A letter to my kiddos on Mother's Day...

A letter to my kiddos on Mother's Day...

Dear Mags and Jags,

Tomorrow will be my fourth year as a mother on Mother's Day.  I want you to know that I waited (im)patiently for you for a long time!  I dreamed that you'd join us, Earthside, during so many long nights and even more days than I can recall.  

My life no longer resembles the life I had prior to 3.5 years ago.  I signed up for that. My career has drastically shifted, I have bags under my eyes, and my coffee is always cold by the time it reaches my lips.  It's hard to feel like a bada$$ - in business, in life - with various bodily fluids gripping onto my shirt threads.  There's 40,789 daily toddler questions and mysterious scratches on my face (didn't I just cut your nails?!)  Date night now consists of squeezing in 10 minutes of Shark Tank on the DVR before the first nighttime feeding.  That's right - hot dates over here in the Allen household.  ;-)

Then….THEN….the sleepless nights!

Sleepless on Long Island.

Sleepless in Love.

I signed up for this.

Ugh.  You know what?  The sleepless nights are HARD, but they're also WONDERFUL.  There, I said it.  This does not mean I can't use this against you in the future, by the way.  Certainly I should be able to squeeze an extra chore or 2 out of you both in the future, right?  Here's the truth.  I kinda, sorta cherish the sleepless nights.  (Shh - don't tell Daddy!)  There's something about the blanket of darkness and silence that calms my hyperactive monkey brain.  As I nourish your body with mine, my soul is overflowing with joy.  You see, I'm not counting the loads of laundry I didn't get to the day before or worrying about completing a client email in a few hours. I'm present.  I breathe you in.  There's this bond that's so overwhelmingly beautiful, it's bone-shattering (the other mamas will understand what I mean).

I signed up for this.

I literally signed up for all of this.

That first appointment I had with the fertility doc happened to fall on a hot summer day.  This was helpful as my tears were camouflaged by the beads of sweat.

I signed the consent forms - all of them - for every procedure, test, poke & prod.  I'd do it all again. Times a million.

I signed up to be your mama.  I'm a lucky, lucky mama.

Now that we're all here, I promise to keep my feet on the ground and my eyes on the stars - thanking them for the dream-come-true.  I'm not perfect (truly, I'm not!), but I promise to do my best - as humans do.  I promise to love you AND YOUR MOTHER.  You see, this business, the food I cook to nourish our family, the active lifestyle we lead…it's for you.  It's for us.  You deserve a mama that's here for you; a leading lady in your life ready to spring into action when needed or help support you through your childhood and adult challenges - changing careers, parenthood, filing for AARP.  Did I mention that I plan on being here for a while?  ;-)

M & J, tomorrow is Mother's Day.  You are 1 & 3 years old.  There may be a card for me, a brunch to celebrate me and the other special grand-mothers in your life, even a period of time in which you see me sit back for a few to take it all in.  Let me tell you a secret… I won't be celebrating me.  I'll be celebrating you.  I'll be thanking my lucky stars and wondering what I did to deserve the best.

Magnolia and Jagger, though I prefer "mama", it ain't so bad being your "mother" on Mother's Day.  Thanks for the title.  Thanks for the moments.  Thanks for the memories and laughter and hugs.  I definitely signed up for this.

In Joy,

Mama

Vegan "Cheesy" Broccoli Soup

This week brought some much-needed rain here on the East Coast of the U.S.  The trees were happy and our bellies wanted us to hunker down and eat some warm soup!  

This vegan and gluten-free Broccoli Soup brought us just the warmth and coziness we were looking for.  For Magnolia, this doubled as a dip - as everything seems to these days.  ;-)

The secret to the creaminess without the cheese in this soup is cashews!  They get soaked for a few hours, drained, and the blended with the other ingredients to get the desired texture; plus extra protein, fiber, and healthy fat!

The cashews are getting a bath before go-time!

The kiddos enjoying some comfort food!

VEGAN "CHEESY" BROCCOLI SOUP

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cashews
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups broccoli
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 T coconut oil
• 1 T turmeric
• juice from 1 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Soak cashews for 4 hours in enough water to cover.
2. Drain and rinse cashews and set aside.
3. Put coconut oil, garlic, and onions in large pot and sauté for about 5 minutes.
4. Add vegetable broth, broccoli, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and turmeric.
5. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
6. Cook an additional 5-8 minutes - until broccoli is soft.
7. Use an immersion blender or transfer 1/2 the soup into a regular blender.  Add cashews and blend until smooth.  *Note: Carefully cover top of blender with a towel and hold top on to prevent the hot liquid from leaking out through the top.
8. Transfer second half of soup to blender and blend until broccoli pieces are smaller, but do not blend until smooth if you'd like more texture in your soup (for a very smooth textured soup, blend both batches completely).

Vegan "Cheesy" Broccoli Soup

Baby Skull Crushers

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's….Jagger (all 20 pounds of him) and we're working out together!

Today is part 2 in my GREAT & GRATEFUL series that coincides with Thanksgiving week here in the United States.  As many of you know, I had an incredibly difficult time both with getting pregnant and during my two pregnancies as well.  After multiple rounds of IVF and two pregnancies with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (check out helpher.org for more about this disease), I might be the luckiest person I know to be on the 'other side' with two wonderful, healthy children.  In today's video, I share a brief, fun moment on the kitchen floor with Jagger.  We workout, we laugh, we play.  Magnolia just so happened to be upstairs avoiding her nap when this was shot.  ;-) Today I mention my journey, my babies, the beautiful life of joy and health we can now share together.  GREAT & GRATEFUL!

Try these at home with the nearest baby, toddler, or gallon of water you have for a good triceps burn.  **Please note: no skulls were actually crushed in the making of this video!  It's a weird name for an exercise, right?

In health and gratitude,

Tara

Guest Kimberly Chacon - Breast Cancer Thriver & Super-Mom

Today's blog post kicks off my GREAT & GRATEFUL SERIES that seems more than appropriate to share during Thanksgiving week here in the United States.  Kimberly Chacon is an amazing woman, breast cancer survivor, mom to 3 under 2(!), teacher, and now pours her heart and soul into spreading awareness about breast cancer diagnosed in young women.  Check out her blog,  www.partyoffiveblog.com.  Kimberly is not just a survivor, but a mighty magnetic individual that I had the pleasure to meet with in-person.  A quick example...she knew I'd be showing up to our meeting with my two kiddos and thought to bring a few seasonal crafts for my toddler to have fun with as we chatted about business and motherhood.  There should be more people like Kimberly in this world!

Read Kimberly's incredible story:

I was 28 when I heard the words that changed my world forever. "You have breast cancer." At the time I was working full time, finishing my graduate degree, and living a healthy life. My diagnosis completely knocked my life into a new reality that was dark and frightening. I did not look or feel sick, but I had a tiny lump that I mentioned to my doctor, and that was where it began.

Going through breast cancer brings with it a palette of mixed emotions. Sadness at those we've lost, pain for those engaged in the battle and hope that we are going to find a cure for this vicious disease. Over the years I have participated in different ways with various organizations, and recently I have made it a point to write about my own experience. This is what I'd like you to know about being a young breast cancer survivor:

1. There is no cure for breast cancer and women continue to die everyday. There is a misconception that this disease is easy to treat. Again, it is still a fact that breast cancer does NOT have a cure and while some prognosis are better than others, breast cancer can come back, even years after you have shown to have NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE.

2. Eight years after my diagnosis I still take a daily medication and while you may never hear me complain about it, there are side effects. It is recommended that I take this medication for ten years following my initial treatment. When you are in your 20's and you imagine ten years of medical treatment it seems impossible. It is life saving and a blessing to have it, but it is also a daily reminder of my past with cancer.

2. Medical research saves lives and quite possibly saved mine. Based on the kind of cancer that I had, I was able to take a "new" drug called Herceptin. It only exists because of extensive research which involves lots of $$$$ and brave end-stage patients that agree to try new drugs. This drug became available two years before I was diagnosed and without it my odds of survival would have been much lower. There was even a Lifetime movie made about the breakthrough starring Mr. Harry Connick Jr.
 

3. A mastectomy does not mean you get a free, new pair of boobs. Yes, several people made that comment to me while I was in treatment. (Why?? Why would you say that to anyone? Please don't ever say that to anyone.) Quite the contrary. Having a double mastectomy means that you lose a part of yourself and gain significant scars. It means a painful surgery and a long healing process. It means fighting to gain acceptance of a new version of the most intimate parts of your body. It steals a part of your sexuality and it robs you of the basic human choice of breastfeeding your children. It is often all of these things right before beginning six months of chemotherapy. It leaves scars, both physical and emotional. While the procedure and outcomes have improved over the years, do not believe that a mastectomy is an easy solution.

4. Just because your hair has grown back does not mean that you are "finished". After going through the hell that is cancer treatment you are a different person and it takes time to find your new normal. We have gone down a tumultuous road and it takes time to heal. That can mean that relationships change, you make lifestyle changes, or you look at the world in a new way. Be gentle with someone who has gone through treatment, even if it's two years later. Just because we look fine again does not always mean that it's done.

5. As survivors, we are glad there are many awareness campaigns, but we are always concerned about who benefits from all the pink. First, read the fine print on anything you purchase and see what they are actually doing with your dollars. Second, keep in mind that Avon and Komen get tons of money and they have major corporate sponsors, so don't worry about them. What's better than buying pink socks and glitter boas? Donating to organizations that directly benefit research and women like www.metavivor.com or www.pinkdaisyproject.com. If you want to give, make a smart donation.

Becoming a cancer survivor changed my life forever. Chances are that you know someone who has been touched by the disease.  How can you take meaningful action? Make a donation to a research program or an organization that directly helps women in treatment. If you personally know a survivor, reach out. Finally, if you're putting off having yourself checked, please make sure you make that appointment. It could be the most important thing you do.

Tara here, again.  Thanks, Kimberly, for sharing your incredible story with us!  

We're celebrating the GREAT and GRATEFUL for Thanksgiving week!  Tell me what is moving you these days.  What is great in your life?  Who are you grateful for?  Please share here or come join the conversation on Facebook at Facebook.com/TaraAllenHealth.com. 

In health,

Tara

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

Bathroom Magic

Come on….come into the bathroom with me!  

Weird?  Sort of.  Helpful?  I hope so!  In this short video (read: SHORT - have I mentioned I need A LOT more storage on my phone?  I got 99 problems…and mobile storage is #1)...

…Anyway, in this short video I share 3 products I use daily that I swear by.  These are not affiliates of mine, I'm just a believer in their health benefits!  If you work with me, these may sound familiar to you already as I suggest only the best for my clients.  ;-)  Each of these items are under $10 or $15, last a while, and won't take more than 45 seconds (total) to implement.  

Have I piqued your curiosity?

Ahh, guys…I see my viewership numbers growing here and I'm so excited!  Please let me know what you'd like to see more of.  Leave comments below so I can say hello.  I'm a mama of an infant and toddler - you know that means I need more adult conversations in my day, right?

In health,

Tara