Category Archives: Lifestyle

Not just how to keep your life afloat, but how to get to smooth sailing

Lifestyle

Tracee Ellis Ross!!!! (Black-ish) focusing her spotlight on women of color!

We’ve been wanting to post on Tracee Ellis Ross for awhile now. She is so brilliant AND funny in the ABC Wednesday night series, Black-ish.  But more than that there is something about her that rings true as just a really nice person. January 8, 2017, the Golden Globes award for the Best Actress in a Comedy was awarded to her for her role as Rainbow Johnson, a physician and mom. It was the first time in 33 years that a black woman was honored as the best comedy actress, since Debbie Allen received the award for her role in Fame, in 1983.

In her acceptance speech, Ross spoke out on the meaning of having her talent recognized and the talent of the many overlooked “women of color and colorful people” in the television industry.

“Black-ish” gets it right. It’s a little like therapy, right? Many of the points made in the show hit you right in the heart. You feel yourself going “Yes!” when they use humor to point out the not so funny everyday microaggressions that we as black people put up with.  There is something about validation of our experiences in the wider culture, that helps make us stronger and that is what AfricanAmericanTherapists.com is all about.

Black-ish was created by writer and television producer, Kenya Barris, a graduate of Clark Atlanta University. He has also worked on America’s Top Model and Barbershop: The Next Cut.

Current News, Lifestyle, Relationships

Holiday Love

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A Christmas/Kwanzaa holiday note

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Walking through the mall this afternoon, there were alot of men wandering around, looking a little glassy-eyed.  Most of them looked  to be between 32 and 48 years old and they looked tired. Some of them were in work clothes. They looked lost. One man approached me holding a very tall pair of women’s boots in his hands. “Will these work? Do you think my wife might like these? They look pretty good, huh?” The man was short. I asked him, “Does she have really long legs? Because if she doesn’t, those might not work.” “Oh”, he said, “This is too hard. I’ll just give her the money and she’ll have to pick her own boots.” (How easily we are discouraged.)

Christmas is supposed to be fun

Love is a gift you can give for free. We shouldn’t feel that love will be rejected or deemed false if it is not accompanied by an adequate gift. After all, most men hate shopping. It seems to be a little overwhelming for them, if not in the decision-making, then in the range of prices and sizes. Some folks make up a very specific gift list (not a bad idea, except it seems like you’re putting in an order).  The really detailed folks send a text or email with  mistake-free links to accomplish the ordering and shipping. Some folks want it fancy wrapped. Some folks just want your clearly spoken words of love. And that’s a good thing because I think what I saw in some men’s eyes reminded me of what I see when folks start talking about their student loan debt: Fear.  Remember, unless you’ve been skipping out on the basics despite having the ability to provide, no gift can replace real love. If that’s all you really have, give that. Be open and honest and if your partner is worthy of you, that’s what they will give back. But if you have a few bucks, most will probably appreciate a gift card.

Lifestyle, Mind Health

How to feed your brain to make it last

Let’s face it…..every time you feed your body, you feed your brain. A well-fed brain can think clearly, make great decisions, handle stress and remember well.

A poorly-fed brain can’t remember, is impatient, is stuck in a cloud and can’t make decisions. Everything you eat affects you, so don’t you want to know which foods are best for your brain AND your body? You’ve met those people who look great but their brain is running on empty? With a
little know how and an eye for spotting fresh, home cooked, chemical-
free food, you can build your brain muscle and release the inner gunk
associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Oh, and with ADHD and
memory problems as well.

What’s really the best food?
Who knew that the best foods for you, now that you know the food pyramid misses the mark, are, u name it:  good ole greens, beans and veggies as close to fresh picked as you can get them. Organic produce is important because it is not grown with  pesticides, which  are potent cancer causers. With the widespread marketing of GMO foods (genetically-modified “Frankenfood” fruits and vegetables), it is doubly important that black folks and urban neighborhoods don’t become dumping grounds for pesticide-laden, old, poorly regulated and nutrient poor foods.

Food distributors know that they can unload lower quality foods in urban and immigrant neighborhoods. Check the expiration labels on the food products that you buy. For unpackaged foods, use your eyes and your nose. If you can smell the fish counter or the meat section from the front of the store, maybe you should go somewhere else. If you can smell
that a packaged food is rancid (old smelling), don’t use it. Packaged foods,
like nuts and crackers should be fresh.

What to look for
Now is the time to look for the stickers on fresh produce that says “Organic” or has a five digit code that begins with a number 9.  Let the manager at your local market know that you want high quality, organically grown, fresh produce. If a few people ask, they can order it for their produce section. Look for farmers markets with produce that is often picked the same day or the day before. Pay a little bit more or check out your local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) to buy a “farm-share” where you’ll get weekly deliveries of freshly harvested veggies from May to November for a lump sum payment. Check the prices of several farms but this usually averages $40 a week for the growing season for a family of four. They usually deliver to a drop off point like a church,  school or farmers market.

In the end, it’s less expensive
Fresh produce can be quickly cooked into a meal for 25% of the cost of processed, prepared foods and have four times the nutrition because it hasn’t been processed, baked, boiled, colored, preserved and sometimes, dried for packaging.

Follow health-conscious sister/brother bloggers
Vegan and healthy food bloggers, like Tracye McQuirter, will give you the details, recipes, facts and motivation for cooking up delicious, nutritious, “skintastic” and age defying meals! Join her movement to enroll Black
women in an 8 week campaign to change your life.

Also, check out The Afro-Vegan Society where Executive Director,
Brenda Sanders explains to you how your food choices can change
the black experience from one of poor health and limited opportu-
nity to one of extended longevity and boundless energy.

For Tracye’s new plan……
Lifestyle, Racism/Diversity

Police violence – Every 10 days an unarmed black person is killed

police-car

A mental health threat for our people
Police killed 346 black people in 2015, making fear of our “protectors” a rational, reasonable fear.  Now, for sure, there are many honest, caring cops out there. You hope that they are the ones who stop you for a broken tail light. The statistics on police killings portray practices that often result in death for black individuals stopped for nonviolent issues. This presents a HUGE source of trauma affecting the mental health of our people. Emotional trauma affects physical health as well.

NY_Time_photo_MappingPoliceViolence_web_link
Police violence directly affects the mental health of black people.

See how widespread the problem is
The resource website, http://www.mappingpoliceviolence.org   allows you to learn the stories of each of the individuals that were killed. Many of them are shocking, such as the Chicago landlord who opened her front door to greet police officers who had been called by her upstairs tenant. She opened the door, they shot her dead. Or the 17 year old brother, whose mother and sister had called the police when he experienced a psychotic episode. He ran into the bathroom, police shot him 17 times as his family begged them to stop.

The story of Kenneth Chamberlain

One of the saddest is the story of Kenneth Chamberlain of White Plains, NY.  Mr. Chamberlain, a retired Marine and long-time corrections officer, was killed by police after accidentally triggering his 1st Alert alarm.  He wore it because of a heart condition.  Police in riot gear stormed his apartment  (to be sure he was safe), and in a few seconds, tasered him twice, shot him at close range with four bean bag rounds, finally shooting him in the chest and killing him.

Picture of Kenneth Chamberlain as a young marine.

The entire episode was taped by the 1st Alert operator and yet the officers were never charged.  The conflicting testimonies of the officers supported a cover-up. The civil suit was lost because the nearly all white jury could not believe that the 69 year old retiree was not still standing when he was finally shot.  Watch the film and see what you think. His story also inspired a musical tribute to him and six other victims of police violence by Joel Thompson at the University of Michigan. These are not uncommon stories and they boggle the minds of mental health professionals right along with all other folks.

Kids, Lifestyle

Got a big cold, get a little tangerine……..

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Cold self-help natural solutionsPeople come in hacking and struggling, miserable because they can barely breathe, so we are always interested in what is and isn’t working for them. Understand that every body is different, so some things work for some body types and not for others.

Here’s the summary of the natural (mostly) and good old fashioned “Mama’s” remedies: (Consult your doctor)

Chicken soup – Really!  Scientific research has now revealed that  a substance obtained from cooking chicken bones into a broth has high immune value. Just throw a couple of pieces of chicken into a pot of water with onion (more immune power), celery & parsley, add a little salt & pepper to taste & cook until the meat is done all the way through. It’s good to have some in the freezer & ready.  Can’t do? Try a little Egg Drop soup at your local Chinese  takeout. Canned chicken soup is helpful but the salt content in most canned soups is really high. You don’t want to add to your problems.

The little tangerine! I keep a bowl of clementines around during cold season. Just eat a couple of these and they seem to help even more than the chicken soup. There is something in them that works far better than oranges for colds for many people.

CoQ-10. This supplement is said to increase your ability to get oxygen to your cells. It’s also taken to improve heart health.

The neti pot.  Oprah introduced the neti pot to the public, raving about what it does for her sinuses. Clients have tried it and they rave, too. You can find neti pots now at most drug stores, Whole Foods markets and many other grocery stores.

Zinc. This mineral is very helpful when you are troubled by inflammation of the sinuses and throat. We think germs don’t like zinc. Zinc is a necessary mineral and can be purchased at low cost from most grocery & health food stores.  These are zinc pills with no sugar base as is the case with zinc lozenges. Viruses grow on sugar, so you don’t want to feed the organisms that you are fighting. Many people diagnosed with ADHD are thought to be deficient in zinc.

Epsom Salt bath. People think of epsom salt baths as good for aches and pains and muscle inflammation.  Many folks report that it seems to draw “the yuckies” out of the body and clear up the sinuses when they have the flu or a bad cold. Look for the epsom salt that has magnesium.  For external use only. Follow the directions on the package.

Check out some of the natural cough syrups. They can be very soothing and helpful without adding the stimulant ephedrine which some people have trouble with.

Non-natural solutions:

Mucinex – Follow the directions and cautions and be sure to drink plenty of water. Some people do well taking just half the recommended dose.

Tamiflu – People find that this shortens the length of time they are ill with the flu. You must be diagnosed with the flu and given a prescription for this by your doctor.

There are many other natural cough & cold remedies. Some ailments may actually be the result of allergies. There seem to be more severe airborne allergens. For some people colds and allergens set off asthma. Some short, hacking coughs are not just colds but also signal asthma. A cough with a sort of honking sound may also be asthma. If you can’t catch your breath or have pressure in your chest, head for the doctor.

With asthma, flu & colds, removing allergens and certain foods will reduce the disabling symptoms. That means no dairy, sweet foods or drinks. Milk causes some to produce more mucous and sugars feed germs and viruses making them stronger and you weaker.

Last of all, when you feel a cold coming on and  keep your chest covered, take vitamin C (not orange juice). People report doses of 2,000 mg are usually effective in stopping or slowing down infections.

Oscilloccoccinum – weird name – is a tiny, pleasant homeopathic remedy available at Whole Foods and many health food stores & natural groceries. For the price it’s worth its weight in gold if you take it in time. It can ward off the flu while others are dropping around you.

Simplest preventive? Wear gloves & try to avoid touch pads and other surfaces that others handle. Wash your hands frequently and keep a non-toxic hand disinfectant close by.