Your inner garden Vol1

When I moved to the San Francisco bay area, I weighed over 215 pounds.
 No one believes me when I share this story, I dug up some old pics of the EXPANDED version of moa.

Over 15 yrs ago, I had a heck of a time walking up stairs, when I walked around the block?  My thighs would tingle and burn, I would be huffing and couldn't carry on a conversation with out breathing very hard.  It was a dangerous amount of weight to haul around for someone 5'6" who had spent most of their life being one of the skinny smaller kids in school.

 After years of accumulating some pretty terrible lifestyle habits, I was literally zoning out fat dumb and happy, day in, day out (???!!!)  One morning, I remember looking in the mirror thinking, "your killing yourself" I knew I had two choices.
  1. to be ok with that- and stay in the rut I was going to die in.    Or
  2.
CHANGE EVERYTHING.

(Top 10 Age Group winner)

I made a SERIOUS lifestyle revamp, I had no idea what I was doing,  I only believed I wanted to live, and make a difference with the time I had here. During this time expressed an interest in competing in a triathlon after admiring the race stories I heard in the gym.  My "training partner" told me "You'll never compete in a triathlon!", Something clicked in my head, and I thought, "To hell with you!"  So in my head I imagined an odometer, and I was going to work hard to run mine back just a bit- I did  race as a sponsored amature tri-athlete from 2004-2006.
 It might be different for you, Perhaps you just want to be able to hold your grand baby and watch them grow up a bit,
or be able to take your family camping, or simply learn some healthy new habits and change how your doing things.

 I was lucky, I had a few people around me that guided me, and with  a lot of education, patience, and persistence I reclaimed a healthy weight, and life.  I lost over 89lbs and have kept it off over 15 years later.
 In our home this way of eating and living  has become a practice, a way of living that has made us feel awesome most  days!

  Not everyone has my "gung ho" approach to getting things done-I realize I have traveled on my particular path to help others look at their world in a different way. In a way  that has helped transform my life, in a way I had not expected.  Individual transformations vary.

This forum is to:
Share experiences,  exercise tips, recipes with  guest contributors who I think are making a big difference!
These benefits we are seeing in our home, and with our clients  from a lifestyle "re-education".
Here, learn how to create your "own inner garden" and in it grow  better habits about living, working, playing, eating, and spiriting,  sharing things we  love, avoiding pitfall$, and obsticles climbing out of their old way of living.

During one of my  workshops I host I often talk about how we are all "plate spinners". It's  a term I borrowed from a Erich Bremm a variety show entertainer that I used to watch as a little girl.

  In the old day's Ed Sullivan hosted a variety show on television, his shows (for anyone not familiar with the shows Ed's "Reeely Big Shew")  was famous for showcasing the Beatles in their first American Performance
  On one  fab "shew"  I would also watch Mr. Bremm as he defied gravity by spinning plates on poles.  When I watched this performance as a adult I realized that each of those poles the plates spin on represents a area in each of our lives- we each have 4-5 of these "poles" that represent different aspects of our lives, they are :

-Work

-School /or your continuing education

-Physical Activity

-Intimate Relationships

-Spiritual 

In a healthy balanced life you have all 5 plates spinning on top of the poles, while you pay time and attention to each area of your life (or pole)  the plates spin away- when you start to ignore a area a plate starts to wobble dangerously, when  the plate is ignored further it topples off the pole, crashing to the floor.

As you watch the video ask yourself,
 Which area's of your life  are you neglecting?
Would you say your plate is:
a) Spinning     b) one is a little wobbly
c) got several wobbly    d)  A plate has crashed
e) several plates have crashed     f)  I haven't had plates in years!

If you have major transition or stagnation  in any of these area's of your life, you know your on a wobbly course like a bike rim that has been bent, or maybe the wheel aint spinning! You will see it by the  life changing effects it is having on you.  Are you unmotivated at work, or with your partner?  Have you put on extra weight, or just can't get rid of that extra 10lbs? When you look into the mirror, do  you look tired, and feel like crap?

 Through awareness and  very manageable modifications to diet,  exercise and how you view the world, my world has  turned around, It's beautiful,   It feels like the right place to be.

In this new blog "Be the Garden"- this is  a tool to help you get back to your "inner garden" a place where you get to get in the dirt and clear out the old, and plant your newly designed garden.

In this forum we will  share diet, exercise, and lifestyle tips.  I will also  announce when I'll be in your town for private consultations, discussions and workshops.  to help you re-claim your "inner garden".

If you or someone you love would benefit for claiming their "inner garden" I appreciate your referrals!

Thank you for the opportunity to let you be the garden,


Cheers to your health!

-Tamra-

Coming to:

Washington: Seattle Wa:  March 27-29th- schedule your lunch or post work meeting

Florida:         Clearwater Fl: May 19-22nd-

California:     SF / Central Coast / LA / OC/ SD- Schedule your private or group consultation or workshop?

10 minute breakfast on the go:  
*shopping tip- buy in the bulk section of your market, or at your farmers market to save $ while reducing packaging waste!

Carriage Oats:
for the stovetop:  Makes 2-3 servings
1c whole rolled oats
2c Boiling water (I use my electric kettle)
1 pinch of kosher or sea salt
3/4 c assorted unsalted nuts- ie: Pistascio's Walnuts, Peanuts, Flax seed

+: as oats boil add a handful of your favorite dried fruit chopped up, try  cranberries, apricots instead of raisans to change up the taste.

+: add  1 Tbsp of one of these sweetner (NOT refined or cane sugar)
Recommendations:     Honey, maple syrup, agava nectar, or your favorite jam / fruit spread, strawberry, orange, apricot are my favorite flavors.

Stir ingredients together and cook for a few minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed, remove from heat  (the oats will continue to cook, and the dried fruit will expand as it absorbs the liquid).

On the Run? idea courtesy of Magdalena Lewy Boulet-Olympic Marathoner, Run Tam Coach

1 pt mason jar   (per serving)

Add 1/2 c oats
+ unsalted nuts, dried fruit
1 c boiling h20

Add all dry ingredients to the 1 pt mason jar.  slowly add boiling h20 to the mason jar, (the glass gets HOT so wrap a dishtowel or pot holder around it and secure it with a rubber-band to hold it in place).

Screw the mason jar 2 part lid on the hot liquid and secure snugly, shake to blend the ingredients and toss it in your bag with a re-usable spoon  and in 10 minutes you have a hot meal waiting for you to enjoy on your morning commute.  

Nutrient details:    576 calories
Total Fat  18g
Sodium 93g
Potassium 993mg
Carbs  100g
Vit A  2%
Vit C 17%
Calcium 13%
Iron 25%

credit:
Ed Sullivan:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhoos1oY404&noredirect=1
Eric Bremm
Magdalena Lewy Boulet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalena_Lewy-Boulet