MY SMILE!! Many of you may or may not know that this BUT the Choqolate Chiq doesn't have a perfect smile. However, I smile anyway (I have a BIG SMILE). In the past I would often cover up my smile. As I mature and get older, I tend not to care so much about covering my smile. One morning I woke up and heard J. Cole's latest song, Crooked Smile. This song had me rocking and smiling!! I LOVED IT for so many reasons!! Smiling is good for the mind, body, heart and soul! It's really not about a crooked smile or perfect smile BUT it's all about a genuine, true, authentic SMILE!
It is a known fact that there are many types of smiles. I tend to say we have the fake smile (I am guilty of this one in pictures) and we have the genuine smile (I am good for this one too LOL). The healthy smile is actually the true smile better known as the Duchenne smile.
French neurologist Dr. Guillaume Duchenne, investigated/studied the difference between True Smile and the False Smile.
How to recognize a genuine smile: The genuine smile causes the Zygomatic muscles of the cheek to raise the corners of the mouth and the Orbicularis Oculi muscles of the eye (raising the cheeks and forming crow's feet around the eye). ALL of these signs indicate that the smile is genuine and that the person smiling is truly happy.
Why do you want a genuine smile? The true and genuine SMILE stimulates happy places in your body which cause "good" chemicals to be released, thus relieving you of stress and depression!! (I am sure when you think about it... you will agree)
I love mangoes. Mangoes have so many benefits. They are filled with antioxidants and vitamins suchas, Vitamin A, Vitamin E and are a great source of Vitamin C. This fruit aids in the prevention of certain cancers due the antioxidants found in this fruit. (That's right mangoes are known to have high
amounts of antioxidants.) Mangoes
contain a lot of beta-carotene. The beta carotene found in the mango is
converted into Vitamin A. Why do we need Vitamin A? Vitamin A is not only good
for your immune health but it also assist with repairing skin tissue (Some times we over
expose our skin to the sun's rays and this can really damage our skin). WHO KNEW... Skin health and mangoes really go hand
in hand. Another vitamin
that is found in mangoes is Vitamin E. Vitamin E is often called an antioxidant.
This antioxidant does not only help fight free radicals in your body but it
also aids in reducing the appearance of age spots, freckles and wrinkles. This
is another reason why you will find skin products with high levels of Vitamin E. The same goes for the Vitamin C. Normally,
we take Vitamin C for our basic immune health. Additionally, Vitamin C
stimulates the production of collagen in your skin. This process will assist
with giving you resilient and supple skin. Of course we cannot forget about the
delicious flavor of a ripe, sweet-smelling mango. Mangoes are not only a tasty
sweet treat but they are great for our bodies due to the high vitamin content
and antioxidants. Mangoes are defiantly this Choqolate Chiq's favorite summer
time treat.
Hello World, Pumpkins are everywhere!! Time to chat about Beauty! Health and the PUMPKIN! The word pumpkin originated from the Greek word Pepõn which means large melon. Although pumpkins are known to be a part of the squash family it is technically a fruit. The good ol' jack o lantern may have some real benefits afterall. Pumpkin's just aren't good for making pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread. Pumpkins are actually a good source of vitamin A and carotenes. Vitamin A is great anti-oxidant. Vitamin A is needed for maintaining healthy eyes, bones and skin. Research says, foods rich in Vitamin A helps body protect against lung and oral cancers. Gotta love that! Vitamin A is normally found in foods that are rich in color.
Everyone knows ORANGE is my favorite color and the bright orange color of the pumpkin is PROOF that it's full of beta-carotene and we need beta-carotene in our lives. Research shows that people who eat a diet rich in beta-carotene are less likely to develop certain cancers... like lung cancer, breast cancer and even skin cancer. Gotta love that also!! I realize pumpkins really do deserve more credit than what I gave them.
Now that we've gone over the HEALTH part TISTIME FOR BEAUTY! Check out these natural beauty recipes involving a fruit called the PUMPKIN.
Au Natural Pumpkin Mask Time! I checked out this recipe by Erica Katz, beauty guru and author of Bonding Over Beauty. 'Who knew pumpkins can keep your face smooth and wrinkle-free.' Try the pumpkin mask recipe (check out the recipe and make sure you're not allergic to any of this)
Next one on the list is a Pumpkin Hair Conditioner Recipe!! I love this one... I'm a naturall- coily girl and man oh man the shine this recipe gives my hair is oh so lovely AND chemical free! Thank you Cassidy of the Natural Selection blog for sharing this one!! She is the best!!
THE RECIPE
1/2 cup of pumpkin – you can either use puree from the innards of your soon-to-be tossed Jack-o-Lantern, a can of pumpkin puree, or baby food.
1/4 cup of yogurt
2 tbsp of honey
THE HOW TO
Put all ingredients in to bowl and mix well
Separate hair in sections and smooth from root to tip throughout entire head
Once entire head has been pumpkin-ified, put on a showercap and leave on hair for about 20-30 minutes
Hello World! Summer is here! and I am so excited! Summer time is my favorite season. I love the sunshine, beautiful weather and yummy summer time fruits like the tiny but mighty CHERRY! Of course cherries can be a pain to eat due to the seed BUT would you believe cherries can actually help your body out. You're probably wondering how? Not that lil red thing with the seed in the middle... YES the cherry is tiny but mighty
Everyone needs proper rest in order to function properly. Unfortunately everyone is not able to rest... WELL would you believe the tiny but mighty cherry is actually one of the only fruits that have natural sources of a substance named melatonin.
Many of us prefer the sweet taste of cherries BUT the tart cherries are actually the cherries with the highest levels of antioxidants so don't pass up the dried tart cherries for the sweet ones. The tart cherries are very good especially if you're suffering from Gout. If you don't like to eat dried tart cherries try drinking tart cherry juice. Your body will thank you.
As I said the tiny but mighty cherry is more than a pretty red fruit but it actually has health benefits that everyone can use. The next time you're in the store or the farmers market pickup some cherries. They're a nice snack, easy to put in a bag and head out the door. YES that's right grab some cherries world! Don't mind the seeds... get your antioxidants and melatonin via a sweet/tart tiny but mighty lil cherry.
Here are some other links you may enjoy reading http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/7-health-benefits-of-cherries.html http://www.livestrong.com/article/476-smart-shopping-cherries/ http://www.choosecherries.com/health/main.aspx
(Thank you to the sources http://health.howstuffworks.com; http://www.livestrong.com; www.webmd.com; http://www.choosecherries.com/health/main.aspx)
Hello World! Spring is here! and Summer is approaching! (although this SF Cali weather is confused) All those who know me well... KNOW I LOVE THE COLOR ORANGE! I am drawn to ORANGE! No matter what it is. If I see ORANGE! I've got to have it! While cruising the veggie aisle I find these ORANGE stick like objects calling my name, QianaQiana... I find myself purchasing bags of carrots!! MMmmmm the smile that graces my face is ridiculuos (really it is). It's spring time and carrots are becoming my friend. Not quite sure why suddenly I'm feeling a need for carrots almost everyday BUT I am enjoying my munchy crunchy sweet carrots. My mother always said carrots are good for your vision well apparently they are good for more than that. Carrots are rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins and carotenes Carrots have a lot of beta carotene, which may help reduce cancer What is beta caroteneyou maybe wondering? (I wondered-so I had to look it up) What is
beta-carotene? I looked at this site and thought WOW look at all of this info http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=125 (be sure to check out the entire page - Thank you to the source http://www.whfood.com/) Beta-carotene is probably the most well known of the carotenoids, a phytonutrients family that represents of the one most widespread groups of naturally occurring pigments. It is one of the most abundant carotenoids in the North American diet as well as one of approximately 50 carotenoids known as "provitamin A"compounds, able to be converted in the body into retinol, an active form of vitamin A.
While beta-carotene produces colors in the orange and yellow range, beta-carotene rich foods may be other colors besides from these two. That is because other phytonutrients pigments blend together with the beta-carotene to give the plant food its unique hue that, in addition to orange or yellow, could be other colors including pink, red or white.
How beta-carotene functions - What are the functions of beta-carotene?
Preventing Vitamin A Deficiency - Until late in the 20th Century, the functions of carotenoids, including beta-carotene, were discussed only in terms of their potential vitamin A activity. Beta-carotene is one of approximately 50 carotenoids of the known 600, that are called "provitamin A" compounds because the body can convert them into retinol, an active form of vitamin A.
As a result, foods that contain beta-carotene can help prevent vitamin A deficiency. In addition to alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin, beta-carotene is among the most commonly consumed provitamin A carotenoids in the North American diet.
Decreased energy Decreased mental quickness Decreased desire for physical activity Decreased muscle tone Increase in body fat, particularly around the mid-section Night sweats and trouble sleeping Mild to moderate irritability Depression, or loss of eagerness and enthusiasm for daily life Decreased desire for intimacy
Those are symptoms of Andropause, Male Menopause - Low Male Hormone Levels
And I THOUGHT… women were the only ones suffering from menopause!! (you may have known this… I just found out)
There is treatment for Andropause Testosterone Replacement Testosterone replacement therapy is the primary means of treating men.
Male hormonal contraceptives (yep… Male contraceptives…) Ladies you’re probably thinking… YAY!! Now what is it? Once again I was online reading and I came across the following
“Researchers are coming closer to a marketable male hormonal contraceptive (MHC) delivered by injection or implant, but there is nothing commercially available right now.”
yep - Nothing right now ladies… SORRY or NOT IN THE US IS WHAT I SHOULD SAY
“Male hormonal contraceptives attempt to block or severely reduce the production of sperm. They accomplish this by stopping the secretion of a man's reproductive hormones in the brain and testes. When levels of testosterone in the testes are low, sperm production slows or halts.” “Men taking MHCs in clinical trials experience a range of side effects, including lean muscle weight gain, increased acne and changes in mood. These side effects are caused by the synthetic androgen in the MHC regimen.” Read here for more information - http://malecontraceptives.org/methods/hormonal.php
What I did find crazy were that men get the same side effects... women get from certain contraceptives – do we really want this ladies?? LOL!!!
Breast Cancer in Men Listed are the estimates for Male Breast Cancer in 2009 according to American Cancer Society (http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1X_What_are_the_key_statistics_for_male_breast_cancer_28.asp) “About 1,910 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among men and about 440 men will die from breast cancer” "Breast cancer is about 100 times less common among men than among women. For men, the lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000. The number of breast cancer cases in men relative to the population has been fairly stable over the last 30 years." What Is Breast Cancer in Men? Check out this link http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1X_What_is_male_breast_cancer_28.asp I also read the story of Scott Cunningham, 45 from Marion NC regarding breast cancer (click here for the entire story http://www.emaxhealth.com/1506/men-high-risk-breast-cancer-need-better-screening-tools.html) Here is section of what I read , ” Scott Cunningham, 45 from Marion NC, is at a very high risk for developing Male Breast Cancer. Both of his parents had the disease in the 1990’s. Recently, he developed the same symptoms as his father, including a swollen chest with knots underneath the nipple and feelings of fatigue, but because he was uninsured, he put off receiving help. When he finally sought medical guidance, he was turned away – because he was a man.“I didn’t know what to do at first,” Cunningham told ABC News. “I was stunned and confused. Breast cancer used to be just a woman’s cancer, but now it’s well known men are susceptible.”
All of this information has made me think… and I hope it opened your eyes as well Speaking of eyes… Both Males and Females like stunnas, shades, sunglasses right….
Here are some really different sunglasses I saw online… and I was wondering.. who could actually wear these and look normal? I'll tell you my guess if you tell me yours (leave a comment… or message me) Could actually rock this glasses?? Inquiring minds would love to know
Why do you want a genuine smile?
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