2010 T-Tapp Retreat: Day 3

As I mentioned before, I saw the most beautiful sunrises during the Retreat. Each day was breathtaking, made me fully understand why people live near the water.  Here's the view from my hotel room...

Somehow managed to skip all workouts on Saturday... guess I was busy working!  I am so thankful for the T-Tapp Retreat.  I love this time of year, connecting with clients that I work with via phone and email, spending time with T-Tapp Trainers, Forum Users, Challenge Winners, Newbies and Retreat Veterans is so much fun it almost shouldn't be called "work".  (Shh... don't tell the boss!)  I can honestly say that I love my job.  The T-Tappers make it all worth while.  Every year we continue to learn, grow and change for the better, meeting again looking younger, more toned and full of positivity.  I'm even smiling at strangers these days!

Saturday's speakers and some tid-bits I took away from their presentations...

Mary Shomon, Thyroid patient advocate and NY Times best-selling author.  Mary is a T-Tapper and Bichon Frise owner, like Teresa Tapp.  She's a bunch of fun and really knows her stuff when it comes to the thyroid.  Some of the things I learned from Mary at the Retreat are...

• Ask your doctor for the tests you need (thyroid, adrenal, etc) during during your annual physical. They are more likely to order them for you at that time.
• Chronic dieting lowers metabolism, as much as a 60% reduction in basal metabolic rate.
• Calories in, calories out is not true anymore.  Your hormones play a part in weight loss.

Mary recommends:

1. Mindful eating: stop and take the time to eat. Smell, touch, taste and enjoy your food.
2. Stress reduction: stress created cortisol, which leads to belly fat among other things, and could result in a leptin issue (the "full" feeling hormone).
3. Cut sugar and simple carbs: food carries energy, good or bad. Focus on eating whole foods and avoiding sugar when possible.
4. Don't overexercise: gentle, regular, cardio and muscle building exercise is key... like T-Tapp!  Love your workout.

Dr. Rob Carlson a cardio-thoracic surgeon that knows his stuff about hormones and is passionate about the thyroid. He recommended taking vitamin D over the flu vaccine, and I was happy to hear that!  Vitamin D improves immunity, so take yours daily.  Dr. Rob did a demonstration on his Stop-It product, which makes sugar powerless in just one taste.  T-Tappers were literally spitting out chocolate!  Amazing.

Joan Schrader from Health and Wisdom spoke to us about the power of Magnesium Oil.  Basically, you need this stuff!  Our bodies crave magnesium and it's very difficult to get your levels up quickly with supplements.  Magnesium Oil is applied topically anywhere on the body, but most effectively on the feet.  Joan recommends using 2-4 ounces of magnesium oil in a warm foot bath. Delightful!  She also talked to us about Prill Beads and how they make your water hexagonal on a molecular level so your body can absorb it.  Not all water is created equal!

Teresa Tapp did a More Than a Workout Seminar where she discussed how the T-Tapp program is so much more than another workout to get you in a smaller size.  She told us about her health scare last year with tumors in her breast and how she was able to heal naturally using her knowledge of the body.  I'm so thankful to have Teresa Tapp in my life.  I've learned so much from her over the years, and she never ceases to amaze me with the new things she comes up with.  Thanks for another fabulous year, Teresa!


Saturday, October 9th Eats

Brekkie

Starbucks Grande Iced Green Tea and Spinach Wrap.

Lunch

We ate lunch in the Four Springs Ballroom, which has a beautifully painted cathedral ceiling and crystal chandelier lighting.

Salmon Caesar Salad.

Sourdough Bread with 1/2 Butter Ball.

Lobster Bisque... right, Jen?  Too much good food to remember...

Dinner

Before dinner we took a group photo outside by the pool... well, most of us.

I got a Blue Moon at the tiki hut before heading inside for dinner with the Retreat attendees.

We had the Floribbean themed dinner together...

In case you missed it:

Retreat: Day 1
Retreat: Day 2

Retreat: Day 4 / Trainer Certs coming soon...

Au revoir!

Beauty Boot Camp Spa Retreat

Peace and Love sidewalk art in Downtown Safety Harbor

This past weekend I worked our first ever T-Tapp Beauty Boot Camp Spa Retreat... and it was amazing!  In January of this year T-Tapp hosted a 30-Day Jump Start Challenge.  The winners of that challenge got a chance to attend the Beauty Boot Camp Spa Retreat with Teresa Tapp.  This ended up being a very intimate event with less than 50 attendees, including speakers and staff.  I learned something from each one of the speakers and even some new T-Tapp form techniques!

Let's recap the event...


Thursday, July 29th

We started off the Retreat with each attendee getting a surprise professional photograph done as soon as they came in.  Goody bags and T-Tapp t-shirts were passed out to everyone, there was a little downtime for the early arrivals, and we enjoyed a Mediterranean Buffet together. Yummy!  My plate included: pita wedges, hummus, tabbouleh, baba ganoush, roasted veggies, raw veggies with a little ranch, cheese, crackers, strawberries and cantaloupe.

Then we started our introduction session where each person got up on stage to tell their T-Tapp story.  It's always so moving to hear how much this program has changed the lives of others.  Read about their success on the January Jump Start Challenge Winners page.  We took video and should have some new live testimonials on T-Tapp.com soon!

Our first guest speaker was T-Tapper Venus DeMarco who shared her story about how she was diagnosed with breast cancer, decided to battle it naturally and is healing herself from the inside out.  She armed herself with doctors that would listen and care for her holistically, eats raw whole foods, does T-Tapp workouts, drinks lots of water, and gets plenty of love and support from friends and family.  Venus is currently in the process of starting a non-profit foundation, doing speaking engagements, building a website and writing a book.. on top of running her own business.  She's a busy lady!  Her goal is to take the fear out of our hearts by showing that natural healing is possible. I am so proud of her success and that she's talking to others to help make a difference in the quality of life.


After that I headed home for the evening to get my beauty rest.


Friday, July 30th

Started off with a 6am Senior Fit Workout... I skipped that one even though I love the muscle activation Teresa uses in Senior Fit.  This routine will be available on DVD later this year too!

The next workout started at 8am taught by Teresa and Renee McLaughlin.  Teresa hurt her knee and didn't want to overdo it at the Retreat, so she asked Renee to help her teach.  It turned out to be really great!  We learned tips from both of them and Renee is a fun lady to be around.

Our first speaker of the day was Joan Schrader, Master Herbalist and owner of Health And Wisdom.  She's the Magnesium Oil lady!  I really enjoyed her presentation and learned a few things...

• 87% of the population is magnesium deficient
• Women pass their deficiencies on to their babies
• Magnesium deficiency can come in the form of a variety of ailments: muscle cramps, twitching, fungus, insomnia, etc, etc.  Check out my Magnesium Oil blog for more info.
• Magnesium Oil is already in an ionic form and absorbs into the skin easily... the fastest way to get your levels up!
• You can brush your teeth with Magnesium Oil (doesn't taste good, but it kills plaque and heals gums!)

Plus the Magnesium Oil plan:

1. Soak feet in 2-4 ounces Magnesium Oil and water just covering the tops of feet for 15-20 minutes, 6 days a week for 3-4 weeks.
2. Soak feet 2-3 days a week for maintenance.
3. Apply topically to areas with aches and pains as needed.

I've been using Magnesium Oil every day since!  You should too.


Here are my eats for the day:

By the way... I drank too much Starbucks this weekend and hardly took photos of any drinks.

Teresa did a Strike a Pose modeling session with the attendees to show them how to pose for pictures and look fabulous.  They all got professional photos with makeup during the Retreat.  I can't wait to see how they all turned out!

Speaking of photographs... I took a good amount of photos of the people at the event, but found the lighting to be just as bad as last year which results in most of the photos being grainy and out of focus unless taken up close. I need a DSLR!!!

Here are a few decent shots...

Lisa O. performing Jazz Twist

Behind the scenes in the photography studio!  Where the magic happens.

Friday evening Julie Brannon from Bailey's Natural Apothecary in Downtown Safety Harbor did a presentation on her Top 10 Essentials for Glowing Good Health. 


Saturday, July 31st

Another Senior Fit 6am Workout started off the day... which I skipped. 

I did get a chance to do the Barefoot Basic though... my favorite!  I love the new activation in my body that result from those little form tweaks with my toes. A-m-a-z-i-n-g! 

T-Tapp Tip: Yes, you should wear sneakers with good arch support and a wide toe box when first starting the T-Tapp program.  As you progress with your T-Tapp practice your feet and ankles get stronger.  Then you can try doing the workout without shoes, but keeping toes activated.  There's a whole progression to it that is taught in this new workout. The Barefoot Basic workout will be coming out on DVD this year.  I'll keep you posted.


During our lunch buffet Dr. Rob Carlson spoke about the thyroid and getting tested properly.  It's really important!  Many symptoms of thyroid mimic what doctors say are symptoms of menopause or hormonal imbalance.  Dr. Rob has formulated an herbal product called Stop-It, which makes sugar powerless in just one taste!  We all tested it out and have to say that sugar loses its flavor with Stop-It.  That in turn makes you not want to eat or drink anything sugary and can help cravings pass.  Very interesting!

The lunch buffet was delicious!  Plenty of healthy options with a few fun choices too.

My plates: salad with ranch dressing, olive loaf with real butter, roasted veggies, chicken skewer, chicken salad and a little pasta salad (skipped it).

Plus that 1/2 strawberry and mini-brownie.

The attendees had photo shoots to do!  We did 2 floor workout classes at different times that were both the same so everyone could get in a workout.

Teresa did a Cellulite Seminar and educated us all about what we can do to improve the texture and appearance of our skin with body brushing, exercise, nutrition and different products that help us look our best.

We had some free time during the afternoon and evening, then enjoyed a chocolate fondue station for dessert. Yummy!

Banana, Strawberries, Marshmallow and Pretzels drizzled in Chocolate Fondue!

After dessert Shelly Ballestero did another presentation on how to make bath salts.  She brought enough materials for us all to make one bath's worth each.  We mixed together Dead Sea Mineral Salts, Epsom Salts and Pure Essential Oils, then put about 1 cup in a little bag with a pink tie.  It was fun to do something with our hands while we enjoyed each others company.



Sunday, August 1st

This was the last day of Beauty Boot Camp.  Teresa and Renee finished up the event with an all-in-one finale workout that combined standing and floor moves and techniques taught throughout the weekend.  I learned a few new form tips in this class!

After we wrapped everything up Teresa treated us to Sunday Brunch Buffet at the Spa.  It was incredible how much delicious food they had to offer.  I could have really gone overboard if I let myself.  One plate full of Eggs Bendict, a cream filled crepe, side salad, tomato and mozerella, bacon and lobster bisque.  The waitress carded me for a mimosa!  I also got a few mini-desserts, but only ate the white cake, 1/2 the brownie/fudge and the fruit.

Thanks Teresa!

I had wonderful weekend experience and I'm happy that I shared it with so many fabulous women (and one brave man)!  I'm looking forward to our next Beauty Boot Camp Retreat next year.

Au revoir!

Power of Magnesium Oil

I finally broke down and bought some Magnesium Oil.  It's about time!  This product is amazing. It was just what I was missing in my routine.

Magnesium is such an important part of overall health.  It helps with improving a large variety of ailments.  Here's the brochure I received with my gallon that lists conditions that Magnesium Oil will help.

{ click to enlarge }

Unlike magnesium supplements, you don't have to digest the oil.  (Digesting magnesium is the super slow way to get your levels up.  You could take it every day for 5 years and your levels still wouldn't be up!)  Instead you apply the oil topically and do foot or bath soaks for about 20 minutes.  Last night I did my first foot soak.  My feet were tingling by the end and I felt really relaxed.  It was good to unwind and get my magnesium levels up!  I'm going to apply it to the bottoms of my feet (and anywhere else that aches) in the morning, then aim for a foot soak in the evening.

This is really incredible stuff!  It takes out my pain/soreness within minutes.  I can't believe how fast it works.  I must have been really deficient even though I've been trying to take Natural Calm before bed lately.

I'm making Magnesium Oil a part of my healthy habits!  You should too.

Contact Joan over at Health and Wisdom to place your order or ask any questions.  Joan did a presentation at a T-Tapp Retreat a few years ago and we all learned so much from her.  She's a great resource of health-related information.

Maybe the Magnesium Oil has something to do with my happy mood over the past few days?  I think so!

Au revoir!