Controlling ONLY the controllable

Here's the biggest mistake I see people make on their health journey...

They focus on trying to control that which they can't, and hardly spend time controlling that which they CAN!



For example, no one can control what the scale will say and when. No one can control how your body will look at various stages of the process. And you certainly cannot control every bit of your moods, emotions, or motivation.



But that's totallyyyyyyy fine. Ya know why? Because those aren't the things that move the needle anyway. Stay in your lane, control ONLY what is controllable, and you'll get the results you are after.



CHECK OUT THE VIDEO below for more.



Hope you're having a great start to your week!



XO,
Tara

Unprecedented Times...

We are all going through an interesting time right now.

We have watched the world change - practically overnight.  
 

At this point, you’ve likely received an email from every email list you are on about how said company is responding to the coronavirus pandemic. You’ve likely already heard more about social distancing, hand washing, quarantine, and stocking your house than you care to think about.  
 


I am not here for that right now. I am here to say that my goal is to build healthy communities and help those all around me.  That is the goal of my health / nutrition / fitness coaching practice, that is the goal of this newsletter, and that is the goal of my social media accounts. 
 

We are all going through the journey together - even if each of our situations are different - and we need to be able to rely on one another to be there in good and in tough times.  And from the look of it, we may be in for some tricky times ahead. Schools are closing, events are getting cancelled, businesses are reducing hours, and people are being encouraged to stay and work from home as much as possible.  

 
I believe that these measures are the best possible way to protect our communities in these times, and I also believe that these actions may very well take a toll on us… and that can come in the form of stress. Stress about not being able to find toilet paper, stress about money, stress about how to entertain & educate kids who are temporarily out of school, stress about how to get work done from home, stress about getting ill, etc.
  
 

I am not a doctor, so I would not dare give you medical advice. However, it is a no secret that a healthy immune system, robust stress coping skills, and intentional recovery are critical factors in maintaining wellness.

 
It is as important as ever to keep our immune systems strong and I believe that this starts with nourishing and moving our bodies regularly.  To support you in this goal, I’m going to be sharing a lot on social media about how to make the most out of what’s in the fridge to cook healthy, well-rounded, and easy meals. I will also be sharing plenty of home workout ideas that can be done with minimal equipment so that you can stay active on a consistent basis. I often do bonus Q&As and post lots more in my stories, so be sure to hang out with me there too - not just on 'my feed'. If this sounds like something you'd like to check out, make sure you give the accounts at the bottom of this email a look.    
 

I am here for you! If you need help, advice, or just to chat… you can leave a comment below or email me at Tara@TaraAllenHealth.com


 
Stay well!

XO,
Tara



What happened on social media:

Workshop Wednesday video - maintaining a calorie deficit for fat loss WITHOUT actually counting calories.

My PCOS story

A cool way to get kids to eat their veggies

Working out with toys (again)

Fresh Air and Sunshine more important than ever

Home Glute Workout


P.S. One of the most important things for us to do right now is to understand that social distancing doesn't have to mean social isolation. We are social creatures! And thankfully, we have the use of technology to help bring us together in a safe way during the next few weeks or months. Come join my Facebook community of over 800 awesome people from around the country (and world!) as we continue to share healthy recipes, weekly challenges, workouts, tips....and as we introduce discussions on relevant topics such how to stock up our pantry and fridge during these times, and easy, cheap, and healthy meals to feed the family.


Healthy, Fit, & Strong with Tara Allen Health

This fitness tip helped me heal my PCOS

This one way of working out has helped me heal...

It's simple. It's free. And it's SO effective if you have any issues with insulin resistance, blood sugar regulation, or inflammation.



Check out my latest Workshop Wednesday video as I share the tip and get into a little about the science of why this is so effective.



I'd love to hear from you...do you have any issues with inflammation or blood sugar regulation? Leave a comment below and let me know so I can be sure to create more content tailored to what you need. ;-)



XO,
Tara

Nothing changes if nothing changes

Nothing changes if nothing changes.

You know that already, right?



In fact, there is probably a lot that you already know you could be doing to move closer to your goals. 



And you might even be frustrated by the very fact that you know things and still seem to have trouble implementing them on a consistent basis.



First of all, I want to let you know this is VERY common. Just knowing things does not build up the skills required to carry out these interventions. In fact, it's an entirely different part of the brain used for learning vs. implementing and staying consistent.



And here's the cycle I see repeat over and over with many people: Big goal, big motivation (at first), trying to change too many things at once with no reasonable long-term plan, sees no results or has too much difficulty staying consistent, gives up and feels down. Rinse and repeat - every Monday, every new season, every New Year...?



Does this resonate with you? It will for many people!




Check out my latest Workshop Wednesday video in which I discuss how the mismatch between your goals and your actions are blocking you from your results. The more you understand about the behind-the-scenes stuff happening in our brain and with our mindset, the more you will be able to take the wheel and make the lifestyle upgrades you have been trying to make.




XO,
Tara




P.S. January 1-on-1 coaching spots are filled, but I will have a few spots opening in February. If you are interested and ready to commit to a complete health, nutrition, and fitness transformation, leave a comment or email me: Tara@TaraAllenHealth.com and I will send you my calendar so you can schedule yourself for a free call to chat. Never any sales pressure (I don't play like that), but we need to both be sure that it's the right fit before moving forward. ;-)



P.P.S. We all have goals! I've been working on tilted inversions, wrist mobility, handstands, etc. And guess what? I kinda suck! Sucking at something is awesome....so much room to improve. I'd love to hear what you suck at and see if it's something I can help with. 

Cauliflower Falafel

Where are my use-cauliflower-for-everything people at? You’re gonna love this one!

Cauliflower Falafel

(Serves 1-2…let’s be honest, serves 1)

Ingredients:

2 cups minced cauliflower

1 shallot, chopped

½ cup fresh parsley

¼ cup ground gluten-free oats or almond flour

1 medium egg

3 garlic cloves

4 tsp cumin

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp chili powder

1 tsp sea salt

4 tbsp avocado or coconut oil

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Add cauliflower to the high-speed blender or food processor and pulse until minced. Remove and set aside.

3A. If using oat flour, place oats in a high-speed blender or food processor and pulse until ground into flour.

3B. If not using oat flour, place almond flour in the food processor/blender along with all other ingredients EXCEPT cauliflower and oil. Blend until well-mixed. Add the cauliflower and pulse until combined.

4. Form the falafel dough into balls measuring around 2 inches. Brush each with olive oil and place in the oven for 20 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven and carefully turn the balls over and bake for another 20 minutes.

6. While they’re baking, make this simple dipping sauce: Combine ½ cup hummus, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp of dried dill. Add salt to taste. Stir well and then refrigerate.

7. When the falafel are ready, serve with the dipping sauce.

Enjoy,

Tara

P.S. Would you like some more plant-based, gluten-free, DELICIOUS recipes? Grab my FREE e-cookbook right here!

Maple Mango Banana Chai Smoothie Bowl

You will want to grab a spoon and enjoy every bite of this smoothie bowl! You can use leftover chai spice in your tea or coffee with a little coconut milk or cream. Yummmmmm!

Maple-Mango-Banana Chai Smoothie Bowl

(Serves 1)

Ingredients:

½ large frozen banana, sliced

½ cup frozen mango

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tbsp nut butter (almond or your fav)

1 cup non-dairy milk (almond, cashew, coconut, pea, etc.)

½ tsp of the chai spice blend (recipe below)

(Optional: toppings of your choice – coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, berries, etc.)

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until combined. You might have to scrape the sides or use the plunger, as this will be thick.

2. Remove from blender into a bowl, add toppings and enjoy immediately!

Chai spice blend (this makes more than is needed in the recipe above!)

Ingredients:

2 tsp ground cardamom

2 tsp ground allspice

4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground cloves

6 tsp ground ginger

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a small jar, cover, and shake vigorously to combine. Store remaining blend in an airtight container.

Are you a fan of chai this time of year? To me it says Autumn as much as a cup of pumpkin-anything. ;-)

In health + tastiness,

Tara

Pistachio-Apple Bars

These Pistachio-Apple bars are amazing!

Magnolia and Jagger’s schools don’t allow nuts due to children’s allergies, so we rely a lot on nuts at home. These bars are the perfect after-school snack or dessert!

Pistachio-Apple Bars with Chia Seeds (Servings 14)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup cashew butter 

• 1/3 cup honey 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

• 1 1/4 cups puffed rice

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 

• 1/4 cup finely chopped dried apple 

• 1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries 

• 1/3 cup chopped dry-roasted pistachios

• 1 teaspoon black chia seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. In a microwave safe bowl, mix cashew butter, honey, olive oil, vanilla, and salt. 

3. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute. 

4. In a separate bowl, combine puffed rice, oats, apple, cranberries, and pistachios. 

5. Pour cashew mixture over puffed rice mixture, and toss gently to combine. 

6. Press into an 11 x 7-inch, greased glass baking dish. 

7. Sprinkle the top with chia seeds, pressing down lightly to stick them to the mixture.

8. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool, slice, and enjoy!

How do these sound to you?

In good health,

Tara

P.S. You can totally reduce the honey to make these even healthier. I’ve made them with about 1/2 the amount for a lower glycemic version (because...PCOS) and they were delicious!

Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup

Hey guys,

I don’t know about you, but I’m a soup lover! Unfortunately, creamy soups with a dairy base don’t love me back these days. And while I’m not selling artwork at fancy galleries or able to knit beautiful sweaters to save my life, my creativity often shows up in the kitchen when I’m trying to make healthier versions of my childhood favorites so that my family and I can enjoy them.

This is a new recipe that was inspired by the first frosty, October morning here in NY recently. No joke - we had our air conditioner on one day and 3 days later, the heat! It’s been wild. In fact, the extra dose of vitamin C from this tomato soup won’t hurt either with all of the weather changes and school germs aloft. ;-)

Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

• 2 x 14.5 oz. cans fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 cup veggie broth or water
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup packed fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 can full fat coconut milk

Directions:

1. In a blender, stir together the tomatoes, broth or water, pepper, salt, basil, and oil.

2. Pour into a large pot.

3. Place on stovetop on medium heat.

4. Cook 5 minutes. Then, add in coconut milk and stir to combine.

5. Cook for about 5 more minutes.

4. Serve and enjoy!

In good health,

Tara