Month / June 2013

by tessbrennan

Lemongrass Tea

I know that adequate water intake is important when looking for health through our diet. I understand that water flushes the system, hydrates to keep things moving smoothly, and is 75-80 of our healthy bodies.

Sometimes I want a little flavor in my water.  Here is a flavored water recipe or tea that I drink quite often.

Ingredients:

  • Filtered Water
  • Lemongrass
  • Cinnamon Stick

Instructions:

  1. Cut about 10 leaves off your lemongrass.  Here is part of my lemongrass patch.
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  2. Wash the leaves and cut them into about 3-4 inch lengths & place in a pot of about 3-4 cups of water. 20130626_075147
  3. Stir in the lemongrass with a cinnamon stick.  Break the stick in half and drop it down into the water.
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  4. Boil water on the stove for 5-10 minutes depending on how strong you would like your tea.
  5. Strain out the leaves and cinnamon stick.
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  6. Top off with filtered water, chill and enjoy!
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For more of a flavored water (less of a tea) dilute it with filtered water and enjoy the fresh flavors!

by tessbrennan

Watermelon-Mint-Lemonade

Summer is upon us. Hot temps are the norm now in Florida, so my daughter has been begging for Watermelon-Lemonade.  This tasty treat is good for her and yummy too!

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Ingredients:

 

  • 1 1/2 – 2 cups of fresh watermelon
  • 1 lemon
  • 10-15 fresh mint leaves
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • water to top off pitcher

Directions:

  1. Scoop the Watermelon into a blender or blender cup
  2. Drop in your fresh mint leaves
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  3. Blend until it is all a smooth consistency
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  4. Pour into a small mesh sieve
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  5. Allow watermelon mixture to separate
  6. Squeeze juice from 1 lemon
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  7. Use a rubber spatula to work all the liquid left out through the sieve
  8. Pour the lemon juice into the pitcher
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  9. Top pitcher off with water & add sugar
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    (note to self, 6 yr olds like to spill sugar so they can lick it up)
  10. Stir thoroughly
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  11. Pour over ice and enjoy!  Stores in the fridge for up to 4 days – if it lasts that long!
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Her big glass of lemonade was gone before I could even sit down to write this up! Smile

For more ideas on how to improve your health, or kick the health up in your favorite recipes, contact me!

by tessbrennan

Spice-Rubbed Flank Steak

We are a health conscious family, and we still like and eat meat!  The trick is to find healthier ways to fix it! Many spices contain health promoting qualities and flank steak is a leaner piece of meat.

 

clip_image0021 12-16 oz Flank Steak, trimmed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2+ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray (we use olive oil in a pampered chef sprayer)

Preheat broiler (or grill) combine the spices & sugar in a small bowl; rub evenly over steak. Place steak on broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 6 minutes on each side or until your degree of likeness.

Let stand 3 minutes, slice against the grain of the meat in 1/2 inch slices.  Serves 4

We like to eat this with large portions of fresh steamed broccoli and baked or grilled spiced sweet potatoes.  Left overs are used in burritos with pico de gallo! 🙂

(This recipe is modified from July/August 2002 Issue of Energy For Women Magazine.)

by tessbrennan

Overcoming Personal Struggles in Health & Weight Management.

Yes, I’ve lost 55 pounds. Yes, I’ve maintained it for 6+ years. Yes, I am a coach. and Yes, I still struggle with the couch.

Last Sunday, a friend from church approached me and shared that she was dealing with some struggles. We represent different products/plans in the weight loss/waist reduction industry.  We are both coaches.

Her comment to me was, “I am finding myself struggling with old habits. I KNOW what I need to do, but am finding resistance in myself in those areas.”

WOW!  Did I need to hear that.  It’s a week later and we are still marching on. I know she is with clients today, and pray all goes well for her. I remember thinking, I am the coach, I should not be struggling with this.  And I think I remember her saying something similar.

Remember to be kind to yourself!

In my first level team coaching class I teach a technique called “Eating with Fierce Kindness” it comes from a book written by Sasha Loring. Frequently, I hear my clients and friends tell me, “I know what to do, I know what to eat, I JUST DON’T DO IT.” 

I can relate, I was there.  I have “flash backs” where those old habits return and it is sometimes challenging to push those old habits away.

Things get in the way of “good health” just like things get in the way of any other goal or choice we make. 

  • It rains for daysScreenshot - Games
  • Its only sunny when I am at work
  • Kids needs
  • Family/friends needs
  • I’m tired
  • I’ll just play ONE game on my droid…

That’s my struggle – games on my iPad or Droid.  I will admit it. I like to play games and will lose track of time.  Its meant to be just one game, but then that one is so quick that… before I know it, and hour has gone by.  An hour I could have walked, prepared healthy food, played with my child.  For me, I have to limit myself to a couple of games right before bed or while I ride and my hubby drives.  Here are the steps I use to “get back on track”.

4 Steps to Overcoming the bad habits

My first recommendation is to Be Kind to yourself. We are ALL human. We all make mistakes. We can ALL learn new habits.

Second, I recommend, making Small Attainable Goals. When you reach that one, set another and begin working toward it.  Don’t give up, you CAN do it.

Third, Find a Partner, choose someone to work with you, support your, and hold each other accountable.  This person could be a spouse, a friend, local or long distance, even a coach to keep you going.  (I offer weekly groups of team coaching and a monthly support group to help people get together and do this.  Look for similar programs in your area.)

Fourth, remember these habits weren’t formed in a day.  It was formed through Daily Choices and Desires.  What are your desires? What will this new choice offer you in the long run? Remember to remind yourself of the benefits of this choice!   

Tosca Reno, in her book The Eat-Clean Diet shows a very good example of this.

Hey, if you made Starbucks your morning habit didn’t that take some doing? You had to get yourself there, stand in line, order your drink, pay for it, pick it up at the other end once the barista had made it and then get on with your day.  The same is true for McDonalds”

We are capable of MASTERING THE COUCH or the games, or the *insert your own struggle here*.  It may not be easy, but with perseverance, kindness to ourselves, and effort, each and every one of us Can Succeed! 

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If you would like additional information on our coaching classes, support groups, or personal coaching, please contact me.  I am Happy to Help!

by tessbrennan

How to Find the Time in Your Own Life

My friends teach me quite a bit.  I like to tie it all together.  I, personally, have been having some difficulties finding the time to… Work out, spend time with my family, make phone calls, schedule a meeting with a philanthropic group, and a few other things.

I was making myself crazy! There just weren’t enough hours in the day.

Then, I remembered something my friend Lynne had told me.

There are two things that paralyze people from making changes in their lives.  Time and Money.

This phrase resonated with me. I know that if there is something I really want to do/go/see/have… I will work to earn or find the money to do it.  I’ve done it.  Shopped in thrift stores, found super efficient and inexpensive household cleaners, begun coloring my own hair… all so I could afford other things that were more important to me.  I just never thought about time as the same.

Enter last week.  This was my busy schedule last week.

First_week_of_June_Calendar

As I looked at this calendar and began wondering how to fit it all in and still be a mom and exercise… it hit me.  LOOK AT ALL THAT TIME!

How much time was I “spending” with TV, phone/iPad games, Facebook, just thinking – “what should I do next?”  So I made a shift.

I did some squats whenever I had 2-3 minutes to spend. I made meals in bulk on the weekend so my family could just heat and eat while I was gone. I scheduled the calls I needed to make so they would happen.

Enter my friend Rita who then said this next phrase and it all fell into place.

Feel Good Fast - Make the Time

I had a retreat this weekend and we were in meetings or together for meals from breakfast until after dinner each day.  Here is how I managed to “make time” for my health.  Just little things that add up to big results.

  1. At breaks I took the 3 flights of stairs down to the restrooms on the main level then back up to the meeting room.
  2. At dinner each night, I left food on my plate and ate all my salad/veggies.
  3. At breakfast, I scraped all the scrambled eggs off the crescent and ate a TON of fruit. Lots of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.
  4. Drank water and green tea throughout the day.
  5. At one break rode the elevator up to my room on the 18th floor and then took the stairs back down to the 3rd floor.
  6. Relaxed and enjoyed my quiet moments and short bursts of time outside on the balcony.
  7. I ATE MY DESERT – only part of it(a few bites) but I was MINDFUL OF IT and enjoyed the flavors, the taste, the textures, the sweetness of the carrot cake the size of the Sear’s tower.
  8. I brought soy milk and protein powder for morning smoothies to keep my schedule/routine.

We can work it in! It may take a bit of time to pay attention to what is going on in our lives, explore the possibilities, create new means, and then adapt to what life throws at us…

(I learned that at my retreat.) SmileIf you would like assistance working health into your own busy life, contact me.  I am happy to help.

by tessbrennan

Overcoming Obstacles to Weight Loss – What are they?

In a recent meeting with coaching clients, we discussed what obstacles prevent them from succeeding in improving their health and reducing the size of their waist.  They provided me with several answers.

Feel_Good_Fast_Obstacles_to_Success

These are the main obstacles that 4 women came up with to their challenges with weight loss/waist line reduction.

Eating with Fierce Kindness, by Sasha T. Loring, lumps all obstacles into THREE categories. (I want to discuss “Celebrations” separately)

  1. Loss of Heart – This occurs when we set an “end Point”, we become overwhelmed by what it will take to get there.  We give up and say things to ourselves like: “I’ll never get it right,” “I’ll be like this forever,” or “There is something wrong with me.”
  2. Laziness (don’t stop reading here) – This is many times a result of Losing Heart.  The task just seems too monumental, too daunting.  We assume a things must be “ALL OR NOTHING.”  We have made making “comfort” number one in our life as a habit.  This is when we need to think, “Does turning to food cause more problems that it will solve right now?”
    Are there more effective ways to cope?
  3. Lack of Self Worth – Being self critical, unforgiving of our personal mistakes, not feeling worthy of self care, or feeling ashamed or guilty of our actions.  Many times we find ourselves in a sea of others needs – We care for others  and avoid caring for ourselves.

If we begin to categorize our obstacles, we can see that Ms. Loring has an excellent point.  When you think that the average American will “diet” at least 4 times this YEAR, it is evident that what people are trying isn’t working for the long term.

When we begin to look INSIDE ourselves as the beginning of a new way of eating, living, and treating ourselves, long-term or permanent success is within our reach.

For more information on the topic of Obstacles to weight loss/Waist Line reduction or coaching options, contact me.  I am happy to talk with you to see how best to assist you in adding more life to your years!