Empowered selfcare, lifestyle strategies & coaching
For me, nothing says self-care like a homemade creamy avocado face mask. My unending love affair with avocados, won’t be over anytime soon, lol! Today I decided to share one of my go-to Avocado face masks that are great for a dewy complexion and a …
The Black Experience in America has not been easy! As a result of the civil unrest that we are currently facing, I decided to pull together some books to shed light on this topic. These protests largely brought on by the murder of an unarmed …
You probably know I’m a little cray when it comes to smoothies! I like most of my recipes to colorful, loaded with flavor and this super green recovery smoothie does not disappoint! This delicious beverage is loaded with some of my favorite recovery ingredients
In general, a smoothie is a great way to take in a complex mix of dense greens, fiber, and nutrients on the go! If you are pressed for time at the beginning of your day, then a superfood smoothie will usually fill you up, keep you energized and your body flooded with nutrients needed to support good health.
Also, if drinking “straight” water really isn’t your thing (i.e. the thought of drinking water when you are thirsty, makes you almost gag, etc), then a smoothie will help you on that front too! You might also like my other green smoothie recipes right here and here!
No need to worry, this recipe will only take you about 5 minutes from start to finish once you have your ingredients assembled and ready to go. To cut down prep time, I tend to use a combination of both fresh and frozen organic fruits.
1/4 tsp ashwagandha root powder.
1/2 tsp moringa powder.
A med size banana.
1 TSP honey.
A tsp organic bee pollen.
1/4 tsp cinnamon.
1/4 tsp ginger powder.
About those ingredients:
1. Bananas contain manganese (skinfood), potassium (heart-healthy), aid digestion, and give you energy.
2. Spirulina is nutrient-dense, a powerful antioxidant, antiinflammatory, has anti-cancer properties, detoxes heavy metals, and boost your immune system.
3. Ginger reduces inflammation, lowers cancer risks, contains anti-aging properties, reduces stomach discomfort, lowers bad cholesterol, boost immunity, and wards off hypertension.
4. Ashwagandha supports brain health, provides immune support, alleviates stress, anxiety, and helps with weight management. Ashwagandha is also a powerful adaptogen, promoting thyroid hormone balance as well as muscle strengthening and recovery.
5. Honey has been used for centuries because of it’s medicinal properties which include the fact that it is antimicrobial, rich in antioxidants, helps improve cholesterol, and lowering blood pressure, just to name a few.
6. Although less widely know, moringa powder nourishes the skin and hair, protects the liver, is antibacterial, and is a strong antioxidant.
7. Cinnamon also packs a healthy punch! A powerful antioxidant in its own right, cinnamon is also antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, improves insulin sensitivity, and lowers blood sugar levels.
8. Bee pollen is one of my favorite addons but if you’re allergic to it, you can definitely substitute it for another superfood like turmeric. Bee pollen helps relieve inflammation, strengthens the immune system, eases symptoms of menopause, and is an awesome stress reducer!
Like I said, super green smoothies can literally mean the difference between supporting your body’s optimal health and fitness or succumbing to disease. The choice is yours, but I’m going to continue to stack the deck in my favor. I’m also convinced that incorporating real healing ingredients like these, can go a long way toward improved health and healing. Part of living a quality life is having a body that has everything it needs to keep you living the best of what life has to offer! Your health is the “REAL” wealth in this world.
Also, if you haven’t grabbed your copy yet, click the links below for two of my most popular resources to get you eating your way to a healthy life!!
FREE Pantry Detox Gude GUIDE HERE
For the complete Introductory Produce, Shopping Guide grab a copy HERE!!
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 and a healthy lifestyle!
Have you ever tried an immunity boosting smoothie before? This is a time when everyone should be hyper-aware of their health! Do you realize that our bodies and ultimately our lives, literally depends on our ability to fight off infection and disease? As a child, …
If we’re honest, we all love to get something special for Valentine’s Day! But, have you ever tried gifting yourself with some TLC? My 14 Ways to love yourself this Valentine’s Day, flips the script on the usual! Nurture yourself and stop giving from an …
This Bridge Called My Back is one book that I just could not put down. Last summer I spent a large block of time, focusing on reading and personal development. To say it was a journey would be an understatement. Some of the power of this book has to do with the fact that it not only looks at women’s personal development and empowerment, but it’s also about the generational struggle that women of color grapple with on a daily basis. While my list consists of books like Brené Brown’s Rising Strong, to other powerful collection of stories such as those found in Unleashing Her Wild, This Bridge Called My Back, continues to draw me back into its pages.
This Bridge Called My Back, speaks of ”everything” mainstream /traditional feminism does not. It is all-inclusive. It is raw, powerful and at the same time, nourishing. This book lays out the pivotal differences between mainstream/ traditional feminism, a space occupied by seemingly ”woke” white women who grudgingly share the stage and fruits of bloody activism with WOC (women of color).
A book that fearlessly delves into the ugly foundations of this nation’s past, This Bridge Called My Back talks about a very different form of feminist philosophy and discourse. This ”feminism” (Womanism) is a very different beast. Through the various essays and stories retold by the collection of authors, it’s very clear that the ”feminism” embraced by black women, women of the diaspora, and the broader collective of WOC is inclusive of transgender women, ALL women, as well as the marginalized (this inclusivity of others that have been marginalized is a demonstrated characteristic of the “nurturing” aspect of womanism), at the intersection of racial, social, economic and environmental equality justice.
Womanism/ black feminism embraces and tries to lift all voices of women and the marginalized at the intersection of race, gender, and equality. In short, there’s no room for ”privileged” feminism also known as “white women ”wokeness” masquerading as feminist inclusivity and gender equity. After all, it’s that same “feminism” that appropriated the #MeToo Movement started by a black woman, and subsequently erased her and the voices she represented from the political stage and table of discourse. But, we’ll revisit that story at a later date.
I think this is arguably more relevant today or at the very least, as relevant now as it was when it was originally written and published more than 30 years ago. It speaks to the ugly truth about the founding of both this nation and society, that many in places of power are unwilling and or are afraid to shine a light on. If you truly want to be ”schooled” on what it means to be a ”wild woman”, a woman-who-runs-with-the-wolves, a bad-ass-bitch, etc, then THIS is one of the books that will take you there! For a complete ”edu-ma-cation” you’ll have to accompany this fiery book with Angela Y. Davis’ “Women, Race & Class” but that’s only if you can handle that level of truth!
Having said that, I challenge every woman across the globe, to open her mind, reach across the empty and war-torn spaces to create change. Be that change WE truly want to see in this world. To make it a place where equality, social justice, and basic human dignity is non-negotiable and where ALL are both worthy and enough!
If you haven’t checked it out already, don’t forget to read my review on Unleashing Her Wild, another awesome read for women everywhere. Also, head over to my virtual bookshelf at amazon.com for more fiery female-focused reads right here!
I’ve also begun to slowly add to my list of favorite lifestyle must-haves, etc on amazon so definitely head over to amazon.com to see what I’m adding to my stash and feel free to offer your own suggestions and favorites to the mix. It’s time to get “whole” healthy and undomesticated!!
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!
One of the most striking features about “Unleashing Her Wild” is the level of discomfort and raw truth you experience within these pages. Each story draws you into experience life-changing events for each of these women. I cried and I got angry. In some instances, …
My go-to meal on the go! We all know that we should eat better to live better! But when you’re busy and running around trying to check off all of your to-dos, the quality of the food you put into your “temple”, tends to suffer. …
I know how difficult it is to find time to actually practice self-care. Like most women around the world, each day is usually a constant balancing act of taking care of other people, their expectations, and a whole slew of obligations! Regardless of what corner of the world we live in, selfcare is difficult for women to varying degrees.
There are few women in the real world, who can say they are always able to make time for their self-care needs and without the guilt and burden of constantly trying to live up to the expectations of others (including society). For every woman that has struggled to break free from that cycle of guilt around making time for their own self-care and their needs in general, it really is “all in your head!”. Yes, selfcare is difficult for women-especially if you’re trying to first meet the needs and expectations of other people, etc.
Let’s be clear, doing for both family and community is something we should all aspire to but that is not to say that one should neglect one’s own wellbeing. Historically, women have had to choose between their own self-care and the needs of others. That’s in addition to the demands made by society and culture.
The self-care movement was birthed during the anti-war and civil rights movements. It has it’s origins in the medical sphere as both physicians and academicians were looking at strategies to mitigate the effects of high-stress work environments on healthcare workers. Later on, it transformed into a broader movement as it became politicized during the civil rights and women’s movement of the ’60s and early ’70s.
1. Start saying “NO”! I know it sounds easy, but I also know how difficult it is to do this when you have been conditioned and silenced by society for so long. Like most women, I put my needs, desires, and health far below that of family and other obligations. I also watched women in my family and lineage suffer the same fate. Experience has shown me that the only way to break the cycle is to start with the word “NO”. Believe it or not, this one word contains a lot of power and has the effect of shaking up the status quo and activates a place in your core that has long been silent and ineffectual.
2. Know what it means to have boundaries and create them (if you don’t know). It starts with self-discovery and identifying what is in alignment with your inner self versus what is in violation of those core beliefs and or elements.
3. Stop asking for permission to self-care. Again, sounds pretty straight forward but it will surprise you to find out how much resistance you encounter when you begin to assert yourself and enforce your boundaries!
4. Take ownership of your entire self (i.e. self-acceptance) including the good, the bad and the ugly. After all, if you don’t accept yourself, you can not expect anyone else to do so either.
As I mentioned earlier, be prepared for some push-back when you begin to use your voice and as you put your boundaries in place. That being said, the freedom and level of transformation are more than worth it!
One of the most meaningful gains from this process is empowerment. Freedom from self-sabotage and servitude to other people’s expectations is no small accomplishment. Especially when it means regaining your power and ability to speak your truth without the fear of being judged or shamed into silence. Click this link to find out more about how to break the cycle of O.P.E!
At the end of the day, if you don’t value your health and wellbeing, no one else will. That’s the harsh truth of the matter. If you’re struggling to come up with good selfcare ideas in the midst of this global “lockdown, read “14 Ways To Love Yourself 365 Days A Year”14 Ways To Love Yourself This Valentine’s Day
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!
[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.0.51″][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image” _builder_version=”3.0.51″ src=”http://freedomatthecrossroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IMG_9463.png” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” always_center_on_mobile=”on” border_style=”solid” force_fullwidth=”off” /][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.0.51″ background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” border_style=”solid” text_font_size=”18″] Are you an undomesticated woman? Do you know what the word domesticated means? I mean as it pertains …
