I am a proud fourth generation native Washingtonian. Chuck Brown’s music *is* the soundtrack to all of my childhood memories of block parties and cookouts on 5th and Crittenden Street NW. Throughout the years, when I ran into Chuck on the streets of DC or the hallways of the John A. Wilson building, he gave me a warm hug. He was never in a rush, no matter how large the group. He made every effort to stop and talk to each person yelling, “Whas up Chuck!”
Chuck is our Michael Jackson-Madonna all rolled in one. He is DC’s own rock star! You felt every bit of the roars of energy that erupted when he walked into school audiotoriums or entered the room to attend award ceremonies for ex-offenders getting their lives together.
There was no neighborhood-beef nonsense or fights breaking out when Chuck performed. It didn’t matter if you were from Montana, Southside, Uptown, or Trinidad. We were all in unison for the call-and-response of classics like Wind Me Up Chuck and Run Joe. He made you feel proud to be from the Chocolate City!
His name, his music, his gold teeth, his jheri curl…all make me smile and hold a special place in my heart. Every native Washingtonian saw Chuck Brown as our cool uncle that would live forever. Today, DC has truly lost a member of it’s family. We love you Chuck!
Chuck and Lil’ Benny have the congas and cowbells rockin’ in heaven right now. Boo and Brina, I know y’all are loving it!
President Obama wishes a happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. He shares why First Lady Michelle Obama is the best mom he knows, how his mom and grandmother influenced him, and how the model of strong, responsible, and loving women have been a great gift to his daughters. Checkout the video below: Read the rest of this entry »
I was so moved by this Procter & Gamble (P&G) commercial honoring everything that all moms do to help their children succeed. The commericial showcases the amazing moms behind Olympic athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games. It proves that our mothers are the constant cheerleaders no matter which hurdles we choose to jump. Read the rest of this entry »
Annette Larkins is a 70-year-old woman who has truly found a ‘fountain of youth.’ She drinks rainwater that she collects in her garden, eats fruits and vegetables that she grows in her garden in her Miami home. Mrs. Larkin is also a strict raw vegan. She recently appeared on The Doctors to explain to the world how she has managed to look and feel so young.” Checkout the video below: Read the rest of this entry »
“I feel for you…I think I love you…Chaka Khan let me rock you…”
This just started to play in my head. Legendary 59-year-old singer Chaka Khan recently dropped 60-pounds via nutrition and exercise. She looks a-maz-ing!!! Read the rest of this entry »
Yesterday, beauty blogger Afrobella shared great recommendations for treating adult acne. I tweeted to her that I still treat my occasional pimples with toothpaste.
Many believe that using toothpaste to treat zits is just an adolescent legend, but it actually works. My dermatologist during high school recommended applying a baking soda-peroxide toothpaste directly on the zit with a toothpick to dry it out. Also, just last week on an episode of Dr. Oz, he recommended this as well. Read the rest of this entry »
“Beyoncé was fashionably late to the Metropolitan Museum of Art Gala in New York on Monday. Reporters and photographers awaited the arrival of the pop superstar, who stunned in a sheer Givenchy gown with purple feathered train.” Read the rest of this entry »
I am a huge fan of low country cuisine. Shrimp and grits hands down is my favorite dish! My belly has enjoyed variations of shrimp and grits at restaurants throughout the country and here in my hometown of Washington, DC. The Starfish Cafe once located in DC’s Eastern Market neighborhood served the best version: shrimp and Gorgonzola grits.
Unfortunately, Starfish Cafe closed last year. So in memory/honor of Starfish…here is my low-carb recipe remix for shrimp and no-corn grit cakes with gorgonzola cheese.
My mind produces the most interesting realizations and quotes after a kick-ass workout.
I love food. When someone surprises me with a red velvet cupcake, I do the same crackhead shuffle dance that Samuel L. Jackson did in the movie Jungle Fever. During Thanksgiving and Christmas, I sing and perform “Food Glorious Food” in my parents’ kitchen when my stepsister Aure lets me lick the leftover sweet potato pie filling from a bowl. Read the rest of this entry »
TMI, but I could bathe in rice noodle dishes like pad Thai and Singapore noodles. So friggin’ delicious. However, not all, but many Asian noodle dishes are cooked in heavy oil and drowned in sugary sauces. If your aim is to lose or watch your weight, these dishes may not be the best bet. Also, rice noodles are high on the glycemic index (meaning they’re not really low-carb) so these dishes aren’t diabetic friendly either.
Here’s an alternative healthy recipe remix inspired by my favorite rice noodle dishes. Instead of rice noodles or any noodles at all I used pre-shredded angel hair cabbage. Disclaimer, I may not have used all the ingredients used traditionally in pad thai or Singapore noodles…but the texture and flavors of my version certainly appeases my appetite. I never feel as if I’m depriving myself when I got that noodle-feelin’… Read the rest of this entry »
I gave almond flour a try for the classic dish chicken and waffles.
The combo of chicken and waffles orginated in the 1930′s. When jazz musicians finished their sets in the early morning hours they couldn’t decide if they wanted dinner or breakfast. They just put chicken and waffles together and called it a day…or night;-)
Checking out my recipe below for both waffles and oven-fried chicken breasts using almond flour. Read the rest of this entry »
Many of the recipes for noodle-less lasagna include zucchini and/or eggplant. However, I am not a fan of either of these vegetables. Although, my Auntie Judy caramelizes eggplant (brinjal) in her chicken curry to thicken it, and I love that. (Maybe because I can barely taste the eggplant.)
Below I included my recipe remix for low-carb/low-glycemic noodle-less lasagna. Feel free to take bits and pieces of this recipe and adapt them to your own: Read the rest of this entry »
Back in high school, my friends and I loved the Cheesecake Factory. I am not a big fan of cheesecake, but I loved the huuuuge serving of their jambalaya pasta dish. Since I no longer eat traditional pasta made with flour, I created a “recipe remix” for the dish made with Tofu Shirataki noodles.
Shirataki are about 3-4 grams of carbs per serving, while traditional flour-based noodles are 55-65 grams per serving. Also, Shirataki are the only low-carb noodles I’ve found that don’t taste like death! Checkout the recipe below: Read the rest of this entry »
I’m not a chef or a cook…I’m just a greedy person that wants to fit into my clothes. My weight loss is not the result of eating salads everyday. Instead, I’ve created “recipe remixes” for all of the foods I love. Here is one of my recipe remixes for crunchy oven-fried chicken using soy flour and ground flaxseed as a coating instead of traditional flour.
Randomness: Sure oven-fried is more heart healthy, but deep-fried foods just make my skin feel oily and gross. Read the rest of this entry »
Prevention Magazine provided great recommendations on fueling your body both pre and post-workout. The right nutrients in your body can determine whether or not you kick-butt during your workouts. In addition to eating right, water, water and more water is super important. Water not only keeps you hydrated, but helps to lubricate your joints internally…
Dr. Oz recommends eating the same thing for breakfast everyday if you are trying to lose weight or maintain weight. “People make bad diet decisions when they’re hungry and tired and their choice-making capabilities are compromised.” Read the rest of this entry »
Please don’t select an exercise/running shoe because it looks “pretty” and has feminine colors. Quality running shoes are sold in three ways (1) Neutral (2) Stability or (3)Motion Control. Check out the chart above to determine which shoe you need based on your gender and weight.
I don’t recommend any particular shoe. Different strokes for different folks. My only advice is exercise/running shoes should feel good immediately — if you feel you need to break them in, they are not for you. Read the rest of this entry »
Those who can truly be accounted brave are those who best know the meaning of what is sweet in life and what is terrible, and then go out, undeterred, to meet what is to come.” ― Pericles
Gabrielle Jones, a high school senior who was bullied by her classmates for much of her life, has channeled that negative experience through writing an essay that won her a $50,000 college scholarship. “I found I had a voice and it’s very powerful,” Gabrielle says. She plans to attend law school and become a judge someday. Her strength and will to share her story won Gabrielle a $50,000 scholarship from the Maltz Museum’s “Stop The Hate” essay contest. Read the rest of this entry »
Angela Simmons, co-owner of Pastry Shoes and daughter of hiphop legend Rev Run, has a great body. She shared bits of her workouts with personal trainer Mike T via Youtube. Checkout the vids below: Read the rest of this entry »
“I bet the boys are all over you now!”is typically how some women attempt to compliment me on my weight loss.
I can’t say that my milkshake brings lots of boys to the yard, but boys are certainly a lot nicer than they were in middle school when I was taunted with “You’re jigglin’ baby!” Read the rest of this entry »
In an interview Sunday with Dr. Sanjay Gupta on “60 Minutes”, childhood obesity expert Dr. Robert Lustig cited sugar as the source of an American public health crisis. Many foods beyond cakes and cookies are now filled with processed foods containing the artificial sweetener, high fructose corn syrup, the show reported. “The problem is they’re both bad. They’re both equally toxic,” Lustig told “60 Minutes.” The show also pointed out sugar is just as addictive as drugs. Read the rest of this entry »
Keeping your body well hydrated is important for a couple of reasons:
Water prevents pimples and adolescent acne from making cameo appearances on your face.
It works like Drano in the body, pushing out fat and waste in the intestines.
For exercisers, sure water is important to keep you hydrated. However, also keep in mind that drinking water keeps your joints lubricated during exercise too!
Around 2-3pm or so that tired lazy feeling happens at work right? Try drinking a glass of water instead of reaching for coffee or the receptionist’s sugar-loaded candy dish. Tired feelings and headaches are usually the body saying, “Hey, give me some water!!!”
Caffeinated beverages and alcoholic beverages act as diuretics in the body, which means they actually work to dehydrate you. For every cup of coffee or glass/shot/bottle of liquaaa, be sure to follow it with a glass of water.
And I don’t follow the 4-6 glasses of water rule, I just keep a big jug of water with me at all times and take it to the head whenever I’m thirsty. Read the rest of this entry »
People often tell me that they drink Naked or Odwalla juice drinks “for nutrients.” A few problems here:
The obesity crisis in America trumps any vitamin or nutrient crisis. This means that we all need to take into consideration the amount of calories and sugar we eat. Read the rest of this entry »
Annette Larkins is a 70-year-old woman who has truly found a ‘fountain of youth.’ She drinks rainwater that she collects in her garden, eats fruits and vegetables that she grows in her garden in her Miami home. Mrs. Larkin is also a strict raw vegan. She recently appeared on The Doctors to explain to the world how she has managed to look and feel so young.” Checkout the video below: 
