Pumpkin Spice Waffles

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So I have to start by letting you know I forgot to snap a decent picture of these waffles for you, and instead have this paper towel quickie that I sent my hubby to let him know we had breakfast to bring on our road trip.  :-)

Now that that's out, do NOT let it take away from the fact that these are DELICIOUS and should be made immediately - even before Starbucks announces that it's pumpkin season this year.  

These waffles worked as breakfast on-the-go as well as a snack in our hotel room the following day.  They are gluten free, dairy free, have no added sugar, and are packed with protein, healthy fat, fiber, and some veggies!  

***Swap the nut butter for seed butter to make these friendly for nut allergens if you have allergies in your family or school rules to follow.***

Are you ready?!

Pumpkin Spice Waffles

Ingredients:

Wet:

  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 large bananas
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup walnut butter (it's what we had - any nut butter will work)
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil

Dry:

  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1.5 T pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder (aluminum-free)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Mix all wet ingredients in a blender.

2. Add dry ingredients and blend until well-combined.

3. Cook in a greased waffle iron. Makes about 8 waffles (pictured are waffles cut in quarters).

4. Enjoy!!

 

WIll you be trying these??  Let me know!

How to Build a Green Smoothie - The Template

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Ahhh....the green smoothie.  It's tasty, convenient, great for the young and old alike, and helps us stay on track with our goals.

But...

Sometimes it doesn't come out right!  Sometimes it's too thick, or too watery, or not sweet enough.  How do you know if it's balanced, anyway?

No worries.  I put together a Green Smoothie Template for you.  Share it, print it, stick it on your fridge.  Use it as a checklist for when you make your next smoothie.  You will be left with delicious, smooth, healthy, balanced green smoothies every time!

Grab your copy of the template right here.

***Would you like to stay 'in the know' and receive more of my resources, healthified recipes, weight loss videos, and wellness tips?  Subscribe to my newsletter so you won't miss a thing!***

In good health,

Tara

White Bean and Spinach Stew

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These days, many people are looking for more plant-based meals for various reasons and still crave a hearty meal. Plant-based can still mean something with sustenance, warmth, vibrant colors, and flavors to help fill your belly and your soul!  Stews are a great way to satisfy that need for a heartier meal.  They can be served warm in the colder months, and cold on a hot and humid day.  

The spinach in this meal delivers a serving of low-glycemic vegetables, gut-promoting fiber, and vitamin K, A, C and folate.  The iron in spinach plays a role in well-functioning red blood cells which help to transport oxygen around the body.

The phytochemicals ("plant magic") in onions can reduce the amount of damaging free radicals circulating in your body.  The sulfur and chromium work in tandem to help reduce blood sugar.

Olive oil is rich in heart-healthy, monounsaturated fat.  This helps us absorb all the fat-soluble vitamins in the dish, promote healthy hormones, and nourish our skin and hair.  Olive oil also has strong anti-inflammatory properties and is a staple in health-promoting Mediterranean Diet.

Thyme is known to help sore throats...as well as lowering high blood pressure and helping to manage elevated cholesterol in the blood.

Garlic is highly nutritious, yet low in calories.  The powerful compounds in garlic can help to reduce and stabilize blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Cannelli beans brings a plant-based serving of protein to help heal damaged tissues and promote and strong and lean body.  These white beans are also full of fiber which promote a diverse microbiome, weight management, and regular bowel movements.

The lycopene (that red hue) in tomatoes are activated most during the cooking process.  It has been shown to promote the health of the skin, prostate, heart, bones, and blood vessels.

 

White Bean and Spinach Stew (Serves 4)

 

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced 

• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried) 

• 2 x 16-oz. cans cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed & drained 

• 1/2 cup water 

• 4 canned plum tomatoes, drained (organic if possible)

• 1 x 14-ounce low sodium veggie broth (organic if possible)

• 3 cups baby spinach, chopped

• 1/4 tsp. sea salt 

• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

 

Directions: 

1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until soft. 

2.  Add garlic and thyme; cook 1 minute. 

3.  Add the beans, water, tomatoes, and broth. Increase heat to high until stew begins to simmer. 

4.  Reduce heat; let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring. Add more water, if needed.

5. Stir in the spinach, and cook until wilted.  Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

***If you want to make sure you catch my recipes, weight loss videos, and wellness tips, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter list here.***

In good health,

Tara

How often should you eat for weight loss?

Hey there,

If you are on a weight loss journey, you may be wondering how often you *should* be eating.

Is it 6 mini meals?

3 meals and 1 snack?

Three squares?

Check out my latest video to find out!  I'm also chatting about meal timing, frequency, metabolism, real foods, intermittent fasting, balancing meals, detoxing, and more.  :-)

Do you find these videos helpful?  Let me know!  Is there something else you'd like me to do a video on?  Drop that in the comments below!

In good health,

Tara

Deliciously Stuffed Sweet Mini-Peppers

Ready for a delicious Summer appetizer / snack / side dish??

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Deliciously Stuffed Sweet Mini-Peppers

Ingredients:

  • Mini Sweet Peppers (1-2 packages), washed
  • 1 avocado
  • 1/2 cup of cilantro
  • 1 cup of red onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 mango
  • 2 roma tomatoes

Dressing:

  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 3 T olive oil
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 T honey
  • 1 T cayenne pepper
  • Salt, to taste


Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to broil.  Once the oven is warm, using tongs, place the peppers directly on the oven rack.  Cook the peppers for about 10 minutes.  When peppers start shriveling, remove them from the oven.
  2. Cut mango and avocado into cubes, mince the garlic, chop the cilantro, red onion, and tomato. Combine into a mixing bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the orange and lime juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and cayenne pepper together.
  4. Pour the dressing over the avocado and mango mixture and gently toss to combine.
  5. Take your roasted mini sweet peppers, cut the in half (lengthwise), and de-seed them.
  6. Stuff with the mixture and ENJOY!


YUM!


Will you be trying this?? Leave me a comment and let me know!

 

In good health,

Tara

When WILLPOWER has left the building!

Hey you...yeah you!  Remember that time that you held back on your anger so as to avoid a fight with your coworker / spouse / child and then dove headfirst into a box of donuts without coming up for air?  Yeah...that's willpower being used up.  YOU are not broken.  NO ONE has unlimited willpower!

Watch this video for more about willpower and for a tip that you can implement today to start making your willpower work more for you and achieve the goals that you've set out to achieve.

Hint: Goal-setting, habits, and practice are the key.  ;-)

In good health,

Tara

The 6 components of any successful weight loss program

The weight loss industry can be maddening!!

Am i right?!?

When you're looking for a coach or program to help you lose weight, you may be wondering what it is that you should be looking for.

Watch the video below to learn about the 6 components of any successful (sustainable!) weight loss program. Please do not go with something or someone that does not address all of these 6 pieces of the puzzle!

Here is some more information about my coaching program, Pioneer Fitness and Nutrition Coaching

In good health,

Tara

The 4 reasons you eat (yup, there are ONLY 4!)

When it comes to losing weight, you MUST treat the cause...or the results will be temporary!
— Tara

Here's the deal...diets are bandaids.  They are NOT getting to the root cause of why you are overweight.  They are NOT teaching you anything except for how to conform to someone else's rules for a set amount of time.  And?  The weight comes right back...and then some.

Boo!

But there's good news too...

There are ONLY 4 reasons why you ever eat.  You may eat for 2 or more of these reasons at a time, but it will ALWAYS fit into at least one of the following reasons:

1) Fuel.  You're physically hungry and want to fuel your body with healthy foods.  Cool!

2) Joy.  You want the pleasure of the way something tastes or the experience (social, usually).  This can be a glass of wine, some dark chocolate, or your favorite cupcake or ice cream.  There is a time and place for this in our lives.  Frequency of the indulgence should depend on your goals.

Goals are dreams with a deadline. Treat them as such.
— Tara

3) Distraction.  You really need a break or to veg out.  You think you deserve _______ (insert junk food here) because you've been working hard all week.  You find yourself at the bottom of a bag of chips and don't remember eating them all!  You will recognize this as feeling out-of-body - like you're in a fog while you're eating.

4) Numbing.  You're avoiding feeling sad, angry, bored, lonely, frustrated, stuck, powerless, etc.  This gets deep.  And, this one means that when you stop overeating, you will HAVE to start to accept feeling your feelings and not resisting them.  It takes us just as much energy to resist our feelings as it does to just feel them and carry on.  Wowza!  You will recognize this category as binge eating...lots of food in a small window of time.  It will feel as though it's out of your control.  But, it's not.  There's that good news I mentioned!

Once you become aware, things can start to change.  Awareness alone can be a powerful change agent.

Check out this live video I did on facebook last week all about this topic.

If you're feeling like you're ready for a change, let's make a change!  Consider me your tour guide.  Check out my customized, all-online (no appointments necessary), one-on-one coaching program - Pioneer Nutrition and Fitness Coaching.  ***This is only for those that are serious about making a change and who are ready to experience the added benefits of boosted energy, healthy emotions, and overall wellness that will come with their weight loss.

In good health,

Tara

P.S. Are you inside of my private facebook group yet?  If so, "see" you there!  If not, why not!? You will get a community of like-minded women, challenges to participate in if you wish, healthy recipes, and weekly workouts...all for FREE!  ;-)  Join us!

Chocolate-covered Watermelon Treats

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Make these for your next Summer party!

  1. Watermelon slices.
  2. Top with homemade chocolate (melted coconut oil, cacao powder, and maple syrup OR honey.  See this post for the chocolate tutorial video I made with my kids).
  3. Sprinkle coconut flakes on top (or coarse sea salt!).
  4. Keep in a single layer on a wax paper-covered tray in your fridge or freezer.
  5. Pretend it took you longer than 5 minutes to make because they are SO pretty!

Will you be adding this to your Summer recipe round-up?  Let me know in the comments!

In good health,

Tara

P.S. Did you know that I share recipes like this one at least weekly inside my private facebook group, Lean In with Tara Allen Health?  All recipes are dairy free, gluten free, and vegetarian.  We also participate in weekly challenges together and I share workouts.  Consider it your one-stop health / weight loss / fitness / nutrition stop.  :-)  Come join us!

Why am I overeating?

What were you like as a child?

This question fascinates me because it tells me about your childhood, your memories, your priorities, but also much more than that.  It gives me a little window into the way you view things. Chances are, if you speak negatively about yourself as a child now, you're probably often speaking negatively to yourself as an adult.

  • Circumstances trigger thoughts. 
  • Thoughts create feelings.
  • Feelings lead to actions (or inaction or reaction).
  • And action (or inaction or reaction) lead to a result.

"Great, Tara, but I thought you were a health coach...not a therapist." (insert eye-roll here).  ;-)

Yup...exactly!  I'm a health coach.  I deal with nutrition and fitness and lifestyle changes.  But really, truly what I deal with is people.  The WHOLE person.  Because becoming healthier, losing weight, gaining confidence, lower your blood sugar...these are require a change in thought to be able to end up with a changed result.  It's not a quick or easy fix, but it IS a permanent fix!

I want you to absorb this.  This is big and it may require you to open your mind and allow yourself to see things differently.  Circumstances are just facts.  They are the things that happen with NO judgements placed on them.  It is our thoughts that follow that label things "good", "bad", "mean", or a "problem".  Those thoughts then trigger a feeling - sad, frustrated, happy, angry.  The feeling makes us take action, NOT take action, or REact.  And THAT action, brings us directly to our results.  

What's empowering about this is that so much of what we think is out of our control is in fact, very much in our control.

I'm overweight. I overeat.  I can't stop overeating.  It just happens.  Why does this have to happen to me?  Why do I have to have this body?  I don't want to be deprived or hungry.  I don't overeat, my metabolism is broken.

Does ANY of that sound familiar?  It's a snippet of the stream of thought I hear from so many women!  When we take on the role of the victim and place the control outside of ourselves, it's easier to check out and not face our emotions.  The only problem food can solve is hunger.  Almost every person I know (including myself) has tried to solve problems other than hunger with food at least once or twice or way more than that.

The good news is that it IS in our control to stop the cycle.  It will mean that we have to feel the things we were trying to avoid feeling by overeating, though.  It won't be easy or totally comfortable.  It WILL get easier as you get curious about yourself and allow yourself to feel the full spectrum of feelings.

Who says we're always supposed to feel happiness, anyway?  We're humans and we have a mixed bag of emotions.

If you are overweight - whether you are currently gaining weight or simply maintaining a weight that is more than you believe to be healthy - it means you're overeating.  Overeating simply means eating more than your body needs to maintain your desired level of health.  Quite often we need FAR less food to maintain our optimal health than we think, so we assume something is wrong with us.  We assume our metabolism is broken.  It's not.

If you eat when you're hungry and stop when you no longer feel that hunger, you'll have eaten enough.  If you still want food after you are no longer feeling hungry, then you are using food as a comfort for something else.  We have ALL done it.  No shame.  No guilt.  Just love and curiosity for yourself and what you might actually need besides the extra food.

Overeating doesn't mean you overeat at every meal, or everyday, or even every week.  It can look like this: You eat like a bird all day or all week and then finish a whole bag of chips and a handful of cookies because your willpower ran out.  Or, you end up ordering lots of food at a restaurant, but only on your "cheat" day (I really dislike that term, by the way!).  It comes in many forms.  But, if you are gaining unwanted weight or maintaining a weight that is more than you'd like for your health, then overeating according to what YOUR body needs is happening at some point. 

This is good.  This is great, actually!  Why?  Well, this means YOU are in control.  You CAN and will be able to improve your health and lose weight once you allow yourself to cure the root cause rather than treat the symptoms (such as going on a "diet").

This might have struck a cord with you.  And I owe it to you to share it with you anyway because I'm here to help, not to hide information from you that might ruffle your feathers a bit.  I hope you can understand that.  :-)

In good health,

Tara

P.S. If you're feeling really lost or confused, please, please, PLEASE send me an email at Tara@TaraAllenHealth.com so we can chat.  You have the ultimate control over your health and life.

How to gain weight FAST (and what it means for your weight loss journey)

Hey there,

Sometimes when I get frustrated about lack of progress somewhere in my life, I think about how I could go about it a different way.  

Today, I'm sharing the secrets of people who want to gain weight FAST...so you can do the exact OPPOSITE and apply it to your successful weight loss journey.

Sound good?

It's a simple strategy, but that doesn't mean it's easy.  Are you up for the challenge?  Watch the video for details.  :-)

In good health,

Tara

Pea Protein and Shape Magazine

Hey there, inter-web friends,

I have some exciting news to share with you!  I was recently featured in Shape (yup...that publication) in an article all about pea protein.  Pea protein has been gaining popularity lately thanks to the fact that it's free of gluten, grains, dairy, and not on the list of common allergens.  It's use is versatile - mix it in smoothies, baked goods, oatmeal, pudding, and fruit dips.

Check out the article here.

Have you ever tried pea protein?  What's your favorite kind?

In good health,

Tara 

Fit As A Mother (the series) - A Doll

I'm back with another Fit As A Mother (time-lapsed) video for you guys.  These videos are meant to spark creativity and show that you can workout anywhere, anytime, with anything!

A big shout-out to Lucy, my daughter's well-loved purple doll in this video.  :-)

How do you like to workout?  What do you do to squeeze fitness in as a busy mom or working woman?  I'd love to hear about your routine or goals!

In good health,

Tara

Do you like Amazon?

Me too!  That's why I'm so excited to announce that I will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card (no sponsors....just ME buying something for YOU) on the 4th of July.

Check out this video for details. 

Join the free group today!

Best of luck in the raffle!

In good health,

Tara

Fit As A Mother (the series) - Board Books

Hey there,

Do you have a ton of board books laying around....well, pretty much EVERYwhere?! 

Yup!  Me too!

Besides reading them (duh!), I wondered what else I could do with these wonderful little collections of silly words and imagination.

Enter: The Fit As A Mother series.  :-)  

Try this workout!  Aim for 12 reps of each exercise; 3 circuits in total for a quick and effective full-body workout in the comfort of your home!

  1. Side lunges
  2. Reverse Lunges with a Front Slide
  3. Mountain Climbers

In good health,

Tara

Weight Loss is More Than Calories In, Calories Out!

Hey there!

Have you ever experienced weight loss resistance?  You're counting calories, points, macros...and just NOT getting the results you think you should be?

Weight loss tends to be oversimplified most of the time when, in fact, there are A LOT of factors that go into who loses weight, when, how, why, how much, how fast, etc. 

In this video, I talk about 3 things having NOTHING to do with calories that can affect your weight and metabolism and give you clues into where you may want to focus your attention.

Now, if you are liking these videos, consider joining my private Facebook group where I share DAILY content to help those on their weight loss and health journey.  :-)  Yup - daily - for FREE!

Join us now!

In good health,

Tara

Fit As A Mother (the series) - MegaBlocks

No excuses, right?!

I know I'm in jeans here as I demonstrate some exercises, but that's just it.  Even if you don't have time to change clothes, you can sneak in a workout almost anytime and definitely anywhere!  Here are 3 exercises you can do with your kids' Megablocks.  :-)

How about you?  When are you getting your fitness in?

In good health,

Tara

15 small dietary tweaks to help you lose weight - Insider & Business Insider

Eek!  Ya know that feeling when you're so excited you wanna scream it from the rooftop?!?

I was featured TWICE in Insider and Business Insider this week.  The article is about small dietary tweaks you can make to help you lose some excess weight.  Check out my tips (the last two) about tea and bread.  :-)

You can read the article here.

I'd love to hear from you.  Have you tried implementing any of these tips already?  

In good health,

Tara

Fit As A Mother - The Learning Tower

Hey there,

Thank you for your feedback on my latest video series, Fit As A Mother!  I've been getting facebook messages, instagram DMs, emails, and texts about them and the general consensus seems to be that they're funny, silly, and helping to make you think outside the box when it comes to your fitness.

That's all I could hope for!

Here's the latest one in which I use our Learning Tower - a sturdy bench thingy made for kids to help in the kitchen.  I'm having fun coming up with these ideas and they've sparked some new creativity for me in my own workouts as well.  Sometimes we get into a rut and just need a change!

Please keep the feedback coming.  You love 'em...you hate 'em....they make you laugh...? Regardless, I appreciate hearing all of what you have to say.

Hope you have a fabulous start to your week!

In good health,

Tara

Cherry Coconut Chia Pudding

Good morning!

If you're like me and you sometimes wait until last minute to decide on a dessert to make or serve to your family or for a special occasion, I've gotcha covered with this SUPER EASY, no-bake option.

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Cherry Coconut Chia Pudding
(Serves 3)


Ingredients:

  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup frozen cherries, chopped (plus extra for topping)
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 2-3 T coconut flakes, unsweetened
  • 1/2 tsp stevia (or substitute with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup)

Directions:

  1. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl the night before you're having company over.
  2. Leave overnight in the fridge.
  3. The next day, spoon into 3 of your prettiest bowls and garnish with more cherries and/or coconut flakes.

Voila!  Enjoy.

If you try this one, please drop a comment below and let me know what you think!

In good health,

Tara