The idea of using black beans in brownies might sound weird for some but don’t knock it til’ you try it. Actually, black beans (and red beans too) can also be delicious in smoothies but back to the topic at hand, brownies. I was watching Dr. Oz one day and stumbled upon this recipe for black bean fudge brownies.
I piqued my interest so I decided to try my own version of it and this is what I came up with:
Mine were more fudge than brownie but yummy either way. My photo probably doesn’t do it justice but this recipe (or variations of it) is a keeper. I used less ingredients then what was included in the recipe (ingredients pictured at the top of this post), eyeballed my measurements and didn’t cook it for as long as the recipe says.
I’m a super chocolate and sugar fiend so I often have to monitor my urges to binge on ridiculously terrible versions of the former two, so this bean fudge brownie stuff is an excellent, guilt-free way to indulge. It’s also gluten free (obviously). It takes almost no effort to make. The only thing I would do differently is use fresh beans. I hate canned food but I was in a rush, so I had to go for the quicker option that day.
This is what was left over in my blender:
And you better believe I scooped every bit of it out and licked it off my fingers.
I met Ajia Maximillian back in 2011. She was one of my first pole dancing instructors at Shockra Studio. I’d describe her personality as sunshine personified. She’s a patient, kind and helpful instructor as well as a kick ass dancer, IFBB Bikini Pro, and all around fitness guru. I caught up with her to chat about how fitness has become a part of her life, what it is to be an IFBB competitor and her forthcoming event, Poling For Pets.
I know that you have an athletic background, so explain how being physically active played a role in your life growing up.
Growing up, physical activity was a staple in my life. To the point that I didn’t even think about it as physical activity, it was just how I lived. As a child I was on a swim team, was a competition cheerleader, was on a basketball team and was on a dance team; as a teenager I focused my energy on dance such as West African, Samba, Hip Hop, and Jazz; and now as an adult I believe dance is really what opened doors for me in the fitness industry. Because of my love for and desire to dance, I became a dance instructor who eventually started trying other genres of exercise and realized that I loved exercising with others and helping others find their happy place through physical activity. Soon I found myself teaching bootcamps, stretch and tone classes, and different high intensity interval training courses. I love the adrenaline rush that working out gives me, the camaraderie with others, and the feeling of accomplishment once done.
How did you get into pole dancing and did it come easy for you given your background?
I got into pole dancing completely by accident. I was a nightclub dancer/gogo girl at various NYC lounges and nightclubs such as Avalon, Crobar, Discoteque/Spy, Umbrella, Monkey Room, etcetera and some of these clubs had poles. I have always loved dancing in cages and figured a pole was no different, so I just incorporated it into my routines. It came easily and flowed naturally until I took my first pole class and thought, “Whoa!, that is so much more than what I was doing on the pole!” I had not realized there was a whole pole culture growing so rapidly outside of the nightclub industry and the tricks I was seeing on youtube were mindblowing…I was so out of the loop!
What are some of the things you love about pole dancing?
I love that athleticism can be displayed with sexiness while dancing. I love teasing my audience and feeling their desire while I am on stage and I love how one little apparatus can help your body to do so much, it’s freeing.
Describe your pole dance style.
I would describe my style has gritty, sexy, and strong.
Speaking of sexy and strong, what is an IFBB Pro and what are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned about yourself on your journey to becoming one?
IFBB stands for International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness and it is a competitive bodybuilding organization founded in 1946 by brothers Ben and Joe Weider and according to many, is the highest level of competitive bodybuilding in the world. Earning my procard in August of 2013 was an amazingly fun, and rewarding journey and taught me that consistency is key. I learned that if I am consistent with my diet, my body will reward me, I learned what foods make me tired, which foods give me energy… and most importantly, I learned how to eat properly because I had never before been taught nor did research on proper nutrition for myself. On this journey I was fortunate enough to have a sponsor who enabled me to focus on competing and my coaches on my team, Team Bombshell, who gave me proper guidance with a nutritional plan and a workout plan.
What’s your diet like and why does it work for you?
I eat 6-7 times a day, approximately every 3 hours, and my diet works for me because it is catered towards my body type and activity level. My meals are pretty much equally portioned with an emphasis on healthy carbs like quinoa, steel cut oats, various fruits, and spinach; fats like almond milk and various nuts; and proteins like grilled chicken breast, ground turkey, and lean fish. If I could eat grilled octopus and tuna sashimi all day, I would. I am pretty simple, yet specific when it comes to food. I am not big on gravy nor dressings. I usually leave my salads naked or with a touch of lemon, salt and pepper if anything at all. I cannot stand mayonnaise, mashed potatoes, or cream, unless it is really unhealthy Reddi-wip cream, but I will eat an entire chocolate mousse cake once in a while.
What are some of your current fitness goals in terms of nailing a new pole trick, entering another competition etc?
Some of my current fitness goals are to compete in another IFBB Pro competition before the end of the year, I am still working on when it is realistic for me to compete; get a muscle-up; and make my pole routines more seamless and fluid; never stop improving.
What advice do you have for women who want to start a fitness journey but may be apprehensive?
Just do it and do not be afraid to ask for help. A good place to start is with a mentor and or a trainer and that mentor and or trainer does not have to start you in the gym, sometimes a good dance class is all you need to get your booty in gear. Also, never underestimate the power of your diet. Good nutrition is key to fitness, health, and looking and feeling good. Meeting with a registered dietician can be beneficial in your journey and many health plans cover these visits now. If seeing a RD is unrealistic, the internet is your friend. While there are many false claims out there, there are a ton of resources online now allowing us to sort through the trash and make educated choices for ourselves. Do not be afraid to experiment, especially with workouts, sometimes it is just a matter of finding what you enjoy and sticking with it. Treadmill not for you? Maybe you enjoy outdoor running instead or even yoga, or walking, or tai chi, or boxing or hip hop dancing–try everything until you find your niche.
Tell us about Poling For Pets.
After the success of our event last year, we decided to bring Poling for Pets back.
Poling for Pets is an annual charity benefit that features variety acts with an emphasis on pole dance in in order to raise mainstream awareness on the talent, strength and diversity present in the expanding, and at times controversial, performance craft of pole dancing. In addition to our passion for pole, Carolyn Chiu and myself, we are the producers, share a love for animals and use Poling for Pets as a liaison between avant-garde performances and aiding animals in need by donating a percentage of ticket sales, 100% of raffle proceeds, and 100% of donations from the Poling for Pets event to a local animal shelter. Our charity, for a second year in a row, will be Animal Haven Shelter, which is a 501 (c) 3 organization whose mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and place abandoned cats and dogs into permanent & safe, loving homes.
Ajia and Carolyn, founders of Poling for Pets.
This year’s event will be held Thursday, July 10, 2014 from 7-9:30pm at The Cutting Room. The show begins promptly at 8pm and tickets are on sale now at www.thecuttingroomnyc.com. Get them before they sell out. There will be a live vocalist, pole dance performances, burlesque performances, raffle prizes, and pets available for adoption.
How can people take your classes and generally keep in touch with you?
Feel free to follow my class schedule at AjiaMax.com, follow me via Instagram @ajiamax, and Twitter @ajiamax. I can also be emailed directly via Ajia@AjiaMax.com.
Fun Facts:
Ajia loves animals but she really loves pitbulls.
She is the owner of AM Fitness Groove, where she blogs about her fitness lifestyle.
I mentioned the other day, that my focus in pole dancing lately has been about fluidity. Basically, I’ve been into slower songs that encourage liquid motion. Here are a few songs in align with that mission that I’ve been obsessed with lately. Feel free to add these to your playlist for pole, cool down music or just because you like it.
P.S. There is an audio watermark that plays briefly before the song.
Leen Isabel is a fellow member of the Pole Dancing Bloggers Association as well as the uber talented creator of the Pole Dancing Adventures blog. I love her comic strips, and I hope she completes her fundraising goal so that she can turn them into a book. Check her out and help spread the word!
This week’s Grunty Crush is about Esosa E’s lovely locs, but let me backtrack…
I got caught up in a new web series called, An African City, a few months ago. It’s a series about five African women who spent most of their lives in the UK and the US respectively who return back to the Motherland and get readjusted to life in Accra as they navigate the dating scene and their career lives.
All of the women are super duper fly but I especially couldn’t keep my eyes off a character named, Ngozi, played by Esosa E. Like I said, Esosa has gorgeous locs, and a killer sense of style (all the women do) so I zeroed in on her and decided that I needed an interview.
After doing some research I discovered that she was born and raised in the United States but is of Nigerian heritage, she travels often, and not only is she a talented actress, model, writer and director, but she also has a blog dedicated to her raw food vegan lifestyle (Raw Girl in a Toxic World). I chatted with her about raw food, her acting career and her lovely hair and got so much information that I had to break the interview up. You can read about her raw food vegan lifestyle over at Ebony, the interview about her acting career is coming soon, but for now, scroll down to get the goods on her luscious locs and how she deals with having a unique natural hairstyle in a business where people can be extremely judgmental.
What inspired you to start your loc journey and how long have you been growing them?
Before I chose to loc my hair, I kept meeting gorgeous men and women with locs. I thought I would wait until I was in my fifties or sixties but then one day I just said why not? In 2003, I went through the big chop where I had all of my relaxed her cut off and kept only my new growth. Shortly after I started my locs. It’s been a little over 10 years now.
Do you style them yourself, especially on An African City?
No, I have an amazing hair stylist who is based in MD. I went to my salon and got it styled in two strand twists before I left for Ghana because I knew it would make it easier to style quickly. Once we were working on set we had a team of wonderful local women who helped with hair styling and would pin it up in different ways.
Your hair is gorgeous! Like, it’s supernaturally shiny and radiant. How do you achieve that sheen?
I learned it’s best to do hot oil treatments regularly to keep my hair from getting dry and to keep it healthy and shiny. I’m also sure my diet plays a big part in keeping my hair healthy.
Who are some of your loc crushes, aka, people you look to for style inspiration?
I don’t really have any. I tend to change my hair with my mood and what I’m feeling. I love to change things up and try something new and I’m grateful to have stylists who are able to translate what I want into reality.
How has having dreads impacted your modeling career? You’re obviously able to get jobs but have you ever dealt with people’s negative opinions of your hair as far as your career goes?
Yes I have dealt with negative opinions about my hair and dealt with reputable agents in the past not wanting to take me on because of my locs or asking me to please change my hair. Others have told me I could have more consistent work if I just cut my hair. The positive is that there are many clients out there who love my look and book me. I chose to continue doing my thing despite negative opinions because I love my hair the way it is, and I know there is a huge audience who would love to see more loc’d women and men represented in entertainment. I don’t intend to stop anytime soon.
Bonus:
Try avocado oil for an sumptuous hot oil treatment whether you have locs or not.
I’m in a weird space when it comes to pole dancing. I’ve lost most of my strength because I stopped working out as much as I did last year and have regressed in the progress that I had started to make when I was consistent. Lately, I’ve been going to class when I go. Last year I was going at least twice a week. I recently joined a gym that offers pole dancing and plan to supplement that education with some of the better studios that focus strictly on pole but the issue now is scheduling. I started a new job so being consistent is going to be hard but I’m passionate about pole again, so that’s the first step. I lost that enthusiasm for a minute but it’s back so I’m going to make redeveloping a consistent practice a priority (I have a pole at home that I use sometimes but classes are better).
At the moment I am a level two, which is kind of not good because last year I was more a basic three. When it comes to pole dancing you advance when your body is ready but I’m naturally strong as long as I condition myself and eat properly, so advancing shouldn’t take me too long (although, my core is slow to respond to strength training) but I’ve been poling since 2011. It has been off and on but again, I feel like I should be more developed in my practice than I am. I get so discouraged when I see women who started at around the same time that I did doing much better than me. I’m working on not comparing myself but it’s hard.
I still struggle with leg hangs, something that has never been my forte, and I lack fluidity. The latter has become extremely important to me. When I first started pole dancing it was all about nailing tricks. I just wanted to be strong and show off what I could do but what happened is, I started being able to do individual tricks but without real dance moves. I lack vocabulary and it looks silly when you’re in a class where they tell you to freestyle but all you can do is individual moves so I want to fix that. These days I’m about learning more combos and transitions and not thinking too hard about my freestyles and choreography so that even if I’m in a space where I can’t or don’t feel like doing death-defying tricks (it’s not like I know that many) I can still create a dazzling flow. The more I watch pole dancers lately, the more I look for fluidity. There are some, like Caitlin Goddard for example, who just breathe fluid motion.
So being a smooth operator, but in my own way, is my current focus, because I plan to do more pole performances (whenever those opportunities arise, hopefully they do but that’s another story) and flowing just feels good.
Caprice Burrell is the owner of Alter Ego Pole Fitness in Newark, NJ. She took her first pole class in January 2008 and says she was hooked at first twirl. She’s also an actress, wife and mother who seems to juggle all of her titles fiercely. I caught up with the savvy businesswoman to chat about how tragedy encouraged her to launch her business, and how she makes her respective passions for family, pole dancing and business work.
Tell me about Alter Ego Pole Fitness, and explain when you had the epiphany that you should create that space.
Alter Ego Pole Fitness opened it’s doors in 2011 and has catered to thousands of women seeking pole training and pole parties in a comfortable setting while discovering their “Alter Ego’s.” Ninety-five percent of our students have no background in dance or gymnastics but yet we have turned them into beautiful pole dancers.
As a former pole instructor, the push to open the studio happened in 2010 after the sudden death of my former employer of the studio I was teaching in. I had established a relationship with my students and when the studio we poled at shut down, no one had anywhere else to go that was close by. It took us one year to set up Alter Ego and continue where we left off.
What steps did you have to take in order to see it through from business plan to reality?
The biggest steps taken was staying focused. I gave up my entire social life for a period of time while we were setting up. It was a lot of hard work. I owe a lot of thanks to my husband who is also my business partner for keeping me on task. I think every owner needs that one person who is going to be that voice of wisdom and keep them focused.
What sets Alter Ego apart from other pole dancing schools?
What sets Alter Ego apart is that aside from giving great pole classes (beg, int and adv) and being a very nurturing environment for our students, we converted our studio into a pole lounge that hosts a free after work pole party for anyone to attend on 1st Thursdays of every month and we give the best pole parties in NJ. We hosted over 400 since we’ve opened.
Describe your personal pole dancing style.
I consider my pole style sexy, sassy and artistic all at the same time. I like body rolls and sexy spins as well as tricks that accentuate my strengths. Not every trick is for everybody. Spinning pole is my favorite.
How do you balance your personal fitness life with being a mom, wife and business woman?
I don’t have a formula on how I do it, but teaching pole classes often does help because it’s helps me to stay active while I’m at the business. I also attend a gym with babysitting so that helps as well. As long as I’m staying active overall I’m able to do a lil’ each day to maintain.
What are some important lessons you’ve learned about yourself as a business women in the years since launching Alter Ego?
I’ve learned that I have a lot more patience than I thought, I’ve learned that you cant make everyone happy all of the time, and I’ve learned, that as long as you continue to be professional and reliable your business will thrive.
What advice do you have for women who are considering pole dancing but may be apprehensive?
I would tell them to give it a try but make sure they go to a studio that makes them feel comfortable.
Do pole instructors ever stop learning?
No they don’t….the real ones are always trying to learn new ways of teaching as well as new tricks. That’s why workshops are very important to take and I try to have as many as I can at my studio. If I can’t get out to train, then I will bring the instructors to me lol. Right now, I still consider myself a student even tho I’ve accomplished so much. (Editor’s Note: Caprice gets really fun people in for workshops. I haven’t been yet but it’s on my to do list!)
Fun Facts
Caprice plans to enter her first pole competition this year. She is currently training.
A second Alter Ego Pole Fitness location is in the works for the near future.
Caprice appeared in The Best Man (first movie) as a bridesmaid.
Panera Bread among other fast food chains plan to eliminate artificial additives and ingredients in the food it sells. What’s interesting is, this doesn’t seem to be as much about health as it is about money. According to the following news report, the company’s sales are down and so this is part of a plan to attract millenials. Interesting…
I stumbled upon #BlackGirlsPole due to some Facebook controversy. Long story short, there was a pole dancer who bitched about why it exists and claimed that it didn’t promote unity and that people would be mad if there was a “White Girls Pole” all that typical entitled bullshit. She created a stir but I later found out that this is what she does in general, so BGP just happened to be that day’s target. I digress.
After that drama, I started to explore the movement and it’s simple. It was founded by Dalijah Franklin, and the point is for anyone who so chooses, to celebrate Black women in pole dancing and to encourage other women to consider pole dancing as well.
I get why this exists and I like the idea of it, especially since Black women are pretty much at the highest risk for everything that’s terrible in the world of health, so I wanted to share it.
They have an exciting showcase and workshop coming up on June 21 where there will be some performances a, a Q&A and workshops. Best believe I got my ticket and I’m ready to go!
Click here for more information about that. Hit me up if you decide to go!
Krishna Davenport of Baobab Wellness is a mother, wife, entrepreneur and holds a full time day job yet she still finds time to make sure that she and her family are active and well. She’s sharing that sentiment with other families in June at her Family Fit Brunch.
Here’s a snippet from the press release:
With initiatives like Let’s Move and Eat Well Play Hard, healthier living for children and families is gradually becoming a way of life. The team for online health portal Baobab Wellness is looking to bring some of those healthy solutions to Brooklyn families at the Family Fit Brunch on June 14, 2014, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at Decatur Middle School, 272 MacDonough Street, in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
“It’s hard having a career, two kids and other obligations that sometimes force me to skip my workout, and I realized if this made me feel miserable, it was probably true for other parents,” said Krishna R. Davenport, Baobab Wellness founder. While childhood obesity seems to be trending downward, there has been a significant increase in type-2 diabetes in adults and children. Davenport wanted to create an event that would showcase ideas of how to turn healthy eating and physical activity into a family affair.
“I wanted to make working out with your family fun – like a party,” Davenport said. “In New York, there
are day parties that focus on alcohol and largely unhealthy meals. I wanted to use the same foundation, but with a focus on healthy living.”
Family Fit Brunch will feature Zumba, running, healthy cooking demos, Reiki energy massage therapy and much more. Davenport’s philosophy is that working out and eating healthy can be fun, and her goal through this brunch is to help families strengthen their bonds as a unit as they learn how to make better choices about food and living a fulfilling active life.
View the entire press release here where you can scan a QR code to keep up with the event.
