Monday, June 25, 2012

The 'Diabesity' Solution Show

Tomorrow at 4pm EST I will be on the 'Diabesity' Solution show on http://ftns.co/. Listen and hear about my personal story to health, how teenagers can change their lives around, and my new educational model, 'ASSET.' There will be an online chat, so you can ask me any questions you have! If you cannot listen in, I will post a podcast of the show later on!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Hello Carob!

Recently I had a huge sweet craving, which I will sometimes have, but I have to remind myself not to binge. So I was at a health food store, Foodworks in Monroe, CT, and I found these carob, cashew, coconut bars-oh was I in heaven. These bars are a must try for anyone who loves carob or just is craving something sweet, but want a healthy choice (I am enjoying one as I write). I knew carob was a great alternative to chocolate, but I didn't realize all the benefits of this sweet treat! Here is what I found:

-Unlike chocolate, carob is naturally sweet, so you do not have to add lots of sweeteners to make it taste yummy
-It's an alkaline food
-Has three times as much calcium as chocolate
-Lower in fat than chocolate (contains about 1% of fat compared to 24% fat in cocoa)
-Aids digestion
-Carob is thought to help prevent lung cancer
-Contains gallic acid, which has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties that will help keep you healthy
-Doesn't contain any harmful stimulants including caffeine, theobromine, or theophylline 
-Helps stabilize your blood sugar levels
-Contains Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin D, Calcium, Potassium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Selenium, Fiber, Antioxidants, Protein
-Not addictive

If your craving a sweet treat, look no further than carob-it's a guilt free sweet (of course in moderation)! 



Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Avocado Kale Salad

This is my official summer salad obsession. I tried this at Whole Foods and then recreated it myself. I'll often visit health food stores for inspiration. If you're looking for something new, you can check out the prepared foods at a health food store for some ideas. I personally like to get inspired then recreate it at home because cooking is very therapeutic for me. I do not have the exact ratio of ingredients, but here are the components to the kale and avocado salad:

-Kale
-Avocado
-Diced tomatoes
-Onion
-Cilantro

I will mash the avocado, tomatoes, onion, and cilantro together-practically creating a guacamole, add a dash of salt (I prefer himalayan salt), then I'll mix in a bunch of kale. This is the perfect salad if your looking for something different and tasty. I am obsessed!

Saturday, June 9, 2012

How To Cope With Emotions

This is one of my biggest personal struggles: emotional dis-regulation. I think it's very easy to be overwhelmed with our emotions. We are constantly taking in a ton of stimulation and it's really important to be aware of how it affects us and how we feel. Currently I feel as if I have a billion emotions because school just ended on a very positive note and now summer is starting. I don't know whether I am coming or going. I can control all the physical aspects; my diet, workout, and environment, but what it really comes down to it- I need to take care of the mental aspect. So how do we face our emotions? Maybe we often put ourselves in negative situations to avoid them and just make it worse. As scary as it may seem, it's important to face them. Recognize what is bothering you and make a change. Seems simple, right? I wrote my wonderful mindfulness teacher, Miss Casey, and she sent me the awesomest email. The one lesson or tool that stood out the most was to talk to the little "voice" or "person" that is causing my strong emotions. Talk directly to each emotion as if you were talking to a person and listen to their wisdom. You could ask "Why are you here?", "What do you have to teach me?", or "How can I best handle you?". Don't be close-minded, as easy as it can to be,  instead listen to what the answers are. As Miss Casey told me, "If you do, you may learn some very important things about their function in your life." Ahhh....did I feel better just after reading that! In addition to talking to those emotions, I wrote down everything I was feeling and why. Then I turned each emotion around with an affirmation. One thing that has been bothering me and causing me to feel anxious is the lack of structure during the summer. So I wrote "I understand and accept that I feel anxious, but I know I can handle the lack of structure and make the best use out of my time." Before saying this I felt too dis-regulated to even write a blog post, but after I accepted and understood my emotion, I felt regulated enough to get work done. The lesson here is to listen to and accept your emotions.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Healthy Summer Bucketlist 2012

The summer of 2012 is beginning-crazy, right!?! Last year I compiled a list of summer bucketlist ideas; this year I have done the same thanks to the help of some friends, Kayla and Kate. This year I really wanted to focus on health. Often people think of health of only the body, but there is a mind piece, too. So this year's bucketlist is good for your body, mind, and heart.

TeenSanity's Summer Bucketlist of 2012
-Cook an entire home-cooked, healthy meal with friends ("'Cause it's always fun to burn things with other people"~Kayla)
-Run a marathon, biathlon, or triathlon
-Wear a 'Free Hugs' t-shirt for an entire day (in public)
-Write yourself in ten years a letter, store it in a safe place, then open it ten years later
-Go rock climbing (with real rocks, outdoors)
-Eat an entire meal mindfully
-Plant a vegetable garden
-Attend a hot yoga class
-Have a smoothie stand (just took the lemonade stand to a whole new level)
-For an entire day compliment everyone you meet
-Do 50 or more crunches everyday (no excuses!!)
-Have a yoga session on the beach (Love this one)
-Tell your family "I love you" every single day
-Face your biggest fear
-Post an inspiration on lifepulp.com every single day of the summer (you'll be surprised at how your outlook on life will become much brighter)
-Sleep under the stars
-Run (or dance!) in the rain
-Try a new workout, something you've never done before (Bootcamp training, Pilates, Barre method)
-Plant a tree
-Set a goal to of being able to do sixty pushups in a row by the end of the summer (or set a number of fitness goals)
-Have an entire meal consist of only raw food (let me emphasis, not raw meat!!!)
-Go to a public place (sidewalk) and write everything that makes you happy in chalk

Enjoy your summer:)