Black Hair Magazine for Natural and Relaxed African American Hair - blog. » Women

How Our Diets Affect Our Hair

Alesha — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 19:23:00 +0000

Raise your hand if you’re struggling to keep your New Year’s resolution to eat healthier or diet. Don’t worry—you’re not alone!

As you waver between steaming those veggies and grabbing a handful of fries, you not only have your body to think about—also consider that what you eat affects your hair. When you take in food, you take in the nutrients it has to offer. These nutrients are delivered to your hair, skin, and nails. Eating junk food isn’t going to provide important nutrients that hair thrives off of; therefore, hair can become dry or prone to breakage. Remember that healthy hair care isn’t just about the “Holy Grail” of conditioners, but it’s also about what you put into your body.

So what can you do to internally promote hair health? First off, remember to drink water and remain hydrated. Dehydration often displays itself with dry skin and brittle hair. Next, eat foods rich in iron and protein. Examples are salmon, dark green vegetables, and beans. Iron and protein are extremely important for stronger and longer hair. Your tresses are already made of keratin infused protein, and iron helps deliver oxygen throughout your body. It’s no wonder that people who eat plenty of food with these key ingredients tend to have a healthy mane.

Of course you don’t have to become a health fanatic in order to have shiny and strong hair, but it will help to incorporate more protein and iron-rich meals into your daily diet. Seek the advice of your physician if you plan to take supplements, and especially if you notice excessive shedding or hair loss.

Here’s to healthy hair growing!

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Castor Oil to Induce Labor… Does it work?

Dena — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 02:36:40 +0000

Castor Oil to Induce Labor… Does it work?

My Story

It takes a desperate and miserable pregnant woman to resort to extreme measures such as ingesting castor oil to speed her wait time. Usually it’s not something that a pregnant woman just does on a whim. Once you get to the point that you are considering this method, you are far beyond using the traditional ways to speed up the induction of labor. Many women have attempted to induce labor by ingesting castor oil have had success; while others have found this method to be ineffective. As with any technique, success rates depend upon the individual and other factors that may be present. I have tried the castor oil method, and I will share my experience with you in this article.

You may be curious how it works in the first place. How does castor oil induce labor in pregnant women? Castor Oil is believed to stimulate the bowels, which in turn stimulates the uterus, hence inducing labor. The way that it has happened for most women is that upon taking the castor oil, within an hour or two, enough time for it to be digested, stomach cramps and diarrhea occurs. If you can get past this part, you are doing well. Then, as reported, contractions may begin.

Another reason that the Castor Method is popular among those with child is because of the slippery consistency of it. It is assumed that it can act almost as a lubricant for child labor. This will depend on how much is consumed, however.

When I was pregnant with my third child, I was in the category of women whom I mentioned above: Pregnant and miserable. The summer heat was no pleasantry, and my ability to drive was gone due to my oversized belly. It seemed as if the time was inching along in snail pace, which only added insult to injury. I was an active member of a baby/expecting mommy’s forum. It was there that I learned of the Castor Oil technique. Several of the ladies there were chatting enthusiastically about how they’d tried castor oil and were having contractions. *These ladies were in their final week or beyond, of their pregnancies. I do not recommend this before hand, due to its effectiveness in some, and you don’t want to go into labor early. A few of them had given birth and charged full credit to the CO!

For me, it was around Labor Day, and I was a bit anxious, my due date was the very next day, and wouldn’t you know it, no contractions whatsoever. So, that night, I gulped down a large tablespoon of the CO straight!

For the next couple of hours I waited impatiently. Nothing happened at first. I did not even experience cramping or diarrhea as the women had griped about…I don’t feel deprived, trust me! (I accredit that to the fact that I had only swallowed one tablespoon.) Around 8p.m., I turned in for the night feeling despair and somewhat frustrated. I was so eager to meet my new little blessing, and take back ownership of my body! Well around 1 am, I was suddenly awakened by severe cramps, and to my surprise, for the very first time, my water had broken! My husband rushed me to Labor and Delivery, and sure enough my special delivery came into the world a few hours later!

Consequently, another thing that was different with this delivery was how he exited the womb almost with ease! Don’t get me wrong, there were still hours of labor pains, and contractions, however, I have heard that much worst occurs in L & D!

In all sincerity, I do believe that the castor oil had a lot to do with me going into labor that morning! It was not a simple feat, but I can’t help but to think that the CO was a factor in making this delivery a more pleasant one that I’d had in the past!

So that’s my story. However, If you choose to use castor oil to encourage labor, be sure to do your research, and as always consult your doctor first. Do not take it in large quantities, as you see, I only used a tablespoon! Happy Child Birthing!!

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Examining Feminine Hygiene Products and Practices

Dena — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:59:21 +0000

Examining Feminine Hygiene Products and Practices

After a very irritating case of a recurring urinary tract infection that sent me to my doctor’s office near tears, I resolved to take charge of my life as a modern day female. My doctor notified me that my UTI could be contributed to all soaps, body washes, bath oils/salts, and cleansers that were very much a part of my daily female regime. In addition to the UTI, I also had a mild case of Bacterial Vaginosis. She essentially instructed me to eliminate any soaps from my daily showers/baths…Are you kidding me? I could not imagine life without my smell goods! What lady does not want to keep her female parts, (as I will refer to them as for the sake of this article) smelling especially fresh and clean? As a very busy married woman and mother of three, with a career, I had decided that it was time for me to make a conscious effort to make better choices regarding my feminine hygiene. Simply put, however, my mind was made up that eradicating soap was not an option for this modern day mom!

My first step in making better choices was to do my research, as I am a firm believer in exploring all available options before drawing conclusions. I had to come to terms with what caused these abnormalities in my body frequently. First I had to get a grip of what each condition was and their cause. Bacterial Vaginosis is an imbalance in bacteria found in women’s vaginas. It can cause a fishy odor and or discharge. This condition can also be contracted through sexual activity, hence the frequently referred to title as an STD. However, you can probably rule out sexual intercourse being the culprit, if you and your partner are in a monogamous relationship. The other underlying causes, as in my case, could point to bacteria entering the vaginal area. As my doctor suggested, cleansing products created for women can be the ultimate common denominator that can cause the bad bacteria to dominate the good bacteria leading to feminine infections.

The Urinary Tract Infection is a very common infection among women caused by bacteria somewhere in the urinary tract, which eventually sets up infection. This condition is characterized by painful and or frequent urination, a burning sensation, and bacteria, sometimes even blood, in the urine. Treatment includes a usual short round of antibiotics, depending on the severity. UTIs can also be contracted during sexual intercourse.

So after a thorough look at symptoms and definitions, it was time for me to examine specific causes which lie in my common practices. I’m sure most women have had the dilemma of whether it is wiser to indulge in a nice relaxing bath or take a massaging shower. Well each has its pros and cons. If you are one to enjoy a bath on occasion, the key point to remember is to not include in your bath any additives such as salts, bubble baths, etc. Your bath tub should be extra sanitary and disinfected. If you use household detergents to clean your bath tub, it should be rinsed several times before running your water. It is recommended that you use organic or mild cleansers as to avoid harmful residues. Harsh detergents are always possibly damaging to your body. May I suggest a shower to complete your bath? To be on the safe side, so that you don’t carry your residual scum around, rinse your body off briefly after your bath.

If you are a shower fan, of course you won’t have to take as many precautions as with a bath. It is important, however not to insert soaps into your vaginal opening; as it is easier to make this mistake while standing. This is a serious matter as this can cause bacteria to quickly enter the body and begin to invite more of their kind to a party in which your female organs are the hostess. If you choose to use cleansers only apply them to the exterior of your vaginal area, and this is debatable with health care professionals, which some advise no use of soap even externally.

In assessment of the products used in my feminine hygiene practices, I deducted that I was using all the wrong ones. First and foremost, women should not use antibacterial soaps in the female areas. And of course if you are using them during a bath, then you are polluting your bath water with the agents. Antibacterial soaps, first are actually not proven to kill bacteria more than regular soap. And many studies are showing that antibacterial soaps cause more harm than good by making our bodies resistant to even good bacteria or creating more untreatable bacteria. So don’t waste those extra pennies on the cost of antibacterial soaps.

Use mild cleansers such as Dove or Johnson’s body washes. I am suggesting the use of body washes for showers. If in the bath, then I am suggested using only water. If you opt to use only water, exfoliate well or scrub those germs away. Don’t be afraid!

Nevertheless, if you like spicing up your love life with the KY Jellies and other internal gels, I don’t suggest ridding these completely from your routine, however, I would highly recommend taking a soak after using them to be sure that you don’t sleep with the contents for hours.

Finally, Douching is a practice that we as women should have abandoned long ago. Douching only eradicates good bacteria. Our creator took care to provide us with a built in cleanser that will care for our hygienic needs as long as you bathe regularly, there’s no need to internally cleanse.

Keep in mind that any foreign substance that goes in, increases your chances of violating the natural process of cleansing and the bacterial balance that already exists. Maintaining a monogamous relationship can help you to avoid unnecessary infections. The more sexual partners you have, the more likely it is for you to contract various strands of bacteria. Keep your insides well guarded to enjoy a comfortable and healthy lifestyle.

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