Dear Black women: How do you nourish your health and body?

6th December 2023Afrowoman1Beauty Counter & Wellbeing, Blog0

Dear Black women Happy Wellness Wednesday. I was thinking about the word nourish and what it means. When I looked it up I found the meaning is: to maintain, cherish, cultivate, sustain, tend, attend, and comfort. So, my question is how do you cherish, support or maintain your body and health?

If you haven’t thought about it yet, I’m sharing my smoothie recipe with you below to get you started 😊

A smoothie packed with vitamins

So, what’s in my smoothie recipe? Watercress, berries – blueberries, strawberries, black & red currents, grated ginger, almond milk – and a tablespoon of flaxseed.

You can use any berries you have and swap ginger for cinnamon or almond for oat milk. Spinach also makes a good alternative for watercress.

This recipe gives me iron, fibre, vitamin C and protein – to name a few of the nutrients.

I used to think smoothies wouldn’t keep me full but this ain’t so bad 😆

So, if you try this one, let me know if you like it or if you have your own recipe.

Different food to nourish for different needs

I have also thought more about how we can adapt what we eat to the time of the year or if you’re having a particular challenge. When it’s Winter and you want to avoid a cold, then kiwi fruit is a good thing to eat for high vitamin C. This is also a good thing to eat for looking after your immune system. If you need more iron, then green vegetables – spinach and cabbage are good sources to boost your iron levels.

Finding ways to move your body

Whether you take a new aerobics class or take a walk, think about how you can move your body to maintain your health. We always forget that when we move, we have to breath deeply. When oxygen moves around our bodies, we give our cells more fuel and the energy to help our bodies function.

It’s more than physical health

For me, this is more than the physical health; it’s about my mental health and emotional wellbeing. I am telling myself that I deserve this healthy, nutritious food going into my body. It’s a way for me to practice self care. It’s another step in my journey in self love.

I hope you are finding ways to create the self care you need and deserve. Above all, I hope each part of your self care provides the emotional, mental, physical and spiritual nourishment that you deserve.