It's 2018, and yes, Halle Berry is still fine. She won Most Beautiful Woman in Time Magazine 11 times and homegirl is still at it. It's a fact that black don't crack, but damn! Everyone's first girl crush is Halle Berry. At least, mine was. The first time I saw her was in BAPS and I was amazed. Halle Berry was one of the first examples of black female representation that I had seen in film, and I wanted to be just like her.
Fast forward to now. The actress has gone on to win accolades in her industry, including the most coveted of them all. Through the years, Halle has managed to remain a pinnacle of both health and beauty. She's also managed to become a mother to two, with her youngest being born while the Berry was pushing 46. Where is this magical fountain of youth that she, Angela Bassett, and Gabrielle Union drink from?
Halle Berry has been persistent in her fitness journey since she was 19 and discovered that she had diabetes. It was an issue that she had struggled with for years, but hadn't been diagnosed for. At that point, she devoted herself to living a healthier lifestyle. There's a reason Kendrick Lamar famously rapped, "Halle Berry or Hallelujah," and we want to know how she does it.
The actress recently teamed up with her trainer, Peter Lee Thomas, and took to Instagram to offer some health and self-care tips, and here's what we learned:
Try the keto diet.
The low-carb meal plan forces your body into a metabolic state that can enhance weight loss and improve physical performance. This diet is especially beneficial to diabetics because it can help maintain healthy levels of glucose and insulin. Eliminating carbs and using healthy fats like avocado and coconut oil will help you transition into a strictly ketogenic diet.
Take superfood supplements.
We are busy women and we don't always have time to get our full daily serving of fruits and vegetables throughout the day. They are loaded with vitamins and minerals that will ensure that you're fully equipped with the nutrients you need to kick ass all damn day.
Get your yoga on. Stretch it out.
Over the past decade, there has been an influx in the number of black female yogis and we can totally see why. According to Blackdoctor.org, practicing yoga can help fight food cravings, improve digestion, and strengthen your immune system.
Berry says that cutting carbs, eliminating sugar, and staying active are all methods that she employs to continuously kick ass and feel good on a daily basis.
"It's a lot harder than it used to be," she toldL.A. Times. "As I get older, I am more conscious of what I eat."
In her brief moment of advice, we've learned that as much as we might want to stop and order a chicken wings and fries combo on our way home from work, we need to remember to ask ourselves: What would Halle do?
As women, with our busy lives and multitude of responsibilities, we forget to take care of ourselves.
Our girl Halle reminds us that even though it isn't easy, when we take care of our body, our body will take care of us.
Featured image by Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com
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Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
Your Guide To Letting Go Of What No Longer Serves You Based On Astrology
Letting go is a gift we are given and a strength that we find throughout our lives. There are times when we want to grab ahold of what we are experiencing and sensing, and times when we need to let go of something that was once everything to us or what we wanted for ourselves. The moment you conclude that you need to let something go in your life is the moment that your brain fights to make that happen for you.
In Astrology, there is an area of your birth chart that is designed for you to understand where you will be letting go a lot in this lifetime, and exactly how to do so. We dive through the birth chart as we seek a deeper understanding of ourselves and let go of what no longer serves us, and there are tools available to help us do so. If you don't know where your South Node is in your birth chart, you can use a free calculator like this one here.
What Does Your South Node Represent in Astrology?
When it comes to what we are destined to let go of or move away from in this lifetime, we look to the South Node. The South Node is the area of your birth chart that has to do with your past lives, karma, lessons, old habits and traits, gifts, and energy you are moving away from in this lifetime.
Your South Node is opposite your North Node, which is your destiny and the energy you want to move towards.
We can learn a lot from our South Node and it’s an area of our life where we tend to gain the most wisdom. By understanding why some patterns in your life tend to play out in the same ways, you can be more conscious of the choices you make in the now and let go of who and what doesn’t serve you in the process.
South Node Insights: Letting Go
The South Node is our natural gifts and talents, but also where we don’t need to focus so much of our energy on, taking us away from where we need to be developing, which is the North Node. So when you are looking to let go of something, gain a new perspective, or feel more trusting in what you are doing right now, you can examine your South Node.
We learn from our South Node by not making the same mistakes over again, letting go of what needs to be let go of, and understanding what we need in order to create space for our new beginning.
Read below for your South Node on how to let go of what no longer serves you.
Aries South Node: Letting Go of Independence for Connection
You are used to being independent and figuring things out on your own. In this lifetime, however, you are being asked to lean on others for support when you need it. You are working on letting go of the ego and focusing more on the heart. By extending your compassion for others, you discover a part of yourself that leads you toward empowerment and allows you to let go of a false sense of safety.
You are meant to experience harmonious, fortunate, and compatible love in this lifetime, and you will do so by opening your heart to others and letting go of people who don’t support you or whom you can’t count on.
Taurus South Node: Releasing Overdependence and Superficiality
With your South Node in Taurus, you are letting go of the need to acquire by focusing on the depth and intention of what you are obtaining. Your relationships tend to have a lot to do with your financial world, and these things can get twisted and distorted if you are not being careful.
In this lifetime, you are working on letting go of what doesn’t serve you by following your heart and your intuition more and focusing more on the feeling you want for yourself rather than the things themselves. You are also working on letting go of overdependence or superficiality in relationships, by connecting with the people whom you have a deep and spiritual bond with.
Gemini South Node: Finding Freedom in Authenticity
For you, letting go means following your freedom. You are meant to do things your own way in this lifetime, and the less you can focus on how you are going to be perceived, the more you can live the life of your dreams. With a South Node in Gemini, you are moving away from the commotion of life. What helps you let go of what no longer serves you is traveling, getting out of your comfort zone, and being in new environments.
In past lives, you may have given too much of your focus on your social successes and business pursuits, and in this lifetime, you are meant to focus on the bigger picture. What helps you let go is understanding that once you do, better is available to you.
Cancer South Node: Trusting Yourself Beyond Emotional Impulses
With a South Node in Cancer, you are learning to trust yourself and your logic more than your emotional world in this lifetime. By letting go of feeling like you have to be the one to nurture and support everyone and allowing people to do that for you, you lead your destiny.
With your South Node in Cancer, you are letting go of emotional impulsiveness or making decisions irrationally before you have thought about them.
In past lives, you were led by your emotional world, and in this lifetime, you are meant to think more about your long-term goals and intentions. What helps you let go of what no longer serves you is knowing that you are more than what you can give to others.
Leo South Node: Prioritizing Community Over Recognition
In this lifetime, you are working on letting go of the need to be seen and recognized and focus more on your need for community and soul companionship. You are moving away from the “I” and moving closer to the “We.” What helps you let go of what no longer serves you is giving your focus to humanity, the progress you want to make in this lifetime, and who you want to make it with.
You are learning how to work with others and let go of the need to figure everything out yourself. The more you connect with the people who make you want to team up and form a relationship, rather than the people who make you want to be alone, the better for you.
Virgo South Node: Embracing Compassion Over Perfection
In this lifetime, you are letting go of the need to do everything yourself and to have everything all together. You can let go of what no longer serves you by thinking more with your heart than you do with your mind and by trusting this gift of yours. By focusing more on your spirituality, emotional connections, and creativity, you let go of a timid side of you that can disrupt your relationships or the bonds you make.
In past lifetimes, you were focused on perfection. In this lifetime, you are meant to focus on compassion. By surrendering more to the flow of things, you can let go of what no longer serves you while remaining open for what does.
Libra South Node: Rediscovering Your Independence
With your South Node in Libra, you are meant to experience the gifts of independence, freedom, and inner clarity in this lifetime. In the past, you may have been more dependent on the people around you and made a lot of your focus on love. However, in this lifetime, you are being reminded to not lose your identity in others. You can let go of what no longer serves you by only moving towards the things that feel authentic to you.
You are meant to feel confident, inspired, and free in your relationships, and if you don’t feel this way, then that is a sign you are around energy that doesn’t serve you. You are meant to do things your own way in this lifetime.
Scorpio South Node: Letting Go of Struggles and Embracing Ease
With your South Node in Scorpio, you have lived many lives and have experienced a lot emotionally. In this lifetime, you are learning how to trust the process more and to understand that not everything has to be difficult or trying for you. You can experience great things with ease, and you’ll know you are in the right place when things are just falling into your lap.
What helps you let go of what no longer serves you is focusing more on the things and people who make you feel safe, stable, and comfortable. Instead of always seeking the rush or the thrill, bring your attention more towards the things that ground you.
Sagittarius South Node: Building Connection Through Learning
Your South Node in Sagittarius urges you towards connection with your community and your immediate environment. In this lifetime, you are letting go of the need to be everywhere at once, rather than with the people who matter most to you. You are moving away from knowing everything and into learning everything.
By looking at life as a place where you will learn, grow, and connect, you can let go of the things that stretch you too thin or don’t serve your heart.
What helps you let go of what no longer serves you is expressing yourself more, meeting new people, and spending time on a cause or creative project that inspires you.
Capricorn South Node: Choosing Home and Foundations Over Status
In this lifetime, you are meant to put more value and effort into your personal life, home, family, and foundations in life. In past lifetimes, a lot of your focus was on your reputation, achievements, and successes, and in this lifetime, you are meant to bring your energy more to the home base, family, and stability in life.
You will know if something is right for you if you want it because it makes you feel safe and nurtured, rather than just something that looks pleasing to the eye. What helps you let go of what no longer serves you is by focusing more on your personal life rather than your public, and what you truly see for yourself here.
Aquarius South Node: Shining in Your Individuality
With an Aquarius South Node, you are meant to shine, be seen, and express yourself in this lifetime. You are letting go of the lone wolf energy you are used to, and working on taking up space. You are able to let go of what no longer serves you by being confident in yourself and the decisions you are making.
If someone doesn’t make you feel like the best thing in the entire world, then they aren’t right for you. In past lifetimes, you gave a lot of your energy to your community and the people around you, and in this lifetime, you are meant to focus on yourself and your path more. It’s all about doing what makes you feel good and trusting that you deserve to.
Pisces South Node: Honoring Logic While Embracing Intuition
Your lesson in this lifetime is that your mind is your gift. In past lives, you were very intuitive, psychic, and spiritual, and in this lifetime, you are learning to trust and honor the logical part of yourself more. You may tend to put your all into your relationships and not get the same energy back, and you are working on taking care of yourself first before you can give to another.
What helps you let go of what no longer serves you is trusting your body and the signals it gives you when you are around certain people or energy that doesn’t serve. Get organized, figure out your needs, boundaries, and wants, and get clear on who you are and what you want for yourself.
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6 Must-Have Healing Crystals To Protect The Energy & Vibes Of Your Space
Whether you are looking for more protection in the home, more love in your spaces, or looking to attract more abundance into your life, there is a crystal for everything. Keeping crystals in the home not only elevates the aesthetic but also provides unique healing powers to your environment. Crystals and gemstones and their use of them go back thousands of years, and the wisdom of these natural gifts from Mother Earth has been passed down.
In today’s world, crystals are more widely recognized and used, and it’s important to consider which crystals do what and what is the best place to put your most precious gemstones.
Your home is one of the most, if not the most, intimate spaces in your life. Having the right energy in the home translates into your experience when you leave it, and working with crystals can help you elevate your energy. Spiritual practices like feng shui prove how valuable and healing making every space in the home intentional is. By understanding the different healing properties and benefits of certain crystals, you can enhance the energy in your home, protect your space, and attract more positive energy into your life.
Consciously work with your space and with the bounty this earth provides, and create abundance and protection in your life. Each space in the home can benefit from a certain crystal, read below to see what your space may need right now.
1.Black Tourmaline
Black Tourmaline is a must-have for any crystal collection. This is a highly sought-after stone for its protective and healing benefits. Black Tourmaline is a good stone to place by the front door or in any area of the home where you feel you need extra protection. It’s good to put it near the front door because any energy that enters the home will be immediately cleansed before it comes in, protecting your home space.
Black Tourmaline acts as an energetic sponge, and it absorbs all negative energy in the home and transmutes it into positive, which is why it’s good to have it right before you enter into a space. This crystal will need to be cleansed often, so make sure you leave it out for the night during a Full Moon every month.
2.Spirit Quartz
Spirit Quartz is unique in its healing properties because a lot of it comes from the shape of the quartz itself. Spirit Quartz is a crystal with many facets pointing in different directions, and its different crystal points send out positive energy in different directions in the home. Place this crystal in the center of your home, table, or room to make sure positive and harmonious energy is flowing through without.
Spirit Quartz elevates the room and keeps the good vibes and nurturing energy flowing. This is a stone that will open up the energy in the room, keep things exciting, and create a safe space for everyone to be their authentic and best selves.
3.Amethyst
Amethyst is another must to have in the home and any crystal collection, but it’s especially a must if you have trouble sleeping, relaxing, emotionally healing, or with addiction. Amethyst is a good stone to put in the room or meditation space, and if you are having trouble sleeping, place it under your pillow or under your bed.
Amethyst Quartz is a truly unique and healing stone and provides an energy of transmutation, spiritual growth, and support. This is a crystal that you’ll want to place in areas where you want to create a relaxing, rejuvenating, and emotionally healing vibe. Keeping Amethyst in your home is like having an air purifier; it cleanses, heals, and rejuvenates.
4.Iron Pyrite
Iron Pyrite is a good crystal to keep in the office, near the bills, or next to/in your purse. Iron Pyrite is a stone of abundance, and it also acts as a protection stone for that which you want to protect and cherish in your life. This is the type of stone you want around you if you are looking to create more wealth in your life or protect the wealth you already have.
Iron Pyrite crystal will send you in the right direction financially and will bring up new ideas to help you create abundance and attract it into your life as well. This is a good stone to help you protect your finances and assets, so keep it where you want to protect your money, on top of any contracts you need to sign, on your business cards, in your safe, etc.
5.Rose Quartz
Rose Quartz is a more obvious crystal for the home, and this is a crystal you may already have that you can use. Rose Quartz is a crystal of love and is perfect for any intimate environment. Keep this crystal in the bedroom to spice things up, or keep it in the living room space to invite more love into your world. Rose Quartz is the stone of emotional balance and harmony, and it creates peace and a harmonious atmosphere.
It not only benefits your relationships and love life, but it’s also a facilitator of self-love and confidence as well, helping you grow in your journey here. If you struggle with insecurities, place Rose Quartz in the bathroom next to your mirror for some extra love in the mornings.
6.Green Aventurine
Green Aventurine is a good stone to keep in the home because it benefits many different areas of your life. You can place Green Aventurine in the garden or backyard to help plants grow and bring luck to the garden. Green Aventurine is a stone that brings your seeds of intention to fruition. This is another crystal of abundance as well and works well near the front door or window to help bring abundance in.
Green Aventurine also enhances good health and a healthy heart, making this a beneficial stone to have anywhere in the home. Overall, this is a stone that will help you attract positive, healthy, and refreshed energy into your life. This stone calls you to your inner harmony and health.
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Originally published on October 10, 2023