Radiant No. 16, The Self Care Issue

RADIANT Health & Culture

№ 16

THE SELF CARE ISSUE Inner Indulgence

US $24.99 | UK £19.99

Radiant Health Magazine is published by Radiant Rose Media, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying or other electronic or mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the editor, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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Opinions expressed in Radiant Health Magazine are the opinions of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher.

Radiant Health Magazine is published biannually.

ISSN 2474-2694 (PRINT) ISSN 2575-9787 (DIGITAL)

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This publication provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects.

The information and other content provided in this publication are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.

If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional medical treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something that you have read in this publication. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.

A Return to Self.

photography by Ahmad Barber model Bianca of Ursula Wiedmann Models styling by Ray C'Mone make-up by Christine Dompier-Vazquez hair by Andy Buckmire set design Skye Lin

MASTHEAD

Nnenna Kalu Makanjuola, PharmD MPH FOUNDER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & PUBLISHER

Ahmad Barber ART DIRECTOR

Bianca Kipp DESIGN

Nikki Igbo FEATURES EDITOR

LeeAnn Nielsen COPY EDITOR

Ray C'Mone FASHION EDITOR

Chinyere Amobi, MPH HEALTH EDITOR

Queendolly “Queenie” Verhoeven OPERATIONS MANAGER

Ken Nuarin WEB DESIGN & SUPPORT

Christine Dompier-Vazquez EDITORIAL MAKEUP ARTIST

Andy Buckmire EDITORIAL HAIR STYLIST

Chinyere Amobi, MPH, Clarissa Bannor, Kerra Bolton, Patrick Dale, Zora DeGrandpre, MS, ND, Gabriela Iancu, Tyshia Ingram, Manseen Logan, Oreoluwa Ogunyemi, MD, Itoro Udofia CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Akinloye Julius Makanjuola, MD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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RADIANT HEALTH № 16 The Self Care Issue

CONTENTS

28– 47

healthy eating

48– 63

fitness

EMOTIONAL OVEREATING:

BALANCE TRAINING—NOT JUST

THE COMFORT FOOD PARADOX

30

LOCAL CHAMP CACAO

34

RECIPES CACAO CRACKED

38

FOR OLD FOLKS! 50 THE SEVEN BEST EXERCISES FOR BETTER BALANCE 54 INTERVIEW TRACEE STANLEY 58

64 – 83

features

health & wellness

RACIAL HEALING: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

66

MONEY MATTERS: LIVING A RICHER LIFE

72

THE SCIENCE OF REST

76

100 – 119

style 102

INTERVIEW KENNESHA BUYCKS

142– 151

THE 411 ON ESSENTIAL OILS

86

THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE IN TELEMEDICINE AND IMPACT ON MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES

122 – 141

94

beauty

MAKING YOUR HOME A PLACE YOU CAN ESCAPE TO

84– 99

HAND CARE 101

124

INTERVIEW NANA KONAMAH

130

110

culture

154 – 173

body & mind

RETURNING TO AFRICA

144

CULTURE ON THE GO

150

SOLO TRAVEL IS SELF-CARE

156

RADIANT WOMAN WATCH GLO ATANMO

2021—volume 1

164

9

“ We have so much coming in as sisters; when is our interior life ever put at the forefront? We constantly want to give to other people … Too much of not caring for yourself is not a good thing. We’re bad at that as achievers. Self-care is a priority and we have to do it more.”

- AVA DUVERNAY

photography by Ahmad Barber model Bianca of Ursula Wiedmann Models styling by Ray C'Mone make-up by Christine Dompier-Vazquez hair by Andy Buckmire set design Skye Lin

photography by Ahmad Barber model Bianca of Ursula Wiedmann Models styling by Ray C'Mone make-up by Christine Dompier-Vazquez hair by Andy Buckmire set design Skye Lin

EDITOR'S NOTE

When my 8-year-old son nonchalantly declared his disinterest in reading in early 2020, I was truly mortified. As someone who had practically lived in a fantasy world of books at his age, I simply couldn’t fathom how any child, let alone mine, would not love to get lost in the pages of a book. Not wanting to reprise the “tiger mom” role I played with my first child, and after consulting with my son’s teachers, I decided to give him some time to fall in love with reading.

Then came quarantine. Forced homeschooling gave me a front-row seat to my son’s performance in a classroom environment, and my fears were confirmed—his disinterest in reading was indeed turning into a learning problem, at least the way I saw it.

Despite assurances from his third-grade teacher that my son was doing quite all right, and that he himself didn’t take to enjoying books until the fourth grade, I was no longer comfortable with my laissez-faire attitude in this matter. Hence, a quarantine project was born: If he won’t read books on his own, I’ll read them to him daily for as long as it takes!

After doing a bit of research online to find chapter books that a third-grader might enjoy, I put in a library order for a few that I thought he’d like. And then we started reading together.

He took to this mommy and me time right away and loved being read to.

Guess what? I loved it too! Reading long chapter books to my son took me back to the good old days when I would indulge liberally in novels and daydream about fictional worlds.

Those days when I wouldn’t dare leave home without a book; when sinking into a book felt as natural as breathing.

When and why did I stop reading? It occurred to me that these days my library consists mostly of self-improvement books (audiobooks, no less). How did I go from reading for pleasure to exclusively reading to fix myself? When did I become no longer good enough for me?

What other wonderful parts of myself have I unknowingly abandoned?

These things creep up on you. One day you seek out an expert to help you understand the foundations of a new project, and before you know it nothing seems worth doing without

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RADIANT HEALTH № 16 The Self Care Issue

getting a multitude of expert opinions. One day you’re casually taking delight in the activities that bring you pleasure, and before you know it you’ve taken to “lifestyle hacking.”

Then in a moment of clarity, you catch a glimpse of a once pleasurable activity and discover, much to your dismay, that you’ve spent a decade betraying yourself: setting yourself on fire to keep the world warm; losing track of the ways in which you once very capably cared for yourself; forgetting how to live, as psychologist Abraham Maslow put it, “independent of the good opinion of other people.”

Self-care is a phrase we throw about a lot these days, but if you were to ask a hundred people their definition of self-care, you’d get a hundred different responses. When I think of self-care, I think of returning to myself and living in a way that feels truest to me—of being, without fanfare, the me-est me possible in a world where it’s all too easy to lose oneself. When I’m living in this awareness of self, I find that it’s easier to eat well, play well, mourn well, fight well, live well, and rest when I need to.

Many of us haven’t been in touch with ourselves for so long that we can no longer remember what being ourselves feels or looks like. We do, however, sense the incongruence between who we intuitively know ourselves to be and who we are currently being. It can show up as anxiety, high blood pressure, tension headaches, back pain, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, and the feeling that we are lost and disconnected, unable to protect and guard our boundaries, unsure of what to do next.

This issue of Radiant isn’t so much a prescription for self-care as it is a reminder to restore trust in yourself and become (re)acquainted with the things that feed your soul. I hope you enjoy it.

Be well,

FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @ NNE NNAKALU M

self.care /ˌselfˈker/ noun 1. The practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health.

2. The practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.

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NEWS & VIEWS

illustrations by Bianca Kipp

stay in the know 1. IS YOUR HAND SANITIZER SAFE TO USE? THE FDA WANTS EVERYONE to double-

check their hand sanitizers for methanol, a toxic chemical that can be absorbed through the skin. Studies show that although many of the hand sanitizers on the shelves of stores like Sam’s Club and BJ’s were labeled as containing ethanol (a safe ingredient) they actually contained methanol, which is sometimes called wood alcohol. The ingestion of methanol has resulted in blindness, hospitalizations, and death in both children and adults.

Eskbiochem and Grupo Insoma S.A.P.I de CV are two manufacturers that have been asked to recall their products. Some of these products have been falsely labeled as “FDA approved,” when in fact the agency does not provide approval for any hand sanitizers.

If you are exposed to methanol in hand sanitizer, seek immediate medical treatment. Methanol is a deadly substance and can lead to seizures, blurred vision, headaches, and nausea.

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RADIANT HEALTH № 16 The Self Care Issue

2. VITAMIN D COULD BE A LIFESAVER DOCTORS HAVE KNOWN for some time that patients with low vitamin D levels are more likely to have severe cases of the flu and other respiratory tract infections. It’s also clear that vitamin D helps the immune system to perform at its best. However, those in the medical field were not willing to confirm the connection between severe COVID-19 and low vitamin D levels until peer-reviewed studies concluded that it was indeed the case.

After much research and metaanalysis on the subject, it’s safe to say that a lack of vitamin D can lead to terrible outcomes for patients.

According to recent work by Dr. Michael F. Holick, individuals with a vitamin D deficiency were 54% more likely to contract COVID-19.

In a separate study, Holick observed that those with enough vitamin D were 51% less likely to die from the virus. There are no downsides to taking a daily dose of vitamin D, so consider adding the supplement to your medicine cabinet.

3. COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING AGE LOWERED

the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both women and men in the U.S., but it’s actually one of the most preventable forms of cancer. That fact, coupled with the troubling development that more and more young people are being diagnosed with the disease, has led the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to recommend that Americans start being screened at age 45 rather than 50.

COLORECTAL CANCER IS

Actor Chadwick Boseman’s death at age 43 raised awareness about colorectal cancer, and in some ways he has become a symbol of the health crisis that Black Americans are facing.

Black people are at higher risk of not only developing the disease but also of dying from it. Although researchers do not yet have a definitive answer as to why Black Americans have worse outcomes, the hope is that routine colonoscopies and stool sampling beginning at an earlier age for all people will have a positive impact.

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NEWS & VIEWS

LEARNING TO EXHALE

THE BENEFITS OF BREATHWORK The power of conscious breathing words by Oreoluwa Ogunyemi, MD

MOST OF US DON’T GIVE a second thought to our breathing.

After all, we’ve been breathing since birth; why work on something we’ve done automatically all our lives? While breathing is an automatic function, if we dig a little deeper we’ll find that mindful breathing is not only necessary for survival but integral to our well-being.

Why Breathwork?

Breathwork refers to a range of practices that bring focused attention to breathing in order to promote health. While there has been an evolution of New Age therapies with unproven claims, breathwork has been around for millennia.

Prāṇāyāma, as it is known in the yogic tradition, translates to “expansion of the life force,” summing up the value of breath in our lives.

Think of the breath control of opera singers or the efficient breathing cadence of marathoners and you’ll get a sense of how much breath affects our lived potential. On the other hand, consider the heavy smoker’s struggle for breath, or even yourself after suddenly sprinting to catch a bus, and you’ll also be aware of how breathlessness can take away our vital energy.

As we tune into our breath, we rediscover the richness and depth of each moment and each breath that we are fortunate enough to take in.

Mindful Breathing Ancient yogis like Patanjali believed that breath control was a prerequisite for meditation and even enlightenment. While modern research may not go so far as enlightenment, there is good evidence that breathing can be a key to unlocking one’s physical and mental well-being.

We know that deep, resonant breathing that starts in the belly and engages the diaphragm activates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The PNS is a network of nerves that promote rest, relaxation, and digestion. Conversely, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is the fight or flight system we fall back on during stressful times.

By activating our PNS through our breath, we affect our heart rate, blood pressure, and even our ability to digest nutrients. Consciously learning to slow down and take deep belly breaths has been shown to decrease blood pressure and heart rate in as little as five minutes. That action compounds over time as the repeated engagement of the PNS through breathing crowds out the chronic stressors of the modern world.

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RADIANT HEALTH № 16 The Self Care Issue

LEARNING TO EXHALE

“As we tune into our breath, we rediscover the richness and depth of each moment and each breath that we are fortunate enough to take in.”

Evidence suggests that both children and adults with an active PNS lower their risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression. Slow and shallow breathing can do the opposite. The locus coeruleus (LC)—an area of the brain tied to arousal and attention—is connected to the brain’s breathing control center. The LC is a storehouse of noradrenaline, a brain chemical that drives the fight or flight response.

In one study, mice without a direct connection between the breathing center and the LC were perpetually calm: they took slower breaths and focused only on grooming behaviors and quiet sitting. The connection between the breathing center and the LC probably evolved to boost alertness when we become low on oxygen. Yet even as we are boosted by smaller and quicker breaths, this can lead to chronic anxiety and even panic if we don’t learn to turn off the adrenaline rush.

There is also evidence that an active PNS is critical for a wellfunctioning brain. The PNS has extensive connections with the prefrontal cortex of the brain, indicating that our ability to relax affects how well we complete complex mental tasks.

Studies show that people with an active PNS are more able to focus their attention, make complex plans, and perform better on memory tasks.

What Should I Know Before Starting Breathwork?

Breathwork is one of the simplest and safest treatments you can try. Unlike anxiety medications that can have longlasting side effects or therapy sessions that can leave a hole in your pocket, breathing is available to you whenever and wherever you want it.

this is 20-30 minute practice, while others with the time will choose to practice for an hour or longer.

Here are three breath styles you can try: 4-7-8 Breath Popularized by Dr. Andrew Weil, this technique

uses breath retention and longer exhales to tap into the rest and digest part of the brain.

To practice: Sit up tall with a straight spine. Exhale fully. Slowly inhale through your nose over a count of four. Then, hold your breath for seven counts. Finally, exhale fully through your mouth for eight counts. To begin, try to complete four breath cycles and slowly work up to eight cycles.

Bumblebee Breath (Bhrāmarī Prān. āyāma) This breathwork technique focuses on a long humming exhalation to achieve relaxation. It may also help manage asthma and tinnitus (persistent ringing in the ears).

To practice: Sit up tall with a straight spine. If you choose to, you can cover your eyes with your fingers and plug your ears with your thumbs (this helps keep your focus on the breath). Inhale through the nose. Exhale slowly while making a humming (or “mmmm”) sound. Try to do three to four breath cycles at a time.

Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nād.i śodhana) This yogic

breathwork alternates breathing between the two nostrils to bring the opposing activating and calming aspects (SNS and PNS) into balance.

Incorporating Breathwork into Daily Life

To practice: Sit up tall with a straight spine. Make a loose fist with your right hand and extend the thumb and the pinky and ring fingers (this is the Vishnu mudra). Exhale fully, then block your right nostril with the thumb and inhale through the left nostril. Next block your left nostril with the pinky and ring fingers as you release the thumb and exhale through the right nostril. Keeping the fingers as they are, inhale right. Block the right nostril and release the left nostril to exhale out the left. Keep the fingers as they are to inhale left.

Alternate back and forth using the pinky and ring finger to block the left nostril and the thumb to block the right. You always begin practice inhaling through the left nostril and end exhaling through the left nostril. Slowly work your way up to a practice of five minutes or longer.

Breathwork doesn’t have to take up a lot of your time. It is a simple tool that allows you to breathe in calmness right when you notice stress rising. If you want to dive deeper, start with a minute or two each day and slowly work your way up to your version of a full daily practice. For many,

Breathing shouldn’t simply be an automatic survival habit devoid of awareness. By slowing and deepening our breath we can invite a calming force into our day, right when we need it the most. Try one or all of these and open up to all your breath has to offer.

You may initially feel a bit anxious or even lightheaded when beginning breathwork, especially if you hold the breath for too long or proceed too quickly in slowing the breath.

In modern times a rate of 12 to 20 breaths each minute is considered normal, yet in many yogic breath practices a rate closer to six breaths per minute is needed to tap into the PNS. Rather than focusing on speed, work your way up to breath retentions and slowed breathing in a compassionate way.

Try to let go of rigidly “controlling” your breath, but focus instead on an awareness and deepening of the breath.

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NEWS & VIEWS

4. IMMIGRANTS FORCED INTO SURGERY OVER A DOZEN WOMEN who spent time

at an ICE facility in Georgia report that they had unnecessary gynecological surgeries performed on them during their time in custody in 2018. The women complained that they either did not need the surgery that they received or that they weren’t given enough information about their diagnosis and procedure prior to going under the knife.

Dr. Mahendra Amin listed symptoms such as heavy bleeding with clots and chronic pelvic pain in almost every woman’s chart, regardless of whether the patient had actually reported those symptoms to him. The former detainees claim that Amin was overly aggressive and often would not answer the patients’ questions about the care they received.

Amin is an independent gynecologist who provides treatment for ICE detainees, and he is paid with Department of Homeland Security funds for each procedure he performs. Procedures like hysterectomies cost thousands of dollars.

Dr. Amin strongly disputes the claims made against him.

5, THE #ENDSARS MOVEMENT

of police brutality surfaced online in early October 2020, the young people of Nigeria demanded that the country put an end to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a special police force formed in the 1980s.

Protestors filled the streets for weeks, effectively shutting down the country, until President Muhammadu Buhari dissolved the group which has acted with impunity for years. After this largely symbolic act, protests quickly evolved into something bigger, and citizens began demanding a broader end to corruption.

AFTER A GRUESOME VIDEO

Throughout the fall and winter, the world used the internet to keep up with the discord in Africa’s most populous country, and Nigerians received a great deal of support from celebrities, activists, and world leaders. However, the movement has faded and many of those involved in the protests have been punished for their participation. Some are still under arrest or have been blocked from accessing their bank accounts.

6. DOUBLE UP ON MASKS FOR SAFETY THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL

recently completed a study on the efficacy ratings for different kinds of masks. The data led the organization to recommend wearing a surgical mask under a cloth mask for optimal protection against the coronavirus. The CDC advises against layering two surgical masks for extra protection because it’s ineffective.

AND PREVENTION (CDC)

A recent study found that using this combination of masks reduced transmission of aerosol particles by 95% compared to no mask at all. Although double masking is the gold standard, it’s also important to note that wearing any type of mask provides some protection.

You can also use a mask fitter or brace to help prevent air from leaking out between your face and the mask. If you want extra protection, you can also knot the ear loops and make sure both masks fit snugly against the face. Watch how to tie knots in the ear loops of your surgical mask at radianthealthmag.com/maskknot.

7. U.S. LIFE EXPECTANCY DROPS LIFE EXPECTANCY DROPPED by almost a full year for Americans in 2020, and COVID19 is the culprit, along with a surge in drug overdose deaths. The virus disproportionately affected communities of color, and that’s also clear from the life expectancy data. NonHispanic Black men suffered the largest decline in three years, and Hispanic men also saw their life expectancy decrease by 2.4 years. Non-Hispanic Black women saw a life expectancy decline of 2.3 years, and Hispanic women faced a decline of 1.1 years.

The average life expectancy in the U.S. is now 77.8 years, a decline from 78.8 in 2019. The pandemic also exacerbated the disparity between men and women. For men, the life expectancy at birth was 75.1, a decline of 1.2 years from 2019.

For women, life expectancy declined to 80.5 years, a 0.9 year decrease from 2019.

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NEWS & VIEWS

BRIDGING THE STRESS GAP WITH ADAPTOGENS

Natural support for life’s stressors words by Zora DeGrandpre MS, ND

I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, but after what 2020 put

us through, I am tired! But now it’s a new year, and that proverbial light at the end of this long, zigzagging tunnel is getting larger, and not a moment too soon.

So, in our tired, stressed, worn-out world, can herbal medicine help? Yes it can, and in particular a group of herbs known as adaptogens, which can help the body rebalance its physiological systems and resist various types of stress.

Adaptogens have been used for centuries, both in traditional Chinese medicine and in Ayurveda, which has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, as well as in other traditional health systems. After all, life has always been stressful, so people have needed ways to deal with stressors for thousands of years.

system. Part of the nervous system known as the sympathetic nervous system ramps up, increasing our heart and breathing rates and dilating blood vessels in major muscles so that we can either fight or flee. At the same time, the parasympathetic nervous system , which is associated with our “rest and digest” functions, tries to put the brakes on the sympathetic nervous system.

During periods of stress, the adrenal glands pump out cortisol and adrenaline at high levels, raising blood sugar and blood fat levels. When the stress is chronic or long-term, this response can eventually lead to burnout, also known as adrenal fatigue or sometimes as adrenal insufficiency.

You can think of stress as having three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. If you are constantly in the alarm phase (which we pretty much all were in A Few Words About the Biology of Stress 2020) you will eventually enter the resistance phase, where your body adapts to the stress. The resistance phase can last for a variable amount of time depending on your age, What they are: Adaptogens are natural compounds or plant extracts that overall state of health, and how many increase an organism’s adaptability, resilience, and survival under stress. other alarms are being sounded—alarms How they work: Adaptogens have a multi-targeted effect on the nervous, like having to work from home or losing immune, and hormonal systems, including: your job, having kids at home and trying ∙ Turning cell-to-cell communication pathways off or to figure out online learning, new viral on in order to increase resistance to stress, and variants, elections ...

22

∙ Regulating the body’s metabolism and homeostasis (balance) by coordinating the expression of stress hormones and their receptors.

Finally, when your body can no longer compensate, you enter the exhaustion phase.

Indications for use: Stress-induced fatigue, mental and behavioral disorders, and aging-associated diseases.

Adaptogens—Can They Really Help?

When we talk about stress, we often talk about the fight or flight response, because whether we are conscious of it or not, our bodies are choosing one of those responses.

The short answer is yes, adaptogens can help anywhere along the stress-phase continuum—but they can’t help on their own! While adaptogens can help support your body in regaining its balance, these herbs work best when you are eating well, resting well, and exercising.

When we are stressed, our bodies go into a state of high alert that involves structures in the brain, the adrenal glands, the heart, the lungs, and the nervous

How do adaptogens work? They appear to work on a number of levels both by protecting the nervous system and also by stimulating some aspects of the

RADIANT HEALTH № 16 The Self Care Issue

BRIDGING THE STRESS GAP WITH ADAPTOGENS

nervous system to support balance. Adaptogens also affect the immune and hormonal (endocrine) systems.

They also tend to relieve aspects of fatigue and can function as antidepressants. In addition, adaptogens appear to reset homeostatic (balance) mechanisms in the body.

Examples of Herbal Adaptogens Many adaptogens come to us from traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda. The following are ones with some of the most evidence-based use. ∙

Holy Basil is known as tulsi and is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine to reduce the effects of stress.

It has been called an “herb for all reasons” because in addition to its adaptogenic properties, tulsi is an anti-inflammatory, can help normalize blood lipids (fats) and blood sugar levels, and may even boost memory and cognitive abilities. It is sometimes called “hot basil” because it has a peppery taste, so you can use it in cooking to spice up your meals!

∙ Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) has been used as an adaptogen for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine.

It can be used to reduce stress-related anxiety, to promote better sleep, and to help support the immune system. One note of caution: ashwagandha may stimulate the thyroid, so it should be used with caution in anyone with a history of thyroid conditions. ∙

Panax ginseng, or Asian ginseng, is used to improve memory and cognitive ability, to increase libido, and to alleviate fatigue.

∙

Schisandra chinensis, also known as five-flavor fruit or the magnolia vine, is used in traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic to support digestion and liver function.

∙

Eleutherococcus senticosus, or Siberian ginseng,

∙

is also known as eleuthero and is used to support heart health and mood. Because it has also been shown to reduce blood sugar levels, it should only be used with caution and under the direction of a healthcare provider in those with diabetes.

Rhodiola crenulata is also known as rose root

or Arctic root. It is used to support mood and to improve recovery from exercise and fatigue.

Other adaptogens include cordyceps, Indian gooseberry, Bacopa, and licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra).

Incorporating Adaptogens into Your Daily Routine Adaptogens can be consumed as a tea, added to smoothies, or taken in the form of supplements. The choice is yours, though each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages.

For example, herbal teas are a great way to relax, but some herbs may have a taste that “takes some getting used to.” If this is the case, you can always add some stevia or a better-tasting herb to mix in with the adaptogen, or get an herbal tincture and add a few drops to hot water.

You can also add either dried or powdered herbs to a smoothie, which can help hide the taste of the herb while providing added nutrients. While this is often a preferred method, it can take a bit of trial and error to get the best flavor combinations. Bananas seem to make every smoothie better, as do mangoes, peaches, and antioxidant-rich berries.

And when it comes to supplements, there are a lot to choose from, but unfortunately not a great deal of regulation. To be on the safe side, it’s best to always purchase from reputable companies.

Also, be sure to follow the product’s specific guidelines in terms of how much herb to add to your tea or smoothies or to take as a supplement. This is another reason to stick with well-known, well-respected suppliers. They can give you guidance on the appropriate amounts to take.

Many people think “If it’s natural, it must be good for me” or “If one is good, two must be better!” but both of these ideas are wrong. For example, cyanide is natural, but it is also a poison. And more of a good thing is not always better: one piece of pie à la mode is good on occasion, but two is not so good, especially if you make a habit of it!

A Final Word Adaptogens are a great tool to help you through stressful times. More research still needs to be done (isn’t that always the case?) and you should talk to your healthcare provider and pharmacist to check for any possible interactions with medications or health conditions before adding an adaptogen to your health routine.

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SECTION NAME

photography by Ahmad Barber model Bianca of Ursula Wiedmann Models styling by Ray C'Mone make-up by Christine Dompier-Vazquez hair by Andy Buckmire set design Skye Lin 24 RADIANT HEALTH № 13 The Taboo Issue

ONRADIANTHEALTHMAG.COM

The good stuff doesn’t have to stop when you close your copy of Radiant. On RadiantHealthMag.com you’ll find more inspiration, including feature stories, fitness tips, healthy recipes, behind-the-scenes videos & breaking news you won’t want to miss.

THE ALL OF US PROGRAM COULD INCLUDE EVERYONE

HOMEMADE COFFEE FACE SCRUB SOUNDS DELIGHTFUL

The All of Us research program could change the future by helping people in underserved communities live longer and healthier lives. The study is designed to stop the one-size-fitsall model in medicine and help medical professionals provide precision medicine to their patients. Read more about the groundbreaking work that’s providing access for marginalized people here RADIANTHEALTHMAG.COM/ALLOFUS

Staying home all the time may be your civic duty at the moment, but it’s also emotionally exhausting! Wake yourself up and feel accomplished by making a homemade face scrub with the coffee that’s already sitting in your kitchen. You’ll feel amazing after exfoliating your face with all-natural ingredients. Get the recipe here RADIANTHEALTHMAG.COM/COFFEESCRUB

GET BACK OUT THERE

The last year required us to go the extra mile in so many areas of our lives, and a lot of us stopped taking great care of ourselves as a result. There’s no better way to prepare for your grand re-entry into society than with a simple exercise you can do basically anywhere.

Get the moves here RADIANTHEALTHMAG.COM/BURPEEPYRAMID

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RADIANT HEALTH № 16 The Self Care Issue

01 SECTION

NUTRITION

page 30.

EMOTIONAL OVEREATING Why we eat our feelings page 34.

LOCAL CHAMP CACAO Our long love affair with cacao page 38.

CACAO RECIPES Cacao for all occasions

SECTION NAME

Emotional Overeating

Why We Eat Our Feelings

The comfort food paradox

worcds by Oreoluwa Ogunyemi, MD

30

RADIANT HEALTH № 16 The Self Care Issue

WHY WE EAT OUR FEELINGS

Eating Is Emotional Across the globe, food serves as the centerpiece for gatherings, helps us celebrate personal, communal, and professional triumphs, and easily brings back a rush of childhood memories with a single whiff. Some call it soul food, others comfort food, but everywhere it serves to nurture while building community. It is no wonder then that eating is so emotional.

Whether it’s the freshman 15 or the quarantine 15, the link between stress and eating can quickly become all too apparent. A drastic change in routine combined with separation from our communities and easy access to food is the perfect recipe for emotional overeating.

What Is Emotional Overeating?

It is natural to enjoy food. After all, it is a pleasurable necessity. It is normal to indulge in a decadent slice of cake during a celebration, to enjoy a second (or third) helping of your grandmother’s home-cooked meal, or to enjoy dinner at your favorite restaurant after a hectic week.

Emotional overeating is when we overeat to suppress our emotions. Often these are negative emotions like boredom, sadness, and loneliness.

Emotional overeating occurs when we eat to control or banish these uncomfortable feelings and continue to eat even when food is no longer pleasurable and begins to harm us.

Emotional overeating closely resembles bingeeating disorder (BED), located on the spectrum of eating disorders. BED is a psychiatric disorder in which a person eats excessive amounts of food in a short period of time, typically within a twohour window. People with BED often feel that they lose all self-control during a binge. Sadly, this condition is not uncommon, with about 3.5% of women and 2% of men affected by BED. Emotional overeating and BED may help us manage our emotions in the short term—while we are eating—but they often lead to a deep sense of shame and guilt after the last morsel is consumed. Sufferers may go to great lengths to

mask their food intake from loved ones by hiding food, eating alone, or lying about what they have eaten. Unfortunately, the resulting feelings of worthlessness propagate more negative emotions that further fuel the unhealthy cycle.

When the tendency to emotionally overeat is combined with stress (hello, global pandemic!), it can spiral into clinical BED. Research shows that nearly half of overweight and obese women who identify as emotional overeaters will suffer from BED, compared to 35% of women of similar weight who do not emotionally overeat.

What Are the Signs of Emotional Overeating?

Food can transition from being an emotionally uplifting, community-building tool to an addiction when it becomes the first thing we reach for to manage sadness, anger, or other uncomfortable emotions. For example, while many of us may have cried into a pint of Ben & Jerry’s after a painful breakup, relying on that pint every night to decompress from your busy day job is veering into a maladaptive territory. When food becomes our go-to method to soothe our emotional hurts, we are emotionally overeating.

Here are some clues that you may be emotionally overeating » You find it difficult to stop eating, even when you feel full. » You feel physical discomfort or pain after eating. » You feel guilt or shame after eating. » You eat quickly and alone, without awareness of what you are eating.

This list is not all-inclusive, and all of us can relate to one or several of the items on occasion. But rather than being an isolated event, emotional overeating indicates a constant and recurrent pattern in a person’s life. In a way, emotional overeating is an addiction. For example, research shows similar brain changes in obese individuals and those suffering from addiction when presented with food or the abused substance, respectively.

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NUTRITION

The American Psychological Association offers the following four components of addiction.

1.

Loss of self-control: You feel a craving so strong that you can think about little else until you give in to it.

2.

Social consequences: You begin to fall behind at work or to skip activities you used to enjoy with friends and loved ones.

3.

Risky behavior: You remain addicted despite being aware of risks and problems of addiction.

4.

Biological changes: You need to eat more to get the same level of pleasure, or you feel out of control when you cut back.

Like addiction, emotional overeating is not a one-size-fits-all phenomenon. Not all people will resonate with all of the components of addiction or emotional overeating. For example, some people may not notice negative impacts until relatively late in their disordered eating, while others may notice that their overeating is causing social or professional strife quite early on. Addiction is also quite personal, as our individual genetics, social situations, and upbringing play a role in how addiction shows up in our lives.

The Biology of Emotional Overeating There is a deep-rooted biological basis for addiction. Food, like any other potentially addictive substance, acts on the brain’s natural reward system, the mesolimbic dopamine system. Our brains evolved to be attracted to things and activities that help spread our genes, such as food, sex, and social bonds. Unfortunately, there is a catch. As we prioritize momentary pleasure, we can lose sight of the long-lasting consequences and become hijacked into addiction.

At the center of the brain’s reward system is dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate emotions, memories, and behavior. It is also the target of drugs like cocaine and amphetamines. Dopamine not only drives evolutionary-based behavior like eating high-fat foods during famines and plagues, but also maladaptive behaviors like raiding the refrigerator alone at midnight. Dopamine strongly activates the memory and learning center of the brain, the hippocampus, essentially teaching and rewarding us for our addictive behaviors.

Dopamine is not the only culprit in addiction.

Research shows that serotonin (the neurotransmitter integral to antidepressants like Paxil) and glutamate also play a role. Serotonin affects our mood

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and stress levels, while glutamate heightens our attention and memories of external cues. This is likely why significant stressors such as the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or a global pandemic can heighten our cravings and addictions and trigger relapses despite our best intentions.

Not surprisingly, the type of food also matters.

Few of us crave dark leafy vegetables when we are feeling down, and for good reason. Highly palatable foods high in fat, sugar, and salt are more addictive because they activate our opioid receptors. These are the same receptors targeted by heroin. Activating our opioid receptors affects our mood as well as how we experience physical and emotional pain. Like a painkiller after a nasty fall or a shot of heroin for an addict, sugary treats act as a rapid salve to allay our emotional ills, but only for the moment.

Over time, as we overexcite our dopamine and opioid receptors, they become desensitized to our overeating. This phenomenon is called tolerance.

As we become tolerant to the pint of ice cream that was once enough to help us weather our unresolved emotional turmoil, we begin to need more ice cream (and add in some cake) to quell our runaway emotions. Yet all the while, our unresolved emotional turmoil remains just under the surface.

The Psychosocial Roots of Emotional Overeating Psychosocial elements also play a role in emotional eating. When food is our only source of comfort, it is likely that our interpersonal relationships and stress-coping mechanisms are lackluster. There is a strong link between emotional overeating and alexithymia, or a lack of emotional awareness. People with alexithymia find it difficult to distinguish emotions from bodily sensations and are at a loss to explain their emotions to others.

If we never fully learn to identify and feel our emotions, not only do they sit heavily and uncomfortably within us, but we choose inappropriate tools, such as addictive behaviors, to control them. While sadness is unlikely to be anyone’s favorite emotion, developing emotional awareness allows us to truly feel these uncomfortable emotions in order to learn and grow from the experience.

Emotional eating allows us to bypass this challenging work by suppressing our emotions with food.

Not surprisingly, we may need to unpack buried emotions and traumas from our childhood, interpersonal relationships, and internal self-talk when it comes to getting to the root causes of our emotional eating.

RADIANT HEALTH № 16 The Self Care Issue

WHY WE EAT OUR FEELINGS

“ The “grind culture,” which encourages emotional toughness and the cultural aphorism that we must “work twice as hard to get half as far, does not allow us space to contemplate our emotions.”

The reach of emotional overeating extends beyond the personal to encompass our communities and cultures.

The “grind culture,” which encourages emotional toughness and the cultural aphorism that we must “work twice as hard to get half as far,” does not allow us space to contemplate our emotions. The historical context is also vital. For example, in the American South and other areas of the diaspora, enslaved and poor Blacks had to make do with highly caloric food scraps of dubious nutritional quality to sustain the backbreaking work they did.

While the ancestors turned scraps into miracles, our traditional comfort foods are leading to an epidemic of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke in Black communities. With increasingly limited time and convenient access to fast food, we soothe our emotional responses to societal and personal ills with candied yams and mac and cheese. True healing arises when we find the time and space to analyze our emotional responses to our hectic lives and to prioritize healthy avenues for emotional growth.

dieting to try to “fix” ourselves. Of course, an element of recovery from emotional overeating is to stock our kitchens with nutritional powerhouses to nourish body and mind. But restrictive diets that rely on starvation and extreme rigidity are all-too-common shortterm fixes that do nothing to address the underlying emotional causes of overeating.

Mental Health Awareness Month is celebrated each May, reminding us that we are not alone in our emotional struggles. Giving ourselves the space and time to sit with the range of emotions that come up without running away from them is critical to our emotional health. While this practice is not always pleasant, shining awareness into the dark parts of ourselves allows us to step into our unique and deep-seated power.

Like addiction itself, everyone’s style of treatment is unique, and there are some key things to remember as you deal with emotional overeating.

How Can We Overcome Emotional Overeating?

Compared to other vices, emotional overeating is quite tricky to treat. After all, it is one of the few compulsions that is also a necessary part of daily life. While we commonly urge those with addictions to remove temptation from their environment, when food is the vice, temptation is only as far away as your next meal. Still, there are ways to fight back against emotional overeating.

The first and often hardest step is openly admitting to having a problem. While it can feel like acknowledging failure, honesty is key to healing ourselves and shining a light on the relationship that no longer serves us. As awareness around emotional eating and binge-eating disorder has increased, so have the number of resources available for education and treatment. You can reach out to your primary care doctor, therapists and mental health providers, or reputable online support groups.

Emotional overeating is a psychological coping mechanism that should be treated with patience, kindness, and selfcompassion. We must be willing to seek out and accept professional help when needed. Cognitive and behavioral therapy is often the bedrock of treatment, but some of us may benefit from medications or intensive treatment centers.

Acknowledging our overeating should not drive us toward the opposite extreme of deprivation and

» Give yourself grace. There is no use in comparing your personal stressors or worries to those of others. You are doing the best you can with what you have. » Ask for help. Emotional strength often requires vulnerability. » Normalize therapy. It is the rare person who would not benefit from improving their mental health. » Reject the scarcity mindset. Focus instead on the abundance that can come into your life as you strengthen your mental and emotional health. Remember, overeating is a symptom of an underlying emotional hurt. » Other mental health issues such as anxiety and depression may come up as you begin to look at emotional overeating. Do not ignore these. » Yes, emotions are powerful and can feel overwhelming. They do not define you.

For more resources on emotional overeating and other eating disorders, visit the National Eating Disorders Association website at nationaleatingdisorders.org.

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loc

a

NUTRITION

l

c h a m p­

CACAO T H E O R I G I N S TO R Y

Honoring an ancient indulgence words by Oreoluwa Ogunyemi, MD

Although its exact origins remain controversial, cacao was first popularized in Mesoamerica, where it was revered in Aztec and Mayan culture. Its name comes from the Mayan word kakaw, and its scientific name, Theobroma cacao, literally translates as “food for the gods.” In ancient times, cacao was favored by royalty, drunk during religious ceremonies, and even used as currency. The invasion and colonization of the Americas by Europeans was the impetus for its spread to the far corners of the earth.

European colonization and transcontinental trade led to a boom of cacao growth in Africa, which is now home to over 70% of global production. Cacao does best near the equator, making it ideal for cultivation in tropical West Africa. Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana alone produce about 50% of the world’s cocoa products.

Up to 90% of farmers in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana rely on cacao production for their primary sustenance.

The work is not for the fainthearted; the plant can produce fruit year-round and requires constant vigilance against weather changes, pests, and disease.

Processing is also labor intensive as cacao seeds are harvested by hand and must undergo fermentation, drying, cleaning, and separation.

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RADIANT HEALTH № 16 The Self Care Issue

LOCAL CHAMP CACAO

›› Our Local Champ series celebrates the diversity of the African kitchen by highlighting a different traditional, indigenous food in each issue.

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NUTRITION

What’s in a Name? Cacao vs. Cocoa The difference is much more than a misplaced vowel. Both cacao and cocoa powders come from the seeds of the cacao plant: the difference is in the processing. While the cacao seeds are fermented and left to dry, cocoa (unlike cacao) is then roasted at high temperatures. Roasting produces a deeper color and sweeter product, but one that has lost much of the nutrients and antioxidants inherent in the cacao plant. Cacao is sometimes called “raw chocolate” since it literally escapes the fire.

The skin of the seed (the hull) is removed and either broken to form cacao nibs or ground down into powder. The powder contains both solids and cocoa butter, which can be made into chocolate liquor.

Alternatively, the cocoa butter can be separated out to leave cacao powder or cocoa powder, depending on if the seed was roasted.

A quick trick to catch the difference: cacao powder is slightly lighter in color than cocoa powder. An ultra-dark powder is likely Dutch processed cocoa, which undergoes an extra alkalizing step that make it even less nutritious than cocoa powder. Cacao powder is typically sold without additives, while cocoa powder often includes added sugars, artificial flavors, or powdered milk.

Cacao: Elixir of the Gods?

Now that we know how cacao is made, let’s delve into its benefits. Cacao is antioxidant-rich, leaving other powerhouses like green tea, wine, and blueberries in the dust. Specifically, cacao is abundant in flavonoids—plant-based antioxidants that are heart-healthy cancer fighters. Cacao’s flavonoids can decrease our risk of diabetes, protect brain cells from injury, and reduce skin damage from UV rays.

The Kuna Indians of Panama, who drink up to 30 ounces of cacao daily, have ultralow rates of hypertension, and aging does not increase their risk as it does in almost every other cultural group.

Even if you’re not a Kuna Indian, research shows that if you already have high blood pressure, adding high flavonoid cacao to your diet can lower blood pressure. A specific flavonoid in cacao, epicatechin, not only boosts cardiovascular health and helps protect you from strokes and heart attacks, but may also improve memory and help slow dementia.

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LOCAL CHAMP CACAO

And it’s not just antioxidants; cacao is also a mineral powerhouse, with one serving providing 25% of our daily magnesium and 10% of our iron needs. Magnesium is important for protein synthesis, energy production, and bone and nerve health, while iron optimizes the oxygen carrying capacity of blood. The iron in cacao is easily absorbed, making it that much more potent at combating iron deficiency, one of the most common nutritional deficiencies. Cacao is also rich in zinc, which is important for immune health; potassium, which can improve blood pressure; and selenium, which bolsters the effects of antioxidants.

Cacao further packs a hefty 5 grams of insoluble fiber per serving which increases satiety, improves digestion, and decreases our risk for diabetes. In addition, insoluble fiber supports healthy gut bacteria and has been associated with decreased rates of colon cancer, an increasingly deadly disease in individuals of African descent. It’s also a good vegetarian source of protein at 4 grams per serving, allowing it to satisfy your chocolate cravings while staving off hunger.

Obviously, cacao lives up to its divine name.

The Darker Side of Cacao Cacao isn’t completely heavenly, however.

It contains caffeine and theobromine, two antioxidants that some individuals may wish to avoid due to their stimulant effects.

These compounds may be linked to some of chocolate’s addictive qualities. In addition, different soil types and growing conditions can cause variations in the plant’s nutritional quality and even introduce contaminants.

Both cadmium and lead contaminants are found in cacao products. Cadmium, a metal naturally found in soil, can impair kidney, lung, and bone function and is likely a carcinogen. Lead, also found in dust and soil, is highly toxic and can lead to neurological and intestinal disorders, especially in children.

While the World Health Organization (WHO) and several countries limit cadmium levels in foods, not all countries have set guidelines. If you don’t live in a country with

these regulations, it’s wise to opt for cacao products from companies that voluntarily test cadmium and lead levels.

Another important concern with cacao products is the associated stain of child labor and environmental destruction. The chocolate industry has historically relied on impoverished workers and children to produce the labor-intensive crop. As many as 2 million African children are involved in cacao and cocoa production. The ever-increasing worldwide demand for chocolate products has incentivized deforestation in West Africa.

Accordingly, both Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana risk losing their primary status as cocoa producers due to degradation of land from overfarming and deforestation.

Many small farmers do not own their land and make less than $1.90 per day from cacao production. There is an increasing focus on fair trade production, environmental sustainability, and living wages to the African farmers that support the $100 billion chocolate industry.

While the goals are laudatory, administration fees, costs to farmers, and inconsistent implementation strategies have led to a wide gap between fair trade goals and equity in cacao production.

How Can I Incorporate Cacao for Health?

The food of the gods has a long and varied history that establishes its benefits. Like other food groups, the least-processed varieties of cacao are best. While cacao is more bitter than processed cocoa, it has a depth of flavor that can be described as nutty.

Cacao can be used in all recipes that call for cocoa, from baked goods to spicy-savory sauces and hot chocolate.

To get even more benefit, use cacao in raw recipes, as heat can destroy some of the antioxidants. Try adding cacao powder to smoothies and overnight oats, or sprinkle it over granola or fruit.

Regardless of what type of cacao products you use, reach for brands that voluntarily monitor their contamination levels and commit to sustainability and living wages for farmers.

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MAKING ROOM AT THE TABLE FOR CACAO Comfort cooking with cacao

recipes & photography by Gabriela Iancu

NUTRITION

Gluten-Free Savory Cacao Bread Makes 1 boule — The words bread and cacao evoke such a sense of comfort, reminding us of the cold season and home baking.

This bread is rich, dark, and dense, and has a slight hint of acidity from the addition of the raw cacao powder. It is very satisfying, with a moist crumb, and just perfect for morning toast, open-faced sandwiches, or an exquisite cheese plate. For a variation on this recipe, you can replace the seeds with dried fruits such as cranberries or raisins, or with nuts and black olives.

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RADIANT HEALTH № 16 The Self Care Issue

SAVORY CACAO BREAD

NUTRITION FACTS

servings: 6

PER SERVING CALORIES

221

total fat

3.8g

5%

0.4g

2%

cholesterol

0mg

0%

sodium

415mg

18%

total carb

53.3g

19%

24.1g

86

saturated fat INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1 teaspoon brown sugar 2 cups lukewarm water 1/2 cup rice flour 1/2 cup whole grain brown rice flour 1/2 cup sorghum flour 1/2 cup coconut flour 1 cup tapioca starch 3 tablespoons psyllium husk powder 2 tablespoons fermented raw cacao powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup mixed seeds (equal parts flax, chia, and sunflower)

% DAILY VALUE

dietary fiber sugars protein

0.6g 6.5g

total mineral vitamin d

0mcg

0%

calcium

5mg

0%

iron

3mg

17%

potassium

118mg

3%

Daily percentage value based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Data analyzed from verywell.com

PREPARATION

1.

In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar and yeast into the lukewarm water until dissolved. Let the yeast activate for about 10 minutes or until frothy. Whisk in the psyllium husk powder and allow the mixture to gel for 5 minutes.

2.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, tapioca starch, cacao powder, and salt. Add the yeast mixture and mix with the dough hook on medium speed until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes. Add the seeds and continue mixing for 1 minute. The dough will feel very wet and sticky, much like a thick cake batter, but it will come together with a little bit of flour.

3.

Dust a work surface with coconut flour. Scrape out the dough and shape it into a ball, dusting with more flour if needed. Dust a bowl with flour and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes.

4.

While the dough is proofing, place a cast-iron Dutch oven on the lower rack of the oven and preheat to 450° F. When the dough is ready, carefully place it inside the heated Dutch oven. Score the top, then cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, reduce heat to 400° F, and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the crust is dark. The crust will be thin and crispy and the interior moist.

5.

Transfer your bread to a cooling rack and let it stand for at least an hour. It’s important to let the bread cool completely before slicing, otherwise it will be gummy. The bread can be stored in a brown paper bag at room temperature and is best eaten within 2 days.

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NUTRITION

Smoky Squash & Cacao Soup Serves 6 — This creamy soup is filled with the smoky notes of a variety of spices. It pairs well with toasted bread for a hearty lunch, and lends itself to feeding large crowds when you need to scale up. The sweetness of the roasted butternut squash is balanced with the acidity of the cacao powder, cacao nibs, lemon juice, and yogurt for a powerful fusion of good flavors. Roasted pumpkin seeds or hazelnuts can be used as a substitute for the cacao nibs.

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INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

3 tablespoons coconut oil 1 medium leek, finely chopped (white and pale green parts only) 2 cloves garlic 2 plum tomatoes 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon ground sumac 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 tablespoon fermented raw cacao powder 1 chipotle in adobo sauce 6 cups vegetable stock juice of 1 lemon 1/4 cup whole milk yogurt cacao nibs for garnish

1.

Preheat oven to 400° F. Place the butternut squash pieces, garlic, and tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with coconut oil, and sprinkle with coriander, sumac, and red pepper flakes. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. Peel the tomatoes and garlic and set aside.

2.

Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a medium sized pot over medium heat and sauté the leek with the cumin seeds. Add the roasted vegetables, chipotle, cacao powder, cinnamon, black pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes and then add the stock. Cover the pot, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes more.

3.

Transfer the soup to a blender (in batches if needed), and purée until smooth. Add the lemon juice and adjust the seasonings to taste.

4.

Top the soup with yogurt and cacao nibs and drizzle with coconut oil.

Serve immediately while warm.

RADIANT HEALTH № 16 The Self Care Issue

SMOKY SQUASH & CACAO SOUP

NUTRITION FACTS

servings: 2

PER SERVING CALORIES total fat saturated fat

% DAILY VALUE

480 14.5g

19%

7.4g

37%

cholesterol

312mg

104%

sodium

1871mg

81%

total carb

45.8g

17%

dietary fiber

6.7g

24%

sugars

9.3g

protein

44g

total mineral vitamin d

0mcg

0%

calcium

207mg

16%

iron

5mg

27%

potassium

757mg

16%

Daily percentage value based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Data analyzed from verywell.com

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NUTRITION

Black Bean Chili with Cacao Serves 4 — Black beans have a nutty sweetness and develop their best umami flavor when paired with bold spices.

The magic ingredients in this recipe are the spicy harissa blend and the fermented raw cacao powder. Fermented raw cacao, with its distinct mild flavor, is also one of the most antioxidant-rich foods. Harissa is a spicy condiment that is popular in North African cuisine. It is made from a mix of roasted peppers, garlic, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, and cumin. Harissa and raw cacao add multiple dimensions of flavor to this hearty bean chili.

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

2 tablespoons coconut oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 4 slices of bacon, finely chopped 1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped 1-2 teaspoons harissa spice blend (depending on desired spiciness) 1 tablespoon fermented raw cacao powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground sumac 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 15 ounces (1 can) chopped tomatoes 2 teaspoons brown sugar 15 ounces (1 can) black beans, drained and rinsed 1/4 cup sour cream for serving cacao nibs for garnish

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1.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and bacon and fry until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper, harissa, and remaining spices and cook for 2 minutes more.

2.

Add the tomatoes, cacao powder, and sugar and season to taste. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add the beans, stir to combine, and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.

3.

Serve the chili over brown rice, barley, farro, or your favorite grain, topped with a small dollop of sour cream and sprinkled with cacao nibs.

RADIANT HEALTH № 16 The Self Care Issue

BLACK BEAN CHILI WITH CACAO

NUTRITION FACTS

servings: 4

PER SERVING CALORIES

295

total fat

18.9g

saturated fat

% DAILY VALUE

24%

10.4g

52%

cholesterol

27mg

9%

sodium

765mg

33%

total carb

20.1g

7%

dietary fiber

6.2g

22%

sugars

5.6g

protein

13.1g

total mineral vitamin d

0mcg

0%

calcium

64mg

5%

iron

2mg

12%

potassium

612mg

13%

Daily percentage value based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Data analyzed from verywell.com

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RADIANT HEALTH № 16 The Self Care Issue

CHOCOLATE AVOCADO MOUSSE

Chocolate Avocado Mousse Serves 4 — This decadent vegan dessert is smooth, rich, and balanced. Avocado and chocolate may seem like an unlikely pairing, but avocado adds creaminess and body to the mousse while keeping it dairy-free. Still, a great chocolate mousse needs great chocolate, so this recipe calls for both dark chocolate with 90% cacao and raw cacao powder.

Adding a little sea salt to the mixture helps balance the rich flavors while bringing out the sweetness of the honey and coconut sugar. This mousse pairs well with fresh mint shortbread cookies or macadamia brittle.

INGREDIENTS

3.5 ounces (1 bar) 90% cacao dark chocolate, such as Lindt or Valrhona, finely chopped 2 ripe avocados, coarsely chopped 1/4 cup coconut sugar 1/4 cup raw honey 1/4 cup fermented raw cacao powder 1/4 cup coconut milk pinch of sea salt seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean cacao nibs for garnish

PREPARATION

1.

Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water for 1 to 2 minutes, then cool briefly.

2.

Process avocado, sugar, cocoa powder, coconut milk, and vanilla seeds in a food processor until combined. Add the melted chocolate and process until light and fluffy.

3.

Divide mousse into four 5-ounce jars or small serving bowls and refrigerate until chilled. For some crunch, serve sprinkled with cacao nibs. The mousse is best eaten within 2 days.

NUTRITION FACTS

servings: 4

PER SERVING CALORIES

245

total fat

15.9g

saturated fat

% DAILY VALUE

20%

6.7g

33%

cholesterol

0mg

0%

sodium

15mg

1%

total carb

25.6g

9%

dietary fiber

8.5g

30%

sugars

13.7g

protein

3.6g

total mineral vitamin d

0mcg

0%

calcium

14mg

1%

iron

1mg

6%

potassium

45mg

1%

Daily percentage value based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Data analyzed from verywell.com

2021—volume 1

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SECTION

2

FITNESS page 50.

BALANCE TRAINING: NOT JUST FOR OLD FOLKS! The forgotten fitness factor page 54.

THE SEVEN BEST EXERCISES FOR BETTER BALANCE Bringing balance to bear page 58.

INTERVIEW TRACEE STANLEY Lighting the way toward rest

worcds by Patrick Dale

ANCE

TRAIN

ACHIEVING BALANCE, LITERALLY.

FITNESS MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS to different people. To some,

being fit means having the ability to run a long way. To others, it’s playing sports at a high level. And some people measure their fitness by their weight or muscular definition.

The reality is that there are several fitness components, and unless you are already a trained athlete of some sort, you’ll need to consciously spend time working on all of them. Even if you have specialized fitness goals, improving all of the components of fitness will enhance all aspects of your performance and appearance.

ING

ARTICLE NAME ARTICLE NAME

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FITNESS

The total fitness model is made up of certain generally accepted components.

Fitness Components » Muscular strength » Muscular endurance » Muscular power » Cardiovascular fitness » Core stability » Speed » Agility » Flexibility » Mobility » Coordination » Balance

Of these components, balance is probably the most often neglected, and many of us take it for granted. In this article, I will explain what balance is and why you need to pay more attention to it.

What Is Balance?

Balance is one of the neurological fitness components—that is to say, it’s all about your brain and nervous system and how they interact with your muscles. Balance can be defined as your ability to keep your center of gravity within your base of support. Or, in more simple terms: better balance means that you’ll wobble and fall over less!

Your body uses the following three systems to maintain your balance.

Visual system We use our eyes to determine the position

of our bodies, usually by fixing our gaze on a nearby object or on the horizon. Most people are overly reliant on their vision for maintaining balance.

To see how much you use your eyes for balance, stand on one leg with both eyes open. This should present no real problem for most people.

Now, close your eyes.

You’ll probably find it much harder to balance with your eyes closed. Don’t worry; you can train your other systems so that you become less reliant on the visual system for maintaining your balance.

Vestibular system The vestibular system is made up of

a series of canals and nerves in your inner ear. They are sensitive to the movement of your head and relay its position to your brain. Ear infections or a condition called vertigo can disrupt your balance by affecting your vestibular system.

Proprioception Proprioception is your ability to determine

the position of your limbs, even when you can’t see them.

Proprioceptors are sensory nerves located in your muscles, ligaments, tendons, and skin that tell your brain where your limbs are and what they are doing.

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For example, if your weight shifts onto one foot, the proprioceptors will tell your brain that your balance has shifted, and it will make the necessary adjustments to stop you from falling over.

Like most fitness components, balance works on the principle of use it or lose it. Modern life requires very little balance, and as such, many of us are bad at balancing.

After all, how much balance is required to sit in a chair, drive a car, or use a computer?

Exercise can help, but a lot of workouts don’t challenge your balance either. Riding an exercise bike or using a leg extension machine requires no balance, so this important fitness component is often ignored and left underdeveloped.

The good news is that balance responds very quickly to the right kind of training, and because balance training is so low intensity, it’s something you can work on every day.

The Benefits of Balance Training It's true that some people have better balance than others, but balance is also a very trainable skill. Good balance is the cornerstone of all human movement. If you’ve got good balance, you’ll move more efficiently, economically, and smoothly.

The benefits of better balance and balance training include: Reduced risk of injury Losing your balance can be painful, and we don’t just mean if you fall over. A loss of balance can result in wrenched joints and muscle strains as you attempt to stay upright. Better balance can reduce your risk of ankle sprains and other similarly painful injuries.

Balance training should also be part of any rehab program after injury. Damage to muscles, ligaments, and tendons can affect the proprioceptors, which will reduce your balance and increase the chances of reinjury.

Improved quality of movement Watch a toddler try to walk and you’ll quickly see the effect of underdeveloped balance. For every step they take forward, they probably take a couple of steps sideways or even backward, and their movements involve a whole lot of wobbling. All of these course corrections add up to a whole lot of wasted energy.

While your balance is clearly better than that of a toddler, if you improve it even more, you won’t have to waste energy correcting your position and fighting to keep your center of gravity over your base of support. Your movements will become smoother, more graceful, and more efficient too.

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BALANCE TRAINING

“ The good news is that balance responds very quickly to the right kind of training, and because balance is so low intensity, it’s something you can work on every day.”

Improved athleticism If you play sports, you need to work on your balance. A lot of sporting activities involve balance, especially if they involve unilateral or one-limbed movements. Kicking a soccer ball, running, lunging for a tennis ball—they’re all tests of balance.

Plus, every time you fall over, you are effectively out of the game. Better balance can help keep you on your feet and competing.

Better posture Posture and balance go hand in hand.

Simply standing up taller and looking straight ahead will make balancing easier, as your head will be directly over your feet. Working on your balance will improve your posture, and better posture can help you look and feel better.

Improved brain health Working on your balance may

improve brain plasticity, which is your ability to learn new skills. Improved brain plasticity can delay the neurological decline commonly associated with the aging process. Balance training improves your ability to learn new physical and mental skills and even to better retain and recall information.

Prevention of age-related loss of balance Balance tends to deteriorate with age. Like the loss of muscle mass and reduced bone density, it’s an unavoidable part of the aging process. However, poor balance is a leading cause of falls, and falls in the elderly often have serious consequences. Combined with reduced bone mass, a fall can result in a broken arm, hip, or worse. Falls are a leading cause of avoidable death in older people.

The better your balance is when you are younger, the more you can afford to lose as you age and the more capable you will be in your senior years. Balance training now is “money in the bank” for later. If you want to live a long, active, independent life, balance training will help.

How to Improve Your Balance Balance is an easy fitness component to improve. You can do balance training almost anywhere and even

modify your existing workout to make it more balancecentric. Improving your balance doesn’t have to take much time, and it won’t take much energy either.

The following are a few simple ways to improve your balance.

» Stand on one leg when you are brushing your teeth or doing the dishes. » Walk on uneven surfaces, such as loose sand or unpaved trails. » Replace squats and leg presses with lunges and step-ups. »

Stop using the handrails on things like ellipticals and treadmills at the gym.

» Do your abs training using a balance ball or BOSU ball. » Play balance games with your kids, like tossing a ball while standing on one leg.

Any activity that makes you feel like you are going to lose your balance will help improve it. The key is to challenge your balance safely so that if you do lose it, you can do so without injury.

Wrapping Up Balance training is often thought of as unnecessary or something that only elderly people need to do. While balance exercises are useful for older folks, they’re probably even more critical while you are younger.

Prevention is almost always better than cure, and balance training now can potentially save you from unhappiness in the future.

However, even if you aren’t thinking about your golden years, working on your balance is beneficial in the here and now. After all, good balance is the foundation on which all movements are built. Whether you want to perform better, move effortlessly and elegantly, improve your posture, or be more agile and athletic, balance training will help.

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THE BEST EXERCISES FOR BETTER BALANCE Fine-tuning your balance game

worcds by Patrick Dale

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BALANCE IS AN OFTEN OVERLOOKED component of fitness. And yet, it’s arguably one of the most important. Without good balance, other forms of exercise are more demanding than they need to be. A lack of balance can even affect your daily life, making many everyday activities harder.

It doesn’t matter if you are young or old—most people should do at least a little balance training.

Here are seven of the best exercises for improving your balance, listed in approximate order of difficulty.

Some require exercise equipment but many do not, so you can do them at home or at the gym.

1. Single-Leg Standing The beauty of this balance exercise is that you can do it almost anywhere, anytime. You can stand on one leg while you brush your teeth or talk on the phone. Don’t be surprised if after 30 seconds or so you start to feel a deep burn in your supporting hip. That’s your gluteus minimus and medius working extra hard to keep your pelvis level.

How to do it 1.

Stand with your feet together.

Pull your shoulders down and back, and brace your abs. Look straight ahead and adopt an upright posture.

2.

Bend one leg and lift it up until your thigh is parallel to the floor.

3.

Hold this position for as long as you comfortably can.

4.

Switch legs and repeat.

It’s perfectly normal to find balancing on one leg harder than the other. Most people have a dominant side.

Variations to make this exercise harder · · ·

Close your eyes.

Stand on a cushion.

Move your leg or arms.

2. The Stork Press The stork press is a slightly more advanced version of single-leg standing. As well as working on your balance, with this exercise you also work on your core, shoulders, and triceps.

How to do it 1.

Hold a dumbbell, water bottle, medicine ball, or similar object in your left hand, and then stand on your right leg. Raise your left leg so that your thigh is parallel to the floor.

2.

Raise your weight to shoulder level.

3.

Keeping your core braced, press the weight up and overhead to arm’s length.

4.

Lower the weight back to your shoulder and repeat.

5.

Switch sides and try to do the same number of reps.

Variations to make this exercise harder · · ·

Close your eyes.

Hold the weight on the same side as the leg you’re standing on.

Stand on a yielding surface, such as a cushion or a BOSU ball.

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3. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift This is a balance and posterior chain exercise rolled into one. As such, it’s good for your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back, as well as your ability to shift and maintain your balance.

How to do it 1.

Stand with your feet together, hands by your sides.

2.

Shift your weight over onto one leg. Bend your knee slightly for stability.

3.

Hinge forward from the hips and lean forward, extending your other leg out behind you as a counterbalance.

4.

Reach down as far as you can without rounding your lower back.

5.

Stand back up and repeat.

6.

Do the same number of reps on the other leg.

Variations to make this exercise harder · ·

Hold weights in one or both hands.

Stand on a cushion or BOSU ball.

4. Wall Ball Balance This exercise combines balance with eye-hand coordination to develop your ability to react to an external stimulus. The addition of an unpredictable stimulus will teach you to shift and correct your balance more quickly.

How to do it 1.

3. Throw the ball at different parts of the wall with your left and right hand to make your movements random.

4.

Switch legs and repeat.

Variations to make this exercise harder

Stand about 9 feet (3 meters) from a wall and stand on one foot.

2. Toss a tennis ball at the wall and catch it as it bounces back.

· ·

Stand on a cushion or BOSU ball.

Do this exercise with a partner and make it a friendly competition.

5. Suitcase Lunges 3.

Push off your front leg and return to the starting position.

4.

Do another rep, but this time step forward with the opposite leg.

How to do it

5.

Keep alternating legs for the duration of your set.

1.

Hold a dumbbell in one hand and stand with your feet together.

Variations to make this exercise harder

2.

Step forward with one leg, bend your knees, and lower your back knee to just above the floor. Keep your arm down by your sides and your torso upright.

· · · ·

Lunges are an excellent lower body exercise, working your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. Even basic lunges are a good balance workout too. This variation increases lower body muscle overload and also challenges your balance.

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Use a heavier weight.

Hold the dumbbell above your head.

Step onto or off a cushion or BOSU ball.

Close your eyes.

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6. Skater Squats This balance exercise is also great for increasing single-leg strength and power. It’s not an easy move, but that’s why it’s near the end of our list! You can make this exercise a little easier by tying a towel to a waist-high anchor and using it for support. However, you should do your best to wean yourself off this crutch as soon as you can.

How to do it 1.

Stand with your feet together.

Shift your weight onto one leg.

2.

Bend your supporting leg and squat down. Descend until your opposite knee is just above the floor. Extend your arms in front of you for balance.

3.

Stand back up and repeat.

4.

Do the same number of reps on each leg.

Variations to make this exercise harder · · ·

Stand on a cushion.

Hold a weight in your hands.

Close your eyes.

7. Jump and Stick This exercise is all about reactive balance, or regaining your balance after losing it. This is an important skill but also a tricky one to learn. Start with the two-legged version before progressing to hopping on one foot.

How to do it 1.

3. Jump forward and into another rep as soon as you are ready.

4. You can also do this exercise by jumping sideways, diagonally, or backward.

Variations to make this exercise harder

Stand with your feet together and your arms by your sides.

2. Jump forward and land as softly as you can.

Try to “stick” the landing and regain your balance quickly.

Staying Steady at Any Age There is a misconception that balance training is only useful for older adults.

This is not true. In fact, now is the best time to improve your balance so you’ll be ahead of the game in the future.

Balance naturally decreases with age, and the better your balance is, the less noticeable any decline will be. As well as improving general functionality, balance

· ·

Try hopping on one foot instead of jumping.

Jump or hop over a barrier.

training will boost your sports performance and enhance your appearance and your health too.

The good news is that you can work on your balance at home and even modify aspects of your usual workouts to make them more balance-centric.

It’s never too soon to start working on your balance. Balance training? It’s not just for the old folks!

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Lig

ht

ing

ay

Tracee Stanley

rd Res a w o t T

the W

TRANSCENDING JUDGEMENT, FINDING GRACE

words by Nikki Igbo photography by Alexis Ahrling

Tracee Stanley understands how to make things happen in Hollywood. Her ability to execute script development, casting, financing, and project budget administration elevated her from intern to head of a multimillion-dollar production firm in less than a decade’s time. As a nearly 20-year veteran of the movie industry, she’s worked with a who’s who list of headlining actors including Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Forest Whitaker. She’s also been a driving force behind the production of more than 160 major motion pictures which grossed a combined total of $330 million worldwide.

While navigating the topsy-turvy world of the motion picture industry, Tracee used the centuries-old practice of yoga nidra to identify and correct her unhealthy relationship with rest. A yoga practitioner of 25 years, the sought-after teacher offers guidance in self-realization through yoga nidra, meditation, and intention. Radiant spent an illuminating hour chatting with Tracee to learn more about her journey, the enormous value of relaxation, and the epic glow that resides in each one of us.

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TRACEE STANLEY

The Calm Found in Chaos

were going to the South of France and all of these fancy places.”

She accrued seven years of unused vacation time. I gasped, Tracee Stanley’s journey into the practice of yoga nidra began but I understood. Rest and proving one’s worth rarely mix. as a sneak preview of sorts. She’d been a fashion model living “I always had to prove myself 200% more than everybody else. in post-apartheid South Africa when one early morning I knew there were people who were also coming after my job. found her sitting alone on her balcony, awaiting the sunrise. At some point in practicing yoga, I started to recognize the Then “it” happened—that rare but familiar encounter with power of the shavasana.” something wondrous that seems to stop time.

Shavasana is the corpse pose, in which one lies face up with “I felt like I had answers to all these questions I’d been asking,” the legs comfortably spread and the arms slightly away from she described, as we eased into our conversation. Her voice the body. This restorative pose is designed to refresh and was easy but her words were spoken with resolve. “I also reinvigorate the mind, body, and spirit while decreasing had this sense that I was supported unconditionally by some stress and tension at the end of a yoga session. unseen force. It seemed like it lasted forever, but I know that Tracee’s connection with the effects of shavasana convinced it lasted maybe a couple of minutes.” her to finally take some time off to attend a yoga retreat and Though Tracee’s roommates had side-eyed her when she learn more about the practice. In preparation for her vacation, told them about it, she could not shake what she’d felt. After she absentmindedly chose a publication of Patanjali’s Yoga asking around, she was steered toward books on spirituality, Sutras, an authoritative guide of 196 aphorisms on achieving awakenings, and meditation. The more she learned, the more wisdom and purpose through the practice of yoga. she noticed an internal shift, an awareness, a calm.

Tracee arrived at Sutra 1.36, on “the sorrowless and luminous During a subsequent trip to Cape Town, Tracee’s state of the mind.” belongings, including her modeling portfolio, were stolen.

The thief had taken everything she possessed at the time “It talks about this radiance, this light that lives in the heart except a single shoe and her copy of Nelson Mandela’s center and is beyond all sorrow. It is a place that was there Long Walk to Freedom which also contained her airline before any of us had a name, and it is a place that will be there when we no longer have a body. It’s an infinite reservoir ticket and passport. of light unaffected by any condition, any environment.

Tracee didn’t freak out; she viewed the theft as a Essentially a part of the yoga journey is to touch this place. confirmation. She’d wanted to exchange modeling for This place is our core frequency, and we can always come filmmaking anyway. Two weeks later, back home in the back here to rest when things get tough.”

United States, Tracee began an internship with a startup Something in this idea warmed and resonated within her. film production company.

“When I am relaxed and practice deep relaxation, I get more “I started to practice yoga, and I loved what I was feeling. It done because I have clarity and access to more power.” was very similar to being in the complete stillness of that moment that I was on the balcony in South Africa.” She stuck During Tracee’s last executive production position, she with the practice as she learned more about filmmaking and experienced a revealing encounter with the production company’s owner. He asked her, “Why aren’t you juggling a worked her way up in the company. bunch of plates and running around like a chicken with your “I kept noticing that people would get very upset or feel head cut off, like everyone else in the office?” very chaotic in the film business. I felt that yoga was actually giving me something extra so I could be calm This struck Tracee as odd. Why would anyone want to be an in the midst of everything that was going on. It gave me environment where pandemonium was somehow a reasonable perspective as to how to solve problems without getting barometer of progress. She wanted to be purposeful and at ease within a state of joyful, focused determination. caught up in all the drama.”

Sutra 1.36

“As Black women, we really have to investigate what it means to relax.”

“It was pretty much unheard of to have a Black woman as a top executive at a film company in the early 2000s,” Tracee recounted. “I would be the first one in and the last one out. I was running the company and I was the only person in the office who had not taken a vacation. Meanwhile, [other] people

The Myth of Laziness It’s curious how we have come to negatively regard sleep and rest.

“I never sleep because sleep is the cousin of death” and “I’ll

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“ If we work into the wee hours of the night and forgo rest, we’re regarded as heroes who are truly committed to the task. But if we miss an event or an opportunity, then we are accused of having “slept on it.” Even our ability to recognize systemic injustice is described as being “woke” sleep when I’m dead” are boasts of strength and endurance.

But taking a nap suggests indolence. If we work into the wee hours of the night and forgo rest, we’re regarded as heroes who are truly committed to the task. But if we miss an event or an opportunity, then we are accused of having “slept on it.” Even our ability to recognize systemic injustice is described as being “woke.”

yoga I was doing was not that kind of yoga, and I needed to find a teacher who could lead me to that kind of yoga.”

At the time, Tracee was practicing power yoga and wanted to know if there was something more that she was missing, considering her epiphany on the corpse pose. She asked around the yoga community until she was connected to a lineage of yoga teachers and began to learn about yoga nidra, a teaching dating back thousands of years, passed from teacher to teacher.

I like sleep. I need sleep. We all do. Operating without sleep does not feel good, does not produce good results, and is harmful. Yet I know I’ve been guilty of chiding myself for being tired, and I’m not alone. Tracee reminded “These teachings are tried and true, time-tested, with real me of the reason why. power or shakti behind them.” Shakti is the force, power, energy, or ability that is believed to move through the entire By 1914, 90% of Africa’s land mass had been colonized by universe. It is íke, simba, iko, awooda, nguvu, amandla, mphamvu, European powers who believed that Africa’s non-monetary matla. It is the strength that dwells within us all. economy and its variations in technological advances were the cause of its poverty-stricken conditions. Also, Africans “The practice of yoga nidra is a practice of dissolution, or were viewed as racially inferior, beastlike, and slovenly. This being able to rest so deeply that it feels as though the body “lazy backward African” myth was incredibly useful in fueling itself, the mind itself, is dissolving. The mind and body fall the rationalization of forced labor in the name of economic asleep and we are aware of that wise, powerful, radiant part progress. The colonized African was seen as the favorable, of ourselves. That most ancient part that is able to commune advanced African. with the ancestors.”

Meanwhile in the West, the stereotypes of “Sambo,” “Jim As Tracee’s studies focused more on the true essence of Crow,” and “the Savage” were equally pervasive. Blacks yoga, breath, mantra, and meditation, her practice became were believed to be naturally docile, slow-witted, lazy, and less about performing a handstand and more about completely dependent upon masters for proper guidance. If becoming still. not for a master, whites feared that Black people would spend every waking moment eating watermelon, singing, dancing, “In this stillness, you connect to your deep reservoir of power acting a fool, or being violent. This characterization served and wisdom. Nidra translates loosely to ‘sleep,’ but also ni to defend slavery and torture as the just and proper way to means ‘void’ and dra means ‘to draw forth.’” give Blacks a sense of purpose and righteousness.

Tracee explained the four states of consciousness: waking, Over time, people of African descent internalized these farces. dreaming, deep sleep, and the place of no thought.

“We have all this history of being beaten. Our lives could be “It’s a place of fullness and emptiness at the same time. When in danger if we took a moment to have the rest we needed. It Black people practice this, we see where our resistance literally hasn’t been safe to rest while being in a Black body,” is living and the ways in which we have been made to feel Tracee explained. “We have this trauma in our DNA and it unsafe—all the ways in which we’ve been told we’re lazy. has been passed down generationally. But yoga can be the This practice can help us realize these traumas from our process of unraveling that lie and really connecting yourself ancestors and from the modern day.” back to the truth of who you really are.”

Yoga nidra’s techniques, like diaphragmatic breathing, are The Practice of Radiant Rest very simple and can offer relief from depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, “There’s a calmness of yoga that is about self-realization, post-traumatic stress disorder, and tachycardia or fast liberation, spiritual freedom,” Tracee told me. “The kind of heart rate.

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TRACEE STANLEY

“In order to be powerful, you have to be rested. Your mind has to be rested. Your body has to be rested. You have to be able to release some of the hurt. You have to be able to release these ebbs and flows that we’ve been going through and observe them, acknowledge them, and let them go.”

She imagined what could happen if more people made connections to their own inner light, and she composed Radiant Rest with that purpose in mind.

Throughout her search for personal peace, Tracee was able to see how seeking intention in her practice made a huge difference in her ability to weather any kind of storm.

Radiant Rest, scheduled for release in early 2021, is available for pre-order with additional bonuses at RadiantRest.com, as well as on Amazon and independent bookstores.

“It’s a handbook for everyone who is interested in the deep relaxation and resting of yoga nidra and being able This Light of Mine to practice every day. It’s for people who don’t like yoga; you’re lying down. I recognize that we all have jobs, kids, The wonderful thing about any transformative practice is homes, and responsibilities, so the book features ways to its ability to serve all areas of an individual’s life. A sports practice throughout the day as well as longer practices player may take her lesson on team building into the office, whenever you can do them.” while an artist may seize upon her knowledge of symbolism to promote peace among opposing factions. Yoga nidra Tracee also produces and hosts the Radiant Rest podcast, provides support off the mat too. which offers insight into awakening to our true selves through deep sleep, rest, and dreaming. Past episodes have “When you emerge from the practice, you are changed,” said featured guests such as fellow yoga instructor Lama Rod Tracee, a smile in her voice. “There is definitely a healing Owens, lucid dreaming teacher Charlie Morley, psychologist that is occurring. You have a connection to your own core Dr. Gail Parker, and Tricia Hersey of the Nap Ministry. frequency, and you start to look for those connections when you’re not in the practice. Those connections appear in “This is the practice we should all be doing right now. We the form of lucid dreaming, reduced stress and anxiety, and need to be ready for everything that is coming. We need to increased quality of life.” be rested. And we need to be clear.”

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photography by Ahmad Barber model Bianca of Ursula Wiedmann Models styling by Ray C'Mone make-up by Christine Dompier-Vazquez hair by Andy Buckmire set design Skye Lin

03 SECTION

FEATURES

page 66.

RESHAPING A BROKEN WORLD THROUGH RESTORATIVE PRACTICES An enlightened approach to healing page 72.

INTERVIEW TIFFANY ALICHE Facing your financial fears page 76.

THE LOST ART OF REST The unsung value of slowing down

FEATURES

RESHAPING A BROKEN WORLD

THROUGH RESTORATIVE PRACTICES Learning the art of empathy words by Kerra L. Bolton

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Our world is broken, but we are not.

Collectively, we are enduring a global pandemic, quarantines, changes to how we work and parent, unemployment, and the death of loved ones. Increased racial violence, police brutality, and civil unrest in the United States make it difficult for us to trust our neighbors.

Given these pressures, how do we grow better, not bitter? How do we have hope for tomorrow when today can seem so incredibly crushing?

FEATURES

Restorative Self-Care We need both radical and restorative self-care if we are going to survive and even thrive during these times. Angela Davis defines radical self-care as “gratitude, fierceness, and community.” One way we can achieve these aims is through restorative practices.

Billed as the science of relationships and community, restorative practices (closely tied to restorative justice) is defined by the International Institute for Restorative Practices as “an emerging social science that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections within communities.” It operates from the central premise that people are happier and more likely to make positive changes when authority figures do things with them, rather than to them or for them. The use of restorative practices has been credited with improving human behavior, strengthening civil society, providing effective leadership, and reducing crime, violence, and bullying.

Restorative practices aren’t a form of spiritual bypassing where one pretends to send “love and light” as a means of dismissing the real concerns of others or avoiding the rigorous and difficult self-examination required to make internal and external changes. Instead, they are an actionable, adaptable blueprint to help you unflinchingly look at the parts of yourself you would rather hide, how those parts affect others, and how you can heal those you have harmed or who have harmed you.

“People get hurt and they tend to lead with their hurt and lead with their wounds, never to be recovered,” explained Alice Thompson, CEO of Hope Academy Charter School, a restorative practices public school in Detroit. “Restorative practices help people to heal and repair the wounds, and it comes from just talking to each other, understanding each other, and clarifying what happened.”

Restorative Practice Basics Restorative practices, both as a field of inquiry and a technique, includes many meanings, applications, approaches, and thought leaders. For our purposes, I am referring to restorative practices as defined by Ted and Susan Wachtel, who in the 1980s and 1990s pioneered the democratization of restorative practices research and the seeding of these practices in communities around the world. The Wachtels also founded the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the world’s first accredited graduate school dedicated solely to the study and promotion of restorative practices.

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Ultimately, restorative practices comprise a continuum of conversations, ranging from questions and statements to formal conferences.

Affective statements are the first stop in the restorative

practices continuum. The term “affective statements” refers to expressing your feelings, and it’s one of the easiest and most useful tools for building and sustaining a restorative relationship. In an affective statement, you tell someone how their actions made you feel. Affective statements humanize the speaker by showing them as someone who feels and cares rather than as just an authority figure.

For example, your teenager consistently breaks the no-screen-time rule and is online when they should be doing their homework. Instead of yelling and punishing them, try an affective statement like “I feel disrespected when you break the rules. I set boundaries because I love you and I want you to develop habits that are going to help you succeed in life.” It may not work the first few times, but when it becomes a practice, behavioral change can occur over time.

Affective statements can also be positive. When an employee consistently exceeds expectations, you don’t have to wait until their quarterly evaluation to tell them.

You can say, “I feel inspired by your hard work and commitment to making this team successful. Thank you.”

Establishing a positive tone on a daily basis reduces the frequency of more serious problems that require more care and attention.

Affective questions are designed to elicit what people

were thinking and feeling at the time. Under the restorative practices framework developed by the Wachtels, the following affective questions are used when challenging behavior. »

What happened?

»

What were you thinking of at the time?

»

What have you thought about since?

»

Who has been affected by what you have done? In what way have they been affected?

»

What do you think you need to do to make things right?

These questions help people to think about the impact of their actions and work together with those who were harmed in order to devise solutions.

Delving Deeper Asking the question “How are you?” these days can be fraught with anxiety for the questioner as well as the

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RESHAPING A BROKEN WORLD THROUGH RESTORATIVE PRACTICES

“The use of restorative practices has been credited with improving human behavior, strengthening civil society, providing effective leadership, and reducing crime, violence, and bullying.” recipient, because many people are not okay but are afraid to be honest about it. Certain forms of restorative practices often used in groups, such as circles and checkins, allow people to say what’s on their mind without fear of judgment or reprisal.

Circles are an enduring symbol of community. They can

be used in response to wrongdoing as well as proactively to nurture relationships and provide a safe space for everyone to speak and be heard. The most common way to hold a circle is to ask a question and then go around the visual circle to allow everyone to respond without interruption. are another informal restorative practice tool. At the beginning of the day, you can ask questions such as “What is your progress on the project and what practical support do you need to move forward?” and “What are you looking forward to most tomorrow?” The goals of check-ins and check-outs are to nurture relationships, monitor progress, talk about issues as they arise, and provide a place for people to feel affirmed and validated.

Check-ins/outs

Managing Serious Conflicts Sometimes a conflict is too intense to resolve with an affective statement, circle, or check-in. This is where formal conferences come in.

Formal conferences, which include restorative conferences and family group conferencing, are the final stop in the restorative practices continuum. Requiring preparation, conferences are formal responses to wrongdoing in which everyone involved and affected by the incident meets with a trained facilitator to explore what happened, who was affected, and what needs to be done to make things right.

For example, a restorative conference can be held at work when two valued coworkers are experiencing what feel like irreconcilable differences and their disagreements are affecting the productivity of an entire team. The facilitator follows a script from which participants

are asked open-ended questions. The script anchors the conversation in the circle and minimizes possible interruptions by the facilitator.

At the end of a formal conference in pre-COVID-19 times, participants would symbolically break bread by having snacks or a shared meal. Eating together following what oftentimes is an emotional event represents a restoration of the community and its web of relationships.

Real-World Results Over the past several years, I have learned about restorative practices by studying the academic research and case studies; witnessing its practical application both in Detroit and in Kortrijk, Belgium; and participating in IIRP workshops and conferences.

Along the way, I saw many cases of restorative practices in action. I attended a neighborhood summit in Detroit’s Fifth Police Precinct in which police officers and the citizens they served learned from each other what it takes to make communities safe. A young man struggling with behavioral health issues found belonging while working on an organic farm in Belgium that implements restorative practices in its food production and distribution process. Michigan district court employees shared stories about their use of restorative practices to de-escalate workplace conflicts that had previously left dried spit on both sides of the customer service window. A teenage boy credited using restorative practices instead of reaching for a gun during neighborhood fights.

My exploration culminated in the award-winning docuseries Detroit Rising: How the Motor City Becomes a Restorative City. The series follows me as I witness the power and potency of restorative practices to repair harm, restore relationships, and build community in nearly every sector of Detroit. Through restorative practices, the series’ protagonists dismantle entrenched policies that foster distance and avoidance while building an ecosystem of connection and community.

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“In the wake of George Floyd’s death, Detroit was among a handful of cities in the United States that didn’t experience an outbreak of violence,” said Henry McClendon, a lifelong resident and community leader whose own family tragedy ignited his vision of Detroit as a restorative city.

“When we embrace restorative practices, we can build community,” Henry continued. “We have hope as a result of the restorative practices we are employing.

Never waste a crisis.”

Developing a Restorative Relationship with Yourself Restorative practices are adaptable across cultures and situations.

You can take a restorative approach with your child at the breakfast table. You can facilitate a restorative circle to solve a problem at work. You can convene a restorative conference among local residents, businessowners, and the government to guide sustainable and thoughtful community building. Prayer can even be a form of restorative practice, although restorative practices are not inherently religious or spiritual.

You can do restorative practices from where you are and as who you are. Just don’t be surprised if the restorative practices you adopt as a means to change the world end up changing you. They open you up to greater possibilities of understanding and grace, because the most restorative relationship you can have is the one with yourself.

“One of the biggest myths people have about restorative practices is that it’s a program,” said Keisha Allen, executive director of the BFDI Training Institute, a restorative practices resource center in Detroit. “It’s not. For me, it’s not a tool that goes in your toolbelt.

It’s a paradigm shift that changes the way you think, feel, and communicate with yourself and others.”

Keisha has applied the restorative practices principles to create a specialized training in restorative self-care.

“When you become awakened to how you navigate a crisis, you don’t have to respond negatively. You can choose to have a healthy, happy relationship with yourself. You can allow yourself the opportunity to feel whatever it is you’re feeling. You’re not holding it in and becoming toxic.”

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Keisha said her restorative self-care class is needed now more than ever because we have normalized not taking care of ourselves. We live on autopilot and don’t think about what we need. Then we wonder why we are stressed, anxious, and depressed.

“One of the things this pandemic does is remind us of the beauty and value of stopping and taking the time to just drink in your family or have some alone time,” she explained. “It’s needed because we are in a time of trauma and crisis. If people don’t take time for themselves and address their issues, it can overwhelm you.”

Restoring Our World Restorative practices require empathy, which is sorely missing from the world.

Through restorative practices, we are able to pause and listen. We create the space for brave conversations where we can listen to what’s actually being said instead of through our “fear-muffs” of insecurities, past wounds, and family pathologies.

Restorative practices, especially using the affective questions, enable us to listen beneath the pain to the emotional heart of an issue.

The healing begins when we hear what is being said and allow ourselves to be changed by it instead of clinging to calcified beliefs about who we are, who the other person is, and what happened. With this new knowledge, we can construct a different story—one that empowers us while granting grace to those who need it most. This is not a call to forgive abusers or racists. Those are separate issues.

Racism, climate change, and the pandemic, among many other critical issues, may not be our fault, but they are unfortunately our problem. Restorative practices enable us to maintain our sanity while we address them. Our world may be broken but we are not, because restorative practices illuminate the heart of our darkness and light pathways to healing.

BFDI Training Institute offers an array of workshops and classes. You can learn more about them at bfditraininginstitute.org. To see restorative practices in action, check out the docuseries Detroit Rising: How the Motor City Becomes a Restorative City, now streaming on Vimeo at vimeo.com/ondemand/detroitrising.

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KESHA CLINKSCALE ON PARENTING BLACK BOYS

“Never waste a crisis.”

photo by Tinnetta Bell

TIFFANY ALICHE

THE BUDGETNISTA words by Nikki Igbo

The coronavirus pandemic has had a varied effect on the African diaspora. In the United States, members of predominantly Black communities are nearly six times more likely to die from COVID-19 than their white counterparts. In both the United Kingdom and Brazil, a nation second only to Nigeria in its population of people of African descent, Black residents are four times more likely to die of COVID-19. Yet the Caribbean Islands have seen a comparatively low 4,100 coronavirus deaths out of 43 million inhabitants. And though some of its nations have fared worse than others, Africa’s population of 1.3 billion has seen fewer than 50,000 deaths across the continent as of publication. That’s a .004% death rate.

TIFFANY ALICHE

Richer Living Through Smarter Spending

Nevertheless, COVID-19 has been consistent in its Tiffany to accumulate nearly $300,000 in debt. economic impact. Throughout the diaspora, Black communities have seen massive layoffs, job losses, and “I remember sitting at the kitchen table at my business closures. There’s been a 99.1% decline in parents’ house with my good friend, and I was Caribbean tourism. Both Latin American and sub- really disappointed in myself,” she began. “I Saharan African economies are forecast to see their could not believe what had happened. I felt GDPs drop significantly and their foreign direct ashamed.” It took Tiffany’s friend to remind her investment dollars contract. In response, at least 33 that her problem was temporary and that she African nations have moved to send cash relief to was fully capable of solving it. their citizens, with these and several others working to architect or improve their social safety net systems. “For a moment, I’d forgotten all that I learned Jamaica is revamping its energy policy to combat the about money and savings. I’d lost confidence COVID-19 crisis and reposition itself as a regional in what I could do and I’d become afraid that leader on tackling climate change.

I would make the same mistakes. But my friend helped me to realize that I didn’t have to be Like Jamaica, many Black populations are regarding fearful if I had a plan and worked my plan. It can the Rona as an opportunity to get their financial be frightening when you feel as if you don’t have houses in order, and so are Black individuals. Radiant the answer or you don’t know where to start. But grabbed a moment with Tiffany “The Budgetnista” if you take the time to be honest with yourself Aliche, who is quickly becoming America’s favorite with where you are and then establish a goal for financial educator, to discuss overcoming financial where you want to be, you can and will get there.” setbacks, making a mindset shift, and the power of Black spending.

In five years, Tiffany lowered her $300,000 debt to $40,000.

Acquiring True Wealth “To answer your second question, on having a You’ve seen Tiffany Aliche before. If you regularly money mindset, we often equate having money read the New York Times, listen to NPR, or watch to having happiness, as if cash or objects make Good Morning America, you’ve received her sage us happy. Things have price tags but what truly advice on the power of remaining conscious makes me happy doesn’t necessarily have a cost.” about spending habits. She’s used the financial lessons she learned from her parents along with Working her budget, Tiffany saw that all of her her own personal money matter experiences to bills were paid. She was enriched in spirit and overcome debt, turn a passion into a profession, mind with the time she spent with family and and lead a life that she loves. She’s that Tiffany friends. She found building her business to be Aliche, and I was curious to pick her brain. truly fulfilling. But she also wanted more time just for herself outside of family and work. Doing “You’ve spoken about not being afraid of money laundry, however, seemed to be sucking the life and having a money mindset. What makes out of her. She’d assumed a laundry service people afraid of money and why can that fear be would be a significant cost, but after doing some crippling? And how is having a money mindset research she realized that the cost was very different from being materialistic?” I implored. reasonable and the value was immeasurable.

Tiffany has been quite vocal about her own “I got the information I needed to understand financial missteps. Before becoming the famed how to work the cost into my budget. I was so “Budgetnista,” she’d been a veteran preschool relieved to have that chore off my list. I was now teacher who lost her job in a school closure free to read a book or take a walk or have a nap right in the midst of America’s Great Recession. or spend that time in some way that fed my soul.

She’d been victimized in a credit card scam How I decided to spend my money gave me the and also defaulted on a home mortgage. Along kind of life I wanted to live. This is an example with unpaid student loans, these matters caused of how money does not have to be about

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material things. Having a money mindset is about understanding how to use and leverage your money to live the life you want and what steps you’ll need to take to do that. It doesn’t mean you have to have millions in the bank. It does mean prioritizing your wants and needs in a way that helps you determine exactly what you can do with what you have.”

beauty needs. We are also more likely to purchase costume jewelry and buy or lease luxury vehicles.

According to Target Market News, a marketing research group out of Chicago, Blacks at large spend $3.7 billion on alcohol, $2 billion on athletic shoes, and $600 million on fast food each year.

“Fifteen dollars a week on lunch is $780 per year.

Could that pay off a credit card bill? Could that be a round-trip ticket? Could that be seed money Making a Mental Shift on Money for your business? Or classes you’ve wanted to take?” When Tiffany put the accumulated costs of As I waited for the How to Budget Your Way to Savings, mindless spending in perspective, it was a true Aha! Travel and a Better Life online class to start, I felt moment for the digital audience. an energy comparable to that of a beauty show or a business expo. The Zoom chat scroll ticked By the end of the session, I felt empowered. There off greetings from Ohio, California, Louisiana, were definitely some modifications I could make— Ontario, New York, Virginia. These were all folks like automating all of my bill payments to avoid who saw the pandemic as an opportunity to slow late fees and using cash to make purchases instead down, take personal inventory, and make better of swiping a debit card. I also felt relieved. Like so money decisions. many others, I’ve felt afraid of thinking or talking about money because I always felt as if I never had Tiffany began the class relaxed yet upbeat, and giv- enough. With Tiffany’s guidance, I realized that ing off a “you got this” vibe. In response, all who wasn’t true. I also realized that I didn’t need an were on the digital session eagerly answered the accounting degree to make smart money decisions. questions she threw out in her introduction. Yes, they’d been worried about money and yes, they I was reminded of my mother, who’d managed to were ready to be proactive about making a change. purchase and renovate her home while making There was familiarity and warmth like Sunday under $50,000 a year. Growing up, I’d watched greetings before opening prayer. We were all gath- her balance her checkbook each night without fail. ered together to rise.

Long before automated bill pay, she’d made utility payments a fun weekend activity of riding around The digital coaching session continued, and to payment drop boxes before stopping off at the Tiffany pointed out the importance of making library to check out the limit in books. Just like a “money list” of your daily, weekly, and monthly Tiffany’s parents, my parents had also provided expenditures—not just bills, but everything. That guidance in managing money and demonstrating means gourmet coffee, splurges on makeup, random that simple financial practices could go a long way. new shoe purchases, hair care costs, and Uber Eats.

She asked us to consider the difference between Despite my parents’ example, I definitely needed firm and adjustable costs. What expenditures a refresher course on financial literacy, and I’m afforded savings? What costs could be completely not alone. The 2014 Standard & Poor’s Ratings eliminated? What do we actually need to buy? Services Global Financial Literacy survey found What do we actually want to buy? that just one out of three adults worldwide are able to understand and effectively use such financial This can be as difficult a truth to face for the skills as budgeting to support their life goals. In individual as it is for our particular demographic. other words, 66% of the world’s adults lack this skill set. The survey also showed that women, lower According to a 2017 Nielsen report on Black educated people, and the poor are more likely to be female spending, we are driving Black spending negatively impacted by gaps in financial knowledge, power toward an estimated $1.5 trillion by 2021 whether they live in countries with developing and currently control $1.2 trillion of that spending. economies or well-developed financial markets.

The same report articulated that Black women consistently pay extra for high-quality items in order This is exactly why in addition to providing adults to convey a favorable image. We are 61% more likely with sessions, courses, and actionable tasks through to spend more dollars per buyer on personal bath and her online personal finance school, The Live At that point, I knew I had to take a class with Tiffany.

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TIFFANY ALICHE

“ What costs could be completely eliminated?

What do we actually need to buy? What do we actually want to buy?”

Richer Academy, Tiffany is working to teach all children financial literacy.

Minding the Financial Knowledge Gap In January 2019, Tiffany witnessed the signing of the Budgetnista Law at President Barack Obama Elementary School in Jersey City, New Jersey. The law mandates the integration of financial education into all New Jersey middle schools educating children between the ages of 11 and 13. Tiffany shared the ins and outs of creating the law during our call.

it: everything that is truly important to living a healthy, happy, richer life—like exercise, eating right, and personal safety—is taught early and often. As soon as a child gets the concept of buying something, they are able to learn about personal finances.”

By the end of 2019, Tiffany had written and published her first children’s book on financial literacy, Happy Birthday Mali More. The beautifully illustrated 48-page book is about a six-year-old Black girl named Mali who gains an invaluable lesson on the true value of possessions and the most important things in life.

“It’s not a small thing to get a piece of legislation passed. It took Assemblywoman Angela “I was very deliberate about the details of V. McKnight and I three years of writing, re- the book. The main character is six years old searching, moving through committees, build- because children that age can and should learn ing support through advocacy, revising, and so financial matters. I named the girl Mali as a on to get the Budgetnista Law passed,” Tiffany reflection of African culture. I gave her natural explained. “But children all over New Jersey hair and dark brown skin because I wanted her are now receiving a foundation in financial to mirror little Black girls who look like me literacy. My friend and her daughter visited and my sisters to make sure they know that this with me and her daughter had financial literacy knowledge is for them too.” homework because of a bill that I helped create.

That blew my mind.”

As I wrapped up my illuminating conversation with Tiffany, I thought of the stats I’d read Now by law, students in the Garden State will re- on Black women and our spending habits. I ceive lessons in budgeting, credit, debt, insurance, considered what mistakes I’d made. I recalled investing, and saving, as well as other lessons in the fear Tiffany mentioned, thought of my own, financial responsibility. Such studies will prove and took Tiffany’s reminders to heart. After all, invaluable in a state where the average credit we’ve stood eye to eye with things much scarier card balance stands at over $7,000. than money issues and overcome them. We’re not alone and we have the power and support to The original bill for the Budgetnista Law was help ourselves. Tiffany wholeheartedly agrees. targeted at both elementary and middle school children but was vetoed and then reintroduced “I take pride in the fact that my core audience for passage after omission of the elementary looks like me and shares my experience. In the education requirement—a point that Tiffany work that I do, I help so many Black women has not given up on. especially discover that just a few simple changes can truly make a difference in their “I’m able to do the financial education work I lives and what they are able to do.” do, which has helped millions of people get back on financial track, because of the lessons Tiffany offers a wealth of information and insights on I first learned at a very young age. Think about personal financial management at thebudgetnista.com.

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The Los Art of Rest FINDING JOY IN THE SLOW LANE

words by Oreoluwa Ogunyemi, MD

THE LOST ART OF REST

“Rest is revolution. It can restore, empower, heal, and cultivate joy.”

— Rachel Cargle FROM THE MOMENT the alarm jolts us out of our nightly respite, our minds are filled with to-do lists and plans to fill up the next 24 hours. We are immediately on the go, spending on average about 20% of our waking hours on the smartphones that are supposed to save us time. Yet our devices are just as likely to cause distractions and disconnection while making it impossible to unplug from never-ending information streams. As we take business calls around the dinner table, catch up on work emails over the weekend, and set up a quick online conference call over a holiday, we are left to wonder where work ends and life begins.

st

For many of us, the line is not just blurred—it has ceased to exist.

With our busy schedules and time-crunched activities, finding a moment for reflection and rest seems like a pipe dream. As we wearily step into the second year of a global pandemic, the worry over the health of ourselves and our families and the stresses of financial loss and physical separation from loved ones are ever present. In times like these, the importance of restoration and healing for our busy minds, bodies, and spirits is even more vital.

Why Are We So Busy?

Our obsession with busyness is a recent phenomenon as well as the newest status symbol.

Our grandmothers may have admonished us that “idleness is the devil’s handiwork,” but we have collectively gone overboard to avoid these ancestral concerns. We laud the hustling executive or the overworked working mother, equating their busyness with ambition and resilience while relegating moments of leisure to tragic underachievers. We do this despite increasing concern that these objects of our praise are at increased risk for burnout, heart disease, and even death.

For many, work is measured by the clock, with increasing benefits and bonuses tied to “fulltime” employment. As a result, longer work weeks, rather than productivity or efficiency, have become the barometer of our work life.

And it’s not just our work; we have begun to prioritize quantity over quality in more areas of our lives. With increasing demands on our time from our children’s activities, familial responsibilities, and overflowing inboxes, we’d rather double and triple book our calendars than tell our bosses, family, or anyone else “no.”

It’s becoming increasingly clear that having it all and doing it all is a fallacy, and something has to give.

For most of us, unfortunately, that something is our rest.

The Many Faces of Rest Rest is not a necessary evil; rather, it is a revitalizing tool that allows us to reset while integrating all that we have seen, learned, and done in the preceding hours. Not inconsequentially, we use 90% of our brain energy during rest, with only a change of 5% during our most focused mental activities. No matter how much we work or schedule, the default mode network (DMN) of the brain continues. First discovered in 2001, the DMN is a network of connection and activity in the brain that remains turned on as we turn inward, remembering and processing our experiences and our emotions. It is thought to play a critical role in our ability to learn and to curb addictions, as well as in brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and depression.

While the DMN thrives on introspection, it is not uniform. Three distinct areas exist: the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VMPC), which focuses on our emotional state; the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (DMPC),

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which focuses on self-referential information; and finally the posterior cingulate cortex, which focuses on memory.

While these areas are interconnected, relative changes in one or more of them may affect our memory, attention, and anxiety levels.

day. From naps to daydreaming and meditation, alternative methods of rest may be a key component of engaging in lifechanging self-care.

To complicate matters, the DMN is not the only network active in the brain. Other networks prioritize external tasks such as attention, vision, hearing, and movement. The

Napping has been a part of life for millennia. With ringing endorsements from the Prophet Muhammad and the Roman Catholic Church, siestas in the past were tied to

networks are all interdependent, sometimes increasing in synchrony or quieting down to let others use more energy.

These interconnections may affect our personality traits and creativity, highlighting the ways in which the DMN regulates our brain function. Clearly, the DMN and the rest it thrives on deserve a closer look.

prayer as well as to avoiding the oppressive midday heat.

As we shifted toward artificially controlled climates and nine-to-fives, naps and their benefits were tossed aside.

Now naps are phased out as early as kindergarten, despite scientists’ and our ancestors’ confirmation of their ability to improve our mood, energy, and overall well-being.

While there is good evidence that adequate sleep is critical for our body’s balance, health, and brain functioning, less is known about short bouts of rest sprinkled throughout the

Recent evidence shows that naps can increase our alertness, reaction times, and accuracy while improving our ability to learn specific tasks. Naps may even help our heart health,

Nap and Refresh

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decreasing blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythms associated with sleep loss. While the amount of time for a nap varies, 90 minutes is typically required to go through all of the sleep cycles, including the rapid eye movement (REM) associated with dreaming.

minds permission to wander and let go of worries, our intrinsic networks take over to uncover the solution just underneath the surface in a brilliant “Aha!” moment.

Well-rested participants who took a full 90-minute nap did 20% better on memory tasks compared to others who stayed awake to watch a documentary.

Functional brain MRIs (scans that measure blood flow in the brain) in the nappers showed increased activity in the hippocampus, an area of the brain critical to long-term memory.

While technology does provide convenience and global connection in our daily lives, the downside is often a sense of being overwhelmed. For those of us living in cities, with a concrete landscape, noise, and light pollution, rest can seem even more elusive.

While few of us have 90 minutes to devote to a nap during the day, fear not: research confirms that a quick 10-minute nap can leave you feeling refreshed even if you didn’t get a full eight hours the night before. With naps of 20 minutes or less, your brain remains in the lightest stages of sleep, making you less groggy than with naps over 30 minutes.

The Wandering Mind To many of us, daydreaming is mildly embarrassing—a sign of unproductive inattention. Yet studies suggest that our fantasies about starting a music group or traveling around the world are not only normal but also a functional form of rest and introspection. Daydreaming lights up the DMN and may take up to 50% of our waking brain activity. Research has shown that mindwandering and baseline DMN activity may even be increased in creative types.

Interestingly, some types of mind-wandering are indicative of activity not only in the DMN but also in the frontoparietal network, another intrinsic network that is considered the brain’s executive, vital to focused, goal-oriented behaviors like planning, self-regulation, and motivation. In fact, individuals with increased connections between the DMN and the frontoparietal network at rest may have higher intelligence scores.

While mind-wandering and daydreaming may seem at first glance antithetical to focused attention, the answer may be in the details. Researchers hypothesize that the increased connection between the DMN and the frontoparietal network may allow certain daydreamers to harness their mind-wandering to find solutions to nagging problems or develop creative ideas for their future.

It may be that those spur-of-the-moment inspirations that come to you after stepping away from a particularly challenging problem at work or while singing in the shower may really be evidence of deep connectivity between the intrinsic areas of the brain. As we give our

Returning to Nature

Humans evolved with nature, and as a result our minds and bodies respond positively to the sun, trees, and stars. From activating our bodies’ natural vitamin D to improving our access to oxygen, being in nature can shift us toward the parasympathetic (rest and digest) and away from the sympathetic (fight or flight) system. Studies have revealed that even in a laboratory setting, listening to nature sounds can normalize blood pressure and heart rates while dropping levels of cortisol, the body’s major stress hormone. Delving even deeper, exposure to nature may directly affect the intrinsic networks of the brain. When exposed to nature sounds, participants showed an increase in connections between certain areas of the DMN. These findings suggest that a nature holiday may be just what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, too many people pass up vacation time for fear of seeming undedicated or over concerns that no one else can do their job. The amount of vacation days varies widely across countries and industries, and many are left unused at the end of the year. As the benefits of rest in sparking productivity are becoming more well known, corporate culture may begin to shift with the realization that vacation is not only good for workers but for the bottom line as well.

Even if you’re not due for a holiday, you can still enjoy the benefits of returning to nature. Getting outside during your lunch break or choosing a soundtrack of a waterfalls can help ignite the parasympathetic system in the middle of a hectic day. Acknowledging that our technology habits did not form overnight allows us to have self-compassion in finding our way back to balance. Rather than an all-or-nothing approach, we can set daily social media limits, make the bedroom a device-free zone, or unplug the internet router after 10 p.m. These little tips can help take technology out from under our noses so we can look up, look around, and enjoy the present moment.

What About Meditation?

In the yogic tradition, meditation becomes possible after we turn inward toward a single, focused point of attention. While meditators may outwardly

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appear to be at rest, they develop high levels of focused attention in which a thought, object, or idea is contemplated without wavering. Meditation can seem antithetical to mind-wandering, and research on meditators bears this out.

gratitude journaling, regularly carve out a few moments at a specific time each day to devote to your practice.

In advanced meditators, the DMN is actually less active than in people who have never meditated.

In fact, meditators may be so single-minded in their meditation that the DMN is more active when they perform a cognitive task than when they are meditating. In these advanced practitioners, meditation is devoid of emotionladen daydreams and is instead an impartial turning inward.

Our contemporary lives are filled with technological wonders and conveniences that would be incomprehensible to our ancestors. Yet our constant exposure to news and stimuli can leave us exhausted. Combine this with a year like no other, and we owe it to ourselves to embrace rest and recuperation and to commit to self-care—not only for our own health and well-being, but for that of future generations as well.

Regardless, meditation is well documented as improving overall well-being and boosting our mood and memory while slashing stress levels.

Research indicates that long-term meditators have larger hippocampi and are less likely to experience brain shrinkage as they age. Using functional MRIs, researchers found that Buddhist monks with over 1,000 hours of training in meditation had different resting connections across areas of the DMN compared to beginning meditators.

Rest is vital. It provides a necessary reset so that we can embrace our day with gratitude and energy.

Here are few ways to bring little moments of rest to your day.

Interestingly, individuals whose DMN connections are in exact opposition to those of the monks (with decreased connections in areas where the monks had increased connections and vice versa) are more likely to have elevated cortisol levels and higher levels of depression.

Since specific areas of the DMN are focused on self-reference and emotions, the alterations in DMN connections suggest that long-term meditators are less likely to have emotionally charged self-focused thoughts.

This effect is significant, as depression and anxiety are associated with negative ruminations about oneself and one’s future. Meditation may serve to break maladaptive interconnections across the DMN that allow emotionally draining negative self-talk while still allowing the meditator to turn inward for rest and introspection.

Luckily, we don’t have to join a monastery to experience the benefits of meditation. While our brain may not change noticeably with one day of meditation, there are a myriad ways to bring a few moments of gratitude, deep breathing, or selfawareness into your day. Whether you choose a meditation app, deep resonance breathing, or

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Choose Rest

» Take a nap. Give yourself 10 or 20 minutes to settle down in a comfortable, quiet, dimly lit area between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. (If all else fails, use ear plugs and an eye mask!)

» Take a break. If you feel stuck on a certain problem or conflict, walk away, let go of the effort, and let your mind wander. It’s often in these times of relaxation that elusive answers spring up from seemingly nowhere.

» Create your area of Zen. Declutter and clean your space. Consider adding indoor plants to your space, such as a dragon tree or a snake plant.

» Keep your devices in specific locations (like at your desk) and only use them there.

» Set a daily time limit for social media or watching the news.

» Banish devices and TVs from your bedroom. » Relax to a natural soundtrack of waterfalls, chirping birds, or forest sounds.

» Set reminders throughout the day to take a few deep, cleansing breaths.

» Start meditating, even if just for one minute.

You can choose focused, loving-kindness, movement, or any other type of meditation that speaks to you. Prioritize this time by scheduling it on your calendar!

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“ CARING FOR MYSELF IS NOT SELF-INDULGENCE, IT IS SELF-PRESERVATION, AND THAT IS AN ACT OF POLITICAL WARFARE.”

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photography by Ahmad Barber model Bianca of Ursula Wiedmann styling by Ray C'Mone make-up by Christine Dompier-Vazquez hair by Andy Buckmire set design Skye Lin

04 SECTION

HEALTH & WELLNESS

page 86.

THE 411 ON ESSENTIAL OILS Scents to help bring us back to our senses page 94.

TELEMEDICINE & OUTPOST HEALTH The future of healthcare

THE 411 ON ESSENTIAL OILS

The 411 on

Essential Oils what are they and how can they help? words by Zora DeGrandpre ND, MS

AROMATIC OILS, SEEDS, AND PLANTS have been used

throughout history and throughout the world for healing, skin care, massage therapy, perfume, and even to prepare the dead for the afterlife. Essential oils found in Egyptian tombs still carry their aroma after over 3,000 years! Over the centuries, many different systems of healing have used essential oils and aromatherapy to clean wounds, reduce depression and anxiety, manage pain, and provide protection against infection.

While essential oils have been used for millenia, they have recently experienced an explosion in interest: the global market for aromatic oils, seeds, plants, and aromatherapy is currently estimated to be over $7 billion, with expectations that it will pass $14 billion by 2026.

Still, questions remain. Do essential oils really work, and if so, how do they work and for what types of conditions?

And what are the risks associated with using essential oils?

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The Science of Aromatherapy Essential oils are the natural aromatic extracts of various fragrant plants. They can be extracted by cold pressing (expression), distillation, or solvent extraction. Essential oils have a low enough boiling point that they begin to evaporate at room temperature, resulting in the distinctive odor associated with the particular plant from which the oil was derived.

Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine in which aromas (typically from essential oils) are believed to have specific healing effects on the body.

Aromatherapy is most commonly used to induce relaxation, for pain management, to promote better sleep, to reduce stress, and to treat headaches, including migraines.

Scientific aromatherapy—a more methodical and analytical approach to the use of essential oils—began in the early 20th century in Italy with Dr. Renato Cayola and Dr. Giovanni Garri. The doctors conducted clinical trials with various essential oils to determine which oils produced a calming effect, which produced a more stimulating effect, and which benefited the respiratory system, circulatory system, nervous system, and other physiological systems.

This more scientific approach led to the formation of various national and international organizations dedicated to maintaining oil quality standards and regulating the training and credentialing of aromatherapists. Nonetheless, the research as to whether aromatherapy can help you relax, improve your sleep quality, reduce stress, or improve your mood is still inconclusive; some studies show reasonable efficacy while others show little or no effect.

There is some positive news on the research front,

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however—for example, lemon oil aromatherapy can reduce agitation in some dementia patients, tea tree oil has shown some positive results in treating acne, and hair loss has been successfully treated with the essential oils of thyme, rosemary, lavender, and cedar. But overall the jury is still out when it comes to evidence that aromatherapy can be effective for most conditions.

At the same time, contrary to popular belief, essential oils aren’t without side effects. For example, both lavender and tea tree oils have been linked to breast enlargement in young boys when these oils were used for prolonged periods of time. It is believed that xenoestrogens (substances that bind to estrogen receptors) may be the cause of this abnormal breast growth— but this is a relatively rare occurance and there may also be other factors involved.

Other possible adverse effects are headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions, including skin rashes and asthma attacks. Some oils should not be used around very young children— peppermint oil for one can cause agitation in babies and toddlers.

The key is to use very dilute, high-quality oils and to use them cautiously until you know that you are not prone to any adverse effects from any specific oils.

Some Common Essential Oils and Their Potential Benefits Lavender Oil Lavender is best known for its

soothing and calming effect. It is commonly used to improve sleep, lower stress, reduce headaches, ease menstrual cramps, and lessen discomfort from eczema. Lavender can also be used as an effective antifungal agent and has been used to treat toenail fungus. Lavender oil blends well with bergamot, chamomile, tea tree, cedarwood, and citrus oils. Lavender oil also been used medicinally to reduce pain after an episiotomy and to promote wound healing.

There have been reports of lavender causing breast growth in young boys. As mentioned earlier, this effect appears to be linked to xenoestrogens in lavender oil, but more research needs to be

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“The key is to use very dilute, high-quality oils and to use them cautiously until you know that you are not prone to any adverse effects from any specific oils. ” done to determine the exact cause. In addition, lavender oil (as well as tea tree oil) may decrease testosterone levels, though the exact cause is not yet known.

Ylang ylang is also used in hair and skin products to promote a healthy shine and glow. It blends well with bergamot, grapefruit, and geranium.

Peppermint Oil Peppermint oil can be used internally for gastric distress and has been shown to be useful in treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It can be used topically or through aromatherapy to lift the mood and focus the mind.

Peppermint can also soothe sore muscles, freshen breath, and ease both mental and physical fatigue. Peppermint oil blends well with eucalyptus, pine, tea tree, and lavender oil.

Tea Tree Oil Tea tree oil is famous for a few things, in-

Peppermint oil can cause heartburn in some, and keep in mind that it should not be used in children younger than 30 months of age because it can cause agitation and behavioral changes.

Tea tree oil should not be used internally, so if you use it as a mouthwash, avoid swallowing. Tea tree oil has also been associated with cases of abnormal breast growth in young boys.

Frankincense Oil Frankincense is an ancient aromatic that was once extremely precious and rare. Frankincense oil has anti-inflammatory properties and may be helpful in reducing arthritis pain. It is used in Ayurvedic medicine to improve digestion and reduce the discomfort of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Frankincense blends well with bergamot, cinnamon, lavender, citrus, patchouli, sandalwood, cedarwood, and ylang ylang. Its use in Ayurvedic medicine to treat tumors is being studied.

Different Ways to Use Essential Oils

Bergamot Oil Bergamot oil is the same oil used to flavor Earl Grey tea. The oil is anti-inflammatory, may reduce anxiety and stress, and has antibacterial and antifungal properties. It has also been used to reduce the discomfort of headaches and migraines.

Bergamot oil can cause significant skin reactions and photosensitivity, so be sure to read the precautions before using it. If you do use bergamot oil on your skin, either stay out of the sun for at least a day or make sure that you thoroughly wash and rinse the area where the bergamot oil was applied before going out in the sun.

Ylang Ylang Oil Ylang ylang oil exudes a citrusy, woodsy

calm. It is relaxing and can help reduce blood pressure.

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cluding its antifungal, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Many people use tea tree oil, which is derived from the melaleuca tree, to treat nail fungus and athlete’s foot. It can also be used as an insect repellant, as a mouthwash to promote healthy teeth and gums, and to promote wound healing.

Essential oils can be used topically on the skin or for aromatherapy, in which the oil is often heated to diffuse its scent. One of the best-known aromatherapies is lavender oil, which can be placed on the temples to help you sleep, keep you calm, or soothe a headache. Some—but not all— essential oils can also be ingested. CBD oil is probably the best-known example of an ingestible essential oil.

In Cooking Some essential oils can be used in cooking to add variety and flavor, such as lavender, peppermint, orange, lemon, grapefruit, or ginger oils. As a general rule, only use the highest quality oils for cooking or for any form of ingestion—lower-quality oils can contain pesticides, herbicides, and other contaminants. Lowerquality oils may also contain more substances that can cause allergic reactions.

It is also important to remember that since essential oils are highly concentrated, when they are added to cooked or baked goods (or even to your water bottle) they can be ingested at a high enough level to potentially interact with medications. So, if you are on any prescription medications, be sure to check with your healthcare

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provider and pharmacist before using any ingestible essential oils.

In addition, essential oils are not FDA-regulated, so you have to rely on the company’s reputation for integrity when it comes to the quality of the oil. Organic oils are often of high quality, but investigate the company first and look for companies that provide third-party lab testing information.

Self-Care Treatments Essential oils can also be added

to your bath or shower. In the shower, put a drop or two on a cotton ball or washcloth and let the steam in the shower bring out the fragrance. The hotter the bath or shower, the stronger the aroma will be, so start with small amounts of diluted essential oils and slowly increase as desired. Some essential oils can irritate the skin—especially the sensitive genital area— so be particularly careful when washing these areas. Keep in mind that if you can smell the essential oil, you are also breathing it, so stay alert to any breathing problems.

And remember that while putting essential oils on the skin tends to be safe, you can develop new allergies and/or sensitivities to these oils at any time.

Diffusers The most common method of using essential oils is by way of a diffuser. This approach may cause fewer problems, but anyone with any breathing issues still needs to be cautious about using a diffuser. Start by putting a very small amount of essential oil in the diffuser, and only one drop at a time. You can slowly increase the amount as desired.

Always keep diffusers out of the reach of small children and pets. (Animals can be attracted to diffusers, and you don’t want kitty knocking your diffuser off the table!)

And be sure to invest in a high-quality diffuser, especially if you plan to use essential oils for aromatherapy.

Tips and Precautions There has not yet been a great deal of clinical research on essential oils, and most of their uses are based on

knowledge passed down through the years. While these oils are generally safe, there are some important precautions to be aware of.

1. Pregnant women, nursing moms, and children

Essential oils should not be used on young children—especially those younger than 30 months— or by pregnant women or nursing moms without medical supervision. There has just not been enough research to ensure that they are safe. We do know that some oils such as sage, rosemary, and juniper can cause uterine contractions, because these have been traditionally used to induce labor. Some oils can also cause a miscarriage; pennyroyal is an herb that has been used as an abortifacient, and its use can cause dangerous uterine contractions that may put a woman and her unborn baby at risk.

Always keep essential oils out of the reach of children—we all know they like to taste and test things, especially things that smell good! The Tennessee Poison Center has reported seeing an increase in toxic essential oil exposures after ingestion, with 80% of these cases involving young children.

2. Allergic reactions

If you are allergic to a particular plant or family of plant, you could very well have an allergic reaction to an essential oil derived from that plant or plant family. For example, if you are allergic to daisies, which are a member of the Asteraceae family, you could also be allergic to Arnica, Artemisia (including tarragon, wormwood, and sagebrush), asters, Arctium (burdock), chamomile, chicory, coneflower (echinacea), chrysanthemum, dandelion, goldenrod, marigold, calendula, and sunflowers!

Some oils can induce asthma in people who are susceptible. If you have asthma, consult with a knowledgeable healthcare professional before using essential oils, and always start with a very small amount of oil, whether in an infuser, on a cotton ball, or in bathwater.

Testing for Allergic or Sensitivity Reactions Do a patch test even if you have used the essential oil in the past with no problems, because you can always develop a sensitivity or allergic reaction to any essential oil—it is not something that can be predicted.

Before you intend to use an essential oil, dab a very small amount of the diluted oil on the inside of your elbow. (You can dilute the essential oil with olive oil,

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sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, or any oil that you know you are not sensitive to.) You need to dilute the oil because some people can get a nonallergic skin rash simply because many essential oils are highly concentrated and these high levels of plant substances can cause some reactions. Plus, diluting the essential oil should minimize any possible reaction.

Repeat the patch test two to three times a day for at least two or three days. If the essential oil passes the patch test, it should be safe to use on your skin, though the possibility always remains that you could develop an allergy to it over time. The same is true of using essential oil for respiratory therapy—you may develop a sensitivity to it down the line.

Keep in mind that those with respiratory diseases should be extremely cautious about using essential oils, as substances known as phenols, found in certain oils such as eucalyptus and peppermint, can induce asthma attacks and constrict bronchioles in some people. Interestingly, phenols in certain other oils (thyme, anise, and others) can actually relieve constricted bronchioles in some people. Eucalyptus oil is often used to treat coughs, colds, bronchitis, and upper respiratory infections. » A patch test is a good idea even if you have used a particular plant in the past with no problem—you may have developed a sensitivity over time, but you won’t know unless you do the patch test. » An allergic reaction can be anything from a rash to full-blown anaphylactic shock requiring immediate medical attention. Between these extremes, symptoms can include difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, tightness in the throat, or hives. » Allergic reactions most commonly occur with lavender, bergamot, peppermint, tea tree, oregano, chamomile, cinnamon bark, and ylang-ylang oil. » Use a carrier oil to dilute the essential oil for topical application. Good carrier oils include coconut, jojoba, evening primrose, grapeseed, rose hip, and castor oil. » Remember to always wash your hands thoroughly after using an essential oil, and avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth, and vaginal and anal areas until your hands are clean.

3. Quality

Quality is everything. Improperly produced oils can result in significant problems, including allergic reactions, poor aromas, and a lack of benefit to your health and well-being. So, look around and look for quality. Since the FDA does not regulate essential

oils, the best approach is to research the company selling the oils and finding out about its policies, its mission, and its reputation. See if the company will provide you with third-party (independent) testing information—this can indicate the company’s transparency and willingness to be open about the quality of its product.

You may also want to consider using organic essential oils to ensure that you aren’t putting any pesticides on your skin or in your body.

4. Quantity

More is definitely not better when it comes to essential oils. The best way to approach essential oils (and herbs too) is to start with as little as possible, either by diluting the oil or by using the absolute smallest amount you can manage. If you can achieve your goals with that amount, great! But if you feel you may need to use more, very slowly increase the amount. Always double- and triplecheck to make certain that an essential oil is safe for ingestion—there are literally hundreds of different oils, and we are only covering a few of them here.

Remember, just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s safe!

5. Photosensitivity

Some oils can cause photosensitivity, or sensitivity to the sun and other sources of UV light (like tanning beds). Photosensitivity can result in burns, sometimes serious ones. Commonly used oils that can produce photosensitivity are Angelica, bitter orange peel (and other citrus peels like orange, lemon, tangerine, and lime), rue, cumin, and bergamot. Oil blends that contain these oils may produce photosensitivity as well.

The Bottom Line Essential oils appear to be helpful for some people and for some situations. There is currently very little scientific or medical evidence regarding the effectiveness of essential oils and there are some legitimate concerns about using them.

If you do decide that you want to use essential oils, talk to your healthcare provider and consult a pharmacist regarding any potential interactions with medications that you are taking. Talk to a professional aromatherapist if you can, and do your research both on the essential oil and on any company that you are interested in purchasing from. Look for information about the company, its reputation, whether it does independent third-party testing (and makes the results easily available), and the helpfulness of its customer service department.

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TELEMEDICINE IS THE FUTURE & OUTPOST HEALTH IS LEADING THE WAY

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC has laid bare something

about community health that we’ve known for a long time: the way that we receive healthcare is not equal, and as a result, the way we experience disease is not equal.

As the virus has disproportionately impacted people of color and rural and low-income communities who already struggle to access care and often suffer from higher rates of the chronic diseases that make it harder to survive COVID-19, it’s become clear that the virus doesn’t have an inequity issue—our healthcare systems do.

for even minor health issues. Was there a way to connect patients like her to medical care without the hassle—or the barrier—of an in-person doctor visit?

Where There’s a Will The brothers’ first effort to bring telemedicine to a remote community in Haiti became a driving force, showing them what could be achieved with the right amount of conviction. They sent a laptop with a group of teachers to connect them to the community’s children, even though the area had little to no power. What happened next shocked them.

Social distancing protocols and fear of catching the virus have led many people to postpone both “It was genius,” said Didi. “They ran the laptop and routine and urgent medical care to avoid having to Wi-Fi off a car battery, and the video quality go to the hospital. This means that many have es- was crystal clear. So, technology-wise we were chewed preventative screenings and treatment for not fazed because we saw what people could chronic conditions. For vulnerable communities achieve with a certain amount of resilience.” who already face barriers to getting quality care, this can be a disaster.

Although the brothers did run into some internet and cellphone challenges, esAs a result, many health systems have turned to pecially in the northern half of Nigeria, telemedicine to reach people where they’re at, cap- the country was going through a large italizing on technology’s ability to connect them to investment into cellular networks, with patients who may not be seen otherwise.

Nigeria outpacing China in per capita cellular service sign-ups.

Even before the pandemic, Dr. Jude Emokpare, 43, and his brother Dr. Didi Emokpare, 48, had their These experiences led the duo to eye on hard-to-reach populations. After residency found Outpost Health in 2014 as the brothers, who were raised in Nigeria’s Benin City a “physician-led, global healthcare and studied medicine in the Caribbean, volunteered organization” that virtually conwith a Canadian charity that sent doctors, nurses, nects patients who need care and teachers on mission trips to help children in with a global network of Haiti. After each trip, the doctors worried about how physicians and healthcare their patients were doing, knowing the limited im- providers. pact of brief, disjointed moments of healthcare.

Because no one in their “We had such a limited amount of time to see these target areas had experience kids,” said Didi. “And then when you come back home, with telemedicine, their first you have issues with following up with those clients.” barrier was convincing people that what they were trying to do was The duo began to think about how to use phone and even possible. video technology to connect with their patients back in Haiti to keep tabs on their health. Meanwhile, the “It was very conceptual in that even experiences of both their mother, who was diagnosed though people were comfortable with cancer, and other ill loved ones expanded their video chatting on FaceTime, once focus to Nigeria as well. Before passing away from you brought in medicine it was like— cancer, their mother was in and out of the hospital whoa,” said Didi.

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“We’re most proud of the fact that we took a high-quality product and made it available to marginalized people and affluent people; everyone is equal in the Outpost network...”

While the brothers believed they were building a move- “Everyone in the room just kind of looked at us like we ment, not a product, they underestimated the overall were crazy people,” Jude recalled. cost of building a digital platform with enough functionality to coordinate with patients and healthcare teams Fast forward two years later, and they’re seeing how across the globe. After realizing that outside software their unique brand of patient-centered, physiciandevelopers and existing platforms were too expensive, led telemedicine is fulfilling an essential need. “The they decided not to outsource and instead cobbled to- pandemic exposed all the gaps in healthcare delivery,” gether a ragtag group of volunteers, part-time workers, said Jude. “The need is huge and we’re seeing our tech people, advisors, and family and friends, with fund- growth really take off to what we dreamt of years ago. ing coming largely from their own pockets.

The timing has been perfect with our growth.”

“I remember my niece telling me that one day when she was younger, I woke her up and said, ‘You’re not chipping in enough,’ and she was like, ‘I’m just a child,’” Didi recalled, laughing.

The organization eventually got some backing from the Canadian government, and the Nigerian government encouraged its expansion in the country. Development of the product proved slow, but the brothers stayed true to their vision of infusing equity into healthcare.

“We’re most proud of the fact that we took a high-quality product and made it available to marginalized people and affluent people; everyone is equal in the Outpost network,” said Jude. “Our mission at the end of the day was how do we get access to those who need it.”

Bringing Healthcare Home

With many long-hauler COVID patients reporting symptoms that are lasting months longer than the average twoweek recovery period, tens of thousands of people around the world will need consistent healthcare to manage chronic illnesses. Telemedicine just may be the key.

“It will forever come back to access to healthcare,” said Didi. “If you don’t explode the number of touch points where a person can access care, then you haven’t touched the problem at all. I think the future of medicine is digital, but you need to infuse humanity into whatever technology you develop.”

And the future looks bright for Outpost Health. The organization recently announced a new partnership with University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) to provide digital health services for over 4 million people across Edo State and the rest of Nigeria. Patients will have round-the-clock access to Outpost Health’s digital platform, which includes online video visits, electronic medical records, health-tracking tools, and a digital health wallet and educational resources.

Today the Outpost Health app is a data-first platform that can store essential readings such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight. The team is in the process of developing health insights that allow for a more holistic approach to care, using artificial intelligence to alert patients and their healthcare team about warning signs such as abnormally “There’s a sense of pride in being able to build something high blood pressure or sleep disruptions. together,” said Jude. “When COVID hit it just shifted the conversation, and because of our relationship with And now, the pandemic has highlighted why telemed- our classmates, colleagues, and family, we felt a deep icine-based organizations like Outpost Health are sense of responsibility to do something in Nigeria.” sorely needed. The brothers recall attending an economic development summit in 2018 and discussing “It’s real,” said Didi. “It’s no longer conceptual. These are how necessary it was to connect government, the pri- things that we’re doing.” vate sector, and community health groups to prepare for a global event such as a pandemic.

Learn more about Outpost Health at www.outpost.health

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» Brothers Dr. Didi Emokpare (left) and Dr. Jude Emokpare (right), founders of Outpost Health

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INTERVIEW KENNESHA BUYCKS Home can be a healer

STYLE

words by Clarissa Bannor

Making Home More Than a Feeling Now more than ever, there's no place like home

MY SPOUSE, TWO KIDS, AND I have lived in our ordinary suburban home for

the better part of seven years. At first I had no desire to make the space my own. I was underwhelmed by the uninspiring layout and gradually resolved to seeing it as just a place to lay my head, watch Netflix, and raise my young family. It took five years and some innocent cajoling from a friend for me to finally put up a picture in my living room. It wasn’t like it was going to be our forever home, that purple unicorn of a dwelling many Americans fantasize about as the place they plan to live out their best lives.

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MAKING HOME MORE THAN A FEELING

Many of us have this aspirational abode pinned to our brains like something on a Pinterest board, waiting for the day our perfect home will give us our perfect life. My vision was (and sometimes still is) a forever home in a bustling metropolis, not the suburbs, with walkable neighborhoods where I could enjoy galivanting to restaurants, bookstores, and museums. Maybe one of those architectural old-money brownstones, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a tricked-out cottage garden in the back. Of course, I could make do with a swanky urban penthouse too.

Either way I cut it, the house of my dreams would require I sell both my kidneys and a pair of lungs. Who needs a respiratory system anyway? Breathing was overrated in my book— until the coronavirus breezed in.

Hunker Down and Make It Work!

we’ve had to figure out how to make the new normal of Zoom meetings, virtual school, heavy-duty cooking, and at-home exercise work in the spaces we have.

“Our homes are doing heavy lifting right now, even for those who worked from home before,” says Chanae Richards, owner of Philadelphiabased interior design firm Oloro Interiors.

“What we are experiencing collectively as a society looks different. Homeschooling, fitness centers, the after-hours spot even though we haven’t left home for the entire day ... home is now all of that.”

I know that was certainly the case for us. And as we spent more time at home, we began to pay attention to our quality of life. This resulted in a list of DIY projects and frequent trips to the hardware store in an effort to increase the functionality of our space.

The COVID-19 pandemic sobered me up on Nana Spio Garbrah, owner of West Africathe blessing of breath. There’s nothing like based interior design firm Blueprint Africa, has a virus that attacks your air sacs to make you noticed this trend too. “We’ve had an increase think twice about taking life for granted. It in residential e-consultations this year because also helped me appreciate the space my family everyone was home and people realized that and I call home. With government-mandated their homes weren’t comfortable. They were shutdowns and the whole world under spending 80% of their day somewhere else and lockdown, life as we knew it became slow now they were all stuck at home. People were as molasses. Establishments we relied on— realizing that there were cracks in the wall, schools, offices, restaurants, bars, airports— their sofa was not comfortable, they didn’t puckered shut, forcing our homes to cover have a workspace, their kids were going crazy not just our basic needs, but our work and and needed their own dedicated play area, etc.” entertainment ones as well.

According to a Washington Post analysis of Nana contends that making a conscious effort statistics provided by data company SafeGraph, to make your home aesthetically pleasing, during the peak of the first wave of the comfortable, and functional is probably a major pandemic in the spring of 2020, U.S. residents key to making sure we stay happy, productive, spent 93% of their time at home. By summer, motivated, and sane during this surreal time. however, that number simmered down to 89% as the outside world began to cautiously open “The typical human being spends 70% to 80% up. These high numbers weren’t unique to the of their life indoors,” she explains. “So we’re United States; countries all over the world took constantly surrounded by six walls, ceiling and similar measures. floor included—we’re in a box. If that environment is not conducive to the activity that you’re doing, The lifestyle changes brought on by the psychologically you are going to feel incapacitated pandemic made having highly multifunctional or suboptimal. There’s a specific reason hospitals homes a priority for many. Whether we live in look the way they do, why gyms are how they a postage stamp-sized apartment, a sprawling are, and why workspace design is changing to estate, or any manner of shelter in between, optimize productivity. Your home also needs to be

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“...the home is the ultimate expression of self-care.” designed for the function for which you are in that space; we’ve become more attuned to that reality.”

Home as Self-Care The global pandemic isn’t the only issue that had our attention in a vise grip in 2020. The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police was the chokehold felt all over the world. When officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on George Floyd’s neck and strangled him to death, all of us felt pinned down with a sharp, unforgiving knee crushing down on our windpipes.

The frustration of having to watch traumatic killings on TV, and the subsequent acquittal of the police officers who committed these crimes, sparked a gasoline-doused fury in the streets.

Protests demanding justice and police reform erupted in cities across the globe, not only for George Floyd but for a bevy of senseless police killings, including that of Breonna Taylor, an innocent young woman who had been sleeping peacefully in her own bed moments before being shot and killed by police.

For Black people, it has felt like we have been in the middle of a health crisis and a racial siege simultaneously—a double attack on our humanity.

Now more than ever, self-care is essential, and once again our homes must rise to the task of instilling peace and maintaining wellness.

“Home is where we grieve the lives lost as a result of pandemic and as a result of state violence,” says Chanae. “It’s where we cry for Breonna Taylor.

It’s important to recognize just how hard our homes are working for us at this moment.” Our homes are not just physical places of refuge— they are literally where we go to be restored mentally, spiritually, and emotionally too.

“I’ve always felt like the home is the ultimate expression of self-care,” adds Nana. “Fashion has always been the armor that we all wear to

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be confident when we go outside; we want to show other people through fashion that we are strong, confident, chic, stylish—that we know what we’re about and that we’re on our stuff. But the home is just for you, so if your home is fabulous, you’re saying to yourself, ‘I deserve this beauty, this aesthetic, this comfort, this luxury.’ It’s not for anyone else’s pleasure but your own. You’re not doing it because you love entertaining, but because even in your nakedness, your most vulnerable state, even when you’re alone, you’ve chosen to invest in yourself and your well-being.”

Home as Sanctuary On any given Sunday on social media during the pandemic, I’ve been fed with images of friends, family, and kindred souls using the quarantine mandate as an opportunity to reflect on what really matters. Good home-cooked food, healthy relationships, beloved pets and plants, nurturing hobbies like gardening and decorating. The health crises coupled with political, economic, and social unrest has made us reach for the things and activities that comfort us most. As we build domestic havens to nurture our spirits, I’m learning that this means different things to different people.

Chanae elaborates on her personal definition of sanctuary: “It’s the kangaroo fern and Monstera plant. It’s the shoe basket at the front door and the sounds of Anita Baker in the kitchen on a Tuesday morning. It’s the scent of a burning Palo stick, the textured wallpaper in our alcove, and my blue house slippers. It’s a warm blanket on a chilly night.

A decadent meal. It’s the last bit of sorrel in the fridge. It’s all the things that make my place feel magical.”

Nana agrees. “A subconscious, subliminal hug when I step into a space, that’s what a sanctuary

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is to me. It’s that safe place. That little corner on your mom or your partner’s shoulder where you can lay your head.

It’s the place where you can be authentic, and feel peaceful, vulnerable, prayerful, and also cultural. Your space should reflect your identity and who you are as a person to the fullest extent, because for someplace to be your sanctuary, you have to be comfortable enough to see yourself and your identity in it.”

Nana’s firm, Blueprint Africa, is on a mission to create spaces that speak to traditional and modern African living.

Ivorian-Ghanaian born, raised in the U.S., and now living and working out of Abidjan and Accra, Nana knows a thing or two about remixing cultures, though she admits that she is at war with singular definitions of design.

“On the African continent, one of our biggest challenges is that we try to replicate the sanctuaries of other cultures, cities, and environments that are not authentic to our way of life. There isn’t just one way of defining what a sanctuary is supposed to look like, aesthetically or visually. It can be colorful, plant-filled, artistic—different—as long as it’s authentic to you and what brings you peace.”

Home, a Trend We Can Live With “Right now we need spaces which provide ease from the world of tension around us, so that’s what we’re seeing ... more places of peace,” says Chanae. She and Nana both agree that this could mean a trend toward minimalism, or a way to “see clean” around the home.

However, Nana believes there is also a cultural shift happening toward vernacular design as a consequence of police brutality and murder, coupled with the

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Accenting your house with natural elements like leafy houseplants and dried wildflowers are a perfect way to create an organic sense of elegance in your home.

MAKING HOME MORE THAN A FEELING

reverberations of the Black Lives Matter movement across the world. “People are more attuned to the African aesthetic and the sustainable use of our own resources and local materials. Renewed interest in Black-owned businesses, Black-made products, upcycled products, and Africancrafted home retail goods are on the rise.

So is the value that interior designers bring to the table, and a willingness to pay for that skill set that didn’t exist before on the continent.”

Undoubtedly, the role and profile of interior designers is going to grow along with the desire to make our spaces more beautiful and functional. We don’t have to wait for a dream home or spend enormous amounts of money to live fully and live well. As Chanae puts it, “We’ve grown to appreciate how much of an impact our living spaces have on our lives. Being home more has given us a chance to see the areas of opportunities that exist to create a more comfortable environment. … Folks are taking stock of how they live versus how they want to live and are making moves to shift to the latter.”

Though we got here on the wings of COVID-19 and racial upheaval, and though every day has looked and felt like it could be our last, I’m comforted by the ways in which we’ve managed to cope. Turns out, slowing down and creating space has had some upsides.

We’re all realizing that though our homes may look different, we all have the creativity to express ourselves within six walls. As Zoom calls give strangers glimpses into our most intimate spaces, if we do it right, they’ll leave the meeting understanding a little more about who we are through our style.

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KENNESHA BUYCKS

Kennesha Buycks Shares the Key to Creating Restorative Spaces (Hint: It’s not something you can buy)

Making home a sacred space

words by Manseen Logan

IF YOU WANT TO DESIGN A SPACE like Kennesha Buycks does, don’t go to Pinterest. At least, not right away.

aesthetics. She’s all about creating restorative atmospheres— and that requires deep introspection.

The 42-year-old Alabama State University graduate, author, wife, and mother of four has made a strong name for herself in the home and lifestyle space. Her Restoration House blog offers readers useful design tips and well-written lifestyle posts ranging from favorite recipes to personal essays. On social media, Kennesha’s Instagram is a fabulously curated feed filled with gorgeous neutral-hued design spaces, family posts, and rows of inspirational quotes. It’s clear she has an eye for nice things, but her work is not solely focused on crafting beautiful

In fact, Kennesha did not attend school to study design, but there’s no doubt that her mass communications and public relations degree has played a role in her amassing 80,000+ social media followers. It has also helped her publish and promote her 2019 book Restoration House, which highlights how readers can make the best out of their living space— something the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us all to consider.

Kennesha graciously spoke with Radiant from her house in Seattle about themes from her book, how her faith influences her designs, and how our readers can create joyful spaces in their homes too.

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But before we get into that, you’re probably wondering how a mass communications grad became successful in the design space. Kennesha shared that after her first child turned 3 years old, she left her nonprofit job and found her natural, God-given gift of design. Now, almost 14 years later, the Alabama-raised creative has three teenagers and a 9-year-old with her husband, along with a booming creative design ministry that she is happy to share with the world.

Radiant Health: What is the first step to creating a mindful space?

Kennesha Buycks: One thing that I talk about a lot online, and I talked a little about it in my book, is “home story.” One of the most important things that we can do to create spaces that are mindful, to create spaces that are peaceful and that resonate with our own stories, is focusing on what is within our stories—what it is that we’re most impacted by—and using the spaces that we have in our homes to tell those stories.

In order to create a mindful space, the first thing we have to do is look inside of ourselves and sort out the condition of our souls, if that makes sense.

RH: That makes perfect sense. Sometimes when people are designing, they’re thinking about what’s trending or what’s hot, but being able to really look at yourself and say what gives you joy— that’s important.

Aside from our own stories, what are essential items for any leisure or work space?

KB: Before items, I would like to focus on the senses.

When we walk into a home, we walk into a space. The thing I like to ask is, how does that space make you feel and why? For instance, my living room is one of my favorite spaces in our house because I love the way the room feels.

The room feels comforting to me, it feels peaceful to me.

It’s not always quiet, because we have four kids, but that space feels good and peaceful to me because I light candles.

So I think that it’s important to have not just the flicker of fire but also, as far as sensory things are concerned, the smell. So, candles or diffusers.

If you want a room to feel more comforting, you want to think about the colors in the room. You want to think about the textures of the fabrics, drapery, upholstery for sofas and chairs—all those things play such a huge part in creating a mindful space. That’s going to give you the ability to do whatever it is you need to do in that space. So again, candles, diffusers, throw pillows if you want.

We could get very detailed, seasonally. In the fall, you want to have pillows that are going to be a little bit more textured, that are going to have more warmth and more richness and color. I’m not a big color person. I love neutral, but also understand that it could become very boring with only neutral. So texture is important.

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Rugs are really important, especially with synthetic or natural flooring. If you have wood or tile, putting rugs down has so many benefits.

RH: What tools do you use and suggest that others use when planning and executing a mindful space? Are there apps or other things?

KB: I feel like I’m not the best at that. You know, we look at people that we follow online, we look at the things that they’ve done or accomplished, and we make a lot of assumptions about the way that they’re wired or who they are. I am not a good planner. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the Enneagram [personality test], but I’m an Enneagram 8-1-7, which is probably why I tend to lean a lot on the artistic side of myself. And I’m very much what a lot of people would call a free spirit. And I lean a lot into

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emotion and my guts and the way things feel. So, I don’t know if I can answer that well.

I am a huge proponent of having people really reflect on their personal lives—who they are, what they feel most personally connected to—and drawing from that. Now, as far as executing practically, what are the steps that I would take? Honestly, one of my first steps would be: I wouldn’t necessarily say you should never look on Pinterest and you should never scroll Instagram and look for inspiration. I think that it’s fine to do that. I just don’t think that it’s wise to draw our whole story and the whole story of our homes and who we are from those spaces.

Rather than say, “Here’s step one, step two, step three,” I would say to just make sure that you are consulting yourself before you consult other people, and that you’re not pulling other people’s stories from wherever you may be gathering them from before you consult yourself.

RH: I get that. Based on your ideologies and your process, designing a mindful space starts from within. So some people are going to have to do a lot of work internally before they even start to create that space on the outside.

Moving back into the tangible part of designing, a lot of times money is an issue. What’s the smallest budget that you’ve worked with and what did you design with it?

RH: Right. And I think that also holds people back from even attempting to create these joyful spaces in their homes.

When I went on your book’s website, I saw that you asked a question. You asked readers how many times they’ve felt discouraged looking at impeccably styled homes that their family would destroy in moments. I don’t have any kids, but I have lots of nieces and nephews, so that question resonated with me. How does your book address the key to designing or creating indestructible spaces that are joyful, welcoming, and manageable?

KB: Not to sound like a broken record, but I think a lot of what we talk about is dealing with comparison, for starters, and one of the ways to combat that is to look inside ourselves to tell our unique stories. So I think in order to get past “I want my home to look like a museum,” one of the things that I love to focus on is asking myself: When someone walks into my house, how do I want them to feel?

Do I want them to feel like they cannot be themselves? Do I want my home or my space to feel like a space where not only can I connect with my Creator, but where I can also offer people who come into my home an opportunity to connect

KB: I’m going to be real honest with you, and I’m saying this as a non-designer, my favorite budget is nothing. Of course, just like anybody else, I love to get paid for projects. I do have value and worth and all those things, and yes, I will take your money. But at the end of the day what I love doing, very practically, is walking into a space (most of the time, this is my own space) and having people who have homes filled with soulful things that are very personal to them—that aren’t from some big box store, that aren’t hitting a trend—and saying, “Okay, how can we gather these things? How can we gather these items and how can we take what you already have and tell your story?”

That is my favorite thing to do.

I actually don’t think it takes much of anything. I mean, if you’ve got things to sit on—cushions, chairs, sofas, whatever you already have—if they’re functional, they don’t even have to be fully aesthetically pleasing. You do not need a lot of money to create these spaces and to tell your story. You just don’t. I think that’s one lie that we have allowed social media and so many different platforms to communicate to us that’s just not true.

with my Creator regardless of what they believe? We have friends with many different beliefs, but is my space or home a space that provides comfort for those who are weary, for those who are brokenhearted, for those who are struggling, for those who are anxious? And I don’t mean some robotic, intentional formula. I’m saying when they step foot in my home, do they sense and feel, before any word is spoken, that this is a place that is restorative?

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“I’m saying when they step foot in my home, do they sense and feel, before any word is spoken, that this is a place that is restorative?”

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Sight: Seasonally hued throw pillows and blankets

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Smell: Scented candles or diffusers

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Touch: Textured fabrics for draperies, sofa/chair upholstery, rugs

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KENNESHA BUYCKS

So I think that as long as I can focus more on the atmosphere in my home, the less I have space and energy to think about what my home actually looks like.

RH: That makes perfect sense and speaks to the essence of your brand. It’s not just a business, it’s also a ministry. Your style and the way you approach creating spaces is very much a reflection of your beliefs, who you are, how you want people to feel—that positive, joyful, welcoming, comforting, restorative vibe. I see that on your Instagram feed and I hear that in your voice.

I want to thank you so much, and my last question is, what’s your message for people who are unhappy with the place that they call home?

KB: This past year has been really difficult for a million different reasons. And I think that one of the ways that we can get comfortable with the places that we call home is by redefining what home is. I don’t mean just the actual physical residence; when I say home, I mean the home of our hearts.

And it kind of goes back to what I was saying at the beginning of the interview. When we think about not being happy in our home, I think that the question that I would ask myself is, am I happy in myself? Am I happy in my skin?

Am I joyful in my skin? Do I find peace within myself? With my Creator? If I am not, if I can’t, if I answered no to any of those questions, then that’s an opportunity for me to partner with my Creator to find peace, to find that joy, to find the things that are going to remind me of who I am so that I can create the very superficial, outward, joyful spaces within my home.

Kennesha’s book, Restoration House, is available at restorationhouseshop.com and everywhere books are sold. *This interview was lightly edited for clarity.

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radiant finds feeling at home SENSIBLE GOODS FOR HOME IMPROVEMENT AND HOME HEALTH

iness

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Products that you can buy and be proud of. It is a sanctuary for people that seek out the un-ordinary. It is a reminder to people that past objects should never be forgotten. It is proof that prayer and faith work. It is a feeling…greenhousemercantile.com

3. Nicole Crowder Upholstery Meditation Pillows $Varies Nicole Crowder Upholstery is a Black-owned furniture and upholstery studio creating commissioned, generational, one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture and home furnishings like meditation pillows, poufs and more.

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5. Sheila Bridges Harlem Toile De Jouy Wallpaper $300 (per roll) In 1996, Sheila Bridge's passion for interiors inspired her to design furniture and home furnishings under the name Sheila Bridges Home, Inc. Sheila’s home furnishing collections have been sold to design conscious consumers online, through trade showrooms, mail order catalogues and at such notable national retailers as Anthropologie and Bed, Bath & Beyond. sheilabridges.com

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photo by @tehhydina via Twenty20

HAND CARE IS SELF-CARE Do your hands need a spa day? page 130.

INTERVIEW NANA KONAMAH Honoring an inherent opulence

Hand Care is Self-Care Couldn’t your hands use a little TLC?

words by Tyshia Ingram

“ The pandemic forced us all to pay careful attention to our hands. But are we taking care of them? ”

HAND CARE IS SELF-CARE

OUR HANDS TELL OUR STORIES. One

look at them reveals all sorts of things about their owners, from the chipped polish of a busy mother to the calluses of an artist. I think about the chunky hands of my toddler, with their dimples and rolls. Or the scars on the hands of my son, an aspiring acrobat who loves to flip across concrete, woodchips, and dirt. And while the rest of us grownups may feel like our hands are pretty arbitrary, they’ve become a primary focus of our lives.

With that said, how many of us can say we take care of our hands the way they deserve? We spend hours on our hair, delicately detangling and deep conditioning. Our skincare routine can span hours, with deep treatments and gentle massages, while the rest of our bodies are generously slathered with nourishing body butters and oils. Even our

nails get the grand treatment: manicures, colorful polish, and of course the carefully selected designs.

But the one place we don’t put that same energy is in our hands themselves.

In these pandemic times, if hand sanitizer is king, hand care is queen.

Our days are filled with handwashing on repeat and applying hand sanitizer more times than we can count. We’re fixing our masks, being careful not to touch our nose or our eyes, and stuffing our hands inside plastic gloves if we’re being extra cautious.

We’re putting our hands through a lot, and for good reason—clean hands save lives—but how do we take care of and nurture them in return?

With a proper hand-care routine and a few good practices to keep them healthy, nourished, and refreshed.

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Why You Need a Hand-Care Routine

RADIANT HEALTH PICK: ORGANIC

Even before the pandemic, our hands have always been one of the most-used parts of our body. And every day we expose them to our work, to environmental stressors, and these days, to more harsh chemicals and soaps than ever before. While we can’t escape the weather and will always advocate for frequent handwashing and sanitizing, the truth is that sun exposure, cold temperatures, soap, and alcohol can all wreak havoc on your skin.

SOAP ($8)

A hand-care routine is simply a daily ritual that can help repay your hands for their tireless work and replenish some of the hydration and nutrients that may have deteriorated over the day. Handwashing is a given, but hydrating creams and oils can work to restore moisture, which is essential for hands to look and feel healthy. Deep treatments can provide an extra dose of nourishment, as can targeted treatments for specific concerns like extreme dryness or irritation.

Taking steps daily to protect your hands is a great way to prevent unnecessary damage before it happens.

A Simple and Effective Routine Hand care doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple daily routine can make all the difference. Cleansing, moisturizing, exfoliating, treating, and protecting are all parts of a good hand-care routine—and if you noticed this looks pretty similar to your skincare routine, you’re right. If there’s a universal hand-care rule to follow, it’s this: treat your hands with the same level of care as you do your face.

Step 1 Cleanse. This goes without saying, especially

as we’re all washing our hands multiple times a day, but your hand-care routine should always start with clean, freshly washed hands. The key to ensuring that handwashing is beneficial without undue stress on your already overextended skin is to use a mild soap or cleanser that won’t dry out your skin. You can even opt for soaps that contain some naturally moisturizing ingredients like shea butter or jojoba oil.

And here’s another key: it’s not just the ingredients in your soap that can affect your skin. How you wash your hands matters. Hot water is notoriously harsh, and using an air dryer can cause even more dryness. The best method is to wash with warm water and towel dry gently.

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BATH CO. PEACEFULL HAND

Step 2 Moisturize. Arguably the

most important part of your handcare routine is moisturizing. Dry skin is the top cause of all sorts of problems with your hands, including cracks, ashiness, irritation, and even premature aging. Yes, dryness left unchecked can lead to fine lines and wrinkles appearing before their time. And because our soaps and hand sanitizers typically contain ingredients that dry out our skin, replenishing that lost moisture is key.

So how often should you moisturize your hands? Well, that depends. The look and feel of your hands should give you some clues, such as tight, ashy, or irritated skin.

But in addition, anytime you’re washing, sanitizing, or exposing your hands to water or extreme temperatures would be ideal. It’s also a good practice to moisturize your hands before bed to let the moisture and nutrients work their magic while you rest. It’s like beauty sleep for your hands.

RADIANT HEALTH PICK: 54 THRONES AFRICAN BEAUTY BUTTER ($24)

Step 3 Exfoliate. It may

sound strange, but exfoliating your hands is an essential step in any hand-care routine.

Exfoliation is simply the process of gently buffing the skin to remove dead skin cells, dirt, and other impurities that may have built up over time. Without it, skin can look dull and lifeless if left unchecked.

A good exfoliating session can help slough away buildup and leave your skin looking and feeling brighter. As a bonus, exfoliated skin helps the rest of your hand-care routine to work better by allowing your creams and oils to penetrate the skin more deeply.

Just like in your regular skincare routine, you don’t want to overdo it with exfoliation. Too much and you risk some irritation, especially if you have more

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HAND CARE IS SELF-CARE

sensitive skin. A few times a week or whenever you notice your hands looking particularly dull is a great place to start.

RADIANT HEALTH PICK:

Start by taking care of your cuticles. This is one of the most important areas to focus on. Think of the cuticle as the foundation of your nails; cuticles are to nails what your scalp is to your hair: it is where new growth begins. You want healthy, moisturized, smooth cuticles to give your nails the best roots from which to grow and thrive.

LUVV SCRUB MESH BODY EXFOLIATOR ($18)

Step 4 Mask. A hand mask?

Yes—just like your face, whenever your hands need that extra TLC, a hand mask is a great way to give them a deep treatment. The good news is you don’t need a special mask to perfect this step. Just slather on a nourishing hand cream and tuck your hands into soft cotton gloves overnight.

You’ll wake up to smooth, well-hydrated hands in the morning.

RADIANT HEALTH PICK: BENEATH YOUR MASK HEAL WHIPPED SKIN SOUFFLÉ ($28)

Step 5 Protect. The last step in your handcare routine is all about protection. Your first line of defense is sunscreen. Sunscreen can help to protect your skin from sun exposure which can lead to sunburn, dark spots, and premature aging. We’d advise using sunscreen daily, even if you don’t think you’ll be heading outside. If the weather is harsh, also consider protecting your hands with a pair of gloves to protect against brutal winds and temperature changes, which can be distressing to the skin.

When choosing sunscreen for your hands, you want to look for something with at least SPF 30 or more. If you’ll be outside and on the go, make sure you reapply as directed for ultimate protection.

RADIANT PICK: BLACK GIRL SUNSCREEN SPF 30 ($18.99)

Don’t Forget Your Nails We all love the cute aesthetics and bold colors when it comes to our nails, but nail care is a bit different than nail design. And since your nails are an important extension of your hands, giving them a little attention during your hand routine can go a long way.

Keep your cuticles neat and hydrated. While it might be tempting to cut them yourself, leave that to the pros, as cutting can cause them to grow back rougher and more jagged than before. A good alternative is to very gently push them back as needed and to use cuticle oils and creams for daily maintenance to keep them hydrated.

As for the nails themselves, while you’re perfecting your designs and letting your personality show through your color choices, be conscious of your selections. All nail polish is not created equal, and many brands are full of chemicals we can do without.

Opt for nail polishes that are labeled five-free, sevenfree, or ten-free (meaning they do not contain that particular number of the main toxins and chemicals you should avoid whenever possible).

RADIANT HEALTH PICK: MISCHO BEAUTY VEGAN NAIL LACQUER ($20)

Everyday Hand-Care Tips In addition to your daily handcare routine, healthy habits are a great way to make sure your hands are in their best condition and stay that way. These can include simple things like wearing gloves when you’re outside to shield your hands from inclement weather and excess sun exposure.

Likewise, it’s always a good idea to wear gloves when you’re cleaning in order to protect your already overworked skin from harsh chemicals that can wreak havoc on all of your hard work. Keeping a moisturizing hand cream or oil at the ready is a great idea as well so that you can always refresh and rehydrate whenever your skin needs a little boost.

Remember, hand care is important but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Wash your hands, keep them protected, give them a little extra love, and don’t forget to moisturize.

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NANA KONAMAH words by Clarissa Bannor

D RAW I N G B EAU T Y F ROM A DEEPER WELL

The Opulent Connection Standing at 6 feet tall with rich, dark, velvety skin, Nana Konamah is striking. Her beauty and poise aren’t lost on her, though. It’s taken a while, but she’s finally getting the hang of using her captivating presence to get people to notice and redefine their notions of beauty.

“When people see me, they joke and say I’m the last black person left in Africa,” Nana laughs. She says it’s one of the more creative comments she’s heard about her complexion.

Nana’s deeply melanated skin has long been an issue she’s had to contend with. She was bullied for it as a child and often felt far from beautiful, as she didn’t see herself reflected in the media—not even in the mainstream media of her home country, Ghana, to which she eventually repatriated from America.

Ghana is one of many countries where the billiondollar skin-lightening industry has a stronghold.

Nana’s journey to becoming comfortable in her own skin through whole, balanced wellness became her life’s purpose. Showing the world how Africa does indigenous plant-based whole foods, culturally intune wellness, and authentic African luxury beauty became her mission.

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photo by Kwadwo Addo @accrastudios

ARTICLE NAME ARTICLE NAME

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NANA KONAMAH

Radiant recently caught up with Nana Konamah to talk about the radical authenticity and self-love it takes to disrupt the wellness and beauty industry.

Radiant Health: Nana, you often credit your dad as being a significant part of your

who didn’t know better or that girl who was still struggling and fighting the voices in her head.

But in my journey, I realized that the people I learned best from were the people who showed me rather than told me. So for me to really

“For me, Africa is iconic.” journey to becoming a successful beauty entrepreneur and wellness advocate.

How did he shape your success?

Nana Konamah: My dad has always talked about believing in yourself. He was very, very big on that when we were growing up. My dad doesn’t bite back his words. He would say stuff like, “Don’t have too many friends because most of them are probably dumb anyway.” I know it’s not politically correct. I guess his thing was not to peg your ambitions to people around you because they don’t know what they’re talking about—or at least, their actions are rooted in their own stories, not yours.

My dad is always talking about believing in yourself because that was the key to his success.

He’s let go of a lot of things to do what he’s been able to do over the last 40 years, and he raised us with that same kind of thinking: let go of what doesn’t serve you and believe in yourself.

RH: It sounds like he subscribed to the “You have everything you need” philosophy. It’s a theme that runs heavy in your brand messaging and visuals that showcase you living your best life. Is your goal to empower other women to do the same, like a wellness enabler?

NK: Yes! Life gets so much better when you live authentically. When I’m living authentically, it means that I’m willing to be more compassionate with myself and easier on myself, and to allow myself to go through the ebbs and flows and mess up the way, you know, Nana Konamah is supposed to mess up. There are times when I look back on my younger self and I cringe at some of my past behaviors or something I said in the past, but I’m learning to have compassion for that girl too. That girl

influence others to be healthy, whole, and authentic, I have to show people. Because I can tell people, but if I’m not living it out myself then I’m just another voice in the social media echo chamber.

And it’s been super rewarding. I mean, I get messages from people all over the world. One message in particular was from a young woman in Jamaica who said, “I’m 17 years old, I’m dark-skinned, and I literally have never thought of myself as beautiful but I’m following you because I see in you what I can be.” I could have zero followers and nobody to buy my products, but messages like that from someone like her makes it all worth it. It validates my mission.

RH: There’s nothing like meeting someone who awakens the vitality and beauty you already have within yourself.

But we know from experience that too much inspiration and you begin to wonder if the “new you” is really you or some variation of the person you admire.

How do the relationships you have with other people inform the relationship you have with yourself?

NK: That’s a tough question, and I wonder about this often. I went through a period of a lot of ostracism early in my life because I was bullied in school. I had a bully who was very good at organizing the other children to gang up on me. So early on I had to reach within and be my own friend, since I generally felt like no one really wanted to be friends with me. That was the beginning of my journey.

Over time I did lose a bit of my sense of worth, which led to some difficult relationships where I wanted to be like the other person—I wanted to be that person. But as time went on and I

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started letting go of wanting to be other people and just started walking in my lane, I came to realize that it’s cool to make friends but it’s also really cool to have your own identity too. As the youngest in my family, having a lot of older girls in my life helped me see this.

RH: Speaking of your background, were there certain cultural expectations you had to unlearn in order to tap into a healthy relationship with yourself?

NK: I’m Ghanaian. My family lived in Ghana until I was 9, and then we moved to Virginia. I lived in the States until I moved back to Ghana when I was 25. So I guess most of my life and upbringing, at least at this point in my life, has been in the States.

And while I can’t say I enjoyed a typical American girlhood, there’s something about being the youngest where, I don’t know, maybe parents just ease up on their parental diligence, but I was left to my own devices for the most part. But to be

you’ve managed to meld them all together and create a brand out of all of the things you’re passionate about. So many women struggle with feeling like they have to put themselves in a box or choose just one thing they’re good at.

How did you overcome that struggle?

NK: Honestly, I learned from watching the people in my life boldly step into whatever is next on their journey.

The trick is, if you have a thousand different passions, just start with one. But before I started with the one, I had to figure out my why. I wrote down everything I wanted to do, then whittled it down to the core reason.

When I started NanaKonamah.com, I knew my core message was about healthy lifestyle, but I also realized that it’s about an internal process. But I didn’t know how to communicate that, so a friend helped me get to the core of my why, or my message, and it became clear that my reason for doing this work is about authenticity— living a life from a place of authenticity.

So, how to clear space, clear our minds, our hearts, and our bodies using food, exercise, and journaling became my mission and the foundation for the conversations we have on NanaKonamah.com RH: When you repatriated, what was it like trying to integrate your enthusiasm for yoga, veganism, natural hair care, and so forth in Ghana?

photo by Duque Photography

NK: You know, I always say that Ghana is the wellness destination that nobody knows about. Part of the reason I started was because people were interested in alternative health and wellness options here, but it was very splintered all over the place. People would come to me saying, “You’re in Ghana and you’re plant based—you’ve clearly had to figure some things out. How do you do this or that?”

fair, I was such an introverted child and a homebody that my parents didn’t really worry about me anyway.

Through the books I read, my friendships in college, and people I met along the way, I stumbled upon veganism, yoga, and other health modalities that really interested me.

RH: Over time your growth has encompassed so many passions, from veganism to natural hair, to healthy cooking and healthy living, and yet

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So I started posting the things I shared with them on social media. I offered information or healthier, accessible, plant-based alternatives for Ghanaian dishes.

My audience swelled with people who were interested in exploring these healthier, Africa-centered recipes and health solutions. As my online community has grown, I’ve seen a hunger from people wanting to know more about healthy movement and natural hair-care options made with local plant-based ingredients.

RH: We’re all too familiar with how wellness quickly evolves from the things we put into our mouths and into our bodies to what we feed our minds with. In pulling back the curtain on how people approach self-acceptance, self-care, and beauty standards on the journey to whole wellness in Ghana, do you also have to help them confront cultural norms and stigmas?

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NK: The way Ghanaian society is set up, sometimes it can feel a bit like there’s this pressure to conform and to fit into a certain way of thinking, especially for women. I’m assuming what I talk about gives people room to pull back their own curtains. That’s really the goal. Conversations are being had and social media is making women more vocal and visible. I’m committed to documenting and showing the journey, and hopefully by showing these journeys I’m encouraging people to start their own.

RH: Speaking of societal expectations, you got married not too long ago. A significant change in your life, I’m sure. I’m curious about what it was like to transition into your new role and relationship status. How do you continue to make space for yourself? Because, I mean, it’s really easy to kind of get lost in it.

NK: I think in the beginning I put pressure on myself to show up in a certain way. I’m married to a very high-functioning human being. Like, he’s not the sitting-around type. But I’m very much like, OK, I can work but I can also just sit around.

So I felt the pressure to sort of move at his pace.

For example, before we got married, my refrigerator stayed stocked with kale, wheatgrass, powders, tinctures, and elixirs. If you don’t get my lifestyle, you’re going to say there’s no food in my house. My housekeeper actually complained to a relative, saying, “There’s only ‘medicine’ in the fridge!”

Grabbing kale and some frozen banana and some moringa and wheatgrass—to me, that’s a meal and I’m good. A meal does not need to look a certain way for me. But for my husband, Mike, he always needs to feel like there’s food at home, even if he doesn’t eat it! He has this irrational obsession with home-cooked meals. I used to feel so inadequate, like there’s this expectation that I can’t meet, and I felt negatively about it.

After much reflection I realized that our upbringing was at play. I grew up with a mother who worked, so we thrived on the pre-prepped and frozen meals she made for us to heat up and eat with rice after school. Michael grew up with a mom who was home all the time, so he was always eating fresh-cooked meals. So his concept of home is fresh-cooked meals. And for me, the idea that your food is frozen and you pull it out of the freezer whenever you need it is so normal.

When I was able to step back and see that our upbringing was what was dictating this moment, I was able to have more compassion for myself and released myself from the idea that I needed to be more like him and started valuing more of what I bring to the table: the free spirit, the wanderlust— most of the stuff that makes life fun and interesting—but also the calm, the slowness, and the intentionality.

approach my work with the blog and beauty products I create. I just accept my way of doing things and recognize the value and unique perspective that I bring to the table and operate from there. Authenticity never fails.

RH: That’s real! I can totally see how you’ve applied this personal philosophy to your brand and your newest project, Pure Persona. You’re highlighting the value of what’s abundant all around us by making luxury beauty products that elevate our perception of these indigenous ingredients. Tell us about it.

NK: For me, Africa is iconic. I feel like the whole world knows it but they’re so terrified to just admit it. Everybody borrows from us so much, from our people, our cultures, our heritage. The little that I’ve traveled around the continent, I’m always just amazed at just how iconic the continent is, from the Asante, the Zulu, the Maasai to everything in between, the expression or presentation of these ancient people is so ... regal, you know? It’s stunning!

So when I moved to Ghana I was like, there are all these beauty practices that have been going on here forever.

The traditional herbal and earth knowledge passed on from generation to generation, even in my family. Pure Persona is really informed by that experience. I want to positively influence people’s relationship with themselves starting with hair care, because I think there’s a deep conversation about Black women, self-acceptance, and hair acceptance. It’s like praise and worship, kith and kin—a package deal.

You can’t really have the conversation around selfacceptance without talking about your hair. And you can’t have a conversation about the continent, about where we find ourselves and where we enter, without the conversation around hair. All hair practices originate from here. So how do we just continue to make sure that the continent is constantly at the forefront of the conversation and leading the way in terms of ingredients? When people want to be well they go to Costa Rica or Bali for rest and relaxation. If people think of good skin their minds immediately go to Japan or Korea.

But literally look at us! We are rich with beauty, but when we talk about richness that comes from Africa we don’t include the opulence. We don’t link Africa with opulence, at least on a global scale. People sort of take what we’ve got and call it tribal. I want people to make that connection immediately and understand that this is a conversation about ourselves and how we show up, but it’s also about the richness and opulence of this continent. That’s the legacy I want to leave with Pure Persona.

To learn more about Pure Persona, visit purepersona.com.

When I started just accepting that we both offer different things, things got so much better. It’s the same way I *This interview was lightly edited for clarity.

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“When you put love out in the world it travels, and it can touch people and reach people in ways that we never even expected.”

– Laverne Cox

photography by Ahmad Barber model Bianca of Ursula Wiedmann Models styling by Ray C'Mone make-up by Christine Dompier-Vazquez hair by Andy Buckmire set design Skye Lin

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THE REALITIES OF RETURNING TO AFRICA Is it time to trade in the American Dream? page 150.

CULTURE ON THE GO Activities to expand our inner horizons

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Why You Wanna Leave?

trying to walk the tightrope of making it in America that propelled us to return to our homeland. After all, living at so many intersections in what can feel like a pressure cooker is what makes us the “nothing to lose” generation.

My relationship to Africa began long before I set foot on her soil. I was born in Houston and grew up in rural New England. Before my return to the continent two years ago, my ideas about Nigeria came from my parents’ values and “Being in the West is like living in constant antagonism,” practices. Our cuisine, insular lives, and constant prayers for Chime said as he reflected on his time in Chicago after health, wealth, and prosperity accompanied by Nigerian having now lived in Nigeria for five years. “There’s some gospel songs were things I figured were holdovers from sort of assault on you in different ways every day. You their life back home. As they often said to me when I’d might see a statue that doesn’t honor your ancestors, or grumble at another long session of beseeching God, “I you might be in class and be presented with a case study don’t have silver or gold, but I can give you a prayer.” where a white woman is scared of Black people, which was an actual case study in my law class.”

Over a drink at a local café in Abuja to celebrate my Nigerian-American friend Chime’s new role as a policy While growing up in Chicago, Chime was funneled analyst, he spoke about the tight leash his father had kept into activities where he was the only Black kid, such him and his siblings on in order to ensure their focus on as soccer and chess. He got bullied for not being Black education. We had met as two returnees trying to make a enough or Nigerian enough or, among racist white folks, way for ourselves, and I related deeply to the concept of a simply human enough. There, in one of America’s most tight leash—a metaphorical object that never allows you to segregated cities, he learned to fend for himself and to immerse fully in a culture. become confident and bold.

Chime drove his point home: “I felt like I was at an intersection growing up with my experiences.” Perhaps it was navigating the tight leash of our upbringing while also

Chime revealed what had propelled him to leave: “No one will understand that this space does not feel welcoming.

No one will understand that I just don’t feel comfortable

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here. No one will understand that I had a mental breakdown because stuff is racist. There are still stresses in Nigeria, but it’s a different type of challenge. Maybe one is more psychological while the other is more material.”

I understood Chime completely. To be Black in America is largely about learning how to breathe through multiple breakdowns. It’s no surprise that so many of us want to use the energy we have for a breakthrough. I needed to find peace away from the constant microaggressions, and the search for that peace helped me find a way to make it work on the continent.

Leaving for Africa did not make all my problems go away. Still, I have walked down many streets, laughed raucously in many public venues, worn many Ankara dresses, and felt my body’s tension dissipate. Being introduced to a world of new challenges wasn’t easy, but I had space for new realities.

As returnees, we can’t talk about our relationship to Africa without reconciling our relationship to the West, which means our decision to return is largely defined by what we are choosing to leave and that for which we are longing.

Reconciling Fantasy with Reality I watched Black Panther on my couch during a snowy day in Boston saying, “Wakanda forever!” This was right before I left the U.S. The nostalgia in my heart for home became a burning desire to live my best African life.

Watching the melanin on the screen made me feel like that was possible. When Black is King came out, I danced to the song “My Power” and felt the energy move up my spine.

These sensations were tempered by the reality of living for two years in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. I have experienced the continent on its best and worst days. In Nigeria, a country where almost half the population lives on a dollar a day, street hawkers sold everything from apples to belts to insecticide. The banks had lines out the door, and no matter where you lived, the electricity was bound to shut off at some point.

The greatest myth I had used as solace when it was rainy and cool in America: When I get to

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Africa, it’ll be hot. But July in Abuja was also rainy and cool, and I wore sweaters outside and took hot showers (when I could) inside.

My relationship with Africa, like any relationship worth its salt, requires a commitment that goes beyond the honeymoon stage. After the honeymoon, love is tested and must become rooted in accepting a partner for who they actually are. I’ve always believed that true love emerges in the reckoning of a truth revealed.

Another returnee I met in Ethiopia, Heran Tadasee, who teaches Kemetic and African yoga and works as a breastfeeding counselor, fiercely expressed loving her homeland while acknowledging the effects of a painful legacy. “I was born in Addis Ababa in the year 1984 ... the year of the great famine, when the world’s best musicians sang for us, the year that forever branded us with the scarcity mentality, the image of famine and dependency culture deep in our bones and identity.”

At age 3, Heran was adopted by a Dutch family in the Netherlands. Although Heran didn’t grow up in Ethiopia, she felt compelled to dig deeper and trace her roots. Her return journey brought her to Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, and Ethiopia, inspiring her to eventually repatriate as she began reconnecting to her biological family.

Heran’s genuine devotion to the continent was front and center as she exclaimed, “I have a deep love for Africa. I even have the map tattooed on the side of my head!”

Heran and I met at a time when I was focused on my spiritual journey as an African woman committed to acknowledging my own complicated history in order to move forward. We had left the West not only for practical reasons—wanting more vitamin D, wanting injera and swallow, wanting to see people who looked like us as the norm—we had relocated to heal.

Often Heran spoke of the necessity of healing as an international, interracial adoptee. “Having faced racism daily in Europe, it took many years to purify and heal from the pain and hate, to move from victimhood to leadership and responsibility. I do feel grateful to have lived in the West, to have traveled to broaden my horizon and keep an open mind.”

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THE REALITIES OF RETURNING TO AFRICA

“I learned that the reality of living at the intersections of a place that I’m from but not completely of, a place that I show up for in spite of how I’m received, is a courageous undertaking.”

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Before I decided to settle in Nigeria, it was a gift to observe how Heran and other Ethiopian returnees I’d met were learning Amharic, the lingua franca of Ethiopia, while navigating the various ethnic and tribal differences, gender expectations, cultural norms, and dress codes. My time in Nigeria put me through a similar obstacle course, and the truth is that even if I master all of these things, people still might question whether or not I belong.

I liked to walk around Addis Ababa with Heran. Once, I took the bus to meet her in front of the German Embassy. We walked for about an hour to Bole to meet up with another friend. We passed people having coffee ceremonies and eating samosas. At least two people stopped us on the street and said, “African. You’re African.”

Both of us are darker-skinned women. Heran wore her hair natural with a cowrie shell placed in the middle of her forehead, while I wore mine in Rasta braids. Although I thought Heran was obviously Ethiopian, she shared her experience of always being

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mistaken for Kenyan. As this happened to us often whenever we walked, sometimes I’d get snarky and say, “So I guess Ethiopia isn’t in Africa?”

I learned that the reality of living at the intersections of a place that I’m from but not completely of, a place that I show up for in spite of how I’m received, is a courageous undertaking.

Why You Wanna Stay?

I’ve been in Nigeria for seven months, and whenever I’m on the phone with family or friends from the West someone will nervously ask, “So, you’re still not coming back, huh?” I guess they think that the West—especially America—is an exceptional place that no one would ever want to leave. It’s a hard thought to kick and even admit to having had. But for two years, I’ve been trying to live beyond the American Dream. I simply tell them, “I don’t think so.”

RADIANT HEALTH № 16 The Self Care Issue

THE REALITIES OF RETURNING TO AFRICA

I also met Jerry Johnson, who has lived on the continent for nearly 20 years. After having traveled extensively in West Africa, Jerry resettled in Ghana, where he now owns a guesthouse and has founded the Ancestral Wall, an expansive project depicting 90 iconic figures in African history. His mother was a civil rights activist, and during the 1980s he’d taken African American studies courses in college where he read Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey.

After studying Pan-Africanism movements extensively, he decided to take a trip.

“I was in Senegal for five minutes and decided to live in Africa,” Jerry explained. “I was in L.A. and doing fine, but it was a no brainer for me … it went from the theoretical to how I felt. And it felt good.”

When we share stories about whether we get a pull to leave and go back to the West, Jerry says, “I don’t go back between Ghana and the States like I used to. I miss two things about the U.S.—I like the access to quality jazz and restaurants in L.A.” Making such a huge shift also changes the dynamic between close friends and family. It’s no longer a question of “When will you come back?” but more about “So, when will you come visit me?”

The Bigger Picture I’d been having conversations with folks about returning way before I knew I was going to return. After a span of 10 years, from fantasizing about Africa to actually living on the continent, I’d say that though I’m in love, it’s become a love born of balance and vigilance to the nuances of a people while keeping the bigger picture in mind.

As in any intentional relationship, it’s important to know the “why” behind such a commitment. It is the fuel that sustains me when my relationship to Africa gets rocky, because as Chime so eloquently said wherever we went, “People are people.”

If the daily ins and outs of a relationship prove trying, it’s best to hold tight to personal values and see the bigger picture. After the fanfare of homecoming, when the elation wears off and the

confetti has wilted and the food is cool, there’s the day to day, and that’s where the actual relationship begins. I’d even say that this is where the healing really begins. Even if the “why” is to sit for a year and cry while swimming in the Atlantic, personal intentions for returning are vital.

Chime came back to work in the Nigerian government. Heran returned to restore her ancestral knowledge and teach others to do the same. Jerry came back to build generational wealth and work with youth. It took me a year of traveling in East Africa to figure out that part of my healing was to be a bridge between all these intersections and to let the folks in the motherland know that not everything worked out as planned.

The American Dream that our parents clung to when they landed on Western soil came with a lot of loss. Perhaps the economic opportunities made the tradeoff bearable, but for others, when met with the constant trial of having to prove one’s worthiness of a seat at that table, America may not be worth it. It may be better to find comfort in a chair that already has one’s name on it.

I have also had to explain to people in the U.S. that although Africa is a beacon of hope, there’s a reality on the ground that cannot be bypassed.

I am usually hesitant to share the full breadth and depth of my experience returning to Nigeria because it’s really complicated. I wasn’t expecting to move in the way I did, and two years later, all I can say is that it takes a lot of faith and courage to commit to a new place.

There are great moments, of course, and transformative moments are assured. And yes, there are moments when I want to give up or cry because the pain of not feeling fully accepted hurts.

I’m not perfect, which means I can make mistakes and turn people off with my sensibilities. This is the stuff of colonization and reconciliation, one mistake and failed attempt to connect after another.

The success comes in staying the course and believing in the best outcome even when I can’t see it yet. It’s a vulnerable place to be. This is what I would tell anybody who is considering repatriating: This is a vulnerable and courageous endeavor. My heart is with you.

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Let’s face it—the world and its happenings have been pretty intense this year, and we’re all feeling the effects.

But with the proper support and practice of protecting our well-being and happiness, we can be tried in the fire and still come out like pure gold. To help us all love and care for ourselves, we present the following socialdistance-friendly and self-care-centric resources and attractions.

HEAR AT HOME

You Had Me at Black Podcast Storytelling is in our blood, as it has been key to maintaining our history, culture, values, and sense of purpose. With a mission of reclaiming the African diasporan narrative, this podcast features educational, inspirational, and encouraging stories on the Black experience that you’re not likely to see in the mainstream media. youhadmeatblack.com

Afropolitan Universe Boasting more than 100,000 professionals and nearly 500 businesses throughout 10 cities, Afropolitan Cities represents the largest network of professionals of African descent of its kind. In light of COVID-19, it has continued its monthly African entertainment extravaganza with virtual Afrobeats parties featuring six Afrobeats Master DJs. afropolitancities.com/events

EXPERIENCE AT HOME

Art Activity Kits with ArtzyBella You don’t have to be the next Njideka Akunyili Crosby or Kehinde Wiley to benefit from the restorative power of creating visual art. With ArtzyBella you can unleash your inner artist simply by nabbing a box complete with everything you’ll need to complete two handcrafted art activities. artzybella.com

TL Yarn Crafts Crochet Design Education Besides giving you the power to create one-of-a-kind pieces, the art of crochet can function as a natural antidepressant, relieve stress and insomnia, and build self-esteem, and may even delay the onset of memory loss. Whether you’re a beginner or a longtime pro, check out TY Yarn Crafts for digital tutorials, free patterns, and other helpful tidbits to get your hook on. tlycblog.com

Virtual Wine Tasting with Wine Spencer A little wine is good for the soul. If you’ve ever wanted to be more knowledgeable about wine, you can now plan a tasting right at home. In addition to learning about the basics of wine, you can receive a virtual education on champagne, tour South African wineries, and get hipped to other Black-owned winemakers. winespencer.com/virtualwinetasting

Have You Heard George’s Podcast?

George Mpanga, better known as George the Poet, is a British-based wordsmith of Ugandan descent who leverages his unique talents to speak out on social and political issues. Tune in to his weekly podcast to hear a soulful mix of fiction, music, and poetry. georgethepoet.com

READ AT HOME

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

by Isabel Wilkerson Just as we must first understand an illness in order to cure it, we must also understand the foundations of racism if we ever hope to end it. This brilliant work of nonfiction delivers a captivating, comprehensive, and easy-to-follow history of the West’s race-based caste system while comparing and contrasting it to caste systems in India and Nazi Germany. penguinrandomhouse.com

The Stress Management Workbook: De-Stress in 10 Minutes or Less by Ruth C. White, PhD, MPH, MSW Stress management and mental wellness expert Dr. Ruth C. White offers this collection of 10-minute exercises designed to help minimize stress, boost energy, enhance work performance, and maintain overall improved health. amazon.com

Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola There’s no escape quite like a good love story. This reimagined compilation of romantic tales from West Africa, the Middle East, and mythical Greece delivers a delightful assortment of imaginative literary getaways. bookdepository.com

HEAL AT HOME

Ashtanga Yoga with Wambui Njuguna Finland-based Kenyan American yoga practitioner Wambui Njuguna offers online classes in the Ashtanga practice of yoga, which promotes self-reflection and physical health. Njuguna’s classes are specifically tailored with special care for melanated people who have been affected by systemic trauma and seek a safe space for equity, inclusion, and wellness. wambuinjuguna.com

Guided Meditation with Black Zen Studies indicate that as little as 10 minutes of meditation a day can make a difference in coping with current events and tackling daily demands. Ease tension and alleviate anxiety with virtual guided meditation sessions courtesy of Black Zen, a movement aimed at enhancing health and wellness among Black and Brown communities. blackzen.co

Digital Group Therapy with Ethel’s Club Sometimes we need to talk to others to have a better understanding of our own minds, bodies, and spirits.

Ethel’s Club is a digital social and wellness community offering weekly live wellness sessions, workshops, and classes to do just that. ethelsclub.com

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radiant finds creative fruition.

A SPOTLIGHT ON BLACK CREATIVES BRINGING IDEAS INTO REALITY

siness

1. Tactile Matter "Sunrise" Print from $45 Kenesha Sneed is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist and Creative Director—whose work speaks to empowerment, the Black female experience, with a balance of purposeful color and forms. tactilematter.com

2. Under The Sunlight Masterpiece Notebooks $12 Under The Sunlight is a mindful stationary brand that creates beautifully crafted products that serve as a blueprint for living a purposeful life. They encourage people to enjoy the present moment, honor the parts of themselves that make them special and invest in the nourishing practices of self care and curiosity. underthesunlight.com 3. Black Pepper Paperie Co. Comb Series Decorative Sheets $24 Hadiya Williams is the founder of Black Pepper Paperie Co., a Washington, DC-based mix-media art + design studio. Her work has recently been featured on digital and print publications including, Uppercase: Creative Adventures in Clay, Decorating Dissidence, Shoppe Black, Print Mag, Domino, DCist, and Travel + Leisure. With over 15 years experience in graphic design, she currently focuses on creating one-of-a-kind handcrafted pieces that include wearable ceramic art, home decor, paper goods, and apparel. studiobppco.com

4. BLK MKT Vintage 1970'S Afro Pick in Original Packaging (1973) $28 BLK MKT Vintage is a Brooklyn, NY-based antique/vintage concept shop, specializing in collectibles, cast-off's and curiosities, which represent the richness of Black history and lived experience. Curated by founders Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart, the collection includes found items like vintage literature, vinyl records, clothing, art, housewares/ decor, furniture and other goods. blkmktvintage.com

5. Jungalow Face Bookend Vase by Justina Blakeney® $98 Jungalow® started as a design blog in Justina Blakeney's tiny, plant-filled living room back in 2009 and has since grown into a lifestyle brand and the go-to source for jungalicious design goods and inspiration. The shop features signature Justina Blakeney® and Jungalow® collections designed in their Los Angeles studio as well as a curated ensemble of creative, colorful, modern goods from around the globe. jungalow.com

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08 SECTION

BODY & MIND page 156.

SOLO TRAVEL IS SELF-CARE Traveling out of your comfort zone page 164.

RADIANT WOMAN WATCH Glo Atanmo

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Travel

Self-Care TICKET FOR ONE, PLEASE

words by Clarissa Bannor

photography by @dipyourtoesin via Twenty20

SOLO TRAVEL IS SELF-CARE

TAKING TIME FOR MYSELF away

from my regularly scheduled life has become a favorite personal ritual. As an introvert who enjoys company but needs alone time to recharge, a long soak in the tub or curling up with a good book is a treat, but those solitary acts of selfcare aren’t what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about acts of self-care that help us step into the cockpit of ourselves by pushing past what’s comfortable.

For me, that means getting out of my cozy little corner and taking myself out to that new restaurant I heard about, venturing past state lines to visit that small artist commune I read about, making a simple solo visit to a nature park, or spending a night at a local bed and breakfast.

Creating space to get vulnerable with oneself doesn’t have to be a big event, especially if getting on a plane isn’t an option. Small, gradual exercises that flex our vulnerability muscles help prep us for bigger solo experiences in the future. The practice of being outside the comfort and security of familiar company is empowering, and I make space for it even though I’m in a long-term relationship.

Doing things alone in public that are traditionally done with other people can be agonizing. The first time I took myself out to a nice sit-down dinner was awkward.

I didn’t know what to do with my hands or my eyes, so they ended up glued to my phone, fidgeting away at buttons and apps in between courses just so I would feel busy and avoid curious glances and sympathetic stares from other diners.

In hindsight, what seemed like awkwardness about feeling exposed in the presence of strangers was really a feeling of not being rooted in my own company. My experience would have been different if I had been genuinely present and tuned in to enjoy myself.

Plenty of women quiver at the thought of having dinner at a restaurant alone, so traveling unaccompanied can seem unfathomable. However, independent travel can be a powerful experience for women, teaching confidence, self-reliance, and self-care. As a result, solo travel by women is on the rise, increasing by 45% between 2015 and 2017 according to a 2019 story on the subject in The New York Times.

This shift toward independent travel by women also makes sense given increased access to technology, apps, resources, and disposable income. The internet and the interconnectivity of the world has simplified the trip-planning process, making spontaneous jaunts to far-off destinations easy.

Bottom-dollar travel deals have made booking flights a breeze, apps like Google Translate and Google Maps remove language barriers and map-reading woes for the directionally challenged (like myself), rideshare apps with tracking capabilities make it easy to navigate unfamiliar cities relatively safely, and social media makes it easy to check in with loved ones.

Given these technological advances, we can see why women are enthusiastically taking to the friendly skies.

But when you speak to women who dare to brave the path alone, you soon come to understand that the reasons behind traveling solo run deeper than the destination.

Terra Incognita Freedom and solitude were exactly what I was seeking when I booked a trip to Jamaica in February 2020, right before the pandemic hit. The idea, prompted by a friend, was entirely spontaneous. A quick flight search and click of a button later, I had made weekend plans for sunny skies and good food. Jamaica had been on my bucket list for years, but I always saw it as a place to experience with my significant other; it had never crossed my mind to just book a flight and go, or that I was enough to make the experience enjoyable.

This trip would be different from trips I’d taken alone for business. This would be my first leisurely international trip without the company of my spouse and two kids. At 35 years old, my identity is wrapped up in my role as a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend. These roles compete for my attention and are carefully considered before making plans, and it becomes difficult to see where others’ needs end and mine begin.

Over time, doing things just for you starts to become tinged with guilt, and anxiety builds up at the thought of pursuing solo activities that force you to be present with yourself. Vulnerability is uncomfortable, and like so many, I avoided opportunities to be “aware of the fullness of [my] own presence rather than of the absence of others,” as Alice Koller describes in her book The Stations of Solitude.

So, I challenged myself to change that, and Port Antonio’s laid-back vibe more than made up for my apprehensions.

Maybe it was the way the sun kissed my skin, or the breeze’s warm caress through my hair on the scenic drive through the mountains. I was awestruck by the lush, verdant landscape enjoyed by the locals in this less touristy part of the island. Whatever it was, I was happy that my disquiet about leaving my family behind and traveling solo hadn’t stopped me from experiencing these moments.

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It’s All About You When the popular travel website Lonely Planet polled solo women travelers of all ages and backgrounds on what the benefits are of going it alone, the top answers included empowerment, freedom from social expectations, independence, and confidence.

Traveling with friends and partners can be difficult if there is a clash in traveling styles. There’s independence in deciding how to spend your time and resources. If you don’t want to spend hours doing the touristy things, traveling solo ensures that you get to make and change plans at your own whim and convenience. For women traveling independently, there’s no pressure to put anyone else’s needs ahead of your own or to anticipate bathroom breaks and meal times for little ones—you can go at your own pace.

Jessica Nabongo, the first Black woman to travel to every country in the world, explained in The New York Times a particular challenge she faced as a solo Black woman traveler. “In many European cities that I’ve been in—like Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Milano—women of color are in more danger because a lot of people think we are prostitutes,” she said. “My fear is always that if something happens to me in a European city, no one will care. I could be running down the street screaming in Italy and onlookers won’t care because I’m Black.”

Despite the unique risks of traveling while Black and female, so many of us who willingly embrace the thrill of exploring the unknown have come to value the rewards over the risks.

Rachel Hill from Florida, who has traveled alone to over 30 countries, put it this way in an interview with Lonely Planet: “I believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages when it comes to traveling solo. The advantages include the ability to move at your own pace, expanding your dating pool if you’re single, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, and the ability to sort through your thoughts and mental clutter. You also get to increase your self-esteem and confidence—I mean, you’re traveling. That’s badass!

For women of color, solo travel affords a break from Western societal norms and beauty standards. Seeing ourselves in Black and Brown women around the globe gives a sense of belonging and appreciation for our bodies, our culture, and our shared history. Whether I’m at home in Ghana or wandering through Port Antonio, Jamaica, I feel affirmed and connected to the world and the people around me. It is a potent reminder that “Every woman needs to travel solo at least once in her lifetime. My advice would be to find the type of experience although I’m solo, I’m not alone. you want to have and the destinations that offer that Solitary travel for women does come with its own list of experience, then develop a budget and work from there.” safety precautions, and Black and Brown women have unique concerns to consider before exploring alone. An Experience Like No Other While the threat of sexual violence is a real concern for solo women travelers in general, women of color At the core of independent travel is finding the space and typically take into account the racial attitudes of their time to do your own thing and stretch yourself through destination. The fear of racial discrimination and the the experience. This goal can be achieved by seeking lengths we have to go to make sure we are safe may seem out themed travel experiences, such as a culinary travel tour; by joining one of the many women’s travel groups excessive, but our fears are not irrational. that are gaining popularity; and by finding groups Black female travelers who choose to explore alone designed specifically for Black women travelers, which face the burdens of our sex—being subjected to gender provide excellent opportunities to get safety tips and stereotypes, archaic social norms, and patriarchal values— connect with like-minded travelers. while our race sets us up to be ignored, dismissed, and discriminated against abroad, even in some majority My trip to Jamaica was centered around a culinary event called Holy Sip, a one-night dinner experience Black countries. created by Shannon Evans, a Jamaican American food Growing up in the hustle and bustle of cities like coach based out of Atlanta. Held at the Belmont Villa, Washington, D.C., and Accra, I’m pretty familiar with which serves as a central meeting place for attendees, the catcalling culture in which men stare, whistle, snicker, the event brings people from all over the world to Port and comment about women’s bodies, and especially Antonio for an intimate food and drink experience. brown, curvy bodies like mine. Black women have a Having this event on my itinerary connected me with disproportionately higher risk of street harassment some incredible people and gave some structure to mainly because of the fetishized portrayal of Black my visit, but also left plenty of time for exploring the bodies in the media. And this behavior isn’t just limited destination, either on my own or with friends I made through the event. to patriarchal, non-feminist, third-world countries.

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SOLO TRAVEL IS SELF-CARE

“The advantages include the ability to move at your own pace, expanding your dating pool if you’re single, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, and the ability to sort through your thoughts and mental clutter.”

If you’re like me, then where you stay is just as important to the travel experience as the destination itself. Bougie hotels are nice, but hostels are an excellent option for tapping into a community, especially if you’re traveling alone or on a budget. Hostels are a great way to meet like-minded people and find safety in numbers. They have communal areas for getting to know people right away, which makes them invaluable for getting the lowdown on local gems and must-see attractions.

The most important piece of advice you’ll hear often from solo travelers is to enjoy your own company. Everyone has the right to grow beyond their day-to-day responsibilities, and making time to pursue personal pleasures helps connect you to your sense of self. If traveling and seeing the world is something that gives you joy and helps you grow, then you have a personal responsibility to see to it, with or without someone else.

Relish that your time and itinerary are your own.

Find ways to stretch yourself, meet interesting people, take in your surroundings, and plug into yourself and your connection with the world around you. With each solo trip I have become more confident in my ability to understand myself and the world around me. Traveling by myself was and still is daunting to a certain extent, but it’s precisely this discomfort—and the will to move through it—that makes this way of traveling so satisfying.

It’s unclear what travel will look like after the pandemic, but if the coronavirus has gifted us with anything at all, it’s the desire to learn how to enjoy our own company. And given the state of things, the sooner we get comfortable with ourselves, the better equipped we’ll be at withstanding the new normal of social distancing and isolated living. Sure, we all have comfortable ways to carve out time for solitary pleasures like

taking bubble baths, reading a book, or cooking a comforting meal. These self-care practices are a start, but they needn’t be all there is to cultivating the art of being alone well.

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Photography by Glo Atanmo Model Glo Atanmo, travel blogger and entreprenuer Read her interview on page 164

BODY & MIND

GLO ATANMO Radiant Woman Watch

KNOWLEDGE TO SHARE AND AMBITION TO SPARE

words by Manseen Logan

Gloria "Glo" Atanmo launched her creative career with $500 and a ticket to Europe. It wasn’t much, but that leap of faith led her to start a travel blog, which became the springboard for a seven-figure stream of successful business ventures. Also, let’s not forget to acknowledge that she accomplished all of this before her 30th birthday—impressive would be an understatement.

and George Floyd. As the United States and the entire world grappled with police brutality and overt racism, Glo created a bridge between Black folks and potential allies with her insightful and thought-provoking Instagram posts, which became an impactful 30-day guide to becoming an ally.

Now, almost eight years after the launch of theblogabroad. com, travel isn’t what it used to be, thanks to a global pandemic, but neither is Glo. She’s a creative who evolves with the times and always manages to serve society where there’s a void. Take as an example the recent social justice awakening spurred by the consecutive murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor,

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As an entrepreneur and traveler, the young NigerianAmerican is accustomed to making tough decisions, taking risks, and seizing opportunities to improve the world. There’s a lot we could all learn from a woman like her. Thankfully, she’s an open book. Glo spoke with Radiant about some of the recent choices she’s made and how she continues to flourish and maintain her peace.

RADIANT HEALTH № 16 The Self Care Issue

photography by Glo Atanmo

GLO ATANMO

Radiant Health: On your travel blog, getting it wrong, because there is no blueprint. you shared that you were dissolving A lot of us try to say, “This person did this” and seven service programs attached to “This person says to do this,” but my life—my your brand. Did the pandemic have experiences, my struggles, my circumstances, my unique set of skills—there is no blueprint anything to do with your businesses for it. I’ve got to create it for the next person dissolving, and how did you make after me. So I gotta be okay with taking a peace with that decision?

Gloria Atanmo: I think what 2020 gave me,

more than anything else, was the ability to sit still, because prior to 2020 I literally lived out of a suitcase for seven years. So I had no stability and no foundational sense of my being. I was literally at the mercy of different time zones,

chance whether it’s going to be right or wrong.

RH: There was another line that you wrote on that post. You kind of hinted on building success versus maintaining success. In your opinion, which is harder and why?

“Sharing stories with strangers who grew up halfway across the world you realize, through their stories and their lived experiences, there is no right or wrong.” different currencies, different languages. So for the first time, I found myself where there was this equilibrium.

I, all of a sudden, was able to allocate brain power toward my business. I could focus on what I actually want. So dissolving the businesses was very intentional. I actually tripled my revenue from quarantine. I was one of the few lucky ones that was able to just really flourish in the midst of the madness, but it also gave me the opportunity to say, “OK, what’s going to serve me at my next level?” Because I’m constantly evolving and I want my business to be in alignment with who I’m becoming.

RH: So then I guess you’ve made peace with that decision because everything worked out?

GA: Yes, absolutely. And I think even if it didn’t,

I would be okay with that because I think a lot of entrepreneurship is taking a chance on yourself and being okay with messing up or

GA: Maintaining success! I wish somebody had

told me this, because becoming successful—and I don’t want to diminish the amount of work it takes—but once you find that success, that is half the battle.

Maintaining it is so much harder because now you’re constantly evolving. Now you have a platform, now you have expectations from people. It just adds to the pressure and you now have to confront “Do I please my audience who supported me through this journey or do I completely pivot and do what feels right for me?” I found myself at that crossroads because I’ve built the bulk of my audience through travel blogging, travel photos, and travel stories. Now I want to talk [about] personal development and life with them.

It’s a little bit of a sharp right turn, you know?

So I had to say, “Glo, this is where you’re going.”

Travel is something that’s very aspirational, but only a small percentage of people can relate to that life because it is a luxury. But life, wisdom,

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and personal development meet us all at the same ground level. So I felt like it made more sense and it matched who I was becoming.

RH: So would you say the hardest part of maintaining success is listening to your instinct when it’s time to make that change?

GA: Exactly. And there’s a quote that says, “Successful people quit all the time,” but you have to be willing to say no and leave your past life and your past wins to move on to the next lane, because imagine if Oprah had stayed as a news broadcaster. She would’ve never had her own show, would have never built her own network. The legacy that she has now was literally from her saying no and quitting different things that no longer served her. Oprah was a moving train. And she’s like, “Look, I’m going far and I’m going places.”

I need to be able to have discernment over when it’s time to say yes and when it’s time to leave my past life behind.

RH: It sounds easy when you say that. I think maybe because you’re an entrepreneur and you’re living it.

With that said, what are your self-care practices to maintain success and keep your peace while doing it?

GA: It’s so important to cultivate a network or

a circle around you that are not yes-men. They will tell it like it is and they will check you when they feel like you’re not showing up as your best self. I think it’s also easy, when you’re the top dog in your circle, to feel like you’re doing something, but you really got to get around some winners—people who are pushing the envelope and just relentless for change and impact. Just have a conversation or get in a room with people like that. It’s impossible to come out of that room without a fire lit.

So to maintain success, I constantly put myself in rooms with winners and I fight down those doors to be like, “Look, I need to be here. I might not be at your level, but I see what y’all

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are doing and I want to make that kind of impact. What are y’all reading? What are y’all tuning into? What are y’all doing?” Because proximity is power, and just being around that type of inspiration is helpful.

When it comes to protecting my peace, [I use] my boundaries. It was really hard. I always joke that I’m easy to find but I’m hard to reach. I turn off my DMs on my stories. People know not to expect a reply from me because I no longer put that as an obligation for myself. I had to start protecting how I was spending my time.

When you give yourself so freely, especially when you’re thinking so openly and vulnerably online, people start to view you as a resource and a nonhuman thing that they can just reach out to and [say] “Give me this.” They don’t treat you like a human anymore. So I literally just stopped responding. I’m like, “I’m gonna just do me and I’m gonna stop putting that pressure on myself.”

RH: How hard was it to implement those boundaries?

GA: I think it was hard when I felt like people

took it as rejection because I allowed certain behavior and I never corrected it. Then it [becomes] easy once someone really screws you over. I was like, “OK, this is why it’s time for CEO Glo to come into the room.”

RH: You’re like, “This is what we’re not going to do.” Absolutely.

Now, I want to talk about the passion that really launched a lot of this success— your passion for traveling. What about traveling brings you joy? Also, what does solo travel offer that group travel doesn’t?

GA: I think travel allows me the permission

to have experiences and unlearn and relearn aspects of the world that I just had a flawed opinion on or I was just ignorant about. I think it also humbles you and allows you to see how other people live. Sharing stories with strangers

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BODY & MIND

who grew up halfway across the world you realize, through their stories and their lived experiences, there is no right or wrong. It’s just different, and that’s so beautiful.

really fine-tune my message and package it in a way that’s saleable and scalable.

I also have [an] old high school coach, his name is John Jacobs, and he was like the first positive I love my girls and I love when I do my group trips, Black role model in my life. I remember in high but solo travel allows me to get out of my shell. school seeing him rock up into school with a bright When you’re by yourself, you’re kind of exposed. white Lexus—I was like, “I also have [an] old high You’re actually more approachable when you’re school coach, his name is John Jacobs, and he was solo. So I tend to come out with a lot deeper like the first positive Black role model in my life. I stories when I’m solo traveling because people remember in high school seeing him rock up into do approach me when I’m out eating alone or out school with a bright white Lexus—I was like, “Is exploring alone. that possible for us?” I saw this Black man thriving ... and I was like, “Yo, we could be living this life. I RH: As someone who specializes in leisure guess [it’s] not just for rich white folk.” He got me travel, are there any effects that you see into the personal development books and we’re still lingering from this pandemic? in touch to this day. I feel really blessed and grateful to have amazing mentors pour into me.

GA: I see pros and cons to the way the world is responding to COVID. The con is that tourism is RH: Lastly, as a mentor, what qualities do being hit globally and it’s going to take a lot for you see in successful mentees? a lot of countries to recover because a lot of their economy was run on tourism dollars. So I really feel GA: I love this question because I have a list. I bad about that. But one thing that I did notice— literally turn people away because they don’t meet because I was able to do a little bit of safe travel last this list. It is: growth-spirit, or you have this growth summer and I found Qatar to be so efficient, the mentality where you are hungry to learn; you’re a hygiene and the protocols—everything just seemed student. Positive mindset. If I go on your Twitter like the standard was raised. and it’s just a bunch of tweets complaining, we’re not going to mesh well together. Entrepreneurial, I loved how some airports really rose to the occasion which means you’re a self-starter, you know how and met the crisis where it was, when it comes to see things, and you want to create something to the world opening back up and normalizing out of it. Innovative—which means, again, you travel. Places are definitely trying to rebuild. That’s want to build something and you have this heart to going to be a process, but I think influencers and create. Humility is huge. I’m all about confidence travel bloggers in the meantime need to focus on and I’m all about you speaking and fanning your creating their own products and creating their own own flames, but I need you to also understand that economic liberation. it ain’t about you. It is about the people that you’re serving and who you’re impacting, and I need you RH: It seems like you have a natural gift to have a humble spirit. And servant-driven leader. and this natural desire to help others. So Your leadership is all about other people and you coaching, teaching, and mentoring seems know how to lead with service. like a natural progression. But I’m curious, who was your biggest mentor in this industry I think there’s also a lot of coaches that preach and what made them great?

“You better pay up,” but I will serve first and then

I’ll serve you so well, you’re in my DMs like, Definitely Brendon Burchard. Anyone “Where can I pay you?” I know my approach who’s been in my programs knows that I quote is unorthodox, but it’s worked and it feels in him and reference him every call or every other alignment with who I am. sentence. What I love about Brendon is he’s such a wholesome guy. I’m a bit of a hybrid when it Gloria “Glo” Atanmo offers an assortment of courses comes to coaching and creating. Brendon has and training guides that range from ally education to been so instrumental in helping me get more online business development. You can access her guides and more structured with my business model and and training products at YoItsGlo.com.

GA:

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SECTION NAME

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ARTICLE NAME ARTICLE NAME

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Deal with yourself worthy of respect, else deal with you

as an individual and make everyone the same way.

Nikki Giovanni

radianthealthmag.com

Radiant is dedicated to the discerning Afro woman and her journey to wellness through health, beauty and culture.

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