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The Black Girl’s Guide to Booking Your First Food Cruise

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Courtesy of the writer

One thing about me, I do not book a visit unless I do know the food goes to be amazingly delicious. So after I heard that Windstar Cruises was the official cruise line of the James Beard Foundation, a culinary arts organization that awards a few of the world’s most coveted food and beverage honors, I said,

My best friend and I had been talking about going to Greece for years and decided now can be the proper time. That was the start of our eight-day culinary journey through the Greek Islands.

The Black Girl's Guide to Booking Your First Food Cruise
Courtesy of the writer

We stopped at popular tourist spots like Mykonos (where I took a cooking class) and Santorini (where we participated in a gaggle wine tour), in addition to a couple of lesser-known spots like Patmos and Kusadasi, Turkey.) While Windstar has cruised all over the world, including Latin America and the Caribbean, a girls’ food tour to Greece seemed like something out of a movie show.

The star of the show is the food

As I discussed, this can be a cruise for the traveling foodie. There are several dining options on board, including Verdana (great for breakfast and lunch), Candles (nightly al fresco dining under the celebrities), Amphora (my favorite), and more. The menus at Amphora and Verdana change each day, and each feature many dishes from James Beard Award-winning chefs within the United States and its territories, resembling the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

The Black Girl's Guide to Booking Your First Food Cruise
Courtesy of the writer

My favorites were the lobster bisque, chef Amy Brandwein’s grilled branzino with basil and tomato caponata, the Grand Marnier hot soufflé, and the red berry trifle with champagne chantilly. Oh my God. If you are planning on counting calories, just stay home.

Room service also allows you to order from the Amphora menu, so technically you possibly can order room service on a ship. My friend and I did this last night so we could eat and watch the sunset from the back of the ship.

The Black Girl's Guide to Booking Your First Food Cruise
Courtesy of the writer

And while the food on board was incredible, there was one major culinary highlight that happened off the ship. Our entire ship had a personal dinner in Ephesus in the traditional amphitheater dating back to biblical times. It all took place under an excellent moon with an expert orchestra, making it the proper setting for our two cruise mates to get engaged (congrats to Kristen and Randy)!

They stay ready so that you haven’t got to prepare

The on-site organization of the crew was excellent with intensely personalized service. Joanna was our destination manager who shared detailed summaries of every location through engaging and fun presentations prior to our arrival. She easily and quickly navigated us through the high traffic areas (i.e., all of the clients who wanted to visit Oia and participate in Santorini tours only waited about 20 minutes on the port thanks to Joanna’s planning. We connected with other travelers from different cruises who told us that they had been in line at the identical port for over two hours!)

The Black Girl's Guide to Booking Your First Food Cruise
Courtesy of the writer

Like many cruise lines, Windstar has shuttle boats that run from the ship to shore, but additionally they have a personal lounge area with water and snacks where you possibly can calm down whilst you wait in your transfer. I even have to take my metaphorical hat off to the front desk team. Running into unexpected issues can take the wind out of a vacation, and I had a couple of unexpected mishaps on board. However, the front desk team was so gentle with me while quickly correcting any mistakes that occurred in reference to my cruise experience. As an added bonus, you possibly can benefit from the total laundry and dry cleansing service on board, so that you haven’t got to go home and wash all of your clothes instantly.

Important details about this cruise line

Although the ship I used to be on (WindStar) was not wheelchair friendly (plenty of stairs, steps to and from the toilet within the cabin, and no cabins on the principal level), their collection of ships do have wheelchair accessible options. If you’re traveling with someone with mobility issues, search for destinations which have Star Plus Class Ships (Star Breeze, Star Pride and Star Legend) which have fully accessible cabins. If you or someone you’re traveling with has a disability, food allergy or every other experience that would make traveling a stressful experience, try their accessibility page and phone their team with any questions.

The Black Girl's Guide to Booking Your First Food Cruise
Courtesy of the writer

It’s also essential to know that while we made some great travel friends and shared some great moments with a couple of other cruisers, Windstar cruises can have a more conservative clientele. However, the road is working to create a more inclusive space where travelers from all walks of life feel at home, and while there’s room for growth, progress is visible. Also, when you can book with a travel agent, I highly recommend it. They are working to make the booking process easier for travelers without an agent, but for a smoother trip, use a travel agent.

The Black Girl's Guide to Booking Your First Food Cruise
Courtesy of the writer

Windstar cruises are generally intimate, as our ship had about 150 passengers, lots of whom got here in pairs or groups, so when you can get two or more people together, it’s an important trip. Unlike other big-name cruises, this isn’t a celebration cruise. Instead, it’s a luxury experience, complete with caviar, white tablecloths, and candlelight dinners at sunset over the Mediterranean. If you’re a foodie and this appears like your dream escape at sea, book yourself an adventure. And be certain to include an open mind — and an empty stomach.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

Tyler Lepley and Miracle Watts are engaged!

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Getty

One of the web’s hottest couples, Miracle Watts and Tyler Lepley, 37, are about to begin planning their wedding. Watts shared her engagement photo on Instagram, and the post has since gained nearly half one million likes.

The actress and social media personality captioned the photo with an engagement ring. The photo shows a white heart-shaped garland of flowers with the words “Will you marry me” in the center. Lepley smiled as he knelt on one knee, holding his future wife’s ring finger. The stars wore all black of their engagement photo and looked dazzling and joyful.

This engagement may come as a surprise to some fans, considering Miracle recently gained popularity after asking a matter about how long it should take a person to marry a girl during Q&A on her YouTube canal.

“I have a question. Do you think it is disrespectful for a man not to marry a woman after being with her for a certain number of years if they both agree to it? marriage is something they need?” she asked in a YouTube video.

Answering her own query, Watts replied, “Yes. I do. Yes, and we’re getting near that time… Better get your act together.

Lepley told a social media commenter on the time that the engagement was “closer than you think” and lower than six months later he popped the query. The actor has actually pulled himself together and is doing all the things in his power to make the matter official.

The engaged couple met on the set of P-Valley in 2021 and since then they’ve been like two cents in a pod. Over the years, we have seen them share glimpses of their love, whether it was Tyler washing Miracle’s braids, vacationing in Bermuda, or popping up at a club.

They now even have a tangible piece of their love; the couple gave birth to their first child together, a boy named Xi Leì Lepley, in October 2022.

The actor also has two children, Leo and Jade, together with his ex April King.

Congratulations to the couple and we will not wait to see their story unfold live!

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

Indigenous people are 4 times more likely to die from diabetes. We need to better understand how exercise can help

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It is estimated that just about 1.9 million Australians suffer from diabetes, and the variety of these people is increasing. In the years 2013–2023, the whole variety of people with diabetes in the whole country increased by 32%.

As within the case of a series health conditionsdiabetes disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Indigenous Australians are three times more likely diagnosed with diabetes than non-Indigenous Australians. Are 4.4 times more likely die from this.

Among other things, physical activity plays a very important role in stopping and treating type 2 diabetes. However, our latest study, published within the journal Medical Journal of Australiashows that we do not know enough concerning the role of physical activity in stopping and managing type 2 diabetes in First Nations people.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition wherein it occurs an excessive amount of glucose (sugar) within the blood. There are several types of diabetes, but probably the most common is type 2 diabetes. In people with type 2 diabetesthe body becomes resistant to the motion of insulin – a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels.

Risk aspects for type 2 diabetes include a family history of diabetes, being obese and hypertension.

The high rate of diabetes in indigenous communities is essentially influenced by… social determinants of health. For example, we all know food insecurity disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly in rural and distant communities. This can make it difficult to stick to a healthy food regimen, which in turn affects your overall health.

People in distant indigenous communities in addition they often have poorer access to education and employment opportunities, adequate housing and high-quality health care. All these aspects can contribute to worsening health.

First Nations communities do especially high stakes younger onset type 2 diabetes (often defined as diagnosis before the age of 40).

If diabetes shouldn’t be treated effectively, it can lead to numerous complicationsincluding long-term damage to the guts, kidneys, eyes and feet. Diabetes can affect all elements of an individual’s life, including their life sanity.

People with diabetes need to monitor their blood sugar levels.
Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock

Lifestyle interventions (food regimen and physical activity) are generally really helpful as a part of the treatment plan. for type 2 diabetes.

We wanted to understand how physical activity interventions could help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with diabetes.

Our research

There is powerful evidence that it plays more than simply a task in stopping diabetes exercise is helpful for people already diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

Physical activity is related to lower levels glycated hemoglobin within the blood (an indicator of glucose control), reduced levels of lipids within the blood equivalent to cholesterol, and weight reduction. The evidence suggests a mix aerobic and resistance exercises could also be better than either mode alone.

We reviewed research examining the impact of physical activity interventions and programs on the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes amongst First Nations Australians.

We only found nine studies that investigated physical activity interventions to prevent or manage type 2 diabetes in Indigenous adults.

There is evidence linking physical activity with improved outcomes for Indigenous Australians with type 2 diabetes. However, the worth of the outcomes was affected by weaknesses within the study design and the shortage of Indigenous involvement within the design and conduct of the studies.

A man running along the road.
Exercise is very important in stopping and treating type 2 diabetes.
sutadimages/Shutterstock

The high-quality evidence gap

There are many elements of stopping and managing diabetes that tend to be more difficult for people in First Nations communities, especially those living in rural or distant areas.

Additionally, latest technologies that can help manage diabetes, equivalent to continuous glucose monitorsare often very expensive.

It is incredibly vital what Indigenous Australians with diabetes have access to appropriate support for diabeticseducation and services.

In particular, health, cultural, and socioeconomic differences may impact participation in physical activity. What constitutes realistic exercise opportunities may differ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people compared to other Australians.

Previous data has shown that Indigenous Australians are less likely to socialize recommendations for physical activity than non-Indigenous Australians.

Factors that will influence physical activity levels amongst First Nations people include access to protected, accessible, family-friendly, and inexpensive places to exercise. These could also be limited in regional and distant communities.



Overall, we found a scarcity of reliable data on whether and what kinds of exercise may profit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with type 2 diabetes.

Given that physical activity is the cornerstone of treatment for type 2 diabetes, we need more rigorous research on this area. These studies should be well designed and culturally appropriate. They must engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in any respect levels of the research process.

Targeted research will help us discover the perfect ways to increase physical activity and understand its advantages for Indigenous people with type 2 diabetes.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
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Health and Wellness

Eva Marcille and her girls explore Vietnam in Peacock’s ‘Eat, Kill, Love’

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Peacock

Actress Eva Marcille and Grammy-nominated singer Nivea travel abroad with their girlfriends Tammy Rivera () and London Hughes () to deepen their journeys of self-love and self-care and, after all, to eat, kill and love in Vietnam. Three episodesThe Will Packer-produced series, which premieres on November 7, follows the quartet’s journeys in finding healing after failed romances.

“I would consider the four ingredients of a good girl’s trip to be us. You have the funny, the emotional, the fashionista and the crazy one, that’s me,” Nivea said in the first seconds of the official trailer. “We’re leaving our comfort zone and going to Vietnam for my birthday!” – she continued.

According to the trailer, the quartet engages in fun shenanigans across the country, similar to rice cake hikes, prayers, mud baths, and networking with locals. In addition to living their best life, also they are on a journey of spiritual healing. Marcille made her intentions for the trip clear: to flee what her heart was going through and find peace. “We all led a luxurious lifestyle, but money can’t buy that kind of peace,” said Marcille, lounging in a hammock on the beach in her trailer.

Eva Marcille and her girls explore Vietnam in Peacock's 'Eat, Kill, Love'
EAT SLAY LOVE – “Seas the Day”, episode 103 – Pictured: (lr) Tammy Rivera, Nivea, Eva Marcille – (Photo: PEACOCK)

Marcille is not any stranger to heartbreak. The former Real Housewife of Atlanta and America’s Top Model star recently finalized her divorce from ex Michael Sterling in August 2023. The divorce, although amicable, was a challenge for the actress. During their split, she told PEOPLE magazine: “It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, but sometimes life takes you in a direction you didn’t expect.”

We cannot wait for the women to resolve conflict, revel in the wonder and spirituality of Vietnam, heal heartache, strengthen friendships, and re-evaluate their priorities at home.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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