Hello iamtessa.com!

This is very bittersweet post for me-it's my last on TeenSanity:(

However, this is NOT my last post on healthy teen living. I have expanded and grown into my own personal website/blog, http://iamtessa.com/. On this site I will focus on my ASSET model and how teenagers can be them best selves. I will also share more fitness tips, yummy recipes, and healthy mindset posts on my new site. 

Goodbye TeenSanity, Hello http://iamtessa.com/! Come be an ASSET:)

Important Reminder!

"It's never too late to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit - start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it, I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that stop you, I hope you feel things you've never felt before, I hope you meet people with a different point of view, I hope you live a life you're proud of - and if you find that you're not I hope you have the strength to start all over again." 
~The Curious Case of Benjamin Button


I absolutely love this quote! I think often in life we forget that this is OUR life, not our parents or friends, OURS! Being a teenager, I think our lives get greatly influenced by outside sources and then we forget what we want or what makes us happy. Sometimes we need a little reminder to get us back on OUR path, OUR journey. I think we can often feel that we have no power over our life, but YOU do. YOU have a choice to live the life YOU want to live or to just go along the path with no intention or goals. It's up to YOU! Ask YOURSELF: Where do I see MYSELF in twenty years? If YOUR life was book, how would YOU want the story to go? Don't be afraid to answers these questions (and it's normal if you are). It may seem scary, but remember life wouldn't be exciting without a little fear and anxiety. This post and quote is reminder to take control of your life:)

Guiltless Ice Cream

Yes guiltless ice cream does exist! To all those who think they cannot enjoy a cool summer treat, you are wrong. And the best part is you only need one ingredient: frozen bananas! All you have to do is slice the bananas into coins, then freeze them until they are solid. Once completely frozen, throw the bananas  into a food processor or blender and blend until they have the consistency of frozen yogurt. If you want more of a frozen yogurt style treat then you can eat it right out of the blender, if not freeze your blended bananas till they are solid and ice cream-like! I've only had plain banana frozen yogurt and it was delicious! Next time I plan on spicing it up a bit with peanut butter and dark chocolate or carob chips. Get creative and see what healthy ice cream you can come up with!

'I Am' VS. 'I Feel'

For those of you who do not know, I recently went on an online radio station, FTNS, to talk about child and teen diabetes and obesity. During the show, I focused on self-image. How we perceive ourselves is a huge mental struggle not only during the teenager years, but throughout our life. This is why understanding the difference between 'I am' and 'I feel' is so important. When we say 'I am "fat"', we are saying a statement that is very self-limiting and attaching ourselves to a personal belief. However when you say 'I feel "fat"', it's no longer self-limiting. When you say 'I feel "fat"', you are able to understand and accept the feeling. With understanding, comes transformation. If you keep telling yourself, "you are fat", are really going to feel motivated to exercise and eat right? No. You are simply putting yourself down. But if you change the 'am' to 'feel', you can say "I feel fat, but that's not who I am." You can turn it into an affirmation, which is part of the transformation, "When I feel "fat", I understand that's not who I am and that I can make a choice to improve my health and eliminate that feeling." Understanding the difference between 'am' and 'feel' has changed my perception of myself and given me a much stronger mindset.

*I used the term "fat" because it was the focus of the radio show I was on. You can replace "fat" with any word you think you are or are feeling.

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!

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)! 

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!