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As a part of
her wellness journey, Earlean dedicated herself to three to
six days of working out per week, which helps her maintain a
normal glucose level. Walks along nature paths inspires the
“meditation is medication” approach to wholeness and
healing. It also helps reduce stress.
Having natural hair also
reduces stress as she is able to exercise freely and shampoo
her hair as often as needed with no worries about
maintaining her style or sweating it out. A constant
motivation is her son, four grandchildren and her very
supportive husband of nearly 36 years “King Denny”, who has
also lost 50 pounds by subscribing to the same eating habits
and working out alongside her.
Retiring from The Blade in
2001 after 14 years and after working at AT&T for 19 years,
Earlean took a chance at an open mic in 2013 at Fat Fish
Blue when she was 63. Her weight loss and natural approach
to living gave her the courage to venture into comedy and
that night, she was well received.
Later that year, after
attending another comedy show at Fat Fish Blue to see Oscar
award winning actress, Mo’Nique, the actress/comedian
approached Earlean at her table and whispered to her that
while she was on stage, she stared at her and felt a
“universal connection”.
She was later escorted by
Mo’Nique’s security team to the green room to talk with her
and take pictures. Learning of Mo’Nique’s weight loss of
between 50-60 pounds was a connection the two women shared,
as Earlean was able to tell her about her health journey.
Earlean then mentioned her
stand up performance at an open mic on the same stage
earlier that year and without hearing her material or seeing
her perform, Mo’Nique asked Earlean to open up for her the
next night! Although she was nervous about performing in
front of a celebrity, Mo’Nique was impressed with her show
and invited her to open up for her the following weekend and
at future shows in the region.
On the stage and every day,
if you know Earlean, you will see her wearing her signature
African Head Wraps. Adorning her mature golden locs,
beautiful fabrics with bold colors and ethnic prints,
Earlean has adopted the name “Queen Cookie” and owns every
part of the endearing term.
During a January 2015 trip to
South Africa, she felt as if she traveled “back home.”
Walking the motherland, where our ancestors walked, she felt
an alignment with history and nature. Along the countryside
she noticed how Africans grew their own produce and ate
meats from freshly slaughtered animals.
There were no processes,
chemicals or refrigeration of the foods, just organic
eating. Traveling to Africa made her feel grounded and
connected to the roots that she honors in her daily living.
She stated that her African roots is a part of her DNA and
that her trip “back home” has encouraged her to remain
focused on her health and wellness journey. Today at age 66,
her daily affirmation is “I love myself and I love y’all to
life.”
If you are rocking locs like
Queen Cookie, here are 10 tips for maintaining healthy and
beautiful locs.
1. Embrace the process. Each
journey is different and locs take time to develop, be
patient.
2. Locs can and should be
shampooed. It is often said to “leave them alone” until they
loc, but all hair should be cleansed on a regular basis.
3. Slippage and unraveling is
normal in the early stages. Keep up with regular maintenance
(at least once a month) to encourage the hair to loc.
4. Avoid product build up by
using natural ingredients that easily can be washed away.
Aloe vera gel and light oils and butters that melt into the
hair won’t leave build up like regular hair gel, beeswax or
honey would.
5. Prevent lint in locs by
keeping them tied up with a satin scarf or bonnet at night.
Cotton sweaters and hats may cause dryness and breakage and
may deposit fabric lint in them.
6. Avoid too tight root
maintenance or styles that pull the scalp. Over time, this
may cause locs to thin and eventually break off.
7. Allow your locs to dry
completely before wrapping them up or placing them in an
updo. Locs can mildew and could also grow mold.
8. Moisturize your locs. Even
in between maintenance appointments, locs can be spritzed
with water or a light leave in conditioner to keep them soft
and prevent drying out or breakage.
9. Condition the scalp with
light oils and a massage. This promotes hair growth,
stimulates blood flow and adds sheen to the locs.
10. Eat a balanced diet,
drink plenty of water and rest well to prevent stress and
encourage hair growth.
Locs can be clean, healthy
and grow long with the proper care and maintenance. Need
more locked hair education? Visit www.thekitchensalon.com
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