Instagram story viewer> @_amax_> Posts

Amaka Onyenokwe

@_amax_

2.1K

followers

2745

following

Free spirit✨
Multidisciplinary Creative ✨
Founder & CD | @116_kitchen ✨
Host | Conversations With Amaka ✨
Wellness | Food | Nutrition Advocate ✨

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

DECEMBER | The Last Chapter

Ending the year grounded.

Starting the month aligned.

Here’s to shedding, clarity, and becoming.

@showdemcamp weren’t playing with this one cuz we needed a reminder that pressure makes diamonds 💎

#December #Becoming #AlignmentSeason #AmakaO #yearofthesnake #newmonth #dettydecember taken in Lagos, Nigeria by @_amax_

3

2

10 months ago

I planned a sexy transformation reel.

But this part of my transformation was much quieter.

One year ago today, on the last day of Fibroid Awareness Month, I posted the full 5-minute version of this reflection on TikTok. I was only 4 weeks post-fibroid surgery, still healing, still processing, still learning what my body needed from me.

Today, I’m sharing the shortened version here.

Recovery taught me that healing is not always loud. Sometimes it looks like slow walks, deep rest, better food choices, small routines, patience, and finally listening to the symptoms you once tried to normalize.

The real transformation was never just physical.

It was learning to trust my body again.

One year later, I’m grateful for the surgery, the healing, the lifestyle changes, and the better quality of life that came after.

For anyone preparing for fibroid surgery, recovering from a myomectomy, navigating women’s health issues, or quietly rebuilding after a health scare — this is for you.

The full 5-minute reflection is on my TikTok. Link in story today for the next 24-hrs 🤍

1 year fibroid free.

#FibroidAwarenessMonth #MyomectomyRecovery #FibroidSurgeryRecovery #BlackWomensHealth #Wellness ConversationsWithAmaka taken in Humber Bay Shores by @_amax_

3

7

2 months ago

Lagos rain delayed the post, but not the lesson. 🌧️🥗

Week 2 was supposed to be my 5-day raw food challenge update, but life really lifed 🫠 flooded roads, car wahala, a mandatory meeting that never even held, and my first proper Lagos rainy season in decades testing every soft skill I thought I had.

The old me would have cried, spiralled, and let anxiety win.

This version of me is learning to breathe, adjust, and flow.

So here’s Reel 2 for the year: a little late, still meaningful.

This challenge reminded me again that food is not just food. It can be care. It can be rhythm. It can be the small daily decision that helps you feel more present in your body.

My raw bowls had all the colour and crunch: arugula, purple cabbage, carrots, cucumber, kiwi, tangerines, apples, grapes, blueberries, cashews, almonds, pistachios, flax seeds, fenugreek seeds, sesame seeds — plus my homemade peanut butter, apple cider vinegar, oregano, paprika and coconut oil dressing.

Not perfection. Not restriction. Just paying attention.

From fibroid recovery to intentional wellness, I’m slowly learning how food, movement, rest and mindset have rapidly improved my quality of life — and I’m excited to keep sharing the real journey.

Would you try a 5-day raw food reset, or do you just want the dressing recipe first? 👀

#RawFoodChallenge #WellnessJourney #FibroidRecovery #WomensHealth #LagosLiving 116Kitchen | ConversationsWithAmaka taken in Lagos, Nigeria by @_amax_

3

0

3 months ago

One year ago, I chose surgery.

Today, I’m choosing the daily rituals that help me stay well.

This is my first reel of the year, and it feels fitting that it begins here — one year after my fibroid surgery, during Fibroid Awareness Month, with a small but mighty reminder that healing is not always loud.

Sometimes healing looks like movement before breakfast.
Sometimes it looks like journaling by the window.
Sometimes it looks like learning what foods support your body.
Sometimes it looks like rest, routine, prayer, meditation, discipline, and finally listening to the symptoms you once tried to normalize.

The last two years have completely changed how I see my body, my health, my food, my work, and my quality of life.

This is also the beginning of a deeper story I’ve been preparing to tell — from fibroids and surgery recovery, to intentional wellness, food as care, and the journey that is shaping the next chapter of @116_kitchen

Not from a place of perfection.
From proof.

One year post-myomectomy, and I’m grateful to still be healing, learning, rebuilding, softening, strengthening… and kicking.

Welcome to the beginning of Conversations with Amaka Season 4 — honest reflections on health, wellness, food, recovery, and building a life that feels good to live in.

Save this for the woman who needs the reminder: your healing counts, even when it happens quietly.

#FibroidAwarenessMonth #AmakaO #ConversationsWithAmaka #WomensHealthAwareness #IntentionalWellness taken in World by @_amax_

3

27

3 months ago

Capri Season ♑️ taken in Earth by @_amax_

3

7

9 months ago

SEASON 3 | EPISODE 7 🎥🔥

The Afrobeat Kitchen: Chef Victor’s Culinary Journey

Before the restaurant. Before the pop-ups. Before Afrobeat Kitchen @afrobeatkitchen became a Toronto staple, there was a boy in Lagos carrying food home from his mum’s restaurant, raising his younger brothers, and learning responsibility before he understood the word.

In Part 1, Chef Victor shares how he went from:
🍲 Helping his mum run a small restaurant
🍛 Opening his own spot in Obalende by age 21
🌍 Leaving Nigeria for China and the UK
👨🏾‍🍳 Working his way up in professional kitchens abroad
…all before Afrobeat Kitchen even existed.

It’s a journey rooted in hard work, culture, and the belief that food has always been his path.

Full episode is now live on YouTube — link in bio.
Part 2 drops next week, Season 3 finale. 💛✨

#ConversationsWithAmaka #AfrobeatKitchen #ChefVictor #NigerianCuisine #NigerianFoodToronto #AfricanChefs #TorontoFoodScene #FoodStorytelling #116Kitchen #AmakaO #NaijaHot taken in Parkdale by @_amax_

3

4

10 months ago

A sold-out link. A last-minute list. A mic in my hand.

This Cavemen. story chose me—highlife, Lagos, and a dream made real.

A special break in transmission from #ConversationsWithAmaka S3—my reunion with #Lagos, told through music. Premieres in 48 hours.

Drop your fave @the.cavemen track. These are mine 🥹: “Chameleon,” “Me You I,” or “Crazy Lover.” 🎶

Shoutout @firedandicedlagos for the once in a lifetime opportunity. This girl is grateful to you 🤎

#CWA #CWASeason3 #TheCavemen #CavyInTheCity #Highlife #Lagos #LiveMusic #NigerianMusic #AlbumListening #Storytelling #dettydecember is coming #storytime

Ps: go watch the latest Conversations with Amaka episode with Chef FT. The 🔗 is in my bio. Ty 🥺 taken in Lekki Phase 1, Lekki, Lagos by @_amax_

3

16

a year ago

SEASON 3 | EPISODE 6 🎥✨

Two years ago, I sat down with Chef FT @ftaiwo of @lamureninc, after an intimate private tasting at his home supper club — a night filled with flavor, laughter, and stories that lingered long after the plates were cleared.

Fast forward to now — 18 weeks post-surgery (and social hiding) — and this conversation finally comes to life. It feels full circle: a return to self, to healing, and to the creative work that feeds both heart and body.

This episode is all about @ftaiwo’s journey, and preserving his Nigerian-Canadian identity through food, storytelling, and community — everything Conversations With Amaka was created to celebrate.

Here’s to revisiting beginnings and sharing stories that still nourish. 🤎

🎥 Full episode out NOW — link in bio.

#ConversationsWithAmaka #ChefFT #NigerianCuisine #AfroFusion #FoodCulture #HealingThroughFood #WellnessThroughFood #StorytellingThroughFood #116Kitchen #TWmedia taken in Downtown Toronto by @_amax_

3

5

a year ago

Lifeline 🤎 taken in Lagos, Nigeria by @_amax_

3

11

a year ago

I’m gonna shout it for those in the back:

✨AFTER 30 is now LIVE on Amazon Prime!✨

This isn’t just another Nollywood release — it’s the directorial debut of @momo_spaine , the brilliant mind who helped bring Before 30 (B430) to life as a producer. With After 30, she’s telling the story so many women have lived but rarely see on screen.

Intentional. Powerful. Unapologetically real.

Stream it today on Amazon Prime Video.
And don’t miss our full Conversations With Amaka interview — dropping this Saturday on @twmagazineng

#After30 #NowStreaming #AmazonPrimeVideo #NollywoodMovies #NigerianFilm #WomenInFilm #DirectorDebut #B430 #ConversationsWithAmaka #WatchNollywood #AfricanCinema #AmakaO #twmagazineng #after30 #b430 #Nemsiafilms taken in Lagos, Nigeria by @_amax_

3

26

a year ago

✨ “Jollof isn’t the end — it’s just the beginning.” ✨

In Season 3 Episode 2 of Conversations With Amaka: The Kitchen Butterfly Series, I sit down with the incredible @kitchenbutterfly — food historian, writer, and the newly published author of #ChopChopcookbook.

In the first part of a (four-part series) we explore how #JollofRice, beyond the debates and deliciousness, is a gateway into understanding the depth of Nigerian and West African cuisine.

She reminds us that food isn’t just about flavor — it’s about memory, migration, and meaning.

And #Jollof? It’s the starting point of a bigger story.

🎥 Watch the full episode now on YouTube — link in bio.
📅 New episodes every Saturday at 9:30 PM EST / 2:30 AM WAT.

🎬: In collaboration with @twmagazineng & @116_kitchen
#ConversationsWithAmaka #KitchenButterflySeries #JollofIsCulture #KitchenButterfly #AfricanFoodOnFilm #NigerianCuisine #WomenInFood #FoodAsStory #DiasporaDining #AmakaO taken in Toronto, Ontario by @_amax_

3

16

2 years ago

💫 Nine Months of Intention. Nine Months of Healing. 💫

Nine months ago, I was told by my gynecologist that I needed surgery to remove multiple fibroids—the largest measuring 14 cm. The surgery wasn’t an immediate option, with a waitlist of nearly two years. I was also informed that it wouldn’t be laparoscopic, meaning future C-sections if I wanted children.

It was a lot to process. But I chose a different path.

With the guidance of my nutritionist and unwavering commitment to my wellness journey, I switched to an organic, whole-food diet. I became intentional about movement, meditation, and mindfulness. I leaned into nourishing my body from the inside out.

And today? I feel 80-90% symptom-free. My energy is restored. My body feels alive. And I genuinely feel better than I have in years. I’m still on the waitlist for surgery, but I can honestly say that I don’t feel like I need it anymore.

This journey taught me that FOOD CAN HEAL, that intentionality isn’t just a choice—it’s a lifeline.

This post is for anyone feeling weighed down by reproductive health struggles. Know that you’re not alone. What you put into your body matters. Your lifestyle choices matter.

Through @116_kitchen, I’m advocating for wellness through food—because I’ve lived it, and it works.

If this resonates with you, let me know in the comments or share this post to encourage someone else. Let’s talk about wellness, food, and healing—because we deserve to feel our best.

#WellnessJourney #FibroidAwareness #HealingThroughFood #IntentionalLiving #116Kitchen #InternationalWomensMonth #ReproductiveHealth #NutrientDenseLiving #WholeFoodHealing #FoodAsMedicine #AmakaO taken in Downtown Toronto by @_amax_

3

58

2 years ago