Empowered selfcare, lifestyle strategies & coaching
Selfcare and the realities of setting boundaries for black women It’s hard enough learning and setting boundaries, as a woman. As usual, when it comes to black women living and existing in America, that becomes even more of a challenge. Black women are exhausted but …
As someone who has sensitive skin and scalp, I’m always on the lookout for natural remedies. I’m not a fan of chemicals so I usually look for natural or herbal remedies to address most issues. This exfoliating itchy scalp treatment mask (and scrub), is my …
Let me start by asking, can we normalise selfcare beyond Valentine’s Day? I’m like really! It’s a new year and that tired idea of “treating” yourself and calling it selfcare, is old and pathetic at this point. Not only that, it’s costing women their lives, health and happiness! Selfcare has become an increasingly popular term in recent years, but it’s often associated with special occasions like Valentine’s Day. While it’s great to have a day to celebrate love and self-love, the truth is that selfcare is a year-round practice, and it’s something that every woman needs!
Normalising selfcare beyond Valentine’s Day means recognising that taking care of yourself is not a luxury, but a necessity. It means making self-care a regular part of your daily routine and prioritising it just as much as you would any other important task.
Selfcare doesn’t have to be fancy or grand. It can be as simple as taking a few minutes each day to do something that makes you feel good. This could be anything from taking a relaxing bath to practicing yoga to reading a book. The key is to make it a daily habit, so it becomes a natural part of your routine.
Selfcare looks different for everyone, so it’s important to find what works for you. What makes you feel relaxed and rejuvenated? What helps you recharge after a long day? Some people might find solace in nature, while others might prefer meditation. Experiment with different selfcare practices until you find what resonates with you.
One of the biggest barriers to selfcare is time. It’s easy to put off taking care of ourselves when we have so many other things to do. But the truth is, selfcare is just as important as any other task on your to-do list. Make time for it by scheduling it into your day or week. Treat it like an important appointment that you can’t miss.
Many women feel guilty about taking time for themselves. We’re conditioned to put others’ needs before our own, but selfcare is not selfish or incidental. It’s critical for our mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Let go of the guilt and give yourself permission to prioritise selfcare.
Selfcare is more fun and effective when you do it with others. Create a support system of friends or family members who are also committed to prioritising selfcare. You can share ideas, motivate each other, and hold each other accountable.
Bottom line, normalising selfcare beyond Valentine’s Day is about recognising that taking care of yourself is a year-round practice. It’s about making self-care a daily habit, finding what works for you, making time for it, letting go of guilt, and creating a support system. By prioritizing self-care, you’ll not only feel better but also be better equipped to handle the challenges that come your way.
1. Lack of representation
Women of color may feel that the mainstream wellness industry does not represent their needs and preferences. The lack of representation can lead to feeling excluded, invisible, and not valued. It can also lead to difficulty finding resources that are culturally sensitive and appropriate.
2. Intersectional discrimination
Women of colour, especially Black women face multiple forms of discrimination, such as racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism. These forms of oppression can cause stress, anxiety, and trauma, which can make it difficult to prioritise self-care.
Women of colour may face systemic barriers to accessing self-care resources, such as limited financial resources, lack of affordable and accessible healthcare, limited access to healthy food options, and lack of safe and supportive environments.
Women of colour are often expected to take on caregiving responsibilities for their families and communities, which can make it challenging to find time for self-care. The pressure to put others’ needs before their own can lead to feelings of guilt and self-neglect.
Women of colour may face stigma and shame around mental health, which can prevent them from seeking help and support. The fear of being perceived as weak or vulnerable can lead to self-isolation and a reluctance to engage in self-care practices that may benefit their mental health.
Let’s start a clean slate for this new season by recognising that women are facing a global health crisis. That crisis is the absence of selfcare that has become even more critical in a global system of patriarchy, anti-blackness and misogyny. For women of colour, they’re are additional barriers to selfcare that need to be recognised and addressed. These barriers include lack of representation, intersectional discrimination, systemic barriers, caregiving responsibilities, and mental health stigma. By acknowledging and addressing these barriers, we can create a better world for all women across the globe! Also, check out this short post more selfcare ideas for newbies!
Safety and security first I’m always surprised at how many women don’t know safety and security go hand in hand with selfcare. Selfcare is an essential tool for Black women to navigate the unique challenges they face in the world. However, selfcare is often thought …
Holiday cooking season Hello fall and winter holiday cooking season, y’all! Nothing says cozy and yummy in this cold climate like a spicy pot of my healthy collard greens recipe. Collard greens are steeped in the traditions of the black diaspora in the Americas and …
Happy holidays to everyone around the world and bon appetite! With all of the delicious dishes being served for the holidays, I can’t forget about drinks. My after dinner holiday tea recipe is a perfect way to end our holiday meal. For different parts of the world, the spices vary for this soothing beverage.
For centuries, people have created beverages as accompaniments to their meals. This is especially true for the holiday and festival seasons. From parts of Africa, the middle and Asia, many drink after dinner teas on regular basis. In Victorian England, these were known as tisanes rather than tea. Tisanes are usually made from fresh or dried plant parts like leaves, flowers, crushed seeds, etc. As to whether or not other folks have their own after dinner holiday tea recipe, I’m guessing I’m not alone.
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll remember that I’m all about function and flavor. I love creating an after dinner tea recipe each season. Since it’s fall heading into winter, here, it’s time for my holiday blend. today’s recipe is no different and features a blend of spices that are great for the stomach. This after dinner holiday tea recipe also includes spices that remind of you fall and winter goodies! All of these ingredients are particularly great for gut health, which is the back bone of our immune system.
My spice blend is anti-inflammatory, supports the immune system, is anti-microbial and anti-viral. For example, caraway and coriander alleviate bloat, IBS, and indigestion. Other benefits of this tea blend include, helping to alleviate diarrhoea as well as constipation. Mint soothes the stomach and helps alleviate nausea. All if not most of these ingredients, promote a healthy gut, immune system and so much more. You can read more about the benefits in some of my favourite tea recipes like this one by clicking right here!
1. 1/4 cup of ginger (fresh)
2. 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds, freshly ground
3. 1/2 teaspoon of coriander
4. 1/2- 1 whole medium cinnamon stick
5. 1/4 cup of finely shredded mint leaves
6. 1/4 tea spoon of fresh, ground green cardamom
7. 1/4 cup of gingered honey
8. 24 ounces of filtered water
For how to make gingered honey, click here to get the recipe and how you can switch it up for a variety of purposes. Since I’m an avid herbal tea drinker, I love to make my own gingered honey. Don’t be afraid or intimated about making it yourself because it is easy to make. Just keep in mind that you will need to give it sufficient time to cure and develop it’s potency.
Making your after dinner holiday tea
First, bring your water to a gentle boil and then add your fresh ground ingredients. Toss in your cinnamon stick and fresh shredded ginger, turning down the heat to a low simmer for about 10 mins. Next, add your gingered honey with your fine shredded mint leaves for an additional 3-5 mins. Finally, turn off the heat and strain your after dinner holiday tea. You can then garnish your tea with a pinch of fresh mint and add more honey to taste.
Spices add flavour, complexity and in a lot of instances, a variety of healing elements to every dish you create. This is one of the main reasons why I’m so passionate about decolonizing your traditional food ways in addition to knowing what is actually in your food. Food has a tremendous capacity to heal the body and is often the first place to go in order to heal your body naturally. If you have doubts about the power of spices in your food, you can read what John Hopkins Medicine states right here. Also, make sure you subscribe and follow my blog to get the latest updates, posts, and more!
Ginger as a kitchen staple Ginger is one of the most versatile and healing spices (herbs) around my kitchen! In my opinion, there are very few things that beat out ginger when it comes adding a dose of healing to my food and drinks. My …
We are in the last quarter of 2022 and it is time to make the right shift for staying healthy and living your best life! If You’re not there yet, that’s okay because its never too late to improve your life. That being said, there …
For every season we need to make adjustments in our routines, cycles, etc in every area of our lives. That means when it comes to fitness and working out, it’s good idea to make changes for the season too. This is even more true when you start factoring in ageing, etc. Fall fitness for women over 40 makes a lot of sense especially if you want to avoid injuries! Avoiding injuries while working out, should always be your goal if you want to reap the benefits of an active lifestyle.
We need to adapt our lifestyles and routines to each new season during the year. Especially if you want to truly enjoy the year and all it has to offer. Granted, we can’t account for every eventuality, but we can make smart decisions on how to move forward. When it comes to women over 40, we’ve got other things to consider such as bone and hormonal health. This also impacts how and what types, of exercises we engage in. Keeping these fall fitness for women over 40 in mind, is my way helping women stay healthy and active 365 days a year
With the fall comes the usual cold and flu season as well as other potential community health infections and illnesses. It is also a time when our stress and anxiety get elevated, seasonal affective disorder kicks in (colder and northern regions of the world), etc. As we get older, we can become more vulnerable to respiratory and other illness and injury. When you consider hormonal fluctuations, shifts in dietary needs, the potential for loss of mobility and a decline in over all health can increase dramatically.
Yes, there is a right and a wrong way to exercise and you don’t need to be a fitness guru to figure it out either! First off, never abruptly jump into a vigorous and or high intensive workout program / routine. That is one of the best ways to get injured and completely sideline all of your fitness goals. Instead, consult your healthcare provider, fitness coach and get your fitness assessment. If you already have a good idea of your own fitness level, you’re already a quarter of the way to elevating your health and fitness.
As a women’s self-care and health coach for women over 40, I always recommend starting out light and slow to start. Once you’ve got your routine planned and in place, it’s easy to increase your intensity and amount of weight training. You can read more about some of my favorite exercises for women over 40 when you click here. I always say, “let your body be your guide”! This is the main reason why I stress the importance of selfcare because self-care forces you to tune into the needs of your body. Self-care also teaches you body awareness and connectivity. If you’ve ever had the sense that “something” is “off” in your body, then you know what I’m talking about.
1. If you’ve been off of your exercise routine for more than 2 weeks, don’t restart your program with high intensity/ high impact exercises. Instead, start light and focus on exercises that hone in on mobility and flexibility.
2. Always check in with your healthcare provider, health coach, or fitness coach after a long hiatus from working out. It will help you avoid injuries that can affect your long term health and mobility.
3. Get a workout / fitness plan that is geared toward taking advantage of the fall season. For instance, fall is the perfect time for long walks and hikes because it’s neither to hot or too cool.
4. Fall is also one of those times of the year, when you want to make sure you are taking the right supplements to help support your immune system and overall wellness. While supplements can never be a substitute for whole food, it is necessary to add natural supplements, herbs, spices, etc that support and optimise your body functions.
5. Never underestimate the power of a good stretching and mobility routine. Even as I say this to you, I’m always reminding myself to do the same. Frequent and constant stretching routines (i.e. yoga, pilates, etc) will save you from injury and misery. Not only that, one of the downsides of ageing (in general), is the loss of mobility and flexibility. You want to stay toned, avoid aches and pains associated with arthritis and so forth? Start your yoga and or Pilates practice in addition to weight training to maintain your active lifestyle!
Start thinking of “ageing” as the “use it or lose it” principle on steroids, and less like it’s the twilight years of your life. I’m learning that we all have an expiration date that is unspecified and far from guaranteed. Every day in the news, I hear of some young person who’s been struck down in the prime of her/his/their life while others make it well past their 90s. Bottom line? We all live in the dash ”-“ of our time here on earth so why not live it fabulously and with purpose?
Self-care and self-love will help you achieve all of this and more, if you are willing to embrace the journey and gain the courage to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Plus, anything worth having is always worth the work to get there. As for the internalised socio-cultural patriarchy (and often misogyny) that women should learn to “age gracefully”, I call b.s. on that! We are all entitled to live life to the fullest and part of that means honouring your body, and giving it what it needs to thrive. You get to decide!
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Economic hardships We’re in a recession folks and that means tightening our belts. It also means being resourceful and finding creative ways to self care on a tight budget. That also means, getting recession proof self care strategies to help you weather the storm! While no …
