Eat Chocolate

Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family: A Review

SunflowerHW — Thu, 05 May 2011 01:41:01 +0000

On spring break, my sister met me in Myrtle Beach. She wanted to see Tyler Perry’s new movie Madea’s Big Happy Family. If you’ve seen any of those movies you know Madea is the star and savior. What Madea says goes.

I appreciate Tyler Perry’s theatrical attributes, his writing and persistence in a mostly white-male dominated industry. I appreciate that he wants to portray our culture in a different light than the typical gang-banging manner. There are some extremely funny scenes in the movie. Loretta Devine is one of the main characters in the movie and she is one of my favorite actresses. She seems to always be geniune in any role. And I love her voice, it’s just plain sweet.

I must say I didn’t quite enjoy this one as much as his previous movies. It seems to me he in brought in some negativity that could have been left out. I would like to see him drop the wig, dress, “Madea” attitude and pursue other storylines. He is extremely talented and I know more is left in him to produce movies we will enjoy and be inspired by.

Brother Larry

SunflowerHW — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 19:48:27 +0000

Vacationing this week in Myrtle Beach SC. As I was fast walking along the beach “Brother Larry” showed up beside me. Just like last year he seemed to come out of nowhere. My initial thought was “no not again”. But after a few minutes it was ok. He calls himself a street minister. My guess is he walks up and down Myrtle Beach spreading the word. I listened and amened him. He has good words to say. And as I told him (when I could get in a word or two) if you are truly speaking God’s word then you will always say something that touches the heart and spirit. What touched me was when he talked about miracles. Only God does miracles. That really blessed my day.

Thank you Father for giving us miracles. We still believe in them and we will expect them.

Be blessed,

Brenda

Head wrap

SunflowerHW — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:37:53 +0000

How our hair looks is SO important to us. Take a look at this head wrap from Shirley’s Unique Design. I have tried many head wraps and this is the only one that stays on my head at night!!!

www.shirleysuniquedesigns.com

When you elevate others you elevate yourself…….

Be Well,

Brenda

I love tea

SunflowerHW — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 00:25:05 +0000

This has been the year I’ve come to love tea. I’ve always liked tea but I’ve experienced some wonderful teas lately that I love and now on I’m a quest to learn more about teas. I just ordered a catalog from Harney & Sons.

I precepted a nurse practitioner student this semester and for a thank you gift she gave me a Tetsubin cast iron teapot from Teavana. About a month prior I had bought White Ayurvedic Chai loose leaf tea and was waiting for my tea bags to arrive so I could try it out. After she gave me the teapot I was able to try out my tea. I can’t describe the experience of drinking this tea. It was just amazing.

The teapot has a dragonfly on it. The dragonfly stands for good fortune, new beginnings, infinity, love, and romance. I’m open to all of that.

There’s tons of books written about teas and their health benefits. I’ll share one with you that I recommend for anyone who wants to lose weight and likes to drink tea.

Share some of your favorite teas with me.

Best Diet for High Blood Pressure

SunflowerHW — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 22:23:54 +0000

The best diet for high blood pressure is one that is high in the fruits, vegetables, beans and the Omega 3 fatty acids i.e. fish oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, nuts & seeds. The white meats–fish, chicken and turkey are great because they are very lean and low in fat. Lean red meat eaten is moderate 2-3 times a week is ok. High fatty foods that come food animal products like eggs and dairy products should be eaten minimally except for yogurt. I call this type of diet the “cave man” diet. It’s eating mostly foods from the land. Over time we have come to find out that those foods are healthiest for us. It’s no surprise then that that’s the food God gave us to eat.

So skip the fast foods, overly processed foods, sweets, and sodas. As much as you can eat health foods that are real food not junk. You’ll lose weight and feel more energetic. Get creative.

Dealing with High Blood Pressure

SunflowerHW — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 02:54:28 +0000

I met a sister last week who’s had high blood pressure for a few years but refused to address it. She wanted to know why she had it before she would do anything about it. Sometimes we never know why and you certainly can’t wait until you find the answer to start treatment. High blood pressure can be caused by number of causes including diet, weight, stress, family history and other health problems. Blood vessels can become narrowed and/or they constrict and that increases blood pressure.

Emotions can play a major role in high blood pressure. Think of high blood pressure as inner tension. We certainly have received a bad rap as black women are now portrayed as “angry black women”. There were times in history when we had no voice and had to keep in our anger. Those coping skills have continued up till today. That’s why relaxation, stress reduction and stress management are as important as a healthy diet, healthy weight, exercise, and not smoking .

Our lives are certainly busy, stressful and sometimes downright crazy. We have to have ways to deal with all the outside forces that threaten our inner peace and put us at risk for developing high blood pressure.

When you have high blood pressure:

know your numbers (blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, weight)
take your medications
have regular follow ups with your health care provider
eat healthy
exercise
don’t smoke
set boundaries (some things you just cannot do)
drop the negativity
reduce stress, manage stress

To Destress:

make time for yourself
pursue hobbies
“talk it out”–good girlfriend, you mom, therapist, neighbor, somebody OR “write it out” in a journal
incorporate music-sing, play an instrument or just listen to inspiring music
learn to meditate, tai chi, pray
Aromatherapy–Lavender, Peace & Calming ®, Harmony, Ylang, Ylang
take a bath
pamper yourself with a facial

*My destress bedtime ritual: apply one of my favorite essential oils, listen to relaxing music (Pandora’s nature sounds), spend a few minutes in meditation and prayer, then fall asleep.

Orange Truffle

SunflowerHW — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 02:23:08 +0000

I had a chocolate bar so good tonight “make you want to slap you momma”. AND I have been having a craving for chocolate and orange. I went into Roots Market in Olney, MD tonight for tea bags and stumbled across a lucious dark chocolate/orange truffle bar. I guess it’s new–Truffle Pig, european chocolate bars. Well worth $3.49. I bought the mocha flavor for a co-worker’s birthday. I KNOW she will enjoy it as much as I did. I was good, I shared my bar with my daughter and her friend.

www.hagensborg.com

Eat chocolate and enjoy

10+ Secrets to Happiness and more

SunflowerHW — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 01:51:31 +0000

Life can throw you a one- two punch out of the blue. Last year and early this year was one of those times for me. Instead of a one- two punch, I got the three- four- five- six punches….. they just kept coming. How do you get through tough times that keep on coming?? Here’s my current list. I’m sure it will change over time but so far here’s how I keep smiling:

Staying connected to my Creator–church, prayer, reading the bible, prayer, did I mention prayer?
Meditation–I’m new at it but it keeps me grounded
Aromatherapy–Joy™ is one of my favorites, it smells great and reminds me to be joyful, it’s my Joy in a bottle
Gratitude Journal–some days the best I could say is “thank you for the sun shining”. It works, now there’s more to be grateful for
Compliment others
Smile and say hello, in the words of Joel Osteen–”being unhappy won’t change anything for the better”
Random acts of kindness– increases serotonin, get creative, the world needs more kindness
Appreciate moments of silence– Take the oppt to pray or listen to God’s voice, He speaks very quietly
Exercise–burn off the frustration
Go to bed early– it gets the day over
Talk it out– a friend, a therapist, the car, walls, just get it out!!
Reading–words are powerful & meaningful>>affirmations, inspirational quotes, books, other blogs, right now on hooked on Chosen Families
Music– love it>>Classical in the am(makes me smarter), dance music for exercising, gospel for inspiration, relaxing music at night before bed, jazz, country, Christian somewhere in between. That’s a lot of music. Thank you Pandora.
Work–I happen to have a really great job
Food–Eating healthy–if you want your body to function well have to fuel it with good, healthy foods. I feel the difference. Everyday and I mean everyday I need my Luna bars and a handful of nuts. Don’t feel right without them.
Drink–no not alcohol, TEA. Hooked on them, now having several cups a day
Get out in nature–I love walks in the woods, staring at a lake or feeling an ocean breeze. God is there, I can sense His presence
Hobbies-As I tell my kids ” I do actually have a life”. There’s things I like to do
Stay hopeful for the future–It’s going to get better. In the words of Louise Hay “we are never stuck”

What are your keys to happiness?

Hot Flashes Be Gone!!

SunflowerHW — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 02:28:34 +0000

Menopause represents a hallmark time in a woman’s life. The end of, menstruating, fertility, birthing, and a shift from childrearing to self-focus. A wonderful time in a woman’s life. However in the US many women have menopausal symptoms that disrupt the should be joyous time of menopause. Symptoms such as hot flashes, nighttime hot flashes, mood swings, difficulty losing weight, insomnia, low energy, low libido become bothersome.

In 2004 the HER II study was halted because of the increase in Breast cancer and the decrease in the cardiovascular benefits thought to be enhanced by hormone replacement therapy (HRT). In the end the risk did not outweigh the benefits. Prior to that Premarin was the number 1 selling drug many years in a row. Now many health care practitioners are reluctant to prescribe HRT. The new recommendations with taking HRT is for the lowest dose and the short time possible.

Women in the US overall have a more difficult transition into menopause. Whereas women in other cultures, especially in Asian cultures have spent a lifetime of eating soy products, vegetables and fish which contain nutrients that support and balance the female hormone system. And they have been physically active.

So what are we to do? Thankfully they are several good natural remedies that work. They work with the body to support the female hormone system so that over time the symptoms improve. I can speak from experience, I had a surgical menopause in my 20’s and spent many years on HRT. Not only did HRT not improve the symptoms but I experienced side effects that made it difficult to take them everyday. Now that has changed.

The 1^st is a product called Progessence Plus Serum, it contains progesterone which is one of the primary female hormones. It can convert to estrogen in the body. Estrogen in the primary female hormone. In menopause the production of estrogen is decreased by the ovaries.

The 2^nd is a supplement Femigen which contains herbs to support the female hormone system.

Essential Oils that support the female hormone system: Clary Sage, Sclaressence, DragonTime.

The last product is a tea Yogi Woman Energy Tea. You can find this at your local health food store.

*Other helpful tips: physical exercise, acupuncture, stay cool, recognize your moods

Great Resources:

Books: Dr. John Lee’s – What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause

Dr. Christiane Northrup: Wisdom of Menopause

HOT FLASHES BE GONE!!!

Blogging every week in 2011

SunflowerHW — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 02:48:16 +0000

I’m new at blogging and so far I love it. It combines my passion for talking about health & wellness and writing.

I will be posting a blog at least once a week for all of 2011.

It will be fun, inspiring, awesome and wonderful. Check out other bloggers on The DailyPost with similiar goals.

If you already read my blog, thank you and I hope you’ll encourage me with comments, likes, and goodwill along the way.

Brenda the Happy Blogger