Within/Without

Peace… Okay. I know that maybe a year or so I was singing the praises of my facial routine. About how I have been using Noxzema and Ambi for years months and days and my skin is now glowing and has always been glowing…. I need to amend that. I’m aging. I accept that. I had a good run with the Noxzema/Ambi combo, but my skin has changed and I want to tell you what has become me at the tender age of Culture Cipher…. I began to notice near the beginning of the spring that my skin was looking a little dull. And my forehead was getting mad flaky. Unlike most of the people in my family, I have dry skin. That’s great because it means I won’t be getting very many zits but it does mean that I may fall victim to premature wrinkling. And by premature I mean premature for Black people. I changed my routine a bit. Sometime just using something different for a little while can boost the previous product performance. So I tried the spare products under the sink. That didn’t help. In fact my skin got

Peace from the Regular East! I have been a vegetarian for a decade. Sounds a lot harder than it was. I never thought I could give up meat, but my health was begging for it so I acquiesced. I had gotten to the point where I didn't require a meat substitute to have satisfaction. I may eat a veggie burger here and there if I was out and that's all there was. I really do like those riblets that I think garden burger makes. On a bun with some raw onions and you have a sandwich tastier than the McRib. But I don't need them to hold me down. This year the God and I finally began our cohabitation. It has been 6 months of bliss. One of many things that makes it so blissful is that he wanted to become a vegetarian. I was not planning to cook meat in my home... ever again. So it is nice for better homes and gardens that he wanted to make said change. And he has! One problem though..... He likes meat. Like I said... I don't have a problem with faux meat if it is legitimately veget

There is a difference between eating my regular vegetarian food and eating more of a whole food diet. I have been incorporating more raw food in my routine. I have been making green smoothies for breakfast and having salads for lunch. I have not been completely raw, because I might eat dinner and I definitely eat a cooked mid meal of oatmeal and a boiled egg between breakfast and lunch. So I have been eating about 60% raw for the last 2 weeks. Let me tell you what I have noticed.... The more I eat closer to nature, the less I want to eat over all. That's interesting. I have read that pesticides and additives like high fructose corn syrup will shut off the mechanism that tells you when your full. And I think there is something to that. Eating the sattvic food is better for me. Who knew? I've not noticed the detox that I had during RTR. I have had some odd feelings in my belly, gas and nausea. But I'm not sure if it's detox. It might be. It doesn't hurt like other det

Peace People, I was building with this dude who came into the office today. He and I have history. Not romantic, but platonic. Last year he was a vegetarian for 3 months. You have to start somewhere. But he is a single man and it was hard for him to maintain, being a single and working all the time. Now he is back on his meat grind complete with the swine. He asked me how I managed to maintain so long and I had to laugh. If all I was a vegetarian then maybe I could see me having difficulty. I thought I should blog about it. But then... Which blog to post it? The healthy blog? The righteous blog? The sewing blog? The socially responsible blog? All my blogs have different readers. So..... I'll hit y'all all up! This is Serenity.... At this present history or Koran. (1) I am a decade long vegetarian. I go in and out with veganism and raw food. I really don't think for me raw food is sustainable for long term consumption. I think it's better in the summer months than in the

Peace I have noticed that while doing a challenge.... like the Raise the Rod challenge I did in May.... I always feel all strong, empowered and capable during and after. And when I allow myself to go back to my regular pattern, I always slip right back into my normal routines which puts me back in the same situation as I was before said challenge. I feel like a slug. Hmmmmm..... Does this mean I am learning nothing? Well, I am learning. But apparently I'm not learning to make a life long change. That small revelation will help in the future. I am sure there will be more challenges and situations that I can use the past information to draw on and become a better Serenity. I learned that I could lose weight while 100% without trying super hard. I also learned that I'm not the hungry type when I'm eating well (i.e. low on the processed food spectrum). Also, I sleep better, my skin looks better and I have energy. So clearly raw helps. BUT.... 100% raw makes me ditzy and keeps