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8 "Unhealthy" Foods That Have Impressive Health Benefits
This is the kind of health and wellness article that I especially enjoy writing. The reason why is because, every time a big food trend comes out and/or folks watch some documentary and then vow to never eat a certain food again, I'm usually over here like, "Calm down. No need to be so extreme about everything. Moderation has always been the key".
And so today, we're gonna tackle eight foods that usually are the object of "don't do that" trends and docs. Should you consume them all of the time? As you're about to see in my breakdowns, absolutely not. At the same time, do they have absolutely no redeeming qualities at all? Yeah, that's not the truth either.
So, let's get into some foods that may be considered to be unhealthy, yet can actually benefit you, so long as you know what approach to take to them. Ready?
1. Beer
In order to break all of this down, as thoroughly as possible, it only makes sense to first explain why certain foods are considered to be unhealthy and then follow that up with the actual benefits that come with them. Let's start with beer. It's basically a fermented drink that is made from water, grain, hops and yeast (so if you've got an allergy to any of these things, it would automatically be a no-no for you). Since everything but the water in beer is a carb and carbs turn into sugar in our system, you can probably already guess that beer is a beverage that can help you to pack on the pounds (which is basically where "beer bellies" come from), if you're not careful. Also, consuming too much alcohol can lead to health issues like cirrhosis, hypertension and even breast and colon cancer.
Still, in moderation, beer can actually be a beneficial thing. The hops in it can help to reduce body inflammation; there are extracts in beer that can help to decrease tooth decay; there are also studies citing that moderate alcohol consumption (which includes beer) can reduce the risk for heart disease by as much as 42 percent, and since beer also contains the chemical element silicon, it can be great for increasing bone density and boosting your brain power too.
2. Bread
I know some people who act like bread is the devil. Here's why. Bread, especially white bread, tends to be high in carbs, low in micronutrients and made from sugar and gluten (which we'll get into a bit later). Plus, a lot of breads are made with refined flour which is the kind that has the bran pulled out of it. When you eat this type of bread, it can lead to obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
However, there are breads that are made from sprouted grains which is a good thing. That's because sprouted grains are a good source of protein, fiber, folate and Vitamin C. As a bonus, they're also much easier for your body to digest. If sprouted bread (like Ezekiel Bread) is a bit too "much" for you (it does tend to be a little on the hard side), sourdough contains prebiotics and is low on the sugar level side; 100 percent whole wheat bread leaves all of the grain intact and, flax bread has whole-grain flours and flax seeds which makes it one of the healthiest breads you can eat. Or, if you want to take a stab at making some of your own bread, click here for a recipe for soft whole wheat bread.
3. Hot Wings
I'm pretty much the kind of person who is gonna tear some chicken wings up regardless. But if you were ever wondering why some folks frown on this particular food, it's because, not only are (most) wings pretty much only comprised of skin and fat, the really good-tasting ones are usually fried. In fact, I once read somewhere that one wing can be anywhere between 165 and 200 calories. Then, if you add the ranch or blue cheese dressing into the mix, you're getting about 700 calories more (for five tablespoons).
So, what could possibly be the good side of 'em? It's actually the chicken itself. Chicken contains Vitamin B12 and choline which can help your nervous system to function properly. Chicken also has the amino acid tryptophan in it which makes it easier for your serotonin levels to stay in balance so that you can remain in a calm and relaxed mood. Chicken is also an awesome source of protein and we all need that for healthy hair and nails, to build muscle mass, and to keep building up our cells, bones, and what comprises our skin. Bottom line, if you want to keep a lot of the calories at bay, baking your wings instead of frying them is gonna be your best bet.
4. Cereal
If cereal is your favorite breakfast food, I get why you might want to skip over this particular point yet try and bear with me, OK? The main reason why breakfast cereal is so problematic is a lot of brands are loaded with sugar, preservatives and refined carbs (which are basically carbohydrates that have been stripped of all their nutrients). One way to know if yours falls into this category is to check out the label. If you see that sugar is the second or third ingredient, it's got way more than what you need. Plus, a lot of breakfast cereals are also highly processed which is never a good thing.
So, what possibly could be good about breakfast cereal? Well, if you look for the kind that are high in fiber and low in sugar, you can still enjoy the convenience of eating cereal without compromising your health in the process. If you're curious to know what some of those brands are, Good Housekeeping did an article featuring 30 of 'em. You can check that out here.
5. Juice
Before getting into this one, it's important to put on record that eating a piece of fruit is so much better for you than drinking fruit juice. The main reason why is because when fruit is in its purest form, it's got the skin as well as the pulp which gives you unprocessed nutrients and fiber. That said, drinking juice can sometimes be an issue because it is a source of sugar and, based on how it's made, the sugar amount can be a lot. Just think about it—if you read the back of a label of your favorite juice brand, oftentimes the caloric intake is as much as 120-170 calories per serving. This means that you could easily consume all of the calories you need a day (which is roughly somewhere between 1600-2400 for us) by drinking a few glasses of juice alone! That's why moderation is key. Also, you should avoid juice cocktail (that is definitely full of sugar) or pasteurized juices; those typically have compromised nutritional content in them. I've also read that juice that has the label "not from concentrate" isn't a good look because those are oftentimes stored in tanks that don't contain much oxygen; as a direct result, the flavor and quality isn't all that great.
Still, if you're intentional about purchasing 100 percent juice, a cup of it will roughly equate to one serving of fresh fruit. And since fruit contains antioxidants, fiber, potassium and folate (for starters), it's not a bad thing to drink juice. It's all about selecting the right quality and not drinking it like it's water. 2-3 glasses a day is more than plenty.
6. Red Meat
Something else that some people loathe is red meat. I absolutely am not one of them. Anyway, the reason why it tends to be a very controversial topic is because of how some cows are treated (that's a fair point) and also because a lot of meat is processed improperly which leads to consuming hormones and preservatives. Plus, the fat that oftentimes comes with red meat can increase your chances of diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers (mostly colorectal cancer although it's actually a pretty low chance).
Why doesn't any of this absolutely terrify me? It's because I also know that red meat is high in protein, B-vitamins, iron, zinc, and selenium. As with just about everything on this list, the key is not to eat it all day, every day. Consuming a leaner cut, eating it no more than three times a week, and baking, steaming, or stewing it as much as possible helps you to get more benefits from red meat while lowering your chances of experiencing any health risks in the process.
7. Cocktails
Do you enjoy a nice cocktail at the end of the day? Aside from what I shared about alcohol in the beer section, the main things to keep in mind is alcoholic drinks tend to be high in calories and drinking too much can sho 'nuf turn you into an alcoholic. But if you're someone who only has one a day (or even better, 3-4 of 'em a week), for the most part, you should be fine (check out "Liquors That Are Gluten-Free (& Beneficial In Other Ways)"). Alcohol can boost your libido, make you less susceptible to colds and can even lower your risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease up the pike too. I've even read that 1-2 a day can lower the risk of death by as much as 18 percent. Sounds like a good reason to have margarita or mojito to me.
8. Gluten
I'm pretty sure that a lot of y'all remember how going gluten-free was all the rage a few years back. If you've ever wondered what exactly gluten is, the best way to probably describe it is, it's a group of seed storage proteins; although, to be fair, it is mostly comprised of wheat protein. The reason why some doctors and nutritionists frown at gluten is because, clearly, if you have a wheat allergy of some sort, consuming it is only going to make your symptoms worse. Not only that but, if you've been diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder celiac disease, gluten can actually cause your immune system to attack your small intestine. Also, people with a form of celiac disease known as dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) should stay away from gluten because it can attack their skin rather than their small intestine.
But what if you don't have any of these issues? Well, because gluten falls into the carbs category and carbs (good carbs, that is) make up 50-60 percent of our diet, that is one reason to not go totally without it. Also, if you've heard someone say that gluten can cause you to pack on the pounds, that's a myth. In fact, oftentimes it's the gluten-free brands that have more calories (due to more "filler sugar" that's added) than the ones that contain gluten. And finally, while gluten itself isn't something that's loaded with nutrients, because gluten is usually found in foods like whole grains (which are packed with vitamins and minerals), the focus needs to be more on if the food that contains gluten is good for you; gluten being in it is really not that big of a deal.
Welp. I hope that debunked certain myths that you've heard. Listen, 2020 showed all the way out so, if you wanna have a beer and some chicken wings every once in a while—do it. It's not as bad as you might've thought it was. Sis, you're totally welcome.
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Different puzzle pieces are creating bigger pictures these days. 2024 will mark a milestone on a few different levels, including the release of my third book next June (yay!).
I am also a Professional Certified Coach. My main mission for attaining that particular goal is to use my formal credentials to help people navigate through the sometimes tumultuous waters, both on and offline, when it comes to information about marriage, sex and relationships that is oftentimes misinformation (because "coach" is a word that gets thrown around a lot, oftentimes quite poorly).
I am also still super devoted to helping to bring life into this world as a doula, marriage life coaching will always be my first love (next to writing, of course), a platform that advocates for good Black men is currently in the works and my keystrokes continue to be devoted to HEALTHY over HAPPY in the areas of holistic intimacy, spiritual evolution, purpose manifestation and self-love...because maturity teaches that it's impossible to be happy all of the time when it comes to reaching goals yet healthy is a choice that can be made on a daily basis (amen?).
If you have any PERSONAL QUESTIONS (please do not contact me with any story pitches; that is an *editorial* need), feel free to reach out at missnosipho@gmail.com. A sistah will certainly do what she can. ;)
How This New Bond Repair Line Transformed One Mother's Postpartum Shedding Into The Ultimate Curl Comeback
This article is in partnership with SheaMoisture
For Crystal Obasanya, her wash day woes came shortly after her son did. The beauty and lifestyle content creator had been natural for years, but during postpartum, she quickly learned about one reality many mothers can relate to experiencing: postpartum hair loss. “Sis had thinning hair. Sis had split ends,” she shared about her hair changes in a Reel via xoNecole.
Over a year into her postpartum journey, Crystal explained she also had dry, brittle hair, noting that keeping it hydrated before pregnancy had already been “a task.” The 4C natural recalled going from thick hair during pregnancy to a thin hairline due to postpartum shedding as “devastating.” When it came to strengthening and revitalizing her hair, the new SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection was just the thing she needed to elevate her damaged coils to revive and thrive status and get them poppin' again.
SheaMoisture is providing us with the cheat code for transforming dry and damaged strands into thriving and deeply nourished crowns. By unveiling their 4-step hair system, the SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection is equipping you with the tools to reverse signs of hair damage caused by protective styling, heat, and color and is uniquely formulated for Type 3 and 4 hair textures.
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“When trying it out, I quickly noticed that my hair felt revived and renewed, and my curls were so hydrated,” Crystal said while using the Amla-infused Bond Repair Leave-In Conditioner. “I also felt my hair strands were stronger.” So much so that the influencer felt brave enough to get her hair braided shortly thereafter. “I can definitely say that I will be keeping it in my hair wash routine,” she added in the caption of her Reel about her positive experience using the products.
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Tailored to repair styling damage, this creamy conditioner locks in 12x more moisture than standard non-conditioning shampoos, boosting damaged hair strength by 1.5x with significantly less breakage. The creamy SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection Conditioner deeply hydrates, enhances manageability, and leaves your hair looking healthier and shinier.
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This Ultra Moisturizing reparative masque is a moisture-rich game-changer for those dealing with the aftermath of hair damage caused by styling. The SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection Masque delivers 13 times more moisture compared to non-conditioning shampoos, ensuring your hair feels nourished and soft. Designed to repair and rejuvenate, this masque significantly strengthens damaged hair — making it twice as strong while reducing breakage.
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Elevate your curl game with SheaMoisture’s Bond Repair Collection Leave-In Conditioner. Lightweight and hydrating, the Bond Repair Leave-In Conditioner provides 12x more moisture than non-conditioning shampoos and tames frizz with 24-hour humidity control. Designed to define curls and coils, the leave-in conditioner enhances softness and shine allowing you to detangle effortlessly.
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8 Semi-Uncomfortable Things That MUST Be Discussed Before Marriage
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It’s a saying that virtually all of us have heard before, and yet, isn’t it interesting that, when it comes to things like marriage, far too many people are reactive instead of proactive? Take premarital counseling, for example. If folks are doing it at all (and not nearly enough are, trust me), they tend to wait until after they have gotten engaged and even set a date.
Yeah, I’m not a fan of that because, once you’ve already “locked in” on that level, going to see a marriage counselor or life coach is pretty much only seen as a mere formality. In other words, you’re not really looking to dive deep to see if there are some potential red, orange, or even yellow flags — you’re just going to a couple of sessions because it sounds like the right thing to do.
And because of that mindset, far too many people go into marriage totally blindsided and/or thinking that they can deal with things later and/or believing that love (which usually is some emotional version, not the biblical one — I Corinthians 13) will conquer all — and because of that, divorce court ends up becoming their reality. If not semi-immediately…eventually.
That’s why I write articles like this. Wisdom says that if you want to get into something as serious as marriage and you’re going to look someone in their eyes and vow to be with them for the rest of your lives, you both should know as much as possible about what you’re getting yourselves into…beforehand.
The following eight questions can help to lead the way when it comes to this…
1. Childhood Issues
A few nights ago, I found myself getting caught up in a movie on HBO Max calledOn Chesil Beach. It drags, so I’m not (necessarily) recommending it. However, it does help to drive home this first point that I’m trying to make because it’s all about the purely excruciating wedding “night” of a couple who waited to (attempt to) consummate their marriage. Although for a lot of it, the wife was pretty annoying, you do get glimpses of her childhood that help to shed light on all of her excuses and hesitancy (and there was A LOT of both).
If you do happen to want to watch the film, I won’t give all of what happens away. What I will say is that one of the main reasons why going to premarital counseling is so important is you and your bae should talk about childhood issues.
Listen, as one of my favorite quotes says, “Adulthood is surviving childhood.” Meaning, a lot of times, marriages struggle because it’s not two healed adults who are in the relationship; it’s more like two wounded (on some level, at least) kids who are trying to make a valiant attempt at an adult dynamic.
I know many people who grew up in hella dysfunctional homes who simply said, “I will never be like my parents when I grow up,” only to turn around and be just like them. How did that happen? It’s because of something that I tell a lot of my clients: we tend to do what’s familiar, not what’s right. The main way to prevent that from happening is by being open and honest about where we come from, how it all affected/infected/impacted us, and then getting help, if needed, before jumping the broom.
2. Greatest Heartbreak
Although I’m not sure that there is solid data on what I’m about to say, I stand ten toes down on the fact that I don’t think that men look to “fall in love” multiple times. If anything, they have a first love, their wife, and possibly someone in between. Why? Because contrary to what social media likes to cram down our throats about men, many men when they fall, they fall very hard and are all in. Case in point, I can’t tell you how many guys have told me how much of an influence their first love has had on them — even to this day. And when something monumental happens, it can totally change you (check out “Your Soulmate Might Be The One Who Broke You”).
That’s why I also think it’s a good idea for you and your man to discuss what your greatest heartbreak was like — past (how it affected you) and present (how you feel about the experience now). It can shed great light into how you see relationships and love and why you make some of the decisions that you now do. It can also help you both to express if there are still some unresolved issues that are dormant there because I can’t tell you how many clients I’ve had who, when things got rocky in their marriage, the very first place they went to was Facebook or Instagram to see what their “long lost love” has been up to.
A writer by the name of Jodi Picoult once said, “Once you had put the pieces back together, even though you may look intact, you were never quite the same as you'd been before the fall.” Both of you discussing how this saying relates to this particular topic can, as I put it, “cover up mouseholes.” What I mean by that is, by getting it all out in the open, your partner will be able to know your wounds and weaknesses in that area and offer up some support and even protection — in ways you, he, or both may not have known was needed…until the topic was actually brought up.
3. Financial Habits
You know, I find it very interesting how the Good Book says that the LOVE of money is the root of all evil (I Timothy 6:10), and yet, pretty much any time I tiptoe out to see what social media is yapping — sorry, I mean talking — about, “broke” comes up incessantly. Listen, should you want to be with someone who is financially savvy and stable? 1000 percent. Should you also be the kind of person who you want to be with? 10,000 percent.
That said, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a premarital session and asked both people what their credit score was, only for them to look at me like I asked them to strip naked or something. LOL. Well, I guess, in a way, it’s the same thing because nothing reveals someone’s financial stuff like their credit score and what they’ve got in their savings account. Yet if you’re thinking that your soon-to-be spouse isn’t going to find all of that out anyway, you’re caught up in some sort of delusion that I’m not sure any therapist can get you out of.
Personally, I think that engaged couples should hire a financial advisor and get a financial mentor (preferably a married couple) to comb through both of their finances so that they can see each other’s current state, areas of strengths and weaknesses, and so they can come up with a financial plan for their first, third and fifth year of marriage.
You know, although actually the top reason for divorce these days has a lot to do witha lack of support (emotionally and otherwise),financial stuff is still up there. A part of the reason for that is that there’s no way around the fact that marriage is a business contract (among other things). If you’re signing up to do business with someone, you need to know what their finances look like. That’s common sense 101.
4. Character Weaknesses
Anyone who knows me knows that if someone tells me that they believe that they’ve met “the one,” while they are acting like that person is an angel on earth, the marriage life coach (and “Shellie”) in me is like, “Uh-huh. What are their character flaws, though?” It’s not to break their spirit or be a Debbie Downer or anything; it’s just that I have watched too many marriages crash and burn because they didn’t ask themselves questions like that before saying, “I do.”
For instance, one of my friends (who, yes, happens to be divorced now) told me that he had met who he believed was his soulmate; when I asked him about her potential character weaknesses, one of the things that he casually said was, “I mean, she has a bit of a jealousy streak but…” Umm, sir — you are handsome and an entertainer and you’re going to marry a jealous woman? Hacked emails and tons of drama later, he admits that he wished that he hadn’t underestimated that side of her personality.
Listen, no one is perfect — not by far. In fact, if you’re mature in your thinking, a part of what marriage is designed to do is give you the kind of accountability partner that will offer a safe space for you to address, refine, and improve some things about yourself.
However, in order for you and your partner to be able to do that, you need to know what those things are — and that needs to be discussed well before your wedding day, preferably in the presence of a reputable marriage therapist, counselor, or life coach who can help you to figure out what to do with the intel that the both of you are sharing.
5. Poor Boundaries
When you sign up to become someone’s spouse, your wedding day, in part, is about declaring to everyone that you want to make them the top priority in your life under God himself. And in order to keep anything from affecting that, you need to have some solid boundaries. Boundaries, at the end of the day, are nothing more than limits — and yes, you need to have limits as far as how much your family can know about your relationship, what your friends can and cannot speak on, and what kind of decisions y’all will make that, quite frankly, is no one else’s business…including the internet’s (because A LOT of people out here like to be passive aggressive about their relationship online).
Does it take a village to “raise a marriage?” In some ways, yes. However, when it comes to the vow-taking process, that is between a husband and his wife, and if they are religious, God. No one else made those promises and that means no one else should be as involved or invested as those two (or three) parties are.
Poor boundaries are the cause of so much drama in marriages and honestly, relationships, in general. You do not want to take the approach of, “We’ll figure out what limits we should have as problems present themselves.” Uh-uh. Talk about what your limits should look like ASAP, and make sure that you mutually agree on them too. This point alone can save your marriage more than just about anything else on here.
(P.S. A great book for you to check out isBoundaries in Marriage: Understanding the Choices That Make or Break Loving Relationships. It’s by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend.)
6. Perspectives on Daily Lifestyle
Something else that I’ve observed while working with married folks (and talking to older couples in Cracker Barrel; believe it or not, the marriage advice in there is top-notch!) is marriages tend to end, not so much because of one “big” thing that happened — it’s more like it’s due to the culmination of a lot of little ones.
Take how a person lives, for instance. I’ve dealt with couples where the wife was appalled by her husband not wiping the toilet seat, and the same husband was disgusted by her dishes being left in the sink overnight. A couple of weeks of this, and it’s whatever. Oh, but let it be some years? You’d be surprised.
It can actually be quite sobering to take a moment to ponder and process that, at least when you sign up for a traditional marriage, you’re signing up to share a home, bed, and life — for the rest of your life. If there are certain things that are super “icks” for you, if there are certain chores that you absolutely hate, if there are little pet peeves like sleeping with the television on or your partner being a morning person when you aren’t — you had better bring all of this stuff up now.
Many people have assumed that love will supersede peace when it comes to daily living. Chile, the reality is that you can love a lot of people who you just can’t live with. Please don’t find that out after taking vows and filling out paperwork. Discuss as much as possible about the day-to-day of how you both move, just as soon as you possibly can.
7. Patterns in Past Relationships
In interviews, some folks will ask me what I think about the whole “Does knowing someone’s body count really matter?” debate (check out “6 Things About The Whole 'Body Count' Debate That Should Be Discussed”). As it relates to this particular article, two things: one, check out TIME’s article, “How Previous Sexual Partners Affect Offspring,” when you get a chance. Secondly, let’s do it like this: if you were to find out that your boyfriend used to beat up on his girlfriends, but he hasn’t done it in a couple of years, would “That’s in the past” suffice as his rationale? BE HONEST.
No matter how nonchalant our culture chooses to be about sex, how we decide to move in that space is about more than recreation and experiencing orgasms. So yes, knowing about your past in this realm can shed light on your mindset, your perspective, and even some of your patterns — not just your sexual past, but your past, in general.
Anyone who wants to give pushback on that, I’ll just say this: it is human nature to brag about things that we’re proud of. When it comes to your sexual past, if you’re hiding or deflecting concerning it, why is that? And what would make you think that, eventually, the things that you are suppressing won’t somehow come out anyway? Real talk, a great sign that you’re over something or someone is when you can bring it or them up — not when you’re doing everything in your power to avoid it/them.
And when it comes to past relational patterns overall — have you always been the one to do most of the work? Do you tend to flee when things get too challenging? Do you ever stop to think about what you did wrong? Do you tend to handle things with ultimatums? Do you treat relationships as projects? Do you avoid things with sex? Do you not communicate your innermost feelings well?
A pattern is something that you do over and over, oftentimes very naturally. When it comes to the men of your past, what qualifies as a pattern for you? Getting married doesn’t miraculously make those patterns go away. Discussing them can help you to get to the root of those issues and if you need to break some of them on the front end.
8. Media Programming
A quote that I find myself saying often is by The Doors singer, Jim Morrison: “Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.” There is no way around the fact that media influences and impacts society on some pretty monumental levels (you can read more about thathere,here, andhere) — and so to think that what you take in when it comes to television programs that you view, movies that you watch, books that you read and social media accounts that you follow aren’t affecting you? That is some serious denial that you are in.
Case in point. I have a friend who also works in mental health. Whenever his wife is watching some trash reality television (and boy, is there A TON of it), he says that she is way more touchy to the point of almost being combative than when she isn’t. One time, he instituted a two-week fast from reality television. He said that the first week was rough for her, which caused her to realize that she was way more attached to the shows than she thought. The second week, she was calmer and far more peaceful (her words, not his). Did she totally give reality television up? I mean, we’re all a work in progress, right? LOL. She does watch it less, though, and their marriage is running smoother because of it.
As we close all of this out, definitely an underestimated influence in marriage is the media. Find out what your partner likes and why. See where the two of you are in sync, where you’re not, and what you think the compromises should be. Otherwise, you could end up with someone who is making judgment calls about your relationship based on what some random on TikTok said — you’d be amazed how many people do that. And it’s a damn shame that they do.
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There’s a reason why this article has the title that it does. Getting real — and I mean, really real — about relationships isn’t always the most comfortable thing to do; however, it is beneficial.
And what, after (genuinely) addressing things like this, you find out that you’re not as compatible as you thought? Eh. That doesn’t have to be the end of the world. Either — again, with the help of a marriage expert — figure out how to compromise or, if you ultimately can’t find enough common ground…as I oftentimes say, It’s always better to break up before marriage than divorce after it.
Words to live by. Promise you that.
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