Saturday, July 28, 2012

MYSTICAL EGG MEET UPS


To find out more about the Cosmic Yoni Egg please check "Egg Basics"  and "Every Woman Should have a Relationship with the Cosmic Yoni Egg".

At the "Mystical Egg Meet Up" I will have all of the eggs that I currently have in stock with me at the moment there for purchase.  We can have an in depth discussion about the eggs and I will lead everyone through 15-20mins of Eggcercises.  Men are also welcome at these gatherings so that they may learn more for the women in their life. The humble and dedicated support of Men is welcome and needed.  The exercises taught will be very basic. In my "Sensual Strength Training" Class I get into more exercises and deeper teachings. To find out more about my "Sensual Strength Training" Class please Click Here...

Donation for the Egg Meet up is $5


Mystical Egg Meet Up Schedule and Locations:

Washington, DC - Saturday, Sept 1st  from 5-7pm @ DuPont Circle at the 19th st NW Entrance

Chicago - Saturday, September 8th from 5-7pm - 55th st and Lake Shore Drive on the Lake

New Orleans - September 14th-17th

Atlanta - Saturday, September 22nd from 5-7pm - Piedmont Park at 14th st

Please Email me at: Sekhmet@QueenLionesss.com to RSVP

Thursday, July 19, 2012

All Fruits and Vegetables Are Not Created Equal

They say ignorance is bliss but I question how true that is. The impact nutrition has on our health is a topic that Americans can no longer avoid. According to federal reports cancer is now the number one killer of all Americans.  It seems as if almost every degenerative and many infectious diseases are an epidemic in this country. Among the leading causes of death in the US are cancers of all types, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, heart attacks and strokes. All of these diseases can be prevented. The American lifestyle is undeniably a toxic one. I am sure many of you get discouraged by all of the different reports about what causes cancer. It can very well seem like everything causes cancer. Many Americans give up and take the attitude that everything causes cancer, there is nothing they can do about it, and we will all die of something someday anyway.

Fortunately, there are actions that we can take to strengthen our immune system and fight the carcinogens in our environment. You must begin to focus on a healthy lifestyle from the inside out. It must never be forgotten that prevention is much easier than the cure. Yet, unfortunately, Americans seem to be focused on practicing unhealthy lifestyle habits. Once we get sick we run to the doctor for medicine to cure us. Instead we should learn to focus on not needing the cure in the first place. It must be realized that illness is just the body telling you it is out of balance. Catastrophic accidents such as horrible automobile accidents, fires, wounds, etc. are a different story but metabolic and physiological problems manifest when your body is out of whack. In that situation the body must be brought back into balance or else the disease will manifest itself in other ways until you finally get the picture or just live a miserable existence.

Currently grains are the base of our food guide pyramid. The grain most widely consumed in America is wheat. Wheat has been shown to be linked to many allergies and sensitivities in humans. Most healthy indigenous groups did not consume wheat unless it was sprouted.  A compound called Gluten which is found in wheat has been linked to many auto immune diseases.  Most people have a problem digesting wheat and do not realize it. Native Americans cultivated and consumed other grains such as Arramath, Quinoa and Spelt…but not wheat. Thus, it would be wise to make fruits and vegetables the base of your personal food guide pyramid.  If you wonder how grains such as wheat ended up as the base of our food guide pyramid, we must take a look at who develops the food guide pyramid.  The US Department of Agriculture is responsible for telling us what we should eat. Most of the livestock are fed wheat to fatten them up and the farmers end up with a surplus of grains. Thus the USDA encourages us to eat all of the surplus grain so they don’t lose money. Grains are only meant for human consumption in small amounts and they should be sprouted first.

The major cause of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, arthritis, Parkinson’s etc, and genetic diseases such as cancer, are free radicals. Free Radicals are atoms with an odd number of electrons. Thus, the atom has one unpaired electron in its outer most shell causing it to be unstable. All of the electrons in an atom must be paired in order for the atom to be stable. These unstable electrons are formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. These highly reactive unstable atoms are on a mission to restore their energy balance by becoming more stable. This occurs by these unstable atoms snatching another electron from anywhere, and this is how much of the destruction to our bodies begins.

Most living organisms on planet Earth need oxygen to survive. Oxygen is used for many metabolic processes in our bodies and free radicals are created in many of these highly complex reactions. Most of the free radicals are restricted within the process and are neutralized immediately, but a few will escape. When a free radical escapes it goes wild in your body and destructively seeks an electron. These electrons can be pulled from your cell membrane and/or it can get into the nucleus of your cell and take an electron from the DNA contained there. Every cell in your body is creating free radicals all day, and once a free radical stabilizes itself by causing damage to another molecule the cycle multiplies because several more free radicals are then created.

This process leads to a mountain of damaged cells which causes the diseases associated with aging; such as many types of cancers, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, respiratory function, cataracts, memory and cognitive function, age related muscular degeneration, stroke, immune system degradation, wrinkles (from the sun), Parkinson’s, Arthritis, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Scleroderma etc. Free radicals can attack any part of the cell, each of which elicits a different consequence. Since free radicals are different they vary in their actions and how they are produced.

Free radicals are everywhere in the world around us. They can be found in polluted air due to ozone and nitrogen dioxide, cigarette smoke, some food preservatives, including nitrites, prolonged aerobic activity and fat metabolism to name a few. Free Radicals are so abundant in the environment around us that there is no way to completely avoid them. It is often hard to decrease your exposure to them in a significant way. Nevertheless, there is a way you can build up your immune system to combat free radical damage.

I am sure you have all heard the term “Anti-Oxidant,” and may not be quite sure what it is. Anti-oxidants work to prevent cellular damage by free radicals. Anti oxidants are molecules that can react with free radicals in order to prevent cellular damage from occurring. There are a numerous antioxidants found in nature. Fruits and vegetables are both abundant in anti-oxidants such as vitamin A (beta-carotene is a Vitamin precursor); C and E. Riboflavin (a B vitamin), Selenium, Glutathione; Cysteine and Uric Acid also have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants can be found in real chocolate (not the processed milk chocolate), grape seed extract, green tea, black tea, spices, fruits and vegetables.

The brighter the color of a fruit or vegetable the more antioxidant disease fighting properties it has. The same compounds that are responsible for giving fruit and vegetables their color is also responsible for its anti-oxidant properties. Most Americans have been taught that they should eat leafy green vegetables in abundance. And this is true, but humans should be eating fruits and vegetables of every color (Red, Orange, Yellow, White, Green, Blue/Purple). Each color represents a different chemical compound, which means it is a different anti-oxidant.

As previously mentioned not all free radicals are the same and neither is all anti-oxidants. So while it is ok to take a multi-vitamin or an anti-oxidant supplement, the best source of vital nutrients is from the food itself. Supplements should only be used a few times a week as a safety net. It is absolutely false ideology to think you can eat a bad diet, and then take vitamins and think you will be fine. Each Anti-oxidant specializes in neutralizing a different free radical. This is why they are all important and we can never get enough.


LOCAL FOODS FIRST!
The nutritional value of fruits and veggies can vary depending on the condition of the soil in which it is grown. The soil in North America is certainly over worked and depleted of many vital minerals and nutrients. The vitamin C content of fruits and vegetables is 50% less than it was 30 years ago. Adding to the problem is the fact that most of the fruits and vegetables in America come from California and/or outside of the country. One can buy an organic apple in NYC that comes from Washington state, despite the fact that New York is the Big Apple!  The longer an organism is dead, plant or animal, it’s nutritional value decreases each day.  California supplies the entire East Coast with many different fruits and vegetables and it takes a couple of weeks for it to be shipped by truck across the country. In order to do this successfully the fruits and veggies must be picked when they are not ripe so that they do not bruise on the long journey. Once they are in the supermarkets, many of them are kept cold in storage and when the store is ready to sell them they treat them with Ethylene gas in order to ripen them.  Thus, one can buy a pepper from the supermarket that has been there for about six months in many cases.

According to The Environmental Working Group some of the most contaminated fruits and veggies are peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, strawberries and spinach. These fruits and vegetables can expose you to up to 15 different disease causing pesticides. On the flip side, onions, avocado, pineapple, asparagus and broccoli have some of the least amounts of pesticides, exposing you to an average of 2 different pesticides.

The EPA considers 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides and 30 percent of insecticides to be carcinogenic. Pesticides have continuously shown to be associated with neurotoxicity, damage to the reproductive organs, immune system suppression, and malfunctioning of the endocrine system.
Cloned meat has been a new issue in the news but many Americans fail to realize that fruits, vegetables, soy, corn and wheat have been Genetically Modified (Engineered) since the early 90’s and about 80% of the fruits and veggies in this country come from genetically modified seeds.  Many companies like Monsanto are selling genetically modified seeds that contain a death gene. This death gene disallows that plant from reproducing so farmers have to keep buying new seeds every year instead of cultivating and harvesting seeds as our indigenous ancestors did and/or as Mother Nature does. When we consume fruits and vegetables with a death gene, those genes are now in our system and are free to break off and recombine as they please, wreaking havoc that has never been studied and will never be known. Corn, Cotton, Soy and Wheat are the most genetically modified crops in the United States.

The commercial fruits and vegetables are zapped with radioactive rays in order to kill any bacteria or viruses that may be on the plant. This process is called irridation and it also destroys much of the nutritional content of the fruit and/or vegetable. All commercial fruits and vegetables are then covered in waxes to keep them shiny. Even fruit like peaches which do not appear shiny are covered in wax and this wax cannot be removed by water and a produce brush…no matter how hard you scrub.  There has not been one single study to see what happens to us when we eat wax covered fruits and vegetables.

Another issue with consuming large amounts of produce from outside of the country or across the country is the amount of pollution it causes. Think about all of the major cities and little suburban towns on the east coast that are getting large shipments of California produce daily…and that is only the east coast!  This greatly contributes to the amount of pollution we are forced to breathe. It is important that Americans begin to think about sustainable agriculture because our current method is terribly inefficient.

Many of the workers on big commercial farms are severely underpaid and subject to horrible working conditions. For years I have noticed immigrant farmers, mostly from Mexico and South America, picketing in front of grocery stores about their inhumane work conditions and high incidences of cancer. The cancer comes from their exposure to hundreds of disease causing pesticides and herbicides. Purchasing local produce will also support better working conditions and small local farms.

Given the serious decline in nutritional value of America’s fruits and vegetables it is vital for each of us to eat local foods as much as possible. Many cities have farmer’s markets where the fruit and veggies were picked that day or the day before and come from just a few miles away. When you purchase foods from local farmers you not only.

It is recommended that most of your carbohydrates come from a combination of fresh raw and lightly cooked fruits and veggies and fresh squeezed juices. Only fresh squeezed vegetable and fruit juices should be consumed, right out of a high powered juicer. Commercial fruit juices are terrible for your health because they are mixed with high fructose corn syrup and other artificial sweeteners and flavors and the naturally occurring vitamins and minerals are no longer remaining which messes up the body’s ability to properly metabolize it. Fruit should be consumed alone because once swallowed the move rapidly to the small intestines where they are digested. One should be very cautious as to not consume fresh fruit or fruit juices with protein or starches because it can seriously inhibit digestion. Due to the fact, that the sugars from fruit are rapidly digested, mixing it with starches, proteins, and even vegetables can cause it to ferment the other foods and create a digestive mess in your intestines. Sweet fruits and acidic fruits should never be sweetened with any sugar or honey
“If you eat carbohydrates for lunch and proteins for dinner, then you may construct a very healthy lunch entirely of fresh raw fruits. This habit is especially beneficial for meat-eaters, for the fruit meal will provide active enzymes, fresh fibrous bulk and fruit acids to help clean the by-products of putrefactions from the intestinal tract and bloodstream.

When fresh, raw, non GMO, organic fruits are eaten alone and in abundance they provide lots of free amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and fiber.

It is important to make sure you do not overcook your vegetables or drench them in too much water. A large percentage of the water-soluble vitamins will leak out into the water. If you drink the water your vegetables were cooked in you can still consume the water-soluble vitamins. Thus, you want to prepare your vegetables in as little water as possible. Lightly cooking your veggies can help lessen some of the tight bonds that bind some of the nutrients in the plant, thus allowing your body to better assemble it. Ideally a combination of raw and lightly cooked veggies and raw fruit should be consumed daily. Fruit and vegetables are also high in water and insoluble fiber. Fiber is good for the prevention of certain types of cancer such as colon cancer. Fiber and water both aid in regular fecal excretion and they are calorie free ways to fill up. Fiber also helps to regulate blood sugar, triglycerides and cholesterol levels.

It is important for all of us to include plenty of fresh, non GMO, chemical free fruits and veggies in our diet every day. I would recommend including a huge green salad whenever one consumes meat, eggs, cheese or any other heavy protein and fat rich animal foods. These foods are not necessarily bad if they are from wild, healthy animals and are consumed at the right times in the right combinations. The food industry is spending billions of dollars year after year trying to figure out how to get into the head of the American Consumer.  They study which key words to use to brainwash us. Hence, you see yoga in McDonald’s commercials which leads many Americans to believe that a McDonald’s salad of fruit salad is healthy.  One major fact that all Americans must wake up to is the reality of food quality! It is the quality  of the food that determines whether or not it is edible and nourishing to your health. Humans are omnivores so we can survive off of a wide variety of foods, this can be both good and bad. Timing and combinations of quality foods is of vital importance.

                                                                                                           -Makeda Voletta
 

How to Eat and Train for a Lean, Chiseled Body



Everyday I observe people working hard to reach their fitness goals. However, most people do not have a clue as to how to go about doing so successfully, although they may think otherwise. Some people drink diet soda (and other “diet” products) and high protein shakes. Others take random multivitamins, drink Gatorade and only do “cardio” on a machine while totally avoiding resistance training. When I ask new clients many of them assure me they either eat healthy or that they have a good idea of what healthy eating is. When I ask them to tell me what they consider to be healthy eating, I immediately realize that about 98% of them have been tricked by the food industry or other pseudo scientific (so called) “holistic” health practitioners. This also holds true for what I observe people doing in the gym and outside in the park. If you have a specific fitness goal, no matter if it is one of aesthetics, health, performance or all of the above, your plan determines everything. What you eat and when, should coincide with your training program and both need to be carefully tailored to meet your goals. If one blindly works out and simply continues to do random exercises with no rhyme or reason behind it they find themselves incredibly frustrated and unmotivated by their lack of progress and achievement.

Muscle cells are very efficient at burning calories and fat. Fat cells are storage cells that specialize in storing fat, toxins and fat soluble vitamins. Thus, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn, which means your metabolism is sped up by an increase in muscle. The more muscle cells (lean body mass) one has the higher their caloric need. If you do not consume enough calories to maintain your muscle it will start metabolizing itself for nutrients and energy. Losing muscle through starvation and/or lack of calories will decrease your metabolism. You want to lose fat, not muscle. Strength training is the  most effective way to burn excess body fat and build lean body mass.


Macro-nutrients are composed of carbohydrates, protein, fat and water. Micro-nutrients are composed of vitamins and minerals. Our brains use carbohydrates in the form of glucose as its main source of fuel. Carbohydrates are also stored in the muscle as glycogen, and are utilized during strenuous exercise of any sort.  Our bodies and brain use carbohydrates as its main source of fuel. Therefore, eating a low carbohydrate diet will result in decreased mental and physical performance. Generally speaking, carbohydrates should make up at least 55% of all calories consumed each day. The exact amount of carbohydrates required on a daily basis can vary up to about 65% depending on their personal profile and activity level. The type of carbohydrate eaten is also critical to this equation. Humans should get most of their carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables and not wheat. Eating too much grain (especially wheat) can result in increased body fat storage and/or a less developed body.  Wheat and gluten sensitivity have been recently linked to several autoimmune diseases, joint and bone problems. Wheat is fed to commercially raised animals to fatten them up and it also makes them sick. The fiber in the fruits and vegetables prevent our blood sugar levels from rising too quickly. When there are more carbohydrates circulating in the blood than is needed at that particular time it goes directly into fat storage metabolism. This is one of the many reasons why it is important to avoid over consuming simple carbohydrates (such as high fructose corn syrup, juices from concentrate, pasta, sugar, white bread, white rice). If you do consume simple carbohydrates the best time to consume them is before and after workouts. You need carbohydrates before your workout because it fuels your muscles and metabolism thus resulting in increased strength and stamina. The more intense your workout, the higher your need for carbohydrates. Once your blood sugar is depleted your body then taps into your muscle glycogen stores (storage form of carbohydrates). In order to recover adequately from workouts your muscle glycogen must be restored or you will not have adequate fuel to get through your next workout. Carbohydrates are also necessary for the muscles to uptake protein.

When one engages in strength/resistance training (which includes, weight lifting, plyometrics & sprints) the muscle is torn apart. Muscle soreness & tightness is a result of ripped muscle fibers. If there is adequate protein present around the time of the muscle damage the muscle will build back stronger and bigger than it was before, that is the purpose of strength training.

The muscle must be supplied with appropriate amounts of high quality protein before and after strength training. Animal protein is the best for muscle building due to the abundance of branch chained amino acids. Branch chained amino acids are the best at increasing lean body mass and increasing post workout recovery. Most protein supplements are high in Whey Protein which can be found in milk. I recommend raw, grass fed (goat, cow, sheep or buffalo) milk from a local source.  Whey protein is the best for muscle building and recovery.  Biological studies show that our muscles uptake the protein in egg yolks better than any other protein. The protein in egg whites is not as bio-available as that in the egg yolk. The egg yolk is also rich in many vitamins and minerals including some of the B vitamins, Vitamin A, Iron and omega-3 fats. The cholesterol that naturally occurs in the eggs is used by the body to produce hormones (testosterone, estrogen, etc) and it is also stored in our brains.  Despite what most people believe, dietary cholesterol is different than elevated cholesterol levels in the body which the body produces when there is some sort of damage in the body.  The body produces HDL (High Density Lipids) and LDL (Low Density Lipid) cholesterol to repair damage. The HDL Cholesterol can be thought of as the ambulance that runs to your aid to pick you up and the LDL Cholesterol is the Ambulance once you have been dropped off.  If the eggs come from chickens that are un-caged, able to graze on the grass and bath in nature’s sunlight the yolks are usually orange and not yellow. This orange color is an indication that it is high in Vitamin A.  Grass fed eggs are also high in Omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats are an essential fat that is vital for life and can only be obtained through food. Omega-3 fats actually help you to burn fat and decrease inflammation, which can occur after exercise.

We have about a 30 minute time frame before and after our workout to nourish our muscles with some carbohydrate and protein. You should not consume a huge meal but something small like a plain yogurt and fresh fruit, cottage cheese and fresh fruit.  If you do not eat yogurt or animal foods you can try hemp protein but soy protein should be avoided for many reasons that I will not get into here.

The RDA (recommended dietary allowance) for protein is 0.8g/kg of body weight for a non-active adult. According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association endurance and power/strength athletes need about 1.5-2.0g of protein per kg of body weight. Roughly 65% of the protein consumed should be of high quality (eggs, fish, poultry, dairy). Individuals on a strict vegan diet may need as much as 2.0g of protein per kg of body weight.


It is also very important to make sure you are well hydrated. Hydration begins hours before the workout. You should be sipping water all day. If you are going to be working out and sweating for longer than an hour you will need more than just water to rehydrate yourself. If you sweat for longer than an hour they begin to lose electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, thus it then becomes necessary to rehydrate with a fluid that contains carbs and electrolytes. When you are in a state of dehydration water will not rehydrate you. The carbs and electrolytes are needed to bring the water back into the muscle cells. So called “sports drinks” are not the best option for pre/post workout hydration because they are loaded with high fructose corn syrup, expeller pressed oils  and artificial food colorings. Coconut water, watermelon juice and fresh squeezed apple juice are all great sources of potassium and are alkaline.  I don’t usually recommend Orange Juice due to its acidity level and ratio of carbs/sugars to potassium. However, You can try a mixture of 100% pure fresh squeezed orange juice and mineral water diluted half and half. You should sip on this mixture during the workout and after so that you may maintain your blood sugar levels. All fruits and veggies have potassium and carbs but tomatoes, avocado, bananas, apples, watermelon & coconut water are a few that are especially high.  Potassium has also been shown to decrease muscle soreness the next day.
In order to make your muscles grow stronger, tighter & thicker you must train them hard enough to tear them apart and eat accordingly. When weightlifting if you can do more than 15 reps of a certain exercise then the resistance is not heavy enough to increase your strength, bone density or muscle tightness and thickness. Generally speaking you should choose a weight that fatigues you in between 8 and 15 reps.  If you lift a weight that is so heavy that you can not exceed 3-5 reps it will not change your look but it will make you stronger. You know when you are fatigued when you can no longer complete another rep with proper form. Fatigue is not when the burn gets to you mentally, at that point it is important to focus on your breathing even more.  Breathing gets you through everything.  When you start compensating your form, it is time to stop. Remember, quality is more important than quantity. When you participate in weight training your muscles are being broken down and torn apart. If you do not supply your muscles with the right amount of carbohydrates and protein your muscles will not have what they need to rebuild and will lead to excess muscle breakdown. It must not be forgotten that rest and recovery is just as important as training. Do not work the same muscles two consecutive days, make sure you get enough sleep and keep your stress levels down.
                                                                                                      - Makeda Voletta, CSCS

A freelance fitness/swimsuit and fine art model, Makeda Voletta is a trained and professional dancer in a variety of dance styles from the Caribbean, South America, North America and Africa. She is a dedicated student of the body and all of the methods involved with bringing the body to it’s highest level. Makeda has a B.S. in Exercise and Sports Science with a concentration in Strength and Conditioning and a minor in Nutrition. Having completed two years of graduate work at Columbia University in Applied Physiology and Nutrition as well as plenty of self study, Makeda is a self-proclaimed body science nerd.


Friday, July 13, 2012

Does Penis Size Really Matter?




SENSUAL STRENGTH TRAINING for WOMEN!


For More on What to Expect from my SENSUAL STRENGTH TRAINING CLASS...Click Here


SENSUAL STRENGTH TRAINING CLASS SCHEDULE:

New York City - November 6th - December 6th (Four Week Class)
Washington, DC - November 3rd & 4th
Miami - Feb 9th & 10th
Oakland - Feb. 23rd & 24th, 2013
New York City - March 4th -April 10th (Six Week Class)
New Orleans - April 22nd-May 1st (Two Week Class) 

For More info and To Register Please email me Directly at: Sekhmet@QueenLionesss.com


This is a WONDERFUL interview and write up on my "Sensual Strength Training" Class by one of my Chicago Participants Please check it out and share with your friends who are wondering....MUCH LOVE! :-) 
http://www.spiritsyrup.com/sensual-strength-training-with-makeda-voletta

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Every Woman Should have a Relationship with the Cosmic Yoni Egg



This is a quick little video where I am giving a very brief intro about the various uses of the Cosmic Yoni Egg and why every woman should use it. I did this video myself, so my head is cut off for part of the video...it's nothing fancy. Just want to get the info out. There is SO much to say about the Cosmic (Yoni) Egg. I have radio shows where I am talking about it for two hours and in my workshops I often spend 2hrs talking about it. So this is a very brief intro. For more, check out one of my classes...and look out for my book. CD and DVD that is coming soon.

Reduce Inflammation in the Body!

In this video I am discussing why inflammation is not a good sign and ways to reduce it. I speak about the most inflammatory and disease causing foods and foods that will reduce that inflammation.




B.S. - Exercise and Sport Science and Nutrition
NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
USAW Olympic Weightlifting Coach
Sports Nutritionist
Freelance Journalist
Professional Dancer/Choreographer
Fine Art Model
And Much More....

You can find me on Facebook at:
Makeda Voletta - The Body Scientist

Twitter: Queen_Makeda

Email: MVoletta@TheBodyScientist.com

Kundalini Strength Training for MEN


In these videos I am giving a very, very brief description of my Kundalini Strength Training Technique/Approach/Teachings with Men.




Makeda Voletta Speaks About Optimal Nutrition





 

B.S. - Exercise and Sports Science with a concentration in Strength and
Conditioning and Nutrition, 2003

Completed Two Years of Graduate Work in the Applied Physiology and Nutrition Program at Teacher's College, Columbia University.
ISSN certified Sports Nutrtionist (www.sportsnutritionsociety.org)

NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (www.nsca-lift.org)

US Olympic Weightlifting Coach (www.weightlifting.teamusa.org)

Contact me at: MVoletta@TheBodyScientist.com

Sacred Menstrual Cycle - Part 1 of 2

In this video I give an introduction about the Sacredness of the Menstrual Cycle and it's connection to our Spiritual Power. More Women need to tap into the color red, the color of fire, passion, raw sexual energy, iron and menstrual blood.






What is Sacred Sexuality?



Importance of Breast Massage


In this video I am discussing why Breast Massage is very important for women to do every day.





Probiotics and Prevention of Intestinal Dysbiosis

In this video I speak about the importance of maintaiining the corrrect Bacterial Balance within our own Microecosystems. The "Good" Bacteria are our first line of defense against infectious organisms.



Raw Milk and Raw Honey - Foods of the Goddess


The Bible talks about "The Land of Milk and Honey", however there is no mention of the Goddess and the traditions in which Milk and Honey were cherished and represented as symbols of the Divine Feminine.  The first fermented beverage was Honey Wine ("Mead") and it was fermented by Wild Women (known as "Maenad's") who were Bee Priestessed and keepers of the Sacred Sexual Knowledge. I will do a video soon about the Spiritual Side of Raw Milk and Raw Honey. However, for now, the video below is more about the many Nutritional and Health Benefits associated with the frequent consumption of Raw Milk and Raw Honey.





Examining Vegan Propaganda - Spiritual, Epidemiological, Anthropological



In this video I explain why I do not agree with the many claims made by the vegan community that being a vegan is better for our health and our planet. I have spent about 8 years researching the various arguments and points made by the vegetarian/vegan communities. I have remained silent for years and researched, analyzed and observed from epidemiological, biological, nutritional. spiritual, historical, anthropological and archaelogical standpoints and nowhere in there could I find STRONG EVIDENCE that we are supposed to just eat plants and/or that all animal foods are poisonous. Nothing could be further from the TRUTH. Because the FACT is there has never been any civilization (that has produced healthy strong babies generation after generation) who were vegans. All humans consumed an ominvorous diet of microorganisms, plant, animal and foods.

As an EDUCATOR, RESEARCHER and PRACTIONNER I feel that I have the right to speak on this issue so that people can maked educated and fully informed decisions on their path to OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE.




The Delightful Clitoris





Pre Fertility Diets for Women and Men - Part 1 of 2




It is no mystery how Indigenous groups of people were able to maintain such beauty and function well into old age, fully functional with no signs of disease.   Women in the Bush, women all over the world gave birth to babies for thousands of years without the assistance and complications of modern day.  And much of this is due to the way they prepared mentally and physically as well as Nutritionally.

It is important to note that Babies and Children are NOT like adults. Their requirements for Protein and Fat is more than twice the amount we need for each pound of body weight.  This is because they are rapidly going, their bones, muscles, and skin need protein. And the Human Brain is only about 20-30% of the size it is meant to be at birth. The few months following birth a baby's brain is rapidly developing and our brains are made from Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. This is why Breast Milk is about 50% Saturated Fat.  Foods like, Pasture Eggs, Raw Grass Fed Butter, Grass Fed Raw Milk, Fish, Fish Eggs, and Liver were widely consumed by Pregnant women around the world in large quantities.  In my practice I have come across many instances in which a baby or child was not thriving due to the vegan diet of the parents. For any women who are pregnant or interested in becoming pregnant I HIGHLY recommend the book "Real Food For Mothers and Babies" by: Nina Planck.  Her book as well as this video has info for the Women and Men.

Much Love!




How to Get a Bigger Bootie




In this video I give some tips on how to make your Bootie muscles grow through exercise and Nutrition.

I am also available for one on one training, to inquire about options please email me directly at:
MVoletta@TheBodyScientist.com




All About Fat


What do you REALLY know about Fat? Both Dietary and Body Fat?








Fake Health Foods



Over the past 10 years working with clients I have come to the clear realization that most people in the United Stated (and often times in some other "Modernized" countries) have not a clue as to what is really "Health" Food. Check out this video and see if you have been making any of these dangerous mistakes.

-Makeda Voletta, CSCS


Sacred Animal Foods Part 1 of 2




As a Sports Nutritionist and Strength and Conditioning Specialist I am all about finding the absolute best foods and exercises to help people achieve their physical (mental and spiritual) goals.  Unfortunately due to the Drug Companies dedication to pushing Anti Cholesterol, Low Blood Pressure Meds, etc most people in the United States associate eating (Saturated) Fat, Cholesterol and Animal Foods with unhealthy eating.  However, nothing could be further from the truth. In this video I address many of these issues and this is Part One.  Part Two will be coming soon.

-Makeda Voletta, CSCS

THE STRENGTH OF THE RED & BLACK WOMAN ON THE GREEN LAND OF TURTLE ISLAND -- HEALING ANCESTORAL TRAUMA




NOTE TO READER: This is one of my drafts of an admissions essay I wrote for a Graduate program in Medical Anthropology. I am and have been doing this research independently. I will continue to research it as long as my body will allow. As long as my ancestors stand strong next to me, above me, under me and around me. I did not get into the program but this essay is going to turn into a book. While writing this essay I realized that I can certainly write a book on this topic because there was a lot I left out.

For those of you who would like to know about my work, study and approach to Sensual Strength Training and Afro Diasporic dance...this will give you a deeper understanding. Remember, this is a work in progress.



Written by: Makeda V. Benjamin 1/15/09

Admissions Essay:
PhD/MPH in Medical Anthropology

My interests in the field of Medical Anthropology developed gradually out of my studies of dance, athletic conditioning and nutrition science. Through my investigation of the literature in these fields, as well as my readings in African American studies and ancient history; I discovered that there were several ideologies and practices that Africans and Native Americans shared in common, but also some interesting differences. There is much evidence for the Native presence amongst the Africans and vice versa when one takes a serious look at the foods eaten by African Americans, certain rituals, religious practices, dances and some of the musical instruments that are used throughout the Americas.
Much of this history has been lost because it was documented primarily by the European men that brutally colonized the Americas in attempt to destroy a people with the intent to enslave them. The European male colonizers of the Americas did not understand the Matriarchal ways of African and Native American civilizations. They believed we are all children of Mother Earth and thus we must pay her respect. Ownership of land, people, water, etc. was not a part of their ideology. To make matters worse the European male colonizers categorized the world’s populations into races and then set up a rigid hierarchy that they claimed was ordained by God. They forced their religion and “God” on these indigenous people while claiming they were unintelligent, “primitive” and savage.

Advances in the science of genetics, and the seminal human genome study, has now confirmed that race is a social construct, a sociological rather than a biological phenomenon. Hence there is nothing scientific about racial categorization. However there is certainly something to be said about ethnicity, nationality and culture. Modern science has also confirmed that trauma is stored in the DNA and if one wants to trace their biological lineage they must do so through the matriarchal mitochondrial DNA. Diabetes, obesity, depression and many other health epidemics found amongst Native American and African American populations are the same. It is my belief that this has much to do with the biological and cultural intermixing of the two groups in combination with the shared legacy of terror and malnourishment on the land of the Americas. The development of chronic disease is a result of an interaction between one’s genetics and the environment in which that person is exposed. I have chosen to investigate this question with the tools offered by the disciplines of anthropology because this is the area of study that includes a mixture of social sciences and biological sciences to evaluate certain occurrences. Likewise, the domain of public health is the area of the health sciences that deals with influencing public policy as it pertains to health epidemics. Thus, the evidence gained in anthropological studies can fuel the fire behind decisions of public policy as it pertains to the health of massive amounts of individuals. I have selected the field of medical anthropology because I think it will best prepare me to interrogate the issues that I find to be of importance.

I am primarily interested in examining how trauma and the loss of one’s center affect one’s physical, mental and spiritual health. Modern physics and indigenous medicine both recognize that the farther away an object gets from its center, or axis of rotation, the more unstable it will become. I am particularly interested in the role colonization and enslavement played in displacing Native Americans and Africans on this western soil. Africans and Native Americans went through hundreds of years of harsh torment in which the colonizers implemented many brutal methods in attempts to weaken them by disrupting their center and deliberately denying them access to their native language, spiritual beliefs, traditional ceremonies, dances and rhythms. One cannot be centered if they do not know where they come from and are not familiar with their ancient ways.

Thus, these “primitive” peoples who were regarded as unintelligent and non human had to develop clever methods to disguise certain spiritual beliefs along with the accompanying dances, songs and rhythms. The African slaves arrived in the Americas without their drums or sacred instruments. They came without the elders to teach them their ancient heritage and traditions. Thus, they were forced to remember, retain and recreate these sacred rhythms and dances. Native Americans open up the sacred circle of dancing and drumming for various reasons. Ritual and social dance was used for communication, healing, revolts, death and birth.

I am particularly interested in social and ritual dances as it pertains to national identity and cultural identity. I hypothesize that the importance of one being able to connect with one’s identity is critical, because it is vital to one’s mental health. The health of the mind undoubtedly affects the health of the body. These dances were all tremendously demanding and they were gracefully executed by enslaved people who already had an unimaginable physical load to carry. As a trained dancer, former, collegiate athlete and an exercise specialist, I am intensely interested in the physical body and the hidden messages and healing properties behind movement.
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I have used my mind and body as tools to collect data, observe and learn. During my first two years of graduate school at Columbia University I was focused on nutrition education and applied physiology. During that time I worked with clients who had several serious health imbalances both physical and physiological. I also suffered a few rare and mysterious health imbalances. The medical doctors were often quite puzzled and I always diagnosed myself. These situations were pop quizzes and they forced me to do an immense amount of research in order to help myself and my clients. After two years I decided to take a break so I could recover and continue to do my own studying, searching and critical thinking. During this time I began to realize that illness was a physical manifestation of mental and physiological imbalance. I also discovered that Mother Nature has provided us with everything we need to remain balanced and heal ourselves. This is why many of the world’s biotechnologists are harassing indigenous people trying to learn what they have been using to heal themselves for thousands of years. Once they find out, they isolate the “active ingredient” and patent it. Once there is a patent these indigenous people no longer have access to the plant they have been using for thousands of years, unless they pay these biotech companies for the use of the plant. I was very familiar with this practice after having been a biotechnology major for my first two years of undergrad. Discovering this truth is largely responsible for propelling me into the field of Exercise and Sports Science and Nutrition.
I strongly believe that there are complex relationships between many phenomena that are not readily apparent from casual observation; thus I hypothesize that there are multiple facets to the health epidemics we are now witnessing in the world. It seems as if every chronic illness has increased in record breaking proportions over the past fifty years. My passion for wanting to help people heal and really connect to their center propelled me into a zone of deep contemplation and research about the root cause of many of today’s modern day plagues, which include infectious disease, birth complications, weak and diseased sexual organs, depression, obesity, diabetes, cancer and several other chronic diseases.

I strongly suspect that this lies partially in the fact that we have abandoned the holistic healing wisdom of the ancients in favor of the modern scientific belief that physical well being is unrelated to cultural rituals that address spiritual well being. However many of the ritual and social dances of those of African descent in the Americas involve intense polyrhythmic manipulation of the sacral pelvic region. And modern science has confirmed that each living entity omits an electromagnetic field, which indigenous peoples acknowledged as chakras for thousands of years and modern science is now beginning to confirm that every object has a life force energy otherwise known as chi, prana, mana, ka, etc.

It has long been recognized in all indigenous medicine that trauma is stored in the womb space. In Japanese Shiatsu it is referred to as the Hara. The womb space is also where the sacral and root chakras are located. The womb space is where our umbilical cord was located that connected us to our mothers. Thus our navel is a constant reminder of our divine connection with Mother Earth. It has also been recognized that we certainly inherit the trauma and imbalances of our parents and ancestors and that is also stored in the womb space.

Thus, rigorous and focused powerful contractions of the muscles that act on that region are essential for releasing all of the horrible trauma inflicted on those of African and Native American descent in the West. The rape of Native American and African women, the women from whose loins I descended, by white men who were their colonial masters or owners was a routine affair for centuries. These women often had several children while maintaining a very physical life style before, during and immediately after delivery of their children. Unlike many modern women who depend on hospital technology to give birth, indigenous women did not need hospitals to do so.

The value of the African slave woman was determined by how fertile she was. Yet these women were still expected to perform the same levels of rigorous physical work being performed by the men. To make matters worse, as the Afro-American female scholar Dr. Harriet Washington shows in her path breaking study, “Medical Apartheid”, a carefully researched and shocking investigation into the history of racist practices in American medicine, the so called “Father of Gynecology,” James Marion Sims conducted most of his research on the black female body by brutally mutilating these women against their will and without anesthesia. Often times the woman who was being mutilated was held down by other slave women, who were forced to participate in these grisly crimes against their sisters. This experience was obviously quite traumatic for all of the women who were forced upon threat of violence to assist in the procedure. Many efforts were made to make Native American women sterile in order decimate their population and it was quite successful in more than enough cases

However much of what modern science has learned about the human female body through these invasive and often inhuman practices, justified under the rubric of “scientific research” was already known to the ancients, who had developed cultural rituals to address their maladies. Take pelvic organ prolapse for instance. This is a condition in which the internal organs, including the reproductive organs in the pelvic region, begin to sag and put pressure on the pelvic diaphragm. This is a development that results from years of not strengthening the internal and external muscles in the pelvic region. It can also occur after childbirth. However there is abundant evidence that such ancient traditional dances as the Hawaiian Hula and Egyptian belly dance were seriously taught and practiced as both a serious physical task and a spiritual practice. These dances take large amounts of rhythmic neuromuscular control of the hips and spine. There is certainly a mind body connection here; because the more one mentally engages in visualizing while executing a physical movement the central nervous system will grow more nerves to innervate that muscle. The more nerves that innervate a muscle the more control one has over that muscle. Thus women were able to develop strength and control in the pelvic region which enabled them to give birth to several children without all of the machines used today.

Quantum physics has confirmed that everything has a vibration and vibrational healing has long been practiced amongst all indigenous cultures since the beginning of time. Thus, the vibrations of the percussion instruments and accompanying hip movements are quite healthy, healing and powerful. Often times, women were surrounded by female drummers, dancers and singers to help ease the birthing process. In Kundalini yoga the mind is used to raise that energy from the base of the spine to the pineal gland in the brain. Traditional Chinese medicine also demonstrates the path of stagnate energy from the base of the spine to the brain being aroused by movement, visualization and concentration.

All indigenous people had sacred ancestral connections with the land that they inhabited. They believed that their ancestors were still with them in the trees, mountains and various sacred sites. It was important for them to include their ancestors in their life rituals. Paying respect – often through the offering of libations which are similar to the practices of incense burning, or crossing with holy water to acknowledge the Saints in Catholicism, was essential. One major way to accomplish this was through dance, drumming and song performed in a circle.

Thus in spite of the tools for analyzing past human experiences provided by modern social science, we can barely imagine how incredibly painful it was for Native Americans to be faced with death if they peacefully attempted to visit the sacred sites of their ancestors – and the consequences for their survival as a people. Native Americans were also denied access to fertile land where they once acquired their food and herbs for ritual and healing. These restrictions made it increasingly difficult for them to continue with their traditional ways of living and thus contributed to their demise as surely as the guns and horses of the United States Calvary, the advance guard for the armed white settlers that heralded the advance of “Western Civilization.” Enslaved Africans had also been stripped of their native land and ancestral dwellings by being forcefully shipped thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean. And one little known fact is that there were a few thousand Native Americans who were shipped across the Atlantic to such places as Liberia, South Africa and Spain.

There are primary documents written by the Spaniards when they arrived in Florida, which describe Native Americans who were in outstanding health and condition. They reported seeing women swimming across rivers with three babies on their back and old men who were almost in the same physical condition as the younger men. They reported that there were no signs of arthritis, missing teeth, disease or deformity. They were healthy, intelligent people. Many of the Africans learned about the animals and plants of the Americas from the native peoples. Some of the plants and animals in the Americas were also present in Africa, as the Harvard biologists, explorer and lay anthropologist Dr. S. Alan Counter has shown from his studies of the cultures and healing practices of the Jukkas, a group of West African slaves who revolted against their Dutch slave masters in 18th century Surinam and fled into the jungle where they have lived among the Indians of the Amazon rain forest ever since.
The truth is that many of the groups who are referred to as “Black” or “Native” share the same ancestors and genetics due to hundreds of years of living amongst each other. This fact is largely overlooked in the various health fields but it is quite significant when one wants to seriously consider the root cause for many of the serious health epidemics amongst people who descend from the Africans and Native Americans. It is often said – and has become conventional wisdom in some circles - that the majority of Native Americans died from coming in contact with European diseases. However, I hypothesize that the ignorance of the Europeans who colonized the Americas about the spiritual beliefs and healing practices of the indigenous Americans or the Africans whom they enslaved, contributed mightily to the incidence of fatal illness among these populations.

Although their European conquerors failed to comprehend it, both groups had a common understanding that the soul is eternal and the living is just as important as the dead. There were many Native Americans and Africans who refused to be enslaved and thus they committed suicide. There are documented tales of Ibo warriors being unloaded from a slave ship on the coast of Georgia and they all walked right into the Atlantic Ocean and drowned themselves. These Ibo slaves were all chained at the wrists and ankles. There are intense Ibo dances from Haiti that are very warrior like; they are performed with machetes. When the French were overthrown in Haiti, Haiti became the first free nation in the Americas that was free of slavery. Once the French fled to Cuba with their slaves, the Cuban slave masters were terrified. They did not want their African slaves to be influenced by those warriors in Haiti so they began to be more lenient with the African slaves as it pertains to dance and music. The Cuban slave masters reasoned that if you let the slaves drum and dance they will be happier and less likely to revolt.

While the calculations of the slave masters proved to be less than accurate, it did result in the development of a dynamic musical and dance traditions that has influenced the music and dance of the world. I would like to investigate the role that the ritual dances which accompany their spiritual rites, and the folk medicine that utilized these practices, played in healing and strengthening the people in their struggle to survive and progress.

ON MY PROPOSED COURSE OF STUDY:
What theoretical issues do I plan to study in graduate school?

Dance has been recognized as a universal language. There are various similarities and differences regarding the rules of engagement between dancers, musicians, dancers and singers, in traditional cultures. There are minute differences between the energy, expression and essence in which certain dances are executed in the same dance but in different regions of the same country. All of these dances had important connections to one’s cultural and national identity and many dances were used for healing purposes; whether it was to fend off negative energy, call forth certain spiritual forces and/or just to get the body ready for reproduction. Anthropologist and dancer Yvonne Daniels, does an excellent job of examining the healing properties in Haitian Vodoun, Cuban Yoruba rituals and Bahian Condomble. The late Great Katherine Dunham, founding mother of the modern Afro-American concert dance tradition was also trained anthropologist, dancer, writer and activist who spent considerable time in the Caribbean and South America studying folkloric dances practiced by peoples of African descent.
In the early 1930’s when Katherine Dunham was seriously choreographing, performing and studying she was criticized for including so-called erotic dance in her choreography. At the time the standard of dance was judged completely from a rigid, western European perspective. The folkloric dances Katherine Dunham presented to American audiences were virtually unheard of at the time and therefore misunderstood. Even as I write, African dances in the Americas are too often overlooked when it comes to physical intensity and its connection to one’s overall health.

I am interested in the ground breaking work of Professor Joseph S. Adler in regard to closely examining the symbolic meaning of the body in Indian wrestling and the relationship between health, culture and politics. The body has symbolic meanings in all that it does but unfortunately most humans are not connected and observant enough to notice. I have noticed that professor Mary A. Gauza is very interested in the role of religion and spirituality on the outcome of one’s health. I am sure that the work of these thoughtful and perceptive scholars will enrich my understanding of how the religious and spiritual beliefs of the African and Native peoples of the Americas largely influenced how these two groups managed to navigate through the strict slave codes with hopes of overcoming and surviving.
Many of the dances from those of African descent in the Americas involve rigorous manipulation of the hips and buttocks. There are several primary documents in which European slave masters complained that the Africans were always dancing with their buttocks out with highly erotic movements. As the distinguished German Africanist scholar Janheinz Jahn pointed out in “Muntu,” one such dance, the Calinda, was actually outlawed in Brazil and other Latin American countries because the hip movements were considered lewd. They also recognized that the drum can put people in trances, so strict slave codes were made in regards to playing drums and performing certain ritual dances. Hence the African Slaves and the Native Americans that lived among them mixed cultural practices and were forced to devise all sorts of clever ways to deceive the harsh laws of slavery and colonization.

The enslaved and brutalized Africans and Native Americans underwent hundreds of years of laws aggressively and violently forbidding them to speak their native language, play their native drums or dance their native dances. Drums were used as communication tools amongst Native Americas and Africans; there are specific rhythms played to induce trance like states, but also to pay their respects to nature. There were specific rhythms played during child birth, funerals, hunts and wars. There were also specific rhythms played in order to activate healing herbs and to dispel illness from certain parts of one’s body. Each rhythm had specific song and dances that accompanied them. They were clandestinely practiced in opposition to the laws of a slave society that had different rules about which instruments they could play and when they could play them, which dances they could dance and when, which songs they could sing and when. Thus, there is a hidden wisdom in the dances of those Neo-African populations in the Americas as it pertains to health and healing.

Most of the Afro American social dances as well as ritualistic dances associated with death, the harvest, fertility, revolt and war involve intense, hard, outright, vigorous movement of the hips along with the rest of the body. It is interesting to speculate as to whether or not this esthetic approach to the dance had anything to do with trying to dispel all of the toxic energy that had been dumped on them from being denied access to their ancestors, their native instruments and rhythms, and witnessing their family members being auctioned off to masters who transported them to some unknown place. Could these vibrant intense movements be related to the dark earth in which we are connected through our navels; possibly in attempt to create a safe haven (womb space) for the babies they carried? Are these dances and powerful hip movements responsible for helping these women give birth with ease? There are several healing properties of the rhythmic activation of the core/center/hip region.

Every country in North America, Central America, South America and The Caribbean Islands has a unique history as it pertains to slave society and colonization. There are some similarities between colonies that were occupied by the same European country; but there are distinct differences in each country. Some of the countries have a richer history than others as it pertains to folkloric (ritual and social) dance and they should all be carefully and systematically studied in order to understand the full context in which all of the dances and rhythms developed. The harshness of slavery and colonization also varied from colony to colony. Given all of this I am especially interested in conducting a serious comparative analysis of the various traditions in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Gullah and Geeche Sea Islands off the Carolina coast in the coastal waters of the Atlantic; Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Peru, Puerto Rico and Brazil.

Many of the dances in the Caribbean and South America were also taking place at Congo Square in New Orleans. In the 1800’s it was said that at any given time there were five to six hundred Africans dancing and drumming. These Africans were openly trading and interacting with the Native Americans. Hence, this is how the development of the Mardi Gras Indians and the Black Indians came about. I have studied with many elder masters from all over the Americas that have testified to the importance of New Orleans and Congo Square.

In the fall of 2006 I attended a conference at Hostos College in New York City about the environmental challenges that seriously threaten the traditional spiritual practices of peoples of African and Native descent in the Americas. There were many initiated priests, priestesses and practioners of various traditional African spiritual disciplines and they spoke of not being able to get access to certain ritual plants and materials due to laws and heavy fines. For certain rituals they may need access to the ocean or they may need to play their drums for hours while they chant and dance. However, there are an increasing number of restrictive laws being placed on these groups throughout the Americas. The environmental policies are also affecting the lack of access these people have to their ancient objects.
The distinguished Professor of Art History and Dean of the African Civilization program at Yale University, Robert Farris Thompson, was one of the presenters that day. Dr. Thompson has done extensive research on various African derived dances in the Americas, especially those derived from the Kongo. Dances from the Kongo seriously concentrate in the sacral pelvic region. That day he gave a lecture about the connection to Jamaican Dancehall dancing and Kongo derived dances. Reflecting on Dr. Thompson’s learned and perceptive lecture, I am reminded that art and science are required in any serious attempt to interpret and teach history as well as the health sciences.

The history of the Americas is clearly interlinked through blood and culture. I want to focus on how certain Native and African dances changed after the two groups came in contact with each other in the Americas and how they came together and fused their spiritual practices, using dance and polyrhythmic music as a means of survival: survival of their physical bodies, their sanity, and ancient ancestral knowledge of who they are and where they come from. A loss of identity, culture and traditional practices has been shown in many studies to wreak havoc on one’s mental, physical and spiritual health. Hence I would like to conduct research that will contribute to our scientific understanding of precisely how these cultural rituals and spiritual phenomena contribute to physical and mental health and healing, and help to formulate public health policies that take these traditional healing arts into account.