2010 T-Tapp Retreat: Day 1

Day 1 of the T-Tapp Retreat is exciting!  Our attendees arrive at the Safety Harbor Resort & Spa, check in and get measured by a T-Tapp Trainer or Staff Member. We keep track of the inches lost during the Retreat for fun, motivation and learning.  Check-in started at 11am, so we spent the first day at the Spa talking with event attendees, like catching up with old friends that all share the same passion... T-Tapp exercise!

After the measurements, we started T-Tapper introductions where each person gets up on stage and tells their T-Tapp story.  This part of the Retreat is so amazing.  I love hearing about how the T-Tapp program has transformed people's lives, bodies and attitudes.

Following that session Venus DeMarco spoke to us about healing breast cancer naturally.  She was also a speaker at the July 2010 Beauty Boot Camp Retreat.  Venus recommends that we love and take care of our "girls" with daily massage using Pomegranate Breast Oil.  I love her personality and admire her courage.  Looking forward to reading Venus' book about the journey of her bodacious ta-tas!

We actually got to our room before midnight, but with all the excitement it was difficult falling asleep.

Thursday, October 7th Eats

Brekkie

Jamba Juice Bright Eyed and Blueberry 16oz and Banana Steel-cut Oats.

Lunch

Mahi Mahi, Salad, Grilled Veggies, Roll with Butter.

Dinner

A quick bite from the Mediterranean appetizers including grilled veggies and cous cous.

Sorry, no photo...

Au revoir!
 

Finding Seasonal Produce: Autumn

Bonjour!

Autumn is here and I'm starting to see more seasonal produce.  One exciting thing about seasons changing is cooking with local (if possible) seasonal ingredients.  Your food will have more flavor and your taste-buds will thank you!

Last summer I wrote a blog post about Finding Seasonal Produce. Veggies and fruits are key component to healthy eating. Consuming produce fresh from harvest is the best way to get the highest level of vitamins and minerals.

Remember that most mainstream produce is shipped from very far away.  How far does your produce travel? Find out at TheFoodIllusion.wordpress.com.


Autumn Produce for Florida

Apples
Artichoke
Arugula
Beets
Belgian Endive
Broccoli and Broccoli raabe
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celeriac/Celery Root
Celery
Chard
Chicories
Chiles
Cranberries
Curly Endive (Frisée)
Edamame (soy beans)
Eggplant (early fall)
Escarole
Fennel
Figs
Garlic
Grapes (early fall)
Green beans
Green Onions/Scallions
Herbs (hearty sorts are available fresh in fall – look for bundles of rosemary, parsley, thyme, and sage)
Horseradish
Jerusalem Artichokes/Sunchokes
Kale
Kohlrabi (late fall)
Leeks
Lemongrass
Lettuce (in warmer climates)
Limes
Mushrooms (wild)
Okra (early fall)
Onions
Oranges
Parsnips
Pears
Peppers (early fall)
Persimmons
Pomegranates
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Quinces
Radicchio
Radishes (all types)
Rutabagas
Shallots
Shelling beans
Spinach
Sweet Potatoes/Yams
Tomatillos
Turnips
Winter Squash (all types)
Zucchini


Some of my favorites are on that list: apples, beets, broccoli, eggplant, garlic, herbs, leafy greens, Florida oranges, sweet potatoes, squash and zucchini. Yum!

And a few new ones that I'd love to try: arugula, chicories, parsnips, persimmons, quinces and tomatillos.


Helpful Resources for Finding Local Food

• About.com's Search by Region
• FieldtoPlate.com's Seasonal Lookup Guide
• FoodandWine.com's Fresh Fall Produce

Enjoy the season!

Welcoming the Autumn Equinox!

{ credit: silvester }

September's Harvest Moon was last night!  Did you see it?  Sadly, I actually missed it.  Tonight the sky is too cloudy to see much of a full moon.  There are celebrations all over the world in honor of the Autumnal Equinox, especially in China for the Moon Festival.  (It looks so neat! Would love to experience that one day.)

Autumn is one of my favorite seasons... when the leaves change and the weather finally starts to cool off a bit.  The air just feels different and more inviting.  Maybe we'll have a somewhat normal fall this year, Florida.

I'm looking forward to wearing sweaters and boots, eating root vegetables and other seasonal, warm and comforting foods, parties by bonfires and camping trips, and my favorite holiday, Halloween, is just around the corner!


Eats

Brekkie

With only a little bit of greens left and zero fruit, I made an Egg and Cheddar on WW English Muffin with a Super Orange Emergen-C.

Snacks

FAGE 2% with Honey after lunch.  And one of these Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb late in the afternoon.

Lunch

A simple salad of all the veggies I could find... food shopping is on the to-do list.

Organic Romaine, Chickpea, Tomato, Cucumber, Green Onion Salad.

Dinner

Mushroom Ravioli with Steamed Broccoli and Parmesan Cheese.

Healthy Habits

Body Care
Body Brushing: check!
Exercise: Primary Back Stretch and Hoe Downs

Things didn't go as planned this evening, so my workout was sacrificed.  But I did read Chapter 1 of Forever Young by Nicholas Perricone, MD! So far it's very scientific, yet still easy to understand his concept.  I like the health education part of his books...

Confession: I'm a nerd that loves to learn new tricks things.

Nourishment
Fruits: 3 servings
Veggies: 4 servings
Water: 1 liter

Supplements
Alfalfa: 6 caps
B-12 Plus: 8 sprays
Emergen-C: 1 packet
Vitamin D3: 8 sprays

Happy Autumn, friends!

Au revoir!

P.S. I plan on taking better care of myself tomorrow. Exercise in the morning (I really need to work out that stiff feeling when I first wake up), body brushing, oil pulling (got some organic sunflower oil!), take ALL supplements, a green smoothie, and lots of water! Gotta clean up the apartment and get things ready for my sister's visit on Saturday too.  It's gonna be a super fun weekend.  I can feel it!