Happy (Almost) New Year!

Happy New Year! Thanks for a great beginning to TeenSanity! I would like to have my final post of 2010 for TeenSanity focus on goals. TeenSanity was started because of one teenager's goal to change the teenage world for the better! Hopefully in the process I can inspire teenagers to change their lifestyle for the better and inspire teenagers to set goals! Please write some goals! Is there anything you want to achieve for 2011? Accomplishing a goal is the best feeling in the world. Having a goal and trying to accomplish it, makes life so much more exciting and wonderful!

What's a goal? A goal is a projected idea that someone plans to achieve.

So what's TeenSanity goal for 2011? There are so many, but I will only list a few. To inspire teenagers to eat healthy and exercise, instead of getting caught up in unhealthy activities. To make being healthy cool. To create a community of teenagers who want to inspire others to live a healthy lifestyle. To teach teenagers how to correctly exercise. To teach teenagers how to eat healthy and create healthy delicious recipes. To create a website that has content that teenagers can access and not feel embarrassed that they go on the website. And my favorite goal is to help teenagers come alive again. To show teenagers the true meaning of living a healthy life and how great it is! Here we come 2011!

The basics on affirmations

I love writing affirmation! When I read my affirmations out loud, I feel like I can accomplish them. Yes this may sound dorky! But I honestly feel better after writing them. Luckily for me, I have the most wonderful teacher, who has made writing affirmations really affective for me. I have tried to take the basics of what she has taught me and teach you! When I am back in school, I will have a more specific and more knowledgable post, but this is your basic information on affirmations.

What are affirmations?
Affirmations are positive thoughts or declarations of things you wish to achieve.

How does writing an affirmation help?
Positive affirmations have the ability to "re-wire" your brain and give you a feeling of happiness or optimism. These emotions can help face any challenge throughout the day.

This sounds stupid and ridiculous, why I am I doing this?
These are the exact words that went through my head when I first started writing affirmations. I felt embarrassed that I was writing affirmations. I thought these are only for people that are depressed. I was totally wrong. Little did I know how optimistic and lighthearted I would feel after I wrote my affirmation.

How do I write an affirmation?
First ask yourself, "Where am I now?" Write the answer down!
Then ask yourself, "Where do I want to be?" Write the answer down!
The next question is "What do I need to change to get there?"or "What is stopping me from getting to where I want to be?"
The final question is "What's my next step?"
Then write your affirmation.

Some tips to help you write an affirmation...
-The best way to write an affirmation is in the present tense, so use, "I am..." rather than "I will be..."
-Write your affirmation in the positive state!

Here are some examples of affirmations:
If I make mistakes, I am able to give myself the benefit of the doubt.
I deserve to be in perfect health.
I let go of my past so I can create health now.
I am deserving of all good things in my life.


Now get started writing those affirmations before 2011!

New Year's resolution

What is a New Year's resolution? It's a promise to ones' self to make a project or reforming of a habit, often a life style change.

What's the point of writing a New Year's resolution? I know when we were younger we were encouraged by teachers or parents to write a New Year's resolution (or at least I was) and I just wrote one because I had to, not because I wanted to. As I have gotten older, I have realized the importance of writing goals or resolutions down and not just anything, something that has a purpose to you. It may feel stupid, but it's important to address things that are bothering you and then change them into something positive. For me, when I write a goal or resolution and then I say it out loud, it makes me feel like I can do it. It's important to set little resolutions or goals because when you reach them, it's emotionally satisfying.

What's my New Year's resolution? My New Year's resolution of 2011is to not be hard on myself. Often I find myself, being extremely judgmental of myself. When I was younger, teachers called me perfect and asked me for my notes when they forgot their own notes. And it go to me, from then on the word perfect always been in my head. But now I have learned that no one is perfect. Yes, I said it. No one is perfect. So for 2011, I hope to erase the word perfect out of my vocabulary and stop judging myself.

What's yours?

Happy Holidays! Love, TeenSanity

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season! This week I am going to focus on New Year's resolutions/goals. When I was younger, I didn't take them seriously and thought they were stupid, but now I see their importance.  This week I will be writing goals, affirmations, and resolutions for 2011! I hope you will join me and if you want to you can always share/email me at tessawithaz@gmail.com or teensanity@gmail.com! 2011 is going to be the year of teenagers creating a healthy lifestyle for themselves! Get ready for it:)

What to eat when you are out at the mall?

Sometimes I get very frustrated at the American culture because malls are packed with junk food. Last weekend I was starving at the mall and I couldn't find barely anything healthy that I could eat. This made me stressed out  and cranky. And no one wants to be cranky or stressed at a mall. You also do not want to wait till you get home because then you are more likely to overeat. I now have some tips on what to do if you are going to the mall and you want a snack. If you can, try to bring your own snack. Nuts or a piece of fruit is a good option. If you forget to bring your own snacks, I recommend going to Starbucks and getting their chicken on flatbread with hummus artisan snack plate or the deluxe fruit plate or the perfect oatmeal. All of these are healthy snacks that won't make you feel bad and are actually healthy! When you need a snack, look for an item low in fat (unless it is natural/healthy fats), high in protein, and low in sugar and salt! Do not skip snacks, you want to keep your metabolism working and by not eating snacks, it slows it down. I hope these tips help:)

TeenSanity has a youtube channel!

Here is the link to the TeenSanity youtube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/TeenSanityOFFICIAL

Check out my first video about the goals for TeenSanity!

My Meal Plan to GET ABS!

I am not a nutritionist nor a physical trainer. But I do research and I test everything out. Currently I am trying to get my metabolism to get faster. So this is my current meal plan:

Breakfast: 1 protein smoothie (Almond Milk, Whey Protein Powder, Bananas, and Blueberries/Strawberries)

Key Foods: Protein and Fruit

Snack: Granola Bar (not those nutrigrain bars, but whole foods makes an awesome granola bar) or 1/4 cup of almonds and raisins

Key Foods: Whole grain carbs, healthy fats, protein

Lunch:  Chobani Plain Low-fat yogurt with Bear Naked Granola and blueberries or turkey and cheese rolled together and butternut squash soup or Turkey Panini with fruit

Key Foods: Whole grain carbs, protein, fruits, veggies

Snack: V8 low sodium or carrots and hummus

Key Foods: Veggies, healthy fats

Dinner: Whole wheat pasta primavera with chicken (one cup of pasta) or brown rice with veggies and chicken

Key Foods: Whole grain carbs, protein, veggies

Snack:  2 cups of popcorn  without butter (not microwaved)

Key Foods: Healthy high fiber, low calorie snack

You don't have to eat these exact foods, but if you stick to the meal plan and follow the key foods, you will feel much better! Try to spread these meals and snack evenly throughout the day! Eating every 2-3 hours is best:)

Relaxation Tip #1

Lately I have been focusing on nutrition and fitness because it really effects your mood. But sometimes you might need another tip to relax. I personally have built a "toolbox of tips" that help me relax for all different situations. If I am at home and stressing about school or making things more dramatic than what they actually are (which I do often), I will hold an animal. I am not a true animal lover, but I do have a soft spot for dogs. When I am stressed, I pick up my dog (or a friend's dog) and just focus on the dog. It takes my attention away from the stressful situation and my body starts to calm down. There is a reason animals are nicknamed "fury friends." I am not suggesting you go out on the street and pick up a stray cat or dog. DO NOT DO THAT. Play with your own animal or go to a pet store or animal shelter and hold a fury friend. It's not a drug that immediately takes the pain away, but it's natural way to relax.

Here I am with a friend's puppy (and yes there are bruises on my knee from dancing)!

Finding what helps your body function best!

Sometimes its hard for me to believe that a piece of food can make you feel just awful. Yesterday I ate a lot more dairy than I normally eat and honestly I was anxious and I felt miserable. I made my protein smoothie with milk and yogurt and I believe that was the reason I felt so anxious. So now I am sticking to my almond milk smoothies! Here are the basics for a great smoothie that makes you feel good:

Almond Milk (unsweetened)

Bananas

Whey Powder

Frozen Strawberries, Rasberries, Blueberries, or Blackberries

Blend these together and you are sure to get a yummy treat that makes you feel good!

Creating a Healthy Body

My blog is about helping teenagers achieve a healthy lifestyle. But I am finding it's extremely hard to know what is healthy because everyone has a different opinion. And everyone has a different way of achieving a goal. Yesterday I was so super excited because I bought this book 'The Abs Diet'. And I was so happy because I was like 'Yes! A roadmap to get abs! I will have abs by the time I am in Hawaii, no problem.' But then I started to read and analyze what I was reading. I really like the author's food outline. I love having a plan and he gives you one, which is awesome. But he includes a lot of diary products which I normally don't eat as much of because my sister has a dairy intolerance. So then this made me think is this why I haven't had the exact results I wanted? But doesn't diary make you bloat? I am trying to find the most effective way to get abs, not just for me, but for everyone. I want abs without stressing myself out. As I kept reading the workouts weren't very intense. I am at a higher level than the workouts he is suggesting, so do I do his and go backwards? These are the questions that are constantly bothering me. And I don't want anyone to stress themselves out because they are questioning my knowledge. Trust me I will question myself more then any prosecuting attorney would. This week TeenSanity is going to try new things and create workouts and food plans that will be so thought out you don't have to do the questioning because I already have. It's hard to create a healthy lifestyle when you are surrounded by teenagers who would prefer to eat chips and watch television than drink V8 and go running. That's why I am here. You are not the only one trying to live a healthy life as a teenager. My goal (as lame as it may sound) is to make being healthy "cool." And this week I want to help everyone create a roadmap for them self to a healthy lifestyle and body. I am doing this too. I know it's not easy and overwhelming, but it's a lot easier when you know others are struggling too. So let's go try to get abs, I don't know what will happen, but we sure will find out. It's a journey and I don't know where we are going to end up, but I know it's going to be okay and whether it takes us months, years, or a week we are all together going to lead a healthy life no matter what struggles or bumps in the road we may face.

Update on Abs

There is so much information out there it's hard to know what to do. I really want abs, but I am honestly having trouble reaching my goal. My school is taking me to Hawaii in a month and I seriously need to take some action. I trying to figure out the best way to get abs and the fastest. For a week, I cut out nuts and peanut butter, which were a huge part of my daily foods because of their high fat content. But I realized that was a mistake because those fats were good for me and I found myself picking on things because I wasn't satisfied. Starting Monday I am going to perfect my diet and a more specific exercise plan! I will share this plan with you and you can try it if you wish! Get ready to get abs!

Thanksgiving Survival Guide

Tomorrow is the day where people think it's okay to overeat and stuff your face till your about to puke. I don't. Yes it is Thanksgiving, but that's not an excuse anymore. Overeating is not an option! Here are my Thanksgiving Tips:
1. Do not skip any meals. If you do you will overeat. Your body is going to be so hungry, its going to eat anything in sight!  Eat breakfast and a snack before you eat Thanksgiving dinner. I know I am going to make a protein smoothie for breakfast and eat a banana as a snack.
2. Don't overeat! I know Thanksgiving is the holiday to overeat. But that's just an excuse and you really shouldn't. Eat in moderation. Don't overstuff you plate. Take a normal serving size of each dish you feel is the healthiest. And if there is a dish that is not the healthy, but you love, just take a tasting. Pick the dishes that are packed with protein and low in fat. Turkey is a great source of protein and sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin a and have more fiber than oatmeal.
3. Skip the appetizers. Appetizers are commonly high in unhealthy fats and carbs. If you eat a bunch of appetizers and then a whole meal, that's not good. Instead if there is a vegetable platter munch on that or bring a dish that you can snack on without increasing your waistline.
4. I know the best part of Thanksgiving are the desserts. I love them too. What I am planning to do is share a dessert. I know if I don't have any dessert I won't be happy on Thanksgiving. So instead I am going to have a small dessert just to satisfy my cravings.
5. Don't skip your everyday workout. Just because it's a holiday isn't a good enough excuse to skip your workout routine. If you don't feel like getting all sweaty then take a walk with your family. Be active! Working out is essential in feeling good. Even if you can't do your full routine, try to make sometime to get some exercise!

I hope these tips help! Have a Happy and HEALTHY Thanksgiving!

Protein Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin

 I will let you know that I am not a chef, but I try, and every once in awhile I come up with something delicious! I love chocolate, but I try not to eat too much because of the fat content. My new cooking obsession is adding protein powder to everything! This morning I made protein multigrain pancakes! Last week I was craving muffins, which normally isn't a good thing to crave. But I wanted to make a muffin into something that wasn't the worst thing for me! This is the best version I could come up with! I know it is not the healthiest, but it is better than a regular muffin! So here is my recipe:

Protein-Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins by TeenSanity

2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/3 cup of white sugar
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 cup of mashed bananas
2/3 cup of canola oil
1 egg beaten
1 cup of dark chocolate chips
4 (or more) scoops of Trader Joe's Whey Chocolate Protein Powder
Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Mix together and Bake for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees!

Enjoy:)

New Favorite Fitness Equipment

GO BUY A MEDICINE BALL! I am actually having an intense burning sensation during my workout. Before I reached a point in my workouts where I thought they weren't going to get anymore intense, but now with the medicine ball my workouts have drastically changed. With a new change in my workouts, I am setting a goal for myself. In January I will be going to Hawaii and by that time my goal is to have visible abs. My favorite fitness company, Warrior Dynamics, is helping me reach this goal. Without the help of Warrior Dynamics I would not be where I am today. With Warrior Dynamics screaming in my face, today, I was able to achieve 500 crunches with an eight pound medicine ball and 150 regular crunches. If you can't have a trainer or work out with a professional fitness company, get a workout buddy. But make sure your fitness buddy actually pushes you. You don't want a workout buddy who just wants to sit around and chat. You want someone that will make you want to improve and workout really hard! I personally try to workout with people who are stronger than me and more advanced, that way I push myself to be as good as them. I highly recommend finding someone who will push you to your limits. That is why I workout with Warrior Dynamics because this company pushes me to my limits!

Update on Gluten Free

I can honestly say I tried to be gluten free for TWO WHOLE DAYS then I couldn't do it anymore. Even though some of the gluten free alternatives tasted okay. When your on a "diet" you feel like you want to rebel and that's what happened to me. So now I am back to eating healthy foods that do contain gluten. Today I am making multigrain-protein banana chocolate chip muffins that I invented. I will give you all the recipe if they taste good. I recommend people try being gluten free and see if you feel better, but if you eat  100% whole wheat and multigrain foods you still are eating healthy.  Try new healthy foods, so you don't get bored and want to rebel!

Gluten Free/ Fitness Videos

This week I am attempting a gluten free diet. I want to see if it makes me feel better then when I am eating gluten. My sister is gluten free and I wanted to try to see what it is like. So far I have found myself eating less carbs because I am honestly afraid to try some of the products. Hopefully by the end of the week I will be loving gluten free alternatives. What I have found is that a lot of the gluten free items are healthier and sometimes contain less calories. For example my brown rice pasta has only 200 calories per cup! I also wanted to mention I am attempting to make some fitness videos for the teenagers of the world! Right now I am perfecting my technique that way I teach you the correct and proper form. I also hate watching myself on film so this is slowing down the process. If there is any workouts or body parts you want to tone and you want me to show you how, just let me know! I am in the process of attempting to get abs and I hope to share with you all my tricks to getting the best abs. (hopefully this won't take too long) I will keep you all posted!

Is a chicken caesar salad wrap healthy?

This was the question I had a heated discussion with a friend on. His opinion 'yes this is healthy except for the dressing.' My opinion was 'No you can find healthier alternatives.' So I wanted to see who was right. While researching I found mixed reviews. Some thought it was healthy, but that was when the sandwich contained low-fat Kraft caesar dressing. To me that isn't healthy at all! To make the dressing 'low fat' it's made with tons of chemicals I can't pronounce. So I went to livestrong.com where I saw a diagram that showed 60% of a chicken caesar salad wrap was fat. With more than half the wrap containing fat, I decided that this was not something I will be eating. The sandwich/wrap is most likely to be made with white flour and I think everyone should eat whole wheat bread, white bread is not good for you! Whole wheat bread has a lot more fiber than white bread and we all need fiber! Instead livestrong.com listed some healthy alternatives that seemed just as yummy with less fat. Check out livestrong.com it has some really interesting food facts and recommendations!

Live and Learn

This past week I have lived and learned. I have learned how easy it is to do something incorrect in fitness and think your working out when your not. For me, I learned that I was doing crunches wrong and really the problem was I didn't want to admit I didn't have core strength. So for the past six months I tried to convince myself that I had core strength by doing crunches wrong. If I was honest with myself and admitted that I was doing it wrong, then I could have fixed the problem and have had stronger core strength by now! So here is my lesson for today: Make sure you are doing fitness exercises correctly because if you are not then you are not truly working out!

Who doesn't love a panini?

My new favorite lunch is a turkey panini! I make it on Quinoa Flax bread with herb turkey, arugula, parmesan cheese, basil pesto, fresh basil, and tomato! This sandwich is not only delicious, but is filling. I know it's not a cheeseburger or pizza, but it is a sandwich that will make you feel good after lunch. If I eat fatty foods that have no nutrients, I am going to feel miserable. However this sandwich is made with nothing that is going to make me feel awful! Go and make this panini!

Snacks

Snacks are important! Do not skip snacking! Between meals find a little bit to eat, so you don't overeat later! Your more likely to eat unhealthy foods, if you skip snacks! Experiment, find new snacks that you can enjoy! Don't get bored with your snacks, if you do, then your going to choose something that is not good for you! Look for snacks that are high in protein and low in sugar! Find things that keep you going! This week I have been experimenting with different snack recipes! One I found that I liked is bananas rolled in cocoa powder sprinkled with coconut! It's delicious, not too sweet, and most importantly satisfying! Here are some snacks that make you feel good:

Great Breakfast Idea

I know this may sound tedious, but breakfast is the most important meal of the day! It is how you start your day! If you start with a bowl of sugary cereal or nothing, you are going to crash and burn. And before you are going to feel hungry and want to eat every sugary food insight! Instead make a meal filled with natural sugar that won't wear you down! Today for breakfast I made a smoothie filled with fresh papaya, pineapple, frozen mango, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, almond milk, and protein powder! It was delicious and I didn't crash and burn. I also had a slice of gluten-free bread with a tablespoon of peanut butter! This meal was a great way to start my day (especially being that today is Monday)! Hope this helps:)

This week starting 10/25/10

This week I want to focus on food! Food is very important in keeping you sane! If you feed your body garbage, your going to feel like garbage. Through lots of trials and tribulations I have learned what foods work best for my body and what food to stay away from. For me I have learned to stay away from chips, white flour, and food loaded with high fructose corn syrup and sugar. When you are shopping in the grocery store, try to stay away from these foods. Only pick foods that you know what all the ingredients are. "If you don't know it, DON'T BUY IT!" Try to also pick foods with a small amount of ingredients.  The less ingredients the healthier it is for you! Instead of buying flavored oatmeal, get plain oatmeal and add bananas and a teaspoon of brown sugar. Instead of flavored yoghurt (which is filled with sugar), buy plain yoghurt and add fruit and granola (make sure the granola is not packed with sugar). I hope these tips help! At first, it's really hard to change your diet, but if I can do it, so can you! My goal is to find healthy foods that will have teenagers craving them!

Results from Rhubarb Crisp...

All I can say is "YUM"! I love the Rhubarb Crisp, I made it last night after my post! This dessert is one you can eat without feeling guilty. I am one who always feels guilty after I eat dessert, but this one doesn't make me feel that way.  I didn't have the urge to go bike 10 miles after I ate it. I added some extra strawberries and less brown sugar and it was delicious! This is a great option for those who crave sweets, but don't want to harm their bodies! Here is a picture of my crisp:

YUM!

Currently trying to find recipes that can satisfy a sweet tooth, but are a healthier option! Here is a recipe recommended to me for a Rhubarb Crisp:

Filling

 3/4 Rhubarb cut into 1/2 pieces (about 3 cups)
1 Baking Apple
1 cup of fresh or frozen thawed strawberries, sliced
3 tablespoons honey
2 tsp whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients and pour into bottom of baking pan evenly

Topping

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 Brown Sugar
1/2 cup of rolled oats
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 ginger
1/4 tsp ground all spice
4 tbs butter (or alternative) melted

Mix all ingredients until it resembles a 'crumble'. Distribute evenly over filling

Bake 400 degrees for 30-35 min
Let cool for 20 min

Enjoy:)

Get Active!

Don't get caught up in the same fitness routine. You are more likely to not want to workout if you are bored of your routine. Instead try something new! Yesterday I played soccer for the first time in two years and though I was terrible, it was a fabulous workout and it was to my surprise FUN! So get out there and try something new, you will be greatly surprised!

Welcome!

Welcome to the world of fitness and health for teenagers! I want to provide you with everything I have learned from my own experiences! I have tried all dieting habits (healthy and otherwise) and I hope to share with you a path to a healthy lifestyle. I will include fitness workouts, recipes, advice, and general observations. I hope you will enjoy all that follows:)