My Food Plan

I have decided to go with a high protein diet. Protein plays a crucial role in the growth and repair of everything from skin to hair to nails and of course muscles. During any kind of weightlifting or strength training workout, your muscles are basically being broken down with the intent being to build them back up and protein plays an essential role in that. Without a high protein diet, muscle growth & muscle maintenance & workout recovery will just not be happening as effectively as it could.

Some of my Favorite Breakfast:

Flaxseed Crepes (click here for recipe)

Hard Boiled egg sandwich (click here for recipe)

Some of my Favorite Lunches:

Tortellini Rose 

Soybean spinach salad with a Honey balsamic grilled salmon.

Breaded salmon /w garden salad

Some of my Favorite Suppers:

Curry chicken mashed potatoes and mango salad

Steak, garden salad /w corn on a Cobb

My Hair Journey: Going Natural

From the moment my man and I decided to have a baby I stopped relaxing my hair. I figured that I would weave it throughout us trying to get pregnant and my pregnancy. Now that the baby is born I was planning to stick to that plan (too lazy to look for other options) until I saw this picture of Naomi Campbell. From what I can see, she might be suffering of a hair condition called Traction Alopecia. It is the loss of hair on the head due to hair-styling routines such as tight ponytails, braids, weaves, relaxer,...  

I have been bless with a big forehead (I've made my peace with that fact) and a receding hair line is not an option I want to explore.  Now don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with weaving your hair once in a while but you must take care of your own hair. Which I was neglecting to do. Protective hair styles such as weaves are only good if you do them right and in moderation. 

So I decided to keep my hair at it's natural state and explore new protective hairstyles that I haven't considered before. I am going to start by cutting my damaged ends. I am also going to try a crochet braid protective hair style. The goal here is to protect my hair and promote healthy growth so that I can rock it in its natural state eventually. 

Love this look

Solange Knowles looking gorgeous and my ultimate Hair Journey goal

Stay tune for my next Hair Journey post. I will be rocking for the first time a crochet braids protective hair style inspired by this picture.

Baby Weight: My Fitness and Health Journey

me in 2008

Pregnancy is such a special stage in a women's life.

You spend 40 weeks (in my case 41 week and 1/2) eating healthy, resting, nesting, anticipating and yes gaining weight. 

Me, 1 week before giving birth

In my case, I gained just about 45 pounds and could not wait to work it off. 

Since I had a c-section (I tried hopelessly to have my baby naturally but my body never responded but that's another story), I had to wait 6 weeks before doing anything.

I did lose a good 30 pounds during that time just by breastfeeding and as for the last 15 pounds, I manage to lose it by going to yoga and fitness classes. 

Me 2 months after giving birth

Yup I lost all the baby weight! 

Yet somehow it does not feel like its enough. 

Taking those classes showed me how weak my body truly was. 

 My body doesn't feel the same and truthfully I don't feel healthy at all. 

The things I use to be able to do before I got pregnant were no longer possible. 

I feel weak, I lost a lot of my flexibility, my muscle tone. I am just not satisfied with me as a whole.

Now I aiming much higher: flexibility, strength, serious muscle definition and health. 

Can't just look good must feel good too!

So here is my challenge:

I am going to give myself until Christmas to get my body on point. 

I will post my progress as I go along and share some of my workout routines, diet plan and any other measures I take On 

my Fitness and Health Journey. 

Let me Introduce myself

Me, myself and I

Hi everyone let me introduce myself my name is Dania Rose.

I am a 31 year old brand new mother of a beautiful little boy with a new perspective on life. Since giving birth everything changed: I can't even remember what I could have possibly been doing that was more significant then caring for my son. He's my everything. 

Beyond wanting to be a good mother I want him to become a great human being.But what makes a great human being? Well there isn't a generic answer to that question and we can debate about it all day but I do believe that we can all agree that it starts at the roots. 

So one morning it hits me (this is what Oprah calls an "aha moment !"): 

It starts with me! 

I am a true believer that the real values of life are taught by example and not just by preaching it. So that being said I have decided to change a few things in my life.Starting from the ends of my hair going by every single one of my muscles, passing by my mind, heart and soul. This blog is about the journey of a young mother wanting to feel better, look better and just plain be better.

                                      Hope you enjoy the ride!