Balancing meals for fat loss goals

I put a "Whatcha wanna talk about today?" question box up in my instagram stories last week.

Did you catch it? I like to do that sometimes because 1) it helps when I'm having a block in creativity and 2) I don't have to read minds when you actually tell me what you need my help with! Win win.




While I answered the questions up in stories there, this one question I decided to share in this newsletter so that I could really pull back the curtain and help in a better way than a 60-second story.



"Can you help us put together PFF meals?"




That was the question. My answer: yes! Let's do this.



If I've been visiting your inbox weekly for a while now, you know all about PFF + intentional carbs. Basically, what I find works best for most people most of the time is when all meals have appropriate amounts of protein, fat and fiber. Starchy carbs require a slightly different approach as not everyone thrives with them at every single meal. A sedentary person, for example, might find they do best with one PFF meal and 2 PFF + intentional carb meals per day.



We dive into this MUCH deeper in TRANSFORM: Body + Mind. This is week 3 for the current TRANSFORMERS and they're crushing it! Hop on the waitlist if you'd like to be notified of the next chance to join. I teach the science and give all the tools and guidance and then you get to decide how you want to eat, what you want to eat, how you want to move your body, etc. So while it isn't custom -- it's a group course -- I do teach about the variables and who might need more carbs and why, for example.



So let's say you get the whole PFF + intentional carb premise but you don't know how to actually make meals out of the various components? The optional meal plans and recipe collections in TRANSFORM: Body + Mind will be great resources for you! But I want to give you some of the basics NOW and FOR FREE while you may be waiting for the next round.


If you're creating a PFF meal, pick 1 thing from each the protein, fat and fiber categories below. If it's a PFF + intentional carb meal, add a carb on top of that. 


Here are a bunch of ideas for each category:


Protein
(One portion is 20-40g+ or about 4-5 oz of meat or fish)

• Chicken

• Turkey

• Beef

• Greek yogurt

• Cottage cheese

• Eqqs (1 full egg plus 1 cup egg whites)

• Salmon

• Shrimp

• Tuna

• Pork

• Deli meat

• Protein powder

• Edamame

• Tofu

• Tempeh

• Other meat or seafood

• 4 T nutritional yeast

Fat
(One portion is about 10g fat. Aim for 1-3 portions per meal, depending on goals)

• 1 T olive oil / avocado oil / coconut oil / butter / ghee / mayo

• 1 oz cheese

• 8-10 olives

• 1/4 cup nuts

• 2 T nut or seed butter

• 2 T seeds (chia, flax, hemp, sesame, pumpkin)

• 1/2 cup coconut milk

• 1-2 T heavy cream

• 1/2 medium avocado

Fiber
(One portion is at least 5g fiber)

• Spinach

• Arugula

• Lettuce

• Celery

• Carrots

• Cabbage

• Asparagus

• Brussels

• Broccoli

• Sprouts / microgreens

• Cauliflower

• Tomatoes

• Zucchini

• Mushrooms

• Onions

• Kale

• Bok choy

• Swiss chard

• Collard greens

• Green beans

• Cucumbers

• Bell peppers

• Other non-starchy veggies

• Acacia fiber

• 2 T chia / flax / basil seeds

Carbs
(One portion is 25-35g net carbs ... or about 1/2 - 3/4 cup -- cooked, if applicable. These options have fiber too! But they also count as an "intentional carb".)

• All fruit

• Beans

• Lentils

• Chickpea or lentil pasta

• Quinoa

• Corn

• Oatmeal

• Rice

• Peas

• Potatoes

• Sweet potatoes

• Beets

• Pumpkin

• Butternut squash

• High fiber crackers (like Mary's Gone Crackers)

• High fiber bread (1 slice)

Use this to comb through recipes or even take out and restaurant meals to make tweaks or make it really easy and just build your plate with this method. Hope you LOVE how you feel with more balanced, PFF-friendly meals!



XO,
Tara

Fat loss: a podcast series

Fat Loss: a podcast series

Just wrapped up another super-exciting course launch at Tara Allen Health. One thing I typically do when I'm in 'launch mode' for that one week, several times a year is I tend to do more live videos on social media. My goals with this are 1, to share more context about what I do in the course and why I do it so differently. 2, I'm more present for those who have questions. And 3, I want to make sure that even if you and I never get to work together, you still have lots of actionable tips to implement on your own. If you're a TRANSFORM alum, these lives might serve as good reminders for you as well. ;-)



But maybe you missed them? So I wanted to drop them here in a blog this week. Feel free to select just the topics that sound interesting to you or listen to them all in order as a learning series. You don't need to stare at my face! Haha. Pop in some headphones and take me along on a walk, while you're doing housework or even just listen on your commute.



Only thing is ... all the talk about enrollment for TRANSFORM: Body + Mind being open is no longer applicable. We actually began last week. The next round will be in January though so don't feel like you missed out. You can now hop on the waitlist for that round if you'd like. You mayyyy have the opportunity to join that round early. Stay tuned. ;-)



Ok, here we go ...


Episode 1. Sneaky signs of metabolic dysfunction

Episode 2. 8 tips for those looking to lose 10 lbs or less of excess body fat

Episode 3. 7 things to do for fat loss goals of 15 - 100+ lbs.

Episode 4. 13 reasons you’re giving yourself cravings and what to do about it

Episode 5. Mitochondrial biogenesis and why it matters for your goals



Hope this helps!


XO,
Tara

Fall is here and I'm gonna spam you with PFF soup recipes

Fall is here and I'm NOT holding back.

Bring on the pumpkin this, apple that, cinnamon everything and souuuuuuuup.




But not just any soup. We have goals, amiright? Soup that has protein, fiber, fat, and intentional carbs in range for fat loss, muscle building, "toning up", blood sugar balance and health optimization ranges. Right?



 Let's do it!



This soup collection delivers exactly that. All recipes have 20-40+ grams of protein, 10-20g fat, at least 5g fiber and no more than 25 - 25g net carbs. Oh, and they're delicious! Hope you think so too.



Enjoyyyyy,
Tara



P.S. The final round of TRANSFORM: Body + Mind off the year is underway! We started yesterday and some people are already reporting fewer cravings and all-day energy. Woo hoo! While enrollment is no longer open for the course, you will still benefit from hearing all about mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy for fat loss and health goals as we discussed it live on instagram last week. Here's the recording.

Sick season, 2024

Back to school time is usually the marker of the beginning of "sick season" or "cold and flu" season.

To some extent it's normal, all the sickness. We're humans. I believe there's likely also still a bit of catch-up happening too as a result of some of the protocols and practices that have been in place the past few years as well. So if you, your kids, or everyone seems to start getting sick even more than usual, it makes a lot of sense.


Here's how viruses work ... you get sick, you build some immunity (an army of soldiers ready to fight that particular germ, as I tell our kids). In most cases, you will have repeated passing exposures to that germ that will remind your "army" to stay strong. This could be that you have Influenza A, get sick, get better, and then walk past someone in the grocery store a month later who is contagious with Influenza A and get a brief exposure. You don't get sick that time, but that brief exposure keeps that very specific germ-army on alert. However, if you get Influenza A, get sick, get better, and then never meet another Influenza germ again for years, you can bet that the next time you DO come in contact with it, you'll get sick again b/c each germ-specific army only stays strong for as long as it thinks it needs to before it dismantles. (A bit ... I'm simplifying this whole process a little so you're not reading a biology textbook when you just want tips on a healthy immune system).



Ok, so if you or your loved ones are getting sick more frequently than normal, it could be because most of us had less 'germ exposures' in general over the past couple of years than usual and most of of our armies are weaker than they'd normally be.


Or, it could be that your immune system is in need of a a little TLC. Or maybe both.



Regardless, remember that we are meant to get sick sometimes. It's a chance to reset and re-evaluate things. And even though it sucks or is at least inconvenient, our bodies usually fight the germs off without us even having to micromanage. Pretty freaking incredible.


The beautiful thing is the "plan" I follow to keep my immune system boosted overlaps a whole lot with what I do for metabolic health. When we dive DEEP into how to achieve your fat loss or "toning up" goals in TRANSFORM: Body + Mind, the approach is through improving our health all around ... including immunity! Isn't that so awesome? The protocols that will get you your "body goals" will be the same protocols as a "longevity" or "health" plan, if you know what you're doing. ;-) If you're signed up for TRANSFORM this round (cart closes tomorrow!), you will absolutely know what you're doing.



Here are a few of my sick season staples:

• When feeling great or otherwise, we wash our hands with fragrance-free soap and water, no Purell or anti-bacterial soap. Rather than mess with our skin's barrier / microbiome and make our immune system weaker, I prefer to keep that intact. Soap acts to lift germs off of the skin and the friction of rubbing our hands under the water will wash them away without being too harsh.

• Nasal breathing. Our nose humidifies and filters germs out of the air we breathe before it gets to our lungs. Our mouth does no such thing. The more you breathe through your mouth, the more opportunity you give the germs to invade and take over. Many people are nasal breathers during the day but mouth breathers at night. Mouth-taping, tongue posture or even myofunctional therapy would be some things to consider.

• Sleep! Our immune system function drops pretty dramatically even after 1 night of poor sleep. I know we can't get great sleep every single night, but most of us can do better in this category.

• Resilience. Heat + cold exposure throughout the year helps our body build up resilience. The cold of winter is less of a shock if we have been priming it for cold with intentional exposures a few times a week. Skip this when sleep is low, stress is high, or you're already under the weather.

• Stress. Cortisol is released when we are stressed and while it's not a bad thing, it does become problematic when it's elevated too high or too often. It will cause insulin resistance and lower your immunity. We have less control over how much stress we are exposed to (though definitely some control there!), and much more over how we train ourselves to deal with it. Just having a regular practice of journaling, meditating, gratitude, spiritual practice, and working on emotional management can be life-changing. Also, consider whether you're causing excess physical stress with fasts that are longer than your body can healthfully handle, overexercising, too much coffee, or under-eating. These things will all jack up cortisol and lower your immune response.

• Nutrition. If you're eating a bunch of processed food, lots more sugar / carbs than you need, and drinking alcohol, your immunity will be tanked. I'd never suggest skipping ALL of those things ALL the time, but most people need to be more realistic about what moderation looks like for their goals. Blood sugar management is important for a robust (yet not over-reactive) immune system.

• I don't force food for myself or my kids when we're sick. I lean heavily on appetite. Hungry? Eat. Not hungry? Don't eat. Your body will let you know when it's ready for food.

• Hydrate! This I do much differently. Even if not thirsty, I will be mindful of staying hydrated. If not able to drink as much volume or if there is sweating (from fevers breaking), vomiting, or diarrhea, or an aversion to plain water, I add electrolytes. I love Redmond's Relyte brand and LMNT brand and will often use just partial servings spread out throughout the day.

• Exercise. If you have a fever, congested lungs, or are vomiting / diarrhea, definitely skip your workouts until those things have been gone at least a full day or so. If it's just a little cold or minor, lingering symptoms and you're making sure you're eating well, sleeping well, hydrating yourself, and you're feeling up to getting in a shorter, less intense workout, it's probably ok.

• Sunshine and fresh air. Being out in the sun used to be our default, now it's something we have to consciously seek out. Sun and fresh air each speak to our body in multiple and specific ways, influencing hormones, fertility, moods, bone health, blood sugar management, metabolic rate, heart health, immunity and more. It evens helps remove stains from clothing! Is there anything the sun can't do?? We make outdoor time a part of every single day, even on the yucky or cold weather days (we still get the benefits of the sun through the clouds).

• Movement. Move everyday if at all possible! Even a little walk or some stretching every hour or so will help keep your lymph flowing so your body can get rid of those germs for you.

• Supplements. I maintain my normal supplements as long as I'm able to eat something b/c many (like fat-soluble vitamins) need food to be absorbed and I'd feel nauseous if I took my zinc, for example, on an empty stomach. Some that I take for immunity (you should only take what makes sense for your body, your deficiencies, etc.) are vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, quercetin, magnesium, omega 3s, turmeric, NAC.

• Mega-dosing. I typically avoid mega-dosing. My goal when I'm sick is a bit unusual ... I don't necessarily want to get better as fast as possible. I mean, I do in the moment of course lol, but ultimately since I'm already sick I want to make the most of it by mounting a potent immune response. Basically, I want a strong 'germ army' to form and don't want to interfere with this process by trying to micromanage everything or supplement my way out of that immune response. TLC, yes. Overriding important cellular processes that would set me up better in the future? No.

• Warm liquids. There's something to be said for hot tea or chicken soup when you're sick. Not only can it be comforting and hydrating, but breathing in some of the warm steam into our nose can help kill off some of the germs that are still hanging out there and haven't affected you systemically, yet.

• Fevers. I LOVE good fever. I know that's a weird thing to say and I know it doesn't feel good, but it's such an intelligent thing our bodies do sometimes ... turning up the temperature to kill off the germs. While rare, fevers can occasionally become dangerously high (especially in children), so I just monitor but do not give fever reducers. Exceptions? Sure. It hasn't happened to us yet (knock on wood), but if one of our children was SO uncomfortable b/c of their fever and needed a little relief to relax their body or get some sleep, I'd consider temporarily reducing it (probably with non-pharmaceutical methods at first and pharmaceutical if we deem it to be necessary). Otherwise we just do lots of comfort in other ways, snuggles, etc.

• Important mindset piece: we're not "sick" or "not sick", we are constantly fighting off germs everyday, but sometimes our body wins the battle without us noticing and sometimes it requires a bigger fight and we can feel it.

• Another mindset piece: we can assume we and everyone we know will get sick several times a year. If it ends up being less, great! If it's more, it's a good opportunity to consider why. Maybe it's bound to happen now b/c of the less exposure to people / crowds we've had in recent years. Maybe it's that there's been too much sugar and alcohol and not enough sleep and we can tweak those things if we want to. But regular ol' viruses getting us from time-to-time is just real life. Even the healthiest people still get sick. In fact, some holistic docs say that there's a health benefit to getting sick at least occasionally.

So there ya have it. We all get sick sometimes. And this is a lot of what I do for myself and my family in general and when any of us are under-the-weather. Hope you found it helpful and hope you get through this "sick season" as smoothly as possible. If you're joining us for this round of TRANSFORM -- the last of 2024 -- we'll be diving into all of this with the fat loss and longevity lens on. Immunity is just a welcomed side effect. ;-) 



XO,
Tara

Protein is magical

It's pretty hard not to think so when you know about even SOME of the things it does:

• Most satiating macronutrient ... meaning, helps us feel full + satisfied between meals when we've had enough

• Helps reduce cravings

• Contributes to muscle growth and maintenance which is incredibly important for blood sugar control and metabolic rate.

• Requires more energy (calories) to digest than any other macronutrient -- meaning, you eat protein and you burn more calories simply by digesting said protein

• Helps us heal faster

• Improves skin, nails and hair

• Used as building blocks for many different biological "parts" and processes

So yeah ... pretty darn magical! Also pretty darn difficult to get in enough overall for the day or in each meal in this current day + age. Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks that can help bridge the gaps and get you enough protein:

1. Get 30-40g protein with breakfast everyday, non-negotiable. This ensures you're off to a great start and can help manage hunger + cravings all day.

2. Bring a high quality protein bar with you in your bag or purse for an afternoon snack or a 'just in case' addition to an otherwise lower protein meal. I like Raw Rev Glo bars in creamy peanut butter and sea salt. I like the flavor but also that flavor has more protein and less sugar than their other flavors. I like that it has protein, fat and fiber but is pretty low in carbs (so I can always add whatever carb I want alongside). I am also impressed by their higher quality and short list of ingredients. Another bar I like: Aloha.

3. Consider grabbing an unflavored protein powder (like Truvani) to add to savory meals like soups, stews, dips, etc. This can turn a low protein vegetarian meal into one that now covers all bases.

4. Protein smoothies ... have another (maybe flavored this time?) protein powder like Truvani or your favorite whey protein to use in smoothies for a meal on-the-go. Make sure you have plenty of fat, fiber, add some fruit for intentional carbs, that protein and liquid and you've got the equivalent of a full meal in minutes. My suggestion: use more than 1 scoop! Most protein powders have about 20g per scoop. This is why I use 1.5 - 2 scoops usually. Such an easy way to get in 30-40g.

5. Bring a packet of collagen peptides in your bag or purse to add to your coffee at the office.

6. Grab a meat stick to have alongside a meal to up the protein intake.

7. Add a cup of egg whites to your 1 scrambled egg to take that meal from 6g of protein to 32g.

8. Grab canned tuna, chicken, sardines for super-quick sources of protein.

9. If you're a vegan, consider that most plant protein is higher in carbs than protein (like beans, legumes). In order to get enough protein without overdoing the carbs and robbing from your metabolic health, you'll likely need to get some of your protein each day from something like (organic, sprouted) tofu and / or supplement using protein powders.

Here's a delicious soup recipe that has 20g protein as is with the bone broth. Feel free to add another source such as meat, seafood, tofu. If you don't eat bone broth (vegetarian), use veggie broth instead and definitely add another source of protein -- like unflavored protein powder.



Hope this helps you hit your protein needs for the day, you healthy rockstar, you!



XO,
Tara



P.S. If you're confused about how to balance your meals altogether or find that you're having trouble reaching or maintaining your goals on your own, enrollment for TRANSFORM: Body + Mind -- my 28-day metabolism-boosting course -- is starting tomorrow for the final round of 2024! Stay tuned. I'll shoot you a note when sign ups begin.

The Ber Month Project

The Ber Month Project

It's a silly name for a very exciting movement. 



It's the first week of September, then we have October, November and December to round out the year. These are the months most people start to slip up and feel they're "off the bandwagon" -- the holiday months filled with candy, pie, cookies alcohol, spending, seasonal affective disorder and clutter. But what if this year you did it WAY differently? What if you were intentional about going out with a bang? What if you kept it light and playful instead of rigid and boring ... something like, "I wonder who I can become in 4 months and how much fun it could be?"



This 'movement' was born out of my own selfish desire and since company is fun, I wanted to invite you to join me as well. There is nothing to sign up for, we're just going to be upleveling side-by-side and keeping the energy up by chatting about here in my newsletters and on instagram (likely in stories mostly). 



So to kick it off ....



How great can you make these 4 months?

How much fun can you have?

How much progress can you make on your goals?

How much can you change things up?

How much better can your attitude be?

How much radical acceptance can you get started on?



How much can you uplevel ... without stressing yourself out? (that's KEY)


This is not like: start a restrictive diet, workout 2 hours a day, start calling your mom everyday and organize your whole house in a week. You've tried that all-or-nothing thing before and it does.not.work!


This is more like, "Who can I become by the end of the year and how much fun can I have doing it?"



ARE YOU IN?! I hope so! I don't want to do it alone.



Some ideas:

1. Start romanticizing one meh part of your day .... like cooking / meal prep by making a playlist and lighting your favorite Fall essential oil candle.

2. No coffee until your bare feet have hit the grass and the sun kisses your face.

3. Give yourself a reward after checking off all your workouts for the month. Plan it out in advance and put it on your calendar.

4. Game-ify your decluttering: set a timer on Alexa for 5 or 10 minutes a day. Then race the clock. How much can you get done in that time?

5. Decide you're worth the investment -- join us for the September round of TRANSFORM: Body + Mind if you have fat loss, muscle-building, or health optimization goals (like lowering BP, reversing disease, lowering blood sugar, improving lipids / cholesterol ratios, improving hormone imbalances, gut health, improving mood and energy, etc.) For most of you, just this one thing will give you a radically successful Ber Month Project ... you'll be unrecognizable and unstoppable.

6. Schedule weekly check-in meetings with your partner to talk about the upcoming week and all the things. Who will call that doctor? Who can buy that gift? Any financial or budgeting goals? When can you have a date night out or plan a creative date night in? If you're feeling like it all falls on you, this is a good way to feel empowered to make things more collaborative.

7. Commit to a "no complaining" day or week. Every time you notice yourself start to complain, stop yourself, say something you're grateful for and put a dollar in an envelope. That envelope is the start of a rainy day stash -- plan an adventure for yourself or the family.

8. Be SILLY. Playful. We don't do this nearly enough and yet our kids are so good at this! Take a page from their book. Why can't we randomly text our friend or partner a joke or funny meme? Why can't we dance in the aisle of the grocery store and embarrass our family when that catchy tune comes on? Why can't we jump up on the curb and pretend it's a balance beam too? When did we get so stuffy and BORING? Not you. Not during this Ber Month Project. ;-)

9. Think outside the box. 95% of the things we think we can't change we actually can. Our schedule. The way we do things. The order. Our reactions. Our attitude. Our daily routines and habits. Our social life and calendar. Our consumption (food, alcohol, social media accounts, books). Our spending / saving / investing habits.

Our individual evolution is only limited by our self-imposed limits. Be curious about who you could be. Then be creative about how you'll get there.



If you're ready and are the social media sharing type, feel free to use hashtag #TheBerMonthProject and please tag me too so I can see what you're up to and encourage you along the way.



Here we go,
Tara



P.S. How about some brand new PFF-balanced meals for Fall? This PFF Pressure Cooker Collection has 14 meals, all gluten free, some omnivore and some plant based. They are all balanced with protein, fat, fiber and with intentional carbs accounted for for optimal results with fat loss and muscle-building. I made it for you just as a Happy almost-Fall gift. I hope you enjoy!


P.P.S. Don't have a pressure cooker? Enjoy this PFF balanced Slow Cooker Collection for some set it and forget it options this upcoming season.

"How do I stop self-sabotaging?"

Someone submitted a question in the question box in The After Party last week and it went something like this ...

"I just got back from vacay. I was planning to keep the ball rolling while I was away (looked up restaurant menus, brought some food and even had access to a hotel gym) but somehow I let it all slide and didn't stick to the plan. Now I'm back and bloated and feel like crap. I was on such a roll. Why do I keep self-sabotaging like this?"


                                                                                                                                                                               And here's the general idea of what I answered in our live Q+A...



When there is a gap between how you want to show up and how you are actually showing up, it's typically related to self-identity -- who you believe you are at the core.



At some point in your life (probably as a child) you decided that you are someone who brushes their teeth. When your parents or caregivers stopped micromanaging that for you and you started doing it regularly anyway, it became just a part of who you are. "I'm someone who brushes my teeth twice a day." You likely don't remember thinking that thought as this can all be a sneaky process. But it's part of your self-identity. If you couldn't brush your teeth at the time you normally do for some reason, you would still manage to get it in, even if a little later rather than seeing it as an excuse to skip it. You don't fall off the bandwagon of brushing your teeth. It's a constant. It's just what you do.



Some people have a self-identity that they are someone who exercises regularly, eats PFF + intentional carb meals, gets enough sleep. It doesn't mean they're "perfect", but it does mean that they never stray too far from those things because it just feels ... wrong. Off. Not in alignment with who they are (like how you'd feel if you skipped a few days of brushing your teeth). This might be hard to imagine because it's definitely NOT the status quo.



Talk to any of your friends about dessert, for example. When offered dessert, most people will say things like, "Oh I shouldn't." "It looks so good but I'm trying to be good." "I'm on a diet right now." Or even just eat the thing but do so in a way that leaves them feeling guilty because that choice felt out of their control. Nothing wrong with having some dessert! I had some most of the days when we were just away on vacation. But because my self-identity is STRONG, it was always a choice I made with confidence, knowing I was in the driver's seat and that food can be delicious, enjoyable, but does not have power over me.




If there's a gap between who you are now and who you'd like to be, the best way to close that gap is by becoming the person you want to be and making decisions as THAT person. Our brains are plastic, meaning, changeable. We can rewire them ... and we must, when we want to step up to a new level not yet achieved.




"Ugh. I really should workout right now."


Vs.


"I'm going to get my workout in now."



Verrrrrry different self-identities behind those. Person A is likely struggling with consistency when life gets busy, hard, routines are off, vacations. Person B might have no such challenges with consistency. They believe working out X days a week is just part of who they are and what makes them them. They will skip workouts if it's healthier to skip than to complete (like, say, when they have the flu) and they might be flexible (swap a workout day and a rest day so the rest day lines up with their favorite holiday, for example) but they get it in just like you get teeth brushing in.




Here's the key: you can't BS this. You can't pretend to have a certain self-identity. You have to let the evidence inform your brain of who you are now until it piles up enough to rewire your neural pathways. 



Start here: Journal HARD about the 1-year-from-now version of you. Get as specific as possible. What time do you wake up. What's your mood like? What do you wear? What is your morning like? How does it feel to be in your body? What's your energy like? What do you eat for breakfast? Write out as much detail as you can and with lots of sensory description.



Then every time a decision pops up related to your health and / or body composition goals, notice the choice today's version of you is gravitating towards. Then picture that 1-year-from-now version and imagine what choice she (or he) would make. Is there a discrepancy? Great! This is a powerful rewiring moment and the more of these discrepancies you find, the more powerful your transformation will be. Now, go with the choice the 1-year-from-now version of you would go with. Boom! Little bit of evidence that you're more like her. And .... the more evidence like that you can pile up, the quicker you actually become her (or him).



Then what? Then you've closed the gap! You become that person. You no longer have any issues with consistency. 



So what choices will the 1-year-from-now version of you make? Would she (or he) eat differently? Have a different exercise routine? Maybe a new outlook and attitude? Is she the type of person who invests in her health + goals? What time does she go to bed? Does she wait to be motivated or does she do it anyway? Is she kind + nurturing in her self talk?



And has she finally achieved her body composition goals, feels stronger than ever, confident, vibrant, playful and hopeful with lab work that most 20-somethings would drool over? :-P




Self identity isn't a sexy topic but the results of putting in work here are nothing short of sexy.




Go get 'em,
Tara




P.S. Enrollment starts in TWO weeks for the very last round of my metabolism-boosting course, TRANSFORM: Body + Mind of the year. We focus on health optimization, fat loss, muscle-building and because we work to get to the root of the issues (mitochondrial / metabolic dysfunction, oxidative stress and chronic inflammation), most people find all kinds of things improve that they weren't even focused on (skin, hair, moods, periods, menopause symptoms, blood pressure, lab work, thyroid function, PCOS ... ). It's quite a unique, comprehensive and holistic approach. You can learn more about it here and hop on the waitlist if you like things like discount codes. ;-) 

What you don't (yet) know about fiber and fat loss

"I already know fiber is good for us, Tara!"

You know some (lots?) of the benefits of fiber but did you know it also helps to protect your brain and keep toxins out and improve fat burning potential?



Here's the long story boiled down to 6 bullet-pointed steps....

1. Fiber Intake:

• Soluble Fiber: When you consume fiber-rich foods, particularly soluble fiber found in foods like oats, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, this fiber travels through your digestive system largely undigested until it reaches the colon.

2. Microbiome Interaction:

• Fermentation: In the colon, the soluble fiber becomes food for the beneficial bacteria in your gut. These bacteria ferment the fiber, breaking it down and producing SCFAs (like butyrate, acetate and propionate)

3. Production of Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs):

• Role of SCFAs: SCFAs have several important roles:

  • Gut Health: Butyrate, for example, is a major energy source for the cells lining your colon and helps maintain a healthy gut barrier, preventing "leaky gut."

  • Anti-inflammatory Effects: SCFAs have been shown to reduce inflammation in the gut and throughout the body by modulating the immune system and inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

  • Appetite Regulation: SCFAs also influence the release of hormones that help regulate appetite, like GLP-1 and PYY, which signal fullness and help reduce overall calorie intake.

4. Blood-Brain Barrier Protection:

• SCFAs and the Brain: Some SCFAs, particularly butyrate, can cross the blood-brain barrier, a protective shield that controls what substances can enter the brain from the bloodstream. Once in the brain, SCFAs help to reduce neuroinflammation (think: depression, anxiety, mood + behavioral disorders -- in adults and kids) by suppressing the activity of microglia (the brain’s immune cells), which can become overactive in response to toxins and inflammation.

• Strengthening the Barrier: By supporting a healthy blood-brain barrier, SCFAs help to keep harmful substances out of the brain, reducing the risk of neuroinflammatory conditions that can contribute to cognitive decline and mood disorders.

5. Reduced Toxins and Inflammation:

• Detoxification: A healthy gut lining supported by SCFAs prevents toxins from leaking into the bloodstream ("leaky gut"). This helps to reduce systemic inflammation—a common driver of many chronic diseases, including weight loss resistance and insulin resistance.

• Inflammation Control: By modulating the immune response and reducing the production of pro-inflammatory molecules, SCFAs play a crucial role in lowering overall body inflammation, which is closely linked to metabolic health.

6. Easier Fat Loss:

• Improved Metabolism: Reduced inflammation and a well-regulated immune system contribute to better insulin sensitivity and metabolic function, making it easier for the body to burn fat and use glucose efficiently.

• Appetite Control: With hormones like GLP-1 and PYY being regulated, you experience better appetite control, reducing the likelihood of overeating, which supports fat loss efforts.

• Energy Balance: SCFAs help to balance energy expenditure by influencing metabolic pathways, further promoting a healthy weight.

TL,DR: the pathway from fiber intake to fat loss involves a complex interaction between your diet, gut health, and overall metabolic function. By feeding your microbiome with the right fibers, you can boost the production of SCFAs, protect your brain, reduce toxins and inflammation, and ultimately make fat loss easier. It’s a holistic approach that ties together nutrition, gut health, and metabolic health in a way that’s supported by the latest science. This is PART of the reason we focus on balancing our meals / days with enough fiber here at Tara Allen Health. It's not just because of appetite regulation or being regular in the bathroom ... there's a whole lot more to the story when you consider our microbiome and what they produce, blood brain barrier and gut health and how those things impact metabolic health and fat loss potential.



A few of my favorite ways to ensure I'm getting at least 30g of fiber a day (women need at least 25g daily but even that is too low in my opinion):


1. Every meal must include 5-15g fiber (and not all meals can be 5, lol)
2. I think of protein + fiber as 2 main characters in my meals
3. 2 T basil seeds get me HALF (15g) of my fiber needs. I sneak them into all kinds of things (yogurt, cottage cheese bowls, basil seed pudding, smoothies, homemade jam...)
4. Lots of fruit, veggies, legumes, nuts, seeds
5. Smoothies always get fiber added: besides produce, something like chia, flax, hemp, acacia
6. When eating pasta, I make varieties that are high in both protein and fiber like this one -- which has 15g per serving
7. Ditto ... for rice (15g of fiber per serving)
7. Protein bars sometimes as snacks as long as they have ingredients I'm ok with, truly have a decent amount of protein and fiber (these are a fav. lately - with 10g of fiber per bar)



Go feed that microbiome!



XO,
Tara



P.S. The cart opens for the September round of TRANSFORM: Body + Mind --  my 28-day metabolism-boosting course -- in 3 weeks! If you're already on the waitlist, you'll be getting notified first about being able to join AND I'll be sending you a discount code at that time. Woo hoo! This will be the last round of 2024 and for those of you who will be participating, I cannot wait to hear all about how your life changes when you feel incredible, strong, vibrant and sexy as you achieve your health + body composition goals. We do things in a WILDLY different way than what's out there. We focus on getting to the root of mitochondrial / metabolic health, inflammation and oxidative stress. By doing this, we can improve the function of all of our cells / organs and increase daily fat-burning (rather than dieting down to rabbit portions). Get ready for WILDLY different results too. ;-)  Not on the waitlist yet? What are you waiting for?!?! 

Camping Recipes

Any camping plans coming up?

Or maybe you just need a few new, fun outdoor grill options. These are not all PFF + intentional carb balanced and they include plenty of indulgences, but they're an upgrade to the usual camping fare. Use a recipe or two or enjoy the whole sample weekend menu as I've laid it out!



Check these out:


Weekend Camping Menu


Plant-based Weekend Camping Menu



Hope you enjoy,
Tara

Regaining the same 20 lbs? Or 5 or 50?

Ever feel like you try something for weight loss, lose a few lbs (or 20 or 50), but inevitably gain it back?

Losing and regaining the same 5, 10, 30, 50 lbs over and over isn't fun. But ya know what's worse? Realizing that the weight you lose and the weight you regain aren't actually equal.


Most weight loss efforts are done in a way that includes lots of muscle lost alongside any fat. Oftentimes organs shrink during this unhealthy kind of weight loss too. Yikes! Yet when that weight is regained, it's typically almost entirely excess body fat gained. Rinse + repeat and you can see how you end up with a higher body fat percentage over time, even if the weight yoyos and remains within a certain range. This can be a big problem for metabolic health and body goals. But there's a way around this problem so you never have to deal with that again!



It's a big topic, so I'm bringing this video I recorded just for you on this topic out of the archives today. You can listen like a podcast if that's easier ... no need to see my mug the whole time. ;-) Check it out right here.



As I mention at the end of the video, if you'd like to get help / support / guidance and an actual freaking plan that aligns with your goals thankyouverymuch, feel free to check out more about my 28-day metabolism-boosting course, TRANSFORM: Body + Mind and 1:1 coaching.



XO,
Tara

Microplastics are ... where??

Microplastics are everywhere.

Including ... in our bodies and cells. YUCK!

But there's good news: we can make a few changes that can have a big impact.



These tiny plastic particles are everywhere—our food, water, and even the air we breathe. Microplastics can wreak havoc on our health, contributing to inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormonal imbalances, which can ultimately lead to chronic diseases and even excess body fat.

Microplastics have been found to interfere with our body's metabolism, leading to weight loss resistance. These tiny plastic particles can act as endocrine disruptors, mimicking or blocking hormones that regulate various bodily functions, including metabolism. When microplastics interfere with the hormonal signals that control hunger, satiety, and energy storage, it can lead to increased fat accumulation and difficulty in losing weight.

Additionally, microplastics can induce inflammation and oxidative stress, two conditions closely linked to metabolic dysfunction. Inflammation can impair insulin signaling, which is crucial for regulating blood sugar and fat storage. This disruption can lead to insulin resistance, a condition where the body's cells become less responsive to insulin, resulting in higher blood sugar levels and increased fat storage. Oxidative stress, caused by an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body, can damage cells and tissues, further exacerbating metabolic issues and contributing to weight gain and resistance to weight loss​.



They have also been discovered in plaque in human arteries! 

Thankfully, there are steps we can take to reduce our exposure to microplastics.


Some examples:



1) Avoid plastic containers for food and drinks. Purchase glass 'tupperware' when you're in the market to replace yours or put it on a gift wish list. Bring water in a glass or stainless bottle instead of relying on plastic water bottles. Avoid using plastic wrap on anything that will touch food -- especially when food is hot in temperature or acidic (as this leeches more of the plastic out and into your food). Stasher bags can replace ziplocks for food on-the-go. And when possible, use a barrier of unbleached parchment paper between your food and plastic (example: wrap a sandwich in the parchment paper and then into a zip lock or plastic container if that's all you have available. Try to avoid buying TV dinners in plastic but if and when you do, try transferring the meal to a pot or another container to heat up there instead of cooking in the plastic.



2) Choose natural fiber clothing when possible. This has been further down on my list because ... well, we can't tackle all the things at once! Fabrics like cotton, linen, silk, wool, hemp are natural (as opposed to polyester, nylon, acrylic which contain plastics).



3) Start to swap out personal care products for ones free from plastics as possible. "Beat the Microbead" website and app can help you wade through the options on the market to look for these.



4) Investing in a good water filter can help reduce the amount of microplastics in your drinking water. We have and love this one with the glass carafe, though we'd eventually like to get the Berkey as well for a powerless option. Unfortunately, things like a Brita or our fridge filter wasn't cutting it for our needs.

5) Tea and coffee! I love drinking herbal tea, but I won't steep it in the tea bags. Instead, I buy loose leaf tea or break open the tea bags and pour the contents into this stainless steel strainer instead. And if you use a Keurig for coffee, consider skipping the K cups and instead buying a stainless refillable K cup that you can use to fill with your favorite coffee grinds and yet continue to make 1 cup at a time.



Look, some of these options still have some plastic (like the glass tupperware having a plastic lid), but every little bit we cut back on helps! Also, we are all at different places and have different priorities and budgets. It's important we each just do what we can, as we can and with what we have. <3 



As for detoxifying from an overload of microplastics already in your system, you must make choices you feel are right for you, of course, and I recommend running options by a trusted healthcare provider. Some ways people choose to assist their bodies in detoxifying the microplastics:



1) Increasing fiber intake
2) Exercise + movement
3) Increasing sweat
4) Hydration
5) Antioxidant-rich foods
6) Chlorella and spirulina
7) Milk thistle
8) NAC
9) Sleep
10) Minimizing ultra-processed food



Hope you found this helpful!




XO,
Tara



P.S. The work we do in my 28-day metabolism-boosting course, TRANSFORM: Body + Mind, includes the nitty gritty like reducing microplastics and toxins because nutrition and fitness are important (and we cover those things in great detail!), but there are so many other important puzzle pieces most people are missing when on a fat loss journey. We put together all the pieces ... and it's why we get all the incredible results that we do! Hop on the waitlist to reserve your spot for the September round and to be sent a discount code when the cart opens.

Things I'm loving this Summer

These 7 things are on repeat for me this Summer.

1. Basil seeds. These tiny little black seeds look just like chia seeds and can be turned into a pudding just like chia seed pudding. They can also be sprinkled on everything from yogurt, to oatmeal, to fruit salad, to cottage cheese to desserts. What I love about them is that they have 15g of fiber per serving (which is 2 T), 5g of protein and are a good source of omega 3s. Yes please! With most people coming in way under the minimum recommendation of 25g of fiber daily for women, this helps me reach that goal very easily.


2. Lumebox. I love using this thing year-round but there are certain benefits specific to Summertime. For one, it helps prepare my skin to be out in the sun and reduces sunburns. Also, using it after sun exposure helps my skin to heal any damage. It's great to speed recovery and healing time on things like mosquito bites and because of the way it improves at the level of the mitochondria, it helps with things like blood sugar management and metabolic rate -- things I'm mindful of in all seasons, but Summer is no different. Also, if your daughter stubs here toe on a lounge chair by the pool and it's suspected broken, the lumebox can be used to speed up healing then, too. ;-) This link gets you a STEEP discount that will show up once you go to check out. Enjoy!


3. Vitamin C. I mix 1 tsp into 1 cup of filtered water and add to a spray bottle. We use on our skin after pool use but before showering to help neutralize the detrimental effects of the chlorine.


4. Active skin repair. My sweet sweet mama had brain surgery to remove a tumor exactly one week ago and I've been spending lots of time in the hospital. If you know me, you know I do not use hand sanitizer. Instead, I prefer to wash my hands with soap and water. Active skin repair is great to keep in my purse for cuts, scrapes, rashes, sunburn but I will also use in place of hand sanitizer when necessary as it can help kill germs without disrupting the skin microbiome.


5. Reusable water balloons. This isn't really a health thing unless having something on hand that might entertain your kids while they get their sunshine, grounding, sensory play and exercise and while you get some in work (or relaxation or play with them) counts. We purchased these for our kiddos' last day of school and surprised them with a celebratory water balloon fight. They've been used many times since!


6. I own this bathing suit in 3 colors / patterns and rotate. They are inexpensive, cute and stay in place (except for certain diving board shenanigans). Anytime I share a cold plunge video or something wearing one, I get DMs asking where I got it, so here it is. :-)


7. I own this hat in 4 colors / patterns and practically live in them in the Summer. Again, inexpensive, cute. I wear the heck out of them with intense workouts, beach, pool, bike rides, boating, top down on Jeep, etc. and they've all held up so far! I love that I get some sun protection on my face and that I can have a high or low ponytail or bun with it on.



These 7 things are each, in their own little way, making my Summer easier / healthier. Hope your Summer so far has been exactly what you are needing it to be. <3 



XO,
Tara



P.S. The waitlist for the September round of TRANSFORM: Body + Mind is open. It's for those with fat loss, muscle-building, or "toning up" goals who want to achieve those goals without dieting and while focusing on cutting-edge health optimization at the same time. Hop on it if you want to stay in-the-know and receive a discount code when the cart opens. Get ready -- we do things in a wildly different way! 

Calorie deficit for weight loss?

It's the never-ending social media argument...

Someone says in order to lose weight, you just need to be in a calorie deficit. Then someone else says, actually it's blood sugar / insulin / inflammation that matters.



Who is right?



Kinda everyone, kinda no one.



If you take in less fuel than you use up ("calorie deficit"), you will lose weight. But here's why it's not actually that simple: most people don't want to lose weight. Most people want to lose fat. A calorie deficit typically does not bring the percentage of fat loss that people are actually after.



A calorie deficit will have us lose weight ... meaning, mass. Some will come from fat but much of it will come from muscle, bone, mitochondria, connective tissue (joint pain, anyone?), collagen (more wrinkles), organs will actually shrink (and dysfunction), brain mass decreases (brain fog). With the exception of some fat, these other losses are NOT FUN, even for people who want to "lose weight". 



Why?



Well these other losses worsen our health and longevity, increase risk of disease and autoimmunity, make us tired, weak, age more quickly, create blood sugar imbalances, mood issues and can actually increase body fat percentage. These losses also reduce metabolic rate and make it nearly impossible to keep the weight off. Overall, health, energy, mood, lab work, confidence and aesthetics end up farther away from their goal.



Calories determine mass -- gain or loss. They do not determine, all by themselves, body composition.



Rather, the portions of various foods you eat do.
The amount of protein.
Your sleep.
Stress levels.
Strength training intensity and frequency.
Movement you get outside of workouts.
Blood sugar management.
How well you respect the hormone cascade.
The quantity and quality of your mitochondria.
The quantity and quality of your muscle mass.
Inflammation.
Oxidative stress.
And then yes, whether or not your mass is increasing, decreasing or remaining the same (calories).



I'm hoping you can now see both 'sides' of this silly argument with a lot more clarity now. Neither side is wrong but also, neither side is right. To be clear, I do not recommend you become a keyboard warrior and stand up to anyone on either side of this argument. Protect your peace. ;-) 



XO,
Tara



P.S. If you want to learn all about how to rebuild your body into the strongest, healthiest version yet, that's what we dive deep into in my 28-day metabolism-boosting course, TRANSFORM: Body + Mind. The next round will be in September. Make sure you're on the waitlist if you'd like to join (and want a discount code when the cart opens)!

"I eat clean and workout but am not getting results."

You eat clean. You workout. But you're not loving your results.

What gives?



Does this sound familiar? I hear it all the time. People email me, DM me and say this. Here's the deal ...



It means almost nothing to me when someone says they "eat clean" and / or that they "workout". The reason is that the nuance matters. A LOT.


What does "clean eating" mean to them? What types of things do they eat? What types of things are they avoiding? What times do they eat? How much food? Are they meeting their micronutrient needs? What's the balance of their meals like? Are they getting enough protein per meal? Across the whole day? Enough fiber? What kinds of fat are they getting? How many intentional carb servings per day? How much alcohol? What’s their blood sugar management like?



One can consider themselves a "clean eater" (most people are referring to eating minimally processed foods when they say this), yet still be eating in a way that tells our body to store excess body fat and / or keep the current amount of excess body fat. We’ll know that to be the case when we have fat loss resistance. Our body doesn’t do that by accident. If it’s happening, it’s happening for a reason.



The same can be said about those who say they "workout". I love it because any exercise is better than none, right? But also, chances are there are things we can do to optimize your routine to get a bigger bang for your buck if you’re not happy with where things are at.



What types of workouts are you doing? How often? What's the intensity like? What are rest / active rest days like? How sedentary are you between workouts? How much strength training are you doing? Is it a progressively overloading + comprehensive program? How much steady state cardio? What about sprint level cardio bursts like HIIT for VO2 max improvement? How much overall movement do you get each day? Do you have a plan that feels very manageable inside your full life and one that you’re able to be consistent with even during hard or busy weeks?



Nuance.



When I get emails or DMs saying, "I eat clean and workout and just can't get the results I want" it does NOT tell me your body is broken (even when people tell me that’s the conclusion they’ve drawn). It tells me we have some information to get through and tweaks to make so you can and will finally get those results you've been spinning your wheels for.



A few notes to keep in mind if this is resonating:

1) Eating too much "clean" food for your current metabolic rate will lead to fat gain or fat loss resistance.

2) Cutting back on food with a slow metabolism instead of boosting your metabolism first can be a dangerous choice. The goal shouldn't be to enter a calorie deficit no matter how low it needs to be. The goal (for health optimization PLUS body recomposition) should be to boost your metabolism to a healthy and robust rate so that when you do dial back slightly, you're still taking in a very nourishing and satiating amount of food.

3) Eating too little in general or too little of one or more components (like protein, for example) can actually interfere with your fat loss goals as well. Starvation mode isn't a thing, but metabolic adaptation is. This means your body will 'cut corners' so that it can learn to run itself off of the smaller intake amount without dying. Your heart will keep beating and you'll breathe but your thyroid might start to down-regulate, energy levels will decline, you may notice things like brain fog, muscle will start to waste away and healing won't be as efficient.



To start:

1) Make sure you're eating 30+g of protein in each of your 3 meals per day.
2) Strength train 2-4 days a week to maintain or add muscle (and increase metabolic rate and carb tolerance).
3) Go for a daily walk.
4) Work up to at least 25g of fiber daily.
5) Prioritize sleep quantity, quality and consistency (no big swings in bedtime from weekdays to weekends).



If you need more targeted help with your health and / or body composition goals, check out my 1:1 coaching program details. Spots are very limited as it's all customized and a very high touch program but I have clients graduating out of the program often, so spots do open up fairly often. :-) It's first come, first served. Fill out the interested form if you're ... interested (haha) and I'll get back to you shortly with more information and expected timeline.



XO,
Tara

What are you made of?

If you build a house with crumbly bricks, you'd expect it to fall.

If you put soda in your car's gas tank, you'd expect it to break down.




And with all the talk we do here about balancing meals for health and body composition goals (it's important to know how much protein, fat, fiber and intentional carbohydrates your body needs), it's just as important for us to think about the quality of the food we eat.



This is because every cell in your body turns itself over. You are an ENTIRELY different human, in a physical sense, than you were a few years ago. Each cell turns over and organs are rebuilt. What are we building ourselves out of with each version we create over our lifetime? Food! 



Inside a nation that consumes mostly ultra-processed food, most humans here are mostly made up of ultra-processed food. How much of our bodies is now constructed from corn syrup, soybean oil, preservatives and microplastics? And the bigger question becomes, why are we surprised when we experience depression, excess body fat storage, anxiety, brain fog, dementia, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, arthritis, bipolar disorder, PCOS, hypothyroidism, autoimmunity or insulin resistance? We are constructing cells and body parts out of things that were never meant to be used to construct cells and body parts. Of course they won't work well over time!



So what can we do? Yes, PFF + intentional carb balancing matters. Yes fitness, sleep, stress management, purpose, relationships, grounding, sunshine, hydration and temperature variability matters. But so too does the make-up of our food. 



Some people, when they start a health or body composition journey, start to become more mindful of things like calories or even overall food balance (macros). And many fill find themselves looking at food labels for the calories or macros, but not yet paying attention to the ingredient list. And guess what? That's ok ... at first. We can't tackle everything at once. 



But if you have been aiming to get the balance right but aren't yet reading ingredients, you may want to start. There's a lot of nuance of course but as a general rule of thumb, long ingredient lists are typically a red flag. To me, any kind of artificial dyes or flavors are too. We avoid high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils completely as well. And we really limit things like seed oils and added sugars. This has been our way of thinking for our whole 10+ years of parenting so far but the cool thing is you get to shift your boundaries whenever you want to AND you get to set boundaries wherever it makes sense for your particular family or circumstances.



One simple way to start that won't overwhelm you or your budget? When one ultra-processed food item runs out in your home next, try to replace it with something less processed. Example: you eat the last of the Ritz crackers today and shop for Mary's Gone Crackers or Simple Mills crackers next. Unfortunately the less processed, higher quality food typically costs more so you could start to make some things on your own to offset the costs, buy the item less frequently if it's not a necessity in your home (like buy Mary's Gone Crackers every other week rather than Ritz every week). Thankfully, unprocessed or minimally processed real food tends to be much more affordable than the higher quality 'convenience' items. 



Ultimately, you have your own boundaries, goals, budgets, food access, etc. Do what you can with what you have and where you're at. <3 



Nutrition isn't everything but I will tell you, the more we get in a nourishing balance of food at each meal and with nourishing quality (more real food, minimally processed and far less ultra-processed food), the tendency is for us to start to feel better in ALL the ways and build momentum towards the other health pillars we've been wanting to address.



Your cells are turning over right this very minute. What are you made of today? What do you plan to be made of tomorrow, next month and next year? Unlimited opportunities to (literally) build a new body.



If you need help, my 28-day metabolism-boosting course, TRANSFORM: Body + Mind is for you. It it there for people with fat loss, "toning up" and health optimization goals who want to learn more about how their body and metabolism actually work and thrive. The next round isn't until September but there's a special going on right now for the 4th of July: join now and get early access so you can do all the workouts, have the optional meal plans, all of the resources, and have access to the whole course and all the materials ahead of time. Then, you'll be in the live September round with the rest of the group! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO or to sign up. We do things in a wildly different way. And that's why you see wildly different results. Get ready! ;-)



XO,
Tara

Parasympathetic-y Things

I recently had some bloodwork done.

And if you hang out with me up in Instagram stories, you know I've been sharing my results with you little-by-little. A few of the results that are considered "normal" stood out to me. Unfortunately the references ranges aren't always complete enough to lead us towards optimal health. So while overall I was very happy with my lab results (and told by the doctor that everything was great), in typical Tara fashion, I'm putting together a plan with the goal to optimize even more. (For example, while my TSH and free T4 are optimal, my T3 is a bit low. Knowing how my body and metabolism work, I am able to understand more about the root causes of why this would be).



And if this sounds familiar, it's because I felt the same way last year about my results and shared that with you as well! But these are the June 2024 results I'm now taking into consideration.



You'll have to keep watching stories for more results but in general, a few things put together paint a picture that my stress hormones seem to be dysregulated and my nervous system could use some TLC. This is something I'm pretty familiar with. I was once told by my naturopath that my cortisol levels were higher than she's ever seen in ANYone. Yikes. I was able to get that down but with a whole lotta effort. I don't know my most recent cortisol levels yet -- blood tests are almost worthless for cortisol so I didn't request it from my GP. I still plan to get another DUTCH test one of these days. But I'm not planning on waiting to make changes.



My default personality is Type A. I wake up ready to take the day and have tons of energy until it's time to crash at night. I enjoy planning for the future. Basically, I am naturally a high energy kinda person. This means that if I'm not super intentional, I'll be in need of a little nervous system re-balancing. It's been particularly stressful for some time now -- much of which I don't share as it's not always my story to share. But an outsider, if given all the information, would likely say I have very stressful life circumstances. And while the things I need to be implementing are often so amazing (fun / relaxing), I actually find it hard to make sure I keep them in. I have a list (of course I do) -- a parasympathetic-y menu of options if you will and I figured I'd share with you in case you find it helpful. I am not going to do all of the following and this isn't a To Do list where everything needs to get checked off. That would be counter-productive here! Rather, I will be refocusing on spending at least 10 minutes a day to relax my nervous system and when I'm not sure what to do, I'll pick from this list.



Important to note: if you make your own list it will likely have different things on it as we won't think the same things are interesting / relaxing.

Parasympathetic Menu of Ideas

• bath and a book

• mess with the guitar

• listen to music / sing / hum

• yoga / stretch

• massage or self massage

• sauna

• calming breathwork

• meditation / guided meditation (calm app)

• read out in the sun

• ashwagandha, L-theanine if / when needed

• write poetry

• draw or paint

• nature walk

• lay on acupressure mat

• few extra minutes of sleep

• grounding

• change into comfy clothes

• slide fingertips over my lips (they have special parasympathetic fibers)

• visualization (typically do this nightly before falling asleep)

• limit caffeine (I'm quite strict with my caffeine boundaries)

• keep overnight fasts to no more than 14 hours most days

• cold exposure (temporarily sympathetic but overall favors mostly parasympathetic)

• enough rest days / active recovery days

• be mindful that carb intake isn't too low (or too high -- both can increase stress response)

• make plans with friends

It's all connected! Nervous system regulation will show up in various ways in our lab work, mental state, health and / or body goals. There's a reason we spend a whole week on stress, sleep, hormones, and longevity practices in TRANSFORM: Body + Mind! It really cannot be ignored if we care about our outcomes. And if we have a good understanding of our body and metabolism we pick up on when things need to be tweaked ... and we tweak! 



Do you need to include more time out of "fight, flight, freeze or fawn" (sympathetic) and in "rest and digest, safe and social" (parasympathetic)? Maybe you can make your own version of this parasympathetic menu of options and pull from it daily alongside me. :-) If you do, I'd love to hear about it!



XO,
Tara

Carb strategy for fat loss

Carbs are controversial.

"Cut them out to lose weight. But then that messes with your thyroid and doesn't that affect weight loss?"



Let's chat ...



Carbohydrates are 1 of the 3 macronutrients we eat (the other 2 being protein and fat). They are ALL important and all behave a bit differently in our body. 



Carbohydrates and fat are predominantly used up as fuel for energy. Whatever extra we take in that's not used up will be stored as fat. This is a GREAT thing as it allows us to then use up some of our storage to be able to sleep without having to wake up to eat, to go several hours between meals, and allowed our ancestors to go long periods of time without eating during a famine.



Protein can be used as fuel if absolutely necessary, but isn't what our body prefers to do and isn't what happens for the most part. Protein is mostly used as building blocks to MAKE things (like muscle, collagen in our skin, etc.).



So back to carbs. We don't have much storage capacity for carbs but nearly limitless storage capacity for fat (our fat cells can both multiply as well as increase in size, individually). When we take in carbs, it appears in our bloodstream as it makes its way to the places that need it. If we have adequate muscle mass and challenge our muscles frequently through something like strength training, we would have depleted some of the glycogen (carb storage) in them so some of the carbs we just onboarded will go there so our muscles are topped off and ready for our next workout. Our brain uses some 'carbs' for fuel. Fun fact: our brain actually uses up quite a lot of our total energy every day! Our liver can store some glycogen (stored carbs) too. If those places were already full -- maybe because we're sedentary or eat too many carbs for our needs -- or if we onboarded more than we had available storage space for, the rest will be stored as fat.



So, if fat loss is a goal, getting your carb strategy dialed in IS really important. You'll also want to make sure you have your fat and protein strategy dialed in. I believe this shouldn't come with obsessive macro or calorie tracking. I'm always thinking about mental health and lifestyle enjoyment as well as physical health and I hope you are too!



But today's note is about carbs so let's get back to it.



Since too many carbs is definitely not a good idea for someone with fat loss goals, then should you just cut out ALL carbs to super-charge results?



NO! Not if you ask me. And since you did ask me :-P ....


Cutting out all carbs might be a great idea for some people sometimes as it can be an important part of their medical treatment plan (epilepsy, brain injury, etc.), but even then it's often not a permanent solution. For MOST people MOST of the time, cutting out all carbs will move you further away from your goals in the long run.



Carbohydrate-rich foods are often full of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients ... many we know about but others that are sure to come out in the future. Meaning, there are probably lots of important nutrients we're getting through carb-rich foods that we aren't even aware of yet (so couldn't even think about just trying to replace in a supplement or something). Think: fruit, veggies, beans, certain fermented foods ...


Carbs taste great and most people who cut them out entirely end up feeling deprived and / or end up fearing them or losing control around them from time-to-time. We want a healthy relationship with food and our body.


Many carbohydrate foods are high in fiber, and that helps us to blunt the blood sugar spike, help us feel satiated, feed our microbiome, and aid in detoxification by keeping us more regular in the bathroom.


Going too low carb can inhibit thyroid function (making it harder to lose excess body fat), impact mood and interfere with sleep, due to the role it plays in certain neurotransmitter production.


If we don't consume carbs through our food, our body will convert some energy over to a form of carbs. So basically, no one ever actually goes without carbs. You either eat 'em or you make 'em.


And plus ... avocado toast is too tasty to be off the table!


So, how much is enough but not too much if your goal is fat loss (or "toning up")?


I recommend a baseline of 2 intentional carb servings per day for everyone. That means that's the floor. Start there. If you're very active, have a lot of muscle, are a man, are a tall woman, have hypothryoidism or elevated cortisol ... you will likely need to add at least another intentional carb serving. Maybe even more. Please note this is *highly* individualized! We're talking about fuel here. Some of you are 4-cylinder cars parked in your driveway all day. Some of you are gas-guzzlers drag racing almost all day. Wildly different gas budgets, right?? Similarly, carb intake needs will vary A LOT depending on your specific situation.



"What the heck is an intentional carb serving?"



I call them intentional carbs, well, intentionally. The reason is with this macro aware approach (rather than macro tracking), we're not thinking about your side of broccoli with dinner that had a couple of grams of carbs or your piece of cheese or handful of nuts that did too. When I say intentional carb serving, I mean you're sitting down to an actual serving of carbs. You're having a piece of bread, a piece of fruit, some beans and corn, a potato, a half a cup of pasta, etc. You can think of this as being about 25-35 grams of net carbohydrates at a sitting. Net carbs = total carbs minus fiber.


This allows us to get in enough of what we need but not too much all things considered (so the few carbs you're getting from the broccoli, cheese and nuts for example do add up and we WANT them to ... in addition to the intentional carb servings which will bring even more).


To avoid large blood sugar spikes (which is something to be mindful of if you have fat loss goals or even just health optimization goals), you're going to want to have these servings of intentional carbs inside of a meal that also has plenty of protein, fat and fiber. 


So in summary ... have the bun with the burger and veggies. But maybe save the fries to have with another meal. Or go for the fries and skip the bun instead. At least most of the time. ;-)


Need a new, fun, easy recipe to try out for Summer? This Peach & Jalapeno Guacamole is delicious and sure to be a crowd-pleaser! It has 15g fat per serving, 7g fiber and only 6g net carbs. Enjoy with a protein source (and intentional carbs if you'd like -- like your fav. crackers) and you have yourself a balanced meal!



XO,
Tara



P.S. If you haven't yet signed up for a previous round of TRANSFORM: Body + Mind, make sure you hop on the waitlist for the September round. We cover nutrition balance and fat loss in so much detail! Plus, waitlist peeps will be getting an email from me in the next week or 2 with a special offer. ;-)


P.P.S. If you need more targeted help, TRANSFORM: 1:1 might be a great option. It's for those who want max support, customization and / or who have health or body composition goals they're finding trickier to manage (chronic disease diagnosis, imbalances, lab work needs improvement, something just feels off, etc.) Spots are always super limited with 1-on-1 coaching as it is customized to your unique needs, goals, injuries, health history, and a very high touch program with tons of accountability baked in, but the good news is I have clients continually kicking butt and graduating out of their program (woo hoo!). So if you are interested in 1-on-1 coaching, hop on the interested list! I'll reach out and provide some insight about availability and potential timing as well as answer any questions you may have. :-)

Say it to slay it!

When was the last time you hyped yourself up?

We all need it. What we say to ourselves becomes our identity. Our identity determines our actions, inactions, vibe, etc. It attracts likeness and repels anything that doesn't fit the script.



It's THAT powerful.



So no, it's not harmless or inconsequential that you sometimes tell yourself you're lazy or broken or unworthy. Interestingly, if this is something that resonates, you might fit into a "people pleaser" or "internalized PDA" neurotype. For some people, the idea of setting a goal that might not come to fruition leaves them feeling so powerless that the negative self talk is a coping strategy. If you told yourself you're lazy and then skip a workout, well at least you had enough power and control that you predicted that outcome, right?!



WRONG!



But regardless of neurotypes, we do know that a feeling of safety and autonomy (and follow through!) often comes from pro-active and very intentional identity 'votes'. These are little things you can say, repeat and / or small actions that each cast a vote of who you are and who you are becoming. It's a slow crawl towards this new identity until it sets in and then it's just who you are -- you know it, you act it and others usually start to notice too.



Pick one or a few of the following to say in your head, out loud or even journal about. It's important that it feels true to you so use that as a filter. And then watch as you start to rise to the occasion.

• I have power over my behaviors, actions and reactions and that's enough.

• I am responsible for all of the cells in my body and care for them through my various lifestyle choices.

• I take care of myself the way I'd want my best friends to take care of themselves.

• Showing up for myself is the greatest gift I can share with my loved ones because of the role modeling and way it allows my best, happiest, most calm and present self to be there for them.

• "Getting" change requires making change. The ball is in my court.

• I have unconditional love for myself. I am not making changes only if and until I see physical results. I am committing to making lifelong shifts because it's best for my health ... regardless of what's "in it for me", aesthetically.

• Taking things to the next level can feel very uncomfortable and will likely show up as resistance, doubt, excuses and sometimes blame. I'm ready to face that for the sake of my own vibrancy, confidence and quality of life.

• The health and body composition goals I have are not commonly acquired in this modern world. I understand that means I will need to do things differently than the status quo and work harder than the average person. Let's do this!

• Not everyone was dealt the same topography in this life. If I have more mountains to climb than some others, I know I'll enjoy the view even more at the summit.

• My mindset is my responsibility. I am the thermostat not the thermometer.

• When I look for loses, I happen to have more loses but when I look solely for wins, I start to collect wins.

• The time will pass anyway, I might as well make progress no matter how slow the pace.

• I can do hard things.

Screen shot this. Print this. Use it however you'd like! But I do hope you try it on for size. <3




XO,
Tara



P.S. The May round of TRANSFORM: Body + Mind just wrapped up on Sunday and WOWZA did they show up for themselves! Stay tuned ... if you're on the waitlist for the September round, you'll be getting an exciting update / offer in a couple of weeks. ;-)

Summa Summa Summa Time

Holy-June-is-already-here!

Even though our kiddos are usually the last in the country to wrap up their school year (end of June), we start to get bit by the Summer bug (literally and figuratively!) around June 1st. And if you're a weather nerd like me, meteorological Summer does actually start June 1st.



So let's welcome it with open arms!



Here's a popsicle recipe collection filled with easy, fun, delicious real food recipes that you can play around with if that's your thing.



And for those already wondering how to manage making progress on their goals with so much fun + socialization to be had, I hope you find this Healthify My Summer Guide helpful!



Enjoy,
Tara



P.S. 2 ways we can work together:



1. TRANSFORM: Body + Mind, my 28-day metabolic health course.


2. 1:1 coaching

Do you need a custom healing plan?

Our symptoms tend to be custom

Someone has PCOS, prediabetes, hypothyroidism and insulin resistance (like I used to).


Someone else is noticing her hair falling out and is having bloating after meals.


Yet another person is struggling with weight loss resistance, belly fat and elevated triglycerides.


There's brain fog, cravings and arthritis in someone else.


And elevated liver enzymes, blood pressure, fatigue and mood swings are happening in someone else.


The current medical system has us believing that these people should all be seeing separate specialists, likely being put on a range of medications and maybe procedures. The various doctors will never be in communication with each other and the body is seen as separate systems / organs, with no consideration given to the fact that there is cross-talk between EVERY system and cell in our body.


So most people see their custom signs and symptoms as a sign that they need a customized plan of care. And while there is some truth to that, it's typically more like these custom symptoms all require more or less the same plan, with just some small tweaks as needed.


You see, every single client or 'case study' I've listed above will benefit from the same basic principles. While there are no guarantees, the vast majority of people can reverse or greatly improve the damage that lead to those signs, symptoms and diagnoses with the right plan.


The right plan requires a bit of education and a lot more nuance, of course, than I can share in one email but I would like to at least give you the overview today in case you find it helpful. A few weeks back I posted this blog out talking about what I call The Big 10. Here's a bit more on my thoughts for each. What I'm sharing might be hard to hear as it tends to be quite far from how most of us are actually living our lives. I challenge you to notice if and where you feel agitated. Maybe it's something you want to explore more. Maybe it's something that feels entirely out of reach for whatever reason right now (time, finances, bandwidth). That's ok. In many ways this is a list of how we used to live as humans prior to about 100- 200 years ago, but with an updated twist. The cool thing about our health and body composition goals is that we can tend to make great progress with even 1 or 2 small changes that snowball over time. Our choices, thoughts, behaviors and habits really do matter SO much. 


Ok, onto some more about The Big 10:


Food -- mostly real, whole, unprocessed or minimally processed food. This food should not have harmful pesticides / herbicides or added hormones. The plants should be grown in nutrient dense soil (rather than monocrop farming). Any animals or fish should be free range / wild caught and given access to their natural food source. We thrive when we eat nourishing, blood-sugar balancing meals and give ourselves plenty of time between meals. Our food is better absorbed and digested when we eat most meals slowly and socialize plenty with people we love who we feel safe around.

Sleep -- we're getting 7-9 hours in a cool and very dark room. We're breathing through our noses.

Light -- the first light we see is the sunrise. We're outside plenty throughout the day (increased time indoors is a risk factor for disease and metabolic dysfunction). No bright or overhead lights on or blue light devices in the few hours before bed. We limit processed, artificial light so our cells truly know when it's nighttime vs. daytime.

Stress -- we reduce it where we can and build resilience in the meantime. We do not allow ourselves to be available to the fear of the entire population at anytime (maybe we limit consumption of news and social media, turn off notifcations, etc.). We purposely infuse more joy into our lives and work towards radical acceptance.

Movement -- we are moving most of the day. This is not your workouts but in between workout times. Increased time sitting is a risk factor for disease and metabolic dysfunction independent of exercise.

Toxins -- we're mindful of the quality of our air, water, soil, hygiene products, cleaning products, etc. and choosing to filter and upgrade where necessary and possible. We're picky about using pharmaceuticals (of course using as necessary, but considering alternatives where possible). We're not smoking or drinking much, if any, alcohol.

Temperature -- we realize our genes have evolved to withstand and thrive under temperature variability. We have so many beneficial and protective mechanisms "built in" in response to heat and cold. Living at room temperature most of our lives in houses, cars, offices, etc. is a risk factor.

Muscle -- we appreciate the importance of muscle on metabolic health and health optimization. We understand we all lose muscle as we get older but do what we can to offset that and slow the decline by strength training regularly (really challenging our muscles!), nourishing ourselves well and eating 0.8 1g of protein per lb of a bodyweight we feel most comfortable at, per day.

Mindset -- we are realistic, but on the optimistic side. We have a solution for every problem rather than a problem for every solution. We are human and have the full spectrum of human emotions, yet have built up coping skills and strategies to accept and move past the muck rather than get stuck there. If we feel this area needs more attention at any point, we make it more of a focus and put in the reps.

Purpose, connection, awe -- we think / journal / meditate on our purpose. Who are we? How can we help this world, our friends, family, community or moment in time better than it would have been otherwise? We make time to connect with others ... sharing a meal, a laugh, an experience, story, ideas, challenges, adventure or some down time. We make time to feel awe.



If this inspires you to take inventory on even 1 tiny aspect of your life, my time writing this newsletter was totally worth it to me!


XO,
Tara


P.S. These 10 areas (plus subsets and many others) are what we dive into in great detail in my 28-day metabolism-boosting course. Metabolism isn't just for body composition changes (though it's that too). Metabolism is how our body is functioning. Metabolism is our health. Here's some more info. on TRANSFORM: Body + Mind. The next round isn't until September but hop on the waitlist if you're interested because I'll be sharing about a cool opportunity in a few weeks. ;-)