Archives May 2017

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We all know how expensive groceries can become especially when you move between seasons or making a huge shift in how you feed yourself and your family. Having some quick and easy food storage tips can go along way towards saving your budget and eating healthy too!

Making healthy nutritional choices doesn’t have to break the bank nor does it have to become an overwhelming experience. While you might think you’re saving money (i.e. buying processed foods instead of fresh produce, etc) by not buying organic and locally sourced produce (get my FREE quick and easy grocery guide for the EWG recommendations for produce in 2017), or stocking up on frozen meals, the truth is that the hidden health costs associated with these types of low quality “foods” are extremely high.

(get the updated EWG recommendations for the current year right here)

Why I use the recommendations from the Environmental Working Group

Don’t be deceived by marketing gimmicks and misinformation campaigns promoted by both big agribusiness and the processed food industry. Food labels matter and so do the methods of food production. Foods that have been cultivated using conventional means (i.e. large-scale pesticide and herbicide use, etc) are much more likely to contain damaging levels of these residues. We as consumers can not rely on these industries to “self-regulate” as their track records have shown them to be less than honest when it comes to putting consumer safety and health above their stock portfolios.

The reality is this: what food you put in your mouth will either poison or nourish your body, depending on where it comes from. If it comes from a country with no or poorly standardized food safety requirements (i.e. mercury levels in fish, pesticide use in produce, additives in frozen, processed, and or packaged foods, etc), YOU need to SERIOUSLY rethink your food choices!!

Feeding your family with safe nutritious foods means you must adopt a sustainable way of accessing the right foods for your table. In practical terms, that means finding ways to minimize waste and unnecessary costs due to spoilage and improper food storage. These quick and easy food storage tips are just the tip of the ice burg when it comes to saving money! This is why it’s so necessary to have quick and easy food storage tips and tricks handy!

Some quick  and easy tips:

1. Well-hydrated herbs will last longer and be less likely to spoil when you store them properly. Fresh herbs, like basil, asparagus, and green onions will last a good while if you store them upright in a jar of freshwater. Simply trim the stems, cover them with a piece of plastic wrap, and place them in the refrigerator for storage and use as needed.

2.  Not all fruits and veggies require refrigeration and in some instances, refrigeration affects the taste quality of some fruits and vegetables. For instance, avocados (yes, technically it’s a fruit because it has a seed y’all), citrus, bananas, nectarines, pears, peaches, onions, tomatoes, and potatoes do best outside of your fridge at room temperature or in your pantry. A quick warning though; don’t store onions and potatoes together due to the ethylene gas which can cause them to spoil each other faster.

More tips for storing fruits and veggies

3. I’ve been doing this for years ( thanks, momma), but did you know it really helps when you wrap your greens in paper towels. They’re great at preventing slimy residue from accumulating and making a science experiment in your bag of lettuce, spinach, or other leafy greens. Simply use paper towels to soak up excess moisture and lightly wrap your green in a few paper towels. This also works for leftover salad greens in food storage containers (minus the salad dressing of course).

4. Did you know wrapping your bunches of celery in foil helps it stay fresh and crunchy for up to as much as four weeks?  Yep, wrapping it up in foil and then placing it in your fridge’s crisper drawer will help extend the life of your celery. The foil does this by allowing just the right amount of moisture in, and the ethylene gas out.

5. Stop! Don’t wash all your produce at once. I know it’s counter-intuitive but it’s much better to wash your produce as you go if you want to maximize its shelf life. Unless you plan on freezing your food, you should only be washing things you’re ready to eat right away or soon after. This will reduce the chances of mold growing on damp produce.

Storing your fruits

6. Cover the crown of your bunches of bananas with plastic wrap. It helps to slow the release of that ethylene gas which is the meany responsible for breaking (the natural process that causes your product to spoil) down one of my go-to mid-morning snacks. This is a good way to preserve your bananas if you’re not going to eat them right away.

7.  Another “who’d a thunk it?” If you want to keep those berries mold-free, soak them in vinegar. If you’re not going to consume them all at once, simply quick soak your berries in a solution of three parts water, one part vinegar in order to kill bacteria and prevent molding. Once you’ve done that, give the berries a thorough pat dry and store in the fridge.

Preserving fruits and veggies

8. Another great time saver and a great way to preserve your veggies to simply roast them prior to storage. By roasting vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower,  you can extend their shelf life. Not only that, but it’s also a great meal prep tip to have cooked veggies on hand that you can quickly incorporate into any meal.

9. Fresh fruits like apricots, peaches, apples, and bananas are great for turning into dry snacks! This is one of my favorite quick and easy food storage tips because you can do this in your oven. For more on how to dry fruits in your oven read my post on “Quick and Easy Homemade Dried Fruit Treats”.

Meats and dairy storage ideas

10. Store dairy products at the back of the fridge. While it may make for easy access, keeping your milk at the front of the fridge makes it more prone to spoilage due to temperature differences. This is because the back of the fridge is colder and will, therefore, give your dairy products are longer shelf life.

11. Put your meats on the bottom shelf so that their juices don’t drip on other food items (i.e. produce, etc) and contaminate them. If space is an issue, place your meat products on a tray or inside a leak-proof container in order to catch any drippings. Better yet, prep and package your meats into manageable portions (i.e. serving sizes for soups, meals, etc) and store them in the freezer until you’re ready to cook your meals. Also, separate lunch meats from raw meats in order to prevent illness associated with cross-contamination.

Storing grains and other dry goods

12. I can’t say this enough! Store grains in air-tight containers!! While buying in bulk is a great way to save money when grocery shopping, you want to make sure that you store it correctly so the extra food doesn’t go to waste. It’s critical that you make sure to transfer your grains into an airtight container to maintain freshness and to keep out pests. Do yourself a favor by labeling your containers with the purchase dates so you’re able to keep track of expiration dates and avoid wasting stored foods.

13.  For those grains, you don’t use often, keep them in the freezer for up to six months. I like to use tough airtight BPA-free plastic or freezer-safe glass storage containers. Also, rice stores well for up to a year if you keep it in an airtight container in your pantry.

A note about your refrigerator temperatures

14. Always Double-check your fridge’s temperature especially as the seasons’ change (i.e. summer vs. winter months). You want to make sure that your fridge is set at the correct temperature and that your thermostat is in proper working order to prevent spoilage and reduce the risk of food born illnesses. The recommended temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or 5 degrees Celsius for those of you who are using the mks measurement system.

Before you go

Setting up a pantry for the first time can seem like a real chore. But, when you realize how much money you can save with adopting just a few quick and easy food storage tips, you’ll be amazed! Plus, organizing your pantry is a good way to literally “detox” your fridge and pantry. Use it as an opportunity to swap out unhealthy foods for cheap and healthy alternatives!

If you’re still not sure where to begin, grab my FREE Pantry Detox Gude GUIDE HERE

You can also get the complete Introductory Produce, Shopping Guide grab a copy HERE!!

My kitchen favorites

Having the right kitchen gadgets can save you a lot of money too! Invest in good “tools” and they’ll go a long way to saving you money and keep food prep hassle-free. You can go to my “Kitchen Favorites” page for some great ideas!

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About the author

Tonye Tariah, Holistic Health Strategist and founder of Freedom at The Crossroads Blog. She helps free women from inaction and unhealthy habits so they can get fit, healthy, and live free. Her belief is that “the cookie-cutter method only works for cookies”. This means that she helps each woman in a way that is unique to each woman. By doing this, she’s better able to help them transform their lives from the inside out. Her ultimate goal is to help women become healthy and empowered through the transformative self-care journey!

 

Quick and Easy Food Storage Tips

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I never thought I’d suffer a loss like this a second time in my own family. We always think that we have more time; that there’ll be another tomorrow to say I love you to those who mean the most to your heart. I’m so angry and filled with hurt at the fact that yet again, I find myself in this position! What makes it worse is the fact that it was so unexpected and brutal in its finality. No “goodbye”, “I love you”, or even that simple hug that I often took for granted.

 

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While I know I’m not the only one who has suffered multiple losses, I feel like no one “gets” what I’m feeling right now. All those little reminders around the house; the trinkets, the things left undone, they’re all just there!! Yeah, this is all part of the healing process but this time around it’s so much more difficult to accept and deal with.  This is part of my therapy; to try and make sense of something that is extremely difficult to accept and explain; especially to the younger ones who have been left behind.

Today this is my reality. Even in my capacity as a health strategist, I can appreciate the irony of it all; no warning, simply a multitasking woman on the go and then, BAAM! Just gone! For anyone else who has experienced such a loss, I know your pain. For the rest? Even when you do everything right in terms of your fitness and health, bad things can still happen. My therapy is making sure no more women die because they took on too much and received too little for themselves!

If I succeed in nothing else it’s this, there IS NEVER a good enough excuse to put your health and fitness at the bottom of your list of priorities because you’re simply multiplying the risk of something catastrophic happening to your own health. That’s one lesson I can share with you in the midst of my struggle as one who is left with the aftermath.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Offering/ Lead Magnet Goes Here” _builder_version=”3.0.51″ src=”http://freedomatthecrossroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Grab-Your-Pantry-Detox-Guide-As-A-GIFT-From-Us.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url=”https://tonye-tariah-health-fitness.teachable.com/p/detox-pantry-guide” url_new_window=”on” use_overlay=”off” sticky=”off” align=”center” always_center_on_mobile=”on” border_style=”solid” force_fullwidth=”off” /][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”3.0.51″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_team_member admin_label=”Author Bio” _builder_version=”3.0.51″ name=”Tonye Tariah” position=”Freedom At The Crossroads Founder” facebook_url=”https://www.facebook.com/TonyeTariahHealthStrategist/” twitter_url=”https://twitter.com/fit_and_fab2″ image_url=”http://freedomatthecrossroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/16403040_732883533553339_4010103490960637755_o.jpg” background_layout=”light” border_style=”solid” animation=”off” saved_tabs=”all”]

Tonye Tariah, Holistic Health Strategist and founder of Freedom at The Crossroads Blog, helps free women from inaction and unhealthy habits so they can get fit, healthy, and live free. Her approach is “the cookie cutter method only works for cookies,” meaning she helps each person in a unique way helps them transform their lives from the inside out. She’s not about helping you lose weight quick. She’s about changing your habits and helping you fall in love with yourself so you can live a life with pure joy.

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Moving Through Grief

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The sun is shining, the temperature is rising and it’s time to switch up your skincare regime for a new season. We all have a tendency to lose track of the fact that our skin is an organ that requires a lot of care and in some instances, it too needs a good detox!

In addition to good nutrition and exercise, you can’t escape the fact that it’s also necessary to adopt a skincare regime that is tailored to your own skin type. You also need to account for any skincare sensitivities or issues that are unique to your own biology. In other words, if you’ve got finicky skin, you need to find those products that work best for your particular skin type.

 

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Experience has shown me that the fewer ingredients present in your skincare products, the better off your skin will be in the long run. Avoid products with a ridiculously long list of ingredients as well as chemicals (i.e. talc, hydroquinone, butyl paraben, propyl paraben, etc) which can have long-term damaging effects on your body systems.

While most if not all of those listed above have been banned in Europe, the U.S. has been slow to make significant progress towards protecting consumers from potentially harmful (i.e. carcinogens, immune system disruptors, etc) chemicals lurking in our skincare products.

I always advocate knowing what’s in your food as well as what’s in your skincare products. Why? YOUR SKIN is an organ and what you put on its surface eventually makes its way into other areas of your body (i.e. other organs, etc). REMEMBER: Your skin has pores and it’s permeable, in other words, don’t put toxic crap on your skin because it will be transported to your blood stream, etc.

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So to recap; it’s not enough to exercise, eat healthy nutrient-dense foods, and incorporate mindfulness into your daily activities. You also need to ensure that you minimize your exposure to toxic and harmful chemicals in your environment. The best place to start is with your food and personal care items and work your way outwards in terms of laundry detergents, household cleaning products, etc.

If you’re not sure how or where to get started you can grab a FREE copy of my Pantry Detox Guide right HERE and start with what’s in your kitchen pantry and refrigerator!

My passion and commitment to women’s health and fitness is personal and built on my own experiences and training in healthcare, my personal journey as well as a personal tragedy! I don’t take this fight lightly because it truly is a matter of life or death; knowledge is power!

Take the journey with me to fitness, balance, and empowerment when you book your FREE 30 min clarity session with me right HERE:

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”3.0.51″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_team_member admin_label=”Author Bio” _builder_version=”3.0.51″ name=”Tonye Tariah” position=”Freedom At The Crossroads Founder” facebook_url=”https://www.facebook.com/TonyeTariahHealthStrategist/” twitter_url=”https://twitter.com/fit_and_fab2″ image_url=”http://freedomatthecrossroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/16403040_732883533553339_4010103490960637755_o.jpg” background_layout=”light” border_style=”solid” animation=”off” saved_tabs=”all”]

Tonye Tariah, Holistic Health Strategist and founder of Freedom at The Crossroads Blog, helps free women from inaction and unhealthy habits so they can get fit, healthy, and live free. Her approach is “the cookie cutter method only works for cookies,” meaning she helps each person in a unique way helps them transform their lives from the inside out. She’s not about helping you lose weight quick. She’s about changing your habits and helping you fall in love with yourself so you can live a life with pure joy.

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Your Skin Is Your Canvas: Skin Care and Detox

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