Tuesday, November 22, 2016
The 2016 ULTIMATE Black Friday, Small Business Saturday & Cyber Monday Sale Guide for Naturals
Ismail oubarka | 11:36 AM
Lose Weight Without Even Trying? The Mindful Eating Experiment
Ismail oubarka | 7:51 AM
Last week, I reinstituted a habit that I practiced many years ago. What sparked me to try this again was inspiration from a tv show. On the show was this woman who has a toned, slim figure. Her tummy is flat as a board even though she eats whatever she wants and doesn't work out.
At first, I assumed that her age, genetics, and metabolism were the only factors in creating her envious figure. But, after studying her behavior, I realized that she had a habit that was probably a huge contributor to her lean figure.
This reality show offered behind the scenes footage of the contestants as they connected in the house they shared. As the contestants sat down one morning to enjoy breakfast, I watched unedited footage of her eating and noticed that with each bite, she chewed well over 20 times before swallowing (I actually counted). On another occasion, while sharing a sandwich with a housemate, she apologizes saying "sorry [for taking so long], I eat my food really slowly."
Eureka!
Instantly, I flashed back tp the time when I purposefully chewed each bite 20-30 times. So many things changed once I instituted that habit. I'll go into the details later, but first, let me share my current eating habits.
I'm pretty short [5ft tall] so technically, I shouldn't eat a lot. But I do. I've learned that the only way to eat a lot of food is to eat fast! There's a short time window between when I take my first bite and when the feeling of being full set in. I take full advantage of the time by shoveling in as much food as possible before it's too late.
I know full well that this habit is very unhealthy & unnatural. Worst of all, it's contributing to my pot belly and other issues.
So I decided to reinstitute the practice of conscious eating. Basically, I would try to chew my food slowly and thoroughly. If possible, I'd put my fork down between bites (something I rarely ever do). Ideally, one should chew until their food is liquefied but I absolutely loathe the feel of swallowing my food once it's liquefied so I'll stop chewing just before that point. Maybe I'll get to that place one day.....but not yet.
That was a week and a half ago. Since then I've noticed huge differences as a result of my new actions.
Let's discuss.
I pulled into a Chic Fil A drive through and ordered a three count chicken strips and medium fries (as I've done countless times before). This time, I opted to maintain my promise to increase the number of times I chewed each bite. Panic struck as I realized the feeling of being full begin to set in. "There were still fries left in my bag! What do I do?" I decided to go against nature and shove the remainder of the fries into my mouth despite my body telling me that I had enough. When I was done, I was uncomfortably full and made a mental note to order a smaller size fry the next time around.
A week later, I go to Chic Fil A again. This time I request a 3 count fry & small fry. As I pull away, I notice that they gave me a medium fry instead. Normally, I'd be elated, but this time I'm kinda bummed, knowing that I wouldn't be able to eat them all. I chew slowly, savoring every bite. Once I decided to stop eating, I look in my bag and find multiple fries staring back at me. This never happens. I decide to keep the fries until later until I got hungry again.
Conscious eating has put me back in tuned with my body. In the past, I loved to eat until I was stuffed, now, I can't stand it. It's super uncomfortable. Now I eat until I'm slightly full. Within a week and a half, I've already experienced my stomach shrinking. My dinner portion sizes are much smaller than in the past and I'm perfectly ok with that.
Another obvious benefit of my new chewing practice is improved digestion. They say that digestion begins in the mouth. Our saliva contains enzymes that start breaking down our food. The more we chew the less of a burden we place on our digestive system. Not sure if you're aware, but digesting food requires a lot of energy. Imagine how much more it requires to digest large amounts of unproperly chewed food. Ever since instituting this conscious eating process, I've felt a renewed sense of energy. I've also experienced less bloating which is always a good thing.
I have no doubt that this new habit will lead to a flatter tummy and loss of excess pounds. When I was really dedicated to chewing until my food was liquid (years ago), my stomach really shrunk. Not only did my tummy flatter but it took barely any food to get me full. This happened as a natural progression, no effort needed. Which leads me to believe that I consume way more calories than my body actually wants or needs. All I did was listen to my body's signals. When I felt satiated, I stopped eating. I read online that a study of slow-chewers found that they consumed around 100 calories less per meal than their counterparts. That could really add up! Think about those people who lose weight effortlessly simply by giving up soda (150 calories per can). Mindful eating could provide similar benefits.
I'm experiencing too many benefits to turn back to my old way of eating. I realized that, in the past, I ate with a scarcity mindset. I ate as if someone was going to take the plate away from me if I didn't finish fast enough. Other times, I ate in front of a screen without having truly experienced my food. Eating in front of a screen is a sure fire way to over consume too many calories. According to a small study, when we eat in front of a screen, we have a fuzzier recollection of our meal thereby causing to us feel less satisfied and more likely to snack later. The fewer distractions you have while you eat, the less you are likely to consume.
Next on the agenda is taking things to the next level by taking smaller bites. This hopefully will help break down my food even faster. If you are a reckless eater, like I was, I invite you to try chewing your food slowly. It changes everything.
from BELLEMOCHA.com http://ift.tt/2gcz8tg
At first, I assumed that her age, genetics, and metabolism were the only factors in creating her envious figure. But, after studying her behavior, I realized that she had a habit that was probably a huge contributor to her lean figure.
This reality show offered behind the scenes footage of the contestants as they connected in the house they shared. As the contestants sat down one morning to enjoy breakfast, I watched unedited footage of her eating and noticed that with each bite, she chewed well over 20 times before swallowing (I actually counted). On another occasion, while sharing a sandwich with a housemate, she apologizes saying "sorry [for taking so long], I eat my food really slowly."
Eureka!
Instantly, I flashed back tp the time when I purposefully chewed each bite 20-30 times. So many things changed once I instituted that habit. I'll go into the details later, but first, let me share my current eating habits.
I'm pretty short [5ft tall] so technically, I shouldn't eat a lot. But I do. I've learned that the only way to eat a lot of food is to eat fast! There's a short time window between when I take my first bite and when the feeling of being full set in. I take full advantage of the time by shoveling in as much food as possible before it's too late.
I know full well that this habit is very unhealthy & unnatural. Worst of all, it's contributing to my pot belly and other issues.
So I decided to reinstitute the practice of conscious eating. Basically, I would try to chew my food slowly and thoroughly. If possible, I'd put my fork down between bites (something I rarely ever do). Ideally, one should chew until their food is liquefied but I absolutely loathe the feel of swallowing my food once it's liquefied so I'll stop chewing just before that point. Maybe I'll get to that place one day.....but not yet.
That was a week and a half ago. Since then I've noticed huge differences as a result of my new actions.
Let's discuss.
I pulled into a Chic Fil A drive through and ordered a three count chicken strips and medium fries (as I've done countless times before). This time, I opted to maintain my promise to increase the number of times I chewed each bite. Panic struck as I realized the feeling of being full begin to set in. "There were still fries left in my bag! What do I do?" I decided to go against nature and shove the remainder of the fries into my mouth despite my body telling me that I had enough. When I was done, I was uncomfortably full and made a mental note to order a smaller size fry the next time around.
A week later, I go to Chic Fil A again. This time I request a 3 count fry & small fry. As I pull away, I notice that they gave me a medium fry instead. Normally, I'd be elated, but this time I'm kinda bummed, knowing that I wouldn't be able to eat them all. I chew slowly, savoring every bite. Once I decided to stop eating, I look in my bag and find multiple fries staring back at me. This never happens. I decide to keep the fries until later until I got hungry again.
Conscious eating has put me back in tuned with my body. In the past, I loved to eat until I was stuffed, now, I can't stand it. It's super uncomfortable. Now I eat until I'm slightly full. Within a week and a half, I've already experienced my stomach shrinking. My dinner portion sizes are much smaller than in the past and I'm perfectly ok with that.
Another obvious benefit of my new chewing practice is improved digestion. They say that digestion begins in the mouth. Our saliva contains enzymes that start breaking down our food. The more we chew the less of a burden we place on our digestive system. Not sure if you're aware, but digesting food requires a lot of energy. Imagine how much more it requires to digest large amounts of unproperly chewed food. Ever since instituting this conscious eating process, I've felt a renewed sense of energy. I've also experienced less bloating which is always a good thing.
I have no doubt that this new habit will lead to a flatter tummy and loss of excess pounds. When I was really dedicated to chewing until my food was liquid (years ago), my stomach really shrunk. Not only did my tummy flatter but it took barely any food to get me full. This happened as a natural progression, no effort needed. Which leads me to believe that I consume way more calories than my body actually wants or needs. All I did was listen to my body's signals. When I felt satiated, I stopped eating. I read online that a study of slow-chewers found that they consumed around 100 calories less per meal than their counterparts. That could really add up! Think about those people who lose weight effortlessly simply by giving up soda (150 calories per can). Mindful eating could provide similar benefits.
I'm experiencing too many benefits to turn back to my old way of eating. I realized that, in the past, I ate with a scarcity mindset. I ate as if someone was going to take the plate away from me if I didn't finish fast enough. Other times, I ate in front of a screen without having truly experienced my food. Eating in front of a screen is a sure fire way to over consume too many calories. According to a small study, when we eat in front of a screen, we have a fuzzier recollection of our meal thereby causing to us feel less satisfied and more likely to snack later. The fewer distractions you have while you eat, the less you are likely to consume.
Next on the agenda is taking things to the next level by taking smaller bites. This hopefully will help break down my food even faster. If you are a reckless eater, like I was, I invite you to try chewing your food slowly. It changes everything.
from BELLEMOCHA.com http://ift.tt/2gcz8tg
Intensify Your Scalp Massages With This Amazing DIY Scrub
Ismail oubarka | 7:01 AM
The post Intensify Your Scalp Massages With This Amazing DIY Scrub appeared first on Black Hair Information.
from Black Hair Information http://ift.tt/2fO2jWs
Monday, November 21, 2016
Monday Motivation | The Process of becoming a Master Level Creator
Ismail oubarka | 8:00 AM
After my first introduction to the Law of Attraction, I found myself going back and forth between manifesting easily and going months without experiencing any of my intentions. After a little bit of reflection, I realized that manifesting frequently had a lot to do with how often I engaged in the Law of Attraction process.
The more involved I was with the process, the easier it became.
At one point I (mentally) referred to myself as a "Master Level Creator" because it seemed like everything I desired happened so easily.
I'm ready to get back to that place again. And what better time to do that than the last part of the year?
My creation process did not involve putting together a Vision Board. I find that vision boards were a bit to static an only focused on long term goals. Nothing wrong with that but I want to experience my intentions on a very regular basis. The more frequent, the better.
So instead of putting together a Vision Board, I identified a list of current intentions. The list didn't have to focus on lofty goals -- like my dream home. Instead I'd include things like finding out the name of a song that I heard at an event & fell in love with it. Or wanting to attract a lip color that I saw someone else wearing. Or learning of a new beauty product/ritual that addresses a current concern.
Basically, any small thing in my life that I want to be different, I create an intention for it. There's no intention to small. Last week, I contacted my favorite skin care center to discuss ideas about how to address some hyperpigmentation issues. They went over options with me and made a product recommendation. After the phone conversation, I set the intention to receive a sample of the product free of charge (even though the person quoted me $70.00 over the phone). When I arrived for my appointment, I discussed my skin concerns with the spa owner. At the end of the convo, I asked her about the price of product to which she replied "free, it's my gift." Moments later, I walked out with a free full size product. This was the second intention that manifested that week.
I was on a roll.
In order to keep the momentum going, I decided to create a manifestation journal. In this journal, I'd keep a log of everything that I asked for and received. This simple process would serve as a tool to get me back to Master Level Manifesting.
The idea came from Darren Hardy, author of the Compound Effect. In one of his talks he discussed the time that he kept a daily log of everything that he loves about his wife. At the end of the year, he gave his little love journal to her as a gift. Earlier this year, I kept a similar log (on a tracking app on my phone) of every time hubby did something sweet (no matter how big or small). Let me tell you, this habit made our marriage 100% stronger. He still doesn't know about this list but it seems like the more I was aware of his loving behavior, the more of it I got to experience. He transformed right before my very eyes but nothing really changed. It kinda reminds me of the lesson from "What the Bleep.." which basically teaches us that our reality shifts according to the observer.
"CHANGE THE WAY YOU LOOK AT THINGS AND THE THINGS YOU LOOK AT CHANGE."
In the same way, I'm determined to transform my reality one intention at a time.
One rule of Master Level Creation is to always think and reflect on what you've manifested in the past and what you wish to create in the (near) future. This keeps me in a constant place of expectation. It's fun, exciting and empowering. I'm always wondering if the thing I desire will manifest today. And when I do get it, I make a big deal of it. This helps me keep a positive energy because feeling good about the process is absolutely critical. And, the more you manifest, the more you solidify confidence around how much influence you actually have over your life.
Other things I do to fuel my creation process include watching videos of others who've shared their manifestation stories only on Youtube, visualizing regularly, or executing my Feel Good Routine.
The more I engage in the creation process the more amazing my life becomes. I urge everyone to develop your own manifestation routine. No matter what, never stop creating.
from BELLEMOCHA.com http://ift.tt/2gaXEyr
The more involved I was with the process, the easier it became.
At one point I (mentally) referred to myself as a "Master Level Creator" because it seemed like everything I desired happened so easily.
I'm ready to get back to that place again. And what better time to do that than the last part of the year?
So instead of putting together a Vision Board, I identified a list of current intentions. The list didn't have to focus on lofty goals -- like my dream home. Instead I'd include things like finding out the name of a song that I heard at an event & fell in love with it. Or wanting to attract a lip color that I saw someone else wearing. Or learning of a new beauty product/ritual that addresses a current concern.
Basically, any small thing in my life that I want to be different, I create an intention for it. There's no intention to small. Last week, I contacted my favorite skin care center to discuss ideas about how to address some hyperpigmentation issues. They went over options with me and made a product recommendation. After the phone conversation, I set the intention to receive a sample of the product free of charge (even though the person quoted me $70.00 over the phone). When I arrived for my appointment, I discussed my skin concerns with the spa owner. At the end of the convo, I asked her about the price of product to which she replied "free, it's my gift." Moments later, I walked out with a free full size product. This was the second intention that manifested that week.
I was on a roll.
In order to keep the momentum going, I decided to create a manifestation journal. In this journal, I'd keep a log of everything that I asked for and received. This simple process would serve as a tool to get me back to Master Level Manifesting.
 |
| via my Instagram |
In the same way, I'm determined to transform my reality one intention at a time.
One rule of Master Level Creation is to always think and reflect on what you've manifested in the past and what you wish to create in the (near) future. This keeps me in a constant place of expectation. It's fun, exciting and empowering. I'm always wondering if the thing I desire will manifest today. And when I do get it, I make a big deal of it. This helps me keep a positive energy because feeling good about the process is absolutely critical. And, the more you manifest, the more you solidify confidence around how much influence you actually have over your life.
Other things I do to fuel my creation process include watching videos of others who've shared their manifestation stories only on Youtube, visualizing regularly, or executing my Feel Good Routine.
The more I engage in the creation process the more amazing my life becomes. I urge everyone to develop your own manifestation routine. No matter what, never stop creating.
from BELLEMOCHA.com http://ift.tt/2gaXEyr
Sunday, November 20, 2016
HAIRitage The Play, The Journey of Sistahs with Their Hair
Ismail oubarka | 9:34 AM
The post HAIRitage The Play, The Journey of Sistahs with Their Hair appeared first on Black Hair Information.
from Black Hair Information http://ift.tt/2eU8Lfm
The Ultimate Curly Girl Gift Guide For The Holiday Season
Ismail oubarka | 7:09 AM
The post The Ultimate Curly Girl Gift Guide For The Holiday Season appeared first on Black Hair Information.
from Black Hair Information http://ift.tt/2gxNPMm
Saturday, November 19, 2016
How Long Is Too Long To Spend In The Hair Salon?
Ismail oubarka | 7:04 AM
The post How Long Is Too Long To Spend In The Hair Salon? appeared first on Black Hair Information.
from Black Hair Information http://ift.tt/2gutQOQ
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