StaywellMA

I haven't been consistent with the monthly favourites and I have no intentions of doing so. I stumble across new books, travel destinations, hobbies and entertainment in a haphazard manner that doesn't need to be chronicled in a monthly basis. Current Entertainment - An African City The modern African woman's rendition of Sex in the City without the sex :) Follow the lives of 5 afropolitan women   ( some of whom have recently relocated to the continent to pursue their careers? or is it to settle down and get married?) They navigate relationships, being a female in a male dominated work force, gender bias, gender roles, cultural practices and the many other social economic issues that face developing countries. I'm not sure who the producer of the show is but I will love to see director Shirley Frimpong pick up the show from Youtube and develop it into a long running show an an African tv network. Book: I'm listening to ...

I love YMCAs and all the perks that come with being a member. However, the membership fees can be pricey. If you are not going to be using the pool + sauna + daycare, locker room and etc, it may not be budget friendly. Last month, I attended a health fair and received lots of goodies. One was a 2 week pass to the YMCA in my neighborhood. I decided to tryout the different classes they had to offer. I tried to take classes outside my comfort zone or those I  had never experienced like TRX, martial arts and etc. Here is my review of the TRX class . The instructor was very nice and welcoming to new members. He did not seem "intimidating" and actually approached me because he could tell I was a "newbie". He showed us how to work the ropes . He also showed us some of the basic/common poses before the class started. I think it helped that I arrived about 15 mins early to get familiarized with the equipment (Every newbie in any program should...

We can all agree that there are way too many non-profit and "AID" organisations in Africa.  This is not to discredit the good intentions of these organizations but I'm for the believe that some of these non-profits need to be consolidated. With the staggering numbers, and sometimes lack of transparency,  individuals who truly want to help become skeptical about which organizations to trust. FACE Africa is one of the exceptions in the market. Follow Saran (the founder of FACE Africa) and her team through their social media platforms, on site in Africa, as they go about completing one project after another while engaging prospective communities. http://vimeo.com/faceafrica/ cleanwater   . Here is the link to the website about the organisation http://faceafrica.org/ This is not a "side gig" she is running while maintaining full time employment in another career. This is all she does. Splitting her time between Africa, the US and ...

Its about time. I'm glad she lost the weight but for the love of all things wellness, her weight didn't define her to begin with. She was and still is an amazing singer and actress. Yet somehow the only thing she became known for was loosing weight with Weight Watchers. I'm proud of what she's doing. As a woman of color, I hope young black girls can look at her and stop making the excuse that they can't loose the weight because its  "genetics", or "its not fat, am just thick/bigbones"... I too used that excuse when I was 200lbs, unfit with very little muscle mass You can be "curvy" and fit/healthy.  But most of the time, that's not the case.  Sometimes its good to have a role model who comes from the same culture/heritage/circumstances as you do because your lives are more comparable. It becomes easier to get motivated that if they can do it, so can you. I'm looking forward to seeing h...

I guess everything has its advantages and disadvantages.... With running, I worried about my cardiovascular endurance. My lungs get tired way ahead of my strong and muscular thighs/feet. Pain wise, I worried about the effects of pounding the pavement on my joints (knees & feet& ankle) But with Biking....am way too preoccupied with butt pain! to focus on my cadence. Cadence = Resistance(gear) X speed of pedaling I've tried different stationary bikes in the market. There seems to be a lack of improvement in the seat design of an upright gym bike. I understand that with a personal bike, you can switch out your saddle to get something more personalized to your body and etc, but what to do if you bike indoors? I don't like recumbent bikes. It doesn't "feel" like am getting a proper workout when am leaning back in the "chair". Based on my limited experience, here's what has worked for me 1. Form - I alternate between crouchin...

Am biking more than running for march. Am still going to be doing my long weekend outdoor runs [weather permitting] .  But I'm doing this because I spent all of 2013 outside a gym [running] and I really miss working out indoors. Also, my feet will appreciate the break from "pounding the pavement" Plus this 2014, am all about focusing on my thunder thighs. Not loosing them but making them lean and strong.  Thighs + legs are my favourite body parts. Am proud of what I have but there's always room for improvement. What's your favourite body part?

For all its association with love, February wasn't a lovable month for me. Between snow storms and being sick for 2+ weeks, I was ready to get out of the city. I felt a strong association between the cold weather and my unbalanced state of mind. Luckily I had a trip planned to Vegas for the end of the month.  Best therapeutic decision ever ^_^ The Hell's Kitchen's burger restaurant in Planet Hollywood resort vegas The first time the sun kissed my face in Nevada, I did not want to leave the side walk.  It was an amazing feeling.  I plan to hold on to that feeling and never forget it next time I take sunshine for granted.... or at least long enough to let me survive whatever is left of the winter before spring.  view from hotel room @ Planet Hollywood Resort   My rookie attempt at the slot machines $1 investment yielded 30 bucks.....no bad i say As far as my workout routines, I decided to take a break fr...