Sunday, May 15, 2011
New Blog on Tumblr ;D
Hey guys, I wanted to let you know that I am updating my tumblr and taking a break from blogger.
So check me out there! Hopefully, by the time I come back to blogging, I will have my own domain and a more "legit" website. For now, its just too much. I have a lot more fun on tumblr, so I update frequently. :)
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Tooth Decay Cont...
 |
| "My shiny teeth and me" |
http://www.animated-teeth.com/tooth_decay/t3_tooth_decay_remineralization.htm
I learned more in 2 hours online than all those visits to the dentist office! "Well, stay away from sugars." Well, most foods turn into sugars in your mouth, so what in the world are we supposed to do?
After reading that, my next question was "How do I keep my mouth at an alkalized PH?" since acidic environments keep bacteria feeling at home. It would make sense to use a mouthwash with a high PH, however most mouthwashes are just slightly alkaline. I plan to use a mixture of milk of magnesia with water and see how that goes. I'm also brushing my teeth with Eco-dent which is essentially flavoured baking soda. That should also help alkalize. I need to find a source of flouride, though.
Second, I asked "What can I do to help my teeth remineralize faster?" because I am going to slip up with the brushing and flossing every now and then. Of course, being diligent with your dental routine helps. Brushing, flossing, and mouth washing twice a day. I need to start taking my vitamins, of course. A lot of suggestions to take cod liver oil or a high vitamin butter that contains vitamin K2 and other fat solubles. I hate taking pills (I only take my vitamins to grow my hair), but for this experiment, I'll do it.
And now, I'm off to weave my hair up.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Genetically Modified Foods. Yep, You're Eatin' Them.
Sup, buddha babies?
I've spent my January studying for a short Engineering Ethics class. I did a research project on GMOs and made a lovely presentation for the class. I feel like a illegitimate psuedo-expert on the stuff!
The main issue with GMOs in our food supply is that we have no consent over it. You're eating them. If you eat anything canned or boxed, you're probably eating GMOs. If you eat anything made with soy, you're probably eating GMO. 86% of our corn is GM'd. 93% of our soy is GM'd. Other countries are concerned to the point that they require labels or even BAN GM foods entirely in their country.
click here to see a list of GM foods available on the market.
How are GMOs bad?
People don't like GMOs. There are several health reasons all speculations from correlations (allergy increase) & animal studies (more animals get sick or die when fed GM foods). There is one human study that shows there is some gene transfer (so the GM food genes transfer to your body's bacteria). The study seems really inconclusive of its significance. There are also environmental concerns. And the companies involved in this industry have pulled some nasty moves, but I'll just stick with the health.
How can I avoid them?
You'll hear a lot of people talk about GMOs negatively. And just say "don't buy them!" In order to make sure you're not being a part for the GMO industry, you have to make sure when you buy any of the food on the list or any food (processed or whatever) that has any of those derivatives as an ingredient says "GMO-free" or "organic". If you eat meat or animal products, make sure they are GRASS-FED and/or FREE ROAMING (not "free-range", yes "free-roaming") and organic.
I ain't got money or time for that.
Some of us aren't quite that hard-core about our food purchases. I, personally, feel that people who need to stay away from GMOs the most are those with food allergies and digestive issues. If you're serious about reducing your symptoms in regards to that, I really urge you to do your best to stay GM-free.
And with that, I leave you with this track :3
I've spent my January studying for a short Engineering Ethics class. I did a research project on GMOs and made a lovely presentation for the class. I feel like a illegitimate psuedo-expert on the stuff!
The main issue with GMOs in our food supply is that we have no consent over it. You're eating them. If you eat anything canned or boxed, you're probably eating GMOs. If you eat anything made with soy, you're probably eating GMO. 86% of our corn is GM'd. 93% of our soy is GM'd. Other countries are concerned to the point that they require labels or even BAN GM foods entirely in their country.
How are GMOs bad?
People don't like GMOs. There are several health reasons all speculations from correlations (allergy increase) & animal studies (more animals get sick or die when fed GM foods). There is one human study that shows there is some gene transfer (so the GM food genes transfer to your body's bacteria). The study seems really inconclusive of its significance. There are also environmental concerns. And the companies involved in this industry have pulled some nasty moves, but I'll just stick with the health.
How can I avoid them?
You'll hear a lot of people talk about GMOs negatively. And just say "don't buy them!" In order to make sure you're not being a part for the GMO industry, you have to make sure when you buy any of the food on the list or any food (processed or whatever) that has any of those derivatives as an ingredient says "GMO-free" or "organic". If you eat meat or animal products, make sure they are GRASS-FED and/or FREE ROAMING (not "free-range", yes "free-roaming") and organic.
I ain't got money or time for that.
Some of us aren't quite that hard-core about our food purchases. I, personally, feel that people who need to stay away from GMOs the most are those with food allergies and digestive issues. If you're serious about reducing your symptoms in regards to that, I really urge you to do your best to stay GM-free.
And with that, I leave you with this track :3
Friday, December 31, 2010
Relaxed Hair Journey: A New Beginning
I'm going to be straight up honest about this. Maybe my trials & errors will help someone else.
I'm no longer natural. No longer tex-lax'd. I'm now fully committed to RELAXED hair. Why? I'll leave that for another entry if requested. Otherwise, welcome to my relaxed hair journey. I've had issues that NO ONE could help me with. I started out on Black Hair Media forum. They gave great tips that didn't work for me. Some of the users mocked me, even. I decided to say "Screw you" and read books on african hair care (I have several book reviews on this blog). With this wealth of knowledge at hand, I set foot off...
Relaxer of Choice... LYE vs. NO LYE
For a while, I had this mentality that a relaxer is a relaxer and it didn't matter which you used. Boy, was I wrong. I do a lot of research and I actually have a few book reviews on this blog (I'll try to add a search feature so you can find them or you can check the side bar for the proper label). There's a difference between LYE and NO LYE. Lye relaxers end up leaving your hair strand cuticles smoother than no-lye. This explains why for years of relaxing with at-home kits (Yes, even ORS Olive Oil), my hair has suffered extreme breakage and dryness.
I decided to choose Mizani Butter Blends as my new lye relaxer because I've heard so many good things about it. I'm a believer. My hair feels smooth and buttery soft! ALL THE TIME! Certain products make my hair feel even more soft or a bit more dry, but in general, my extreme dryness is cured. I know it is the MBB because I've used Designer's Touch which was okay, but I still got dryness. I upgraded to normal Mizani and I was quite impressed. MBB blew my mind away. It doesn't relax my hair pin-straight which is totally fine with me.
Breakage Issue
I think changing my relaxer has drastically improved the health of my hair. Even though I was "tex-lax"ing before, I was still getting an embarrassing amount of breakage. Now, I'm using MBB, breakage has DRASTICALLY reduced. I'm using Aphogee 2-step Protein just because I have it. It doesn't help very much with my breakage, surprisingly. I'm using it until its all gone, just for good measure.
I also bought Redken Extreme: Anti-snap from UltaBeauty because it contains proteins that are great for hair, silk amino acids, and ceramides. I use it after every towel-dry and I also plan to use it to protect my ends before a retouch. So far, I don't think it actually helps much, either.
Finally, Divasmooth. This product is a holy grail product for me. This has always dramatically reduced breakage for me (even though anti-breakage is not its marketed use). I'm going to use it up later next week & join their frequent buyer program. Why is it so good? I think it has to do with the sugar. There's something special about sugar... updates on that later.
Growth Regime
My goal is to have long hair and regrow my temples. For those of you curious and/or desperate, yes. I have seen temple regrowth success! I'll make a new entry about it later. For the most part, here's what I'm using to increase my hair's growing rate.
Vitamins - From time time, Flaxseed oil. I'm using Hair Vite vitamins. Primarily because its cheap, easier for me to swallow, and contains calcium. I take 2 daily with meals. For you nosey folk, here's the ingredients:
Vegetable Silica - 500mg
Calcium Carbonate - 300mg (30% dv)
Magnesium Oxide - 25 mg (6.3% dv)
Iron Gluconate - 10 mg (56% dv)
Vitamin A - 5000 iu (100% dv)
Vitamin D - 400 iu (100% dv)
Vitamin E - 30 iu (100% dv)
Zinc - 15 mg (100% dv)
Iodine - 150 mcg (100% dv)
Chromium - 25 mcg
Selenium - 50 mcg
Copper - 1 mg (50% dv)
Manganese - 6 mg
Topical - I use my growth aid mix that is essentially Kimmaytube's leave-in + essential oil + MSM. However, I am tempted to try "Grow-aut oil" in my mix. I use this to make sure my scalp & new growth are moisturized. I massage for 5 minutes a day and if I can, I lay on my bed with my head dangling to further increase circulation to the scalp.
Edges - Step 1. Scrub w/ sugar scrub Step 2. use growth moisturizer Step 3. Keep slicked (& split end free) with Kinky Curly gel (or flaxseed gel).
Pictures, of course. Later. I'm beat!
I'm no longer natural. No longer tex-lax'd. I'm now fully committed to RELAXED hair. Why? I'll leave that for another entry if requested. Otherwise, welcome to my relaxed hair journey. I've had issues that NO ONE could help me with. I started out on Black Hair Media forum. They gave great tips that didn't work for me. Some of the users mocked me, even. I decided to say "Screw you" and read books on african hair care (I have several book reviews on this blog). With this wealth of knowledge at hand, I set foot off...
Relaxer of Choice... LYE vs. NO LYE
 |
| (Left to Right) Healthy hair, Lye relaxed hair, No-lye relaxed hair EEEK! |
I decided to choose Mizani Butter Blends as my new lye relaxer because I've heard so many good things about it. I'm a believer. My hair feels smooth and buttery soft! ALL THE TIME! Certain products make my hair feel even more soft or a bit more dry, but in general, my extreme dryness is cured. I know it is the MBB because I've used Designer's Touch which was okay, but I still got dryness. I upgraded to normal Mizani and I was quite impressed. MBB blew my mind away. It doesn't relax my hair pin-straight which is totally fine with me.
Breakage Issue
 |
| I don't know if you can tell, but IRL you can clearly see when I started using MBB |
I also bought Redken Extreme: Anti-snap from UltaBeauty because it contains proteins that are great for hair, silk amino acids, and ceramides. I use it after every towel-dry and I also plan to use it to protect my ends before a retouch. So far, I don't think it actually helps much, either.
Finally, Divasmooth. This product is a holy grail product for me. This has always dramatically reduced breakage for me (even though anti-breakage is not its marketed use). I'm going to use it up later next week & join their frequent buyer program. Why is it so good? I think it has to do with the sugar. There's something special about sugar... updates on that later.
Growth Regime
My goal is to have long hair and regrow my temples. For those of you curious and/or desperate, yes. I have seen temple regrowth success! I'll make a new entry about it later. For the most part, here's what I'm using to increase my hair's growing rate.
Vitamins - From time time, Flaxseed oil. I'm using Hair Vite vitamins. Primarily because its cheap, easier for me to swallow, and contains calcium. I take 2 daily with meals. For you nosey folk, here's the ingredients:
 |
| The tan one is the Hair Vite. See how thin it is? Easy to swallow for me. |
Calcium Carbonate - 300mg (30% dv)
Magnesium Oxide - 25 mg (6.3% dv)
Iron Gluconate - 10 mg (56% dv)
Vitamin A - 5000 iu (100% dv)
Vitamin D - 400 iu (100% dv)
Vitamin E - 30 iu (100% dv)
Zinc - 15 mg (100% dv)
Iodine - 150 mcg (100% dv)
Chromium - 25 mcg
Selenium - 50 mcg
Copper - 1 mg (50% dv)
Manganese - 6 mg
Topical - I use my growth aid mix that is essentially Kimmaytube's leave-in + essential oil + MSM. However, I am tempted to try "Grow-aut oil" in my mix. I use this to make sure my scalp & new growth are moisturized. I massage for 5 minutes a day and if I can, I lay on my bed with my head dangling to further increase circulation to the scalp.
Edges - Step 1. Scrub w/ sugar scrub Step 2. use growth moisturizer Step 3. Keep slicked (& split end free) with Kinky Curly gel (or flaxseed gel).
Pictures, of course. Later. I'm beat!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
FASHIONISTA of the Week: Briana Shanee
Happy Boxing Day!
BRIANA "SHANEE" WILSON
Q: What do people typically comment on about your fashion style?
Bri: People always just say "you have swag" or "your style fits you" they never really go into detail. One thing I do get a lot is "only you could pull that off" and it really kinda irks me because i feel like anyone can pull off different styled outfits, they just have to have the confidence.
Q: What does your style say about your personality?
Bri: My style now has changed a lot since I've been in college. I'm more chill. Everythings chill. I HAVE to feel comfortable in what I wear. tights, boots, jacket. rather than jeans, heels, shirt, belt, hat. thats just too much for me... not saying that its wrong.. i'm just a more chill type of person.
Q: How does your fashion style kind of roll into other aspects of your life (art, interests, etc)?
Bri: I'm going to school for communications now, and I plan to work for BET or MTV when i get older. So basically I can just dress cute on tv. What i wear means a lot to me, i haaaaaated my last job all because we had to wear a work shirt.... an ugly work shirt. It like completely ruined my entire time there. So I'd say fashion takes a big part in my everyday life.
Q: Who's your fashion idol?
Bri:AMBER ROSE AMBER ROSE AMBER ROSE. i loveeee her. lol i just wish she was like my big sister or something so i could call her up and steal all her clothes. every single thing she wears i love. everything. other good fashion icons tho are rihanna for sure, teyana taylor, angela & vanessa simmons ♥
Man, I definitely understand! Great minds think alike ;). I definitely think you may be seeing Bri's face and taste one day soon. If you want to see more of her style & inspirations (music, fashion, etc), check out her tumblr blog:
http://brianashanee.tumblr.com/
- Stay golden...
Warm welcome to my first Fashionista of the week!
Meet FGF's first fashionista...
Why I like her: Her pictures kept popping up on my facebook because we have a few mutual friends. I always thought her sense of style in photographs stood out. She also seemed to have knack for gaining an audience, so I friended her. I love how she is constantly connected to friends (and admirers) through social media, so making her the first fashionista was an obvious choice. Check out our interview:
Q: At what age do you feel you started to develop your own style?
Bri: I'd say that I've always just wanted to stand out. Since I was little I've liked attention, and one of the most attention catching features about a person is the way they're dressed. So even in middle school I was doing little things that I thought were different to stand out. (that doesn't mean they were cute)
Q: What do people typically comment on about your fashion style?
Bri: People always just say "you have swag" or "your style fits you" they never really go into detail. One thing I do get a lot is "only you could pull that off" and it really kinda irks me because i feel like anyone can pull off different styled outfits, they just have to have the confidence.
Q: What does your style say about your personality?
Bri: My style now has changed a lot since I've been in college. I'm more chill. Everythings chill. I HAVE to feel comfortable in what I wear. tights, boots, jacket. rather than jeans, heels, shirt, belt, hat. thats just too much for me... not saying that its wrong.. i'm just a more chill type of person.
Q: How does your fashion style kind of roll into other aspects of your life (art, interests, etc)?Bri: I'm going to school for communications now, and I plan to work for BET or MTV when i get older. So basically I can just dress cute on tv. What i wear means a lot to me, i haaaaaated my last job all because we had to wear a work shirt.... an ugly work shirt. It like completely ruined my entire time there. So I'd say fashion takes a big part in my everyday life.
Q: Who's your fashion idol?
Bri:AMBER ROSE AMBER ROSE AMBER ROSE. i loveeee her. lol i just wish she was like my big sister or something so i could call her up and steal all her clothes. every single thing she wears i love. everything. other good fashion icons tho are rihanna for sure, teyana taylor, angela & vanessa simmons ♥
Man, I definitely understand! Great minds think alike ;). I definitely think you may be seeing Bri's face and taste one day soon. If you want to see more of her style & inspirations (music, fashion, etc), check out her tumblr blog:
- Stay golden...
Friday, December 24, 2010
Subscriber Giveaway!
Hey, Buddha Babies!
To wish you a Merry Christmas, I am doing a beauty give-away. Watch this video to see what the prizes are:
HOW TO ENTER:
To wish you a Merry Christmas, I am doing a beauty give-away. Watch this video to see what the prizes are:
HOW TO ENTER:
- Leave a comment under THAT video (click the video to be taken to the comment page) with your top 3 picks.
- Make sure you are a SUBSCRIBER to PeaceUdo's (me, lol) youtube channel.
- I will randomly select 2 subscribers to win the prize package with their top 3 picks.
- You double your chances of winning by following me on this blog!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
This Morning (Hike, Oil Pulling)
I'm in Taos, New Mexico and have been blogging on the school website (http://blog.smu.edu/StudentAdventures/udoka_in_taos/ ).
Last night, I came to realize that I was holding up to bad habits again. Staying up late for no reason, procrastinating, etc. My body was responding in annoying ways. I decided that I need to restart my active journey for health.
This morning, I woke up at 4:30 am to walk (literally) up a mountain for 1 hour and sun gaze at sun-rise. I was so sleepy on the way up, but what they say about sun gazing is right! I felt quite awake on the way down. It was great! A great sense of accomplishment with a spectacular view. As we came down, I was very hungry. It feels SO good to be SO hungry and then eat good food because you deserve it. I'm also sore in certain places which I actually like. My body hasn't been sore in a while. I also enjoy the idea that my day got started at 5am instead of 8 or 9am. It makes me feel like I already have momentum for the day while everyone else is just getting geared up.
After I ate, I tried a technique called OIL PULLING. I just used olive oil they had in the kitchen here (this place is like a camp for 20 year olds). You're supposed to swish a small amount of oil in your mouth for 20 minutes, but I could only handle about 10. My mouth was hurting (which supposedly meant I did too much work... you ought to use your tongue more) and also, I felt like some liquid mucous was trying to ride up my throat and into my nose. I spit out my oil. I was in the shower which may explain that weird sensation, but how do you explain the next one?
I applied my african black soap, per normal and my cheeks and mouth area started to burn. Afterwards, I typically put 10 drops of orange oil and 2 drops of lavendar oil all over my face. Nothing burns unless I accidentally get my eye area. But this time, my face BURNED! I could only apply my solution to my neck and even then, I reduced it to 3 orange oil drops and 1 lavendar.
So, already, my morning was semi-eventful. Updates later.
Last night, I came to realize that I was holding up to bad habits again. Staying up late for no reason, procrastinating, etc. My body was responding in annoying ways. I decided that I need to restart my active journey for health.
This morning, I woke up at 4:30 am to walk (literally) up a mountain for 1 hour and sun gaze at sun-rise. I was so sleepy on the way up, but what they say about sun gazing is right! I felt quite awake on the way down. It was great! A great sense of accomplishment with a spectacular view. As we came down, I was very hungry. It feels SO good to be SO hungry and then eat good food because you deserve it. I'm also sore in certain places which I actually like. My body hasn't been sore in a while. I also enjoy the idea that my day got started at 5am instead of 8 or 9am. It makes me feel like I already have momentum for the day while everyone else is just getting geared up.
After I ate, I tried a technique called OIL PULLING. I just used olive oil they had in the kitchen here (this place is like a camp for 20 year olds). You're supposed to swish a small amount of oil in your mouth for 20 minutes, but I could only handle about 10. My mouth was hurting (which supposedly meant I did too much work... you ought to use your tongue more) and also, I felt like some liquid mucous was trying to ride up my throat and into my nose. I spit out my oil. I was in the shower which may explain that weird sensation, but how do you explain the next one?
I applied my african black soap, per normal and my cheeks and mouth area started to burn. Afterwards, I typically put 10 drops of orange oil and 2 drops of lavendar oil all over my face. Nothing burns unless I accidentally get my eye area. But this time, my face BURNED! I could only apply my solution to my neck and even then, I reduced it to 3 orange oil drops and 1 lavendar.
So, already, my morning was semi-eventful. Updates later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
