Acid Blockers - Helpful or Harmful?
Acid blockers are some of the most frequently prescribed medications for GERD / reflux / heart burn. Do you or anyone you know take these? Although they can be helpful in certain situations for certain people for a certain (typically limited) amount of time, this is not what is seen 'in the real world'. Watch the video for some more information about acid blockers. As always, be sure to discuss ANY changes to your medication with your prescribing practitioner beforehand.
What types of lifestyle changes may help with your symptoms? Feel free to reach out to me for some more tips or strategies.
In good health,
Tara
Stretch and Relax
Last month I was asked to come into the very friendly and progressive company, National Business Capital, to have a bit of fun with the employees and take them through a nice stretching routine that they can implement into their busy days right at or next to their desks! We laughed, we took deep breaths, we got the blood flowing. I received several awesome emails afterwards letting me know about different ways in which that morning visit improved their day. :-)
It's a new year and as such, I see many companies embracing employee wellness programs now more than ever. Yay for 2017! Yay for smart management! WIth increased employee satisfaction and productivity and decreased sick days, you can see how the value and ROI far surpasses the investment.
Do you own or work for a company like this? Do you want to see more companies - large AND small - taking time to educate and motivate their employees to take good care of their minds & bodies?
Employee wellness programs may include stretching breaks, yoga, meditation, workout classes or personal trainers, nutrition consults, cooking demos, one-on-one health coaching, vital signs and consultations, a group sport, race, or contest.
I challenge you to speak with your boss about a potential employee wellness program being implemented or upgraded in your company. If you ARE the boss, keep this in mind… healthy and productive employees are your biggest asset!
Pictured: Silly activity at National Business Capital to "break the ice" before we started Stretch and Relax. (Sorry to those I did not capture in the picture! Next time I'll try to take more pictures).
Crustless Pumpkin Pie
It's the day before Thanksgiving here in the U.S. and most folks are either traveling to be closer with friends and family or hunkering down to get their meal prep on. It's also day 3 of my GREAT and GRATEFUL week here at Tara Allen Health. I'm grateful to have spent previous years helping patients in the hospital on Thanksgiving Day. There's nothing quite like seeing how important you are in someone's day than when you are caring for them on a holiday while they're missing out on their own traditions back home. Therefore, as I enjoy a day off with my family tomorrow (well, limited work - I am an entrepreneur!), I am grateful for the nurses, doctors, police officers, firefighters, and ALL service professionals that will be working hard tomorrow to keep this country running as safely and healthfully as possible. I'm grateful for all experiences that have lead me to where I'm at currently - as a wife and mama to an infant and toddler, and a business owner that gets to CHANGE lives in the best way on a daily basis with a schedule flexible enough to allow me to "mom" when i need to "mom". GRATEFUL!
Now to share something GREAT in celebration...
A little birdie told me you may be in a pinch for a last-minute Thanksgiving dessert recipe. This pumpkin pie comes together quickly and is something you can feed your guests, young and old, and feel good about! It takes about 5 minutes to prep, so throw it in the oven while you relax, chase your kiddos, or figure out how the heck to carve that turkey. ;-)
Cheers to a peaceful, smiley, laughter-filled Thanksgiving to you all!
In health and gratitude,
Tara
CRUSTLESS PUMPKIN PIE
Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:
15 ounces pumpkin puree (1 can)
1 cup coconut milk (full fat)
3 eggs
¼ cup honey or pure maple syrup (ok to sub with 1 T stevia for an even lower glycemic index)
¼ cup crushed walnuts or pecans
2 T chia seeds
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
coconut oil (to grease pan)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease baking pan with coconut oil.
3. Mix all ingredients in blender, except crushed nuts.
4. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 45 – 50 minutes.
5. Top with crushed pecans / walnuts and allow to cool.
6. Serve yourself a slice before it gets eaten all up. ;-)
There's HOW much sugar in my soda?!?!
Ugh. Alrighty, sorry for the spoiler. If you are amongst the many millions of people that still drink soda on a regular basis, pay attention. And if you've kicked that habit long ago, I still want you to watch this video so you can become an anti-soda ambassador for your friends and family. :-D
In this video, I show you - teaspoon by teaspoon - how much of the white stuff is actually in one serving of this particular ginger ale. It's frightening!
Let's talk about something real quick that the giants in the food industry try to keep secret from us - the "bliss point". This is a chemically created "magic point" of sorts that results from a combination of sugar, salt, and/or unhealthy fat that turns on the pleasure sensors in our brain the same way cocaine does. This bliss point is actively sought out by the chemists that CREATE food-stuff in a lab. It leaves us with intense cravings and addiction to these products. Not cool! And guess what? The more you consume, the greater the sugar, salt, and/or unhealthy fats are needed to achieve the same "high". Doesn't this sound a whole lot like substance abuse? Unfortunately, it IS a very similar process. Here's the caveat… our bodies are really amazing and can buffer a lot of damage we do to it for quite some time. I know this sounds like a good thing, but think about it this way - you can be doing a ton of harm to your organs, digestive system, brain, cells, etc. and not know until wayyyy later in life.
If you have been diagnosed with Diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, hormonal imbalances, an auto-immune disease, or anything else that you consider to be your 'wake-up call', there's a silver lining. Your body just does not want to let you get away with too much damage. Your body is asking for you to clean up your act earlier on. That's great news!
Watch this video and please let me know where you stand, currently, with your soda consumption. I want to be the catalyst for you to hold yourself accountable. I promise I won't be too harsh. In fact, I believe in very small and sustainable changes over time for lasting results. So don't give up your Coke cold-turkey (unless you feel confident that you can). Instead, how about ONE less soda THIS week? Drop me a comment or email and let me help you. :-)
Now, brace yourself for this… ONE serving of soda equals HOW much sugar?!?!? ...
Snack Attack - Pumpkin Pudding
Raise your hand if you're on the pumpkin-everything-until-January bandwagon.
I'm right there with ya! ;-) If you answered no, first of all, what's wrong with you? Kidding! Or am I? Regardless, you may know someone (like a child, a spouse, a friend) who DOES love pumpkin everything. Here's a super-quick, easy, and healthy recipe that works well as a snack, a dessert, a dip for fruit, mixed into oatmeal, under granola, or on top of yogurt. The kitchen is for creativity! How do you plan to eat this Pumpkin Pudding?
In an earlier social media post, I promised you guys some nutrition facts. I think there's a time and place for counting calories, protein, etc. I don't believe it's for everyone or forever, no matter what your situation is. I'm a strong believer in listening to your body, balancing hormones, reducing stress and cravings, and eventually being able to be so in tune with your own needs, that there's no food journaling or strict tracking needed. That being said, it IS helpful sometime. Example: If you want to start your health journey and have NO IDEA how many calories you take in on a typical day, you may want to track for a few days to get a baseline. Or, as in this case, I created this recipe custom for a client of mine that has Gestational Diabetes. She needed something high in protein, high in fiber, low in carbs/sugar, and wanted it very "pumpkin-y". Haha! So, here you have it...
- 150 Calories
- 8g fiber
- 12g net carbs
- 11g protein
- 1 full serving of veggies
Pumpkin Pudding
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 4 T peanut flour (a.k.a. powdered peanut butter)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp stevia
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice
Directions:
1. This is the easy part - mix all ingredients together in a bowl / mug / cute cup. That's it! Enjoy immediately, store in fridge up to 3 days, or freeze and serve at a later date for your holiday party.
Enjoy. In joy. In health!
Tara
Immune-Boosting Latte
You guys, I have barely been able to get used to it being September already and now September is coming to an end this week?!? What the what?! Wow!
Well, I'll tell you what….at least the time is flying with things happening behind the scenes. ;-) Hint hint; wink wink. You've asked and I'm listening.
Fall is upon us and there's something about this season that truly energizes me - more than in an I'm-shivering-for-the-first-time-in-half-a-year kinda way. I suppose you can liken it the calling of a deep clean that Spring thrusts upon us. Maybe it's my mind's rebellion against the days getting shorter. Or, maybe it's the bubbling of excitement over the holidays coming. I like a good party - can you blame me? These days the onslaught of holidays start with my daughter's birthday next month and will end with my son's birthday in January. Who knows (and who cares) though, right?! When I can reign in the flurry of ideas just a bit, I am super-productive in the Fall. I'm just going with it. (Note: Super-productive IS a relative term with a toddler, baby, new house, clients, etc.)
So….Autumn is here. Bugs will be buggin' off soon and germs will be multiplying in their place. Did you know whether you get sick or not has a lot less to do with what you "catch" and a lot more to do with how strong your immune system is? We're filthy beings…covered in germs all the time despite the best hygiene. Working on your health from the inside out is a great place to begin to ward off many colds/viruses or at least kick them out a day or 2 earlier.
The idea for the immune-boosting latte came to me while I was making my morning cup o' joe one day. I was headed to the gym and wanted a little energy before my workout, but not a full meal. While adding coconut oil to my coffee for a little taste and energy, I couldn't help but think about how this would be a great time to consume some turmeric, as the coconut oil aids in its absorption. So does black pepper. Then I needed something else to help mask that flavor while bringing added health benefits: cinnamon! I used a tad bit of honey to sweeten as an experiment because raw honey is excellent in helping to fight all kinds of microbes. I added my cashew milk as usual. Wouldn't ya know - blended all together it actually tasted GREAT! Not only was the taste on point, but the texture was creamy with a little froth on top. A fancy latte for a fraction of the price, a 20 foot commute to the kitchen, no refined sugar, no gluten, no dairy, no weirdness anywhere in the recipe, and a good deed done for my immune system (you're welcome). Yup!
Here you have it: IMMUNE-BOOSTING LATTE...
"Sugar and Spice" - Tinkerbell mug for this Immune-Boosting Latte.
To a blender, add:
- 1 cup of coffee
- 1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used cashew milk)
- 1 T coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp - 1 T honey or sweetener of choice (depending on taste preference)
- pinch of black pepper
Blend and enjoy the creamy, frothy goodness!
P.S. Use a Tinkerbell mug as pictured to complete the pleasurable experience. ;-)