NATURAL PASSION

A natural passion is anything that your mind, body and spirit gravitate to organically. It’s not a fad or a phase. It’s something you love regardless of outside influences. Your natural passions are pieces of the puzzle in forming your identity and they help you to establish a true sense of self. As for me I'm a lover of words, a student of life, a seeker of good health and an admirer of art and beauty. These are my passions.

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HEALTH(IER) JUNK FOOD - RAW ALMOND BUTTER CUPS

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THE DIRTY DOZEN

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DASHIKI MEMORY

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GRILLED JERK CHICKEN AND AVOCADO SANDWICH

GRILL IT UP BUT KEEP IT HEALTHY - http://anaturalpassion.blogspot.ca

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PASSION FOR BEAUTY

BLACK SOAP - ALATA SAMINA

So as many of you already know I spent one glorious month basking in Ghana's hot beautiful sun.  And as most of you also know, I was a little heartbroken to leave my Mother Land and return home.  The only consolation of me leaving Ghana is that I came back to Canada with a few goodies.  Actually, I should say more than a few, it was more like one full suitcase of goodies.  I packed my suitcase full of beauty products, including the ever amazing black soap. What makes this product so amazing you ask?  Well, here are my top five reasons why I think everyone should give black soap aka Alata Samina (AH-LA-TA SAH-MEH-NAH) a try.

This soap is all natural and organic (beware of imitators!).  Made from the ash of plant based items including plantain skins, cocoa pods and palm kernels these items are then combined with with oils such as coconut and shea butter to help nourish the skin.  

Black soap is rich in vitamin A and E, as well as to iron

Black soap can be used as both a body soap and a shampoo

This soap is said to be sensitive enough to treat skin conditions such as acne, eczema and psoriasis 

This soap does more than just pamper your skin.  Certain suppliers of black soap are fair trade and help to support women co-ops who source and make the soap

So next time you're at your local African supply store give alata samina a try.  Or, even better, next time your in Ghana don't forget to pack a whole suitcase of this stuff for your trip home!

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PASSION FOR PLACES

          I'm way overdue in posting on my Tumblr page.  After being away for a month, I think I'm finally getting my groove back and re-adjusting back into my old routine.  It also doesn't hurt that I found my inspiration to blog again from Pedestrian Sunday's at Kensington market.  This past weekend has truly served as the inspiration I needed to  to reconnect with my blog and continue to share all things I'm passionate about.  I have a DEEP passion for Kensington market.  I can even say with confidence that it's probably my #1 place in TO.  Kens is truly a reflection all things that I love about Toronto - it's culturally diverse, its free spirited and it unabashedly accepts anyone and everyone.  I really love my city and days like Sunday at Kensington Market really make me fall in love with it just that much more.

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LATE NIGHT DECLARATIONS

Capturing the moments...

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Aren't Larteh kids beautiful?

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PASSION FOR PLACES

                                   Sunday before our Grandmother's church memorial service

Ghana is AMAZING!  I can't believe that it took me 26 years to come home.  But none the less, I'm here and I'm enjoying my family everything else that Ghana has to offer. So far I've mainly been in Accra but I did have the chance to go to my family's hometown of Larteh for my grandmother's funeral.  Although sad that my grandmother is no longer with us, I do have to say that her funeral was really beautiful.  About 100 family members and over 300 guests showed up for the 3 day celebration.  

Besides the beautiful celebration of my grandma's life, I also have to say that the village of Larteh itself is ridiculously gorgeous (so gorgeous in fact that I'm going back this weekend to take more pics). If you don't know where Larteh is, let me tell you that it should definitely be on your 'travel destination' list.  It's a village located at the top of a mountain that overlooks Ghana's landscape.  The road to get to Larteh is pretty crazy though, it's so narrow that it'll either make you feel like you're driving into the clouds or about to fall off a cliff, depending on your love of heights or not.  All in all this past weekend was a great experience. I loved being with my family, taking in the scenery and most importantly I loved being able to partake in celebrating my grandmother's life.

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PASSION FOR FOOD

MEATLESS MONDAY

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It's Tuesday but I like the name 'Meatless Monday' so I'm sticking with it. Irrespective of what catchy name I use the outcome still remains the same - going without meat for at least one day a week is not only good for you but is also good for our planet.  

Personally, I found this task to be easy.  I've always considered myself a Flexitarian anyways, so even though I do eat meat it's not a necessary part of my diet.  However, for those of you out there who are daily carnivores (side note - Dad + Bro, this post is for  you!), here are a few reasons why it's good to give up meat at least once a week.

Less meat in you equals less meat on you - Studies have shown that those who have lower meat intakes tend to weigh less.  Be careful not to go overboard on your carb intake though, try instead to stick to fruits, veggies, grains, beans and nuts

No meat, no stress! - Reducing your intake of meat increases your chances of preventing diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer

Let your creativity flow - Scrapping meat from your diet at least once a week encourages you to become a little more creative in the kitchen.  Why not try a meatless version of your favorite meal? Or even create an amazing vegetarian recipe from scratch

Veggies help you stay cool - No, eating more veggies will not improve your sense of style.  What I mean by cool is that eating less meat helps to curb global warming by reducing greenhouse gases and other enviro problems

Saving money is a good thing - Let's be real, meat is expensive.  Reduce your meat intake and save a few dollars.  That's not a bad deal if you ask me

TIP: Just because it's vegetarian/vegan doesn't mean it's healthy.  Try to minimize your consumption of pre-packaged vegetarian meals which can potentially be loaded with salt, sugar, saturated fat and other artificial junk

What's your natural passion?

Efia

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PASSION FOR HAIR

Time for a change...

My hair is screaming for a change! As much as I love my hair, both my hair and I know that it's time to switch things up a bit.  After 8 years of having the same look, give or take a few inches, I'm ready to try something else on for size.  My two choices are locs or a teeny weeny afro (twa).

Both looks are amazing but both looks also make me a little nervous. Locs are beautiful and twa are sexy but both are also not what I'm used to. What if I miss wearing my fro big and wild? What if I miss my length?  What if I look like a teenage boy with a twa?  Yeah, the last question is a bit dramatic I admit..but still...  

Obviously I'm not ready to make drastic hairstyle changes yet, but definitely, absolutely for sure, change is coming.  I'll keep you posted on what style I choose...

What's your natural passion?

Efia

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PASSION FOR HEALTH

LEMONS - MAKE SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST LEMONADE

              Lemons, nothing fancy but definitely a great addition to your household.  I'm talking about the fruit straight from Mother Nature herself and not the artificial bottled stuff.  Slice it, squeeze it, use it.  

Here are 5 great uses for lemons:

Want to stay healthy?  Lemons are high in vitamin C which means they help to boost your immune systems in order to fight off colds and other nasties

Want to feel better?  If you still happen to get sick, drinking warm lemon tea with honey helps to soothe your throat and ease congestion due to honey and lemon's antibacterial properties

Want to eliminate bloating and indigestion?  Drinking warm lemon water 30 mins before meals promotes better digestion by encouraging the liver to produce bile which is critical for the digestion process

Want to stay regular?  Uncomfortable yet? Remember we all do it or at least should do it once or twice a day.  If you're not then try drinking warm lemon water first thing in the morning as it helps increase peristaltic action and promote bowel movements

Want an all natural cleaning solution?  Lemons on their own or combined with other all natural items like baking soda, borax and vinegar create amazing all natural cleaning solution that work just as well as the commercial brands, minus all the toxic chemicals

TIP:  Skip buying the overpriced grocery store lemons and try out your local farmers market where you'll be able to get your lemons PLUS all your other fruits and veggies at amazingly cheaper prices.

What's your natural passion?

Efia

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PASSION FOR BEAUTY

SHEA BUTTER

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I like to think of myself as an amateur mixtress.  I create lotions and potions and all sorts of beauty concoctions using my stash of all natural products.  Although I do love the majority of my oils, essential oils and butters equally, one product that does stand out head and shoulders above the rest is shea butter.  This multi-faceted product can be used for just about everything - you can use it in skin products, in hair products and, if you're feeling daring, you can even use it to cook (I take no responsibility for those who are daring enough to cook with it though...just putting that out there!).

But if you still need more convincing as to why shea is amazing, then here are another 5 reasons why this butter is worth your while:

Shea butter is a natural vitamin A and vitamine E cream - this means it helps to make skin look younger, while also protecting skin from environmental damage 

The cinnamic acid in shea butter provides UV protection from the damaging rays of the sun

Shea butter has anti-inflammatory properties which help to heal damaged scalps and also help prevent dandruff

The high content of fatty acids in shea butter helps to seal moisture into the hair.  TIP - shea butter works best on clean or freshly washed hair.  Applying it to hair that needs to be cleansed will leave hair looking dull and feeling limp 

Last but not least, shea butter is women's gold - A large proportion of the sourcing and extracting of shea butter is done by women in rural regions of West Africa.  This enables these women to become gainfully employed in order to support themselves and their families

What's your natural passion?

Efia

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LATE NIGHT DECLARATIONS

Capturing a moment in time...

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PASSION FOR HEALTH

AVOCADO: MY SUPERFOOD 

            I was having trouble deciding if I should put this post under a 'health' tag, a 'recipe' tag, a 'hair' tag or even 'beauty' tag.  The reason for my dilemma is because this fruit is just that multi-talented.  Here are my five reason why I feel that this alligator pear is an amazing superfood:

Avocado oil contains high fat which helps to nourish and adds moisture to your skin and strands.  Preparation for hair and skin treatments are as simple as mixing it in with your favorite conditioner or mashing it into some oatmeal for an amazing facial treatment 

Avocados contain carotenoid antioxidants which provide anti aging protection to the cells in the body

The high fat in avocados also help keep inflammation under control, lower heart disease and and help to increase our absorption of fat soluble nutrients

These pears can be used in salads, salsa, made into dips, puddings and even smoothies

No prep time required.  It's as simple as cutting an avocado in half, spooning out the centre and scooping it out of its skin with a spoon.  Can't get much easier then that

What's your natural passion?

Efia

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PASSION FOR LIFE

GROWING OLDER

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So my birthday is around the corner.  This birthday is a big one for me because I'm hitting a so called 'milestone' in the numbers game.  Although I'm happy to be healthy and alive (thank God), I do still have some ambivalent feelings towards dipping into another age bracket.  Nonetheless, on the day of my born day I plan on embracing my new age with open arms, a big smile and a new outfit.

What's your natural passion?

Efia

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LATE NIGHT DECLARATIONS

Practicing my photography skills...