losing proposition

When I lived in Juneau AK, for the first nine months I was on my own in the sense that my family was still living back in Southeast Virginia. It was a hardship for all of us to be apart. One of the results for me was that I lost interest in eating, which ended up having a good effect: I lost 50 pounds, which was about half of the weight that I needed to lose to be within the "ideal" weight for my height (5'2.5"). When I realized that I was losing weight, I joined Weight Watchers for community, accountability, and a way to check my weight without obsessing about it (which is a problem I tend to have).

I was overjoyed when my family joined me in Alaska, but I did start gaining weight again. After moving back to DC, I regained about 30 of the pounds I'd lost, mostly due to stress and depression. I've dropped ten of those pounds, but I'm having trouble losing any more, probably because I continue to be pretty stressed out (which makes me a) feel ill and b) want to eat comfort food).

In the past, I've done well on a lower carb, low sugar, no HFC type of eating plan, and since I am pre-diabetic, I should probably go in that direction anyway. (There is also some indication that a lower carb diet may mitigate the chronic pain of fibromyalgia.) Unfortunately, I really enjoy making (and eating) desserts and breads. In addition to that, my husband does most of the cooking (since I work full time and am ill), and I don't feel that I can make him work harder or deal with a list of ingredient restrictions.

That said, if I were to stop eating some of the convenience food that we use - commercial bread, frozen pizza (my homemade pizza dough is much better anyway), ice cream, and so on - I would probably feel better and find it easier to lose weight, plus I'd be cutting out most of the HFC I'm ingesting. I will probably never go truly "low carb" (as in almost no carbs) again, but I could go back to using Splenda instead of sugar in a lot of my baking. (And it's not as if I bake constantly, anyway.) My husband does enjoy making and eating salads and meals that contain vegetables and healthy items, and even when our eating is less healthy, it's rarely "junk" and we don't eat out very often. It's just the convenience stuff that's an issue.

One thing that I have been doing more of is walking. I almost never actually hit 10,000 steps (in fact, I've done it exactly once when I was tracking), but my current goal is 5500 on days when I'm in the office, and I usually make that. What I'd like to do is get to the point where I'm doing 7000 steps or more without really thinking too much about it, i.e. building walking into my daily activities to a much greater degree than I already do. Walking has always been a favorite activity of mine. I'm not into working out and I'm done with joining gyms and then never using the membership, but I love to walk and I used to walk all over DC when I was younger. Even as recently as ten years ago I was able to do quite a bit of walking, but since moving back here, the pain has been too much. So that's something I'd like to get back to. When Chris and I went to Brookside Gardens recently, we walked from the Glenmont Metro to the park, all the way through it end to end, and back. I made it almost the whole way back to the Metro before giving out, and all in all it was over 11,000 steps. I doubt I could do that every day or even every weekend, but the more the better.

So I have some thoughts on the issue, and those thoughts are turning into plans and goals. I'm very happy to already be in what people think of as "normal" sizes (i.e., non plus sizes), but I'm right at the top of that scale and I'd be more comfortable if I weighed less (I have a very small frame). So this is something that I'll be working on in the next few months, and I hope I have some good results. I'll keep you posted!

oops

I've been forgetting to post in this blog for, uh...the last two years. Le Whoops.

The main reason I haven't been posting, actually, is that, despite the fact that this is supposed to be a "health and beauty" blog, I have been feeling very ill in the past two years. Just before I created the blog, my family and I moved from Juneau, AK to the Washington DC area (having previous moved from VA to AK the year or so before), and it was just too much for my fibromyalgia. My health declined all through 2014 and much of 2015. When I finally started feeling better, in mid/late 2015, I changed positions, overdid things physically as a result, and subsequently felt ill again.

So, finally, about six months later, I'm emerging from all that, and realizing that I have a poor neglected H&B blog here that could really use some love. And since I have certainly been thinking about the subject, even while feeling sick, I certainly have things to say. I'll try to be updating at least weekly from now on.

My first entry had focused on the "no poo" method of hair/scalp cleansing, and I'd like to talk a little more about that. It's been working really well for me, and except for when I color my hair (still using LUSH henna), which is every four to six weeks, I never use shampoo any more at all. My normal routine is to no-poo on Monday mornings, using a tablespoon of baking soda, a squirt or two of honey, a drop of rosemary oil, and a cup of warm water. On Fridays I usually do a rinse consisting of a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a squirt or two of honey, a drop of rosemary oil, and a drop of tea tree oil, mixed with 16-20 oz of warm water. The final rinses for both of these preparations is cold water for as long as I can stand (usually a few seconds). I might vary the days depending on what I'm doing; since currently I telework on Mondays and Fridays, those are the most convenient days for me, but if that changes I might do the washing/rinsing the night before instead.

As I mentioned, I haven't felt at all well most of the last two years. However, I have been seeing a really good doctor, who has put me on the one medication that actually works to help with the pain of FM, Tramadol. A lot of doctors, and particularly the ones in AK, have been against using Tramadol because it's a synthetic opioid. They think that makes it the same as an opiate and that it is therefore addictive, but they are wrong and it isn't (I did a lot of research before I ever asked for it). I take very little of it - usually about half the allowed dosage per day - and while I am not exactly pain free I have received quite lot of relief from it, which is not true of any of the other medications I had taken (all of which, by the way, were physically addicting, and had awful side effects, but were approved by my doctors in AK).

During 2014, I gained some weight, but then lost it in 2015. I'm still a bit higher than the weight I got down to in 2012, though, and I probably need to lose at least another 50 at that, so I need to start moving around more. Currently I'm eating a bit less and walking more, and I'm hoping to work myself up to being a bit more fit in 2016.

So that's where things stand. I hope to start posting at least once a week in this and my other blogs. See you then!

seeing red

As I mentioned in my last post, I needed to color my hair. I did so, and actually it'll be time to do that again in a couple of weeks, because I'm beginning to see roots. But I'm writing about it because I did something new.

First of all, I bought Caca Marron (from LUSH, as I mentioned in my last article). I guess it must be a popular color at my local LUSH (in Montgomery County Mall, Bethesda MD), because I have trouble getting it. In the past I've had to use Rouge and Indigo mixed together, and while it gives a similar color to Marron, the consistency is different. One thing that Marron uses in it is ground coffee, which is not in the other colors if I recall correctly.

Anyway, so I'm very happy with that color. I also did things differently in that along with the hot water, I took the mayo that I'd normally apply late in the process and actually mixed it in with the hot water and henna. I used a couple of tablespoons and just enough water to melt the henna.

I think that this is my new go-to procedure. It means I don't have to do the interim rinse that I mentioned in my last article, which saves time and aggravation and means not having to wash out a towel right away (we don't have a washer/dryer in our apartment, so this is a good thing). In addition, it makes it MUCH easier to wash out the henna, which is a big deal, especially with Marron, which is harder to wash out. It's messy, but there is no way to make using henna anything but messy. The best thing is that I can add a drop of tea tree oil and a drop of rosemary oil to the mayo before mixing it in, which will help out with my scalp issues. (My scalp is TOTALLY benefiting from no-poo though!)

One caveat to all this oil is that when I wash the henna out I do use shampoo. I just found that baking soda wasn't getting it all out. The shampoo I use is already sulfate-free, so I don't feel too bad about using it once a month like that. It's also formulated for color-treated hair, which means that it's a very mild shampoo apart from being sulfate-free.

Next time I do this, I will probably warm the mayo in the microwave first rather than adding it cold. But definitely I'm doing it again. My hair and scalp feel GREAT!

the color red

As I mentioned in my last post, I need to color my hair. However, just as I no longer shampoo my hair, I also don't use conventional commercial color in my hair. Nor do I go to a salon. I've done both those things in the past, but for several years now, I've exclusively used henna to color my hair.

Henna is a plant that stains your hair and skin a bright orangey red. It's been used, on hair and body (for non-permanent tattooing) since ancient times, and it's completely safe for your hair. However, you need to make sure that you're using the right stuff, because a lot of what's sold in beauty supply shops as henna is NOT actually henna. You need to make sure that the henna you're using is labeled as "body quality", i.e. the kind that's used in henna tattoos or Mehndi. A good source is HERE. 

What I use is LUSH henna blocks. It's body quality henna mixed with other stuff that is all good for your hair. The henna blocks come in four different shades (red, brown, maroon, and black) that will have different results depending on the natural shade of your hair, how much you use, if you mix the different blocks together, and so on. I play around a lot with the shades, personally. 

The great thing about good quality henna, and (IMO) Lush's henna in particular, is that it's GOOD for your hair. Henna gives a very lush, shiny color, and it also protects your hair. The additional ingredients in Lush's henna blocks (mostly cocoa butter, but read the ingredients, they're awesome), add to the shine and conditioning qualities. 

Here's how you do it:

- Take a couple of blocks (they come in packages of 6 blocks, you may need from 1 to 3 depending on length/thickness of hair) and break them up. I usually use a box grater, but you can smash them with a hammer or whatever you want. Some people don't break them at all but melt them. Whatever works. Put in a non-metal bowl.

- Pour very hot water (as hot as you'd use to make tea) over the henna. You need to eyeball this. You're looking for the consistency of yogurt, so what you can do is pour some over, let it sit a couple minutes, stir it (wooden or plastic spoon, no metal), then pour more in if needed. You can actually use tea if you want, or really hot coffee, or hot water with vinegar in it...you can add some honey and herbs, you can basically go crazy. But you want that yogurt or batter consistency. 

- Work it into your hair from back to front, paying special attention to the hairline. I would suggest a friend and some rubber gloves for this. I get my poor, long-suffering husband to do it (I've done it myself in the past, but it's a lot harder without someone who can see your whole head). You don't want to rub it into your scalp, but unlike conventional hair dye, it's not going to EAT your scalp. When you're done, you might want to run some face cream, Vaseline, or whatever around the edges of your hairline to stop drips and "save" your skin (I will note that I don't have any problems with the henna staining, but your mileage may vary). 

- If you want a more vibrant red color (for everything but the black), wrap your hair in plastic wrap. This also helps stop drips. 

- Top with a warm towel or turban, and let this stuff (aptly named "caca") sit on your head for AT LEAST three hours. In the meantime, indulge yourself. Take a bubble bath, do your nails, whatever. I like to make my henna days a spa day. If you invite a friend over, you can indulge together. Eat chocolate. Drink wine. Watch Pride and Prejudice. Mmmmm.

- Here's the part I do that's a bit different. At the end of three hours (or more, if you want to take more time, but three hours is sufficient), take a half cup (you can eyeball it) of real, full-fat mayonnaise (homemade is best, but Hellman's works) and warm it in the microwave for a few seconds. Unwrap your hair and rinse it in warm water. You don't have to get all the henna out, but try to get any major clumps. Towel dry (you will either want to wash this towel IMMEDIATELY or just accept that it's going to be stained). Then don your rubber gloves, glop the mayo onto your hair, and rub it in. Try not to think about what it looks like. Wrap your hair up in plastic wrap again, and leave it for an additional 20 minutes. This would be a great time to finish up your "spa day" with a nice face masque.

- Wash the henna out of your hair. You can use shampoo, no-poo, just water, whatever feels the best to you and will get the gloop out of your hair. The mayo will help lift out the henna but will also add oil, so it's up to you. 

- Even if you normally wash your hair every day, try not to wash it again for a couple of days after this, three days if you can manage it. Henna takes up to three days to fully "develop" its color, and it's best that you don't disturb it. You can always tie it up for a couple of days. Don't decide you love it or hate it in the meantime. Seriously. Let it do its thing. 

- Realize, a few days later, that your hair looks better than it ever has before. It's soft! It's shiny! The color is gorgeous! Annoying as this process is, you will never, ever want to go back to using conventional hair dye again.

Another take on how to use LUSH's henna blocks is HERE.

new year, no poo

What actually prompted me to (finally) start a health and beauty blog is a decision I made at the end of 2013: to start "no poo", i.e. cease using shampoo in my hair. I thought about this for several months before finally making the decision, but now that I've made it, I'm convinced it's one of the best decisions I've ever made, body-wise.

I've actually gone no-poo before, somewhere around 2005 (I don’t remember the exact time period). I abandoned the idea because it didn't seem to be working for me, but I think now (having read a lot more on the subject) that I was doing it wrong. I was probably using too much baking soda. Here's the basic no-poo plan:

- 1 tablespoon baking soda

- 1 cup water

Mix (the baking soda will of course dissolve) and massage into hair no more than 2-3 times a week. Leave on for a minute, then rinse. Follow (not necessarily every time) with about 4 tablespoons vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar) mixed with another cup of water. Leave this on for a minute as well, then rinse (preferably your last rinse should be with cold water, at least in part).

That's it. Just do this a couple of times a week and you will very likely find that you have beautiful, strong, glossy hair. No need for product (although you can use it if you want).

There are caveats and so forth. First of all, if you are washing your hair every day with shampoo containing sulfates, you may panic at the idea of washing your hair only twice a week, with something that doesn't foam up. It was a lot easier for me to make this decision because I was already washing my hair only about 3-4 times a week. If you have hard water, you may have to modify the solution. If you have dandruff (I have really bad seborrhea myself), you may need to tweak things. I'm not going to reinvent the wheel on this; instead I'm going to point you HERE and HERE for really great write-ups. I'm just going to wax enthusiastic on what this has done for me in two short weeks.

First of all, as I said, I had already cut way back on washing my hair. I'm 50 now and I just find that my hair is dryer than it used to be, so washing it every day was making that problem worse, no matter how much I conditioned. I did mull this over for quite a while, because I was using a curl activator in my hair (I have long, fine, wavy hair), and I wanted to wash it out every day, or at the most every two days, because it irritated my scalp after a while (EVERYTHING irritates my scalp). But late in December, I took a deep breath, figuring that since I was teleworking nobody was going to see me anyway, and I broke out the baking soda and vinegar.

A week later (after not having used it at all in the meantime), I put away my curl activator and other hair products. I don't need them. I love the waves in my hair, and my usual method of drying my hair has always been to apply product and scrunch, then air dry. I have a blow dryer (and a flatiron, curling iron, curlers, all that stuff) but I don't tend to use them much because I love the natural waves, even though they seem to be out of style. Since going no-poo, all I do is wrap my wet hair up in a towel for about a minute or two, then shake it out, run my fingers through it, scrunch, and I'm done. The curl activator is superfluous, and that's why I put it away. The other product I was using every day was an argan oil leave-in conditioner, but I don't need that anymore either; I'm not stripping out my hair's natural oils anymore, so I don't need to put anything back in.

After the first day, obviously my hair is going be slept on and such. I'm still working out how I handle this. While I was working from home over the holidays, I just squished my hair into a scrunchie-bun sort of deal on top of my head to sleep and then took it down and brushed it in the morning, but I don't know how that's going to work out in terms of actually looking good. I could just rinse it (in plain water - again, cold is best, at least to finish), but especially in the winter I'm afraid of weakening it by getting it wet too often. I could spritz it with water and put it in foam rollers or a sock bun, both of which will preserve/encourage curl and also keep it off my face at night, so I'll think about those things. However, I'm happy to report that my hair itself doesn't feel dirty in between no-poos; what actually prompts me wash it is that my scalp starts to itch more than I can really stand. If it weren't for that, I think I'd be washing it once a week or less.

I don't have any pictures to go along with this entry because I really, really need to color my hair right now (more on coloring my hair in the next entry) and I don't want to take a picture with all the grey in there. However, I'll take some in the next week or so and post them. I'm really happy with my decision to go no-poo, and now that I know I'm doing it right (because my hair feels great), I have no intentions to go back to shampooing.

je suis mimi!

I am 1/4 Canadian French. For some reason, I am inordinately proud of this.

When I was a little girl, we used to go to Montreal every summer. I begged my mother to teach me something to say in French in case...I uh...needed to say something in French. My mother doesn't speak French, but she taught me this phrase: "Je suis Mimi!" I am Mimi!

Of course, I later learned that "Je suis [name]" is not proper French, that instead you would say "Je m'apelle [name]" (literally, "I call myself [name]". But then! I learned that a lot of people, especially in Canada, do in fact say "Je suis [name]." So...here I am. Je suis Mimi.

I have a lot of blogs, as you may or may know if you've been trying to follow me around for any length of time. I have no idea if anybody actually reads or cares about any of them. But that's okay. This one is about health and beauty. It's 2014, and I want to be the best me I can be.

ALLONS-Y!