Benefits of grounding

Have you touched the Earth today?

Some of you are all about and others are ... skeptical. Why am I always talking about grounding up in my instagram stories? Why do we spend time talking about it in TRANSFORM: Body + Mind, my 28-day metabolism-boosting course? Does it really affect metabolism?



Let's chat.



Grounding (or "Earthing") is the practice of coming in contact with the Earth in a way that allows our body to be altered electrically.
In a nutshell, we tend to accumulate more positive ions through regular living, inflammation, etc. When we are mindful about grounding regularly, we are exchanging some of those positive ions for some negative ones (electrons). We then use these electrons in the Electron Transport Chain to 'power up' our body's own power plant, if you will. 


In other words, these electrons help charge up / fuel the parts of our cells that can then create energy and fuel up the rest of our body. Grounding can:

• reduce inflammation

• improve disease

• improve cardiac health and help prevent atherosclerosis

• increase energy levels

• improve mood

• expedite healing + recovery

• improve fat oxidation

• boost metabolic rate

• improve metabolic flexibility

• and more

Just like with all of the things I share, it's not magic. It's not like you can walk outside barefoot and you'll be healed and lose all the extra body fat. Wouldn't that be amazing? It's just another tool to have in your toolbox. Really, it was a tool we used to have in our toolbox that was removed when we started doing things like live in weather-proof and safe structures and now we just have to be intentional about getting back to.


"How often? How long?"


More often. And longer. We really don't have protocols yet. Our natural state has always been to be outdoors for so much of our day, that it didn't require effort to ground. It was just what we did. In modern society, we can easily go entire days or even weeks without grounding if we're not careful. So at this time my own personal goal is to make sure I am grounding daily ... even if just for a few minutes. When possible, longer and more often. I do this even in Winter but definitely get a lot more grounding time in in Spring, Summer and Fall.



What counts as grounding?



This is the fun part!

• Swimming or wading in the ocean, lake, river, creek

• Walking barefoot on the grass, sand, dirt

• Barefoot on concrete, cement, pavers count too, if there isn't a vapor / moisture barrier underneath

• Lie down or sit on grass or sand

• Gardening with bare hands

• Picking weeds

• Touching puddles, having a snowball fight, building sandcastles with your kids or grandkids

• Taking a bath or sitting in a hot tub with metal pipes

• Earthing sheet or Earthing mat

• Climb a tree

Bonus points for grounding AFTER a lightening storm as the ground is extra full of electrons then. Be safe and make sure the storm has definitely passed before doing that, mmmkay?



Sunlight and red light / infrared light therapy *can* count as grounding too ... it just requires an additional step using fatty acids to convert the light energy to electrons (slightly different but not completely dissimilar to the way solar panels turn sunlight into electricity).



Quick aside... if you've been eying the Lumebox for red light / infrared light therapy, this special link saves you 45% only through February 4th. The company emailed me to say the price will be going up after that. The discount will not show up until you add to cart. Then you'll see it's $349 for the next 5 days.



"Can we ground with socks on?" Your socks are only conductive if there is some sweat on them. So, possible but barefoot is a better bet.



Shoes? 99.99% of the time no, but there is a company making barefoot sneakers with wide toe boxes AND grounding technology. I've been looking into them and just want to hold off on giving the details until I do my due diligence but it's an exciting idea nonetheless.



One more thing grounding can do is make you gain the "weird / interesting neighbor" label as you start doing everything barefoot. You're welcome! ;-)



Hope you found this helpful!



XO,
Tara

One pan PFF meals

It's officially the Fall! My FAVORITE.

I love the weather. I love the leaves changing. I love the scents and flavors (but, like, not the fake ones). I love that we're still outside a ton and that the holidays are approaching but I'm not scrambling to buy gifts and send cards yet. I dunno ... it's a vibe.



But it's also a hectic time of year with back to school, school events, sports, the return of bigger house projects (do you put them on pause for Summer too?), and it's a very packed time of year in my business. 



We want to cook, but a lot of times also not really. Right? And we *certainly* don't want a big clean-up. So I made you something! Here's a One Pan PFF-balanced meal collection. There are options for omnivores, plant based peeps, and everything happens to be free of gluten and dairy. Feel free to add your own gluten or dairy if you desire. ;-) 



These meals are balanced to help with metabolism-boosting, fat loss, "toning up", muscle-building, blood sugar balancing, craving-busting, and satiety-between-meals goals.



Which one are you going to try first??




Hope you enjoy,
Tara



P.S. Why was the robot couple's anniversary in the Fall?
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They were autumn mated.

Tips for sneaking in extra protein

Protein is magical.

It's pretty hard not to think so when you know about even SOME of the things it does:

• Most satiating macronutrient ... meaning, helps us feel full + satisfied between meals when we've had enough

• Helps reduce cravings

• Contributes to muscle growth and maintenance which is incredibly important for blood sugar control and metabolic rate.

• Requires more energy (calories) to digest than any other macronutrient -- meaning, you eat protein and you burn more calories simply by digesting said protein

• Helps us heal

• Improves skin, nails and hair

• Used as building blocks for many different biological "parts" and processes

So yeah ... pretty darn magical! Also pretty darn difficult to get in enough overall for the day or in each meal in this current day + age. Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks that can help bridge the gaps and get you enough protein:

1. Get 30-40g protein with breakfast everyday, non-negotiable. This ensures you're off to a great start and can help manage hunger + cravings all day.

2. Bring a high quality protein bar with you in your bag or purse for an afternoon snack or a 'just in case' addition to an otherwise lower protein meal. I like Raw Rev Glo bars in creamy peanut butter and sea salt. I like the flavor but also that flavor has more protein and less sugar than their other flavors. I like that it has protein, fat and fiber but is super low in carbs (so I can always add whatever carb I want alongside). I am also impressed by their higher quality and short list of ingredients.

3. Consider grabbing an unflavored protein powder (like Truvani) to add to savory meals like soups, stews, dips, etc. This can turn a low protein vegetarian meal into one that now covers all bases.

4. Protein smoothies ... have another (maybe flavored this time?) protein powder like Truvani or your favorite whey protein to use in smoothies for a meal on-the-go. Make sure you have plenty of fat, fiber, add some fruit for intentional carbs, that protein and liquid and you've got the equivalent of a full meal in minutes. My suggestion: use more than 1 scoop! Most protein powders have about 20g per scoop. This is why I use 1.5 - 2 scoops usually. Such an easy way to get in 30-40g.

5. Bring a packet of collagen in your bag or purse to add to your coffee at the office.

6. Grab a meat stick to have alongside a meal to up the protein intake.

7. Add a cup of egg whites to your 1 scrambled egg to take that meal from 6g of protein to 32g.

8. Grab canned tuna, chicken, sardines for super-quick sources of protein.

9. If you're a vegan, consider that most plant protein is higher in carbs than protein (like beans, legumes). In order to get enough protein without overdoing the carbs and robbing from your metabolic health, you'll likely need to get some of your protein each day from something like (organic, sprouted) tofu and / or supplement using protein powders.

Here's a delicious soup recipe that has 20g protein as is with the bone broth. Feel free to add another source such as meat, seafood, tofu. If you don't eat bone broth (vegetarian), use veggie broth instead and definitely add another source of protein -- like unflavored protein powder.



Hope this helps you hit your protein needs for the day, you healthy rockstar, you!



XO,
Tara



P.S. If you're confused about how to balance your meals altogether or find that you're having trouble reaching or maintaining your goals on your own, TRANSFORM: Body + Mind -- my 28-day metabolism-boosting course -- is starting up again next month! Make sure you're on the waitlist.

In a lunch rut?

Breakfast is a smoothie or egg situation, dinner is protein, veggie and a starch. Lunch is … confusing? Boring? Leftovers?

In case you need to change it up a little, I made a PFF-balanced lunch collection of 5 recipes for you to check out. Plant-based and omnivore options. All happen to be gluten-free too. These are balanced with just the right amount of protein, fat and fiber to help with fat loss, muscle-building, and “toning up” goals.

Speaking of … are you on the waitlist for TRANSFORM: Body + Mind?? If so, look out for an email from me tomorrow - or later today as I sometimes like to jump the gun ;-) - with the link to sign up. The cart will be open for just 1 week and this is the last round until the Fall, so if you have summer goals of feeling incredible, strong, fit and healthy this year, THIS is your round. Brand new info … with a note from your doctor mentioning a diagnosis with a recommendation for “weight loss”, you might be able to use your FSA or HSA for the cost of TRANSFORM!

XO,

Tara

10 healthy things I'm keeping up with this summer ... and 3 I'm not

Summer Lovin' sometimes ends up becoming Summer Everything-fell-by-the-wayside.

With the kids home from school all summer, it can be a lot more challenging to stick to a routine. Today I'm sharing 10 things that I'm proud to say kept their presence in my days and weeks this summer ... and 3 that I was hoping would but definitely did NOT.



1. Morning sun. Most days I've been getting outside even before my early morning workout but on the days I haven't, I've been out shortly thereafter. This is perfect because anything that helps boost mood, energy, improve sleep quality, balance blood sugar, rev up metabolism -- and is FREE -- I wanna be taking advantage of!


2. Grounding. This involves touching nature. I know that sounds weird, but gardening, walking on the grass or sand and getting caught in the rain all count. This has cardio-protective benefits and boosts our feel food neuromodulators (helps with mood and energy as well). Since I'm almost always barefoot around my house, this has been really easy to sneak in with the morning sun. I just step outside without putting on shoes.


3. Strength training. This is one of the most potent anti-aging and metabolism-boosting tools we have at our disposal. I have kept up with my workouts even when it's meant moving them around or shuffling the schedule as needed.


4. Sleep. Every night I've gotten at least some sleep. Do I get a trophy? HAHA j/k. But the truth is even when I've gotten off track because I was up late working a bunch, we got home at 1 AM from a Billy Joel concert, we watched 2 episodes of Severance instead of the 1 we had planned, or the kids were up and in our bed a bazillion times, I have been on top of making sure sleep rises higher on the priority list again within a reasonable amount of time.


5. PFF meals. Even when I've had to pack grab-and-go options this summer (we're constantly on the go!), I have been sure to include protein, fat, and fiber in probably 95% or so of my meals and in the por that my body needs. This has been such an important staple as I've reversed my PCOS, prediabetes, and hypothyroidism and has helped me feel my best + strongest now at 39 than ever before.


6. Hydration. Ok, so this used to always be a weakness for me but this summer I feel like a hydrated Queen ... or at least just not like I'm a walking dessert surrounded by skin anymore. :-P


7. Electrolytes. So it may be cheating that I'm giving this one it's own spot on the list because it's technically part of the hydration bit, but I feel so much better when I'm replacing some electrolytes each day. We can get this through our food if we're intentional about it or make it ourselves, but I've been using a pre-made version called ReLyte (not an ad) and I just tailor the amount I use to what I need for that day.


8. Oral hygiene. I'm not even sure I should be giving myself credit for this but I always tell you guys to celebrate every little victory so I'm gonna walk the talk here. It's floss-then tongue scrape- then brush with a nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste and even though it only takes a few minutes, I never skip it ... even if I'm away. (Oh ... what's it like to be away? It's been SO LONG for me! LOL)


9. Supplements. There's a reason I share some of what I take and not "a day of supplements" or anything. It's because I take different things based on my unique needs and it switches up depending on things like where I'm at in my cycle, when I want to take a 'supplement holiday' from certain things at certain times, or I may run out of something. Haha. But I have this habit of kicking off my breakfast-making by taking my morning supplements. It's automatic now and as such, it shows up even when I'm a chicken with my head cut off.


10. Positive self talk. It's still, "I'm juicier now" rather than "I'm gross + bloated now". It's "that was more food than what feels comfortable in my body" rather than, "I can't believe I overate again." The cool thing about this is that while it takes lots of practice, it doesn't require any additional time.



Ok, so now onto what has fallen by the wayside a bit this summer ....


1. The sauna. I was getting 2-3+ sessions per week in when the kids were in school, but have only gotten in 2-3 sessions this whole summer so far. It's cool. I'll get back into it when they return to school as I have a good rhythm of fitting it in after my workout and after I get them off to school but before my shower. I start my work day from the sauna to save time (more habit stacking!).



2. Daily walks. See above. I've been very active (mostly cleaning up and chasing after the kids), but there haven't been official daily or even near daily walks. I'm not upset about this though as I tend to need the walks a lot more when they are in school and I could otherwise find myself sitting and working for long stretches. So ... September is the walking comeback!



3. Unwinding. Ok, so this is the only one of the 3 that I am actually not too thrilled with myself about. Back in the day I used to have VERY high cortisol levels. I am someone that needs even just 10-20 minutes of unwinding each day (read, bath, meditate, journal, etc.) and it's been barely there this summer. The excuse is that I was creating and taking a pre-launch group through a brand new course that I created AND a brand new monthly membership app I created while still running all other aspects of my business and being mama-without-childcare. And that's all true and understandable! But I'm no good to anyone if I burn out, so this one needs to improve ASAP. I'm gonna start with a mandatory 5 minutes of unwinding before bed. If I can't fit in 5 minutes, what am I even doing?!



Maybe this email included more details than you ever wanted to know about me. HAHA. Or maybe you find it helpful to see what I prioritize and how I plan to get back on track with some things.



Oh, and speaking of that course I created (shameless plug incoming), the cart will open in LESS THAN 24 HOURS to sign up for it! It's called TRANSFORM: Body + Mind and is a 28-day metabolism-boosting course for those with fat loss, muscle-building, and / or "toning up" goals who also want to improve their relationship with food + their body. We do all of this while optimizing health because I don't believe any other way makes sense. If you're not yet on the waitlist, hop on now .... quickly! I'll be pulling the waitlist down later today but if you get on there before, you'll get a discount code when the cart opens tomorrow.



XO,
Tara

Thyroid Issues?

Know anyone with thyroid issues?

The thing about thyroid issues is that the issues themselves are not the problem, but rather a symptom of the problem. If it's auto-immune in nature, why is your body's immune system overreactive? If it's just your garden-variety hypo- or hyper- (or mixed) -thyroidism, why is your body not able to regulate the important functions of this mighty gland right now? Where might it be needing to put out fires elsewhere that it had to drop the ball?



I'm NOT against conventional treatment when necessary, but I strongly believe that conventional treatment or not, if we don't optimize, other health issues will keep popping up because nothing was truly fixed at the root.


Thyroid health is often so much more complicated than just looking at 1 or a few lab values. In fact, many doctors don't even order enough lab tests to get the full scope of what's going on. If you suspect a thyroid problem, be sure to seek out a medical practitioner you really trust and one who is comprehensive and willing to look for the root cause of why your thyroid is acting up in the first place.



Hyperthyroidism is out there for sure, but most people who come to me for help do so because of hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism can often cause weight gain or weight loss resistance, dry or brittle hair and nails, depression, cold intolerance, low libido, low energy, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, imbalanced blood sugar, and painful or missed periods.



Due to a bunch of recent questions on the topic, I decided to dedicate a whole week on my socials to thyroid dysfunction. Check out THIS POST where I discussed how I would induce hypothyroidism in myself if I wanted it again (I had it. Reversed it. Don't want it back, but it helps prove the point that our previous and current choices matter when it comes to this stuff.)



Here are ways to promote healthy thyroid function (alongside conventional treatment, on your own, or even if your thyroid is currently healthy and you want to keep it that way):

• NO yoyo dieting or over-restriction.

• Fuel your body well and with the right amount of food for your needs. This is something everyone should know about themselves, but few actually do. Make it a point to learn this!

• Eat enough carbohydrates. Most people eat too many. Some cut out too many. Just like the last point, know what you need. If you have hypothyroidism, I recommend adding an extra carb serving per day on top of your baseline needs.

• Avoid toxins in beauty and home products, extra hormones and antibiotics in your food supply wherever possible.

• Avoid overexercising or practicing a maladaptive ratio of exercise (like tons of cardio and no strength training)

• Eat and live your life in a way that promotes blood sugar balance

• Test of levels of micronutrients like zinc, iron, magnesium, iodine, selenium, vitamin B complex, vitamin D, vitamin A and / or be sure to include enough of them through your food intake. Consider talking to your healthcare practitioner about supplementation.

• Give yourself 7-9 hour sleep opportunities most nights of the week

• Reduce stress and work on stress management tools like breathwork, mindfulness practices, self care, boundaries, new hobbies, time outdoors, etc.

• When stress levels are normalized, consider adding cold exposure a few times a week. This helps convert some of our regular white fat to brown / beige fat - a more metabolically active type AND helps the thyroid gland produce better hormone ratios.

If you need help with one or any of these areas, make sure you hop on the waitlist for TRANSFORM: Body + Mind. It's my 28-day course on boosting metabolism, healing, and we cover everything in the list above and more! The next round starts in September and if you're on the waitlist, you'll get a discount code and be notified when the cart opens so you can grab a spot.



Oh, and I put together THIS RECIPE COLLECTION for you. It contains thyroid-supportive recipes containing the nutrients listed above as well as a carb source, at least 5g fiber, 10-30g healthy fat, and at least 20g protein per recipe. Hope you love 'em!



XO,
Tara



P.S. I think you need my weekly newsletters. It’s time. You can sign up RIGHT HERE. :-)

Is it bedtime yet??

Sleep is boring.

I mean, most people enjoy sleep I think. They certainly enjoy the way they feel after they've gotten a a decent amount of shut eye. But the whole topic is so UNsexy.  It's not the new, promising tip we've never heard before that we crave. 



But it works. Annoyingly so.



How many less car accidents, fights with spouses, and "mom brain" moments would there be if everyone just got enough sleep every night? I'd argue a lot. 



But also ... sleep helps us make better choices, gives us energy to do things like exercise, cook, or even just take a nice walk during a work call. Quality sleep helps to balance our blood sugar, hormones, hunger, satiety, AND ramps up fat burning and muscle-building (which boosts metabolic rate).



Super annoying, right? Because that means in order to be the type of human you want to be in this world and make the type of progress you're after, you can't ignore your sleep habits.



So let's talk about a few of the biggest needle-movers:

1. Morning sun. Getting outside at close to sunrise as possible for about 10 minutes on a bright, sunny day and closer to 30 minutes on a cloudy day (without sunglasses!) is so powerful. Besides doing all kinds of other metabolism and mood magic, it shuts down melatonin production during the day (so you'll be more energized) and tells melatonin to start creeping back up closer to a reasonable bedtime. Not 2 AM when you finish episode 6 of the series, but the sleepiness will start to set in at a more natural time like 9 or 10.

2. Turn off bright, overhead lights a couple of hours before bed. Again, the bright light stop melatonin and asks it to return much later. So when you do this in the early part of the day, it's perfect. When you do this close to bedtime, you're shooting yourself in the foot.

3. No electronics before bed. Blah blah... you've heard this but it's worth repeating.

4. Sleep in a cool room.

5. No coffee within 8 hours of bedtime. I don't make the rules. I'm just a little messenger sent by your future self who really doesn't want to have trouble asleep or get lower quality sleep later tonight.

This week, I want you to focus most on number 1 as it's usually the most impactful and almost no one is doing this consistently. Will you do me a favor? Take a pic of your early morning view and tag me in it so I can see. It will help you stay on track and besides, I think everyone should know how important morning sun is even if we need to use a little FOMO to get there. ;-)



Most of you won't do this morning sun thing -- at least not consistently -- but for those who do, will you let me know how it goes after a week or two???



If fat loss, metabolism-boosting, and / or muscle-gaining is your thang, I cannot WAIT to share with you some details on what I've been working on! Check out TRANSFORM: Body + Mind deets and hop on the waitlist if it sounds like something you're interested in for the future.



Happy sunrise-chasing,
Tara

P.S. P.S. Last week I created a new, 3-day sample meal plan. It's balanced the PFF way ... with adequate protein, fat, and fiber at every meal and intentional carbs at some but not all meals. HERE IT IS. Enjoy!