30 Day Detox: Day 15 the good, the bad, and the ugly

In 2012 I was diagnosed with Lupus.  Being diagnosed was a relief honestly.  The weight loss, the rashes, the anxiety, the headaches, the seizures, the joint pain, the mouth ulcers, and fatigue all made sense.  I wasn't being lazy or going crazy, I was dealing with a disease that is hard to diagnose and even most doctors don't fully understand it.  Of course I was given a slew of medication with names that I didn't even try to pronounce.  Although I may not have been able to pronounce the names I am far from stupid, so I turned to my trusty homie Google and searched every single one...and not one of them sounded any better than the effects of Lupus.  With possible side effects ranging from tingling extremities all the way to liver damage and suicidal thoughts if I stopped taking the medication suddenly.

I was quick to make the decision NOT to use any of that garbage, until I had a Lupus flare and realized that I had no idea how to manage this shit!  I was out of my league and spent three years just being sick, I would research holistic treatment methods but honestly I really didn't trust them.  My 30+ years of being treated in a pharmaceutical only health care system had me scared to even try any of the holistic methods that I had been feverishly researching.  So here I am with this well of knowledge that I was doing nothing with.  Then one day in the fall of 2015 I just woke up and decided that it was time to make a change.

I intentionally started very gradually.  I knew that this change would effect my entire family and I didn't want it to be drastic.  My first change was to cut out red meat.  I remember how proud I was of myself for making a commitment to begin healing my body through lifestyle changes.  The process was going well, I was taking it slow but in January of 2016 I got very sick all of a sudden.  I was running out of both ends (TMI, I know), it was nothing but green mucous, and it had the worst smell that I have ever had come out of little old me.  I was miserable and even sharted on myself in my sleep.  It was 2 days of hell, and at that moment I decided to cut all meat from my diet.  It wasn't a difficult transition and I quickly noticed a boost in my energy.  I thought I had made it. I was feeling better, I was exercising, and my pain was decreasing so I just knew everything was all to the good now, but that's not how my life is set up.  So in the Spring of 2016 I was diagnosed with Cancer (in a very intimate location) and it was depressing and frustrating.  I had plans and those plans did not include trying to fight cancer with my raggedy assed immune system!!!  I was angry as hell and planned on having like a week long pity party, which ended up not being much of a pity party because my 6 kids are always all up in my space so I didn't really have the luxury of locking myself in my room with Netflix, chocolate, and tears.  My pity party was low budget and consisted of little debbie cakes and one 30 break down in the shower.  I looked in to all of the available treatments that my doctor suggested and decided early on that I wouldn't be doing any of them.  No shade to anyone who does though, we all walk different paths.

I eventually decided to do an all holistic treatment plan that consists of a detox, a mostly alkaline vegan diet, and a high dose IV vitamin C treatment, along with herbal supplements.  I am currently half way through my detox and I have had so many questions about it so I will share what I have learned during the past 15 days.

Amber's 30 Day Detox

Only raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and mushrooms

At least one clove of garlic daily

No salt, No sugar, No caffeine

Immune Booster Tea (3x daily)

Herbal Teas (drink as much as possible honey or agave are ok)

Smoothies and 100% Juices (2-3 times daily)

Chaga Tea 2X daily

Vegan Multi Vitamin

Vitamin C

Natural deodorant and toothpaste

64 oz. water (preferably alkaline)

Daily Meditation

At least 30 min of Yoga or run 1 mile daily

Massage (as often as possible)

The first thing that I learned about this detox is that Yes, it is as challenging as it sounds.  I didn't realize I was addicted to sugar until I tried this detox a few months back and had sugar withdrawal like I was coming down off of heroin!  I had insomnia, cold sweats, a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and irritability.  I couldn't believe it!  That detox lasted only 5 days but it caused me to start limiting my sugar intake and cutting high fructose corn syrup from my diet all together.  I have cravings and i've had insomnia a few nights but nothing that I can't manage.  This detox is tough mentally but I have more energy than I have had in years.  I have learned so much about myself and my body during these first 15 days but 4 things stick out the most:

1.  Commit

Set a start date and tell others about your plans to start a detox program.  It is easier to back out of things when no one else knows, but if you have your mom and best friend texting to find out when your detox starts you are more likely to stay committed.

2.  Gather Support

Tell people what you are doing and why.  After announcing that I was doing a detox my fiance' decided to join me for the whole thing, I was shocked and so happy that I didn't have to go through the month alone, now I had a battle buddy!  I have also had a few friends join me as well, some of them for the whole 30 days and others just for a day or so.  I have received encouraging calls, texts, emails and DM messages, all of the support helps me to stay motivated and focused on my purpose and goal.  I have had people donate alkaline water, fruits and veggies, herbs, and vitamins to help me supplement the costs.  I have cried just about everyday due to random words or acts of kindness in support of my detox.

3.  Be prepared

Totally random, but when ever I hear "be prepared" i always hear it in a Scar from The Lion King  voice.  Any way preparation is the key to being consistent with this detox.  Make sure you have enough food to last you for the day.  Stock up on olive oil and apple cider vinegar for salad dressing, find raw vegan recipes so that you won't get bored with your meals, make a list of stores that carry the things you can eat, create a budget and a schedule and if possible pick the brain of someone who has done a detox so that you can get some tips that will help you to be successful.

4. Be aware

Once you start the detox pay attention to your body and the changes that are going on inside you.  You may notice withdrawal symptoms from salt, sugar, and caffeine.  You may notice changes in your mood, bowels, body odor, and energy levels.  These are all normal and are manifestations of the toxins leaving your body.  For instance I was musty as hell for the first 6 days of the detox but now i'm good.  I also have lots of natural energy that I didn't have before the detox began.  You can keep a daily detox journal in order to track these changes, if you experience anything that you are unsure about contact your doctor or a holistic medical professional, the detox process is uncomfortable at times but always listen to your body.

My detox journey is only at the halfway point.  Some days I want the whole process to just hurry up and be over, but I try to remind myself that healing is a process that should not be rushed.  We live in a society full of quick fixes and instant gratification, so through this detox process I am also teaching myself to slow down, be patient, and enjoy the journey.

Just a few of my meals/snacks

Loud Mouth Ghetto Girl: The one woman show

Footage from the debut of Loud Mouth Ghetto Girl: The one woman show

The next show will be

July 15, 2016
Greater Flint Arts Council
816 S. Saginaw St.
Flint, Mi.

Tickets $10 in advance, $15 at the door

call 810-458-3844 for more information

Loaded Stuffed Pineapple RECIPE

As a vegetarian I am always looking for meal ideas that are healthy, cost efficient and most of all TASTY!!!  People can’t imagine being vegetarian because they don’t know what to eat if meat is not on the plate!  This meal is filling and it tastes amazing.  I’m not a huge fan of salt so the seasoning that I used was black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic and a small amount of Agave nectar, but feel free to season to your own taste.

Loaded Stuffed Pineapple

Ingredients-

1 whole Pineapple

1 Bell Pepper

1 Small Onion

1 Small Mango

1 Can Pinto Beans

1 Can Black Beans

1 Cup Raw Unsalted Cashews

¼ Cup Coconut Oil

2 cups Jasmine and Wild Rice

4 cups of Water

Directions-

Cut up your Bell Pepper, Mango, and Onion to the desired size (I like mine chunky).  Put Bell Pepper and Onion in a pan, add 1 tsp. of Coconut oil to your pan cook on medium heat until they start to soften and brown slightly.  Add Mangos and let cook for 3-5 more minutes, then add Pinto Beans and Black Beans, turn heat down to low and cover, cook for 15 minutes on low stirring often.

Put your water in a pot (season to taste) and add half of the remaining coconut oil.  Bring water to a boil and add 2 cups of rice, turn heat down to low, cover and let cook for 20 min., keep covered and remove from heat.

Cut the stem off of the Pineapple, then cut in half the long way.  Cut the fruit out of the inside of the pineapple leaving about a half inch of fruit.  Take the fruit that you cut out and slice it into small chunks.  Put pineapple chunks, cashews and the remaining coconut oil in a pan and cook on medium heat until the Pineapples are slightly caramelized (I add a pinch of light brown sugar or a tsp. of Agave Nectar).

Layer the Rice with the Bean mixture (I like it better with the rice on bottom) and then top it off with the Pineapples and Cashews.

5 Luxurious and Holistic Hair Treatments using products you can find in your kitchen!!!

5 Luxurious and Holistic Hair Treatments using products you can find in your kitchen

I get at least 5-10 calls, emails, or DM’s everyday from friends, family, and complete strangers looking for a natural remedy for a hair, skin, or health related issue.  It started taking up a large chunk of my time so I decided to start a consultation business and charge a reasonable fee for my holistic knowledge and experience that I share on a daily basis.  I mean, they do say that the game is to be sold and not told right! Money helps keep the lights on but what truly motivates me...the love of others, the love of healing, the love of nature, and the love of the Creator.  It is such a blessing to be able to help others look good and feel good using safe, healthy, and all natural products. 

Most of my inquires tend to revolve around female reproductive issues and hair care, go figure!  With hair care issues I direct people to my product line, Mama’s Healing Hands where they can find shampoo, hair growth cream, and hair growth oil.  But for those who need a quick fix I have decided to share 5 at home treatments using products that you probably already have in your kitchen!  These recipes are quick, easy, and effective, they can be used alone of combined for a killer hair regimen. 

For more information about my hair and skin care products visit mamashealinghands.com

1.  Avocado-

Avocado is all the rage right now and rightfully so.  Avocados are packed full of vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy body.  Avocado is beneficial when eaten as well as when used externally.  The proteins and amino acids in avocado make it nourishing to the scalp, penetrating the hair and scalp providing moisture and helping to heal.

Mama’s Easy Avocado Hair Mask

1 Ripe Avocado

1 Egg

1 tablespoon of olive or coconut oil

Peel Avocado and remove the pit.  Blend Avocado, egg and oil (I like to use a blender for the best consistency).  Apply to wet hair liberally making sure that the whole head and scalp are saturated.  Cover head with plastic (Saran wrap or a grocery bag works fine). Leave on for 20 min., rinse and style as usual.  This mask will leave the hair more soft, shiny, and manageable.

2.  ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar)-

Apple Cider Vinegar is one of those cure all items that everyone should have in his or her cabinet.   If you don’t have ACV in your home I sincerely suggest that you run out and get some now.  From household cleaning, to naturopathic cures, to delicious dishes ACV is a go to item in my house.  I suggest using Raw, unfiltered ACV with “the mother” for best results.

Mama’s Moisturizing Detangler

8 oz. of Spring Water

6 tsp. ACV

Spray Bottle

Mix ingredients in spray bottle and use as needed to detangle while combing.  Hair will smell like ACV until it dries.

3.  Tea-

I bet you thought Tea was just a delicious beverage that the British love to enjoy, newsflash...it is so much more!  From Green to Black and every type in between there are a multitude of benefits for the skin and hair that many people tend to overlook.  Chamomile Tea can be used to naturally lighten the hair, Peppermint Tea to combat a dry and itchy scalp, and Black tea to prevent shedding, darken hair and add sheen.

Mama’s Sweet Tea Rinse

6 cups of spring water

8 black tea bags

2 tbs. Raw Honey

Brew tea in spring water and add honey.  For easiest use store in a spray bottle once the tea has cooled.  Use after shampoo, apply to hair liberally, Cover hair with plastic (Saran Wrap, etc.).  Let sit for 20 minutes, apply deep conditioner like Mama’s Easy Avocado Hair Mask, let sit for 20 minutes and then rinse and style as usual. 

*Black tea will add dark highlights to light hair and it will stain clothes and towels so plan accordingly.

4.  Coconut Oil-

I never seem to have enough Coconut Oil!!!  I use it for cooking, I use it for making my natural hair and skin products, I even use it to keep me teeth healthy and bright.  I could go on for days telling you all of the good things that I use Coconut Oil for!  I love how light and pleasantly fragrant this oil is, it adds a little mystery to every dish and provides a lightweight, well balanced moisture to my hair and skin care products.

Mama’s Herbal Hot Oil Treatment

2 Cups of Coconut Oil (I prefer Organic and Extra Virgin)

1 teaspoon of dried or fresh Rosemary

1 teaspoon of dried or fresh Oregano

Heat Coconut oil on Low-Medium heat; once the oil has melted add Rosemary and Oregano.  Let the oil simmer on low covered for 30 min. then strain out the herbs.  Shampoo as usual, pour the warm oil on the hair and scalp, and saturate the entire head.  Wrap with plastic cap, or towel and let sit for 30 minutes before rinsing.  Rosemary and Oregano are both good for stimulating hair growth.

5.  Banana-

Not only are Banana’s awesome in cereal but they also are great for conditioning hair, who knew!  Bananas are full of potassium, which helps to build protein while hydrating skin cells!

Mama’s Conditioning Banana Hair Pudding

3 medium ripe bananas (or 4 jars of banana baby food, I would get organic)

3 tbs. of spring water

1tsp raw honey

1 tsp. olive oil

Peel bananas and put all ingredients into a blender.  Puree until all clumps are gone.  Apply to wet hair, leave in for 30 minutes under a plastic cap or Saran Wrap.  Rinse and style as usual.

So the next time that you want to give your hair some special attention, don’t rush out to spend tons of money at the salon and don’t break the bank on high priced hair products with ingredients that you can’t even pronounce.  You can head straight to your kitchen and whip something up in minutes to give your hair the luxurious treatment that it deserves!!!

© Amber Hasan 2015 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Balancing Act: 5 tips for balancing babies and business!

I don't have plans, I have children.  This fact is magnified times a billion when I am working.  I am blessed to work from home, have flexible schedules and an amazing support system, but with 6 children it still takes a lot of juggling to get things done.  As a mompreneur there are a few tips that I have learned along the way that make it easier to be a mom while also being an artist and an aspiring mogul (lol).

1.  BE PREPARED
Proper preparation prevents poor performance should be the 5 P's of being a mompreneur.  Some moms may be like me and feel that they don't even have time to prepare but a little preparation is better than no preparation.  I have found that even if I do little things they can make a huge difference. For instance if I know that me and my youngest three (4, 2, and 6 months) have to leave the house I pick out clothes, pack the diaper bag and snack bags the night before.  Just that little bit of preparation saves me the headache of having to do it in the morning with three cranky kids!  When I am really motivated, or if I have to go out of town I will cook meals and freeze them so that my husband or my older three (14, 12, and 11 years old) can just thaw out a meal or toss it in the oven.

2.  Always have a plan B
Babysitters fall through, and it must be some universal law that babysitters will always cancel at the last minute, when you are late, and when you aren't able to bring the kids along.  It is best to have a daycare center that you trust that takes drop ins, or a relative that you can have on call as a back up when you know that you have an important meeting or event.

3.  Utilize technology
I work from home because I don't want to drag three kids out of the house everyday and sometimes I just want to wear pajamas all day.  But even working from home I have meetings, somehow meetings can not be avoided.  I try to set up conference calls, skype, emails and instant messages when at all possible.  More often than not teleconferencing can be just as effective as face to face meetings, just remember to keep your phone on mute or schedule during nap time!  Another way that I utilize technology is by setting alarms on my phone and Macbook as reminders for tasks I need to complete for the day as a way to help keep me focused.

4.  Schedule break time
Working from home, with children can be very challenging and it can be a bit overwhelming.  You can end up spending your day bouncing back and forth between sitting in front of the computer, chasing babies, and doing household duties, which can overload anyone.  I set specific work times for myself, a schedule that I ignore on most occasions, but what I don't ignore are my break times.  My breaks are 10-15 minute increments that I spend doing something that I enjoy.  I may do Yoga, read, meditate, pray, eat, or even google random stuff.  These breaks are important for my sanity and help me to stay fresh and focused.

5.  Accept help
Once upon a time I was super mom, now I am realistic mom.  I know that if I have a performance and I have to take my younger children there is a 50/50 chance that one of my little bundles of wonder will not just sit and chill out listening to poetry for 2-3 hours, heck most adults can't behave themselves for that long.  So when I am at a show and a sister friend offers to sit next to my two year old while I perform I graciously accept.

I know that I am not the first woman to do this and I surely won't be the last.  I chose this life, I could easily enroll my little ones in daycare and get a nine to five, but I want to live my life on my own terms.  I believe that the time that I get to send with my children and the bond that we are creating is priceless and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I hope these tips are helpful, feel free to comment with some of your own tips!  Thanks for reading!!!

happy2Bnappy...New poem "Secret Life of Curls"

Last year a friend of mine who is a mompreneur as well as natural hair blogger and enthusiast, LaTashia Carter-Perry had an event called "Curls Night Out" where she brought together natural hair care vendors, natural hair care professionals and lovers of natural hair for a celebration of all of the elements that make our natural kinks and curls so magical and amazing! LaTashia asked me to do some poetry for this event and I was honored and delighted. I was so excited about this event that I was inspired to write a new poem. In the weeks leading up to this event I found out that I was preggo with baby number 6 and life went from zero to 100...real quick! Needless to say I didn't memorize the poem and actually lost the notebook that it was written in! I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason so I just did another appropriate poem, but i was still bummed about losing my new poem and my new notebook.  Last week I wrote a blog dealing with my daughter's natural hair journey and as fate would have it I found the notebook with the lost poem in it...AINT GOD GOOD!




You can follow LaTashia on FB at:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Secret-Life-of-Curls//

and

http://mamagonethrifting.blogspot.com





So as a dedication to natural hair, black history month, and my homegirl who helped inspire this poem you have "The Secret Life of Curls"





We sew in our existence

18-20 inches

27 pieces of black girl puzzle

muzzled mane

pain in our beauty

untamed and unruly

you can't gel down the edges of the earth

can't change birth rites

there is beauty in this crown

brown mound of Mojo

the makers magic

creation lives in these curls

I woke up like this

Luscious

no you can't touch it

it's as if heaven erupted from my head

they hate it cuz they can't tame it, can't conquer it or claim it

no mater how you try and train it these roots still grow nappy

just like my mammy and my granny

I've got good genes

and as a girl my father told me my hair is good because it is growing out of my head

Just the way God intended

splendid spirals

an eyeful of ebony essence

an unintentional rebel

the revolutionary act of being a black girl

this hair has carried the fears and burdens of the world

while they marvel at it in private, this is the secret life of curls


Copyright 2014 Amber Hasan

Bonding through baldness..."it's just hair"

Yes, really, Bonding through Baldness!  There is some kind of humor in every situation and my daughter Eva and I are the type of people who always try and find that humor.  Even with that being so,before writing this blog I talked to my daughter and let her know that I was going to share this experience just to make sure she was comfortable with it and she is.  

They say that "necessity is the mother of invention", or something like that.  I don't know who "they" are but I think that "they" could be on to something.  About seven or eight years ago when I had less children and more energy I would dabble in making my own skin products; creams, shampoos, soaps, and the like.  At the time I had just begun having these really weird rashes and my skin couldn't take the use of most commercial products on the market.  Several years later I found out that the rashes were caused by Lupus. I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), commonly known as Lupus, a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body). This diagnosis caused me to become more conscious of the products that I use and the ingredients in those product.  But to tell the truth just because I became more conscious of what products I used doesn't mean that I changed much, it just means that I thought about it more often.  

I didn't make any real changes until about 4 months ago when my 11 year-old daughter came to me and showed me her head and I was devastated by what I saw.  My daughter had 4 large bald spots in her head, she had worn braids during the summer that damaged her scalp and she developed traction alopecia.  When she went for her yearly physical a week later we had her doctor look at the spots and he prescribed a pill, a shampoo, and a cream but he wasn't sure that the hair would grow back.  I'm not a huge fan of pills but I also wanted my daughter to get better.  Eva is generally level headed but her scalp was damaged and I had no idea how long it would take for the hair to grow back.  I gave my daughter the medication that the doctor prescribed and the next day she had a horrible migraine with vomiting and the whole nine, which caused her to leave school early.  I decided at that moment it was up to me to help my daughter's scalp heal and grow her hair back.  Luckily I save all of my old notebooks and I found some of my old skin and hair care recipes.  I combined a hair and skin cream recipe with a beard growth conditioner to make an all natural hair growth and conditioning cream. 

I started treating Eva's hair and scalp by keeping them as healthy as possible.  As a mother there is so much fulfillment in being able to pass knowledge to your daughter, that is how we live on, through the information and skills that we share.  I would walk Eva through every step and have her assist me when I made products so that she will always know how to keep her hair healthy.  I washed her hair at least once a week with an apple cider vinegar conditioner, used a homemade hair tea every other week and used the hair growth and conditioning cream daily on the hair and scalp as needed. I styled her hair in protective styles only.  Eva wore mostly braid and twist outs that had to be strategically styled to cover the bald spots. Within two weeks we could already see results and after three months her scalp was healed and the hair had grown back in all of the spots.  

I trust my daughter's doctor and I truly believe that he is good at what he does.  With that being said I am glad we decided not to use the medication.  Using natural methods helped me to trust my abilities and I was able to show my daughter how  alternative medicine can be used successfully and that healing doesn't have to come from a pill.

I also unexpectedly learned a great deal about my daughter through this experience.  My daughter is more resilient, self-confident and fearless than I could have ever hoped for.  I know that kids can be cruel so I did my best to conceal the hair loss, which was hard in the beginning.  Eva never let it bother her, if someone happened to ask about the hair loss she would give them a matter of fact response, she owned it.  She would always be polite but she was never embarrassed or intimidated by the questions.  Classmates would also ask her why she didn't just wear weave, and she would respond by asking them why they were concerned with HER hair.  When we would discuss it I would always tell my daughter "it's just hair, it will grow back" and that is the attitude that she embodied through it all.  At such a young age she understands that she is so much more than her hair and she is comfortable in her own skin.  I don't care if she loses all of her hair, I just hope that she never loses that understanding...

Left October 2014/ Right January 2015