20 Healthy Quarantine Recipes

20 Healthy Quarantine Recipes

Ok, so I know most of us are technically *not* in quarantine anymore (phew!), but I wanted to (re)share this free recipe e-book in case you missed it last time.


I find around this time of year, many people are home from vacations, getting ready for a new schedule in September, and excited about cooking again (maybe just a little?).


This recipe book is unique in that it focuses on pantry-friendly ingredients that you may normally have on hand or maybe you stocked up on when groceries were a bit tricky to get your hands on.


Regardless, there's lots of great meal and snack ideas and all happen to be gluten and dairy free.

>>GRAB YOUR COPY HERE<<

If you make any of these and post them on social, be sure to tag me so I can check it out!


Happy Tuesday,
Tara

4 years to your dream body?!

Did you go to college or do you know someone who has?

You know that thing you - or they - did where they committed to 4 years or more knowing there would be no tangible results until graduation? 


There was no gradual payout system where you'd start making a little bit of your desired salary while still in school.


There was no money given back if you didn't succeed by your own hard work and consistency.


You were expected to show up and keep showing up.


Now let's think about your health and body goals...


Do you want to start seeing or feeling results shortly into a new program, diet, fitness routine? You'll only continue on if you are getting results on the timeline you want, right? So if you have to work hard for a month or two and are not getting immediate and rapid results....you, what... throw in the towel?


Image you did that in college? By month 1 or 2 you didn't have your degree yet, so you quit.



Our health and bodies are worth AT LEAST the amount of time, attention, money (all the things!) that you spent on college. Our health and bodies are worth showing up day after day even if the results aren't coming as fast as you want them to. Do you agree?


Come join me in my car as I discuss this a bit more. ;-)



XO,
Tara



P.S. You know what you get with me...and it's never a hard sell. I don't want to do that to you, but mostly, I don't want any clients who aren't motivated enough to seek me out. I don't want to convince anyone that they're ready for a change. If it takes convincing, it's not a good fit for my coaching style and program. Rather, someone who is ready to put in the work (EAGER even, albeit nervous) will soar in my program. Someone who has been thinking about working with me already, but keeps putting it off. Someone who is attracted to the slow and steady, work your butt off and feel like an absolute badass and role model at the same time vibe ... those are the ones that start coaching with me and optimize their entire lives, not just their health and bodies.


All that to say that I'm here. Even though I don't send you 42 sales emails a week. Even though I'm not tracking what pages on my website you visit so I can sneakily follow up by serving you an ad later on. ;-) If there's something about my emails, videos, or social media posts that resonate with you, it's probably because we feel similarly about how we want to rock this life of ours. I'll never be knocking on your door, but I will always leave mine open for you to walk through when you're ready. I'm UNBELIEVABLY passionate about helping you glow.


Here's more info on my 1-on-1 nutrition / fitness / health coaching program.


And book a free call right here if you've read through that and are ready to get started!

Calorie deficits... a misnomer?

Are calorie deficits a real thing?

Well, sort of. But also not really.




LET ME EXPLAIN.




Questions? Simply shoot an email to tara@taraallenhealth.com to get right into my personal inbox!




XO,
Tara

Track THIS!

Heyyyyy there! I know it's tempting to want to tally calories or macros. You might like to track all the details of your workouts. Or maybe it's points you're used to adding up?

Some of those things can be helpful for certain people, but I'd like to share what I believe is helpful for EVERYONE on a health / body transformation journey and why it should be the first thing (and maybe only thing?) you track.

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO and get ready to implement this simple yet effective metric to track that has the potential to turn everything around for you!


XO,
Tara


P.S. Are we friends on social? If so, you may have seen me mention that I will be increasing my 1-on-1 coaching prices very soon. I've made lots of upgrades to the program and it's time to restructure the investment as well. That being said, I want to extend you the opportunity to jump on and be grandfathered (or grandmothered?) in at the lower rate as a thank you for hanging out with me here on my email list. 


Here are the details of the program.


For 2 more weeks I will be extending the lower rate if you simply mention this blog post. That's $30 off per month!


If you are ready to optimize your health, body, and finally feel amazing in your skin and in your life, let's do it! Schedule a free call so we can dive into details about your goals and set a start date. I can't wait to work with you!! :-)

Pleasure + Pain (and how to tap into their potential to change your habits)

Pleasure + Pain (nope, not a kinky email. Don't worry!)

Did you know that we are wired to seek out pleasure and avoid pain? That means some interesting things happen in the presence of either. IN THIS VIDEO I explain why this matters to anyone interested in optimizing their health and habits. More importantly, I tell you exactly how to start using this to your benefit! 



Do you plan to start utilizing this strategy? I'd love to hear your thoughts!



XO,
Tara

Will your results be sticking by your side, or.....?

Believe it or not, there's a question you can ask yourself that will give you a really good idea of whether the results you're working on will end up sticking around or will be fleeting like times in the past.



<<< CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO to learn what the question is and why it's so eye-opening! >>>



Do you have an instagram account yet? I'm not exactly an early adopter with social media, but I have been loving instagram for the way in which I can share so many things for FREE with everyone. FULL, daily workouts, lots of recipes and food prep ideas, fat loss tips, muscle-building tips, motherhood shenanigans, etc. And did you know there's a 'save' feature? Lots of people use this to save certain workout posts that they know they'll want to come back to in the future. It's like having your own little folder tucked away! Do I sound like an instagram ad yet? HAHA! Just my favorite way to share stuff with you guys lately since I don't want to pop into your inbox everyday. If you come visit me, make sure you say hello!



XO,
Tara

Does your reason matter when it comes to weight loss?

I had this client once, I'll call her "Mary". Mary was really excited to be starting fresh on her health journey after years of feeling out of control with food. She tried all the diets and they all ended the same way for her - with a week-long binge after all that restriction. Mary found my instagram page after seeing a comment of mine on a mutual friend's post. Funny how things work out, isn't it?



But anyway.... Mary told me more about her story on her initial phone consultation. She mentioned that she had a certain, specific weight loss goal in mind. In fact, she told me that she weighed herself every morning despite the fact that it usually ruined her day. When I dug in there a bit, we discovered that by focusing on the scale weight, even normal day-to-day fluctuations would derail her progress. If the scale hadn't moved (or went up), she often moped around for the rest of the day. She made very different food choices because of her frustration and lack of self-confidence for the rest of the day.


Thankfully Mary became a client and agreed to slowly shift her focus away from the scale and onto her bigger goals: feeling athletic again and having more energy to get her through the day. Why was that the thing that changed Mary's trajectory? Well, they had nothing to do with the scale. The scale could be up, down, the same, or in the garbage and as long as she was focused on "feeling like an athlete again" (her words) and taking actions that brought her better energy, then she had something to keep her going.



Is this something that might help you? CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO for more!



I'm here if you need me.



XO,
Tara

Your muscles or your life?

What's your choice -- strong, fit, healthy body and energy... or a long life?

I know. I don't wanna make that choice either! Luckily there are ways that science tells us we can achieve both, even though these goals can be considered at odds with one another, traditionally.


IN THIS VIDEO I chat about why they are at odds with one another and what I'm currently doing to chase both goals. I hope you'll learn something, but more importantly, I hope you'll find excitement in all the cutting edge research that's being done telling us -- in greater detail -- how we can take our health into our own hands.


The video happened live last week, but the offer still stands. Any questions? Anything you'd like to chat about? I'm a quick email away. Tara@TaraAllenHealth.com


Happy Monday!

XO,
Tara

Goodbye, curves!?

Bye bye, curves!? 

At least that's what she was afraid of when she asked me whether or not she's lose her shape as her fat loss journey continued.



Is there some truth to that? Yup! But there is also a bit that's in your control. CHECK OUT THIS QUICK (6 min.) VIDEO for all the curves + fat loss details.



Is this something you're concerned about as well? Let's chat about it so you feel more confident about your strategy. Shoot me an email - tara@taraallenhealth.com - to get right into my inbox. :-)



Happy day,
Tara

4 steps to optimize body recomposition

Sometimes it doesn't matter what order you do things in.

Curious... do you floss first and then brush or brush first and then floss? I always floss first because I feel like I can brush away the junk then at the end. But, a dentist did tell me once that the order doesn't actually matter for general oral hygiene purposes.


But when it comes to changing your body composition, the order does matter! Nothing bad will happen if you go out of order, but you certainly won't be optimizing your results. 


So what's the order? If any of your goals include fat loss / weight loss or muscle growth, CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO for the 4 steps.


Which one of these do you need the most help with? Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know. I'd be happy to create extra content around the area that the most of you need some guidance on. :-)


It's the last day of June! March felt like 4 months, April like 3, and May and June felt like a half a month combined. Just me? Regardless, a new month is always a great opportunity to reset and be intentional about some new habits. I'm here to help.


XO,
Tara

Just a cold, sweet treat today...

Keepin' it simple today...

...with a delicious recipe. If you want to catch up with the workouts and health and fat loss tips of the week, come visit me on instagram. Be sure to check stories ... I post there everyday!

Chia Seed Breakfast Popsicles

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup Plain Yogurt (coconut, Greek... whatever you'd like)

• 1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

• 2 tbsps Raw Honey

• 1 tbsp Chia Seeds

• 1/3 cup Strawberries (sliced into small pieces)

• 1 Peach (sliced into small pieces)

• 1/3 cup Pineapple (sliced into small pieces)

• 1/2 cup Granola (buy, make... your call)

  
  
  Directions:

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, almond milk, honey, and chia seeds. Mix well.

2. Fill popsicle moulds about 1/4 of the way with the yogurt mixture then drop in the fruit. Spoon more of the yogurt mixture in to cover the fruit. To burst any air-pockets in your popsicles, press down on the mixture with a spoon.

3. Sprinkle the granola into the moulds to cover the yogurt and fruit, and press down with a spoon so that it gets incorporated with the yogurt mixture.

4. Freeze for at least 5 hours. When you're ready to eat, leave on the counter for 10 minutes before removing from moulds, so they will slide out effortlessly. Enjoy!

XO,
Tara

Hunger: Friend or Foe

Hunger: Friend or Foe?

Is hunger inherently bad? Does it mean we're in 'starvation mode'? Is it an emergency? Does it play a role in fat loss or longevity?



CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO where I chatted live all about hunger and how it might apply to your various health goals.



Questions? Feel free to leave a comment and I'll get back to you soon. :-)



XO,
Tara

The world is reeling...

The world is reeling...

Twenty twenty has been off to an interesting start, to say the least. And as we're pushed beyond the sharp edges of our comfort levels in what seems like ALL areas, we must choose to learn and grow from it all. Without that very deliberate and often tricky decision, we will merely wallow in self-pity and sorrow for others. Rather than wallow, let's let it in, feel it, and move through it.



Let's move to awareness.
Listening.
Action.
Hope.
Help.
Community.
Momentum.
Resilience.
Strength.



In all areas. In all we've been experiencing. 



And if you know anything about me, you know I'm the biggest believer that everything starts with us. If we are taking care of our physical and mental health, we are able to focus on our needs and the needs of our family, friends, and community.



If we are energetic and vibrant and confident, our voices get a little louder. Our hobbies creep back in. Our family sees more smiles out of us. We stand up for what we believe in. If we are healthy and glowing, we can be better leaders, more productive, calm and kind. We can volunteer. We can take an extra few minutes to give the better answer to our kids' complicated questions. With greater health comes greater capacity - we can love all over others. 



Today, I want to remind you of this one thing: taking care of your physical and mental health so you can be that elevated version of yourself is something you get to have power over right now. 



So while some will say this is not the time to focus on you, I offer the opposite perspective. This is not the time to take the focus OFF of you as you are needed now more than ever, regardless of how that is showing up in your life. This year has rocked our worlds - every single one of us. I know you're needed. Whatever your role, do it with magic. And how can you be magic when you don't feel magical?

• Upgrade your habits one by one.

• Sleep, seriously. Please sleep.

• Eat well, balanced, and not more than your body needs. Most of our chronic disease comes from excess.

• Move your beautiful body.

• And learn some tricks for dealing with stress. You might be 'Type A' like me or easily wound-up, but you can teach yourself to become much less reactive through mindfulness and breathing protocols. It's a change worth making. I promise. 

If you need help with the specifics of any of this, let me know. I'm here to help YOU.



Peace + love,
Tara



P.S. Come say "hi" on Instagram. I was muted & listening for a week to stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter as I shared resources and many beautiful voices and perspectives of people of color. And now I'm back doing what I do best - focusing on healthy bodies and minds for everyone. I share my workouts, tips, recipes, and answer every single (appropriate) DM. I'd love to connect with you over there. 

Breathing and Fat Loss.... Connected?

Your breathing + your fat loss efforts...

...they may be more connected than you realize.


IN THIS VIDEO I get into the specifics of fat metabolism as it relates to the way you breathe. But it would be boring if I stopped there, wouldn't it? So I'm sharing some very specific and actionable ways for you to optimize both as well. Watch the video...or just listen -- you don't need to see my talking head. ;-)

I'd love to hear from you... will this change the way you think about your breathing? Leave a comment and let me know.


Be well!

XO,
Tara

Why you can't stick to a plan

You *know* what to eat and how to move to make progress, right?

Some people need help with the information, of course, but most people know enough to get them to their goals. So how come the plan you create in the morning falls by the wayside at 8 PM when you're overwhelmed and need a break? How come you can't seem to stick to an exercise routine for more than a week at a time?



It's your VCR.



Let me explain. You have been trying to take valuable information and plans (nutrition, fitness) that are on a DVD ... and play them inside your VCR. (For you young folks, VCRs are the machines that played videotapes and became extinct around the time the dinosaurs say goodbye). 



You have an old operating system and simply need an upgrade. It's a brain thing and it's been going on for years, if not decades! Once you make that upgrade to a DVD player, whichever DVD you choose to run will work.



(Yes, I totally get the fact that DVDs are a bit outdated as well, but I think it's an analogy that you guys will get.)



IN MY LATEST VIDEO, I got into the old operating system you have, the new one you need, and how to make the upgrade. 



If your transformation starts with nutrition or fitness or both without addressing old patterns, habits, thoughts, connections... it won't stick. Band-aids only help when there's healing going on underneath.



Hit 'reply' to this email and let me know if you'd like to learn more about how to upgrade your operating system so you'll be able to stick to the changes you make going forward. :-)



Stay well,
Tara

Is Walking Enough?

"Tara, I walk (hike, run, bike) all the time. Isn't that enough for my exercise?"

Well, I took an extra long shower this morning. Can I skip brushing my teeth?




It's a joke, of course, but maybe sheds a little light into how different cardio and strength training can be. Just like showers and oral hygiene, they are both beneficial and have their place. However, one does not replace the other.



CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO I recorded live last week to learn about 11 big benefits of strength training...and what the heck 'strength training' really means, anyway.


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We are all in the same storm, but inside of very different boats.


I heard someone mention this recently and it's a beautiful way to sum up what's going on. There are lots of similarities to what we're all going through -- collectively -- right now. Very similar worries and hardships. Very similar silver linings, even, But not for everyone. We are not all in the same boat. And as such, we will be weathering the storm differently. It's our responsibility to look after our own boat, and lend a helping hand to fellow boaters when we can.


It also means we need to be relentless in the amount of grace we give each other and ourselves. Some people are doing all they can to just keep their boat afloat right now. Others might have some more emotional reserve to be able to tackle projects and goals (like starting a new fitness routine or reducing body fat once and for all). But please don't think you don't measure up if you do not have the bandwidth to take on anything extra these days. 


Take a few deep breaths, go to bed a half hour earlier tonight, or sneak away to your car or bathroom for 5 minutes today. Take care of your most basic needs - your mental health and emotional resilience. 


And if you do feel ready to tackle your health / body goals and are unsure of where to start, email me and I'll share a bunch of FREE resources I have put together. I run a business, yes, but building robust communities full of resources available to anyone in need is a BIG part of my mission.


Hit me up.
Tara@TaraAllenHealth

XO,
Tara

Stubborn Weight Loss?

There's weight loss....and there's STUBBORN weight loss.

You know the kind, right? It's often the last 5 pounds as opposed to the first 5 pounds. It's when you feel like you've tried everything, but nothing works or lasts (even though it seems to work for everyone else!).




Bad news, good news. Bad news first? Ok.... there isn't anything different about the way your body works.



Ready for the good news? There isn't anything different about the way your body works. ;-) We all have very different energy needs, for sure. This depends on how much and how hard you exercise, how much you move between workouts, your age, your body size and composition, your dieting history, thyroid function, etc. BUT, there is one common set of rules for EVERYONE: If you take in less energy (calories) than your body requires for fuel, you will lose body fat. If you are not losing body fat, you are not in an energy deficit for YOUR body. That may mean you're not losing weight on 1500 calories a day, but your friend is losing on 2000 calories a day. Super frustrating, right? But the same principles apply. Their body simply requires more calories to function on a day-to-day basis than yours does. (If we knew for sure that the calorie tracking was accurate - which it's nearly always not. But that's a different story).



What about the people that tell you you're gaining weight because you're UNDEReating? Not true. It's nice to think about, but it's simply not true.



Now, can you get yourself up to the point where your body does burn more calories everyday so you can maintain or lose more body fat while eating more calories? YES! That's a process called reverse dieting and I'm happy to answer any questions you may have about that.



But let's stick to the science here, ok? Losing body fat requires an energy deficit so that your body is required to make up the additional calories it needs by taking it off of your stored body fat. Your stored body fat contains calories / energy... just like your food! If you want to decrease body fat, you need to use it up. That's how it 'goes away'.



I got into this even more in last week's live video. Check it out here.



Here is some more information about my online coaching program - including cost and before / after pictures.



And if you'd like to chat to see if we're the right fit to work together, schedule a call here! Looking forward to hearing about your goals so we can devise a plan for how you can CRUSH THEM. ;-)



Hope your week is off to a great start.



XO,
Tara

You cannot control the scale. Here's the work-around. ;-)

You have no control over the number on the scale.

Let's just get that disappointing fact out of the way. You can do everything according to plan and wake up to a higher number. You can go off the rails and wake up to a lower number. There will always be fluctuations that are very much out of our control - water retention, sodium levels, hormones, bathroom habits... there are many outside factors!



So, when we focus on something that is not exactly in our control, we get frustrated. We try to control it more only to realize that no matter what, weight loss goals OR weight gain goals will never be a linear process. The frustration and feeling of being out of control messes with our head and ultimately leads to us throwing in the towel. Why strive for something we're not able to control anyway, right? Ugh! 



But there is a better way. ;-)



We DO have control over our consistency. We should be tracking our consistency with precision and laser-focus. Here's how it works: you have ONE nutrition and fitness goal for each day. They need to be things you can easily say you either did or did not do at the end of the day. Then, you track whether or not you did those things each day.



That's it! Not bad, right? Grab a journal, notebook, wall calendar, or use your phone. Simply circle the days you hit both goals and mark an 'x' for the ones you. missed one or both of the goals. Looking back, you should have at least 80% consistency. If you are at least 80% consistent and patient (you wait at least 4-6 weeks), you will absolutely notice results if your plan is a good one.



Rinse and repeat. Tweak as necessary. Enjoy your newfound freedom and confidence from finally reaching those health + body goals. ;-)



Enjoy your week!



P.S. Do you need help with a customized plan so you know exactly what to be working on? Might you benefit from having accountability from a coach to help you stay on track and be consistent? That's what I do! I help clients (virtually) with health, nutrition, and fitness. It's an all-in-one program and is completely customized to your needs and your goals. I've had many new clients start with me since quarantine started because they tell me they are more conscious of their health and have no more excuses since they can workout at home and don't have the usual temptation of driving by the fast food places anymore. If you are ready to start feeling confident, fit, strong, and vibrant by summer, I'm ready to help! I've shifted things a bit and am opening up a handful of new 1-on-1 coaching opportunities for this month.

Learn more about the program here.

Then, schedule your (free) 15-minute consultation here.

Can't wait to speak with you and help you achieve those goals that you've had for so long!


XO,
Tara

Why your healthy diet may not be working... or healthy!

Which diet is healthiest?

Paleo? Keto? Vegan? Carnivore? Blood Type?



It depends. Truthfully, most questions worth asking do not have a black or white answer. Marketing peeps want you to this so, of course. But those rooted in real science and true health feel differently.



Bioindividuality is the name of the game. However, we do know a few common 'rules' about healthy ways of eating - including eating more real, whole foods than processed foods... and not allowing our dietary choices to cause more harm than good by causing dogmatism and stress.



CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO where I got into this a bit more last week.



Do you lean towards eating a certain way? Have you figured out what works best for your body yet? It's such a great feeling when the food noise and restrict / binge cycles are broken. Imagine how much more time and sanity you'll get back when your brain isn't ruminating on food choices all day long!



I hope you're there already, because it's beautiful. But if you're not, I'd love to help! This is what I do with my clients. I help them optimize their body and mindset through lifestyle choices, nutrition, and fitness. They stop fearing food and stop hating on their bodies. They start feeling better and stronger. Their energy increases and sustains them throughout their daily activities without needing a sugar or caffeine S.O.S. mid-afternoon. And, they do all of this from the comfort of their home and within their own schedule. I'm not sure if there's a better time than to focus on health and longevity than right now! 



If you'd like to chat about your goals and next steps, I'm offering (free) 15-minute calls on a first come, first serve basis. You're welcome to sign up for one! Here's my schedule.

I've been sharing links to my social media posts here inside these newsletters recently. I decided to skip it today, but with the idea that I want to ask you... did you enjoy the links? Was it helpful to have a snapshot of the week in one spot? Please reply to this email and let me know if you'd like me to continue with that. If there's enough interest, I'm happy to start it back up again. :-)


In the meantime (like, for this week) feel free to click on the social links below to check out the recent workouts, recipes, and other posts.


XO,
Tara

Comfort eating / comfort sitting on the couch....

It's true that we need comfort right now. In fact, without some comfort in our days, our brain will takeover and seek it out even against your will. Maybe you've seen this in action already? You had every intention to skip the pantry surfing after dark and workout, but instead you skipped the workout and devoured everything in the pantry in what seemed like a semi-conscious state.



Sound familiar? It's something you may be used to doing long before quarantine started. But certainly now it's heightened. Of course... we are worried, bored, stuck at home, not sure what lies ahead, stressed - it's a recipe for comfort-seeking.



But seeking comfort isn't as simple as that. Often, the way we choose to seek out comfort actually leads us to DIScomfort in the future. So, to find true comfort, we need a balance of some in-the-moment strategies that work in the here and now but don't deter from our future selves. AND, we need to do some things that might bring us a little discomfort right now for the sake of future comfort.



Let me explain in this live video I recorded last week on facebook.


Is this something you're dealing with? If so, I have tons of resources that I'd love to share with you. Hit 'reply' to this email and let's chat.
If you'd like to see a quick video sharing more of how I help people (including before and afters - even my own before & after!), check this out.



XO,
Tara




Here's what happened on social:


Dumbbell shoulder workout

Easter morning

Slow cooker lentil chili

Suitcase upper body workout

Salsa dancing - The Left Turn

Bodyweight legs + glutes

The weight of the world

Breathing + COVID-19 

No jump HIIT workout

Quarantine Creativity

Now is as good a time as any to be mindful of getting in enough of the immune-boosting vitamins + minerals.

I'm excited to announce the launch of my Immune Support Meal Plan! I created this meal plan by focusing on balancing not just macros (protein, fats, and carbs), but also made sure that each day has plenty of zinc, selenium, and vitamins A, C, and E.

The plan happens to be gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian too. Oh, and I've worked leftovers in so you're not cooking 3 meals everyday.

You'll get 2 copies instantly - 1 regular one with all the mouth-watering pictures, and 1 text-only so you're not cursing me out as you run out of color ink. ;-)

What else do you get? The 7-day meal plan plus grocery list and all recipes.

So whether you're having trouble getting your hands on your usual immune-boosting supplements or just prefer to get the goods through tasty meals instead, this plan will have you covered.

Enjoy!