Saturday, December 31, 2011

My Personal Highlights of 2011

Happy (almost) New Year! I thought I'd share some of my favorite memories from 2011 on TeenSanity:)

January 2011-School Trip to Hawaii





April 2011- TeenSanity Prom Hair/Makeup Shoot




Summer 2011







December 2011-Roman comes to CT!



Wishing everyone a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2012! Watch out world the teenagers are going to do amazing things this year! 

My Affirmations for 2012

I can't believe the year is practically over! 2011 has been a year of growth for me. I've had to overcome social struggles, rise to challenges, and keep believing in myself. I am ready and energized for 2012, but I thought the best way to go into the new year is to write some affirmations. Last year I did an entire post dedicated to affirmations, so I thought I would revisit that and write some for the new year.

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!


My affirmations for 2012:
I am able to handle any tough situation I might face with a smile and confidence. 
In times when things are unknown, I remember everything happens for a reason and I will be okay no matter what! 
I am ready to enjoy every moment of my life.


Wishing everyone a HEALTHY and HAPPY New Year! Much love, Tessa 

Thursday, December 29, 2011

My Post on LifePulp:)

The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists. 
~Japanese Proverb

For all those who are looking for daily inspiration, check out http://lifepulp.com/. I've just started really getting into it and I find I am smiling more during the day because I've found inspiration or someone has pulp'd one of my post. It's really a great community and I encourage everyone to participate:)

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

My Search for Green Superfoods...

I feel like I don't eat enough greens. I love fruits and some veggies, but getting in all the greens is hard for me. I am now motivated to get in more greens, so I am on the search for a superfoods green powder! To be honest, to go to the health food store and buy a package of powdered greens, it's expensive. So I am in the process of finding a brand I like and finding it at a wholesale price online! It's quite an adventure! Today I tried Amazing Grass's Green Superfood Drink Powder. I mixed it in my blender bottle with 300ml of coconut water. The coconut water made it taste a lot better. I am not sure if I would've been able to get it down with just water; I probably would've had to hold my nose. I do feel really energized and satisfied. I feel like I have the energy to get work done. This to me is the perfect after-school snack. A simple drink, with a profound after affect. I will keep you posted with my search for a superfoods powered drink.

Monday, December 26, 2011

"Healthy" Labels to Look Out for...

Sometimes those "healthy" labels aren't so healthy.  We've all seen the fat-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, and diet labels, but just because an item is labeled that, doesn't mean it's the best for us. I think when teens (especially teenage girls) see fat-free they purchase the product. But if the product isn't naturally fat-free (such as fruits and veggies), it's containing chemicals that's making the food fat-free. Currently researchers are investigating the theory that fat-substitutes may interfere with our body's ability to recognize and regulate how much food our body needs, thus causing us to eat more. I, personally, am a fan of gluten-free foods, but I do have to be cautious of the sugar, fat, protein, and other nutrients. I feel better when I eat gluten free, but certain gluten-free breads have up to 13 more times fat and 16 times more protein than regular bread. I do not drink any kind of soda, regular nor diet, and I recommend you do the same. Some might believe diet soda is better for you, but researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio found that people who drank two or more diet sodas daily had a six times greater increase in their waist at the end of a ten year study than those who didn't drink diet soda. Be cautious of those "healthy" labels!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

And...Another Quote!

I really find it hard to not share fantastic quotes. I mean, who doesn't want to hear a phrase that puts a smile on your face? My favorite type of quote is one that helps me to re-evaluate a mindset or a way of life. Especially when they help me to change a mindset that I've been stuck in. I believe quotes/phrases have the power to do so. There are some things/moments in life, when you just want to say, "This sucks!" Whether it's a test in school or a problem with a friend, most of us will be in a bad mood. It's the feeling that everything is wrong in the world and nothing is going your way. Roman Price shared a quote that I believe changes that attitude. So, when your in a negative mindset, please read this quote:

"The only disability in life is a bad attitude"~Scott Hamilton

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Coconut Water-The Natural Sports Drink!

I've got a new food/drink obsession and it's coconut water! I love coconut as a natural sports drink because it contains all five electrolytes your body needs to rehydrate. It also is low in calories, contains no fat or cholesterol. Coconut water as fifteen times more potassium than any other sports drink. Coconut water benefits athletic performance in the following ways:

-Helps your body rehydrate
-Helps your body retain fluid
-Keeps your body temperature down
-Prevents cramping
-Prevents headaches

Why have all those sugar-packed, unhealthy sports drinks? When you can enjoy all natural, electrolyte packed coconut water:) My personal favorite coconut water brand is Vita Coco!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Foods to BOOST Your Immune System

Towards the middle of the school year, I can feel my immune system becoming more and more run down. It gets to the point where sometimes I feel it would be better just to walk around in a haz-mat suit. Schools are like a breeding ground for germs and all kinds of awesome viruses. I find teens like too share our germs with each other and we don't even realize we're doing it! But our lives depend on us functioning as best we can. If we maintain a diverse a diet rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean proteins, that's our best defense. But there are specific foods we can include in our diet to help boost our immune system. So here's the list:

-Yogurt: contains probiotics, healthy bacteria that keeps our stomach and intestinal tract free of germs
-Oats & Barley: contains beta-glucan, that has antioxidant capabilities
-Garlic: contains allicin, which fights infection and bacteria
-Tea: green and black tea contain an amino acid, L-theanine, which is an immune booster
-Sweet Potatoes: contains beta carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A, thus helping our skin fight against bacteria and viruses
-Mushrooms: increases the production and activity of white blood cells
-Red Bell Peppers: good source of phyto-chemicals, beta carotene, and vitamin C
-Pumpkin: packed with beta carotene

Keep these foods in mind, when your looking to stay healthy and fight those germs! 

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Life Lessons

I've had a pretty incredible couple of days-I got to spend time with an inspiration of mine, Roman Price, and his friends, Jonathan and Jesse. In just two days, Roman taught me more about life than some people learn during their entire lives. I like to say, "Life is a learning process, not just sitting in a classroom." I believe you have to go after your teachers in life; your mentors, people who make you want to be better. Read about them, learn all there is to know about them, and if you desire contact them. Being a teenager, I find it's great to have a mentor who supports you and can offer you advice, that you'll receive because you respect them. One of my favorite things about my mentor is that he practices what he preaches. Every conversation with him also leaves me with more knowledge than I had before. Roman taught me to take care of myself and by doing that, I take care of others. He also taught me to keep life simple. And he's always taught me to befriend failure, and learn from setbacks (which are actually steps forward because I think you get more out of them). I believe everyone comes into your life for a reason and Roman is in my life to educate me on life:)

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Exercise and Our Brain

I am reading the book Spark-The Revolutionary New Science OF Exercise And The Brain by John J. Ratey. The book discusses how exercise builds your brain and how exercise helps overcome stress, anxiety, depression, attention deficit, and addiction. I highly recommend it! It's really helped me to understand why exercise has such a positive affect on my life and especially my brain. Regular aerobic activity activity relaxes the body, so it's able to handle more stress before a more serious response including heart rate and stress hormones kick in. Exercise raises the trigger point of the physical, more serious reaction. While we are exercising, in our brain we are securing the structure of our nerve cells by activating genes to produce specific proteins that protect our cells. Cool, right? Not only are we building muscle, when we exercise, but building our brain!