Sigh | Hoppin' on the Insanity Bandwagon

Let's face it. At some point, we all bull sh*t about our gym routine unless hittin' the treadmill has already been apart of our everyday life - or we went through some type of fitness epiphany. Well this is mine. In my life personally, I've been able to pretty much skate by being a fitness fanatic, or not going to the gym at all because of genetics. 

Exhibit A, my mom: 

My mom was the undisputed curve queen when she was my age (27). She was a curvy, thick-thighed, small waisted juggernaut. I inherited my mom's body type, and hence, it's kind of difficult for me to gain a bunch of weight in my waist area, but my hips and thighs are fair game. Why is this a problem you ask? Because the sh*t can get out of control! And as I get older, I notice, that I HAVE to go to the gym to keep it under control. Now this isn't some NYE resolution sh*t. Nor am I posting thirst trap pics. I just decided once and for all, to get a handle on my curves, and try for a six pack summer. Enter Insanity. 

I've seen so many people do it. Try and succeed, try and fail. And the reason I'm sharing my Insanity journey with you is because I want to make sure and hold myself accountable. Below, you'll see my before and after pics (no filter, lol), and throughout the weeks, 60 days to be exact, I'll post updates. And let me be honest. I've tried to start this program, like, twice. And dropped the ball. Like. Did it a week or two theeeeen forgot to do it. Literally. No bueno.

Is anyone else doing Insanity? Let me know!

- Angel 

Cop these Summertime Fine Essentials: Part 1

Happy Spring Equinox folks! As it gets a little warmer (for a second,) we're all reminded that bikini/trunk season is upon us! Even though abs are made in the winter, who says you can't ramp up that fitness and beauty routine in the short months before summer? 

A summer ago, while preparing to host the BET Awards red carpet, my trainer Deanna Jefferson worked me out to death in the morning (smile,) but also recommended that I try paleo, a diet which consists of the raw bones food essentials, unprocessed meats, tons of veggies, some fruit, and absolutely no grains. When I combined that with my diet, I shred 8 pounds in a week, no, I didn't starve, I ate well, and hit the gym in the AM. I won't delve into the ins and outs of dieting and exercise JUST yet in this post, but I'll say if you're trying to tone quickly, paleo and morning workouts are whats up. 

There are some beauty items that I can't live without in my warm weather arsenal. I have sensitive skin, it gets irritated quickly so keeping my epidermis hydrated & exfoliated is an absolute must. 

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African Shea Butter - Shea butter is literally fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree, so if you buy it in it's 100% form, it's all natural. Not only does it keep your skin incredible hydrated, clears scarring, heals sunburn and small wounds, reduces the appearance of stretch marks, tightens skin, and protects it, but you can use it as a super moisturizing shaving cream! What more could you want? If you get Grade A shea butter, it has a kind of smoky smell, but you'll get use to it after witnessing so many benefits. Oh yeah, it will give your legs a sexy sheen when it's time to rock those booty shorts! The one you see above is the exact one I purchase from my favorite African store. 

Virgin Coconut Oil - I already sung the praises of coconut oil in a previous post, but just as a recap, cooking with this and adding it in smoothies, oatmeal etc can help reduce belly fat. You can also rub it in your scalp, and on your body for a great, light-weight moisturizer.

 African Black Soap - African black soap is made from dried plantain skins, palm leaves, cocoa pod powder, and kernel oil. I use this soap every single day. Sometimes it's embarrassing to pull out this big a*s, misshapen hunk of blackish-brown stuff when I'm traveling, but I'll always use it - here's why. Black soap deep cleans your skin, and the cleaner your skin is, the better moisturizer will work on your skin because your pores aren't clogged. It clears skin bumps, acne and will remove every single speck of makeup on your face - even pesky mascara that seems to take a week to lift. 

AmLactin - If your skin is dry, or sensitive, or you have eczema, AmLactin is a miracle lotion. It has 12% ammonium lactate, which is lactic acid and ammonium hydroxide. I know, I know, this sounds like some type of freaky experiment, but the dope thing about this lotion is that after you put it on, it continues to moisturize your skin throughout the day and essentially disintegrates dry layers of skin. I've been using this lotion since I was 12. It use to be prescription only, but the good 'ol folks decided to make it over the counter. DO NOT use this if you're allergic to ammonium lactate, glycerin, mineral oil, propylene glycol, or parabens.

Soap & Glory's Scrub for Your Life - Simply put - this is my favorite body exfoliant ever. Smells great, works amazing, and isn't to rough on your skin.

Tonalin CLA - So, this is my cellulite secret. Tonalin CLA not only helps you build lean muscle, but for me at least, it eliminates any extra lumps and tightens the skin. This is a MUST for bikini season. Drink tons of water and hit the treadmill with this ladies. You can't wolf down pizza then pop some CLA and expect it to work. I'm naturally hippy and uh, thigh-y thanks to genetics. But the upside is a waist that stays perpetually small, the CLA definitely enhances my curves and keeps them tight.

The last tip I'll give for this post are the benefits of meal prep. If you prepare meals at the top of the week for the entire week, you'll be more likely to eat healthy as oppose to getting too tired to cook and making bad nutritional choices. We're all busy, but preparing your meals will also leave you with a little more time to do other things during your busy week. 

Once again, I'm not a doctor. Take this sh*t at your own risk, but all of these products work for me. Look out for Part 2, I'll be interviewing a fitness pro about how to get that bikini body. Me? I've started Insanity this week. Will post results soon!

- Angel 

Lessons I Learned While Hiking the Catoctin: Sleeping is Not for Losers

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have this insatiable desire to be outside. While at my office, I'm mentally planning my next hiking excursion or trip. I started a group called Pretty Girls Hike so that I could encourage my fellow urbanite ladies to get outside and enjoy what nature has to offer. I've found that somehow, being amongst the trees, rushing water, mountains and beaches is undoubtedly my happy place. 

I've been crazy busy lately, with sweeps (Sweeps are basically the period in TV where new shows are made and broken, new shows are pitched during upfronts, old shows get the boot etc. Very stressful.), TV show collaborations (which I'm excited about, and will chat about later), a new show that I'm hosting for Aspire TV that's getting ready to tape, writing a book, running my production company AND trying to keep my sanity all in check. I won't complain, I thank God I'm busy, because the opposite would be just as hellish. But the point is, with all of these indoor activities keeping me grounded, the desire to get out and hike reached a fever pitch by last week! 

It's been cold as a sh*t outside, like unseasonably cold thanks to good 'ol Global Warming, so for most of my friends going outside in the elements was out of the question. Imagine my excitement when my girlfriend said we should go hiking! I packed my hiking gear up, and went to bed. I was in New York the night before, so I caught a 3 a.m. train back to D.C. where I hopped off, changed into my gear in the Union Station bathroom (had a bunch of homeless folks giving me the side-eye, like I infringed on their territory or something) then got in my car and drove to my girlfriend's house. We decided on the Catoctin Mountains because neither of us had been there, and the reviews for the trails were great. 

As we drove up the highway, and the mountains came into view, the scenery was breathtaking. Slowly the landscape turned from farmland into woods with cabins, hunting lodges, and of course the Catoctin Mountain ranges which steadily rose over the winding roads we traveled to the trailhead.  It was obvious that when warm, the Catoctin Mountains was filled with lakes, streams and tons of flora and fauna. Now I understand why Camp David is nestled in this little slice of bucolic glory. We got out at the info center. Immediately we saw a group of hikers with trekking polls, snow boots and skiing gear. I said, "Trekking polls? They don't need trekking polls in this weather." Even one of the hikers had on shorts, so we thought we'd be fine. Needless to say, being the adventurous duo that we are, we started up the mountain, taking our own path, and it quickly ascended. Every path we took was covered in snow, that was covered in a layer of ice. I even took to marking our trail after my girl remarked that getting back would be a b*tch. All the pure white snow was dizzying. Each way looked the same, and even for an experienced hiker like myself, I knew it was time to cut our losses.

After awhile, we decided to abandon our trip for a warmer, less snowy day. I wasn't cold at the time, but little did I know that the cold air had already seeped into my chest. After jumping back in her Range, we decided to drive awhile to enjoy the scenery. We went off-road and drove into this secluded community of quaint little gorgeous cabins. The higher we went, the more gorgeous the view. Thurmont, MD is definitely a little treasure. 

Fast forward some, I got home, and immediately felt a little tickle in my chest, that turned into a cough, that turned into my entire body aching incessantly. Needless to say, by time I woke up the next morning, I had a full blown cold, or so I thought. Being the OG that I am, I tried to soldier through that sh*t. I took my Source Naturals Wellness Formula, boiled peeled ginger root and lemon, and took some willow bark root supplements (Willow bark root is what aspirin is made from essentially.) All these things usually knock out whatever I have going on, remember I told you I rarely get sick? They did provide temporary relief, but by the third night of no rest, and almost passing out while brushing my teeth, I knew something was not right. Called my daddy, got him to take me to the emergency room, and as it turns out, I got bronchitis. Lawd Jesus. 

The doctor gave me antibiotics, some narcotics (woohoo! j/k) to calm my body aches, and sent me on my way. Before he discharged me he said,

"You've got to slow down. You shouldn't have gone to work for three days feeling like this. I could tell you felt like crap when I walked in the room. Take care of yourself."

I am paraphrasing, but that was the gist of it. Listen ladies & gents, in our quest to become the greatest and achieve, sometimes we ignore signs that our bodies are about to shut down. We live in a culture where getting sleep means you aren't working hard enough. Where taking care of your body beyond hitting those squats to get that J.Lo booty means we have too much time on our hands. How many times have you seen someone tweet, 'I'll sleep when I die.' NOTHING IS WRONG WITH SLEEP. I repeat, nothing is wrong with getting some sleep. Your brain works better, your body feels better, and you live on another day to fight the good fight. 

I'll never forget reading this Time Magazine editorial by one of my favorite journalist Touré. He talked about how musicians perpetuate this cultural of non-sleep and they champion those who don't take care of their bodies essentially. He said, "The attitude that sleeping is for losers is endemic to America and especially the music business." It's true. And what do most people do? Follow (or try to follow) the lifestyles of their favorite music icons. It's the same in journalism. My fellow journalist friends are absolute vampires. I swear we made a contract with Dracula himself because we're literally like, the living dead.

What I didn't tell you at the beginning of this, was that prior to my hiking excursion, I'd stayed up writing a treatment while on the train ride back to D.C. instead of getting any sleep, I hadn't slept a good three hours the night before, or the night before that. Besides having a 9-5, running your own business means you operate it on borrowed time. The point is, my a*s should have been napping on that Acela! Not finding time to sleep is like forgetting to eat. Your body literally needs that time to recharge and function correctly. The combination of me not sleeping, not getting enough breakfast AND the cold weather all contributed to this stupid illness. Had my body been better equipped, I probably would have been able to fight off something that turned into Bronchitis. The other downside? I've been too hurt-up to update this wonderful site, and interact with y'all. :( But these good 'ol narcotics are working just fine, and I'm up! For now. 

My advice? Love yourself by getting sleep. Yes, people champion the nocturnal, but they champion those tired, non-sleeping folks after they've gotten their own eight hours. You better believe it. 

Zzzzzz....

- Angel

Dope Sh*t That Keeps Me Healthy

If my potty mouth offends, excuse it. It's my intentional rebellion against acceptable lexicon, but, if any young (under 18) ladies are reading this post, please, keep your mouth clean. 

Speaking of clean! I've gotten a lot of inquiries about how my vegetarian journey is going, and it's great! I feel lighter (literally, weird side effect is that I've lost 4 pounds this week) and I sleep better. Besides fruits and vegetables, there are some go-to foods and herbal medicinals that keep ME healthy. Disclaimer: I'm in no way, shape or form, a healthcare professional. Just a journo who keeps herself informed on the best all natural sh*t to use. So if you get sick (which I 99% doubt) don't come over here, lol. 

Any! This is sh*t that keeps me healthy, some aren't pictured by the way, but that's my actually cabinet, so, welcome to my home: 

Ginger Root: I have a super sensitive constitution, almost any and everything gives me heartburn, even fruit. To combat that, I remove the skin from the ginger root, mince it, and put it in my Vitamix with ALL of my smoothies. I also love to combine fresh grated ginger and fresh squeezed lemon juice with wildflower honey and spring water (bougie I know, you can use whatever water) for a yummy lemonade. It's also great for digestion, and has anti-inflammatory properties in it called gingerols. (Original, right?) It's an antioxidant, and it boosts your immune system by inducing healthy sweating. It's pretty much amazing, and you can pretty much add it to anything.
 
Garlic: With all these blood thirsty vampires running around lately, garlic is the perfect combatant for those fanged friends, or to fend off unwanted attention from anyone. Just kidding. Garlic is pretty much, a miracle. The urban legend that it makes your breath rock is false, that would be onions, which I hate. First off, garlic is a fantastic immune system booster. How you ask? Garlic has a hand in boosting your liver function, by activating the enzymes that flush out toxins. So, if you like turn up and pop bottles often, poppin' some garlic in your meal is probably a great idea. Antioxidants in garlic also kill bacteria that causes acne. So that glow you see on me? That's garlic. It's an anti-inflammatory as well, so it's great for athletes, and ladies who want a less puffy facial appearance. I put fresh garlic in fresh cooked spinach, in my egg white omelets, with grilled chicken (when I eat meat) and pretty much everything. Don't give me the side-eye. I can cook like yo mama!

Lemons: In the morning, before I consume anything I always drink a glass of room temperature spring water mixed with fresh squeezed lemon juice from one lemon. It gets the digestive system going and boosts energy (because lemons are a great source of electrolytes, and without those joints it's easy to feel sleepy). How you ask? By helping the liver to dump toxins (from processed food, smog, air pollution etc.), lemons stimulate the liver's natural enzymes. Not only are lemons great inside the body, but outside. A long time ago I saw my mom cut open a lemon, and rub half of it on her face. Let me tell you, her skin is gorgeous, soft, and I've never seen a blemish on it. Of course I followed suit. A little lemon love on your face keeps acne away because of it's antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. 

Wildflower Honey: I personally love the taste of honey in my tea, and as my go-to sweetener for everything. But the biggest reason I've used Manuka wildflower honey in particular is because I have seasonal allergies. During allergy season I consume 2 tsp. of it and it actually works better for me than any allergy medication could - and trust me, I've been through every anti-histamine that you can think of. Honey also is an antioxidant, and can help you stop annoying yourself if you're having a coughing fit because of a cold - it soothes the throat.

Liquid Chlorophyll: I add mint flavored liquid chlorophyll to my smoothies. It's like, a deodorant for your insides so to speak... So you know, your uh, intimate regions, smell and taste great. Did I just say that? Yup, I did. No worst than your favorite rapper spouting the necessity of pineapples. It's an antioxidant (again) and helps your body produce red blood cells, and increase their quality. Why? Because chlorophyll has chemical properties in it very similar to hemoglobin - and we all know that hemoglobin is the molecule responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood. 

Traditional Medicinals Organic Ginger Aid Tea: This one is simple, this perfect tea tastes great, alleviates my heartburn, aids my digestion of food therefor speeding up my metabolism. So, yeah, have a cup. 

Coconut Oil: Although it's not pictured, consuming coconut oil is like, an essential part of my regimen. I scoop 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (I use Spectrum Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil) into my steal cut oatmeal in the morning. It makes it taste SO good and has tons of benefits. Coconut oil helps our bodies stave off bacteria and viruses that cause colds and fights off yeast, candida and fungus among other things. It's great for hair and nail growth, and helps lower the amount of abdominal fat on that belly. Yes, yes it does. Coconut oil contains healthy fats called MCTs that breakdown fats in the liver which leads to a more efficient energy burn. 

Woo! That was a lot, but it takes a lot to keep you healthy and free-radical free in this age of acid rain, air pollution and processed food. I HARDLY get sick. And if I do, it's pretty rare, and I'm over it quickly. It's like, my immune system is on steroids and I want you to experience the same.

Let me know if you try any of this sh*t that keeps me healthy.

- Angel 

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