Spring with much anticipation! Today I was enchanted!
It was 4:30 pm before I finally had lunch. I am exhausted but I am so pleased. Gardening is such a rewarding activity! If you are a gardener I am sure you will agree with me!!!




Pink knock out roses, Iceberg Roses, Salvia in bloom April 2011
N'na 's garden.

Two days ago I got the pleasure of fixing my dinner with some lettuce from my container garden.
I have a big yard but I am not up for tilling and all so in my first attempt at growing some vegetables I created a small container garden on my deck. I have a lot of experience growing herbs in containers and this year I ventured into lettuce, broccoli, peppers and Brussels sprouts. So for a newbie I am so excited to see that I can now fix my salad with home grown lettuce! Yeaaah! I will keep you posted on my progress with the other plants.

My first dinner plate with home grown lettuce! Yeaahhh!

For now all I wanted to do was share with you how rewarding gardening is to me! From enjoying the beauty of flowers in bloom to the satisfaction of home grown produces, gardening is truly one of the most rewarding Natural Hobby one can have!
If you are not used to gardening give it a try this season it will totally improve the quality of your life. A few years ago my husband had a coworker who started to garden and he reported that she lost a lot of weight as result and she was a nicer person to be around! I think that it has some great psychological benefits! It's a great outlet!

Iceberg and Catmint in bloom May 2010 in N'na's garden!

One thing I love to do when my flowers are in bloom is to create small vases and treat a neighbor or one of my husband's coworkers to some fresh flowers! It's a small gesture but I have been told many times that they brighten their days in ways I could not expect and that I always seem to know the right time to deliver my small gift! I also love to make some tea bags or some sachets with the herbs from my garden and offer them as gifts!


Iceberg roses in bloom May 2010 in N'na's garden!


Gardening has the power of bringing people together. I had neighbors share their cucumbers, squash or okra with me and it's always exciting to receive fresh produces that are unquestionably organic (lol)!

 N'na's favorite:  Joseph's Coat Climbing Roses May 2010!
This is my favorite rose from my garden will tell you why later! It will soon be in bloom...

 If you are concerned that you might not have a green thumb just take a chance! It starts as a very small investment with very great reward! I say starts because once you fall in love with gardening you will invest more, but the reward will always outweigh the costs!  

Since gardening is one of my passion you will get to read more and see more pictures this Spring and Summer! Last year I took hundred of pictures, this year I will get to share some old and new pictures with you all.  I hope you enjoyed your little tour in N'na's garden. (Smiles). Please come by often, become a Follower here, Like the facebook page Goodhealthdiva and spread the word. I love hearring from you so leave your comments and let me know...

Do you have a green thumb? What's your favorite thing to grow? Do you garden for pleasure (flowers) or for consumption (food)? What's to you the most rewarding thing about gardening? If you are not much of a gardener are you now inspired to become one?




N'na