Thank God I am natural! Interview with...

Thank God I am natural!!!
Have you said that to yourself lately? I know of many naturals who are just happy to be natural but one in particular said this very thing to herself a few years ago and her gratitude for her natural hair seemed to had taken a life of it's own ever since.  She has recently released her book " Thank God I'm Natural: The Ulmitate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair" !  A book that " Essence Magazine calls Thank God I'm Natural, "The Natural Hair Bible"
Written by a Harvard graduate, Thank God I’m Natural is a must-read for any black woman who has suffered hair loss or breakage caused by relaxers -- or has grown tired of spending thousands of dollars and her Saturday afternoons frying her kinky tresses into submission. Featuring the advice of celebrity stylists for Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, and Erykah Badu (among others), Thank God I’m Natural offers up to date information -- and a plethora of tips to help women break free from wigs, weaves, and damaging chemical processes.  While there is no shortage of information on this topic to be found on the Internet, Thank God I’m Natural is the most comprehensive natural hair guide on the market today, and the book black women need now more than ever before."

I have had the pleasure of interviewing this amazing woman who has been an inspiration to me on many levels beside natural hair and I believe that you will be greatly inspired by what she had to share. I am talking about the bright and beautiful Chris-Tia Donalson.

Hello everyone!

My name is Chris-Tia Donaldson and I’m the author of Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair. To give you some information about myself, by day, I’m a lawyer for one of the largest software companies in the world, and by night I (along with a team of talented and dedicated people) am working to launch a lifestyle brand whose mission is to empower black women to live healthier natural lives. At this juncture, our primary focus is to help educate women who are thinking about going natural learn about the benefits of making this choice, as well as giving women the resources and information not only to take care of their hair naturally, but their bodies as well. 

GHD:How long have you been a natural and why?

I went natural in 2002 after I grew tired and frustrated of spending so much time and money on my hair. When my hair was relaxed, it would go through this vicious cycle, where it would grow then break off, then grown then break off some more. Finally, I met a stylist, William of W Salon in Boston, who told me that I didn’t need a perm and that I could start pressing my hair.  I decided to stop pressing my hair and wore a wig for two years. Although I was natural at the time, I was never fully comfortable with wearing my own hair until one life changing episode happened. You can read all about it in my new book Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair available online at www.tginsore.com or get a sneak peak online at Amazon.com.

GHD:How do you take care of your hair? What’s your hair regimen?

I believe less is more, so my hair regimen is fairly simple. I wash my hair once a week with Elucence’s Moisturizing Benefits Shampoo and Conditioner. I’ll then apply a little Knot Today to my hair to help with detangling with a wide tooth comb. I have found that if I use a wide tooth comb instead of my Denman, I can preserve my curl pattern and increase curl definition.  I’ll then two strand twist my hair with Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, Coconut Oil, Aloe Vera Gel and Organic Root Stimulator Loc and Twist Gel.  I’ll leave the twist in for a couple of days, take them down and mist them just a little to get some fullness. I also like to get my hair trimmed every 8 -10 weeks. I found that when my ends are clipped regularly and my hair is shaped up nicely, it grows so much faster. Finally, I sleep with a silk scarf or bonnet and then in the morning I'm good to go. It's a fairly simple hair routine. However, I have been natural for a while, so I've got it down to a science.

GHD:What products do you use?

I like to use Elucence’s Moisturizing Benefits Shampoo and Conditioner. That works best for my hair type and curl pattern. As I mentioned above, I also like Shea Moisture’s Curl Enhancing Smoothie Coconut Oil, and Aloe Vera Loc and Organic Root Stimulator Loc and Twist Gel.

GHD:You are the founder of an organization called Thank God I’m Natural. What exactly is it about? Why the name? How did you come up with the name and the vision?

I feel the name of my company was truly inspired by God. As you may or may not know, I wore a wig for two years when I first went natural, because I worked at a very prestigious law firm after graduating from law school. I came very close to getting fired from this job, because I felt had to look and act a certain way in order to be successful in corporate America. It turns out trying to be something I wasn’t back fired, and I was almost let go from this job because of it. I left that situation, went natural, and never looked back.  It took me a while to accept my hair for what it was and come to the realization that my locks were beautiful, but once I did I said, “Thank God I’m Natural”.

It’s like a light went off and my eyes were open. Everything I had been trained to think about good hair and bad hair was erased and I was finally like wow, God created my hair to be worn this way, and I don’t have to spend all this time and money sitting in a beauty shop getting my hair transformed into something it isn’t.  That decision has also had such an impact on other areas in my life. Not long after going natural, I started to care not only about what products I put on my hair, but the products I was using on my body. My body began to crave everything natural from food, to exercise, to meditation, to healing therapies. It’s been amazing journey, and I have been fortunate enough to share this journey with women all over the world!

GHD:I imagine that since you started Thank God I’m natural it’s probably bigger than you might have envisioned as far as its impact on women. How has this organization surprised you? How has it changed your life? I suppose that many others have reported that it has changes their lives as well, in what ways?

I never knew that when I wrote Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair it would be this successful. First of all, writing a book seemed crazy, as I wasn’t the greatest writer when I first set out to work on this project. I wrote legal briefs and negotiated contracts, so my writing had a formal professional tone to it, whereas this project required me to dig deep inside of myself and find my personal voice and tap into my creative side.

I always knew that it made sense to write the book first and then work on the products second, even though no one had done it this way before, but it’s amazing to watch and see how my vision and God’s plan has come into fruition.

I never knew so many people would be so open to this project and would gravitate to it the way that they do. We’re changing lives all over the world, and I’m blessed and humbled to be given the opportunity to help women make life-changing decisions.

GHD:As a natural, an entrepreneur and an author what do you know now that you wish you knew then that you want to pass on to others?

As a natural, I just want to tell women, especially new naturals, that it’s okay to have a Bad Hair Day. A lot of the people look at all the women with gorgeous natural hair on YouTube and Facebook and think people look  like that every day and that’s not the case.  So if your hair is giving you trouble don’t throw in the towel, it only gets better with time. I also want to let new naturals know that not everyone is okay with how their hair looks after the Big Chop, and it can take some getting used to. If you feel like you need to wear a wig, weave, kinky twists, or whatever, it’s okay. No one is judging you, and your journey is your own.

As an entrepreneur, I would tell women to find what you love and do it. I think part of the reason TGIN has been successful is because it never feels like work to me. I LOVE WHAT I DO and I literally can’t wait to wake up in the morning and start grinding on the tasks for the day. We have a lot on our plate right now and we’re trying to figure out who is responsible for what, but every day is a challenge. I can’t wait to see where the company ends up in the next 5 years.

As an author, I would just tell writers, you have to commit to your craft. It took me 3.5 years to write Thank God I’m Natural, but I got it done even when I was working at a law firm working 80 hours a week. So make time, even if it’s only 15 minutes  every day. If you carve out time for your book/project, you’ll look up one day and be holding a copy of your book in your hand.

GHD:From the moment I came across your Facebook page and read more of your materials I told myself that you were a very successful woman, but not just a successful woman,  a caring woman as well. What’s the key to your success? What is it about you that anyone can learn from and even emulate to reach their goals and be successful?

Wow, great question. Like I said in the previous question you have to find what you love and do it.

Once you find your passion, you have to WORK HARD and be ruthless in your execution!  I have a full time job, and TGIN takes up a ton of time. I would never be able to write for our blog 4x a week, stay active on social media, run an online apparel business, ship books out to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and independent bookstores, travel for events, and try to launch a product line, if it weren’t for a team of dedicated people around me helping to get this off the ground. While I‘m getting to the point where I have people helping me with some of these aspects of the business, I have to create processes and a standard for getting things done, whereby that process can be replicated without me. I also empower my team to make decisions and come up with their own ideas and challenge my views and beliefs on things.

You also have to believe your own hype. I’m humble as all get out, but deep down inside, you have to think and believe in your dream or no one else will. Jordan wouldn’t be Jordan, Tiger wouldn’t be Tiger, and Oprah wouldn’t be Oprah, if they didn’t feel like they were put on this Earth with a purpose. Yes, we all doubt ourselves at time, but you have to know God created you with a special purpose in mind and believe in yourself as cheesy as it may sound.

Finally, TALK to PEOPLE. I have learned more about this business by connecting with people on LinkedIn and having short 45 minute conversations then I do Googling a certain topics. Google is great for giving you the background you need to talk to people and sounding like you have done some research, but talking to people in your field is really what has helped me take things to the next level.

 GHD:As a Harvard graduate and really sort of a public figure you are a role model to others. I personally mentor some young people and it's always reaffirming to share with them some words of wisdom from public figures. I am very aware that a woman’s identity is more than hair and I wanted to know what message you have for young ladies not just in their hair journey but in their lives’ journey. What can you tell a young reader to motivate them to move forward in life?

I would tell young readers that you should never be afraid to be you.  Whoever you are, be that, and for those young people still trying to figure out who they are, that’s fine too. Whatever you do, make sure it’s something you want to do and not something you’re pressured into.  It’s so important that you (without sounding cliché) do you!

(I am asking this question because even though we are talking about hair I want to use it as a platform to instill excellence in other areas of life because pretty hair is worthless without a successful life and by successful I don’t mean that everyone needs a Harvard degree but everyone can be successful in their own ways)

GHD:When we talk about hair journey it seems to me that it starts with hair but then bigger issues surface that are much deeper and bigger than hair: Issues such as self-esteem, relationships, our place and roles in the community small or global etc. Do you agree with that perception? How do you think that the hair journey eventually impacts women? How did it impact you?

I totally agree that going natural has a major impact on who we are and how view ourselves on so many levels. On a fundamental level, when you think a certain part of you is inherently ugly, and go to such extreme lengths to alter your appearance it can take a major toll on your self-esteem. Your personality even suffers because of it. One man recently told me he loves how carefree his wife is now that she’s natural. He noticed that after growing out her relaxer she doesn’t have to go to the ladies room 6-7 times to fix her hair, like she did when she had a perm, because she’s just so carefree. I feel the same way. I feel like I can live my life and that my hair no longer interferes with basic things like working out, walking in the rain, or my sex life.

But those are changes you see immediately.  Over time, as I mentioned earlier, my diet has changed completely. Although I’m not completely vegetarian (I still eat seafood), I now eat a largely plant based diet, because I know that my body just feels lighter when I don’t eat tons of meat. I also work out more and take better care of my body, because I’m slowly starting to recognize that it’s a beauty myth that for black women being 20-25 pounds overweight is okay.

Finally, I’m more aware of my overall health and the rhythms of my body. I can notice if something is wrong without having to go to a doctor and I prefer alternative therapies to traditional medicines, whenever possible. I’m just more in tuned with myself and I wasn’t this aware prior to going natural. It may sound a little bit ”different,” but I promise you, going natural is just the first chapter in a very long journey.

GHD:With all the many people that you come in contact with what are the most frequent questions they have about hair and what’s the most recurring concern they have about their hair as it relates to their lives?

The most common questions I get are “If I go natural, how will it impact me in the corporate world?”, “Will guys like me if my hair is natural?” , “How do I deal with family and friends that don’t support my decision to wear my hair in its natural state?”

GHD:I am becoming more and more aware that some women and young ladies are being faced with a dilemma.  Most dating or married women who are embarking into their hair journey are not fortunate to have supportive partners as some men go as far as giving them an ultimatum! What do you think about this issue? Obviously a married woman can’t give up on her commitment to her family based on hair’s preference! What do you suggest as the best way to handle such a situation?

Well in regards to women dating while natural my best advice would be no matter what your hair looks like, you have to be confident. Men like confident women. Period!  Some of the world’s most attractive women don’t have much hair or at one time didn’t have hair (i.e. Halle Berry, Jada Pinkett Smith, Nia Long etc) and there are other women, who have long beautiful flowing natural locs (Tracee Ellis Ross, Amel Larrieux). Now yes, these women are all gorgeous in their own right but their beauty isn’t their hair, it’s their confidence.

For a man to give a woman an ultimatum when it comes to hair is proof this man isn’t the one for her. Point. Blank. Period.

GHD:Well to finish it up, I do write a health and wellness blog so I can’t finish without asking some health and wellness questions as it relates to you. It’s great to have natural hair but if hair is going to be treated as our crown it only makes sense to me that our lives and bodies shine as well. Your life does shine powerfully and I greatly appreciate you sharing all this with me and my readers! How do you stay healthy? Do you have an exercise regimen? An activity that benefits your physically?

I love this question. I could go on and on, but here are some of the principles I try to live by.

1.       Steer Clear of Processed Foods (other than frozen veggies). Many processed foods are made with trans-fats, saturated fats, and large amounts of sodium and sugar. These types of foods should be avoided completely or eat them sparingly.  Always go for brown over white since it has the fiber and nutrients, which causes you to be full. That means brown rice, brown bread, brown bagels, whole wheat pasta, etc.

2.       Eat out less. Cook at home more. When you cook at home, you know exactly what you’re putting in your food. At restaurants, a lot of foods are dripping with excess calories because they are swimming in butters and sauces.  If you have to eat out, go for ethnic foods. They tend to be better for you then American foods, since there aren’t a lot of breads and fries. Think Indian, Thai, Sushi, Mediterranean, Mexican etc.

3.       Drink plenty of water.  Four years ago, I used to drink diet coke with almost every meal after 11 am, but I noticed when I stopped I wasn’t as bloated as I used to be. There have been some studies to suggest that diet coke, even though its zero calories, can actually lead to weight gain because your body doesn’t recognize the artificial sweeteners as sugars and hence doesn’t metabolize it properly. Now, I tend to drink water and ice tea, which is basically water with herbs.

4.       Drink a Green Smoothie For Breakfast. A green smoothie is basically a salad in a glass. A lot of my friends and fans have tried green smoothies, and the consensus is people overwhelming love them. Green smoothies are great because you’re drinking raw veggies with an apple juice blend, so the sweet balances out the sour creating a party in your mouth. Greens are great, because they are alkaline, high and fiber, and help with digestion.  They also give the skin a younger looking appearance, and help with hair and nail growth. Raw greens are even better, because vegetables tend to lose a majority of their nutrients when they are cooked, which is why green smoothies are awesome. You can check out my blog for some of my green smoothie recipes.

5.       Limit Fried foods – I love mozzarella sticks, fried goat cheese, and French friends, but I try to limit my intake of fried foods, otherwise.

6.       Workout 5 days a week. I make it a point to workout Monday – Friday, because I have found that when you say three or four days, it becomes two or three.  When you go for five, it becomes a part of your lifestyle and you tend to be more consistent. I’d rather someone work out for 20 minutes five days a week, versus 90 minutes one day a week.

7.       Invest in a heart rate monitor. Yes, they can be expensive, but they are totally worth it. Heart rate monitors are great, because you know exactly how many calories you’re burning when you’re working out. I put on a lot of weight last year, because I would go to the gym, and then turn around and felt I had a license to eat junk. The problem was I wasn’t burning enough calories to outweigh the junk so I packed on the pounds. Once I started wearing a heart rate monitor, I saw that 30 minutes in the gym, equaled about 200 calories burned, which meant I couldn’t go bananas and eat at McDonalds.

8.       Eat Five Meals a Day. I recently met with a nutritionist and she told me I had to start eating regularly throughout the day to keep my metabolism working. I used to skip breakfast, eat lunch around 1:30, and maybe eat dinner around 8:30. This was wreaking havoc on my body since it would hold onto my last meal (and go into starvation mode) instead of processing it. Now I drink a smoothie for breakfast, have a snack before lunch usually a granola bar or peach Greek yogurt, a lunch of whatever I feel like (it's better to treat yourself during the day), another snack around 3pm, usually a piece of fruit, and a salad for dinner.

9.       Pray Every Morning Before I Leave the House.  I try to read a devotional every morning, whether it’s my Bible or Joel Osteen’s blog. I find that staying in touch with God keeps me centered and my faith strong. I heard the best quote, “If you pray, don’t worry. If you worry, don’t bother praying.”

How do you relax? And do you have any natural beauty product that’s a key ingredient to your beauty regimen?

I relax by working out, spending time with my girlfriends, and talking on the phone with my family. I also love reading magazines. Some of my favorites are Martha Stewart Living, Inc. and Organic Spa Magazine.  I’m also a huge fan of naps. Sleep is so important, but you don’t realize how important it is until you don’t have it. So when I get time to just cool out, I’m definitely trying to take more naps.

GHD:What are some of your favorite things in life? Anything random from a favorite color to a favorite dish or place to visit!

My favorite things in life are my family and friends. I would love to visit Ghana and Nigeria.

GHD:Last but not least, you have recently published a book. Can you tell us more about the book, what made you decide to write this book and what people can expect to gain from reading it? Where can we get your book?   

Well, I think there are a number of factors which explain why Thank God I’m Natural was recently proclaimed the “Natural Hair Bible” by Essence Magazine. First off, it covers virtually every topic related to natural hair (e.g. the truth about hair relaxers, product picks for different types of natural hair, dealing with hair loss, tips for distinguishing between natural products and their imposters, as well as, many other subjects). It also features the styling recommendations of celebrity stylists for individuals like Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, Floetry, Mos Def, among others, in addition to the perspectives of everyday women on going natural. The book also contains an entire chapter devoted to homemade hair recipes, which people LOVE, as well as an international salon directory.  I’ll also add that the models are absolutely beautiful, and the styles are modern, up to date and something you would wear to work or if you’re going out on a date with your man or woman (hey it’s 2011).

Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair is now available at Barnes & Noble, Borders and online at Amazon.com and www.tginstore.com. For more information about Chris-Tia Donaldson or Thank God I’m Natural, please follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thankgodimnatural or check out our blog at www.tginblog.com.

GHD:Finally, what’s next for you?

I have two more books coming out. One is going to be like a TGIN Pt II, which is specifically for transitioners. I also hope to do a cookbook of meatless recipes for people interested in exploring a vegetarian diet. Finally, we are super psyched to be working on our hair care line at the moment and hope to expand our graphic tee line to include more athletic and yoga apparel. The next couple of years are going to be extremely busy, but I think we’re going to have a lot of fun taking TGIN to the next level.

Well....that concludes my interview with Chris-Tia. Here are a few ways to learn more about Thank God I'm natural!   http://www.thankgodimnatural.com/
 http://thankgodimnatural.wordpress.com/
 http://twitter.com/TGINatural

All the pictures above were sent to me by Chris-Tia herself and should you want to copy them I encourage you to contact her yourself for permission to do so.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this article and if you are new to the site please grant us the pleasure of having you as a follower and knowing what you think!

So what do you think? Is there anything in particular that Chris-Tia shared that hit home with you? If you have already read the book what's your feedback on it?


All right reserved 2011.N'na the Goodhealthiva!

The natural lounge! I have been featured!

Hello to you all readers, followers, first time visitors...I hope you are all doing very well and are having a pleasant summer.
I haven't been writing much lately simply because now that the summer has started, I am more active with fun little projects and find less and less time for connecting. Yet, there's so much that I want to share with you all, so please stay tuned for cool little updates and new articles to this site as the summer progresses!

 I had time today to catch up on my mail and saw that a few days ago, Angel,  the founder of The Natural Lounge had e-mailed me to inform me that I would be featured on Saturday 25th, on her blog! Well, that was yesterday so thankfully I did not miss too much...

The Natural Lounge is an organization in the U.K that, among other things, facilitates Meet Up between naturalistas.
I am not from the U.K but I have spent some pleasant summer vacations in England in my younger days and I have some dear cousins and some new friends residing in London.

Well here it is , the short article http://www.thenaturallounge.com/2011/06/natural-blogger-nna-aka-good-health.html

 Enjoy and return to Goodhealthdiva soon because, later this week, I am posting an interview I did a while ago with Chris-Tia founder of Thank God I'm Natural, where we discuss her new book and a few other things I am sure you will enjoy!

Have a great week you all and if you are new on the site please become a Follower! It's always a pleasure to see some new friendly faces and know what you think!


N'na

Good eat: A taste for Thai food @ Rain Thai Bistro

   My previous article was on Thailand and since "Thailand's on my mind" and I since love to eat international food, I figured that a trip to a local Thai restaurant was a pretty timely way to satisfy my desire of anything Thai...

When I am hungry for Thai food, I normally go to a small restaurant downtown Chattanooga, called “Thai Smiles”. This  past Sunday my hubby suggested we tried a restaurant closer to the house right next to our gym. So we tried RAIN a Thai Bistro, located in the Hamilton Place Mall area in East Brainerd Chattanooga TN.

Rain Thai Bistro Chattanooga TN

Rain Thai Bistro Chattanooga TN.

                                                            

 Before we even got seated, a young lady who recognized us from a different restaurant she used to work at, came to us and teased us that we were following her. After the little chit chat I asked her my favorite question "What do you recommend"? She mentionned that her favorite is the Fried rice.

Menu @ Rain Thai Bistro Chattanooga TN.

Not knowing what to expect, I selected the Spicy Basil and requested that it be mild to play it safe, because the server had told us that 'Hot' and 'Thai' were truly spicy.
I should have been more adventurous and go for at least 'hot' because ' mild' truly lacked… “dimension”.. It was not spicy at all, the food was good but spicy food takes your taste buds to a different dimension, don't you think? Plus it's actually good for you, for your metabolism... Well...I just think that spicy food is tasty unless you have acid reflux issues or ulcer.

Even though the food was not as spicy as I wanted it was truly good, I had to order an extra side of white rice this was just not enough...

Spicy Basil @ Rain Thai Bistro

Our server Joshua recommended that I try the same dish with noodles instead of rice at my next visit. So I will keep you up to date on that one.

The hubby and the children kept it simple and went for Fried Rice. I had to convince my youngest two that they would love it as they had never had Thai fried rice before.

One of the reasons why I enjoy eating out so much is because I believe that  eating food is an experience to take beyond satisfying our palate. I love being in a nice setting and when I am not eating out I like to create an environment at home that truly brings me a lot of pleasures from what I serve my food in, to my table setting. The Rain  Thain Bistro offered so many little gifts. More that I could capture at my first visit there so stay tuned for more.
I asked the children to tell me about 'Thailand' from what they observed from the decor....
Elephants, tropical flowers, bamboo trees, buddhist art, water fountains, the Buddha, etc...the beautiful environment certainly reflected Thailand' on a tiny scale.

Whispering : It's soothing to have such nice decor in the restroom but ever better when the restrooms are very clean and they were very clean yeaah!!!



I just like the sink...

Outdoor fountain at Rain Thai Bistro

Well that's it for our delightful time at Rain Thai Bistro I am heading through that back door to the Asian Market where I get my Green Tea from...

But before I leave you, I wanted to invite you to check my friend's Lala's video. She's a new vegetarian and interesting enough her first cooking video is about a Thai dish...Aren't you curious to know what her 'Taste for Thai food' was a few weeks ago?

So what have you had a taste for lately? Thai food by any chance? If so what would you recommend? The 'Bangkok chicken" at "Thai Smiles" downtown Chattanooga is truly my favorite local 'Thai dish'.

N'na

Ideas for summer vacation: Thailand's on my mind!

Alright, summer is officially here and with that the need for a vacation and much respite. I say respite because traveling is indeed good for our health, both mentally and physically. It's my opinion that there's nothing that recharges our batteries and revives us mentally, as powerfully as a vacation does. I don't know about you but all that I have been thinking lately is how much I need a vacation....

What about you? Are you taking a vacation this summer? What are your plans? Some of you would be fortunate to travel abroad, expand your horizons. Maybe you just plan on going across the country and visit in a different state or you might have to find satisfaction in a vacation in your own state and its surroundings by visiting a nearby city.  If you can't go on a vacation at all, please consider a pleasant staycation if anything. There are probably a few things in your city that are worth discovering.

Anyway, whatever the case, I think that in most western countries the word vacation tends to present pictures of beach vacations as many of you are probably planning some beach vacations this summer. At least that's what most of us dream of after a long winter and as the most appropriate way to enjoy the warm and long summer days.

For me the word vacation quickly offers images of exotic and distant places. Yes I dream of seascapes too, but even more, of rich flavors (you should know by now how much I love to eat), of surroundings with beautiful and lush landscapes, and of strong cultural experiences.

There are quite a few travelers in my family starting with my parents, but my curiosity for certain places is credited to two of my older brothers especially the one that precedes me. From him I developped at an early age a passion for learning, discovering and researching places, memorizing facts and admiring pictures of places that I hope to one day make my vacation's destinations. The skills have served me well in planning some nice trips in the past or guiding others in their planning but I have yet to fulfill my dreams for making it to the destinations that top my list. One of them is Bangkok Thailand. 


 (Image of Suvarnabhumi airport).

( Image of Bangkok's skytrain that Dave mentions in his article below).


My friend Dave of Dave's Travel Corner is an experienced traveler and travel writer. Aware of my passion for Asia and my intense desire to visit Bangkok he has graced me with an article especially written for this blog and has kindly shared a few of his own pictures to use as illustrations. I placed the pictures where I saw fit but here's about Bangkok, in Dave's own words!

Bangkok Thailand

Bangkok is a city of energy, hustle and bustle, and sizzling temperatures most of the year to match the sizzle of the spicy Thai food.
Suvarnabhumi is the fairly new International airport and serves hundreds of flights a day - it is modern, convient and connected to the main part of Bangkok by a Skytrain. Without traffic a taxi ride will take about 25 minutes. Allow up to an hour if traffic is bad.

Bangkok tuk-tuk

There is no central Bangkok but the Chao Praya River is the center or 'lifeblood' of the city. Glistening golden temples line its river banks as well as some of the top rated hotels in the world including the historic Oriental Hotel and the more modern Peninsular. Nothing is more exotic than
taking a river cruise down this wide brown river, soaking in the sights, smells and sounds of this busy waterway.

The city has both a metro and a skytrain, both of which serve much of Bangkok's core districts. Top attractions include a number of temples, 

Golden- Mount- Praying.

the Grand Palace, markets and a plethora of shopping in world-class malls. Thai food has engrained itself in countries around the world, but nowhere do you find the quality of flavor and food than in Thailand and Bangkok is the hub of the culinary scene in the country.

Talin-Chan-Floating market.

Street food is almost everywhere, in some parts of the city street food is available 24 hours a day.

Smiles go a long way in the "land of the smiles". People are friendly and often willing to help out tourists.
For more information about Bangkok refer to Dave's Bangkok guide here: http://www.davestravelcorner.com/articles/bangkok/index.htm



So...what are your plans for this summer? Have you been to Bangkok? If yes, how do you like it compared to other places you've visited?What was your best vacation's destination?


N'na

Good Eat: Bahama Breeze's seafood paella & a little more...

Hello Everyone...
 I hope you all had a great week-end! I know I did...(smiles).My last post was about food and this one is about food as well. I do have a lot of other things I plan on sharing with you soon, very very soon so make sure to become a Follower and a subcriber if that's your first time here.

Even though I wrote about making beef brochettes in my last post, you should know if you are familiar with this blog, that I am more of a pescetarian and I very rarely eat meat. So true to my gastronomic passion I am talking today about seafood...seafood at....




I was in Atlanta recently celebrating my 10 years wedding anniversary and I finally had the chance to try a restaurant I have been wanting to try all the years I have lived around the Atlanta GA area. So after shopping at some stores on Barrett Parkway in Kennesaw GA, my husband and I had a late lunch or early dinner, depends on how you see, at Bahama Breeze!


Have you ever eaten at the Bahama Breeze?
The setting is refreshing, relaxing, and very different from conventional restaurants.

 Under normal circumstances I would have had more pictures of the interior and I would have elaborated on the tropical setting, the fun music played by a Live artist outdoors and the fun tropical uniform the servers had on...but today I will just talk about food, maybe at my next visit there I will take more indoors pictures for our enjoyment. For now we are talking Good Eat!

My husband loves  Sweet Tea but even our server told him that their sweet tea are awful. Hubby insisted on having some Sweet Tea but soon decided to order the same thing I was having because it was amazingly delicious.My beverage was a refreshing and perfect Strawberry Lemonade! I love Sweet Tea but given the options I am more a lemonade person and I love Strawberry Lemonade because I find it to have more 'texture' than a regular lemonade or a Rapsberry lemonade!


Strawberry lemonade at the Bahama Breeze

 For appetizers I selected some broiled shrimps served in a buttery sauce with French bread for dipping. It was soooo gooood! Sorry I don't remember the exact name of my selection but here is what it looked like...

It was so gooood....

We completed our meal by sharing a Seafood Paella! I love love love Paella! I had many friends from Spain back in college so I naturally fell in love with Paella. It had been years since I had one and it was great to enjoy some this Saturday!

Seafood Paella from Bahama Breeze

Now, there's something I have to say about this...it's a seafood Paella and the original dish on the menu is made with a little bit of sausage in addition to the seafood. I do not eat sausages so I could request to replace the sausage with an extra something else. I simply asked for extra seafood!  The dish can be eaten with some hot sauce if one loves spicy food.I added a little Tabasco sauce that definitely gave this already delicious dish, an extra omp!
Well, that was it for my delicious meal at the pleasant, fun and relaxing Bahama Breeze!


Oh...You might have noticed...this Seafood Paella was served with oysters...I ate most of the oysters and only hours later did I realize that true to the myth oysters could be an aphrodisiac! Did you know that oysters are listed as one of the top aphrodisiac foods? I have been meaning to write a post about this for a while now, so today will be kind of an intro!!!

Have you noticed how in some movies two people would have a romantic moment eating some oysters...Did you watch the movie JUMPING THE BROOM? Do you remember the scene where in the kicthen Meagan Good is asked by the chef to taste some oysters...

 I believed the moment I watched this scene that the chef knew exactly what he was doing when he asked her to come in the kitchen to taste something for him...Well oyster as an aphrodisiac might be fact or fiction depending on how you see it! The scene I am referring to certainly tries to hold to the myth! If you have not seen the movie I will not spoil the fun so go watch it and come back and comment about it!


So...hint hint here: if you plan a romantic dinner with some very specific intentions...oysters should be on the menu...just saying...according to the myth...it's worth trying right?




We did more shopping after eating and funny enough at the end of the day I realized that I did not buy a single pair of shoes or even some new outfits. I checked in the hotel with bags of books...yes...crazy right? Bags of books! Waldenbooks had some sales and I splurged...on books...
I think a good meal, some good books and a nice comfy hotel suite are very simple and yet very pleasant ways to spend a relaxing week-end...humm that's not exactly all... but saying more would be beyond the scope of this blog!
All I can say is...beware of delicious Seafood Paella because according to the myth Oysters do come with side effects. The kind no men complain about...

Me personally I did not complain about this sweet peacefully room away from the kids and...

Hilton Hotel Atlanta GA

 I certainly did not complain about waking up to such a view...Hello ATL! Yeah...I know... the Bahamas could have been better but at least ATL got Bahama Breeze...

View from the Hilton Dowtown Atlanta

More about ATL in some of my upcoming posts. To be continued....

Do you like oysters? Did you know oyster to be considered an aphrodisiac?  Do you think it's true or do you think it's just a myth? Have you seen JUMPING THE BROOM? Any random comment on the movie?

N'na

Good Eat: Beef kabobs with yoghurt marinade and the blessings of a kitchen garden

Well it's almost holiday week-end and being pretty much grilling season I wanted to offer you all a little bit of grilling inspiration. I eat more seafood than I do meat and poultry once in a while I just like to eat some tender homemade brochettes! Lamb is my preferred meat but beef chunks are cheaper and more easily available so I am sharing below something you can cook on a budget and still have a diliiiiciouuus meal!!!
Everyone has their own way for making marinade or grilling etc so here's N'na's way!!!

                                            
It's so much fun to flavor dishes with fresh ingredients right there at my fingertips. The fresh herbs I selected here from my kitchen garden were thyme, oregano, rosemary and parsley. Read more about it the following link: http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/04/benefits-of-gardening-my-edible.html

Some of my ingredients from the kitchen cupboard: Ground cumin, cayenne pepper, white vinegar, salt, oil, dried parsley flakes, dried oregano powder, Cajun spice. I prefer using Apple cider vinegar for cooking but since I was out of ACV I just used the white vinegar!

                                                                  Add some  Yogurt.

Mix it all together

Store in a Ziploc bag and shake well and

Let it marinate and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours or overnight.

Get your skewers ready, cut what the fruits or veggies you would use,

I used some tomatoes, onion and green pepper,

and make your brochettes

Time for the Grill!!!!

Remember to turn often!

To keep your meat from being dry mix a little bit of oil and crushed bouillon  cubes. I used something from West Africa called " Cube Maggi". Use a brush and brush the kabobs with the mixture.

Voila!!! Delicious brochettes!

It looks good doesn't it? It was delicious as well. We did serve them with rice and potatoes on that day but I enjoyed them just fine with nothing else!

Well have a nice week-end and hope this post gave you some new ideas for the next time you grill. If you haven't done it yet grow a kitchen garden and keep some potted herbs by your kitchen. They will always be useful and add some omp to your dishes!There is nothing like cooking or grilling with the flavor of fresh ingredients especially the ones you can have at your fingertips when you have a kitchen garden!

N'na

The benefits of exercising: Stretching

I remember that as a child stretching had to be done at the beginning of every

dance,Tae kwondo or gymnastic sessions I participated in. 


 I did not continue in those activities but stretching is a huge part of my daily routine because I soon realized that my body does not feel right unless I make time to stretch at least 15 mns a day upon waking up and stretch as often as needed as the day goes by.

You have probably noticed that, a lot of athlete regardless of the sports they play put a great emphasis on stretching before they start a practice, a game, or a competition etc.
No matter the diversity of sports and activity, stretching is a fundamental practice.


Because people who stretch benefit from more flexibility, stretching is often called flexibility training.
You will agree it takes flexibility for all these...

 

  let's be honest how can we do this unless we have trained our muscles to stretch and be that flexible? It takes training to do this and stretching is practiced with great seriousness to get to this level of flexibility... flexibility training!

You are probably very familiar with the show "Dancing with the stars". Do you realize that it takes professional dancers great flexibility to move as they do? Stretching is the big ingredient to their success that we don't see often. A lot of times we see images and videos of rehearsals, and the amazing performances but we don't see how much emphasis is put in stretching.


 I think  Edgar Degas' art could serve as an hint:





You can tell it takes great flexibility for this: . Yes dancers invest a great amount of time in stretching but if you are not very familiar with dancers I know the following images come more easily to mind ...


 So you might not be an athlete but you might be a big fan of an athletic team, I am sure you have seen your basketball team do something like  this before their games. .

Have you ever asked yourself why stretching is so important? A lot of people do not think much about it and today I wanted to give you some very good reasons to think more about it and to do it more often....
You do not have to be a professional athlete and you don't even have to like exercising to benefit from stretching.

I am a strong believer in stretching regardless of either you are in sports or not.
I truly believe that stretching and walking are the two most important physical activities for our bodies. To me all other form of exercises are complementary. I also see stretching as a great way to get the blood flowing and offer relaxation to my body.

I think our bodies were made to stretch, because we just don't feel right when we don't! I think stretching is natural for us and the more we do it the better we feel.
I mean ask even those creatures  stretching just come naturally for them. Stretching feels so gooood. Before we stretch we feel all tensed and rusty and then as we do it we go like uuuummm...and we feel much better afterward don't we?
 I see my dog Cotton stretches very often and it's amusing to watch how he would stretch himself and keep doing it until he is satisfy. Even he knows how good it feels to stretch!!!
Anyway, back to us humans...

Stretching makes you flexible, allowing your joints the ability to move through a full range of motion.
 Ask any ballet dancers or anyone in Martial Art they would tell you how important stretching is to accomplishing a full range of motion.

Most athletes might agree that the top 2 benefits of stretching are probably

·         Improved performance and decrease risk of injury

·         Reduced muscle soreness

Since stretching improves your flexibility you can better move through a greater range of motion.  Stretching decreases resistance in tissue structure making you less likely to get injured by exceeding tissue extensibility during an activity.

Stretching before and after exercising is always recommended because it reduces muscle soreness.  I certainly appreciate a stretch before and after a cycling class, it's a good thing instructors always make time to guide the students through some stretch.

There is actually about 7 different types of stretching. The one called slow static stretching is the one most people are familiar with. It's a stretch that requires a slow, gradual and controlled elongation of the muscle through the full range of motion. The stretch is held for 15-60 seconds in the furthest comfortable position!
Static stretching is the most common kind of stretching.

Besides those two benefits that stretching could offer athletes or non athletes alike, stretching can benefit you daily by:

·         Improving your posture.

·         Reducing the risk of low back pain because stretching promotes muscular relaxation. Muscular relaxation will reduce the accumulations of toxins, prevent muscle tightening and reduce or relieve fatigue.
A detail to keep in mind is that flexibility from hamstring, hip flexors, quadriceps and other muscles attached to the pelvic area reduce stress to the lower back.

Please watch the following short video for stretches that benefit your back's health! You can add to those benefits that stretching will help you to better enjoy any physical activity. After all it's easier to enjoy something when you are not too sore afterward or when you do not injure yourself in the process! It's also great that you can perform very efficiently thanks to a good stretch.



 But there's more to stretching that's beneficial regardless of the fact that one is in sport or not. Stretching is great and important because everyone can benefit from the way stretching relaxes both the mind and the body. I think it brings the mind to a heightened sense of well-being.
So as you can see, stretching is truly a key component not only to a successful and efficient fitness program but also to a better life and a better health the natural way.  Stretching comes naturally and without it we just don’t feel and move the best. Even if you do not exercise stretching should be part of your daily routine.



Other benefits of stretching in our daily lives:
Something very important to consider is that Stretching is important when you are traveling, as seating for long hours in a plane or car can provoke blood clotting which has been linked to some premature deaths. So whether you are traveling by plane or by car always make sure to get off your seat at least every 1-2 hours and stretch and move around some.

 The same advice is important for people working at their desks for long hours. The lack of energy flow and the muscle contractions you experience will leave your body tense, trap toxins which in turn will increase the risk for tension, back pain, strained eyes etc..

Stretching plays a big part in your overall health. Stretching provides many important benefits that cannot be achieved by any other exercise or activity. You might not be into sports and you might not even care about exercising but please by all means add stretching to you daily routine. Please