Between noisy neighbors, long work days and delayed commutes, living in a big city can take its toll. It’s always nice when you have a bit of greenery around you to balance it out. Even better when it’s something you’ve grown and can eat. In my effort to live a more sustainable life, I began growing some basil this past spring and it’s been incredibly rewarding.

Did you know that Basil is a rich source of vitamins A, B6, C, and K and minerals such as iron, manganese and magnesium? Pretty awesome for a plant that’s sometimes mistaken as a garnish. With my plant in full bloom, I decided to do some pruning and make a quick 20-minute comfort meal.

Ingredients

1 large handful of basil (washed)
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
Baby bella (cremini) mushrooms
3/4 cup of grated / flaked cheese
1 -2 servings of pasta
6 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt

Instructions

Since this is a quick meal that comes together pretty easily, it’s best to do things in tandem.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Salt the water (be generous here) and cook the pasta according to package directions. Your pasta should be al dente, i.e. firm to the bite, and of a wheat or vegetable variety.

While your pasta is cooking, clean, prep and slice the sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms. With a few tablespoons of olive oil and a hot pan, sear the mushrooms. Once they begin to take on color, add in the sun dried tomatoes.

A quick note:  sun dried tomatoes can be a bit of an acquired taste. If you don’t care for them, subsitute Cherry or Roma tomatoes.

At this point your pasta should be done. Drain into a colander and save a half cup of the pasta water. This is where everything comes together.

Lower the heat on the pan and toss in your basil leaves whole. Add a a little of your pasta water and the rest of the olive oil to create a bit of an emulsion/ base.

You can absolutely go rogue here if you need extra comfort. For a creamier base, toss in a tab of butter and a splash of heavy cream for a more dense sauce. Add in the cheese at this point so it starts melting.

Next, add in the cooked pasta, and toss your ingredients together.

Here you have it! Quick, simple and easy pasta for a good ol mid-week comfort session.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this recipe. Let us know what you think!, if you tried it and any recipe or food suggestions you’d like to see next.

The post The Ultimate Healthy Comfort Meal After A Stressful Day appeared first on MadameNoire.

To all the amazing daddies out there that love their kids unconditionally like my mommy's daddy and my daddy, too...HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! -York

A post shared by Tyra Banks (@tyrabanks) on Jun 18, 2017 at 3:22pm PDT

Tyra

My Dearest Mr.Weatherspoon, I am SO proud of you for so many reasons, and one of them being the amazing Father you are to our son! He admires and loves you so much, as do I! #happyfathersday ❤WEAREBLESSED❤

A post shared by Kelly Rowland (@kellyrowland) on Jun 18, 2017 at 6:00am PDT

Kelly Rowland

#Hawaii #Harts

A post shared by Kevin Hart (@kevinhart4real) on Jun 20, 2017 at 7:22pm PDT

Kevin Hart

I mean...... just the cutest!!!!! So adorable! Love them. Bianka having a great time at Disneyland. ❤️#FamilyFirst #GirlDaddy #HappyBaby #SweetDaddy #BestDaddy #BestBigSisters ❤️

A post shared by Vanessa Bryant (@vanessabryant) on Jun 20, 2017 at 4:49pm PDT

Kobe Bryant

MY BIG MAN!! #nono #nrw #1month

A post shared by Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) on Jun 13, 2017 at 2:10pm PDT

Russell Westbrook

Splashhhhh baby dream

A post shared by ROBERT KARDASHIAN (@robkardashian) on Jun 20, 2017 at 4:05pm PDT

Rob Kardashian

Blessed to wake up to the both of you! I love being a husband and a Father. Never understood how a man could not at least WANT to be there (or fight to be there) for something he helped create. For me that WANT is a NEED. You can send/spend all the money you want but it's the time that matters. Salute to the Fathers that are being Fathers.

A post shared by lancegross (@lancegross) on Jun 18, 2017 at 11:10am PDT

Lance Gross

Legendary #HappyFathersDay gifts on this side! Knows her daddy too well and sketches him w chilling accuracy. #TheGiftThatKeepsOnGiving #Love wins. #SWIPE

A post shared by Jesse Williams (@ijessewilliams) on Jun 18, 2017 at 7:03pm PDT

Jesse Williams

Part1... I love you @asahdkhaled I love to see you so happy !

A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) on Jun 19, 2017 at 11:34am PDT

DJ Khaled

Go for yours and get everything your supposed to have.

A post shared by Wiz Khalifa (@wizkhalifa) on Jun 19, 2017 at 3:45pm PDT

Sebastian

Since Day 1, you have always been there with open arms! You have always given your all! I'm so grateful for the Man and Father you are to our family. You are truly The Best Dad In The World. We love you soooo much! #HappyFathersDay @DangeRussWilson ❤️

A post shared by Ciara (@ciara) on Jun 18, 2017 at 9:15am PDT

Baby Future

The post Tyra Banks, Russell Westbrook & More Show Off Their Little Ones For Father’s Day appeared first on MadameNoire.

Image via WENN

None of us can really know what’s going on with two people as their relationship ends. Lord knows we don’t have any information when it comes to Jesse Williams and the separation from his wife Aryn Drake-Lee. After all, the two played it very close to the vest. We never knew what was going on in their marriage; and now, nothing about their divorce.

But according to the latest headlines, the two are involved in an embroiled child custody battle.

According to US Weekly, Williams and his wife are both fighting for joint physical custody of their two children, daughter Sadie and son Maceo.

US Weekly reports that in legal documents, Williams writes:

“Aryn restricts my time with the children and decides when, and for how long I may have them,” Williams claims in the legal papers. “She has rejected, without any reason, each and every request I have made to have the children sleepover at my residence. On the few days that I have the children, Aryn has insisted that my time with the children be limited during the week to approximately two-and-a-half hours per day, despite my requests for more time, including overnights with the children.”

In response to his claims Aryn’s lawyer Jill Hersh responded in a statement to US Weekly.

“Protecting the privacy and well-being of their children is of paramount importance to Aryn Drake-Lee Williams. It is unfortunate that Mr. Williams has chosen to draw public attention to this difficult time and transition for their family. Aryn is solely interested in the best interests of their children, supporting a healthy relationship with both parents, and protecting the children’s privacy. Therefore, she will not comment any further on Mr. Williams’ unilateral and unfortunate public allegations.”

Hopefully, they’ll be able to move forward civilly.

The post Jesse Williams And Estranged Wife Aryn Drake-Lee In The Midst Of Custody Battle appeared first on MadameNoire.

Most of us look at Tracee Ellis Ross’ figure and think #Goals, but for a long time the actress didn’t think so highly of her physical features.

“I’ve always had a somewhat contentious relationship with my body,” she revealed to Redbook magazine. “I spent years trying to teach myself to smile in a way that made my top lip look smaller. A lot of that has to do with sexism and racism combined with the ever-changing tides of the culture of beauty. One minute, you’re supposed to be really skinny — the next minute, you’re supposed to have huge boobs. One minute you’re supposed to have no lips, the next they’re supposed to be full. No one can keep up! I finally got to a place where I was like, excuse my French, “F-ck that. That’s not fair.” So I got to then choose for myself what makes me feel empowered.”

Ross is the cover subject for Redbook’s July issue and in the feature story she talks about more than getting over her issues with her body but also her hair and even people who try to steal her joy. Funny enough, the 44 year old’s middle name is actually Joy — quite fitting, right?

“When I professionally changed my middle name to Ellis, my father’s middle name, my mom said to me, ‘I’m sad that you let go of Joy, but it’s OK because you’ve embodied it.”

She further told the mag, “I’ve always sort of cultivated joy, found a way to laugh at life, and that has amplified into a sense of self-care that’s also about finding serenity and peace with myself.”

It’s for that reason that, try as they may, Debbie Downers can’t really take what’s inside the comedic star, Ross explained. “There are joy stealers everywhere! Honestly, a lot of people don’t do it on purpose. Joy makes them uncomfortable. So I do my best not to take it personally. I will literally imagine myself moving out of the way and letting their stuff just pass me by.”

And if you happen to be stealing your own joy by being afraid to take healthy risks in life, Ross has some advice for you too.

“You don’t have to jump off the 31st floor of the building. Take the stairs, go at your pace, but push yourself a little bit.”

Check out the rest of her feature on Redbookmag.com.

The post How Tracee Ellis Ross Finally Said “F-ck That” To Her “Contentious Relationship” With Her Body appeared first on MadameNoire.

The post “The Body Achieves What The Mind Believes”: Quotes To Keep You Motivated On Your Fitness Journey appeared first on MadameNoire.

Credit: Getty

Baby Stanfield is here!

It wasn’t until March that we found out Xosha Roquemore And Lakeith Stanfield were expecting a baby and now their little one has arrived.

Xosha, 32, spilled the beans, accidentally it seems, when she reportedly tweeted a photo of her nursing a newborn baby with the caption “Mom.” Though the picture was subsequently deleted, yesterday we spotted a newborn baby in an IG photo Xosha posted of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie‘s latest book, Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions.

On top of that proof, tweets from 25-year-old Lakeith suggest the baby boy or girl was possibly born mid-month, with him noting a “new chapter” in his life and possibly alluding to the wonders of child birth.

Been in a a complete dream world past 24 hours

— Lakeith Stanfield (@stanfield_keith) June 12, 2017

New chapter

— Lakeith Stanfield (@stanfield_keith) June 13, 2017

Women are much closer to nature

— Lakeith Stanfield (@stanfield_keith) June 13, 2017

Xosha regularly showed off her baby bump on IG while she was expecting so we figure it’s only a matter of time before we get to see this little one’s face. Congrats to the couple!

The post Xosha Roquemore And Lakeith Stanfield Have Welcomed Their First Baby appeared first on MadameNoire.

Image via BigStockPhoto

After my unemployment ended, I accepted a job through a temp agency to supplement income while I freelanced. The job was at the Pure Group, a digital and advertising company located Midtown-East by Central Park. Initially, I was apprehensive to temp there because their Glassdoor rating and reviews are side-eye worthy and questionable.

When started I was trained by another temp who also worked in the media industry. She found a new job at Hugo Boss and declined the Pure Group’s permanent job offer. After she left Pure Group, I managed the receptionist duties and sample outreach because they have an organic snack brand and sunscreen brand. Everything was going fine. No one bothered me but eventually, that changed.

Pure Group used to share their office space with another company who recently found their own space. To say thank you, the other company held a happy hour in Pure Group’s kitchen. They bought red wine, chips, dip and Ghirardelli Chocolates. Although I didn’t stay for the happy hour, I saw my supervisor and other staff members take part in the activities (i.e. eating the chocolate, chips, and dip). On Monday, the CEO of Pure Group came to the office and saw the Ghirardelli Chocolate on the kitchen counter top. He spoke to my supervisor who lied and told him I ordered the chocolate.

Afterward, my supervisor sent me an email stating that she would have to look over my Fresh Direct food orders when I order groceries for the company. Although I didn’t understand why she lied and felt the need to micromanage me, I replied “thank you for the update,” and also proceeded to refresh her memory regarding who brought the chocolate on the premises and remind her she was in attendance at the happy hour. Also, I didn’t work a full work week to order new groceries for the company so it would be impossible for me to order candy.

She never responded to my email but of course like every other passive aggressive White woman her behavior became cold towards me. Prior to this incident, no one told me that candy that is not under the Mars brand could not be on the premises. Which is understandable. But the principal of the matter is, my supervisor shouldn’t have lied on me.

After this incident, if I needed help around the office (since I was new) she would not help me. After working there for two weeks,  she told me this past Monday, that she hired someone last week Friday,  permanently, and it would be my last day.  I wrote two emails to the temp agency regarding her unprofessionalism, their lack of communication  and the trivial behavior I was exposed to. My mom told me to keep the peace but I feel as though when you work as a temp or receptionist, people don’t think you have adequate work experience prior to being placed in such a position, so, they feel like they can treat you any type of way.

I wanted to share my story because I feel as though many Black employees or even grads believe if they “keep the peace” they won’t upset people who clearly don’t have their best interest at heart and lack integrity.

The post Working While Black: I Was Fired Over A Ghirardelli Chocolate appeared first on MadameNoire.

I never realized how much of an impact hormonal imbalance can have on everyday women who are dealing with menopause, pregnancy, menstrual cycles or just taking medication until I had a talk with a friend about how much our periods suck. I griped about the fact that I get angry, break out and bloat heavily (with a desire to eat everything in sight), but her situation was much more alarming. While she made it clear that she had no desire to harm herself, she admitted that a wave of depression usually takes over during that time of the month. She, at times, feels like she doesn’t have the will to live, and birth control seemed to just make things worse.

What the hell was I complaining about?

With such major highs and lows in mind, I sought clarity from Dr. Erika Schwartz about what’s really going on with our hormones. She is the author of the new wellness book, The New Hormone Solution, as well as the founder and medical director of Evolved Science in New York. We talked to her about the causes of hormone imbalance, the impact it has on us and the best way to deal with it.

MadameNoire: What advice do you have for women seeking to deal with their hormones outside of using birth control?

Dr. Erika Schwartz: I’m not a fan of birth control pills because they suppress natural hormone production and leave women with menopausal hormone levels at age 18. I help women balance their hormones naturally with bioidentical/human identical hormones, diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and supplements.

What causes hormone imbalance?

Life. Whether it’s PMS and acne as a teen, postpartum depression as a 20-something, weight gain in the 30s and beyond, loss of sex drive and then menopause, these are all issues caused by hormone changes. The changes occur naturally as a consequence of aging, stress, environmental factors, sleep deprivation, poor diet, lack of or over exercising — pretty much everything.

What are the symptoms of hormone imbalance that we should be aware of?

Acne, headaches, PMS, postpartum depression, anxiety, palpitations, night sweats, insomnia, hot flashes, skin rashes, itching and new onset allergies. Also loss of sex drive, weight gain or loss, irritability, depression, food cravings, recurrent urinary tract infections and joint pains, just to name the most obvious.

Why does hormonal imbalance lead to “devastating conditions” like infertility, postpartum depression, insomnia, etc.?

Left untreated, these symptoms of hormone imbalance over time will lead to chronic illnesses affecting quality of life initially and ultimately quality of life.

Is it true that chronic stress can lead to hormonal imbalance?

Acute and chronic stress do cause hormone imbalance, yes.

So how do things change as we get older and what can we do about it?

With less hormone reserve and less ability to make the correct hormones at the needed time, with age, we experience more symptoms all at once. That includes hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, weight gain, fatigue, loss of libido, flabby skin, anxiety, depression, etc. We also develop chronic illnesses if we don’t address the hormone imbalances, supplement the hormones, change our diets, improve exercise routines, sleep 7-8 hours a night, deal with stress, and take the proper supplements. If we do, then the aging process treats us better.

The post An Expert Breaks Down Hormonal Imbalance And What You Can Do About It appeared first on MadameNoire.

One of the best things about attending a wedding is seeing the amount of love the bride and groom have for each other, as well as the incredible support system that the couple has in family and close friends who come to witness the special occasion.

Some of this support is provided through traditional speeches and is often given by the best man and maid/matron of honor at the reception. However, I recently attended a wedding where the mother of the groom gave words of encouragement and told a few personal stories. During her lengthy yet poignant speech, she made the following statement about her son: “He loves his momma, takes care of his momma and will always take care of his momma.”

My jaw dropped, along with the jaw of just about every other guest at my table.

Although the rest of her speech continued, I couldn’t really focus as I was fixated on that one statement. Why would she need to tell my friend, the bride whom her son loves, let alone the rest of the room, that her son will always take care of her? What does “take care of” really mean? Was this a warning to her new daughter-in-law?

The assumptions could continue on, as I don’t know how her relationship has been with the bride thus far, but her words were direct and intentional, which leads me to believe one thing: She expects nothing to change. After the mother of the groom made her statement, a friend leaned over to me and asked me, “Has she read the Bible?”

I remember reading the scriptures that pretty much give an overview of how to prioritize the people in your life when it comes to your marriage: God is first, then your spouse. One verse explicitly lays out what a husband should do upon saying “I do.” According to Ephesians 5:29, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

I’m pretty sure that God doesn’t want a married person to stop loving their parents, but the above verbiage does say leave. As in, cut the cord.

Now, would I expect the groom, or any other married man, to completely cut off his parents? Absolutely not. But it’s expected that he will focus on building his own family and will have the support of his parents in doing so. Therefore, I have to wonder about the thought process of the groom’s mother in making her statement. In fact, it made me wonder about all women and their expectations when their sons gets married.

If the relationship is a great one, I’m sure a man’s first love is his mom, and there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s hard for a woman to see her baby boy acquire a new leading lady. Still, there need to be boundaries.

Unfortunately, I’ve heard from some of my friends and peers that some men they’ve been with have a hard time standing up to their mother. It’s like they have a fear of disrespecting her when attempting to communicate; therefore, they choose not to communicate any issue and fail their partner.

I would sincerely hope that my friend, now a newlywed, can effectively communicate to her husband if and when she feels her mother-in-law is overstepping her boundaries. But as someone who watched that speech firsthand, I can say that there’s no doubt that she already has.

What is the best way to ensure that you mother-in-law is respectful of your marriage?

The post Who Truly Comes First, The Wife Or The Mother? appeared first on MadameNoire.

Remy Ma has been very open and honest about the losing her last child due to an ectopic pregnancy.

Thankfully, because she’s financially good- there are ways for her to maneuver around her condition.
And now she’s lending her voice to other women who might find themselves in a similar situation but may not have the means to change their situation.

As we’ve reported before, Remy Ma was carrying her child in her fallopian tubes which resulted in a miscarriage. Her doctors told her as a result, her tubes had been damaged and she would not be able to conceive naturally.

In a recent interview with Essence, she said: “First I was distraught, I was embarrassed, I was ashamed, I felt less than a woman and [the doctor] assured me that was no way to feel and that for a certain amount of thousands of dollars, it can be fixed. And because I have the finances, I never even thought twice about it.”

But that’s not the case for everyone. Realizing this fact, Remy Ma announced that she is launching a fund for women like her.

“It wasn’t until I publicly spoke about it that I realized how many women are in the same predicament as me where they actually can have children, they just need an assist from medical procedures and they can’t because they are not financially stable enough to do it.”

Procedures like in vitro fertilization can cost anywhere from $12,000 to $17,000 per treatment. According to Huffington Post, while many more women are beginning to invest in the procedure, there are still so many who can’t afford it.

During her conversation, Remy Ma even spoke about politicians and lawmakers who have been silent about issues such as these.

“It’s just weird to me that if you want to terminate a pregnancy, you could use your health insurance; however, if you wanted to conceive, health insurance doesn’t cover that. So I’m looking at all of these politicians that claim that they’re pro-life and they want to eradicate women having the choice to terminate their pregnancies, but if you’re pro-life, why would you not set up something so women who can’t conceive and women who want to be mothers can do so.”

You can watch the full interview in the video below.

The post Remy Ma Launches Fund To Help Women Who Have Trouble Conceiving appeared first on MadameNoire.

Naturi Naughton has been turning heads for weeks with her red carpet pregnancy style and the beauty of her maternity photo shoot will absolutely take your breath away.

Naturi was photographed by Joey Rosado who brilliantly captured the actress’s maternal glow, enhanced by body paint and a fitting crown braid adorned with butterflies.

Other photos feature the 33-year-old and her partner Ben in what she considers their first family photo shoot, demonstrating their love for one another, their growing baby, and for Black culture in general. As Naturi explained to Essence.com:

“We both just really appreciate Black culture. Ben wore a shirt from Ghana and my theme was ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ for my baby shower. We just always try to incorporate African proverbs or Kente cloth or using different images to celebrate this beautiful Black girl that’s coming into the world. I think in society we get so caught up trying to assimilate and be like other people, but in reality what we feel is that we just want to celebrate who we are.”

Naturi added that she doesn’t “feel crazy pressure anymore” to rush and marry Ben, explaining that the two are doing things in their own timing.

“Naturally, the way I grew up and the way I was raised…I didn’t anticipate being pregnant at this time. Of course I wanted to be a mom and have children, but the reality is God’s plan is not always in alignment with my plan,” she said. “I wanted to do it my way, but it doesn’t always work out that way. I still think I can still have that dream, and I want to be married — and I will — I think we’re just taking it step-by-step and not worrying about what other people’s judgments or thoughts are because at the end of the day, they’re not living for me, or for us.”

Besides, the starlet already has two great things to look forward to this summer. The first being the return of Power on Starz June 25, and the second, her first child.

“I feel really happy; pregnancy has been good to me. I’m in love, I’m looking forward to just sharing this next level of life. My whole life has been about working and being in the girl group and being on stage and being an actress, but now I get to really enjoy a bigger purpose, which is motherhood, so I’m really excited.”

The post Naturi Naughton’s Pregnancy Photos Will Make You Melt appeared first on MadameNoire.

#PutYourPhoneDownAnd get busy pic.twitter.com/97oU1KZIfK

— Lisa Leyrer (@Lisaley) June 22, 2017

#PutYourPhoneDownAnd Be Kind To Each Other. Enjoy Peace! pic.twitter.com/hVf8UCXj6a

— #PlaySlots4RealMoney (@every1bets) June 22, 2017

#PutYourPhoneDownAnd cut loose, FOOTLOOSE! KICK OFF YOUR SUNDAY SHOES! pic.twitter.com/7bFvmggS55

— Josh Siewert (@realreelfiction) June 22, 2017

#PutYourPhoneDownAnd stop checking your ex's page...yes they are shagging that person in the pic with them & the other one too pic.twitter.com/QdfzvQVIHr

— GG (@GemmaGwen) June 22, 2017

Why is #PutYourPhoneDownAnd trending? Because thousands of people are tweeting it...from their phones.

— Kennye West (@KennyFromDaBlok) June 22, 2017

#PutYourPhoneDownAnd spend one minute just looking. What's waiting for you? #GetOutside pic.twitter.com/xqcKtugwBc

— Grand Canyon NPS (@GrandCanyonNPS) June 22, 2017

#PutYourPhoneDownAnd You can still use a pretend phone... pic.twitter.com/paqiSeJAmm

— ŁȺᵾǤĦƗNǤ SꝀᵾŁŁ (@laughingskull59) June 22, 2017

#PutYourPhoneDownAnd tell your friends and family how much you love them! pic.twitter.com/SndeFbsKo6

— ⚜️ Cattsy ⚜️ (@Cattereia) June 22, 2017

#PutYourPhoneDownAnd show me what you workin' with. pic.twitter.com/5ZZ9ziklSH

— Shea Browning (@SheaBrowning) June 22, 2017

#PutYourPhoneDownAnd go play Outside. The graphics are amazing, and very little lag for such a big multiplayer game

— Miles of Hashtags (@MilesOfHashtags) June 22, 2017

The post Twitter Reminds Us Of The Importance Of Engaging With #PutYourPhoneDownAnd appeared first on MadameNoire.

When it comes to dealing with roadblocks, Dominique Fleming’s fitness journey was at one time one after another.

When she couldn’t afford a gym membership, she chose to rely on YouTube videos, Pinterest workout ideas and the sidewalks around her home to get a workout in. And when her neighborhood failed to provide much in terms of healthy food options, the 30-year-old made the most of the produce she could find and started experimenting with recipes. She had to really beef up her culinary skills and do her research to enjoy veggies she had never really eaten before. In the end, Fleming’s hard work paid off. Not only did she completely change her body, slimming down and relieving it of pain, but her healthy dishes also caught the attention of many people online, helping her start her own meal-prep business. It’s so big now that she was able to quit her day job and focus on all things health, fitness and nutrition. We talked to the fitness enthusiast and entrepreneur, now based out of Atlanta, about her road to success — both on the scale and in the kitchen.

MadameNoire: I saw on your Instagram that you’ve had quite the transformation over the years. What did it take for you to officially commit and begin this major change?

Dominique Fleming: Basically, at the time when I kind of got started, I was going through a rough phase in life. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I hated my job and everything. I would look at pictures of myself online and sometimes I would see pictures other people took of me and I just didn’t see myself that way. I would look and say, “Wow, am I really that big?” Because I didn’t feel that way. So I started kind of slowly. I started doing cardio. I didn’t know a whole lot about fitness back then so I had to start where I was at the time. It was basically where most people start: ground zero. I didn’t know what to do, didn’t know what to eat, didn’t know anything about a gym. So I literally started from 0. I got fed up with the way I was looking and health problems. I was having back issues, knee issues, all types of stuff just from being overweight. And at my age, I just felt I should do something about that.

When did you specifically start changing your diet and how did you start? That’s usually the toughest part for people, letting go of the poor nutrition that’s held us back.

Yeah, that is the main part. When I was in college, I transitioned from being a meat-eater to being vegetarian. It was a big learning experience. At the time, I didn’t know at all what I was doing. I still ate a lot of junk food and a high-carb diet at the time. So when I really changed how I was eating, that was around the time I started working out — about 25, 26. I started experimenting with whole food-based meals. The area I lived in didn’t have a whole lot of food options. We did have one fresh market and it seemed that everything there was whole food based. So it was kind of by force that I started cooking things fresh and experimenting with different vegetables I’d never used before.

I read that initially you weren’t able to afford the costs of gyms where you lived. And like you mentioned, a lot of areas aren’t plentiful in healthy eating markets. How were you able to overcome things that many of us probably would have thrown in the towel over? 

Well, at that time I really couldn’t afford a gym membership at all. So I did go on YouTube and looked up at-home workouts. YouTube and Pinterest were really big tools during that time. I did a whole lot of running in my neighborhood because I didn’t have a gym or really any equipment. I had two 10-pound dumbbells that I would use just to do a full-body workout with in my living room. And eventually, a co-worker suggested to me that I join the YMCA because it had an income-based gym membership. So after a couple of months I finally went over there. It’s a sliding price scale. They base it upon your income, so I was able to get in. It was a really great gym and I had no idea that I even had that option initially. That’s something I would definitely encourage people to do. If you’re on tight budget, definitely look for your local YMCA because a lot of the time they do a sliding scale. They have great equipment, just as good as any Lifetime or L.A. Fitness I’ve ever been to. So that was a big help to me.

As far as the food, I was in Detroit at the time and within the city limits, they didn’t have any chain supermarkets. The market that was near me was a mom and pop-owned kind of supermarket and it was small. They really did only carry produce, so I had to kind of make stuff up. I would go in there and buy parsnips and chard and stuff I’d never ever cooked with before and Googled the things I could make with that. So that’s how I got started with the cooking aspect of it. Picking up new ingredients every week and saying, “I’m going to make some type of meal with this.”

I know you said you’ve done intense cardio with a healthy diet as well as focusing on strength training with a healthy diet. Why is the latter form of exercise your preference? 

Everybody’s body is different, but I learned that for the aesthetics I was going for, which was still curvy but fit and toned, lifting weights was far more effective than just doing cardio alone. Cardio, when I did do it, I did drop a lot of weight really fast. But I noticed I lost a lot of my curve. I didn’t have a whole lot of butt left. Legs, all of that kind of just really hit the pier. At the time, I really liked that look because I was just happy to have lost some weight. But as I got more experience in the gym, I realized that weightlifting is really what shapes your body. Cardio can help you lose weight, but it’s not going to give you the shape that I know a lot of women of color and a lot of women in my age bracket are looking to have. And a lot of the time, we’re scared to go in there and lift weight for fear of looking “too manly” or bulking up. But it’s really the opposite. It gives you the curves everybody wants in the right places.

So you’ve been at this for a while and really dropped a lot of weight while also tightening and toning. What advice would you give to others who are getting frustrated with not seeing the specific results they want? 

It’s been about four years for me. If you’re getting impatient, just realize that this is a lifetime journey. It’s not something that will happen overnight and it’s not something where you’ll reach a particular destination and get to stop. It’s a lifestyle change. So if you’re ready to give up and you’re thinking that maybe you’re not getting to the progress you want, just realize that this is something you’re dedicating yourself to for the rest of your life. You’ll see changes along the way. Just be patient, because you’ll eventually get to a place where you at least feel like you’re making great progress.

How did you end up launching your meal-prep business, Eat With Dom? 

So that was actually kind of like a mistake [laughs]. I started out just doing meal prep for myself and would post pictures on Instagram every Sunday. Eventually people started asking me, “Can you do mine?” I started out with maybe two people and I would just do it as they requested. I would freestyle and make whatever I wanted for them. But after a while it kind of started picking up. I was getting requests on Instagram, from co-workers, friends of friends, and before I knew it, I had a full-fledged business to the point where I was able to quit my day job. But it started by mistake. I just started doing it for myself and got coerced into doing it for other people and now it’s a full business.

I do have two assistants right now. At this point, it would be kind of hard for me to do it alone. But we have a pretty decent clientele and we just started shipping, so that’s a new aspect that’s created more of a workload. We’re in the works of trying to find potentially another assistant and another delivery driver. So yeah, it’s growing and we’re pretty excited about where it’s going.

You haven’t been shy about showing your transformation not only with your weight, but with the change in your butt. What are your top three moves for glute development?

I would say the really beneficial things have been weighted cable kickbacks, four sets of those with 12 to 15 reps at a medium weight of 40 to 50 pounds. That’s been really great. Also, deadlifts. They kind of grow the hamstring and that little cup right under the butt. You can really get a lot of nice lift there. And the last one would be raised hip abductors. So just on the hip abductor machine with your hips raised. I usually max out at the heaviest weights I can possibly do because it does build up a lot of muscle there.

With four years of work down, packing on muscle in the right places and garnering a following because of your results, would you say that you’ve reached the goals you had when you initially set out to change you life around? 

Yeah! I definitely feel like health wise I’m at a place where I feel really great. I’m at a healthy weight. I like how I look. At this point it’s a lot about maintenance and learning new things. I try to learn new ways to cook things. I try to experiment and pick up new things to make. It’s just about tweaking little things to see the difference. I’ve found that I don’t have to do as much cardio as I once did, and lifting weights has become a lot easier for me. Fifty pound squatting was insane for me initially and now I can squat like 180. So it’s about progress every day. It’s really about learning more about yourself.

Check out Fleming’s site for her meal-prep business, Eat With Dom and follow her fitness and food journey on Instagram with 11,000 other people. Also, check out the rest of our Fitness Friday profiles!

The post Fitness Fridays: Dominique Fleming Shares Story Behind Her Successful Meal Prep Business And Her Body Transformation appeared first on MadameNoire.

Looks like Leslie Jones is following in the footsteps of Kerry Washington in deciding to keep her personal relationships, private.

During a recent sit down with Conan O’Brien the topic of boos came up and Jones had to say something. But she didn’t volunteer too much.

While she did admit that she is “kind of” seeing someone, it’s not something she’s broadcasting.

“It’s a secret, so I don’t want everybody bothering him, you know what I’m saying.”

The 49-year-old mentioned that if it were up to her, she wouldn’t be talking about the man at all. But when she’s asked about her dating life, she doesn’t want to pretend he doesn’t exist.

“I don’t want to sit on television and be like, ‘Oh, the type of man I’m looking for…’ and then I’ll talk to him and he’ll be like, ‘Yeah, I heard you was looking for this type of dude…’ Don’t get me in trouble!”

While we would love to know bae’s identity, I have to admit this is a smart decision. For now, we can only hope everything works out and some wedding pictures pop up in a couple of years.

The post Leslie Jones Has A Man But She’s Not Going To Tell Us Who He Is appeared first on MadameNoire.

As long as my parents have been married, my mother told me that there are just some things they like to keep the mystery about when it comes to their relationship. My parents don’t leave doors open when they urinate, and my mother hasn’t sat around unphased in a bathroom she’s shared with my father while he’s pooped. To them, some things are better kept to themselves.

But a girlfriend of mine told me a few months back about a boyfriend she dated once who didn’t believe in such boundaries. He believed, which is true, that everyone poops. Therefore, he had no qualms with grabbing his phone and kicking back on the toilet with the door open or taking care of business while she was in the bathroom with him. In fact, she told me that one time she ran herself a nice hot bubble bath after a particularly stressful day. She closed the curtains for privacy’s sake in case her boyfriend needed to run in and out and sank down into the water. She would find moments later that she was being brought out of her moment of zen by the smell of funk. When she pulled back the curtains, there was her boyfriend, midway through a healthy bowel movement. To this day, she still turns up her face when she talks about it.

We’ve all been there. Hell, even Miranda Hobbes of Sex and the City has been there. And by there, I mean at the place in a relationship where people are trying to figure out how to deal with their bowels while dating (or their partner’s bowels).

I’ve dated someone who was very open with his restroom habits. When he urinated, he did so with a stream so strong and steady, it couldn’t help but come out loud. And while that was a little gross sometimes (he would often do this while I was eating), his bowel movement habits were worse. He wouldn’t do it with the door wide open, but he never let out his gas before sitting down. So every morning, without failing, I would hear everything in my bathroom. *cues horn section*

Talk about sexy.

But on the complete flipside, I have a girlfriend who is dating a guy who at one time, wouldn’t dare have a bowel movement in her home. One time, after going out to eat together and having something that left his belly a bit upset, they returned to her place to relax. Soon after settling in, he started to feel uncomfortable, but he didn’t let on that he wasn’t feeling good. Instead of asking to use her bathroom to set things straight, he told her, “I actually have to run home real quick. There seems to be an issue.” She assumed he meant that something had happened, and it had — he had a ferocious case of bubble guts. Once he finally returned home and relieved himself, he called my friend back and said everything was ok. It wasn’t until later when she asked him what had happened in his place that he finally admitted he just wasn’t comfortable enough to deal with an upset stomach in her bathroom. He didn’t think it was right.

We’ve all heard about people who leave the door open when they poop and who can continue to brush their teeth while their partner relieves themselves in the same space. In complete contrast, we’ve also heard of people who avoid being open about their bowel movements and will even go as far as to try and hide poop in their purse when it won’t flush down the toilet so as to avoid embarrassment. But what is too comfortable and what is too uptight when it comes to the bowel habits of the people you date?

I can say that I would never want someone I’m dating to feel as though if they really needed to have a bowel movement, I would be petty enough to judge them for having it in my home. And while I get that it’s probably super awkward when you’re just getting to know someone, if you’ve ever been the person in that situation with a meal in your system that is not interested in cooperating, then you can probably understand the importance of being compassionate. But at the same time, it’s not cute to be that man or woman who is way too comfortable. As the saying goes, let some of the mystery be and save your trumpet solos and some of those sour lunches for your own bathroom…

But as always, that’s just my opinion. What say you? Is it petty to judge the person you’re dating for openly having a bowel movement in your home? 

The post Is This Petty? He’s Waaaaay Too Comfortable Pooping In My Place appeared first on MadameNoire.

The post The Internet Thinks These New Ken Dolls Look Like Every Man Who Ever Did You Wrong In Life appeared first on MadameNoire.

In an interview with The Breakfast Club this week to promote her new comedy, Girls Trip, which comes out July 21, comedian Tiffany Haddish told a whole host of interesting stories. One of them was about the time she ended up getting toxic shock syndrome at 13 and almost died. But leave it to The Carmichael Show star to find a way to see the humor in such a dangerous situation.

“So this is like the third period I ever had,” she told the hosts. “There were no maxi pads, nothing in the house, nothing to use. But under the sink there were these super absorbent tampons. So I was like, ‘Psh, forget it.’ So I put it in and I only had it in for about four or five hours, but as soon as I took it out I started itching, started scratching.”

From there, Haddish said things started to get really bad. She was raised by her grandmother, and while her mother, who was visiting during the incident, didn’t see the severity of her condition, her grandmother did.

“My grandmother was there and my mom had come over. My mom was like, ‘Just give her some Herbalife! That’s all she needs.’ But everything I ate I kept throwing up,” she said. “Every time I drank water, throwing up. My tongue — I got a big tongue. It started to shrink. It go so swollen and little that it was choking me. I scratched holes all over my skin. You know how you go outside chasing the ice cream truck in the summertime and you know if you go barefoot you burn your feet a little bit? It was like that all over my body. Just burnt…My eyes were sunk in, I was completely dehydrated.”

Once she was taken to the hospital, the star finally gained an understanding of what was happening to her, along with a warning to never use a tampon again.

“My grandma took me to the children’s hospital,” she said. “The lady was like, ‘Are you having sex?’ I was like, ‘No but I want to [laughs].’ She asked me if I used tampons, I said, ‘Yeah, I used one.’ She said, ‘Well why are you using tampons?’ I said, ‘Because there’s nothing else to use.’ She said, ‘Are you sure you’re not having sex? How did you get it in there?’ I was like, ‘It took a long time and it hurt really bad but I got it in there.’ It was so uncomfortable. I was like, ‘Dang, it hurts to walk.’ I was like, ‘I don’t know why girls like this,’ and then I looked back at the directions and was like, oh okay [laughs].”

“I ended up having to stay in the hospital for three days,” Haddish added. “They hooked me up with all these IVs. I had my first pap smear and they basically broke my hymen. They put fingers in all your holes. It was the worst. And the lady told me, ‘If you ever use tampons again, it would be like committing suicide. The reason you’re so sick off of the tampon is because they put a chemical in there that is the same chemical they put in rat poisoning. And the bigger the tampon is, the more poison in there so you bleed more. So, you’re allergic to this poison and that’s why you have toxic shock.'”

In replacement of tampons, Haddish revealed that she’s a big fan of the menstrual cup. She took heed of her doctor’s warning and is avoiding tampons by any means necessary, even if she admits that pulling out her cup can be like dealing with a “crime scene” from time to time…

Check out her story below, starting at the 29:50 mark:

The post About That Time Comedian Tiffany Haddish Got Toxic Shock Syndrome The First Time She Used A Tampon appeared first on MadameNoire.

The post Meagan Good Celebrates A Year On Her Fitness Journey; See Her Most Intense Workouts appeared first on MadameNoire.

Credit: LEE CELANO/Getty and Patricia Schlein/WENN.com

"My life got sweeter, richer the day I met you. I love you like a big ole dog!!! Happy 14 years my love, my heart.....#JuliusTennon"

The post Look At Them Now: Viola And Julius Are Celebrating 14 Years Of Marriage Today appeared first on MadameNoire.

Snoop Dogg

F. Gary Gray

Anthony Anderson

Mary J. Blige

Taraji P. Henson

Shonda Rhimes

RuPaul

Zoe Saldana

Ice T

Niecy Nash

Bernie Mac

The post All The Black Folks Who Are Getting A Star On The Hollywood Walk of Fame Next Year appeared first on MadameNoire.