The Basics on Calories

The word calorie use to freak me out because I didn't know about it and I just thought it was bad. Well there is a lot more to calories than most of us know off the top of our heads. The unit nutritionists measure the amount of heat produced by metabolizing food in kilocalories. A kilocalorie is the amount of energy it takes to raise The unit, kilocalorie, is the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree on a celsius thermometer. Some nutritionist may say a kilocalorie is the same as a calorie, but that's incorrect. A calorie is 1/1000 of a kilocalorie. When you see the word calorie that simply means metabolizing that food item produces that many calories of heat that your body can use for work. Those are the basics for now:)

Extremely Powerful Video

Recently a girl in my town posted a video about how she is bullied everyday and has been for her entire middle school experience. This really touched me since I just wrote about bullying. I think we all know how it feels to be bullied and it sucks. For me, focusing on fitness and eating healthy has taken my mind away from bullying, but it doesn't heal the wound. As I said before, the best way is to look at the person bullying you is to evaluate them from a psychological  point of view. Why does this person say those words to me? What makes them feel it's necessary to do that? For me, this helps me try to understand it from their point of view. This doesn't make it right nor does it stop the person, but it has helped me in the past. I have not bullied on an everyday basis, but I have experienced MULTIPLE types of bullying. One time I was cyber bullied and after going through the pain of it, I was able to laugh and say, "I have officially been cyber bullied, just another thing to check off my bucket list." Cyber bullying is not on my bucket list, but I was able to laugh at just another crazy thing I experienced. Bullying only makes you stronger and you have to treat it as that. Shout out to Alye Pollack for posting that amazing video-It gets better Alye and I know you can handle it, you have showed how strong you are just by posting that video! Much love to you, Alye. I know exactly how you feel-I hated middle school, but I am loving high school! The link to Alye's video is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37_ncv79fLA&feature=player_embedded

I am currently learning...

To pay attention to muscle soreness! We are always living and learning and sometimes it hard to grasps everything we are learning. For me, I am learning to listen to what my body is telling me! I go through periods of working out intensely for a few weeks and then my body gets sore or tight. I need to listen to my body and stretch and take a break. It's okay to stretch instead of workout when you are sore. I personally tend to get a little 'OCD' and feel like I have to workout even when I am sore. I am trying to pay more attention to my body and stretch more. What I am trying to say is, if your working out and something doesn't feel right, address it, don't ignore it:)

Healthy Ice Cream Sundae!

I LOVE bananas, chocolate, and almonds, so I turned this into an ice cream sundae! Here is my recipe for a delicious treat that makes you feel good too:)

TeenSanity Sundae:
1/2 cup of Vanilla Almond Ice Cream
1 Tablespoon of Cacao nibs
1 Banana

Survival Guide to Bullying!

I really hate addressing bullying because I personally know how awful it is and for me it brings up those feelings again! Bullying sucks, but it exists. So we can chose to join in or fight against it, I am going to fight against it! It's upsetting to me to have to write a post on 'how to survive bullying' but I want to help those out there. My first tip to survive bullying is to change your outlook on the person doing the bullying. I wish I had done this in the past, but you have to think that they can't control their actions. Those hurtful words and maybe even physical abuse come from their lack of ability to control their emotions and actions. The person bullying you most likely feels insecure, is jealous of you, or is having a tough time at home or in school. So what do you do with this knowledge? If your really strong emotionally (I never was in a bullying situation), my advice is to walk away or to ask question them. It most likely will throw them off guard and then you will have just taken your first step to battling the bullying. I personally would fall apart when I was bullied, so I would talk to a guidance counselor or a teacher I trusted. If you can't even get those words out, write it down and give it to them. You are not telling on them, you are taking a step against bullying. If you need some more advice on a particular situation, please email me at tessawithaz@gmail.com. We can fight bullying together:)

Valuable Life Quote

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should dance.  ~Author Unknown


I think often we get caught up in life's troubles and complications, or at least I do. I personally struggle with balancing everything in my life and I often get overwhelmed. Everything seems to matter and have importance, but I can't get everything done. I am constantly juggling life and sometimes I get too concentrated on what's rough and I forget to enjoy what I have. I posted this quote because going into spring I want to remember to live life to the fullest and not worry about the little details or the juggling act. We only have so much time on the planet and I think us teenagers get caught up in where we are going and not where we are (I know I do), we need to remember to enjoy our life, especially during our teenage years. 

Currently in love with green tea:)

I am officially a frequent green tea drinker (just a couple of cups a day)! I have heard about the benefits, but not until after I researched them, did I truly realize how super amazing it is for you! The Chinese have used green tea for over 4,000 years to treat health problems. Green tea maybe able to heal and prevent many disease including cancer, heart disease, impaired immune functions, infections, and cardiovascular disease. Drinking a recommended amount of green tea each day, rids toxins of the body that can cause diseases. These great effects from green tea can be contributed to vitamins and antioxidants- especially EGCG (epigallocatechil gallate). Clinical studies suggest green tea extract may boost metabolism or help burn fat (now girls don't go crazy drinking green tea, I don't recommend drinking more than 2-3 cups daily). Go get some green tea leaves and start the tea pot!

BASIK Monthly Update:)

Personally, I hate the winter months; I am freezing, there’s less light, and my stress and anxiety increases. The only time I felt true peace within my body this winter was in the Hawaiian sun eating BASIK Acai. Since BASIK is far from where I live, I can find that same sense of peace learning about their unique creations and educating myself on the foods they use. Once a month, with the help from one of the owner’s of BASIK, Jamie, I am going to post a bit of valuable information about BASIK’s food, upcoming events, and much more.

            For our first official monthly update, I thought we are all in need of some food that brings us sanity, when the winter months are driving us crazy. I knew Jamie could pick out the perfect bowl that would help rid us of our winter blues. He chose the drifter bowl; a blend of fresh fruit, honey, granola, and almonds topped with cacao nibs. Until Jamie sent me some information on the cacao nibs, I was unaware of how incredible they were. In my opinion, they should be a super-food.  Not only are they packed with antioxidants, but packed with neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and phenylethylamine. These particular neurotransmitters have the power relieve feelings of depression and are often associated with feelings of well -being. Cacao holds monoamine oxidase inhibitors that improve our mood because they let serotonin and dopamine remain in the bloodstream longer without being broken down. Tomorrow, I am going to the health food store to fill my house with cacao!

            So why did BASIK name this powerful bowl the drifter? Well often the affect of this bowl is you tend to drift off into a state of bliss! If your feeling stressed or anxious and find yourself at BASIK, get the drifter, you are sure to drift into a state quit the opposite of the winter blues. To see other bowls by BASIK, check out their website: http://www.basikacai.com/

The Drifter

When I am feeling...

Stressed, overworked, and I am not appreciating the simple things in life. I know I need to be reminded of how little things can bring me so much joy and not to get caught up in life's many challenges. So I watch a video about a baby who laughs when paper rips, this reminds me to not focus on life's stresses, but to enjoy the little things. Here is the link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP4abiHdQpc

The Importance of Exploring New Environments

Sometimes, I get stuck in my own routine and visit the same places over and over again! I think this causes me to get stuck in my head and not really enjoy my experiences. It's really important to expand your horizon and try new things (healthy things). For me, I took a trip into the New York City to visit my cousin and I so needed it! Seeing a new environment and experiencing a different lifestyle is truly rejuvenating. Even in environments that I have been to, I do the same thing and my cousin made sure I didn't! And that was the best part! I learned that it's fun to try a new restaurant and it's okay to not know where you are going (I tend to be OCD about directions). Being in a new environment, for me, clears my energy and makes life a lot more fun! Try to experience something different. Try a health food you've never heard of or just take a walk through a different part of your town than you would normally do! Whatever it is, make sure it's not something harming yourself or your the environment around you:)