(no title)

Recently, I’ve been going through a few some music, tracks, videos and more, which have inspired me to revisit a few projects that I hope to finally move on this year. However, in the meantime, today I was listening to a song on which I was fortunate to lend my voice while working with my brothers, Race, Simeon & Jaytoo.

Recording “Ain’t No Words” was also an opportunity to engage with a few other ladies and friends, Shev Rock (my fellow U of I alum), Simone (who I’ve had the pleasure to do youth work with, as well as see her artistic talent in dance and stage) and Michelle, while in the studio. Recorded a few years ago, check out “Ain’t No Words” by Primeridian, featuring a track by Coolout Chris. Enjoy!

As we shift from winter into spring, many are getting excited to get outdoors and enjoy running, walking, playing and being active outdoors. Here I share my motivations and journey in becoming a triathlete recorded for the Winter Running Club. I hope that something may spark in you to get up, get out and get active in some form this 2018!!

Calling ALL young ladies ages 13-18 in the Chicagoland area!! You do NOT want to miss this year’s Annual L.E.A.P. Conference. On March 17, 2018 from 8am-4pm, this event will feature sessions for those looking to grow in the areas of professionalism and emotional/spiritual well-being.

I’m looking forward to presenting about Women of Color in Corp. America, yet additional sessions include:
– Be Your Own Boss
– Absent Father: Dealing with an absent or estranged father
– Balancing Relationships
– Sisterhood Defined:How to be a good sister
– Proverbs 31 Woman: The Power of prayer
– I Am Enough: Building our Self-Esteem

..and more!! Furthermore, all young ladies will gain a new sister and an opportunity to network with those who are experts in their fields. I hope to see you there!

This week on Friday, I pray to celebrate another year as the sun sets on the blessing of this past one and ushers in the promise of a new & glorious one. Ever since first hearing the song in this video, each time I hear it I would often think about my brother, Darrick, who passed at the same age that I am now. At the time of his celebration of life I would often think about how we say tomorrow is not promised, however, do we really do anything to act differently towards people in our lives to seize the time we are given?

It was then I started on the path of wanting to live life specifically engaging with loved ones and those whose lives have been a blessing. It’s important to take time to reflect, appreciate, and embrace either physically, verbally, or simply communicate to those we often take for granted…as you never know when you may no longer have the opportunity to do so.

To not wait to say “I love you”, to give a gift that says I’m thinking of you, to spend time with that person.

To not wait to do and say things to those we love so they know how much they mean to us.

To not wait to do the things that may touch, inspire and uplift them to bring out the best in them.

This video is one way of me expressing that, though everyone in my life is not in it, they are in my heart and often thoughts & prayers, not even knowing it. So as a reminder to myself and you as well as a birthday wish & hopefully inspiration to anyone reading this or viewing the video, take time every so often just to let them know their significance in your life.

“Imagine there was no tomorrow
Imagine that I couldn’t see your face…

..I wanna tell you something
Give you something
Show you in so many ways
Cause it would all mean nothing
If I don’t say something
Before it all goes away
Don’t wanna wait to bring you flowers
Waste another hour
Let alone another day
I’m gonna tell you something
Show you something
Won’t wait til it’s too late”

I share this as inspiration for all of us to not waste a minute, hour, day..not living life in purpose and intention to touch those who we have in our lives TODAY..NOW!

Song: “Tell You Something (Nana’s Reprise)” – Alicia Keys

I do not own the rights to this song.

About 3 years ago, I did a 10-day reboot to reset my system that consisted of sticking to fruits & vegetables only, juices, smoothies, soups, salads and meals prepped to detox the body. It wasn’t as hard as one might think because you had your sweet items though fruits, smoothies, and a cool apple-cinnamon-berry bake, as well as things like baked sweet potato fries you can season to your liking, and array of salads and hearty vegetable dishes.

With a focus on doing Liquids Only Mondays (#LLL) and 1 liquid meal a day for this month, courtesy of “28 Day Liquids (ONLY) Challenge”, I decided to share a few of my favorite juices, smoothies, and soups. If you are interested in the 10-Day Reboot, feel free to email me at fredinyashia@f7ln.com and I will happily send you a copy of it. PLEASE NOTE: Some of the recipes listed below are not from the reboot plan, but one I like to make.

Green Goodness
Spinach
Peanut Butter
Banana
Almond Milk
Add to blender or NutriBullet & blend.

Blue Lovin
*same as the “Green Goodness” but add Blueberries

Carrot-Apple-Ginger
Carrots
Apples
Ginger
Add to a juicer and extract the juice.

Green Detox Soup
2 garlic cloves
1 leek
small head of broccoli
6 kale leaves
1 zucchini
2 tbsp of olive oil
4 cups vegetable stock
-Chop garlic & veggies
-Warm oil on low heat, add leek & garlic for 3-5 min.
-Add the stock & remaining veggies & bring to a boil. Cook til zucchini is soft.
-Add salt & pepper to taste.
-Blend or process soup to your desired consistency.

Vegetable Blend
Chopped cabbage
Green Beans
Chopped carrots
Chopped green onion
Vegetable stock
Chopped potatoes
Chopped cilantro
Salt & pepper to taste
-Put all ingredients in crock pot to cook until veggies are tender.
-Can eat as is or blend. (If not blending,you can also add corn on the cob pieces)

February is FINALLY here! (Yes, January seemed like it was forever..lol). Hands down it is my favorite month, not just because it was the month I was born in, but also because it is jammed packed with so much! This year I decided to incorporate a few challenges to add to the excitement. So, if you are a social media enthusiast, specifically on Instagram, though you can also do it on Facebook or Twitter, I have 2 challenges, one for anyone and a 2nd one geared towards athletes, posted below.

If you have never done a photo challenge, it is easy. All you have to do is post a photo each day representing the item listed for that day. For each post it is encouraged to add the hash tag #februaryphotochallenge as well as other hashtags that represent what you posted. If you accept the challenge, you should first post the photo challenge picture from below to announce to your followers as they may want to do it too. You can even add @nyashia to the challenge post (for IG or Twitter), as well as subsequent challenge posts so I can make sure I’m following you and see all the things you post throughout the month. I will be doing both of these challenges throughout the month mainly on Instagram, so feel free to follow me @nyashia.

The first challenge includes things that allow your followers to get to know you, as well as some of the events & celebrations in February (ie. Black History Month, Mardi Gras, the Superbowl). You can also add some of the hash tags listed if it represents that celebration, as well as your own hashtags.

This second challenge is for athletes that race. Feel free to add #februaryphotochallenge #athletechallenge and the corresponding #hashtag for that day’s post along with your own.

Have fun with it & happy posting!!

This morning I woke to a post that my big brother from another mother put on Facebook that intrigued me. My reaction to the picture below was immediate, but to also see the reaction of others even more perplexed me.

Now maybe I’m naive seeing as I’ve never been married, but the idea of 1) my life’s partner having less than me and 2) having boundaries on our bed space seems ludicrous! I imagine seasoned couples that have been together 10, 20 or 40+ years are thinking, ‘oh, she just doesn’t know’. I have been in a 4 & a half year relationship where we talked seriously about marriage, and I would say that I was just as adoring of him in year 4 as I was in the year 1. So, the idea of the passion and intimacy of a marriage being drained or no longer sounds horrible to me.

Now the flip side of this is that I definitely agree we as individuals still should have our “me” time & space. Time to reflect, time to chill with the ‘boys’ or have ‘girls’ nights are still key. And even in a bed, I’m not here to say every night a couple has to snuggle (and um, partake in more intimate activities..lol). There are times when a man or woman may get hot (in temperature) or just want some space to sleep and have their own space. And to just communicate “babe, tonight I just want to sleep or have some air”, that’s important and not get all bent out of shape about it.

Now if EVERY night is a night of distance and overall a relationship/marriage has evolved into a lack of intimacy, union, communication, respect, compromise, love and two people have become in a sense roommates, housemates, or simply are co-existing, that is no way to live.

The subsequent comments on the post brought to question the concept of a guy/husband being a “yes, dear” man. It has been argued that to do so minimizes conflict. I have found that often some men opt for the road of least resistance. I understand and can agree that choosing your battles and compromising is key for both men AND women to do. However, the idea of simply bending to someone’s will, leads to complacency & lack of passion.

These are just a few of my thoughts. What do you think?

A new fitness initiative, ALPHA PHIT CLUB (Facebook or Instagram), has launched and for the month of January presented a challenge of eating no sugar for the month. Individuals have taken this on as an opportunity to focus on discipline and transforming their bodies.

I must commend this approach. Though I typically never say never, the idea of not having sugar isn’t my cup of tea. My grandfather’s sweet tooth genes are strong in my DNA and he was known to when there were no cookies or sweets in the house, put sugar & butter on bread and eat that. No, I’m not that bad, but needless to say giving up sugar would be quite a feat…LOL!

However, the challenge has peaked my curiosity about focusing on non-sugar-rich foods. In past posts, I’ve talked about food and health (see any of these 3 articles listed below)..

Sweets For The Sweet
To Your Health…Knowledge: The Power To Make Change
Fun With Food

..and the one thing that I embrace about healthy eating, lifestyle changes, and/or giving up certain foods (temporarily or permanently) is to focus on what you CAN eat so you don’t get discouraged. It is helpful to find substitutes for the things you used to eat that are inline with your health goals versus what you can’t eat. So, with a no sugar diet or limiting sugar intake, I wanted to look at what foods one CAN eat and the benefits.

Some of the reasons to limit or cut sugar

Sugar provides fuel for cancer cells
Sugar promotes weight gain
Sugar spurs insulin resistance, which can lead to Type II diabetes
You will have more energy and focus: Sugar makes you feel tired
Less sugar will flatten your belly: Most added sugar that you eat is converted into fat
Reduce fat, lose weight: Less sugar means less fat

How To Cut Sugar Out Of Your Diet

Desserts and sweetened beverages like soda and fruit juice are obvious but also one needs to abstain from cane sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, molasses, maple syrup, honey, evaporated cane juice, agave and anything made with those sweeteners. Salad dressing,sauces, marinades, ketchup, canned foods, granola and energy bars often contain sugar. *

Stick to eating whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, lean meats, fish, whole grains, and nuts and seeds, with a little bit of plain dairy.
Cutting out or limiting processed foods
Choose whole, fresh fruit over juice or other fruit products
Give yourself a limit of how much or how often you you CAN eat sugar/sweets/desserts, especially if you are gradually trying to limit or wean yourself off of them.
Don’t keep sweets in the house. If you really want them bad enough, then you at least have to work/go out to get them. And even then, only buy 1 portion (like a slice a cake or a scoop or ice cream or even better frozen yogurt or an healthier option).
Instead of mixed drinks, if you must drink, choose wine, straight spirits, or mix with soda water.
Cut out soda. Try making your own fresh-squeezed or pureed juice and mix with seltzer water, especially if you crave the fizz.

Check out this no sugar shopping list: http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=698044

Even if you’re not sure about going without sugar out indefinitely or a month, trying it for a few days or at least starting to cut your intake can be an overall benefit to your health.

*Source: https://www.livestrong.com/article/468358-list-of-fruits-that-dont-contain-sugar-alcohol/

There are a few upcoming events to highlight as it is our responsibility to contribute to the uplifting of our youth, children, families, and communities. Though we may have many plans and goals that keep us all busy especially going into a new year, however, let’s all take time and resources out to give back and pour into others. See the events and initiatives below:

CHICAGOLAND-AREA residents: This Thursday, January 11, 2018 is 5% DAY at Whole Foods Market.
Remember to shop at the SOUTH LOOP, HYDE PARK & ENGLEWOOD Whole Foods Market stores this Thursday. 5% of proceeds will support the Gary Comer Youth Center (GCYC) academic and enrichment programs. Click to learn more about GCYC, programs and other offerings.

Join Depaul University 13th Annual (MIP) Male Initiative Project Student Conference on February 2, 2018. The 2018 conference theme is #ChiBoyBrilliance, celebrating black and brown male youth and empowering students to control the social narratives regarding their communities. Space is limited and registration is required. Schools may bring up to 20 young men, grades 9-12. For online details click here for details and to register.

Be a mentor for a day! Avis Huff Impact-CIPS is looking for career driven individuals to shadow their school for one day. Each mentor will be assigned to a student. That mentor will go through a typical day at Avis Huff with that student. The end in mind is for the mentor and mentee to build a professional relationship that will support their ability to becoming College and Career Ready! This is going to be an amazing event.
To learn more about Avis Huff & the Kankakee School District, visit:
Kankakee School District or Avis Huff-Facebook

Entering yet another new year, many people are focused on new goals, commitments, resolutions, changes, and more. At least for now. However, as the year starts to move along and weeks & months pass, that same resolve can start to waiver.. Life happens, distractions, unexpected challenges try to damper that excitement and focus. I’ve stated in previous posts how not just creating a commitment list, but also reading & reviewing it minimally weekly to ensure you stay on track is just one thing that helps to keep people committed to one’s goals.

Particularly for those seeking to make health and fitness changes or goals a priority, everything from work, family, weather, sickness, and other distractions will try to impede your progress. Living in Chicago, the cold weather and early dark days can be a hindrance to getting outside or going to the gym. Already yesterday morning, my a.m. training was delayed, which made me decide to go to work earlier so I can get a full session in this evening. Having a solid workout or training plan is great at maintaining one’s focus (ie. Training Peaks, Nike Run Plans). However, worst case scenario, no matter if you are a serious athlete, someone training to do your first 5K, adventure/obstacle race, or marathon, or trying to exercise to stay active or healthy, there are always things you can do in the comfort of your own home so you don’t have any excuse.

Whether it’s the first 30 minutes of your morning, something you do while food is cooking in the kitchen, or an evening workout in front of the tv with music, below I share with you some of my favorite exercises that you can do no matter your activity level and most do not require weights or equipment. Try these out and see how you like them:

Squats (Legs & glutes): The best form for squats, especially without weights is making sure when you bend down your knees don’t go past/more forward than your toes. You should feel like you are about to sit in a chair and then at the last minute decide to stand back up. Sometimes actually using a chair behind you but not sitting in it is a good way to get use to a proper squat. Also, focus on keeping your torso upright versus bent over.

Donkey kicks (Glutes): Getting on all fours with one leg bent back and then raise it in up to air, doing multiple reps will allow you to feel a nice burn in your butt.

Calf raises (Calves): If you have stairs or a step, placing your feet on a stair/step with just the ball of your feet & toes on the edge of it and your heels hanging off the step allows you to have a larger range of motion to extend and really work the full calf muscle.

Leg lifts: Lay down on the floor in front of your couch. Raise your arms over your head to grab under the bottom of the couch (your arms should be bent with elbows point up to ceiling. With the rest of your body fully extended, (keeping legs straight & together), lift you legs up bending at the hip. You should be in an almost ‘L’ shape. Then lower your legs back down. You can also do this where as you lift your legs up, you bend your knees up toward your chest. Do various reps of this to feel a nice burn in your lower abdomen. You can also vary this exercise by twisting slightly to the left or right to work the oblique muscles.

Bicycle crunches (Cardio, Abdominals & obliques): One minute cycling crunches then 30 seconds break and repeat.

Push-ups (Back, shoulders & triceps): Your basic pushup is great for defining shoulders and arms.

Bicep/Arm Curls (Biceps): If you have weights, that is great. If not you can use 16 oz water bottles, water jugs, workout bands, or anything that gives some resistance. Even with less resistance, the more repetitions you do, you will start to feel it.

Chair dips (Triceps): Stand in front of a stable chair. Bend down so you can grab the edge of the seat of the chair facing away from the chair. You can choose to keep your legs bent or straighten your leg (for more resistance) while balancing your weight with your arms. For each dip, bend your elbows lowering you weight so your buttocks and body lowers towards the floor but you stop just short of touching or sitting on the floor and then lift pushing back up with your arms.

Dance (Cardio): Turn on 3 of your favorite songs that get you pumped or turnt up and start dancing…hard!! That’s 12-15 minutes of cardio right there. Feel free to put a whole 30 minute playlist together and have fun with it incorporating new & old school dances (the running man, da butt, the wobble, any shuffle (Cupid, Cleveland, Harlem), whatever you’d do in the club..lol

Musically Inspired… “Ain’t No Words” – Primeridian ft Shev Rock, Nyashia, Simone & Michelle

L.E.A.P. (Ladies who are Educated & Have Purpose) Conference

Cherishing Another Year.. [VIDEO]

Reboot: Juices, Smoothies, Soups…

February is HERE.. Challenge!!

Yes Dear?!!

SUGAR: The Can Vs Can’t

Kick Off 2018 Supporting Our Youth & Community

No Excuses!!!