My oh my. Can you believe that we're already halfway into 2019? Yeah, me neither. If you're anything like I am, you probably told yourself somewhere before Valentine's Day that you were gonna do (or not do) certain things to get your body together, just in time for the summer season. But spring seems to be flying by and now, here you are—trying to figure out what you can do to be, at least a little health conscious, before Thanksgiving.
Luckily, when it comes to the current health trends that are specifically aimed at women, I did some of the research for the both of us. The good news is a lot of them are affordable and not super stressful to implement into your daily routine.
Whether you want to shed a couple of pounds, desire to have more mental or emotional tranquility or you simply want to find a relatively simple habit that will improve your immunity and make you feel better overall, here are some proven and popular things that will definitely help you to reach your goal(s).
Mindful Eating
Mindfulness is a word that's used so much right now that I think it's important to take a step back and think about what it truly means. To be mindful is simply to be aware of what you're doing, preferably before you do it. How it fits in when it comes to food is it's all about avoiding being an emotional eater, thinking about what will and what won't benefit your health before consuming it and even meditating, if need be, before preparing or purchasing a meal.
What are the benefits of eating this way? From what I've read, not only can mindful eating help you to maintain your preferred weight, it can also reduce stress, anxiety, depression, insomniaand reduce the urge to binge eating. In short, mindful eating is not a diet; it's a way of life.
Oat Milk
GiphyA couple of weeks ago, I was craving a milkshake. After eagerly downing about half of it, I started to feel stomach cramps. I know what it was too. Other than a scoop or two of ice cream from time to time, I can't tell you the last time I've had cow's milk; I'm avoiding it on purpose. If you're still on the fence about why you should wean off of it yourself, check out "12 Reasons to Stop Drinking Cow's Milk", "Why We Shouldn't Be Drinking Cow Milk, According to a Gastroenterologist" and "12 Frightening Facts About Milk".
If after reading those pieces, you're a bit freaked out but you're not sure what moves to make next, no worries—there are all kinds of great milk alternatives including hemp milk, rice milk, coconut milk, hazelnut milk and, of course, almond milk. But guess what kind of milk is turning out to be even better than all of these? Oat milk.
The health benefits of oat milk include that it will give you 50 percent of the daily requirement of Vitamin B12 per serving. Oat milk also contains a high amount of riboflavin, calcium, phosphorus and vitamins A and D. Some other great things about oat milk is it's soy-free (leave soy alone, y'all!), lactose-free and nut-free, it lowers blood cholesterol, it fights off common allergens and even boosts skin health. All of this definitely explains why it's one of the hottest women's health trends.
Probiotic Foods
Do you currently take a probiotic supplement? If you don't, you definitely should. Whether you take it in capsule or liquid form, probiotics are live microorganisms that introduce friendly bacteria into your body; especially your gut. Probiotics can do everything from boost your mood and relieve eczema to strengthen your immune system and help you to lose weight.
If for some reason you'd prefer to not take a supplement, there are fermented foods that can give you the probiotic surge that you need as well. Some of them include yogurt, pickles, sauerkraut, miso and gouda, mozzarella, cheddar and cottage cheese.
Online Workouts
Fitness Workout GIF by socialbynmGiphyIf you've been saying ever since New Year's Day that you're going to start a workout regimen but you've yet to begin, take some of the pressure off of saving up for a gym membership and sign up for an online workout class instead. It's affordable, it's convenient and it's private too.
If you're interested but you're not sure where to begin, Gaia has some great yoga courses, Booya Fitness has a cool cardio class and Ballet Beautiful will let you get your Misty Copeland on from the comfort of your own house.
Cashews
Apparently nuts have trends just like everything else. While the "top nut" has been almonds for a while now, cashews are what's currently all the rage. For starters, they are high in copper, calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamins C, E and K, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. If you snack on them regularly, they are the kind of nut that is good for your heart; can help to prevent diabetes; will strengthen your immune system; can fight premature greying (thanks to the copper that's in them); will lower the risk of amnesia, can help to prevent gallstones and, if you or someone that you know is currently undergoing chemotherapy, cashews are able to lessen the side effects associated with that too.
Cashews are dope. No wonder they now come in the form of milk, dips and even ice cream. Just make sure that if you'd prefer to eat them straight out of a container that you go the no or lightly salted route and that you consume no more than 16-18 nuts each day. Since they pack 160 calories per ounce, snacking on them is a really easy way to pack on the pounds, if you're not careful.
Food Sensitivity Testing
Dietary Restrictions Food GIF by Hyper RPGGiphyIf you've been experiencing bloating, migraines, a runny nose, coughing or hives, while on the surface it might seem that all of those things point to seasonal allergies, it could actually mean that you've got some sort of food sensitivity going on.
There are all kinds of things that can trigger a food allergy in your system—histamines, chemicals and/or toxins in the food, missing enzymes in your body or a few other underlying causes. The only way you can get to the root of what's making you sick is to get a skin prick or blood test from your doctor. Make the time; it's worth it.
Tongue Scraping
When we were first learning how to brush our teeth, we were told about how important it is to brush our tongues. Be honest—do you still do it, though? If you don't (or you don't as much as you should), let's first talk about what could happen. For starters, your breath could wreak. Not only that but your taste buds could become dull. If those two things aren't enough, you could end up with oral thrush (which is basically a yeast infection in your mouth) or worse, a "black and hairy tongue" which comes as the result of leftover particles of food giving your tongue a dark and hair-like appearance (GROSS). Another problem that arises from not brushing your tongue is it creates a biofilm of bacteria on it; the kind that doesn't go away with water or even mouthwash.
So yeah, if you want to avoid having a "yuck mouth", brushing and flossing after every meal isn't good enough. You also need to scrape that tongue of yours. (A brush is cool, but an actual tongue scraper is so much better!)
Less Alcohol
No Way Omg GIF by E!GiphyIt seems like ever since the beginning of time, there has been conflicting information on whether alcohol and coffee are good for you or not. On the alcohol tip, let's look at red wine as an example. It's loaded with antioxidants. It raises the level of omega-3 fatty acids in your system. It helps to prevent cavities, fights allergies and is a great libido booster. Red wine even strengthens your heart and keeps your blood sugar levels under control. Shoot, even the Good Book sings wine's praises (Ecclesiastes 9:7, I Timothy 5:23). But then there are articles like the one that was published on NPR's site a couple of years back—"No Amount of Alcohol Is Good for Your Health, Global Study Says".
I've never been a big drinker, but I am known to have a shot of honey whiskey or a cocktail from time to time. I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. But, as far as current health trends go, if you want to be "trendy", a lot of health experts are recommending that you ditch the alcohol and go with a mocktail (a fake cocktail) instead. (If you want to read about how excessive amounts of alcohol affects our health as women, click here.)
Transformational Travel
The xoTribe is such a big fan of travel that there's an entire section on our site that's entirely devoted to it! Traveling with your boo is romantic, traveling with your girls is fun, but there is something very powerful and yes transformative, about traveling solo. You're able to get some much-needed downtime, you're able to meet new people and try new things, you can rest for as long as you want and it's a great way to take your self-confidence up a notch as well.
Now that I've done my little commercial for what you should put travel on your annual itinerary, does it surprise you that transformative travel is also on the women's health trend list this year? What the heck is transformative travel all about? It literally consists of planning a trip for the sole purpose of changing your life for the better. Y'all, it's so serious that there's even an official The Transformational Travel Council to help get you started.
Out of all the trends I shared, try and not let this one fade. Make it a part of your life now and for the long-term foreseeable future.
Being a Sovereign
Family Vacation Fox GIF by GrandfatheredGiphyOut of all the women's trends that I checked out, to me, this one exceeds them all. As you probably well know, being healthy isn't just about what you do physically, it consists of being proactive as it relates to mental and emotional well-being too. That said, something that's a really big trend right now is not putting everyone and their grandma's needs before your own. This year is all about being what is known as a "sovereign".
What exactly is that? In the context of relationships, being a sovereign is all about being highly-selective about the people you surround yourself with, spend time with and share your resources with. It's about honoring your time, your heart and your energy. It's about creating boundaries and cultivating the kind of relationships that will truly benefit you.
A sovereign is a monarch. A sovereign takes authority. A sovereign reigns supreme. BE ONE.
Featured image by Getty Images
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Amber Riley has the type of laugh that sticks with you long after the raspy, rhythmic sounds have ceased. It punctuates her sentences sometimes, whether she’s giving a chuckle to denote the serious nature of something she just said or throwing her head back in rip-roarious laughter after a joke. She laughs as if she understands the fragility of each minute. She chooses laughter often with the understanding that future joy is not guaranteed.
Credit: Ally Green
The sound of her laughter is rivaled only by her singing voice, an emblem of the past and the future resilience of Black women stretched over a few octaves. On Fox’s Glee, her character Mercedes Jones was portrayed, perhaps unfairly, as the vocal duel to Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), offering rough, full-throated belts behind her co-star’s smooth, pristine vocals. Riley’s always been more than the singer who could deliver a finishing note, though.
Portraying Effie White, she displayed the dynamic emotions of a song such as “And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going” in Dreamgirls on London’s West End without buckling under the historic weight of her predecessors. With her instrument, John Mayer’s “Gravity” became a religious experience, a belted hymnal full of growls and churchy riffs. In her voice, Nicole Scherzinger once said she heard “the power of God.”
Credit: Ally Green
Riley’s voice has been a staple throughout pop culture for nearly 15 years now. Her tone has become so distinguishable that most viewers of Fox’s The Masked Singer recognized the multihyphenate even before it was revealed that she was Harp, the competition-winning, gold-masked figure with an actual harp strapped to her back.
Still, it wasn’t until recently that Riley began to feel like she’d found her voice. This sounds unbelievable. But she’s not referring to the one she uses on stage. She’s referencing the voice that speaks to who she is at her core. “Therapy kind of gave me the training to speak my mind,” the 37-year-old says. “It’s not something we’re taught, especially as Black women. I got so comfortable in [doing so], and I really want other people, especially Black women, to get more comfortable in that space.”
“Therapy kind of gave me the training to speak my mind. It’s not something we’re taught, especially as Black women."
If you ask Riley’s manager, Myisha Brooks, she’ll tell you the foundation of who the multihyphenate is hasn’t changed much since she was a kid growing up in Compton. “She is who she is from when I met her back when she was singing in the front of the church to back when she landed major roles in film and TV,” Brooks says. Time has allowed Riley to grow more comfortable, giving fans a more intimate glimpse into her life, including her mental health journey and the ins and outs of show business.
The actress/singer has been in therapy since 2019, although she suffered from depression and anxiety way before that. In a recent interview with Jason Lee, she recalls having suicidal ideation as a kid. By the time she started seeing a psychologist and taking antidepressants in her thirties, her body had become jittery, a physical reminder of the trauma stacked high inside her. “I was shaking in [my therapist’s] office,” she tells xoNecole. “My fight or flight was on such a high level. I was constantly in survival mode. My heart was beating fast all the time. All I did was sweat.”
There wasn’t just childhood trauma to account for. After auditioning for American Idol and being turned away by producers, Riley began working for Ikea and nearly missed her Glee audition because her car broke down on the highway while en route. Thankfully, Riley had been cast to play Mercedes Jones. American Idol had temporarily convinced her she wasn’t cut out for the entertainment industry, but this was validation that she was right where she belonged. Glee launched in 2009 with the promise of becoming Riley’s big break.
In some ways, it was. The show introduced Riley to millions of fans and catapulted her into major Hollywood circles. But in other ways, it became a reminder of the types of roles Black women, especially those who are plus-sized, are relegated to. Behind the scenes, Riley says she fought for her character "to have a voice" but eventually realized her efforts were useless. "It finally got to a point where I was like, this is not my moment. I'm not who they're choosing, and this is just going to have to be a job for me for now," she says. "And, that's okay because it pays my bills, I still get to be on television, I'm doing more than any other Black plus-sized women that I'm seeing right now on screen."
The actress can recognize now that she was navigating issues associated with trauma and low self-esteem at the time. She now knows that she's long had anxiety and depression and can recognize the ways in which she was triggered by how the cult-like following of the show conflicted with her individual, isolated experiences behind the scenes. But she was in her early '20s back then. She didn't yet have the language or the tools to process how she was feeling.
Riley says she eventually sought out medical intervention. "When you're in Hollywood, and you go to a doctor, they give you pills," she says, sharing a part of her story that she'd never revealed publicly before now. "[I was] on medication and developing a habit of medicating to numb, not understanding I was developing an addiction to something that's not fixing my problem. If anything, it's making it worse."
“[I was] on medication and developing a habit of medicating to numb, not understanding I was developing an addiction to something that’s not fixing my problem. If anything it’s making it worse.”
Credit: Ally Green
At one point, while in her dressing room on set, she rested her arm on a curling iron without realizing it. It wasn't until her makeup artist alerted her that she even realized her skin was burning. Once she noticed, she says she was "so zonked out on pills" that she barely reacted. Speaking today, she holds up her arm and motions towards a scar that remains from the incident. She sought help for her reliance on the pills, but it would still be years before she finally attended therapy.
This stress was only compounded by the trauma of growing up in poverty and the realities of being a "contract worker." "Imagine going from literally one week having to borrow a car to get to set to the next week being on a private jet to New York City," she says. After Glee ended, so did the rides on private planes. The fury of opportunities she expected to follow her appearance on the show failed to materialize. She wasn't even 30 yet, and she was already forced to consider if she'd hit her career peak.
. . .
We’re only four minutes into our Zoom call before Riley delivers her new adage to me. “My new mantra is ‘humility does not serve me.’ Humility does not serve Black women. The world works so hard to humble us anyway,” she says.
On this Thursday afternoon in April, the LA-based entertainer is seated inside her closet/dressing room wearing a cerulean blue tank top with matching shorts and eating hot wings. This current phase of healing hinges on balance. It’s about having discipline and consistency, but not at the risk of inflexibility. She was planning to head to the gym, for instance, but she’s still tired from the “exhausting” day before. Instead, she’s spent her day receiving a massage, eating some chicken wings, and planning to spend quality time with friends. “I’m not going to beat myself up for it. I’m not going to talk down to myself. I’m going to eat my chicken wings, and then tomorrow I’m [back] in the gym,” she says.
“My new mantra is ‘humility does not serve me.’ Humility does not serve Black women. The world works so hard to humble us anyway."
This is the balance with which she's been approaching much of her life these days. It's why she's worried less about whether or not people see her as someone who is humble. She'd rather be respected. "I think you should be a person that's easy to work with, but in the moments where I have to ruffle feathers and make waves, I'm not shying away from that anymore. You can do it in love, you don't have to be nasty about it, but I had to finally be comfortable with the fact that setting boundaries around my life – in whatever aspect, whether that's personal or business – people are not going to like it. Some people are not going to have nice things to say about you, and you gotta be okay with it," she says.
When Amber talks about the constant humbling of Black women in Hollywood, I think of the entertainers before her who have suffered from this. The brilliant, consistent, overqualified Black women who have spoken of having to fight for opportunities and fair pay. Aretha Franklin. Viola Davis. Tracee Ellis Ross. There's a long list of stars whose success hasn't mirrored their experiences behind the scenes.
Credit: Ally Green
If Black women outside of Hollywood are struggling to decrease the pay gap, so, too, are their wealthier, more famous peers.
Riley says there’s been progress in recent years, but only in small ways and for a limited group of people. “This business is exhausting. The goalpost is constantly moving, and sometimes it’s unfair,” she says. But, I have to say it’s the love that keeps you going.”
“There’s no way you can continue to be in this business and not love it, especially being a plus-sized Black woman,” she continues. “We’re still niche. We’re still not main characters.”
"There’s no way you can continue to be in this business and not love it, especially being a plus-sized Black woman. We’re still niche. We’re still not main characters.”
Last year, Riley starred alongside Raven Goodwin in the Lifetime thriller Single Black Female (a modern, diversified take on 1992’s Single White Female). It was more than a leading role for the actress, it also served as proof that someone who looks like her can front a successful project without it hinging on her identity. It showcased that the characters she portrays don’t “have to be about being a big girl. It can just be a regular story.”
Riley sees her work in music as an extension of her efforts to push past the rigid stereotypes in entertainment. Take her appearance on The Masked Singer, for instance. Riley said she decided to perform Mayer’s “Gravity” after being told she couldn’t sing it years earlier. “I wanted to do ‘Gravity’ on Glee. [I] was told no, because that’s not a song that Mercedes would do,” she says. “That was a full circle moment for me, doing that on that show and to hear what it is they had to say.”
As Scherzinger praised the “anointed” performance, a masked Riley began to cry, her chest heaving as she stood on stage, her eyes shielded from view. “You have to understand, I have really big names – casting directors, producers, show creators – that constantly tell me ‘I’m such a big fan. Your talent is unmatched.’ Hire me, then,” she says, reflecting on the moment.
Recently, she’s been in the studio working on original music, the follow-up to her independently-released debut EP, 2020’s Riley. The sequel to songs such as the anthemic “Big Girl Energy” and the reflective ballad “A Moment” on Riley, this new project hones in on the singer’s R&B roots with sensual grooves such as the tentatively titled “All Night.” “You said I wasn’t shit, turns out that I’m the shit. Then you called me a bitch, turns out that I’m that bitch. You said no one would want me, well you should call your homies,” she sings on the tentatively titled “Lately,” a cut about reflecting on a past relationship. From the forthcoming project, xoNecole received five potential tracks. Fans likely already know the strengths and contours of Riley’s vocals, but these new songs are her strongest, most confident offerings as an artist.
“I am so much more comfortable as a writer, and I know who I am as an artist now. I’m evolving as a human being, in general, so I’m way more vulnerable in my music. I’m way more willing to talk about whatever is on my mind. I don’t stop myself from saying what it is I want to say,” she says.
Credit: Ally Green
“Every era and alliteration of Amber, the baseline is ‘Big Girl Energy.’ That’s the name of her company,” her manager Brooks says, referencing the imprint through which Riley releases her music after getting out of a label deal several years ago. “It’s just what she stands for. She’s not just talking about size, it’s in all things. Whether it’s putting your big girl pants on and having to face a boardroom full of executives or sell yourself in front of a casting agent. It’s her trying to achieve the things she wants to do in life.”
Riley says she has big dreams beyond releasing this new music, too. She’d love to star in a rom-com with Winston Duke. She hasn't starred in a biopic yet, but she’d revel in the opportunity to portray Rosetta Tharpe on screen. She’s determined that her previous setbacks won’t stop her from dreaming big.
“I think one of my superpowers is resilience because, at the end of the day, I’m going to kick, scream, cry, cuss, be mad and disappointed, but I’m going to get up and risk having to deal with it all again. It’s worth it for the happy moments,” she says.
If Riley seems more comfortable and confident professionally, it’s because of the work she’s been doing in her personal life.
She’d previously spoken to xoNecole about becoming engaged to a man she discovered in a post on the site, but she called things off last year. For Valentine’s Day, she revealed her new boyfriend publicly. “I decided to post him on Valentine’s Day, partially because I was in the dog house. I got in trouble with him,” she says, half-joking before turning serious. “The breakup was never going to stop me from finding love. Or at least trying. I don’t owe anybody a happily ever after. People break up. It happens. When it was good, it was good. When it was bad, it was terrible, hunny. I had to get the fuck up out of there. You find happiness, and you enjoy it and work through it.”
Credit: Ally Green
"I don’t owe anybody a happily ever after. People break up. It happens. When it was good, it was good. When it was bad, it was terrible, hunny. I had to get the fuck up out of there. You find happiness and you enjoy it and work through it.”
With her ex, Riley was pretty outspoken about her relationship, even appearing in content for Netflix with him. This time around is different. She’s not hiding her boyfriend of eight months, but she’s more protective of him, especially because he’s a father and isn’t interested in becoming a public figure.
She’s traveling more, too. It’s a deliberate effort on her part to enjoy her money and reject the trauma she’s developed after experiencing poverty in her childhood. “I live in constant fear of being broke. I don’t think you ever don’t remember that trauma or move past that. Now I travel and I’m like, listen, if it goes, it goes. I’m not saying [to] be reckless, but I deserve to enjoy my hard work.”
After everything she’s been through, she certainly deserves to finally let loose a bit. “I have to have a life to live,” she says. “I’ve got to have a life worth fighting for.”
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