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It’s always fun to come with yummy healthy recipes that are quick and easy! Today, I spent a few minutes pondering my next creative foodie moment.Whenever I craft a recipe in my kitchen, my West African bohemian roots always come out in the mix of all my creations, often resulting in a spicy fusion of yummy-ness (* I know that’s not a word, but it works)!

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As a rule, I always try to combine healthy beneficial spices with organically (and or locally sourced) ingredients in a manner that reflects both my heritage and unique style.  For today, I’ve crafted a simple quick and healthy vegan stew using pre-cooked black beans (you can also use canned organic black beans) and crushed organic tomatoes with basil and Italian spices or you can add your own flavor profile.

Since I love spicy food, I’ve also blended in some Nigerian hot chili powder (you can use a different variety if you’re unable to find an ethnic food store that sells these type of hot chili powder) to this particular dish. Contrary to what you might think, this dish took a total of 15 mins to prepare from start to finish (once all the ingredients were assembled) and it was ready just in time for lunch! When I start to craft a dish, I always to draw on my favorite healthy spices (curry, turmeric, paprika, ginger, etc) and find creative ways to incorporate them into most if not all my dishes.

In this instance, I’ve used incorporated most of these spices into my vegan black bean stew for a quick and nutrient dense meal with enough servings to carry me through a hectic work week.

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What you’ll need to get started:

1. 1 can of (or cup of pre-cooked ) organic black beans.

2. 1/2 cup of organic quinoa (cook this separately).

3. 1 can of organic stewed crushed tomatoes (you can also buy the Italian spiced variety)

4. 1/4 of a cup of fresh basil leafs (set a few leaves to the side for garnish).

5. 3 table spoons of olive oil.

6. 1 tea spoon of curry powder

7. 1/2 tea spoon of turmeric powder

8. 2 small cloves of fresh fine chopped garlic (or 1/2 tea spoon of garlic powder).

9.  1/4 tea spoon of dried thyme ( I prefer to use a tea spoon of fresh chopped thyme).

10. 1/4 tea spoon of ginger powder

11. 1 tea spoon of hot Nigerian chili powder.

12. 1 tea spoon of allspice.

13. 1/4 cup of red onions (fine chopped).

14. 1 table spoon Braggs amino acid (or 1 table spoon of sea salt).

Cooking Instructions:

Once you’ve assembled all of your ingredients, place your pot on medium heat and add your olive oil once the pot is well heated. Next, begin to add your spices to the hot olive oil in order to release and fully mix your spices together. Once you’ve done this, add the chopped onions and garlic, allowing them to briefly simmer until translucent. You can then incorporate the crushed tomatoes and allow this to further simmer over medium heat. Next, add your black beans and stir as you add the chopped basil to the final mixture. Bon appetite!

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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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A nostalgic spin on Nigerian breakfast foods

It’s no secret that I love food, and I love food that is well done and prepared with soul! Having my roots in West Africa means that I love it spicy, exotic, and of course, healthy. Preparing healthy and sustainable meals is not difficult if you take the time to prioritize your health by planning out your meals, sourcing healthy and pesticide-free produce, meats, etc as well as eliminating or minimizing processed foods from your kitchen. This Nigerian fusion omelet is full of spice and lots of healthy ingredients!

My family’s version of this Nigerian fusion omelet:

Today I’m providing a sneak peek into my kitchen with this spicy omega-rich Nigerian-style omelet. keep in mind that most if not all the ingredients are either locally sourced, organic, and sustainable! To begin with, you can’t have your Nigerian-inspired omelet without smoked sardines in olive oil (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!) and fresh scotch bonnet peppers because these two ingredients are important aspects of this particular flavor profile. Listed below are all the necessary ingredients for putting your own unique spin on a favorite meal back home!

Ingredients for your Nigerian fusion omelet:

Smoked canned sardines in olive oil

Farm fresh eggs (local or organic will do the job as well)

Scotch bonnet peppers (use 1/2 of one small pepper if you can’t tolerate a lot of spice), chopped fine.

medium bell pepper (color is irrelevant), finely diced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup of finely chopped basil (this is an added ingredient for a deeper flavor and nutrient profile)

1/4 Teaspoon of dried thyme (1/8 cup, fresh and finely chopped)

1/2 teaspoon of curry powder

1/4 teaspoon of spicy paprika

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder (you can also use fresh garlic that is finely minced)

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

1/8 teaspoon of turmeric powder

1/8 teaspoon of cumin powder

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Cooking Instructions for Nigerian Fusion Omelet:

Once all the ingredients are prepped, simply warm your skillet, add the two tablespoons of olive oil (allow it to fully heat), and then add your aromatic spices and gently mix them in the pan. This will allow the flavor to fully express even as you add the other ingredients to the omelet.

Next, combine your chopped ingredients with the mixture and gently sauteé for two to three minutes at medium heat, and then incorporate your smoked sardines. Finally, whip together your eggs with a bit of salt and fully incorporate this mixture into the sauteéd ingredients.  The final step is to gently turn the omelet on each side to cook for 2 minutes or based on your preference (i.e. some people enjoy an omelet that is looser than others).

For a more authentic flavor, I also add two tablespoons of almond milk for a creamier texture but you can use canned evaporated tin milk for the authentic flare of how we do it back home! Enjoy!

Final thoughts regarding fusion recipes

Regardless of how “traditional” a recipe might be, everyone adds a little bit of “themselves” to their version. Most folks have their own version of this spicy Nigerian fusion omelet recipe that reflects both regional and local influences. When I was a child, my mom fused her own background to the recipes she cooked; often adding a little bit of black American influences to a lot of her dishes. This version of my Nigerian fusion omelet reflects a lot of my childhood faves and now you can add your flare to this recipe as well! Also, for another quick and healthy recipe check out this post

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Before you embark on that “fitness journey”, there are two things you need to ask yourself: 1. Why am I doing this? 2. What do I want to gain by the end of this process? (what’s your purpose). If you’re still scratching your heads on that one let me help you by giving you the definition of both “why” and “purpose”. The word why refers to a reason or explanation for carrying out a certain action, while the word purpose means a fixed design or outcome; a fixed intention.

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We’re all guilty of jumping into things without fully understanding or gathering enough information before we embark on a course of action.  This varies from person to person but my point is,  really think about why you need to do this otherwise, it just becomes an exercise in futility!

Two questions you need to ask yourself before you sign up for a personal trainer are:
1. Why am I doing this?
2. What is my purpose for taking this journey?

A lot of times we set ourselves up for failure because we either don’t ask the right questions or we don’t have an objective in mind. As the saying goes, “if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there!”

Plus, are you doing all of “this” for the right reasons; in other words,  what’s the driving force behind this decision? Once, again this brings me back to the whole notion of digging deep inside to figure what it is that you really want for yourself and is it in alignment with your needs as an individual. For instance, if I say I’m going to lose weight simply because I’m tired of feeling judged by other “people”, is not going to keep me motivated or determined to achieve the end goal. As a matter of fact, it’s more likely to frustrate and depress me and ultimately leaving me worse off.

Also, if you’re struggling to find time for yourself (i.e. self-care ), you’re less likely to make informed decisions about your fitness and health. Afterall, when you put yourself at the bottom of your list of priorities, you’re out of gas by the time you get to figure out your own needs, a.k.a. clueless!

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Having said of all of that, there is nothing wrong with signing up for a gym membership or even going so far as to hire a personal trainer. This is especially true if you’re not sure where to start or you’ve  been off your routine for a long time (form trumps number reps every time). All of this ties into your needs and vision for this entire transformation process and why it’s so important that you ask yourself the hard questions.

At the end of the day, you can have all of the support, latest tech, and gadgets but if you are embarking on this journey for the wrong reasons you will fail. You will fail not because it was too hard or you lacked the will power, you will fail because you didn’t have a clearly defined why and purpose at the fore front of your path.

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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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We all know exercise is good for us but most of us either don’t get enough of it or none at all! At the start of every new year or season, gyms are flooded with people hoping to lose weight and get healthy. The sad truth is that more than 80% of those who start a gym membership stop going (i.e. get discouraged, etc) and fail to meet those fitness and weight loss goals!

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At the risk of being bombarded with emails to the contrary, I stand by this statement (plus, I do have the facts to back this up!). I spent several fruitless and frustrating years and yes money, on a gym membership hoping to lose the extra pounds around my waistline as well to get on track with my fitness and health. Like any other sane individual, I eventually got tired of spinning my wheels on that particular hamster wheel going nowhere and came to the realization that, I had been pedaled a load of hog wash by good marketing, old-school celebrity trainers and a sometimes well-meaning media that often miseducates rather than inform!

For a while, I faithfully went to the gym, attended group classes with ambitious names (extreme kickboxing, power yoga, etc) and even signed up for private sessions with a personal trainer. By the end of few weeks, I was frustrated, sore, and burned out without any real results. I knew I couldn’t expect overnight progress, but I should have felt more energized and balanced; the opposite was the case! Instead of feeling enthusiastic, energized and more in tune with both my mind and body, I felt like a failure and working out was becoming a real chore! I had personal trainers telling me to sign up for more sessions, take this or that “supplement” and “rinse and repeat”!

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Okay, I told myself. Enough is enough and I’m done with the crazy gimmicky, one-trick pony approach to trying to make change happen! After several failed attempts at the gym (I know, going to the gym works for some people, but it’s not for everyone) I decided to become my own advocate and solution bringer. I actually asked myself some hard questions, looked in the mirror and took the steps I needed to effect those necessary life changes, by educating myself about fitness and health in a way that  made sense for not just me but would make sense to the average busy woman out there who was also tired of “cookie-cutter” approaches that are nothing more than a source of frustration and failure!

I was done with allowing the media and marketing to dictate my health rather than providing true and sustainable solutions to real health concerns. What ultimately led to my transformation was an actual internal shift in mindset that radiated outward into all areas of my life; an approach to my personal health by making a much-needed shift in mind-body engagement. Few people in the fitness industry will tell you that real fitness and health, begins in the mind and is sustained by making that mind-body connection that works from the inside out. Boom! So simple and yet so complex; but once you get it, you’re unstoppable and well on your way to a healthier version of you!

Now for all of those people who are still stumbling along in the dark; get off the crazy train start your journey by asking yourself the following questions:

1. What do I want my life to look like?
2. What do I see when I look in the mirror
3. Am I healthy enough to get there?
4. Am I worth it?

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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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Over last few weeks have been a roller-coaster of emotions. I have experienced creative highs as well as some dark days filled with sorrow. Nevertheless, I must express my heart today. I am beyond thankful and humbled by all the outpouring of support and engagement that has been directed towards me and my blog space. How do you define a moment when you achieve a major milestone in your life or a pivotal moment along the course of your journey?

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I feel vindicated and freed by my commitment to be authentic and real with everyone who visits and engages with me in this space. While it hasn’t been all sweetness and roses (but really, when is that ever the case in life?), I say thank you.  Sometimes we fail to see the impact we have on the lives around us, but it is real and makes a difference. My dream and passion have always been to impact as many lives as possible in this world. A life of purpose and passion will always cultivate growth and so I say, please accept my thanks and gratitude for blessing this space with your diversity of thought and discourse.

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The growth of this site is a testament to the authenticity and diversity of thought and discourse! Through thoughtful and humane engagement with my fellow global citizens, I continue to press forward to creating and maintaining a space where growth, mindfulness, and life lived to the fullest is encouraged. May your journey be one of growth, power, and fulfillment as you allow yourself to get comfortable with being uncomfortable!

Blessings,

T.I.B.👣

[/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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Women behaving badly (“female toxicity”)

Today I decided to express my thoughts on a troubling and destructive behavior I’ve come across in recent weeks. While I know that a number of women often fall victim to the comparison monster and their images of self,  I’ve never grown accustomed to those who choose to victimize other women (aka female toxicity). They do this instead of seeking the necessary healing and personal development they need in order to break free from these destructive practices!

What do I mean?

Well, I’m referring to a toxic interaction I had with another female author on the issue of “fat-shaming” and it’s effects on women who have been victimized by it. In our discussion, this individual chooses to engage in a form of cyberbullying rather than express her opinions and move on (i.e. agree to disagree). It is never a good or honorable thing to project one’s issues, pain, insecurities, or perceived shortcomings, onto another individual regardless of your stance on a particular topic!

A little bit of what women and girls face daily

Women face a constant barrage of “noise” and obstacles. We often face gender inequality, skewed images of beauty, and misogyny from both society and media.  I refuse to be silent in the face of such toxicity without both challenging and speaking to the issue of bullying in larger terms. We live in an age where hate is being normalized and misogyny is being masqueraded as “plain speaking” or “politically incorrect”.  Even body-shaming (fat-shaming and body shaming in general terms), is being viewed as appropriate, justified, humorous, and everyday speech!

I’m never okay with a bully!

I can recall an old African proverb that states “Ashes fly back into the face of him (or in this case, her) who throws them.” It is my hope that all the “adults” in this digital space, have made the same calculation and are evolved enough to state their cases. Just, move on without trying to demean or bully (i.e. engage in female toxicity) others in the process.

It is true that in some instances, the abused often becomes the abuser for a variety of reasons (unresolved pain points, lack of treatment, etc). I’ll leave it there because I feel this is best left to the experts out there.

We have all been wounded at some point in our lives, but the real victory, healing, and wholeness (i.e. growth) come from facing and or addressing our issues. Rather than projecting with the aim of deriving relief through the victimization of others, get some healing!  Experience and observation have shown me that this is neither healthy nor sustainable. Ultimately, it is self-destructive and creates an inauthentic and damaged version of self.

Crabs in a barrel mentality

For women, that “need” to compare ourselves to other women with the desperate hope of becoming “her” or tearing “her” down will never fill that “hole”. Female toxicity is often left by wounds that have been left to fester through either neglect, ignorance, choice, or some combination of all three. Add to that the dimension of socio-cultural pressures, and it becomes a toxic yoke that calls for a level of internal work that is difficult to achieve without professional help.

The “Suck”

That also depends on the amount of “deep work” needed and a willingness to embrace the “suck”. While I’m intimately acquainted with being both victim and perpetrator of this, I made the personal commitment and decision to get off of that crazy train embrace my authentic self. Yes, I had to embrace my flaws and free myself in the process.

The media and culture’s contribution to this toxicity

Every day, I see a stream of images and myths from both the media and society. Then, I make the decision to own who I am and not allow anyone else to dictate my truth. We all have to make that decision, the question is, are you willing to grow? To regress into bitterness, pain, and destruction?  Or do you chose to live a life of freedom and authenticity? For me, that’s an easy decision!

Final thoughts 

Female toxicity is a problem we’ve been dealing with for a while. I also, know that we are all at different stages in our personal growth and life journeys. The fact is, we have choices and while they might not all be the ones we would like or find comfortable, we still have to choose! I hope you pick ones that honor the dignity of all humans and foster growth instead of chaos and narrow mindedness. Be careful of what you allow to grow in your “garden”.

Before you go!

A good start towards breaking that cycle is through radical self-care. You can read more right here in“14 Ways To Love Yourself 365 Days A Year”!

Also, detox your kitchen pantry” and grab my FREE Pantry Detox Gude GUIDE HERE!

Want to eat more healthily? Get my Introductory Produce, Shopping Guide grab a copy HERE!!

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. 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!

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!

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!

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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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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:

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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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Setting boundaries is something that is huge for me, moving into a new month! Lately, I find myself butting heads with the notion of setting boundaries versus barriers and knowing the difference between the two. Too often, we default to creating barriers to own success or growth out of fear or insecurity. We often deceive ourselves into thinking (and accepting) it was the former rather than the later.

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It’s never easy when you find you have to call yourself out on your own B.S., but there you go! Better to call it out at the onset than to find yourself stagnating in the quagmire of your own crap having missed on opportunities and life. So what’s the big deal? What does it even mean when we say, setting boundaries and not, barriers? First, let’s get the dictionary definition of “boundary” and “barrier” to get some clarity. According to the online edition of Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, “a boundary is something that shows where an area ends and another area begins; a point or limit that indicates where two things become different.”

Making the distinction between setting boundaries versus boundaries

On the other hand, a barrier is defined as “something that prevents or blocks movement from one place to another; a law, rule, problem, etc., that makes something difficult or impossible.” Some might ask, why the exercise in definitions that seem relatively self-explanatory? I say, there’s a lot to be learned here; namely, your mindset plays a huge role in how you relate to other people, things, and ultimately, your lifestyle. I say this because our mindset often determines whether or not we see an opportunity before us or an obstacle or barrier.

In the context of health and wellness, the notion of self-care is seen as either an opportunity for personal renewal and growth or an obstacle to one’s achieving the completion of a set of tasks, to-do lists, etc. In this setting, your health will ALWAYS be the loser when it’s stacked against that venerable to-do list which always seems to take priority over everything else in our lives. This list I might add, that we often hide behind out of fear, uncertainty, doubt or inadequacy (at least in our own minds). This is where the shift in mindset needs to come into play!

When you realize and accept that those “tasks, to-do’s”, etc, will always be there (yes people, that’s the cycle of life; nothing ever really stops until it ceases to exist so get used to it) you can release yourself from that false sense of control that you’ve allowed yourself to be imprisoned by. The truth is, your health and fitness are central to manifesting your vision for your life because without them (a.k.a mind-body-spirit in balance) there is little hope of seeing that through to fruition.

Balance as a central feature to setting boundaries

Balance is one of the central features of a fit and healthy lifestyle and that’s why I never stop stressing the centrality of this phenomena to my clients. If you want true and sustainable health (i.e. mind-body-spirit) bringing all aspects of yourself needs to be brought into alignment. If you’re already at the point of tapping out and saying “enough is enough and time to get off the hamster wheel going nowhere” then, welcome to the beginning of your journey to self-discovery, fitness, and health! Too many times we say we’re too “busy” to “indulge” in self-care but that’s merely a choice (yes, you always have a choice) to continue down a path that has no good end or resolution. Bottom line? Setting boundaries is crucial to your overall health and wellbeing.

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When you say you’re “busy” it actually means that you don’t have “time” to take care of yourself and the things that really matter (i.e. living a full and healthy life, etc). The truth is that you are merely existing and not living! When you are out of alignment on all levels (mind, body, spirit), that manifests as a breakdown in both your physical and mental health; illness and disease begin to impact the whole.

This is at the crux of what it means in setting boundaries vs. barriers. It means making space for self-care and nourishing your mind and body and separating those destructive elements or forces that will take you and your health out of alignment. Realizing that this is not “selfish” but a necessity and indicates a level of growth few are willing to work at achieving (but that’s another topic for discussion). As women, we are constantly pushed and pulled in several directions as we strive to live up to the  ideas of other people and society; the freedom and growth comes when we release ourselves from this when we get “comfortable with being uncomfortable” as we address those internal issues and wounds that we have allowed to fester.

Growth and healing are not always comfortable or easy; in fact, they often require a level of exposure and examination that make uncomfortable seem like a cake walk but it’s necessary if you want to achieve your authentic self. The other alternative? Continue to merely exist and remain a slave to your fears and perceptions of the outside world. What a choice huh? For more on this read “why it’s so hard for women to self-care” right here.

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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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