Exercise and Natural Hair

Enjoy the best of both worlds 

Crystal Nnenne Azu, Founder of Ishimma, shares these invaluable tips on how to take good care of your natural hair and not neglect your workout!

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Not only is taking care of your hair important, but taking care of your whole body is critical for good health. Sometimes women who have 'gone natural' and want to stay fit and work out are nervous about how to maintain appealing, healthy hair. We came up with some tips for how to work out and take care of your hair without drying out your hair or leading to breakage. You can keep your hair looking right and your body looking tight!

As a precaution, keep in mind that sweat can dry out your hair as it is designed to evaporate, so moisture will leave the hair. This is why it’s important to learn about hair maintenance after and before exercising. Taking good care of your natural hair when you exercise frequently can be accomplished through a variety of ways:  

• If you exercise regularly, shampooing and conditioning your hair weekly or even more frequently is very helpful. With exercising and accumulating sweat on your scalp, cleansing the scalp and hair is needed. After you exercise and it's not a 'wash day,' rinse your hair with clean cool water to clean off that sweat off your scalp, prevent build up, add moisture, and keep a clean scalp. 
• Wearing a sweat band around your hair line helps to absorb some sweat, limiting the sweat that gets in your hair and scalp. You can also put some of your favorite base oil around the nape of your hair and edges for the same effect.

Once again, protective styling is helpful to minimize the manipulation of your hair and have a nice style to use while exercising. Some potential styles:

• Braiding your hair up into large sections, you may have less detangling to do when you take down the braids;

• A high bun (pineapple) or other bun style- a style that won't be affected by working out;

• Twists, braids, twist/braid-outs- this is a popular way for women with natural hair to protect their hair and go to the gym, you can also wash/condition your twists and braids, without having to untwist, which also helps with reducing manipulation.

You can also spray in some leave-in conditioner after working out and rinsing your hair, which can also help to offset sweat.

If you want to do so, you can plan your high intensity workout for Wash Day or the day before Wash Day.

Use co-washing (conditioner washing) every couple of days with frequent exercise to maintain the optimal level of moisture.

Remember that taking care of your body and your hair are both important, but don't sacrifice your body for the sake of your hair!

Thanks for reading! Enjoy these tips. Comment and add your own!

- Crystal Nnenne Azu
Founder, Ishimma

Ishimma™  was founded to address the concern of attaining affordable, quality, natural products that provide adequate moisture  to hair and encourage healthy growth.  After thorough research uncovering that women’s top complaints with their hair related to persistent dryness, Ishimma™  formulated products to counteract this problem.  These products are made from organic and natural ingredients and are designed to bring the maximum benefit to hair.  Our focus is on bringing you the products that help you develop and maintain beautifully healthy hair and promoting hair education.  Read more about hair care and maintenance through our free guide: How to Grow Beautiful Hair. 

Fitness Flow ~ PART 2: Mornflake Orchard Oat Granola

Part 2 looks at another fave of mine: Mornflake's Orchard Oat Granola.

Mornflake Orchard Oat Granola in my cereal bowl :) 

 Yes!! I love crunchy foods! :)  

Packaging

Mornflake and I go way back and it is my mum that I have to thank for this. 

Why do I love Mornflake? Well, for starters, I do not have to worry about all the extra sugar that is found in other types of cereals which abound in the supermarket. Nor, does it have any added salt. Another selling point is its all-around goodness. 

The oats, wholegrain and fibre, apples and sultanas. All these ingredients lend to anyone's healthy daily diet. The old clusters are toasted and so so so so so so so cruncy!!! Ok, ok, I will stop now!

Other than using this cereal with milk, I add clusters to my plain or even fruit yogurts. I love it! 

The Mornflake company has been milling oats since 1675!!! WOW! Talk about legacy. The company is situated in Cheshire, England and has been owned from inception by the Lea family. I had to put in that bit of history to show that even in times of war and recession, this company and good management has held firm. You know, people need to eat. Agriculture seems to be no easy job by a long shot, I believe it has to be a labour of love! 

(Source)

We explored the goodness of rye in Part 1, now let's look at the goodness of oats. Oatmeal and oat bran are significant sources of dietary fibre. Much of this fibre is a mix of soluble and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre breaks down as it makes its way down the digestive tract. Oats have a high content of potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. It is also full of phytochemicals which are thought to reduce a person's risk of cancer. Phytoestrogen compounds in oats, called ligans, have been linked to a decreased risk of hormone-related diseases such as breast cancer. The high fibre content in oats also aids in keeping bowel movements regular as well as facilitating weight management. 

Apples are a source of Vitamin C and contain no cholesterol nor saturated fats. However, apples are rich in dietary fibre and antioxidants. 

If you are familiar with Mornflake cereals, which one is your fave?

What crunchy cereals do you find more to your liking?

Looking forward to your feedback!!

Ta Ta :0)

My Fitness Goals ~ Get moving!

Being healthy is a must for me.


One of the goals which I have set myself this year is to get moving again. I don't think I am terribly overweight, but recently - yet again I should add, I am out of my size 10 clothing and into my 12's again. So, with my network of workmates, I am back on the move and getting fit. Whether it be 10, 15 or 20 lbs...the excess has to go!!

Three evenings a week for more than an hour (most days 1hr 20mins), we have been stretching, running, cycling, lunging, doing cardio and weight training, doing sit-ups, creating abs and flexing muscles. My drill Sergeant, Yvette, and Sonja are both very regular gym members and have been quite an inspiration to me. Both of them have shed and kept the weight off for so long now. They make it look easy but I know from my own experiences that it takes focus and much effort.

This week we are hoping to go grocery shopping together. I am looking forward to that as well! 

My weakness is anything sweet - cookies, sweet biscuits, cake, chocolates. Especially around menstruation time, oh my! I was also not eating sufficient veggies and greens but I continue to work on that. Regarding the sweets, I will not beat myself up too much when I give in to the temptation; but I will also limit it to no more than two things if I do take anything at all. I know myself, and going cold turkey is not going to work for me. I don't think anyone should just shock themselves, their bodies  like that. 

My friend, Kareen, has also been instrumental in seeing that I put greater thought into what I put into my body. She is a registered dietitian in California. I am so very proud of her and how she maintains eating raw foods, working out and just generally living the best healthy life she can. Not to mention, she is joined in her efforts by her hubby. She has sent me much valuable advice which I have been trying to employ on a larger scale. She and I worked together on a series sometime ago, Health Naturally, which I will invite all readers to explore.

What I can say is that I have been feeling the burn, for sure. My legs (which are stronger) need toning, my arms are my weakest link. Anything too heavy and they ache and tremble. NO PAIN, NO GAIN!! And I want to get ahead, so they will have to ache. Of course, the core and the back will also meet with destiny :)

My cousin, Paul, who lives in Grand Cayman has also sent me a workout plan which I will share in another post. It is simple to follow. As the weeks go on, I want to move from 3 sets/10 reps to 20 reps. This is Week 3 and I am at 3 sets/12 reps. 

Wow! Just look at the progress you can make with determination and having the right circle of people around you!

Resources

Health Naturally! collaboration with Kareen, RD.
Kareen has since moved from Blogger to Wordpress and you will find her here: i_amEatingRight

My cousin, Kim, gives you a no-holds barred look into her life as a law student determined to stay healthy: Censored no more

Tastes Like Home - My fave online Caribbean foodie blog. This site shares the name of the lovely cookbook by Cynthia Nelson, a food writer and trained media practitioner

Fitness Mag

punchfork.com

Smoothielicious on the Glitter Guide

Serious Eats

The Smitten Kitchen