Hola!
How's your September going so far?? Mine is good, minus some women's health myths that drive me bananas and need to be addressed today. Lol
Some myths in women’s health just keep circling ... I hear them from clients, see them on Instagram, and even catch them being recycled in magazines. They sound “science-y,” but they’re half-truths at best. Let’s clear a few up that just won't die.
Myth #1: Eat every 2–3 hours to “stoke your metabolism.”
Truth: Your metabolism doesn’t work like a campfire. The thermic effect of food (tiny calorie burn from digesting) is based on what you eat, not how often. Eating more frequently doesn’t magically make you burn more. In fact, constant grazing keeps insulin elevated and prevents your body from accessing stored energy. Most women feel better with three balanced meals (sometimes plus one snack) spaced 3–4+ hours apart — enough time for insulin to come back down, which supports steadier energy + fat burning.
Myth #2: More cardio = more fat loss.
Truth: Cardio has huge benefits ... heart health, mitochondrial density, circulation, stress relief ... but as a fat-loss strategy on its own, it backfires. Your body adapts by becoming more efficient, meaning you burn fewer calories for the same effort. Over time, this “metabolic adaptation” is why so many plateau despite hours of cardio. The real game-changer is strength training to build muscle (which raises your resting metabolism) plus walking for recovery, fat oxidation, and stress regulation. Cardio is excellent for health … but it’s not a standalone for fat loss.
Myth #3: Hormones are broken and out of your control.
Truth: Hormones absolutely shift ... in perimenopause, menopause, thyroid conditions, or under chronic stress ... but they don’t exist in a vacuum. They’re constantly responding to inputs like blood sugar balance, sleep quality, muscle mass, stress load, and circadian rhythm. For example -- stable glucose helps stabilize estrogen and progesterone, strength training supports testosterone and growth hormone, light exposure anchors cortisol and melatonin. You may not control every fluctuation, but you have far more influence than you’ve been led to believe.
We’re starting off so strong inside TRANSFORM: Body + Mind this week (it kicked off yesterday!). If you missed out and are kicking yourself, it’s not too late to get support.
Join us inside The Metabolic Edge, my monthly membership. It’s less intense than TRANSFORM but packed with strategy, support, and soul — designed to help you keep building momentum step by step.
XO,
Tara
The body trash-talk antithesis
When you watched the ball drop on January 1st (or fell asleep on the couch just beforehand like me), I bet you had at least a few ideas about how you wanted this year to go. Now that we're halfway through 2022, how's it going so far? What are you most proud of? What might you need some help with in the second half of the year?
I want to take you through a VERY quick, but VERY powerful exercise if you'll indulge me. Grab a piece of paper and pen. Yeah yeah, the notes section in your phone is fine too.
I want you to write down 5-10 things your body did for you within the last 24 hours.
Did you carry all the groceries into your house in one trip (b/c what kind of a psychopath takes more than 1 trip, anyway??)?
Did you pick up your kids or grandkids?
Did you go for a walk or exercise?
Did you have a long commute on a standing-room-only train?
Did you simply sleep while your immune "army" came through and saved the day by helping you heal + repair?
Maybe you felt the beat of your fav. song when it came on Alexa and you realized that, in fact, your hips DON'T lie.
Write down the first 5-10 things that come to mind. If they're flowing, keep going! If you're stuck, think outside the box. But you're not done until there's at least 5 things written down. Because I said so. ;-)
The point of this exercise is simple: when we feel gratitude for our body -- even just a tiny bit -- it becomes harder to trash talk it. Less trash talk = less disrespectful behavior like over-restriction or over-indulgence.
LMK how it goes!
If you've been feeling lately like something needs to change, you're not alone. So many women have been telling me lately that they're tired of the same patterns repeating. Tired of being confused AF about what to eat, when, how much. Tired of not having the energy to workout. Tired of feeling like their health is slipping. And tired of spending their days not feeling sexy + vibrant as they know, deep-down, is possible.
If you're nodding your head, THIS IS YOUR SIGN to learn how to finally stop doing weird things related to food and your body. When you know how you use and store different kinds of food, how to balance your plate, how to exercise without spinning your wheels, and how to tap into other practices that no diet has ever taught you about, you'll realize there's not that much that you can't accomplish with the right combo.
In September, I'll be taking another group through my 28-day course -- TRANSFORM: Body + Mind. I'd like to help you blow your own damn mind then. Whaddya think? Get more details and join the waitlist here. (Waitlist peeps will be getting a discount code when the cart opens.)
You can unlearn and learn SO much about your body in 28 days. It's enough to change your entire trajectory. Go make yourself a PFF breakfast (protein, fat, and fiber), think about it, and click the button below to join the waitlist if you're ready to put yourself first, finally.
XO,
Tara
P.S. Did you know that I send out a weekly newsletter with my top tips and resources around nutrition, exercise, metabolism, fat loss, mindset, longevity, and how to just feeling freaking amazing?? You can join the inbox party too — right here.
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
Organic Landscaping - weeding through the options
Check out my latest video in which I am asking you for help.
Weeds, and lawns, and organic landscaping…oh my!
Just another decision to make in the "real world". Another set of priorities to reconcile. This is life! We want our children to have a beautiful, lush lawn to run around on, get their fair share of grass stains on, play ball on, and take their obligatory prom pictures on. We want to have BBQs, cookouts, and fun with friends and family. We want to sit around the (baby) pool and under the shade while we take too many pictures on our kiddos.
AND, we want to do all of this without the use of industrial pesticides. No Monsanto. No Glyphosate. No thank you!
So, where does this leave us? What to do? This is a real question! Please weigh in and help us with our dilemma.
P.S. We live on Long Island (New York) and are open to both organic landscaping company recommendations and DIY options.
Thanks!
In good health amongst the weeds,
Tara
Caring for your body post-baby and beyond!
I couldn't bring you all to the Blossom Baby Expo this past weekend here on Long Island, so at the last-minute suggestion of my hubby, I recorded my presentation LIVE to bring to YOU! ;-)
We spoke about nutrition, fitness, sleep, support, and stress - specifically targeted for postpartum women, but these tips will help anyone! I stopped the video before the Q&A started, for the privacy of our awesome mamas.
Please share this with any of your pregnant or postpartum friends. This time in your / their lives is simultaneously the most important and yet the most challenging time to turn inward and take care of your own body. It can be done! Watch to learn more.
In good health,
Tara
This one is for the ladies...
Ladies, listen up! Wanna hear something that is so true and also so unfair? Our biology is sexist! We may have come very far in the year 2016, but our bodies still think we should be barefoot and pregnant from an early age. Ugh! Accordingly, we are super-sensitive to energy deficits (too low-calorie, too low-fat, too low-carb) and nutritional stressors. The body sees this as a threat to reproductive success!
““Nope, no babies during a famine. Let’s make your hormones all funky, make you become resistant to weight loss, lower your metabolism, and make you fatigued”.”
Ok, so what does this mean for YOU? It means you have to make small, incremental, sustainable changes. It means you focus on the 'long game' just like your body does so it doesn't see the changes as a threat, but more like a new and comfy norm. It probably means the results you see won't happen as quickly as you'd like, but it's the only way you can make a lasting change. It also means your goals must creep into many different aspects of your life - nutrition, movement, stress management, relationships, self-confidence, feelings of fulfillment. ALL areas of your life affect your relationship to your environment, your food, and the way you treat yourself.
So, that's why you can't just cut soda out and lose 10 pounds like your husband did. (I actually get asked some version of that question just about every week).
Ladies - respect your biology, but please continue kicking butt and taking names in a very 2016-ish way. <3
In health,
Tara
Should Women Lift Heavy?
I take a quick dive into this juicy topic in today's video. Watch up!
Do you know any ladies that want to workout but are afraid of 'bulking up'? Do you have anyone in your life that you believe would benefit from health talks, healthy recipes, family wellness info, etc.? Send them this way!
Do you want the bonus content that I send to my most fabulous and loyal peeps? Be sure to join my email list. Sign up is over on the home page. It's free and guess what? You get a pretty "cool" smoothie formula PDF just for signing up to hang with me. :-)