Revolution Gray

Natural Grocery Store Essentials

going gray — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:30:48 +0000

So you’ve decided to ditch the dye and go gray naturally. Great choice! But, what other actions can you take to compliment your more natural look and feel? Well, I’m glad you asked!

Eating habits are such an important factor in a healthy, natural lifestyle.

Redirecting your grocery shopping trips to an organic store that will provide you with healthy alternatives, tips and valuable information rather than risk being tempted with all the junk food littering the aisles of the nearest supermarket is one of the first steps on the road to a healthier lifestyle. Although going the organic route is known for being a bit more expensive, in the end your good health is definitely worth the possible increase in spending. The debate on the necessity of buying organic foods has been ongoing, but any way you look at it, the less chemical contamination the better, so here is a short list of foods that are highly recommended to pick up at a natural/organic grocery store.

Meat

The reasons for buying organic meat may seem obvious, but not everyone fully understands what may be transferred from their favorite barnyard animal straight into their own body. There have been strict regulations put into place regarding hormone and antibiotic doses given to livestock and poultry, but your best bet still lies in the certified organic label, which cuts out the chemicals altogether.

Fruit

Strawberries, peaches, grapes, apples and any other of your favorite fruits with skin have the potential of being highly laden with pesticides that don’t just wash off. Peeling the skin off isn’t an option for all these fruits, and for those you can manage to peel, you’ll be taking the nutritional value off with it.

Popcorn

Staying away from your traditional microwave popcorn can help reduce health problems in the future. The bag’s linings have been potentially found to have perfluorooctanoic acid, which is a chemical that may be linked to cancer and also has harmful effects on the immune, nervous and endocrine systems. Sticking to an air-popper or the stovetop would be your best bet.

Milk

Just like with meat, the cows producing milk and other dairy products you bring into your home may be pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. The organic classification means these dairies have followed natural procedures and you should be safe from any of the resulting effects of non-organic product

Greens

Veggies sound as healthy as you can get, but don’t be duped into thinking that just because it’s green it’s doing your body good. Celery, spinach, lettuce and cucumbers are enjoyed by many, including insects. Spraying the leafy plants with pesticides to prevent insect infestations is in turn working to poison the humans eating them. The natural approach to getting rid of critters used by organic growers include mesh nets, nontoxic repellents and traps.

Coffee

Many coffee plantations have turned to unnatural planting and growing methods, causing deforestation, and also heavily chemically treat the plants to increase productivity, which has harmed the surrounding soil and animals. Buying only organic coffee ensures that you are doing your part to discourage the environmental damage and eliminating any health risks associated with coffee made from artificial trees.

Eating organic is a very important step in any woman’s personal path to a healthier lifestyle. I hope that these tips helped to expand your knowledge as you continue to make good choices for your body, mind, and spirit. Happy eating lovely ladies!

Blogger Bio

Tiffany Olson is a passionate blogger from Redding, CA. She is a whole foods enthusiast who supports her local Saturday farmers market as well as her local natural grocery store in Redding.

Going Gray After Coloring Your Hair: Liz’s Story

going gray — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:30:13 +0000

About three years ago while presenting at a Blog Her Business Conference, I noticed a very attractive woman walking across the room. She caught my eye instantly. She had beautiful gray hair, almost all the way down her back. She looked to be in her late 30′s. As I always do with every gray haired beauty I see, I approached her and said, “Your hair is beautiful!” Most people I approach usually say “um….thank you??” She smiled and said thanks. While I was presenting, she raised her hand to ask a question and mentioned her name was Liz Rizzo. Liz Rizzo?

Wait a minute…I knew this woman!!

She was one of our Color Me Gray ebook gals, but not ever meeting Liz in person, I didn’t recognize her. After the presentation, I introduced myself, we laughed about the crazy virtual world we lived in, and we’ve kept in touch ever since.

And I must say, Liz is a knock out. The picture above is beautiful, but Liz is strikingly beautiful in person. She’s been blogging about going gray since 2008 (she started at age 38) and her pictures and stories have served as a great source of inspiration for this site, as well as our Color Me Gray ebook.

Here are a few posts from her blog that tell her story:

Why she stopped dying her hair

Why she now LOVES her hair

Tips for Going Gray

Yes, you can ask Liz about her hair

A few snippets from her stories that I love:

“It was natural. It was all mine.”

“And 1 year, 3 months, and 15 days after the last time I dyed my hair one solid color to cover my grays, I was free.”

“And then one day, my gray hair was completely grown in, and I fell in love.”

_______

- by Terri Holley, Founder of Revolution Gray

Traveling to Anguilla – The Secret Island of the Caribbean

going gray — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0000

Okay, Revolution Gray community, who’s up for traveling to Anguilla with us?

St Barts, Mustique and Barbados might grab all the attention, but the lesser-known Caribbean islands, like Anguilla, often have more to offer.

Let’s take a look at this little island’s big appeal from rustic street food to the latest luxury residences.

If Barbados and St Barts are the celebrities of the Caribbean – the brash, flash ones who attract all the attention, then islands like Anguilla are their aristocratic counterparts – understated and discreet, with a panache all of their own.

To date this tiny country, one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands, has kept a relatively low profile, but the A-list is starting to discover its appeal. Robin Williams and Robert de Niro are just two big-hitters known to stop by for lunch – Anguilla’s gourmet restaurants being one of its major attractions.

There are other features, too, that distinguish this little island from its better-known neighbours. First of these is that it remains private and unspoiled. Come the winter holidays, you won’t find mobs of people crowding its beaches and bars. It isn’t packed with cruise-boat tourists. Here, you truly can still get away from it all.

And the beaches themselves really are something special. There are 33 of them in all – sugar-white stretches of soft sand that often continue for a mile or more. Shoal Bay, in the northeast of the island, is a two-mile stretch that’s consistently voted one of the best beaches in the Caribbean. Condé Nast Traveller describes is as ‘truly amazing… It manages to feel alive and animated without being in the least crowded or overbuilt.’

The weather here in Anguilla is idyllic, too. Many Caribbean islands are mountainous, which means they’re often cloudy and rainy. Being flat, Anguilla has a much more agreeable climate. The temperature hovers between 23°C and 31°C year round, while the waters hover in the late twenties, even in January.

And activity-wise, the island delivers plenty to do. The snorkeling and diving are, as you’d expect, first-class. The clear, turquoise waters offer up a huge variety of sea life to explore – you’ve got six marine parks and nine wrecks to dive, including that of a Spanish galleon. One of the best dives is the Osterdeep wreck, which goes down some 80 feet and lets you swim among turtles, eel, (small) sharks and stingray.

Meanwhile, boat racing – not cricket – is the national sport, with almost everybody either taking part in or watching May and August’s big regattas. And though August is considered off-season, it’s actually one of the best times to visit, coinciding with Anguilla Carnival, the island’s most important holiday – a week of parades, pageants and parties that’s a bigger deal than Christmas.

When it comes to nightlife, Anguilla isn’t a dusk-til-dawn party destination, but it still knows how to have a good time. Sandy Ground, another of the island’s most popular beaches, is home to a clutch of lively bars and restaurants, like the Pumphouse, a classic beach bar that serves up tropical cocktails with a side order of rock’n’roll.

And just a short stroll away is legendary restaurant Johnno’s, which has been an institution here for more than 20 years. Go on Sundays for live jazz and lobster.

You’re also only a 20-minute boat ride from St Maarten, with its clubs, casinos and tax-free shopping. Prices are around 15-30 per cent cheaper than those in the US, with deals to be had on cameras, watches and clothes.

This beautiful island offers an escape from the standard fare. Here you have the chance to experience the real Caribbean, only with some of the world’s finest hotels, restaurants and beaches on your doorstep.

Have you been to Anguilla? Let us know!

How to Grow Out Gray Hair with Confidence: Sara’s Story

going gray — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:30:31 +0000

Why I chose to grow out my natural gray hair…

When I was 22 years old, my hair turned from its original black color to about 75% silver, almost overnight. This drastic change happened in response to a very traumatic time in my life, and I remember feeling absolutely horrified as I peered at my roots in the mirror and saw the silver color I associated much more with my mother than myself. My mom had also gone gray early, and often had an unhappy relationship with her hair, lacking the money to color it regularly and feeling ashamed of her silver locks. Sometimes she simply wouldn’t raise her head in public, despite the objective fact that she was/is quite beautiful inside and out.

Determined not to suffer a similar fate, I began coloring my hair every two to three weeks.

My hair grows extremely fast, and in order to keep up with the roots, I spent a great deal of time feeling ashamed, covering my head with hats and headbands to conceal either the ring of black dye left on my skin after coloring, or the annoying gray that became visible almost as soon as I could “get rid” of it. And so it continued, for about 15 years, through college, graduate school, my professional life, a marriage, and two children. This “secret” I was always trying to keep was so much a part of my everyday existence that the negative emotions I associated with it became almost subliminal. There were times that I turned down invitations from friends because my roots were showing or, like my mother, could not raise my head or look others squarely in the eye because I was ashamed of my gray.

As I entered my 30’s, I started to look around and notice that many, many others were harboring the same “secret”.

It was no longer the case that I represented the anomaly of a very young woman with gray hair. As a got older, I grew into the norm. At that point, it suddenly occurred to me how strange it is that so many of us feel that we must color our hair to feel beautiful or accepted by society. It is one thing to choose to color, but it is another to feel less than OK for choosing not to. I was starting to ask the question: what is so wrong with my gray that I must continuously cover it? The layers of shame and unprocessed emotion associated with my hair began to surface, and as I “unpacked” these layers, I was delighted to arrive at the following revelation: There was nothing at all “wrong” with me or my hair!

I started to see my shiny silver roots as pretty, not ugly or shameful at all.

The next trick, though, was to figure out how I was going to get through the transition. I approached several hairdressers with the idea of growing out my gray hair, and to my surprise they tried to dissuade me, and a couple of them flat-out refused to help. After my second child’s birth (when I was 36), the abstract notion of growing out my gray roots soon enough became a reality, as I was so busy caring for my toddler and newborn that visiting the hairdresser was simply not an option. And coloring my hair myself was about the last thing on planet Earth I cared about as I fell into bed thoroughly worn-out each night.

I realized that this was my chance to go for it.

I was already well into the “awkward” stage and there was no point, not to mention no time, to color it again. Most importantly, I wanted to be a champion of other women and to validate their authentic beauty by confidently representing my own, and that desire to empower others drove my decision more than anything.

The photos I’ve included here demonstrate that my transition was not without its challenges. The first few months, in particular, were difficult as my hair was about as two-toned as it gets. At this time, I returned to my favorite hairdresser who is also a dear friend, even though it meant traveling farther from my home. She was very emotionally supportive and helped my transition enormously by removing much of my former black color and giving me great shorter cuts to speed the process.

Throughout the process, I chose to simply be OK with each and every stage, to place my focus on my beautiful family and the many blessings in my life, to surround myself with loving people, and to keep breathing. Perhaps most importantly, I chose to look in the mirror and say to myself, “you are beautiful,” even when society’s interpretation of my reflection was likely to the contrary.

The outcome of my year-long transition is a deep, true self-love and sense of confidence that I had never experienced before.

I stopped looking at myself and all my “flaws” with harsh judgment – which I wasn’t even fully consciously aware of doing in the first place – and instead, began to look at myself with softer, more accepting gaze. This new self-acceptance applied not only to my hair, but also to the sum total of myself. I realized that holding myself to the standard of society’s version of “beauty” (or the way I interpreted that standard) had been holding me back from developing and stepping out with other parts of myself – my intellect, my compassion, my wisdom. “Freeing” my gray hair was an important key to freeing myself – and it’s a decision I’m so, so grateful to have made. I hope my story will also inspire other women to see and embrace their unique, one-of-a-kind beauty – for beauty truly does come from within.

View more pictures of Sara’s transition to gray on her Facebook page

How to Rock Gray Hair at 38

going gray — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:30:34 +0000

We love featuring our readers, especially those with gray hair under 40. Please meet Marian Marrero.

Hello my name is Marian Marrero and I have been graying prematurely since my late teens.

I didn’t want gray hair….

My uncles had powdery white hair and it was a gene that was passed to my family. Of course I would marvel at all their beautiful gray hair because it was totally unique but I was not ready or didn’t even think about that happening to me so young in life, so I began to color my hair. First a blazing cranberry, then dark brown, then black, then light brown, then coppery brown, highlights etc….

The day gray hair peeked my interest was on September 2012.

I decided to research gray hair on younger woman and contemplating whether I should take the plunge to do it. To my surprise I didn’t see many young women out there or celebrities at least showing it. I saw a couple of YouTube videos, but I wasn’t convinced for the change.

In October I had to sing in a women’s conference so I cut and colored my hair again. I was loving the new cut and hair dye color. But in December I was on my bed and started reading blogs like Revolution Gray and searching images and viewing more videos. It was then that I finally decided to do it! I said to myself, “I have a 38th birthday coming on December 26 and I will attempt to try going gray all the way regardless of the negative comments.” I remember I shared the news to my husband and he encouraged me. Then I mentioned it to my mother-in law and friends, and they were not so sure I should take that step, but in my mind I was ready.

On December 7, 2012 I declared it publicly on Facebook by posting a picture of my gray hair. I knew I couldn’t turn back once I posted this. I would share it there with all who knew me, my music, my life and know that it would catapult me, encourage me to go for it because 5,000 plus just saw that picture, so I was determined and very ready. To my surprise I received many likes on that photo with many encouraging comments except for a couple telling me “No don’t do it”….you are too young, you are in the music industry,etc… But that did not stop me.

After posting that photo, I began to seek out pages and groups on Facebook for support and encouragement.

So far I belong to “Gray and Proud”, “Gray is the New Black”, and some others. It’s a wonderful community to meet and see younger and older people in their stages of growing out their gray. We share tips and encourage one another. We have grown so strong that when a negative comment comes our way we can brush it off because we know we have each other in the group and are going through the same thing. Pinterest has been a great inspiration for me as well. So many women with beautiful gray hair woman that don’t look old but classy and stylish especially the wonderful Cindy Joseph. Wow! Her story touched me and inspired me a great deal, but my biggest inspiration is the word of God in Proverbs 16:31.

I love it! I feel free!

No more chemicals from the dye to damage my hair and money saved. I encourage woman who want to but don’t dare to to just do it. Give it a try and if you feel uncomfortable at least you know you can change it back. I know this is not for everyone. You have to want the change deep inside like I did and not worry about what others may think. I never thought I would go out in public with my gray hair but I did, and I am. So far I am planning on recording my next single and I can’t wait to promote it with the new me! All the new photos taken will be a representation of what I discovered and uncovered to show the real me! I know the journey will not be easy and the patience I must endure in my transitioning phase but I know it will all be worth it. I still can’t believe I am doing this especially in the public eye, but I am!!

Connect with Marian and learn more about her music at at https://www.facebook.com/musikaymas.

Good Shepherdess Gone Gray

going gray — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:30:10 +0000

DecVIP by beaumontenterprise

We would like to introduce you to one of our Facebook friends, Rev. Brenda Warren, the senior pastor at First Christian Church in Beaumont, Texas. This is a great write up about her spiritual journey, and what a great picture! Enjoy!

The Price of Being a Woman

going gray — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:30:14 +0000

According to this infographic, being a woman isn’t cheap, but growing out gray hair after coloring can equate to big savings. Anne Kreamer, the author of “Going Gray,” estimated that she spent about $65,000 on hair color over a 25-year period. And according to a recent survey on our Facebook page, by growing out gray hair and ditching the dye, our readers save anywhere from $700 – $1200 a year. Just think of what you could do with all that hard earned money!

Here are a few things that could put $1000 to good use:

Start up cost for a business
A family vacation
A wardrobe makeover
A living or family room upgrade
A new laptop
Eight to ten pairs of shoes
Eight to ten manicures and pedis
10-15 hours of massage
A one to two year gym membership
A donation to your favorite charity

Let us know what you would do with money saved from ditching the dye!
_________

The Price of being a Woman infographic by jbernstien.

Would Have Athena Rocked the Gray?

going gray — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 11:30:34 +0000

This week a huge study concluded that eating a mediterranean diet can lower your rate for heart disease by 30 percent. 30 percent! That’s pretty darn significant. In a nutshell here’s what to eat more of:

Whole grains

Nuts

Fruits and veggies (lots more)

Glass of wine a dinner time (we’ll take that!)

Olive oil

Speaking of olive oil, consumed or used as a moisturizer, man oh man does it do wonders for your hair! Check out how to put your hair on a mediterranean diet.

So where do olives originate? Well, we must turn our attention to the Greek goddess Athena. As legend has it, Athena and Poseidon, both desired to be the patron of Athens. Athena, with all her smarts and wisdom, suggested that there be a contest, so one was set up with the prize given to the god or goddess who presented the most useful gift to the city.

Poseidon’s attempt involved using a massive trident to strike the ground bringing forth a spring of salty water (not very useful for drinking, unfortunately). Following Poseidon, Athena quietly bent down and buried something in the ground. This later became an olive tree, and in the end, deemed the more useful gift. The fruit of the tree was eaten, its oil used for fuel and cooking, and its wood for housing and dwelling. And as legend has it, Athena won. What a wise goddess.

If Athena had lived in our time, we’re pretty sure she would have rocked the gray!

Beautiful, Gray and 40. Look out!

going gray — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 23:52:58 +0000

Meet Darcia Mejia.

She’s beautiful. She’s gray. She’s 40.

And she’s pretty darn proud of going gray.

Dacia remembers having a few silver streaks on her head from the time she was eight. After processing her hair for so many years, she decided to stop coloring it in her late thirties. “I had no idea how silver I was until I allowed it to grow out completely,” Dacia told us. “I love going gray because it is unique like myself and it is much more manageable since it is free of harsh chemicals.”

She wears her gray hair very proudly and quotes the bible verse Proverbs 16:31 which states that gray hair is a “crown of splendor”.

Dacia gets plenty of attention over her hair (no doubt).

“I like the fact that I am letting the whole world know that going gray is not for the old rather for the bold. It is for those who dare to look different and are not afraid of challenging society’s norm of beauty.”

We love it!

The Going Gray Makeover: Gray Hair FAQs

going gray — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:00:45 +0000

For the last installment of our gray hair makeover series, we’ve asked our resident makeover expert Kate Leser some of the most frequently asked questions posed by you, our beautiful silver-haired readers, and also some of the questions that Kate’s clients ask her all the time. Find out what The Makeover Expert recommends for treating different hair textures, how to know when it’s time for a new haircut, and ways to look put-together without relying on heavy makeup and expensive trips to the mall.

We hope you’ve enjoyed Going Gray Blog’s Makeover Series this spring, and a big “Thank you!” to Kate for sharing her wisdom with us throughout the last few weeks. Happy styling!

What are the best hair care products to use for gray hair?

It depends on your hair’s texture and style, etc. Many women and men experience dry, frizzy, unmanageable gray hair, so products that act as humectants (that retain moisture) would be very important. There are many different shampoos, conditioners and styling products for creating soft, shiny and manageable gray hair.

I love my long hair—how can I transition to gray smoothly without having to go short?

Whether to keep hair long or not is not necessarily an age or color issue. According to Christopher Hopkins’ Staging Your Comeback, “It’s not your age; it’s a combination of how young you appear, your hair quality, and whether longer hair looks good on you at all regardless of age.” First, one must determine if her long hair is truly working for her. (See below for Christopher’s “Signs that your hair is too long.”) Next, a just-below-the-shoulder length looks modern, sleek and works well for transition stages.

Signs that your hair is too long (from Christopher Hopkins):

You’re always pulling it back and rarely wear it down.
It only looks good for the first 20 minutes after you style it.
You catch yourself in the mirror later in the day and quickly pull it back.
You keep “fluffing” it whenever you look in the mirror.
You know better, but you’re doing it for your husband.

What should women do if their hair is a unique texture (very fine, super thick, wiry, dry)?

This is where professional hairstylists will help you. They can determine just the right cut to work harmoniously with your individualized texture. My hair is super thick, wiry and dry but with my specific cut that balances my face shape, those texture issues are not obvious to others. Your stylist can also recommend good products to further enhance the shine and body needed, as well as teach you how to style your own cut.

Is a color analysis a fad from the past or is it useful with today’s styles?

Having your color palette takes all of the guesswork out of shopping and makeup selections, and it reduces the need to have a lot of clothes. Everyone is individualistic with different needs. Those who hate shopping or hate to put any thought into getting dressed benefit greatly in saving time and energy with an analysis. Creative people or people who like to express themselves can also benefit from an analysis. With 40 of their best, personalized colors, they can create pieces of art with each outfit just by trying different color combinations from within their palette!

How can I look put-together and healthy without wearing a lot of makeup?

Makeup is to enhance your natural beauty and to even out your skin tone. A little makeup can go a long way. If your makeup sits on top of your face, then chances are the colors are wrong for you. For example, try a warmer or cooler blush than the one you’re wearing to create a “just blushed” look. It’s more of a natural glow than, “Hey look! I’m wearing blush!”

I hate shopping! How can I avoid this activity but still look good every day?

Shopping doesn’t have to be a chore! Knowing the right styles for your body type, face shape, colors and age appropriateness, shopping can be a very fun—and less expensive than in the past adventure! The icing on the cake is that you can actually have more to wear with fewer items.

Kate Leser has always known how to pull a look together, effortlessly. As a stylist and/or makeup artist for MTV, Snapple and JCrew, Kate has an eye for clothes that fit, flatter and function as well as relate to the wearer’s personality. Kate is frequently asked to share her knowledge with corporations, associations and small businesses alike. A resident of North Carolina, her expertise has been called upon by News14 Carolina to create professional and consistent images for their anchor personalities as well as WRAL-TV and WTVD, in addition to The News & Observer, Women’s World and The Triangle Business Journal.

Kate Leser can be reached at kate@themakeoverexpert.com or 919.624.2294. Her services are offered virtually! Be sure to visit her website, themakeoverexpert.com, and sign up to receive a FREE closet cleaning guideline.