Month / November 2013

by tessbrennan

8 Tips to Keep the Turkey off your Hips!

Thanksgiving is a week away.  Many will spend hours in the car traveling to or between family gatherings, only to arrive at their destination and have mounds of food placed in front of them.

What is one to do? Working diligently to maintain healthy choices, avoid junk foods, and keep moving on a regular basis could be all for not after this one day??? NOT!  RELAX…

Our health and well being is the culmination of what we do on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis.  Its really about the choices we make every day, so each day we make good choices, contributes to better health.  This is 1 day, (or maybe a week depending on how much you actually cook) and not the whole year.

So, with that, and all the Holiday parties to follow in the next month and a half… Here are some tips to keep that turkey off your hips!

  • If you are on vacation, this is the perfect time to practice that routine you would like to institute when you go back.  Take the time to walk or do a few squats between commercials.
  • Eat a healthy snack before you go, so you aren’t ravished and ready to eat a whole cow (or garden for our vegetarian friends) when you arrive.
  • Drink a BIG glass of water 20 minutes before you eat. (or 10 minutes or 5 minutes or right before you eat… just drink it!)
  • TAKE. YOUR. TIME. eating.  Allow your body to register what is in the belly and to tell you when it is full.
  • Remember the difference between “I don’t” (preferred) vs. “I can’t.” (to be avoided at all costs)  The difference between these two phrases can be success or failure!
  • Moderation is key – you can have a sliver of pie, just not the WHOLE pie.  Smile Pick a small piece of the desert that “completes” the meal for you.
  • Don’t forget the veggies.  At least half of your plate should be veggies. (NOT just green bean casserole – fresh veggies, whole veggies, even plain veggies)
  • Opt for whole foods you recognize as the source and just try a taste of things you know are refined, if you must.
  • BONUS: At half-time take everyone outside to play a game of pick-up football, a family 5K, or just wrestle with the young-ins… movement is what it is about!

Tis the season to remember all the things we are thankful for.  (I like to do this on a daily basis, but its nice to have a reminder day for it…)

Here are a few photos of our past Holiday gatherings. Smile

IMG-20111124-00413IMG-20111124-00415IMG-20111124-00417IMG-20111123-00406IMG-20111123-00408Bonita Springs-20111124-00427

First 3 photos are of the 5,000 meals campaign at Lamb of God church.  We delivered meals for the church to people out in the Buckingham area who needed meals to help celebrate the holiday.  Then my daughter and I work on a holiday treat for our friends who hosted us for Thanksgiving, the Ballo’s.  

 

by tessbrennan

Spicy Vegetarian Chili–Tricked my hubby

So, I was asked to make a veggie chili for the teachers’ appreciation luncheon.  I decided to embark on the adventure, so I looked up many recipes, then compiled my own with my own style.

Veggie Chili-HealthyGreaseMonkey

This recipe made a really thick, hearty chili that was a tad on the spicy side and delicious!

  • 1.5 cups dried black beans
  • 1 cup dried red beans
  • 1 cup dried pinto beans
  • 1 cup dried garbanzo beans
  • 28 oz can Italian peeled tomatoes (chopped)
  • 28 oz can Rotelle original tomato/chili pepper
  • 1 red onion chopped
  • 1 zucchini chopped or shredded
  • 1 yellow squash chopped or shredded
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 1 tsp of Cumin
  • 1 bell pepper chopped
  • 1 box of baby bella mushrooms sliced
  • 1 cup of chopped cilantro
  • Dusting of Cayanne (may not even be needed)
  • 2 1/2 cups of water + 6-8 cups
  • 1 1/2 tsp of baking soda

In a LARGE bowl pour all the beans, the baking soda & 6-8 cups of water and let beans soak for 4 hours plus.  (Ideally, I will let them soak over night.)

After soaking, pour into a colander and rinse beans thoroughly.

Pour beans into crock pot and add everything else to crock pot and stir.

Let cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Garbanzo beans will still be a bit crunchy, but that is your “meat texture”.   My hubby never realized that it was a meatless chili!

Veggie Chili

WOO HOO – SCORE ONE FOR MOMMY AND MEATLESS MONDAYS!!!

 

by tessbrennan

Help the Philippine’s–Use Leverage to give more! Don’t get Taken

The tragic news of this Typhoon just keeps getting worse.  I want to reach out to all those people and hug them and tell them it will be okay and do something to help make it all okay!

When I look at helping a cause, I am very skeptical because I don’t want to give $100 to a cause, only to find out that $50 of it is going to something other than helping that person.  I am very picky about where I spend my philanthropic dollars. I strongly dislike donation scams!

I get REALLY ticked off when I find out that millions of people are “texting $10” to a cause, only to find out up to 50% of that donation can go to the carrier service – meaning you only gave half as much.

In some cases, up to 50% of a donation would go to the mobile service provider ~Wickipedia

Many of you know I support Susan G. Komen. I have seen their help first hand. This group assisted my mother in getting the services and treatments needed 12 years ago, so she is still here today to see and play with her grandbaby!

Becky & CLBMom&Dad

I also support Rotary International Foundation.  100% of the Money given to this organization GOES. TO. CHARITY.  ALL OF IT.  The foundation runs itself through interest and all the money comes back to help others.  I have proposed that my Rotary club, Rotary of Bonita Springs Noon, sponsor some Shelter Boxes to goto the people of the Philippine’s. We will be holding a HUGE fund raiser this weekend. The monies raised will go for all kinds of local philanthropies, food pantries, and some of it will go to send temporary housing and supplies to those effected by this tragedy. 

TOBLOGO2

Finally, I am so excited.  The company that I partner with and trust with my family and friends has a non-profit as well!  Shaklee Cares.

For the next 3 days every donation or purchase of a Shaklee Cares Package for the Philippine’s will be MATCHED DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR.  200% of what you give will go DIRECTLY to those in need!

This really excites me!  You can visit the website: http://shakleecares.org/  or you can contact me and order a nutrition package for someone in the Philippines!

Shaklee Cares Phillipines

Give back, but give smart!  Make the dollars helping others, stretch!

by tessbrennan

Try this NOT that… Why I am so picky

I am a health and wellness coach. I am a Certified, Master Life Coach.  I use many tools to assist others in reaching their healthy goals and attain improved quality of life.

The tools I use are many:

As a coach, I am frequently approached by others representing direct sales companies.  I am always excited to hear about others success in this industry as it provides them a means to make the income they need, make their own hours, and a way to save money on their products as well.  Besides, I offer products from a Direct Sales Company as well.

My problem shows its ugly head when I begin to read the labels on these products. when I see the ingredients used and sold to my friends and clients, from others, knowing the damage these products can do either in the short run or the long run.  I have protein mixes that we use on a daily basis, however, others try to sway me. Protein smoothie

1.  One “healthy shake” company touts weight loss and healthy options for meal replacements, yet when I read the label is FULL of artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners. (All things I recommend my clients avoid.) When I asked my friend about this, her reply was,

Yes, they do contain those artificial ingredients, but it’s okay because they “WANT” to use the natural stuff”   Sad smile

2.  Another “shake” company claims that their shakes are meant to get you ready for the beach, however, it used to state, RIGHT ON THEIR LABEL, that you could test positive for drugs or doping if you used it.  Here is the actual verbage: 

 "Ecdysterone is a naturally occurring photo-chemical compound that could be erroneously detected and flagged in synthetic steroid screening tests. That unfortunate reality caused the NFL and WADA to add ecdysterone to the list of banned substances in 2010. Athletes and anyone subject to banned substances testing should consult with their physician and athletic organization."

Also: this report: the state of CA has warned XXX BRAND that the Chocolate Shake has unacceptable levels of Lead.”

I prefer to use products from a company that thoroughly tests it’s products and ALL of its ingredients to prevent anything like this from happening, rather than using it anyway and just slapping a warning on the product.  If it could be harmful, or illegal THEY WON’T USE IT!

3.  New to the scene is a new skin care product that claims to show drastic changes in wrinkles and aging.  I have a line of skin care that I use and trust to be safe for myself as well as if my child ever got into it.  Upon researching this “new product” I found startling information about it’s main ingredient.

Although used in many different landscape situations, all parts of the oleander plant contain the glycoside oleandrin, which makes the plant one of the most poisonous in the world. All parts of the plant are toxic. It should not be used where children play or in places where it may be ingested by pets.

Symptoms of oleander poisoning may include nausea, vomiting and severe abdominal pain. There may also be an increased heart rate, or the heart may even slow down. In some cases, victims may report a yellow halo effect in their vision. Severe poisoning can lead to cardiac arrest, and individuals should seek immediate emergency care if ingestion occurs ~Wise Geek

Of course we don’t ingest this, but 90 seconds after we rub something on our skin, it enters our blood stream.  Also, little ones tend to eat anything they get their hands on or at least play in it and roll around in it…  (and… everything goes in the mouths of our tiny ones)

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4,  I have a friend who offers food products and “answers” for those in a hurry to make meals, but when I read the labels and ingredients, I determined it wasn’t for us.

It’s not that I don’t want to support my friends in their endeavors, its just that I am VERY picky about what I feed and surround my family with/in.  I want the products I spend my dollars on to support our health and not cause additional stresses on our bodies.  I want the same for my clients.

So, my answer isn’t that you cannot use these other products, my answer is, you need to determine for yourself and your family what you will accept and use and what artificial products are okay.  In our household, nothing artificial is okay. (Unless it’s my hubby’s Mt. Dew – I have no say in that issue.)  Smile

If you would like more information on products that always work, are always green, and that are ALWAYS SAFE. Contact me, I’m happy to talk with you!