StaywellMA

Merry Christmas! to you and your families I honestly had this plan to share something inspirational, to impart you with a positive message of love, kindness, gratitude, generosity and just the art of being an awesome human being in general. But truth be told this message is being currently preached and regurgitated over and over and over again that i'll be surprise if you haven't heard a version of it before. Today's Christmas was honestly like a regular day for me. I didn't do anything I wouldn't have typically done on a lazy Sunday with no work lol. I worked out. Did some runs around the fields and also some stairs workouts.  I ate. Some good food/some bad food .  Drank some coffee and basically lounged all day.  I swear in another lifetime I am a cat because I have perfected the art of solo lounging at home. If I must impart some type of wisdom it will be this 2 things 1. Buy a gratitude journal and everyday find something positive ...

If you're looking for a Hollywood blockbuster story line , with a somewhat happy ending despite the sad reality of slavery, this is not the novel for you. This book is raw. It does not sugar coat the slave experience or how expendable their lives where. I took me more than a month to read this book because it was emotionally tough to get through the chapters. I had to put it down several times and walk away from it but I think that's the whole point. That this was a horrible time in american history and not some far fetched horror movie. If you have any compassion in you, it's suppose to make you feel that sad. Even though on one end it's a work of fiction, it is still a very fair depiction of what the slaves went through. Somewhere in America, someone's great grand relatives went through this and this may as well have been their biography. This story has no happy ending and in reality when you look at the black american experience today and what's...

Location : Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center Greenfield, New Hampshire A weekend retreat to disconnect from my busy life and be intentional about seeking God and one on one time with the Holy Spirit. Psalms 46: 10  Be Still and Know that I am GOD "The  Christian retreat  can be  defined  in the most simplest of terms as a definite time (from a few hours in length to a month) spent away from one's normal life for the purpose of reconnecting, usually in prayer, with God" Psalm 23: 1-6 The Good Shepherd Mathew 11 : 28 - 30 "Come to Me, all of you who are weary, and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" Hosea 2: 14 - 23 " Therefore, I am going to persuade her, lead her to the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her vineya...

Is millet making a come back  as the next "fad" grain in the west? It had made an appearance a couple of years ago but not an overwhelming one.  I say that because while it will be considered a "new" hype thing in america , its a very common staple in other parts of the world. I grew up eating millet fufu every day in the far north province of cameroon and it's still one of my favourite carbohydrates staples outside of rice. Nothing can deliver me from the love of jellof. It will be interesting to see the western take on millet.  How it's going to be "re branded"...  As a granule topping for yogurt?  a healthy cereal?  a healthy cereal bar?  a powder that can be used to make a power morning shake? millet fruit salad anyone? millet pasta? millet cookies? millet flavoured water? I just finished a box of millet cereal and had mixed feelings about it. Millet has a distinct taste and the challenge will be to find ingred...

Why am I talking about ELLE magazine?  After all this is not a fashion blog! Well, because they did a bomb-di-gitty awesome job in their Beauty Body Segment In this segment of the USA edition of the magazine, they provide a pretty good summary about some of the latest cool exercise and wellness body performance tests in the market. If you're a wellness junky like me, this section is for you.  From blood tests (InsideTracker & WellnessFx) to genetic code assessments (FitnessGenes, 23andME, DNAFit, ORIGNN3N) , you get comprehensive information about your body that will allow you to make a more educative decision about your wellness plan or lifestyle. ORIGN3N is based in Boston so guess what will be on my 2017 to do list? Stopping by the lab to see what's going on in this fantastic machine that my body is. I hope I don't find out that I've basically been wasting my whole life running when I should've been doing another sport.  Regardless ...

Last year I ran a lot during the fall. It's my favourite weather to run in because the crisp cold air keeps you cool as your body temperature heats up. Also, running in the woods surrounded by lakes is a beautiful way to enjoy New England picturesque nature and observe the changes in leaves colours. This year am switching things up a little bit . Cardio : I signed up for indoor soccer twice a week. I try to not take too many breaks and work really hard when am in the game because I do want to use it not just as a fun activity but a workout. Strength Training :  I'm doing more toning exercises by using YouTube videos  for at home routines using 10lbs free weights. Specifically I reference ToneItUp , who post daily exercise routines that are to be done in 31 repetitions. Currently , they have an ongoing challenge (till the end of the year) and while I am not formerly participating in the challenge, I still perform some of the routines on my own. The cross punch...

She's a musician who spent a year in Cuba to hone her craft. What baby steps are you taking today? towards your major goal? Since discovering her music , I have had it on repeat every evening after a long day of work. It's so perfect for fall's chilly weather, or for an intimate moment splitting a bottle of wine with a friend or if you're like me, by yourself, lol.  I believe in self development and stepping outside of your comfort zone so that you can grow. Her sound reminds me that life is beautiful.  That we should appreciate it.  That we should be grateful that we get to experience it daily.  That there's a lot to be grateful for if we just pause and think about it. Have a great week!

I know Halloween culture requires one to dress up as either a popular pop culture icon, someone who motivates you or anything just for the fun of it. This Halloween I dare you to dress up as yourself. Embrace who you are, be the kind of positive influence in your part of the world so much so that, someone will want to dress up as you because you've made an impact in their lives. Instead of daydreaming into magical virtual reality world,  embrace your flaws, embrace your quirks. embrace your perfect imperfections. Happy Halloween! (and dont eat too much candy)

My woman crush Wednesday is the lovely beauty and brains behind the fashion brand Kokonanga   I could write an expose about why I love her brand and how she embodies her panafricanism beyond her fashion statements but i'll let you be the judge of that by sharing snippets of it below. Follow her on social media Twitter:  @KoKoNanga   Instagram: Kokonanga Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KokoNangaOfficial/ Etsy: Enanga You know you want to ^_^ For more information how you can work with her please email   info@kokonanga.com

Today after wrapping up an evening game of soccer, I was in dire need of the steam room to relax my aching muscles. Since my fitness center was closed for the night, I had to make do by being creative at home. Steam rooms ( wet/moist heat) are an amazing recipe for relaxing muscles. If you don't have access to a health club , a steamy hot shower mimics the same environment  and benefits of being in a steam room. Another option to recreating a steam room at home is buying a steam shower head or a high pressure body massage shower head. It's important to keep in mind that you need some form of ventilation system to dissipate the humidity when you're done. This will prevent condensation from forming on your walls and creating mold & mildew. Another benefit of steam rooms is its effectiveness in opening up your pores and improving circulations in areas that may have otherwise been limited. An increase in circulation relaxes tense muscles while open pores promote ...

October has been such a harvest month full of blessings for me. I am very grateful to everyone who's shown me love during this season And it's with this state of mind that I decided to go grocery shopping. Grocery shopping is no different from eating out when it comes to making healthy food choices If you go shopping when you're in a sad mood or in a rush, you're more likely to stock up on comfort sugary or salty foods like chips, ice cream and everything chocolate.  On the other hand, if the trip is carefully thought out and planned when you're surrounded by positive vibes, you're more likely to be conscious about; What you're buying,   Reading Food labels  Coupons and discounts so you're saving $$$ Meal planning ideas for bring a lunch bag to work I decided to go shopping because I'd been eating out a lot lately.  It's so easy to just eat out or grab something on the go when you live alone and have a c...

This post isn't so much about  how to make an acai bowl (which you can google a million different recipes based on your dietary needs  or just purchase one like me)  but it is about my ramblings/opinions of this new nutrition fad* What Is an Acai Bowl? How does is differ from a smoothie?  Juice? Protein Shake? Components of the typical acai bowl oatmeal fruit peanut butter Or is it just the same basic smoothie with supplements that has been repackaged, renamed, and re branded   to sound like a nutritional elixir that fell off the heavens? or planet mars? given that the seeds are from the mythical amazon jungles of Brazil? This particular version i'm having, the acia primo bowl from jamba juice, is delicious. It's a perfect frozen bowl for summer weather or after a hot sweaty fall workout. I wouldn't reach for it during the cold weather unless I am hot and need something to cool me down.  We ...

It's been a very busy couple of weeks? months? for me. On one hand I feel completely overwhelmed with work and I hate that I haven't been able to blog. On the other hand, this blog is just that, a hobby for me to pencil away my thoughts and opinions.  No deadlines. No pressure.   Its not meant to be a space that is dictated by my obligations to brands . I have a couple of women crush Wednesday ladies I have been meaning to highlight because I love what they're doing for their respective communities but I just haven't been able to get it out here! Today I learned about FOREST and I literary paused everything I was doing to post this out. I dont know much about the app. I'm going to sign up for it through android. I'm asking you to sign up with me let's check it out together. Worst case scenario it sucks and we do what we're good at doing  aka delete it. The whole Premises from my understanding of FOREST , is to stay ...

Over the labour day holidays, I found myself digging out my winter blanket  to snuggle against the cold weather.  I can't believe FALL is here! I feel like there are 2 attitudes to the Fall Season.                                                          Attitude #1. Those who are happy the summer heat waves are over .  Outdoor workout enthusiasts who can now schedule runs without the fear of over heating.                                                                                                   ...

This is the first summer in a long time that I did not take an international trip on account of prioritizing my financial obligations. I was thinking my summer will be quiet and uneventful but that wasn't the case. Here are some of the things I got into over the summer proving that travelling locally can be equally as exciting as going abroad.  I want to challenge myself to plan more trips around the New England States. 1. Read about my visit to Charleston , North Carolina here 2. Watching the Copa America finale with my friends in Atlanta, GA . Chi-chi-chi-le-le-le 3. Girls Weekend Gateway in  Washington, DC We were too busy eating and chatting up a storm we didn't do any significant sight seeing. 4. Summer loving in Boston : Taking Stock 5. A visit to the New England Zoo 6. Meeting Richard Bona and experiencing an Amazing Jazz concert at Scullers Jazz Club...