exercise

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

Introducing...Fit As A Mother (a new series)!

Hey guys,

I've been known to work out in some weird places with some weird things!  I'm a mama.  By definition, I'm good at coming up with weirdness at the drop of a hat.  You too, right?!

So I've been thinking about bringing forth this new idea for a series that you can find here or on facebook, instagram, and youtube by searching for #FitAsAMother.  It'll be me squeezing in my workouts in a realistic setting with realistic 'props' and possibly some laughs.  Sound cool?  Please drop a comment below or shoot me a quick note to let me know if you love this idea or....not so thrilled with it.  I want to make sure it's something that YOU will enjoy.

Thank you!  Without further ado, on Mothers' Day...Fit As A Mother. The Series, part 1:

In good health,

Tara

P.S. Happy Mothers' Day to all the beautiful mamas out there!

Squeezing Exercise in (For Busy Peeps)

I was approached by the Diabetes Council a few weeks ago to participate in an article about squeezing movement into our busiest of days.  With a little preparation and a bit of creativity, you can rack up a good amount of heart-racing, muscle-pumping exercise right there inside of the daily grind…and fun!

Interested in these tips?  Be sure to stop and read #26.  ;-) 

It's Earth Day!

Whether you choose to REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, and/or REPURPOSE today, it's a great day to take a step back and enjoy Mother Earth in all Her glory.  I'm looking out a big picture window right now watching the cold rain come down in New York, despite earlier reports of today being the dry & sunny part of the weekend.  Luckily, we had no specific outdoor plans and I can just enjoy the coziness and warm-fuzzies that I get on days like this.  Side note: I also LOVE to tell my toddler that it's good sleeping whether in hopes of a successful nap-time.  I'm still testing this theory out with her.  ;-)

Anyway, as the weather allows, I've been making more and more time to get outside with the kiddos.  We ALL need the fresh air, sunshine, and adventure that only The Great Outdoors can provide.  You know what I mean, right?  Of course there's the all-important Vitamin D that our body needs from direct sunlight on our skin, but it's more than that.  We now know that just getting the passing light of the sun in our eyes for a bit everyday actually helps us produce more melatonin at night (HELLO better sleep quality!), increases energy and productivity during the day, and helps to fight overall dis-ease.  Score!

Here's how we (myself + 1 year old + 3 year old) spent our outside time this week so far:

  • Pretty intense hike on the North Shore of Long Island.  Magnolia held her own, impressively.  Jagger enjoyed the babywearing vantage point.
  • A few walks in the neighborhood and to the park.
  • We stalked the ride-on cars and carousel at an outdoor "mall" when we had some errands to run.
  • Backyard bubbles.  Duh!  ;-)
  • Puddle-splashing happened.  And then, so did laundry.
  • We discovered a partially wanted and partially unwelcomed snail that seems to have made our driveway a nice home.  So of course my neighbors must not think I'm crazy for taking 3 minutes to find said snail before I move my car each time.  Hey, a pet is a pet!

That's it.  Nothing too crazy and we had a few rainy days that we did pick indoor activities.  Oh, and planted some herbs that we're (im)patiently waiting to sprout.  What can I say, eating from the Earth with the fam makes me happy!

How are you spending your Earth Day?  Any Spring cleaning or festivals or charity walks on the calendar?

 

In good health,

Tara

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.

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

Pumpkin Workout

It's November 3rd.  You have pumpkins still out on the stoop in a Halloween-hangover of sorts.  You could throw them out (why?!?!), cook with them, donate them...

…But first, you should get a KILLER workout in (or 2 or 3) before you and your Orange Balls of Autumn-ness part ways.

In this 2.5 minute video (come on now, guys - you do have 2.5 minutes, right?), I show you 3 simple exercises you can do RIGHT NOW to get that blood pumping and endorphins bathing your brain and body.  Don't confuse simple with easy.  Do three sets of these 3 exercises for a QUICK and POWERFUL jolt of energy (and health and toned muscles…blah, blah).  ;-)

Ready?  3….2….1….press play!

Sleep-deprived and Staying Healthy

It's no secret that sleep has been a scarcity around here for….well, quite some time!  As a breastfeeding mama, I'm "on call" every night - and that usually ends up being at least 5 or 10 night-time wakings (and feedings).  :-O  Yup, that wasn't a typo.  

My daughter was the same way, so I'm sort of immune to how ridiculous this actually sounds.  It's a path I'm more than happy to continue on until things happen to change organically.  I'm not looking to sleep-train, cut him off from night feedings, ask my husband to give him a bottle in the middle of the night, or anything else really.  No judgement to anyone else - this is just our choice.  It's actually quite a sweet set-up - Jagger sleeps in our room and he has this adorable way of simultaneously kicking and punching me when he's ready to nurse.  I swear it's much cuter than it sounds!  There's usually no crying involved, just a gentle "Mom, I need you now please" type of nudge.  At 9 months in, we've definitely gotten into a groove.

Magnolia is now almost 3 years old and those early co-sleeping and breastfeeding days with her are just beautiful memories now.  I know all-too-well how quickly the weeks slip by, even as each night may seem to last forever.  

With our days totally filled with Magnolia's stories, songs, activities, and boisterousness, I'm a-okay letting the wee hours of the night be reserved for one-on-one time with Jagger.  The snuggles and sweet baby breath will be gone before I can say, "Sleep, child!".  ;-)

So where does that leave me with my health and productivity?  There's this whole work thing, house thing, wife thing….Well, I have my moments of dragging and clawing my way through each hour, for sure!  However, I do like to think that a few of my good habits are responsible for keeping me as healthy and energetic as possible during this extended period of barely-any-sleep (and REM?  Do I ever get into REM?!).  I am typically rather fast-moving (that type A curse), happy, and feeling good and strong.

I started to record this video, as usual, without Jagger at first.  But, my storage space ran out on my phone about 30 seconds in and after taking time to make more space on this device, Little Man was ready to join me.  Perfecto!  After all, the lack of sleep is just a liiiiiiiittle bit about him anyway.

'Til next time...

In health,

Tara