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Photography By: Shantel Jackson Retouched By: Calvin Howard, MGimages Studios
CONTENTS HEALTHY EATING: THE KEY TO LIFE BEAUTY MOGUL: KEREN DARLINGTON CUTTING ALL EXCUSES AND GETTING IN SHAPE WITH FITNESS TRAINER BIANCA AKOSUA MAINTAINING YOUR SEXY AFTER 40 WITH DR. ANGELINA POSTOEV NON-INVASIVE SURGERY ALTERNATIVES WITH CORA CHRISTIAN MEET CANADIAN BOXING CHAMPION JUST ISAAC THE DOPE FEMALE TRAINER: SHAQ GURVIN
MILES STROTER OFF THE FIELD & BEHIND THE CAMERA
ALPHONSO NATHAN TELLS BLACK MEN, IT’S OK TO GO TO THERAPY
BACK TO SCHOOL WITH CYNTHIA TRIGG OF EVOLUTION ACADEMY MICHAEL FANNING ON ENTERTAINMENT AND BODY POSITIVITY CELEBRITY CHEF CARLOS BROWN SPEAKS ON HIGH ON THE HOG & BEING SAVED BY HOSPITALITY CELEBRITY FITNESS TRAINER: MAC SOLOMON
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COVER STORY
LET’S TALK SELF-CARE & BUSINESS WITH SHANTEL JACKSON
FOREVER FIT WITH JOLE
DR. LESLIE RAY MATTHEWS ON COMBATTING COVID 19 WITH VITAMIN D
MISS DEE’S KITCHEN WITH STEVEN LITTLES TURNING PAIN INTO PURPOSE: KECIA J THE LEGACY: FROM PANCAKES AND SYRUP TO SEA MOSS & SMOOTHIES, KAMILAH ALIM SECRET WOMEN RECLAIMING THEIR TIME THROUGH FITNESS WITH BEVERLY JOHNSON BEST VACATIONS SPOTS FOR THE SUMMER
TANISHA D. DAVIS Publisher EDITORIAL Victoria Moulterie - Content Editor Candace Green - Content Editor PUBLIC RELATIONS Shauna Lamore Lamore Lifestyle PR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Adezza DuBose Asia Isadore Amanda Miller Chaiquan Wingfield Jatelia Lewis Jazmyne Byrd Kiwanna Harshaw Latrice Strong Pamela Smith Rachel McGadney Valerie Jones ART/ DESIGN Harold Knight - Graphic Designer CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Booth Photography MGimages Studios FOUNDER Tanisha D. Davis EMAIL info@femimagazine.org
Photography By: Shantel Jackson Retouched By: Calvin Howard, MGimages Studios
Publisher’s Note TANISHA DAVIS
CREDIT: Photography By: Calvin Howard, MGimages Studios MUA: Breana Tyshe Scott, Glorious Beaute
CONNECT WITH ME
Staying fit and making sure we are eating right is never an easy task. If you were raised Down South then you understand. Down South is home to what we call soul food! Sundays are mainly guaranteed to consist of collard greens, sweet potatoes (candied yams), cornbread, macaroni and cheese with fried chicken and a heavy dessert! When you’re eating this good every week, it's hard to say no to the smell of peach cobbler fresh out of the oven with a scoop of ice cream on the side in exchange for a healthier meal with fewer calories. I can admit that I have had many days of starting a good workout routine and then stopping because I didn’t feel motivated enough to continue. Since the pandemic, many of us gained weight from sitting and eating all day. We have got to do better! In the black community we are generally at higher risk for heart diseases, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS, according to the Office of Minority Health, part of the Department for Health and Human Services. We are now also starting to see a development of diseases typically seen in older patients at a young age. This issue of FEMI for the summer focuses on Fitness & Health! It features a host of stories from those in the field of medicine, and those who train others to stay in shape daily! We are excited to feature Trell Griffin, a Fitness Trainer in Mobile, Alabama on the cover alongside with Model & Actress Shantel Jackson who is the longtime girlfriend of Rapper Nelly, and the Boss of a company known as Fanci Goods, and her own skincare line! We hope every story featured in this publication ignites a fire to make you stick to your fitness routine and take better care of your health! We love you here at FEMI!
Tanisha D. Davis @TanishaDDavis @TanishaDDavis 4
Tanisha D. Davis
Tanisha D. Davis, Publisher FEMI MAGAZINE
Photography By: Shantel Jackson Retouched By: Calvin Howard, MGimages Studios
HEALTHY EATING:
Photography By: Nathan Cowley
The Key to Life
WRITTEN BY: ASIA ISADORE
I
n a world full of false advertising nutrition ads and thousands of health supplements not approved by the FDA, we all struggle in confusion of which brand to trust to lead us to successful weight loss and longevity. Yet, of the many advertisements and health recommendations promoted by these businesses, the obesity rate 6
continues to grow at a drastic amount with no intention to slow down or decrease in the coming years. This in turn increases the diagnosis of diseases and preventable health complications such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, all of which can be fatal.
answer to their health problems and weight desires, but nothing seems to be working. The only thing that is working are the millions of dollars the unqualified nutrition promoters receive from the population and make a living from because we give them so much money without many results. But the answer to our questions about healthful living is simply eating healthy. Although So, what are we doing so wrong? this can be hard to do, especially since Millions of people are looking for the FEMI MAGAZINE
vegetables are healthier, when you put a label on it, some tend to avoid it. Your fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, dairy, proteins, and healthy fats all fit into a category of nutrient dense foods. Nutrient dense foods are food choices that tend to be higher in nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, and lower in calories. One can eat more nutrient dense foods and be full, and still have more calories to consume for later meals. Then, our cakes, cookies, candy bars, etc. all fit into a category of energy dense foods. Energy dense foods are foods that are lower in vitamins and minerals, but much higher in calories. Some energy dense foods don’t consist of any vitamins and minerals at all. Needless to say, vitamins and minerals are nutrients that we tend to forget about, but our bodies cannot function properly without them. Energy dense foods also tend to have ingredients that aren’t beneficial to our health, such as a high number of added sugars, saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium. Consuming these can lead to an array of health problems that no individual would want to live with. Healthy eating consists of ensuring you receive the vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants, your body needs to function on a daily basis. We all know what food groups are, and what was once a food pyramid has now changed to a food diagram called MyPlate. This can be found on the USDA website which includes recommendations of how much of each food group you should consume according to your age and daily calorie goals. When you consume these nutrient dense foods in accordance with the recommended servings in variety, you receive all the nutrients your body needs on a daily basis to function properly. Let’s look at fiber as an example. restaurants are conveniently located right next to our jobs and on the way home, or because Uber Eats takes the difficulty of time-consuming dinner preparation from our hands, it’s still achievable. So how do we eat healthy? Before going into this topic, let’s get rid of the mindset that healthy foods are fruits, vegetables, etc. and unhealthy foods are candy, cakes, and cookies. Although fruits and FEMI MAGAZINE
Whole grains are important, and we need them daily because of the sources of dietary fiber, B vitamins, and minerals that they provide to us. Fiber is important for lowering cholesterol levels in our blood, which in turn reduces our risk for heart disease. Amongst other benefits, fiber is also important for decreasing the rate at which our bodies absorb sugar, which in turn decreases our risk for diabetes. Energy dense foods do not contain fiber, therefore, the more energy dense foods you consume and the less
fiber you have in your diet, and the higher risk you have for being diagnosed with heart disease or diabetes. Most people think the answer to longevity, weight loss, and simply living a healthier lifestyle is giving up the foods they love, like pizza, or going on a diet. However, dieting is a set up for a oneway ticket back to the energy dense food choices you were consuming before you started that diet. No one enjoys going on a diet, because this leads us to a very hard food restriction on ourselves and stereotypically eating salads while watching the world around us enjoy the foods they love at dinner or social events. Healthy eating does not mean you have to give up the energy dense foods you love. In fact, when you follow the USDA MyPlate recommendations on the different food groups to eat daily, you can get all the vitamins and minerals you need in less than 1200 calories. So, if you prepare your foods properly, and say you follow a 2,000-calorie diet, that leaves 800 calories of energy dense foods for you to enjoy. When you give up your favorite foods, you run the risk of binging on it the next time you eat it, especially during a cheat meal. Then you gain all the weight you lost back and you’re back at square one. This skill does take practice, but if you can eat healthy and eat your favorite foods, isn’t it worth learning? Healthy eating can seem difficult and boring in the society we live in, especially when most people think they have to diet in order to live a healthy lifestyle, but it doesn’t have to be. And eating healthy meals does not always mean eating salads, even though a salad made right can be very delicious. While there is much venturing and creativity that comes with healthy eating and finding meals that are filled with nutrient dense ingredients, the end state is worth it. There are also so many routes to finding healthy meals, Pinterest, Instagram, Cookbooks, YouTube, and much more, you just have to want it bad enough to seek it, and the best part is you don’t have to give up your favorite cake in order to do so. Remember, your body is your temple, and what you put into it is what you will give out of it!
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FEMI SPOTLIGHT:
Meet Beauty Mogul, Keren Darlington and launching all new products.
Images Courtesy of Keren Darlington
She has dedicated her time and finds a balance between work and motherhood. Keren has spent days and nights learning the ins and outs of e-commerce and business marketing. Her products are specifically made with the intent to make anyone feel confident and beautiful. She strives for excellence and her brand reflects her soul purpose. You can find her brand at
@kerenkeziabeauty
on social media platforms and
www.kerenkeziabeauty.com
Her mother gave her two Hebrew names; Kerenhappuch ( horn or child or beauty) and Kezia (fragrance). She knew from a young age that beauty would be a big part of her life and career path. Keren has worked on her business behind the scenes since she was a little girl. She spent her spare time creating and researching products that will work the best on her sensitive and hyperpigmented skin. After a tremendous amount of hard work, Keren officially launched her beauty brand, Keren Kezia Beauty online in January 2021 and is currently rebranding 8
Images Courtesy of Keren Darlington
K
eren Darlington is a flourishing beauty mogul, designer, artist, and mother. Following her passion and purpose gave her an opportunity to start a beauty empire. Her imagination and faith created Keren Kezia Beauty, an innovative island inspired cosmetic, skincare and hair brand. Having Guyanese and Barbadian roots, she felt a need to highlight the Caribbean’s vibrant colors and vast natural skin care alternatives into the beauty world.
FEMI MAGAZINE
FOREVER FIT WITH JOLE WRITTEN BY: AMANDA MILLER
J
OLE has made a name for herself amongst the Pandemic changes.
Photography By: Jason Carrington
We all know that the pandemic stopped many lives stop Jole who works as a frontline healthcare worker and a Pilates business owner. She started working as a Pilates instructor during the first wave of the outbreak with understanding and even viewing the grand effects due to the limits with the continuous lockdown of the city.
FEMI MAGAZINE
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