Checking up on ur health.

Hi Bloggers.. well I am happy to share some healthy news and healthy tips with you all.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.

Part 1 Cheap Food = Cheap Health.

I was out with a friend having dinner and right before we ordered, she looked at the menu and picked the hamburger and fries; I on the other hand picked wild salmon and veggies. I went on to ask her why she ordered that “heart attack on a plate” she told me that it was because it was cheaper.
True that the burgers and fries were cheaper than the salmon and broccoli, but how much cheaper.

On the menu the burger and fries were $9.13 while the salmon and broccoli were $15.27, so bloggers is a price difference of $6.14 worth a life-time of bad health?

Often times I hear the silly excuse that it is very costly to eat healthy food, but this is not the truth. Even though a 99cent chicken bucket from some fast food place sounds like a steal, truth is that the only person you are rubbing is YOURSELF, because you are rubbing yourself of the feel good nutrients that your body needs to carry out its everyday activities. A 99cent bucket of chicken is not 99 cents, instead, it is the 1000calories you need to burn, the self esteem it rids you off when you are heavier, the doctors visit it will cost you because of irregular heart beat, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and many more.

Stop jeopardizing your body because of cheap food, because at the end of the day, you are what you eat. If you want to have constant heart problems, be constantly sick, be overweight, feel bad about how you look, then go ahead and chow down on all junk food. But if you want to feel energetic, and happy that eat the food that is good for you.

It’s your choice and your health.

Recipe of the Week: Dr. Oz's green drink

Want a cup of "freshness"? then blend the following ingredients for a cup full of health.

You need:

2 cups spinach
2 cups cucumber
1 head of celery
1/2 inch or teaspoon ginger root
1 bunch parsley
2 apples
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Why it is good to lift WEIGHTS

There many reasons why it's good to add weightlifting to your exercise routines here are two important reasons, why.

1. Muscle MASS: One of the reasons why MEN lose weight faster than WOMEN, is because they have MUSCLE MASS. Muscle burns alot of calories, making it permissable for men to consume more calories, even though men have Testosterone that make it easier for them to build musle mass, women can still build muscles by adding WEIGHTs to their daily workout. So be sure to grab a 5lbs (or any weight you can handle) dumbbell next time you workout.

2. Osteoporosis: A lot of women don't know this but they are building themselves up to suffer osteoporosis, and one of the ways is by not strengthening their bones. One of the ways to strengthen your bones is by lifting WEIGHTS, doing so will make your bones stronger in the future.

So be sure to add a good weight-lifting routine to your daily cardio.

BACK TO da Basics...

Hey bloggers how are you? sorry I have not updated my blog in a while and I know since this long HIATUS, some of you might be wondering what QUEEN-TESSENTIAL WOMAN is even all about.

Well this blog is all about everything women, from relationships, to health, to parenting, and many more. I am hope to recruit other authors so together we can all work on presenting positive and inspiring messages to women out there.

For questions, advice, messages, comments or anything please send me an email with hairbyazara@gmail.com.

Thanks for your time and have a great day!

20 Cancer-Fighting Foods to eat all SUMMER!!

Courtesy of Glamour magazine and Shin.yahoo.com

20 cancer-fighting foods to eat all summer

by Glamour Magazine, on Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:43am PDT
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A healthy, balanced diet is key, experts say, but these foods may have an extra punch.
Leafy greens: Deep green leafy vegetables are packed with lutein, vitamin A and folate, nutrients that may help prevent colon and ovarian cancer.

Spinach
Kale
Collard greens
Arugula
Dandelion greens

Curry: Yellow curry contains cur-cumin, a pungent spice that may help prevent melanoma and other types of cancer cells from proliferating.

Cruciferous veggies: These contain phytochemicals that may cut the risk of stomach, breast and skin cancers.
Broccoli
Broccoli sprouts
Cabbage
Bok choy
Cauliflower
Watercress
Swiss chard

Berries: These fruits contain antioxidants such as polyphenols, which counteract and repair cell damage.
Blueberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Cranberries
Red grapes

Tomatoes: Studies suggest that having a tomato-rich diet may help lower the risk of developing both lung and stomach cancer.

For more important anticancer tips, head over to Glamour for their expert advice.

THE 7 RULES OF WEIGHTLOSS

RULES OF WEIGHTLOSS

1. NEVER EAT AFTER Dinner, if you can shut up your fridge at 9PM

2. MODERATION is the spice of life. Learn to be a conscious eater

3. HYDRATE! HYDRATE! HYDRATE!! Half of the time when we think we are hungry, we are actually thirsty.

4. VEGETABLES are your BEST FRIEND!!! They are very light in calories and very HIGH in Fiber. So EAT UP!!!

5. The less processed the foods you eat, the healthier and thinner you will be. White Flour, Sugar and overly processed foods are not your friend. STAY AWAY.

6. BREAKFAST is the most IMPORTANT meal of the day, so never skip it.

7. FRUITS are our Natural Dessert, learn to cut down your cake and ice cream portions and substitute with natural fresh fruits.

*also for great tips, why not:

1. Drink soup before you eat dinner, healthy soup that is not cream based.

2. Instead of Coffee, why not drink green tea, but stay ways from the sugar and milk though.

3. Eat high-fiber cereal instead of high-sugar cereal.

4. Have a shake for breakfast, why not try strawberries, protein shake and banana.

5. Healthy snacks like air-popped popcorn, almonds, boiled edamame, carrots, cucumber are healthy substitutes for processed crackers, and many more.

PussyCAT dolls

SEX and THE CITY!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH so I finally saw the movie and I have to say I laughed, cried, screamed, cried and laughed again. And can I saY what an AMAZING WARDROBE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!oh my goodnesss, someone replace my wardrobe. I WANT EVERYTHING THEY WORE!!

Still want more, check out the blog and pictures: http://www.newline.com/sexandthecity/

Anyways some of the things I didn't like:

1. Jennifer Hudson (the movie will still be fabulous without her bad I am miss DIVA! attitude, annoying "urban" attitude)

2. The fact that the cast looked OLD. (sorry excessive makeup could not hide this)

3. Why is charlotte's life so damn perfect?

4. OH MIRANDA!!!!!

5. I don't like perverted dogs.

Want to copy some "Sex and the City" wardrobe look, why not check these dresses by my favorite Designer Diane Von Furstenberg.

Signs that it's time to LET GO!!

Like a friend of mine told me, it seems to be breakup season. Everyone I know is going through a rough time or already broken up, now I am not a relationship pessimist but I know some people that need to call their "situation" quits. So are you in that foggy area between wanting to let go but still fighting to hold on? want to know what it takes to fully commit to one side? here are the top 10 signs that your relationship is over and you NEED TO MOVE ON!!!

10 signs that it's DONE!

1. You have more FUN when you are alone than when you are with your significant other.

2. He/she is Physically, Emotionally, or Verbally Abusive (meaning he/she calls u name, pushes you, or makes you feel very small, on regular occasions)

3. You GRUNT when you see his/her name on your caller ID

4. You find other guys/girls attractive, even to the point of developing a CRUSH.

5. You are turned off by your significant other, and you don't even want to hug him/her.

6. You honestly just don't care whether he/she is HAPPY or not.

7. You figure that the only reason why you are STILL in the relationship is because it has become a BAD HABIT that you need to conquer. (meaning you find yourself calling him/her, when you really don't want to, but you're just bored)

8. You FINALLY realize that deserve BETTER.

9. You no longer want to share your dreams and aspirations with him/her.

10. You know and realize deep down inside you just don't love him/her and you never will.


If you are or have experienced 3 or so out of this list, it's either time to call it quits or take a break.

WHERE ARE GOOD BLACK MEN AT?

So Today was my Lazy day off, and men did I SLEUTH AWAY!!! anyways while I Was lazy-ing around I caught up with an episode of the TYRA BANKS show, and it was a good one. The show was about how black women (ehm...African American women) are the most unmarried women. I think the statistic is (75% of women are unmarried). Anyways to help rectify the situation (or make herself feel better), Tyra decided to talk about the scarcity of Black Men.

Well I don't like to believe that there is a scarcity of anybody because thinking like that just does not bring about any positive behavior. I mean thinking that there is a scarcity in men makes women act very desparately, hence, dating losers they know are not good for them.

Anyways, according to the women on the show, the black men the came across were hood, broke, jobless, baby mama drama blah blah blah (mind you they met these Men at clubs??). What they wanted were intelligent men with hip-hop artist swagger, a man that is interested in travelling the world but can represent his "hood".

Needless to say there really was no resolution as to where to find Descent GOOD BLACK MEN!

My opinion:
I dont believe in searching for a life partner, I believe they come to you, this however does not mean that you remain complacent and let people come to you. What I am talking about is 1st YOU MUST NOT BE DESPERATE. When you have a goal in mind, you never truly see someone for who they are, you simply see what you want them to be which is wrong, and which sets you up for failing. BE OPEN MINDED, learn to see people for who they are, open your ears to what they say, and know that true love can only achieved when you learn to love people for who they truly are. BE PATIENT, I know a lot of women who have achieved and want a partner that is already there, my personal motto for my partner is this (its okay if my man is not there yet, but I want a productive man), meaning that a man that has goals and is working towards them, is as good as one that is there already, and often times, it is better to meet a man at his "hustle" period because you guys fuse together, and grow together.

I also I believe that women should be seeking for someone to build a GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH instead of a GOOD black or white man, having a good man on paper does not necessarily mean that you have chemistry or that you guys can build a family together.


Anyways thats my piece, Have a GREAT FRIDAY!

Great DRESS STEALS FOR UNDER $100, delicious HEALTHY FOODS and RECIPE!!

*So I guess you probably know by now that one of my favorite things is to find great steals online and I came across a couple that I am sure you guys will love.

*Whether it is a Wedding, Cocktail party, night clubbing, a good dress is hard to find, so to help in that quest, I found a couple of dresses on sale from fabulous stores like Arden B., Cache, and Bebe. Hope you enjoy

ARDEN B.

$69.99

$79.99

$99.99

BEBE

$69.99

$79.99

$84.00

*All pictures and prices courtesy of their respective websites ardenb.com, bebe.com, cache.com

SUPER HEALTHY FOODS

I don't know if any of you saw it when you signed onto Yahoo.com, but it featured healthy foods that keep your skin young and glowing, while making you feel good in the inside :)

* article courtesy of Yahoo.com

SPINACH

It's low in calories and high in nutrients. Research has shown that spinach aids in the prevention of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, some cancers, and cardiovascular disease.

Walnuts

Nuts are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and Vitamin E. Walnuts are the only nuts that contain a significant amount of omega-3s, and are known for their high antioxidant activity. Eat them by the handful, toss them on salads.

Honey

Honey isn't just for tea. You've probably relied on honey in the past to soothe an aching throat, but did you know honey has been used to treat wounds and gastrointestinal problems? Honey acts as an antioxidant, a substance that can prevent the effects from free radicals, which we're exposed to from environmental toxins such as tobacco smoke or radiation and which can contribute to disease. Honey also contains oligosaccharides, which increase the number of good bacteria in the colon. The color of honey is relevant: the darker the The color of honey is relevant: the darker the honey the more antioxidants it contains

SALMON

Salmon is a tasty fish that's chock full of omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial fats that can improve heart health. Salmon is also protein rich. Choose wild over farmed salmon, which has been shown to contain elevated levels of contaminants and is artificially colored.


Oats

Ten years ago, the FDA approved a label publicizing the association between a diet high in oat fiber and the reduction of cholesterol. Further research has proven this claim to be true; the fiber in oats lowers total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol or the bad type of cholesterol. With every 1 percent reduction in LDL-cholesterol, heart-disease risk is lowered 1 percent to 3 percent. Oats also contain plant chemicals that have antioxidant properties.




DARK CHOCOLATE

The good news: dark chocolate is a potent antioxidant and can help reduce blood pressure. The potentially bad news: You should still keep your daily chocolate intake low, due to the fat and calories. Remember that darker is better because processing strips chocolate of some of its health benefits.

Blueberries

Sweet blueberries don't just make your smoothies and cereal taste better; they contain high levels of antioxidants. Some research has shown blueberries can slow degenerative diseases associated with aging, and improve motor skills. Still other studies have shown the fruit to improve urinary tract health.

RECIPE!!

BEEF FRIED RICE

1. YAHOO.Food.sprites.preload('ingredients-heading')
3/4 pound sirloin steak, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil, plus a few drops

dried red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 bunch watercress, large stems removed

1 egg, beaten to mix

3 tablespoons cooking oil

2 scallions including green tops, chopped

Nutrition Info Per Serving
· Calories: 504 kcal
· Carbohydrates: 57 g
· Dietary Fiber: 1 g
· Fat: 18 g
· Protein: 25 g
· Sugars: 1 g

About: Nutrition Info
Powered by: ESHA Nutrient Database

2. Cooking Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the sirloin with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, and a pinch of red-pepper flakes. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in the rice and boil until just done, about 10 minutes. Drain the rice and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick frying pan over moderately high heat. Put the beef mixture in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and just cooked, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove. Put the watercress and the teaspoon of soy sauce in the pan and cook until the watercress is just wilted, about 30 seconds. Remove.
3. Reduce the heat to moderate. Put a few drops of sesame oil in the frying pan. Add the egg to the pan and cook until just done, about 30 seconds. Remove from the pan and cut into thin strips.
4. Heat the cooking oil in the pan over moderately high heat. Add the scallions and 1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the cooked rice to the pan and heat, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, the beef, watercress, and egg. Heat, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Drizzle the remaining teaspoon of sesame oil over the top.

*Recipe and Picture courtesy of Yahoo.com recipes.

'Til death do us Part (I)

*Hey bloggers, am grateful for the positive feedbacks and will do my best to update this blog at least every 2 days or something like that.

* Writing is my passion, and am def. working on it with just some random ramblings of my everyday thought. Lately I've been thinkin about marriage, cuz it seems to be whats on everyone's mind especially when you tell them you're more than 24. But for some reason am just letting go of thinking about it and going wherever the wind carries me.

'Til Death do us Part (1)

So luckily for me I got to attend a friend’s wedding over the weekend. I was enjoying everything up until the part where the priest said “If anyone has a reason why this two should not be together, please say something or forever hold your peace”, immediately I was overcome with the urge to say that the bride was in-love with someone else. You see the bride is my best friend and I have known her for a long-time, we were roommates so I knew all her boy story and boy dramas, and one thing I definitely knew was that weeks before her wedding she confided in me about how she honestly felt like she was in-love with someone else, one of her exes and now she was getting married to her boyfriend of a year. When I asked days before the wedding, about why she was going through with the wedding, she said “because he comes from a good family”. The faux-mance and wedding got me thinking about marriage, true love, and life.

As far as I can remember, I have never been a big fan of marriage. But as I got older, I got over this hate and just fell in love with the idea of being with someone I was absolutely in love with. However, I find that more women are getting married for many reasons other than love. More and More girls are getting married because it is “something to do” while others are doing it for social and financial security. Whatever the reason is, it has little to do with loving the person.

This is not just girls but guys as well. I have a guy friend that keeps asking me to hook him up with a girlfriend of mine, he is so desperate to get married that he has even asked me, although am sure he got the hint when I could not stop laughing. I mean what happened to falling in love with an individual and not being occupied with analyzing how much of a husband material he is. I mean how can your heart listen when your head is busy telling it what to do.

I don’t know when it started but marriage and what it means to be married has been watered down over the years. Men want “wifey” material, but after they get it, they get bored and cheat, and then women want “husband” material but when he loses his “manliness” for whatever reason over the years, they get bored and cheat, or sometimes just ignore him completely while they go on and join their different social functions.

Sometimes I blame it on dating and this liberal ways of looking at relationships. You know, where “you try it before you buy it” mentality. I’ve always hated dating because I believe that people are never being themselves, instead they are just who you want them to be, then once the “deal is done”, their inner demons come out. I remember watching this documentary, and in it the lady (Indian) kept talking about how she was happy that her marriage was arranged because everyday with her husband was fun because they had little expectations and everyday they learned more about each other because they already had committed to becoming life partners. I just remember thinking that I wanted something like that, a relationship where my partner feels like he can be himself and I can be mine without any expectations from both end.

I know my views might be somewhat different, but I just believe that you should marry someone you can grow to love everyday. I don’t necessarily know how you measure love, but I know its not how deep a man’s pocket is, or how handsome he is, or how popular or any of that fake stuff. I just know that the criteria for my life partner will not be how DEEP his pocket is, instead how BIG his HEART is.

I want a man that will massage my foot when am pregnant, or will wake up in the middle of the night because the baby is crying and I have not slept for a while. I want a husband that will make breakfast when I have not made it. I want a man that will make me laugh, and want to share every experience of life with me, and not hide anything from me. I want a man that is not afraid to be weak around me, a man that can bravely fall so I can catch him. I want a man that will be an ambassador of peace in our household; meaning that when am HOT he’s cold, he won’t fight fire with fire. I want a man that believes in personal development as much as I do, and won’t remain stagnant in his relationship with self, God and the universe. But most importantly I want a man I can grow old with, A man that will sit in the reclining chair with me and watch our grand children playing. This is what I believe marriage should be about, a partnership of souls, not families or bank accounts.

And I honestly believe that he will be given to me, and if he’s not, then that’s okay. I just need to learn to focus on something else, no need walking down the aisle when my heart belongs to someone else.

Diet, Recipe, Monday "Pick-me-up".

WEIGHT-LOSS CHALLENGED?

"APPLE" SHAPE

"PEAR"-SHAPE

Weight-loss challenged?

One of the reasons why I wanted to start this blog was because I spent a lot of time on the internet (research is my passion, yes I am a Nerd, I know), and I always came upon new information and rarely found people to share it with (more like my friends were not interested, lol).

One of the new things I learned this weekend was the two types of body types there are out there. If you are like me, you have tried every single diet out there but with no avail.

One of the reasons I’ve learned might be because of your body type. For example people with pear types should not go on diets that have a lot of Fat (i.e atkins), but should focus more on calorie counting and can eat carbs; while Apple-shaped people should stay away from sugar, candy, and processed carbs (meaning calorie-counting is not enough).

Also, your body-type also reveals what diseases one is prone to. For example, if you are Apple-shaped you are more likely to be prone to a lot of diseases especially heart disease and breast cancer.

Discovering your body type is definitely a first step in paying attention to your diet and figuring out what works for you, but most importantly true weight-loss is only achieved through proper nutrition and exercise; so don’t forget to consult your physician before you begin a new diet.

For more information on Body types check out:
http://www.brainyweightloss.com/apples-and-pears.html
http://www.witi.com/health/2005/applespears.php
Pictures courtesy of : http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/weight.html

RECIPE

photo courtesy of http://www.rosereisman.com/

Looking for a way to spice up your salad? bored with the same dry lettuce and corn? why not add chickpeas, tuna, avocado, and edamame. Very delicious, healthy and loaded with fiber and protein. BON APPETIT!

INSPIRATION

Looking for a little inspiration for the work ahead of you this week, then here are some inspirational quotes to get you going!!

" A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-
and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man" (Proverbs 24: 33-34)

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit" ( Aristotle)

"Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need" (Voltaire)

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm" (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

"The ability to concentrate and to use your time well is everything if you want to succeed in business--or almost anywhere else for that matter". (Lee Iacocca)

"It is better to fall short of a high mark than to reach a low one" (H. C. Payne)

FASHION

Looking for a way to spruce up your work clothes for under $200? why not check out these great finds courtesy of Elle.com.

Vera Vera Wang dress, $78.

Vera Vera Wang dress, $78.

Gap flats, $98, at gap.com

Guess by Marciano sandal, $110

Banana Republic skirt, $75

*All pictures and information Courtesy of Elle.com

What is Queen-tessential Woman about?

Hello Bloggers, just wanted to introduce myself in this blogging world. I decided to start this blog as a way to celebrate the Strong Fearless Woman that lives inside every woman. The Queen inside every one of us that seems to be lost in our day to day activities. Queen-tessential Woman celebrates everything about a woman by offering up new developments in Spirituality, Fashion, Music, Business, and many more.

If you are at work and bored and you feel like life has run over you one too many times, then Queen-tessential Woman is definately a Blog for you to check out!



*Enjoy*