In Episode 28, we kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month with Bassema. Statistically - less than 2% of all women diagnosed are in their early to mid 30’s and in a series of unfortunate events, Bassema became part of that statistic.

In an extremely vulnerable episode, she walks us through how she dealt with her mother's breast cancer diagnosis, the signs she began noticing on her own body, her experience with doctors who at first didn't taker her pain seriously and the aftermath of learning she, indeed, had breast cancer, too. Alongside her diagnosis, Bassema also shares another unfortunate surprise that will change her life forever.

Bassema proves that cancer isn't an end, but the start of a long, treacherous, but beatable journey. Numerous surgeries later, Bassema is on the road to recovery (alhamdillah).
Her passion for helping others in similar situations has led to the start of her own advocacy for breast health and the push for women to get annual check-ups.

Join us and listen to this powerhouse of a woman as she talks about her renewed faith in God and learning how to listen to our own bodies, despite what others may suggest instead.

Enjoy and remember to follow us on Instagram: @unsweetenedandunfiltered

Resources:
Bright Pink: The only national non-profit organization focusing on the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women, while providing support for high-risk individuals.
Breastcancer.org: Provides patients and family with essential information to help them make sense of a diagnosis
Cancer Resource Foundation: A national nonprofit organization that advocates and provides support for the prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship of cancer through patient assistance, education and research.

Click here to learn how to conduct a at-home breast exam OR
Click here to watch how! 

In Episode 27, we sit down with Aminah Musa at The Wing and we dive deep into who this powerhouse of a woman truly is. 

Many of you may know Aminah from her brand, PaliRoots, which she runs alongside her brother Hussein. Through this movement she has become a successful female entrepreneur and someone who is exploding with passion, love and creativity. 

Aminah teaches us how to train our minds to appreciate the good and to observe the negative thoughts that arise subconsciously, rather than just sweeping them under the rug. We further discuss how to truly love ourselves and how to go beyond self care on the surface level. She reflects on past hardships and how she has chosen to see the glass half full in every situation that she finds herself in.

Through self-love and affirmations she explains the ways her life has changed for the best.  

Pack your bags, because the California-native also walks us through her recent travels across the world. Aminah explains the reasons she submerges herself in other cultures, taking the opportunity to see the world for herself.  Her love for adventure and her passion for Palestine also birthed the creation of the  “Palestine Travel Series”, which gives both Palestinians and non-Palestinians alike, a chance to experience the beauty of the country through well-crafted Youtube videos. 

Enjoy and remember to follow us on Instagram: @unsweetenedandunfiltered
Follow Aminah on Instagram: @goldenmuseco
Shop PaliRoots at : Paliroots.com
Click here to watch the Palestine Travel Series!


Shop FabFitFun:  Use coupon code UNSWEETENED for $10 off your first box at www.fabfitfun.com

In Episode 26, Sahar Shafi leaves us feeling all types of ways with her vulnerability, honesty and all around adorable charm. 

Although, she's currently a successful Periodontal & Implant Surgeon (mashallah), Sahar tells us she's no stranger to failure. After moving away to attend a fairly large university, her grades suffered tremendously during her freshman year.  Sahar talks about accepting the fact that something she once really wanted wasn’t in God’s plan for her. She discusses her choice to move back home and how she pulled herself out of that hole and to go on and graduate Magna Cum Laude. 

Her positive outlook on life is prevalent in everything she does; from aging to tackling life’s toughest obstacles, Sahar gives us some insight on how she uses her faith to keep moving forward. 

This positivity is put to the test as Sahar begins to discuss her journey with Crohn’s disease and Endometriosis. She explains how they have impacted her life and the ways she’s found peace in accepting the diagnosis. Sahar also opens up about her infertility journey and she shares with us the life changing decision that she has had to make.

We are left with an everlasting imprint of who she truly is as a person: a beautiful being both inside and out. 

Enjoy and remember to follow us on Instagram: @unsweetenedandunfiltered
Follow Sahar at on Instagram: @drsaharshafi

Shop FabFitFun:  Use coupon code UNSWEETENED for $10 off your first box at www.fabfitfun.com

In Episode 25, we are joined by Khitam Masoud, a cancer survivor and nonprofit organization founder. In 1998, when she was just 16 yrs old, Khitam decided to take her parents to court and fight for her emancipation in order to avoid an arranged marriage. With no relationship with her family she has had to overcome obstacles on her own, which proved to be silver linings once the dust had settled. 

Khitam walks us through the struggles she had faced as she learned to navigate life on her own at such a young age. She balanced multiple jobs as she tried to stay afloat, scrambled to find the time and funds to get an education, and dealt with a cancer diagnosis on her own. Khitam talks about her hardships and how she has found the motivation to get up everyday and work on bettering herself. 

But it was through her struggles that "Blessons for Women" was born. Khitam's non-profit organization provides free mentorship, educational workshops and wellness clinics for all women, in addition to scholarships to disadvantaged, low-income women who are 25 years or older and who have had their higher education interrupted due to challenging life lessons such as: mental health conditions, physical or emotional abuse, sex trafficking or who are first generation female immigrants.

Her life goal is turning wounds into wisdom and lessons into blessings.

Enjoy and remember to follow us on Instagram: @unsweetenedandunfiltered
Follow Blessons on Instagram: @herblessons
Check out Blessons for Women 

Shop FabFitFun:  Use coupon code UNSWEETENED for $10 off your first box at www.fabfitfun.com

In Episode 24, Alaa Elharezi enlightens us as we talk about health and wellness in a whole new way. As a certified Hijama therapist, Yoga Instructor and Ayurvedic Health Advisor, Alaa offers up some simple ways to improve our daily lives and overall health. Although, the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) and those of Ayurvedic medicine vary, she finds a way to incorporate both into her regimen, seamlessly. 

By integrating Prophetic wisdom and medicine into the way we eat, drink and sleep,
Alaa explains the positive results she's witnessed, such as a healthier gut, clear mind and an overall positive mood. She teaches us to be more present and mindful in whatever we are doing daily.

Take a listen and you'll learn that working toward a healthier lifestyle doesn't always mean making drastic changes.

One of the biggest lessons we took away from this conversation is that it's not always what you eat, rather it's how and when you eat it.


Enjoy and remember to follow us on Instagram: @unsweetenedandunfiltered
Follow Alaa on Instagram: @hausofblush

In Episode 23, we are joined by Ayesha Malik, the Pakistani-American woman who unapologetically called out Priyanka Chopra at Beautycon. The reason for the confrontation: Kashmir. 

Pakistan and India have been in a custody battle over Kashmir for over 7 decades now. With tensions rising, a tweet by Priyanka supporting India’s armed forces at a time where Ayesha'a family feared for their lives, was all the motivation Ayesha needed to confront the actress and goodwill ambassador of UNICEF. 

In this episode, we discuss the reason for the Kashmir "custody battle", why Ayesha felt compelled to speak out and how she has dealt with the aftermath of that confrontation going viral. 

Ayesha is a blogger, inter-faith activist and natural-hair influencer who lives in Alaska with her family. She wants to bring attention to the Kashmir situation at a time where it is rarely mentioned in mainstream media and urges others to pass down the mic to Kashmiris, too.

Enjoy and remember to follow us on Instagram: @unsweetenedandunfiltered
Follow Ayesha on Instagram: @spisha
For up to date coverage: @zebatweets

In Episode 22, we get down to the real truth with Heba Shaheed, in regards to period pain, the many myths surrounding PMS, how to be more in tune with our bodies and the importance of mental health overall! Heba provides women’s health and pediatric pelvic health services including physiotherapy, exercise, nutrition and pain education. She specializes in sexual pain, pelvic pain and endometriosis just to name a few! Through her personal story, Heba unravels almost everything we need to know about our bodies, such as where do migraines come from or what’s  the difference between a migraine and a headache? We learn if there’s a difference between a natural birth vs a C-section when it comes to the effects they have on your pelvic floor. Trust me we don’t hold back and Heba answers all of your questions in this special episode.  It’s time that we learn more about our bodies and remove the shame behind wanting to know what really goes on down there!

Enjoy and remember to follow us on Instagram: @unsweetenedandunfiltered
Follow Heba on Instagram: thepelvicexpert
Check out her website: thepelvicexpert.com

Shop FabFitFun:  Use coupon code UNSWEETENED for $10 off your first box at www.fabfitfun.com

In Episode 21, Sara Bawany gives us a crash course on all things mental health. Scheduling an appointment with a therapist isn't on the top of every Muslim's to-do list due to the intimidation and misconceptions that surround therapy, however, Sara explains why paying attention to our mental health is just as important as our physical health. We learn about what traits to look for while choosing a therapist, instances in the Quran that highlight the importance of mental health and how to de-stigmatize therapy in our culture. We also discuss certain moments in the Prophet's (pbuh) life where mental health was a priority and reasons why we should humanize the feelings he had shared with those around him. 

Sara is a clinical social worker, a writer and published poet. She currently works at the Muslim Community Center for Human Services in Fort Worth, where she provides free mental health counseling and education. Sara is also on the board of FACE, an organization that tackles spiritual abuse in the Muslim community.  She is also the author of her debut poetry and prose book titled, "(w)holehearted".

Enjoy and remember to follow us on Instagram: @unsweetenedandunfiltered
Follow our guest on Instagram: Sara.Bawany
Purchase her book (w)holehearted: here 

Resources:
Psychology Today
Muslim Mental Health Institute
Seema Mental Health
Muslim Wellness Foundation
Black Muslim Psychology Conference

In Episode 20, we chat with Yasemin Kanar aka YazTheSpaz and trust me she doesn’t hold back. Yasemin gives us an in depth look into the melting pot of cultures which is her life. With a mother from Cuba and her father from Turkey, she decided to add to her hybrid life when she found her soulmate, who is of an Egyptian background. We talk about the struggles that come with an intercultural marriage and the beauty it also brings. Yasemine lets down her walls to also discuss the truth about marriage outside of a perfectly curated Instagram photo. With a positive attitude, this OG hijabi fashion icon talks about her struggles off camera with infertility, her battle with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and how she came about having her two beautiful children (mashallah). Talk about being completely Unsweetened and Unfiltered, Yasemin sure gave us a run for our money.

Enjoy and remember to follow us on Instagram: @unsweetenedandunfiltered
Follow Yasemin on Instagram: @yazthespaz89
Catch her on Youtube: @YazTheSpaz89
Check out her website for inspiration: Yazthespaz.com

Shop FabFitFun:  Use coupon code UNSWEETENED for $10 off your first box at www.fabfitfun.com

In Episode 19, we talk to Jackie Courtney, the mastermind behind the incredible website NearlyNewlywed.com. Prior to creating Nearly Newlywed, Jackie worked as a publicist for international fashion designers including Marni, Thakoon, Matthew Williamson and Emilio Pucci and top stylists/editors at Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, InStyle and more. Jackie walks us through where the idea of her business came about, why it's so important we unlearn the habit of apologizing (yeah, sorry not sorry is actually a thing), the reason taking up space is something we need to be proud of and how we need to quit the habit of saying we are bad at things.

If you're in need of an (almost) new designer wedding dress at an affordable price or have one taking up way too much space in your in-law's basement (guilty) take a look at NearlyNewlywed.com, a place to sell or shop preowned or new wedding dresses.

Enjoy and remember to follow us on Instagram: @unsweetenedandunfiltered
Follow Jackie on Instagram: @jac_courtney
Shop/Sell at: Nearly Newlywed
Read some of Jackie's work: Stop Saying You Are Bad At Things or Why We Need To Stop Apologizing For Taking Up Space