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Observations As A Beginner Vegetarian
Being a newly made vegetarian has not been as much of a stressor on my life as I’ve mentally told myself it’d be in the past. Being fully transparent with you all is something that I take very seriously so I’d like to get to the downsides that I’ve been experiencing recently. In my previous blog post, I put you guys onto the plant-based recipe book that I’ve been using occasionally as I begin to get comfortable with this newly found lifestyle. Although I’ve been enjoying the meals that I created, I am losing a TREMENDOUS amount of weight that I’ve had over the past few months. This has taken me aback because for those of you who may not know, I was a full time gym shark from January up until the pandemic washed over us. I was gaining so much muscle and my body was literally thriving! But now, here we are 5 months into the pandemic and I am back to my starter weight as well as losing all the muscles that I had previously gained. Now this can definitely be a push back for individuals who are new to the lifestyle of not consuming meat (me for example), instead of giving up I’ve decided to use this as a form of motivation. So I decided to do my research on how I can gain weight (the healthy way) while also sticking to my vegetarian/vegan lifestyle, and here is what I found!
I stumbled upon the blogger (VeganwithCurves) and I was instantly drawn into her tips and genuine advice, especially as a fellow Black woman! Here are a few things that I took away from her amazing blog post:
1. Eat Calorie Dense Foods
Why? Fats make you feel full and satiated, they are also packed with nutrients and calories.
(she also gives an amazing comparison between consuming chicken vs. beans and why you should include healthy fats with your beans to help you bulk up!)
- examples of healthy high fat foods: avocados, healthy oils, nuts + seeds, nut butters
2. Increase Protein Efficiency
Why? The quality of protein consumed will maximize your body’s absorption! Our body naturally synthesizes 11/20 amino acids that we have, while the other 9 are dependent on what we consume on a daily basis (these are known as essential amino acids). On one hand, animal protein contains uric acid which puts a ton of stress on the body because of how complex and fixed it is, while on the other hand, plant based protein are not as complex which means that they do not require the same amount of extra work to be absorbed.
- examples of plant-based proteins: beans/legumes, nuts + seeds, clean vegan protein powder, grains
3. Consume “Curvy Carbs”
Why? Carbs have always had a bad reputation in the media, especially from the top fitness trainers in the country. But here’s what they dont tell you: if you don’t give your body carbs, your body will have no choice but to use up the primary energy sources which will lead to the break down of the muscle protein that you worked so hard trying to build. Consuming the right form of carbohydrates is what will get you to that goal weight, so try not to consume the bad forms such as: white pasta, white bread, donuts, cookies, etc!
- simple carbohydrates: fruits
- complex carbohydrates: whole grains, sweet potatoes, squash, quinoa, wheat bread, baby red potatoes, wheat pasta
Lastly, with a healthy weight gain journey comes the biggest enemy of it all: Your mindset! You are your biggest critic, and when it comes down to staying consistent with a healthy diet as well as healthy exercise, you have to make sure that you are mentally okay. Always give your body the rest it needs and do things that you enjoy because if you decide to overwork yourself, all of this will mean nothing in the end. I thank VeganwithCurves for her inspirational and highly informative blog post because I now feel more confident than ever in this lifelong journey to becoming a more healthier being both mentally and physically.
(check out her website: veganwithcurves.com for more information!)
I Went Cold Turkey
Your girl is finally a vegetarian and I have to say, this is the best decision I’ve made in my life in a while. For my OG audience, remember my post about Black Vegetarians/Vegans? Remember how I said that maybe someday I’ll be able to make the switch? Well guys, here it is!!!! I’ve honestly been so motivated to continue on this journey because of the amount of research I’ve been doing along with having immense positive support around me. So what has forced me to make this switch so early you ask? Let’s get into it -->
Lately while eating meals that contained meat, I would find myself feeling nauseous and wanting to throw up. Not a good look at all, especially if you’re eating to enjoy the meal right? So I took it upon myself to purchase this plant-based recipes meal book from Amazon as a way to motivate myself to change my eating habits. Once the book arrived, I instantly became obsessed with the meals along with how many alternatives I had at my fingertips this entire time! On July 14th, I officially stopped eating meat and I have felt so much better both mentally and physically since then. Living in a house with 100% meat eaters can honestly become discouraging sometimes as well as leading you back into old habits. I realized that purchasing my own groceries separately from everyone else has brought me a certain level of peace that I dont think I would’ve found elsewhere.
Currently, one of my main struggles throughout this journey has been to make sure to keep up my protein intake. It is so easy to forget about the essential nutrients that you need on a daily when you’re so focused on not consuming meat. Protein rich meals have become my bestfriend and honestly I never felt better! Being a vegetarian has opened my eyes to how much healthier I can be as well as how much my body will love me for it. Having such a positive journey so far has motivated me to creating an instagram page where I discuss some of my meals (along with their prep time), as well as promoting health and wellness to my audience (displaying vegan products, educating them on why having a plant based diet is extremely important for their health, etc).
As the years go on and this becomes normal to me, I will become a full blown vegan. I hope you all will continue to follow me on this journey to healthy eating and healthy living!!
follow my vegetarian journey page on Instagram: brisveggietales <3
We love you Meg.
Medical Racism
In light of everything that has been surfacing on social media sites along with the continued acts of systemic oppression, I would like to share some important information with you guys. Medical racism is oh so prevalent today as it was 100 years ago. People sometimes misunderstand the concept of it because they automatically think that it means as a Black person going to the doctor you are denied care, when in fact it is much worse than that. Historically there has been this “common understanding” amongst white physicians that Black people do not feel pain, or if they do it’s as minimal as possible. Now why on earth would anyone think that this was a logical point?
Medical racism is such a deeply rooted ideology that some Doctors don’t even realize that they’re enabling it. Numerous studies have shown that compared to their white counterparts, Black patients are more likely to receive less desirable care, they are discharged earlier, most likely to have their limbs amputated, and so many more wrongful doings in healthcare. A few of my older blog posts discussed some of the many examples of how Black people have been treated horribly in the medical community, for example the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment or the History of the Speculum (I’ve linked the articles below if you guys haven’t read it).
(https://blackcotics.wixsite.com/homepage/post/tuskegee-syphilis-experiment)
(https://blackcotics.wixsite.com/homepage/post/history-of-gynecology-it-gets-real)
What can we do to solve this issue? Do you guys think that having more Black professionals in the medical field will help put an end to this long run of medial racism? Or should we dismantle this system and create an entirely different one, along with creating some sort of mandatory course in undergrad + grad school to educate students about why it’s important to acknowledge their implicit biases that they may have. Who knows what the future may hold? As a future health professional, I will make it my duty to educate my peers about these issues so that they can not only ensure the safety of their patients, but also so that they can call out others on their faults.
Black Activism: What You Can Do Right NOW
Hey guys, times have been ROUGH~ . Everyday has been another day of fighting and I know you guys are probably either drained or still fighting the fight. I know for me personally, I have been going through an emotional rollercoaster and I’ve been learning how to deal with all of this trauma, all while staying aware of what’s going on in the world. I had to take a break from Blackcotics because although I love writing for you guys, my mental health hasn’t been the best. I’ve had to cut back tremendously on my social media usage and start doing activities that would enlighten my mood. I just want you all to know that it is perfectly okay for you to take a break from this madness, especially for my Black folks. We not only have firsthand experience with systemic racism on a daily basis, but we also have a hard time giving ourselves a break from digesting all of this news. We shouldn’t torture ourselves because we deserve to feel joy too. I say this to say, take a break every once in a while, you’re going to need it if you want to continue to push through this fight.
In other news, this blog post today will be focused on how we as a community can continue to keep the fire going because we have so much more work to do!
PETITIONS: I’ve been seeing a lot of folks on Instagram downplaying the impact of petitions and I’d like to tell you guys that petitions do work. Petitions raise an immense amount of awareness to the public about a current issue. They can also influence others to create a fund to donate to the cause while also bring others to call for action. Below this I will link to some petitions that still need more signatures and need more attention.
http://chng.it/zrP5Gmsj6g (Justice For Breonna Taylor)
http://chng.it/WMxT9p2WvT (Make the KKK Illegal)
http://chng.it/wTJpwnqvWJ (Police Accountability Act of 2020)
http://chng.it/dNr8ypChFb (Justice for Robert Fuller)
http://chng.it/dKfFpdHPXh (Justice for Toyin Salau)
DONATIONS: There are so many funds available on the internet that are capable of helping plenty of organizations. Whether you are financially able or not, you are still apart of the solution if you do the slightest thing of sharing the link with someone. I recently discovered that there’s a playlist on youtube called “Black Lives Matter Playlist” and all you have to do is play it in the background and just from your views alone you will be donating to a various amount of organizations! Other donations could be to the families of the victims who lost their lives to police brutality recently. Below this I will link to some funds that are still in need for donations:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/official-gofundme-for-rayshard-brooks
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/the-bail-project
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/bailfundscovid
https://actionnetwork.org/groups/atlanta-solidarity-fund
https://www.phillybailfund.org/
http://www.wearemrrc.com/
https://www.girltrek.org/
PROTESTING: This has been the most frequent way to demonstrate our level of concern in recent times and I can say that I see a substantial amount of progress because of it. Protesting can be dangerous especially if it isn’t done smartly. The police force that are out there during protests seem to lack emotion for the cause, and from what I’ve seen they have repeatedly been attacking and killing people who are on the frontlines. For those of you have suffer from anxiety and feel as though protesting isn’t the right thing for you, dont feel ashamed! Your well-being will always come first and it’s important for you to understand your boundaries. For the rest of you who are okay with protesting, continue to practice social distancing and covering your face while out there!!!
ART / MUSIC / WRITING: As creatives, we have the ability to let our voices be heard during a revolution. There are so many different forms of art that play apart in activism everyday, where half the time we don’t even mean for it to become political. Being Black is the most powerful thing in the world, add onto that our creativity and our determination, we are capable of leaving so much impact on this world. Don’t ever downplay your work because there are people who hear you/see you and we are always waiting on your next move.
READING BOOKS/ARTICLES: Education does NOT stop in the classroom. We must continue to increase our knowledge regardless of what we already know. If we want to continue to fight for ALL Black lives then we need to make ourselves aware of our own biases within the community and use that knowledge to strengthen our defense. I wish the Black community would hold themselves accountable in the many areas of intersectionality that we have. Working on our mindset is one of the best tools possible in this movement.
With all of this being said, I’d like to let you all know that I will be back to my scheduled posts as I’ve been jotting down notes for new ideas to talk to you guys about. Stay healthy, keep applying pressure, and let’s make change!
Why Are Black People Dying More From COVID-19?
At the beginning of this pandemic there was the well known joke that “Black people can’t get coronavirus” and as much as we would’ve loved for that to be true, it backfired immensely. Hospitals, labs, and government officials withheld the racial demographic for who was mostly infected by COVID-19 and it left a thought lingering within our minds. When the racial data was finally released, there was evidence that areas with the most Black people are where the infection rates are its highest. Here are some stats to make this more realistic for you:
Across 14 states, Black people take up a third of hospitalizations, despite the fact that they only make up 18% of those said populations.
In Louisiana, 70% of the individuals that have died from COVID-19 were Black
In New York, where Black people only make up 9% of the state population, 17% of deaths were Black people
Everyone keeps asking ‘why is this happening?’, without acknowledging the systemic racism that has been built within the foundation of this country to put Black people at such a disadvantage. In the media, they put us at blame for dying at such an alarming rate. They’ve done this by bringing up underlying health conditions that are most common within our communities, without even explaining why we are more prone to these illnesses in the first place!! What about the lack of healthy grocery stores within urban communities? What about the lack of care from physicians that work in the hospitals within these communities (due to burn out??) No one is raising the points of WHY we have these problems and they continue to make it seem like we call it upon ourselves! Senator Bill Cassidy said “Now, if you have diabetes, obesity, hypertension, then African Americans are going to have more of those receptors” the coronavirus likes to hit -------- Now, as a physician, I would say we need to address the obesity epidemic, which disproportionately affects African Americans. That would lower the prevalence of diabetes, of hypertension.” No, why dont you address the systems that are put in place to cause these issues in the first place?
It gets tiring having to repeat the same things over and over for nonblack people to understand. Instead of putting the blame on us, try fixing the wrongdoings within this country first.
source: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/race-and-blame/609946/
Writer’s Block, We’ve All Been There
My creative juices are at an ALL TIME LOW. I don’t know when this has started or why it’s happening but it has honestly been the most annoying thing ever!! For all my writers out there, by a show of hands how many of you have experienced writer’s block within the last two weeks? *raises hand* Great so i’m not alone in this after all. Some of you who may not understand the concept of writer’s block may say “What do you mean writer’s block? Just start typing and your thoughts will flow out.” NEWSFLASH that is NOT how it works! I literally have all of my ideas laid out in front of me every time I begin writing my blog posts and you’d think that would boost some creative juices into me, but sadly folks it hasn’t and I am writing this to help my fellow writers overcome this madness.
First let’s go over some possible causes for writer’s block:
1. Fear: Some of us may be afraid of putting out some of our work because we are afraid of being critiqued by our viewers.
2. Perfectionism: It’s safe to say most of us try to be perfectionist with our work and we often find ourselves criticizing every bit of our writing. We try to perfect our work even before we begin writing anything down!
3. Timing: It just isn’t the right time for us, I can attest to this for sure. Sometimes the time of day can have an effect on writer’s block, we may not even realize it at first.
So what are the solutions to this common problem?!!
1. Free-write: as you can see this is not one of my usual blog posts so I just decided to start writing about my writer’s block. Crazy right? Yeah, I know but it works magic.
2. Bullet point your ideas: So it’s safe to say that I am the queen of bulleting my ideas on any sheet of paper that I can find and honestly that is one of the only ways that I can feel sane. It not only keeps my thoughts organized but it also helps me generate new ideas for my blog.
3. Create a space for yourself: Usually our environment can have a huge impact on our thoughts and what we do as a result of it. Whenever I feel like I’m not able to write I make a cup of coffee, sit at the dining table and play some of my favorite hits. It not only gets me started on my writing but it also stimulates this sense of comfort within.
4. Get some fresh air: Yes, I know in these times its kind of difficult for us to plan a trip somewhere or simply just go for a walk but try doing it SAFELY! Staying in the house has not only depleted my creativity but it also has made me feel restricted. A quick lap around the neighborhood should do you just fine, bring a buddy with you if possible!
Dealing with my writer’s block will always be a trip but look what came out of it? This blog post!!!
5G Causing COVID-19??
Since the start of this pandemic, rumors of the development of 5G towers around our neighborhoods have become the apparent route of transmission. I’ve seen all the videos, I’ve read all of the articles, and I’m here to discuss it with you all. Many news outlets have classified 5G causing COVID-19 as a conspiracy theory while many other celebrities and other IG influencers have taken it upon themselves to educate the public, so what’s really the truth about all of this?
Here is the major theme to this claim: The recent emergence of 5G towers (used for mobile networks who rely on signals from radio waves) is the cause of coronavirus worldwide. Under this theme comes two possible explanations for this disease:
1. 5G has the ability to suppress the immune system, which makes people susceptible to contracting the virus
2. 5G transmits the virus through your electronic devices
What do you guys think? I usually always prefer the science over anything because thats usually where most of this information comes from anyways, so let’s talk SCIENCE! In a BBC article that I was reading it brought back a faint memory of what I learned in Physics about frequency levels along the electromagnetic spectrum. 5G, just like our microwaves, radios, and electronic devices are on the lower frequency end (non-ionizing radiation) of the electromagnetic spectrum, this means that they are not strong enough to damage cells. On the other end of this spectrum lies the (ionizing radiation) high frequency end of the electromagnetic spectrum, this includes gamma rays, uv light and x-rays, all the things we’ve heard time and time again are indeed harmful to our cells.
https://www.bbc.com/news/52168096
Now let’s talk about the nature of viruses, more science YAY!!! Viruses unlike bacteria do NOT have their own genetic makeup, which is why they always want to invade our system. Once they are able to invade our systems, that is when they begin to cause destruction to our normal bodily functions. Viruses are unable to live outside of the body for a long time which is why they are easily spread from person to person via. droplets of bodily fluid. There is no logical way for a virus to be transmitted through electromagnetic waves, that’s like comparing an elementary student to a college student (completely different levels of education).
Correlation does not mean causation
For those who believe that it is indeed 5G causing the rapid spread of coronavirus this post was not intended to attack you or belittle your beliefs. Everyone is entitled to believe in what they believe in and like me I always search for both sides of the story. Some of you may also not believe in the logic of science and how these discoveries are made and that is perfectly fine as well. My purpose of writing this blog post was to lay out some of the basic information out there that many may or may not have already known. It is important to educate our community and work on not instilling fear in one another because this can then lead to chaos.
Continue to stay healthy and take care of your wellbeing during these trying times, always remember that your health is your wealth!
What’s Your Sign? You’re a What? Ew Get Away!
Some of us believe in it some of us don’t, but why?
Astrology is the study of movements and relative positions of celestial objects. It is classified as a pseudoscience because it generally runs on the basis of beliefs that aren't based on the scientific method. Early astrologers figured that it took 12 months for the sun to return to its original position and with that they observed 12 constellations that were connected to the seasons, giving them names related to animals or people. For those of you well aware of zodiac signs you’ll already know what I’m about to say:
These signs were subdivided into four groups:
Water Signs: Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio
Air Signs: Aquarius, Libra, Gemini
Fire Signs: Leo, Aries, Sagittarius
Earth Signs: Virgo, Capricorn, Taurus
See your sign? Good! Don’t know your sign? Let’s get into It.
Aquarius: Jan 20- Feb18
Pisces: Feb 19 - Mar 20
Aries: March 21 - Apr 19
Taurus: Apr 20 - May 20
Gemini: May 21 - Jun 20
Cancer: Jun 21 - Jul 22
Leo: Jul 23 - Aug 22 (AKA THE BEST SIGN ARGUE WITH YOUR MAMA)
Virgo: Aug 23 - Sep 22
Libra: Sep 23 - Oct 22
Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21
Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21
Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19
For my followers that are Leos just know that we are the superior sign despite what the rest of these haters say, it’s the fire and confidence in us that they hate so badly LMAO.
There are many apps such as The Pattern or Co-star that align your birthday, birth time, and birth place with your sun sign, moon sign, and your rising sign. I still honestly haven’t gotten a full understanding of what those placements mean but I do have those apps on my phone and lets just say that they are ALWAYS reading the hell out of me! I’ll describe what each of the signs mean below:
Sun Sign: The sign that generally everyone knows based on the month and day you were born. This aligns with your identity and represents the vital force that drives you to seek the highest expression of your true self.
Moon Sign: This is the soul behind your identity and the subconscious side of you that you usually keep hidden (the force behind your emotional reactions).
Rising Sign: This sign is your social personality, it represents your physical body and outward style. It relates to the zodiac sign that was on the Eastern Horizon when you were born.
As I continue to read more about astrology, its origin and what it really means, I’ve developed a better understanding of why some people believe in its accuracy. But then there are others who use their zodiac signs as an excuse for their actions, and act like it’s a personality trait (you know who you are). There is a huge disconnect between society and the actual meaning of zodiac signs, which is honestly caused by the memes that we see on social media. What I can say is that whenever mercury is in retrograde, I can resonate with it because literally everything feels so intense and I’m unnecessarily angry at the world LMAO, do you guys feel the same? Let me know!
For more on Astrology, Horoscopes and Tarot readings check out episode 10 on Toloupodcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast + more!!
Vaccine Testing in Africa
These two French doctors had the nerve to go on live national tv saying and I quote “It may be provocative. Should we not do this study in Africa where there are no masks, no treatment or intensive care, a little bit like it's been done for certain AIDS studies, where among prostitutes, we try things, because we know that they are highly exposed and don't protect themselves?” So you mean to tell me this isn’t history repeating itself? My blood was boiling when I saw that and I can say that the same happened to the rest of you. Out of all of the places in the world, you think it would be perfectly okay for you to use Africans as test subjects, why? Is it because you see them as less than a human? You completely disregard their place in society because of your racist mindset??
You guys already know I’ve talked about something similar to this in a previous blog post, especially the gynecology post and the Tuskegee syphilis experiments. White scientists/doctors/medical personnel always have and always will think that Black people as a whole are incapable of feeling pain, are “perfect” for experiments, and “lack common sense” so that they’ll just let you go ahead and do what I will call a full blown genocide. Even today, there are endless account of Black women dying while giving birth due to the lack of acknowledgement of their pain while in labor.
Africa is literally the continent that is least effected by COVID-19 and you mean to tell me this statement wasn’t intentional? From the beginning of this pandemic, news reporters continuously questioned why Africa was the only place to have such low cases compared to Europe, the US, and China. Shouldn’t that be considered a good thing? You would think it would be considered a victory but you and I both know anything involving Black people being better off than the rest is considered a ‘problem’.
I can’t stress this enough but we really need more Black people in healthcare, more Black doctors, more Black scientists, more Black everything because we will continue to be targeted by the medical field no matter how much we try to protest and bring awareness to a constant issue within our community.
Adopting vs Shopping--Which is Better?
So, you’ve finally decided you want a dog. First of all, congratulations! It’s undeniable that a furry companion is great for when your home begins to feel just a little too empty. Although people have pets for plenty of different reasons, it is important to realize how much care and thought must go into both adopting and taking care of your new companion–including where you decide to get your new dog from. Now, allow me to walk you through the importance of adopting dogs from shelters over receiving them from private backyard breeders or pet stores.
Private and public shelters are the two primary forms shelters take. Private shelters are typically limited in space and tend to avoid euthanasia (the act or practice of permitting the death of hopelessly sick domestic animals in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy), although they still may euthanize animals if they are severely ill or have severe behavioral issues that deem them “unfit” for adoption. Public animal shelters deal primarily with stray animals within their respective communities and animals that have been impacted by state cruelty laws, and are shelters that euthanize for space if an animal has been available for adoption for a prolonged period of time but has not been adopted or properly claimed by an owner. Despite many people being actively against the act of euthanizing, don’t forget to consider that many shelters go through an extensive process of behavioral readjustment, psychological evaluations, and health evaluations before even considering euthanasia. Also, as someone who volunteers at a local shelter, I can assure you that it is always saddening and hard to have to take away an animal’s life for any reason. Ultimately, running a shelter can be extremely financially straining, which means hard decisions must be made.
Despite what many people assume, most animal shelters and rescue organizations do not receive financial assistance from the government. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not funnel in tax-payer money to make sure the doors of shelters stay open and that food-bowls stay full–they simply enforce animal welfare laws and provide funding for animal control services in larger cities and towns. In order to operate, shelters rely heavily on donations, either in money or in resources, and the help of volunteers.
Private breeders are a very different story. Although there are people who receive animals from private breeders on a regular basis, and there is nothing inherently wrong about wanting to provide any animal with a new family and a loving home, a lot of the problems with private breeders are in relation to the way in which they operate their businesses and contribute to the negative stigma surrounding shelter animals.
The first major concern about private breeding is related to what are known as puppy mills. Most puppy mills and backyard breeders breed puppies in order to profit from the misconception that dogs that are privately bred are “better” and have better temperaments or traits than dogs in shelters. Many of these dogs are subject to harsh conditions, mental and physical abuse, lack of enrichment, inadequate healthcare, and are also separated from their mothers–also known as “breeding bitches”–at only a few weeks old, intending to maximize profit as much as possible. Private breeders are not always educated on how to care for dogs, nor do they always possess the correct medical equipment or proper veterinary training to do so, which leaves a lot of room for dogs to be born with serious short (but fatal) or long-term health complications that can make them very expensive to care for.
What about mills that are licensed by the USDA? Or puppy mills that regularly sell to pet-stores?
I have news for you, honey.
Although there are puppy mills licensed by the USDA, the standards the USDA has in place for commercial breeders are very, very low. It’s pretty rare for the USDA to reprimand private breeders for health and welfare violations, and inspections are done usually about once every couple of years. This means that there are currently thousands of private puppy mill owners profiting off of and benefitting from the USDA’s lax nature towards ensuring that commercial breeders are providing safe, sanitary spaces for animals to live until they are either adopted or sold to pet stores.
Yes–pet stores buy from private breeders too. A plethora of animals that are sold in pet stores come from private breeders, including breeders known to be repeat violators of animal welfare laws.
Overall, at face value, you believe you are participating in something important and ethical–providing a new living situation for a sweet animal in need of it. It is not your fault that there are people who take advantage of animals in order to profit, but you do possess the ability to contribute to taking away the power of people who own puppy mills. This, of course, starts with you considering adopting primarily from animal shelters, which house dogs of different breeds, sizes, traits, and temperaments. Most shelters utilize a system that ensures that you are matched with an animal that will fit your personality and home environment, which makes it so that both you and your new dog will remain happy and healthy. According to the ASPCA, around 3.3 million dogs are brought into shelters in America every year–I can assure you that one of them is meant for you.
Remember to stay safe, healthy, and kind during this pandemic. Also, consider fostering an animal from your local shelter or SPCA, as it is currently growing difficult for shelters and rescues to remain open.
SOURCES
https://www.thepuppymillproject.org/about-puppy-mills/
https://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/pet-stores-puppy-mills-factsheet.pdf
https://www.animalrescueprofessionals.org/myth-vs-fact/animal-shelters-funded-by-the-government/
https://positively.com/animal-advocacy/puppy-mills/
https://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics
Cut All Of Your Dead Ends: My Natural Hair Journey
Hi girls! I have recently stepped into the natural world and I can honestly say I love it here. Before I decided to do the big chop, my hair was struggling due to the several months of excessive heat and it caused severe breakage & a very loose curl pattern. I was so tired of washing my hair and becoming so disappointed in the lack of health it showed. I decided during Quarantine, I should try new things including cutting all dead ends.
By cutting dead ends, I was talking about hair; but also, toxic relationships. While I decided to cut my dead hair off, I chose to leave people in my past who were no good for me, decided to find new routines that influence growth in my future, and to start a new natural hair journey. Yes, it may be very difficult to develop new habits and to let go of ways that you are comfortable with but they will never help you become the woman you want to be in the future. Let’s start with cutting dead ends off now, while you have time to take care of yourself and strategize. As I am still finding healthy techniques to take care of my curls, I am reading all about what it means to have healthy hair and how important it is for an African-American woman. My friend, Brianna has a blog named @blackcotics where she has wrote a special piece on black hair. Her blog post inspired me to chop my hair off and start fresh, so I recommend for you to go check it out!
For all of the girls who are questioning whether or not to start fresh with your hair, you should do it! It’s so liberating and it allows you to experiment with new hairstyles in a healthy way. Down below is a picture of my new haircut. Doesn’t it just fit my face? This can be you too! You just need the confidence and braveness to do so! If you need any tips on how to do the big chop and how to maintain it, I will add informative YouTube videos that have helped me, as well.
Activities To Keep Yourself Busy During Quarantine
It’s been what? Week 4 of being in the house and I haven’t gone insane yet? Interestingly enough, I’ve been able to keep myself busy in a variety of ways to the point that by 12am I am tired out of my mind. For this blog post I will give you guys some options for what you should do while you’re bored in the house, or if you’ve completed all of your assignments for the day and want to do something productive.
BOOKS
I know a lot of people who tell me that they hate reading and they dont get the hype but honestly reading is one of the best things you could possibly be doing right now. I have a stack of books in my house that I purposefully ordered before all of this went down because I genuinely love to read and when I’m reading I engulf myself in that book. Strangely enough, my genre of choice is all over the place: from historical books, memoirs, non-fiction, thriller, and a little bit of science fiction (has to be the right book). Below this I will list some books that I finished before we were all quarantined, and books that I have started reading since we’ve been in quarantine.
More Than Enough - Elaine Wetelroth
The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck - Mark Manson
Soul of a Doctor - Atul Gawande
When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi
Blood at the Root - Patrick Phillips
ART (of any form)
You may not see yourself as a ‘creative’ but I’m pretty sure that we all have a creative side that we never knew about. Personally, I doodle a few times here and there but ever since I’ve been social distancing I’ve been drawing and learning techniques on how to watercolor. It’s very calming and allows me to express myself in a different way. Lol, I even wrote two poems in the midst of going through some of my old writings from high school but I dont think they’re good enough to be broadcasted so you guys will never see them!
PHYSICAL HEALTH
Get into the healthy habit of either starting the practice of yoga or even doing light workouts in your house! For my gym sharks out there I know it’s difficult working out at home with little to no machines, so I can understand why you’d be uninterested in continuing your routine at home. But there are so many influencers out there that have uploaded their personal home workout routines for us to follow since we’re all generally in the same position at this point.
LEARN HOW TO COOK
Most of us will probably come out of this quarantine professionals chefs because we have no choice but to eat whats in our fridge. Try out some easy recipes for some of your favorite meals and see how they come out. You never know you may want to keep up the pace when all of this is over and start meal prepping like a real adult (ew did I just say that?).
I can sit here all day and talk about how many things you can be doing to keep your brain working and your body active but I think the four things I listed above are good places to start. Let me know how quarantine is treating you, are you suffering or are you managing!
Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments
It was called “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male”... need I say more? 1932, 600 Black men were apart of a study that they had no idea of, and gave ZERO consent to. These researchers told the subjects that they were being treated for “bad blood”, when in fact they never even received the necessary treatment needed to cure the STD that they had. Let’s keep in mind that 399 of the men actually had syphilis, while 201 of them did not.
I want you guys to take a moment to think back on what we learned in history class about the treatment of Black people in the deep south during the early 1900s. I’ve made a list of faults for you: Black people had little to no education, they were unable to read or write, they had ZERO access to healthcare, they were working as farmers for the White property owners. So with that being said we can already see where this story is going, right? Okay, let’s continue. So these Black men were provided free medical exams, meals, and burial insurance. You and I both know that hearing the word free sounds amazing, especially when you barely owned anything of value in your entire life. This said “experiment” was supposed to only last 6 months, but wait for it: it went on for 40 YEARS!!! Don’t worry folks it just keeps getting worse.
As the study progressed, the Black men were only given placebo treatments such as aspirin and mineral supplements, never given penicillin even though they discovered that as the recommended treatment in 1947. These scientists boldly let the disease progress in these men and let them either die, go insane, or go blind, all because they wanted to understand the effects that latent syphilis had on the human body. A venereal disease investigator heard about what was happening and told his reporter friends because not even the PHS committee saw anything wrong with the study!!
Finally in July 1972, the study was shut down. But by that time, 100+ men died from syphilis and at least 40 of their spouses contracted it and eventually passed it on to their children (about 19 of them). Some form of reparations were given to the surviving participants of the study, they received a 10 million dollar settlement and new guidelines were set in place to protect participants of future research studies (more specifically making it a requirement that the human subjects must be aware of everything going on in the experiment no matter what and they must give formal consent).
From this story and many others in Black history, we can understand why there is a huge mistrust in the healthcare system, especially when it comes down to scientific experiments and vaccines. We can see this now actually with the COVID-19 pandemic that we are all living through, there seems to be many lingering thoughts on whether this was planned by the government so that they can mass produce vaccinations and vaccinate everyone. But hey, who knows? Find out more in my future blog posts, see ya!
Black Hair: “Why Isn’t My Hair Growing?”
Naturalistas!! Whats good?!? I honestly haven’t talked about natural hair in so long because before I had Blackcotics I had a natural hair page where I shared tips and routines that I would use for my own natural hair (especially since I had recently big chopped). Just because I have left that phase does not mean I am not aware of the do’s and dont’s of this natural stuff.
The natural hair movement has honestly forced us to believe that all of our hair must reach mid-back and be filled with loose curly strands. But let’s be real, we are not isolated to one hair type, for me specifically I realized my hair type is a mix of the ENTIRE type 4 category!! It’s pretty strange but honestly kind of cool too. I did a big chop in June 2018 and my hair has been flourishing ever since, I’ll add some pictures for you guys to see my growth progress.
But anyways, a lot of times I see my fellow Black women complaining because they dont think that their hair is growing or that it isn't “looking like the natural hair influencers on IG”. Let’s discuss the facts:
generally, hair grows about a half an inch each month, but when you throw in genetics and other environmental factors your hair may grow faster or slower than the rest of us.
If you find yourself questioning what may be wrong with your hair, think about what other things may factor into determining the strength, growth, and curl pattern of your hair.
WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR BODY IS REFLECTED IN BOTH YOUR HAIR AND YOUR SKIN!!
I really try to emphasize this in every post because a lot of you forget that what you ingest will have a LARGE effect on how it is reflected on the outside. If all you do is eat junk food and rarely drink water, you can’t expect your hair to be down your back and thick with volume (make it make sense). I think considering this is the most important step because you will not only see a difference, but you will also feel different too.
TRY USING ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS AND STAY CLEAR OF THE CHEMICALS
I know that with the uprising of the natural hair movement a lot of us were heavily influenced to buy a whole bunch of the products that they promoted. But let me tell you that majority of these brand names have TONS of parabens, alcohols, and some long chemical names that I can barely pronounce. Also, try not to use shampoo as often because they mostly have alcohols in them which again will DRY YOUR HAIR OUT. Co-washing is our best friend!
To replace your hair product collection with some gems, I’ve honestly been creating my own hair masks and moisturizers and I can see the difference in how my hair reacts to it. Most of those name brands tend to dry our hair out and cause breakage, leaving us hopeless.
(if you guys want me to go more in depth on some home remedies that I use on my hair for treatments, moisturizing or just keeping my hair healthy, I’ll be glad to make another post for you all)
TRUST! THE! PROCESS!!!
All good things come to those who wait and for someone who lacks patience I’m here to tell you that rushing the process of hair rejuvenation will cause you to go crazy. Get some protective styles, let your hair BREATHE , and stop manipulating it !! We’re in quarantine, so you might as well throw in some twists or braids in your head and call it a day. I promise you, your hair will thank you for it!
Natural hair is no joke and it will take up most of your time if you are 100% dedicated on having healthy hair. Be mindful of your diet and on the products that you use because like I said earlier those will make or break you. For the girls who are not natural, how have you been keeping up with your hair and keeping it healthy? I would love to get insight on relaxed hair, because for those of you who may not know, relaxed hair can be healthy also.