party of five blog

Staying Healthy for the Holidays - Interviewed by Kimberly Chacon

A few weeks ago, I got the pleasure of being interviewed by a very special, local Mommy blogger.  We chatted about life, mama stuff, kiddos, and her journey as a young breast cancer survivor.  

Kimberly Chacon is a graduate of New York University.  Prior to becoming a stay-at-home mom, she taught English for ten years in New York City.  When she's not running after her 18 month old twins and eight month old baby, she blogs about kids, food, and motherhood at partyoffiveblog.com.

Thanks for taking the time to write this, Kimberly!  Here's the article and a quick picture we managed to sneak in (Kimberly, Magnolia, Jagger, and I):

I don't know about you, but winter always starts out great. I love the chill in the air and the approaching holidays, goodies, and gatherings. Then, I inevitably eat too many cookies at EVERY celebration and I fall into the "I'll get healthy in January" mindset. This year is different. I've been working hard to lose the baby weight and I don't want to go backwards. In addition to weight loss, it is also about keeping my energy up and staying healthy. So, I spoke with an expert to help me figure it out.

I sat down with Tara Allen to discuss health and winter woes. Her credentials include Registered Nurse, Certified Health Coach, Certified Personal Trainer and mom. But I want you to know something else: when you meet Tara she glows with good nutrition. Clear skin, lots of energy, and just "something"that tells you she's healthy. Additionally, I got to meet her darling kids, Jagger and Magnolia. As soon as Magnolia, three years old, sat down with her crayons she wanted to write a grocery list that included Brussel sprouts and green beans. Yes, that happened. At that moment I knew that Tara was the real deal, not just talking the talk, but walking the walk! Surrounded by kids and coffee we had a great chat.

K: Tara! Save me from myself this holiday season. I love ALL THE TREATS. I inevitably eat too many cookies and goodies at every celebration. Help! 

T: Don't show up to a holiday party starving. Just don't do it. Eat a light meal before and then think carefully about your choices. Choose which treat you are going to have and really savor it. If you love pumpkin pie, then wait until you have the best quality, most delicious pumpkin pie and enjoy it! Don't deprive yourself from all the treats or that will backfire. Also, always be prepared. If you know you are going out for a long day of holiday shopping, make sure to have trail mix or a fruit packed in your purse. This will help you avoid eating junk while you are out.

K: Ok, what about this dilemma? My main exercise has been walking, but now it's getting colder and it gets dark at 4 p.m. What workouts do you recommend for winter?

T: You can do workouts at home! Try this while the kids are playing: 10 push ups, 10 squats, walking lunges while wearing or holding your baby, then run up and down the stairs. Repeat this a few times during the day. There is always a way to work it in!  Alternate HIIT workouts (High Intensity Interval Training) with long walks and yoga. Also, look on Youtube for free workout videos that you can do in your living room. (Addendum: After our interview, I made it a point to try and work in these kinds of exercises and it is possible, but you have to put your mind to it. The neighbors probably thought I was crazy, but I did squats while holding the baby in the backyard and ab twists using the pumpkins after Halloween. (Tara made a video showing this on her website and I was inspired to recycle my decorations. The pumpkin workout is no joke.)

K: I am trying really hard to avoid that winter "blah" feeling this year. What are some of the things you do to stay healthy during this season?

T: The first thing is that you should eat warming foods at this time of year. I am constantly roasting vegetables during winter. These are easy to pop on a baking sheet and into the oven to eat throughout the week.  I choose one temperature (usually 400 degrees F) and stagger cooking times as needed for each vegetable. In particular, I find myself making a variety of squash, most notably spaghetti and butternut squash.

My second recommendation is take more vitamin D. I love that you wrote a whole blog article about it and women need to know how important it is to their health. One source of vitamin D that people may not be aware of is pastured eggs. These are eggs from chickens that roam free. Their diet is better and makes them a great vitamin source. Also, find a great supplement that works for you. I take up to an extra 1,000 IUs daily during the winter. This helps to build your vitamin D stores when we have less access to sunlight.

K: Do you have any tips for implementing healthy holiday traditions for kids?

T: Actually, yes! My family has a strong tradition of making my grandmother's delicious recipes for Christmas goodies, but as you can imagine, those recipes are laden with shortening and white sugar. But, they are part of our family tradition, so here's what we do: we choose ONE of my grandmother's recipes to make and then make two healthy treats. We use the combination of traditional and healthy treats as gifts for friends and neighbors. This is my most popular "treat" recipe: Healthy Holiday Fudge (scroll down for recipe).

K: You write a lot about kids eating vegetables and I literally just heard your daughter ask for Brussel sprouts. How do you do it?

T: I have tried to make a practice that she eats a vegetable at every meal. I let her choose between two, so her voice is heard, but we eat them together and she loves them. She also helps me with writing grocery lists and meal planning. If you are struggling to get your little ones to eat vegetables, try my recipe for Butternut Squash Apple soup (see below). I suggest starting with it very sweet (more apples at first), then adjusting it to lessen the sweetness over time. It works! 

Thank you for all of these great tips! 

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Healthy Holiday Fudge

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
  • ¼ cup cacao powder
  • 2 T honey or maple syrup

 Directions:

1.    Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.

2.    Pour into silicone molds or spread evenly in pan.

3.    Place in refrigerator for 3-4 hours (or overnight).

4.    Pop out of molds or cut into squares and place in an air-tight container.

5.    Serve right out of refrigerator, as they will melt if kept at room temperature.

 

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Butternut Squash Apple Soup

 

Ingredients:

 

  • 1 Butternut squash, raw - peeled and chopped
  • 2 apples, any kind, chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 T coconut oil
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • salt and pepper to taste

  

Directions:

 

1.    In a large pot, melt coconut oil.  Sautee onion for 3-5 minutes, until translucent.

2.    Add broth, water, squash, and apples.

3.    Bring to a boil.

4.    Cover and reduce heat.  Simmer for 35 minutes.

5.    Use an immersion blender or transfer batches of soup into a blender / food processor until it is a pureed consistency.

6.    Add cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, and salt and pepper.

7.    Garnish with pumpkin seeds or fresh herbs.

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