Tara Ryan, Health Coach

INGREDIENTS OVER CALORIES - This is a hard one for people to get used to b/c we've been so conditioned to think according to the "Calories in, Calories out" model. But not all calories are created equal!!! Food is not just calories, foodis information! It contains messages that communicate to every cell in the body, that either promote wellness or disease. For ex: almonds have more calories than diet Coke but which one do you think is healthier for you? Forgetabout calori...es and focus on ingredients! SUGAR OVER FAT - Again, we've been so conditioned to be weary of fat, that when we see the words "fat free" it's like we've been given the green (healthy) light! The truth is that fat free and low fat items(think: salad dressings, yogurt, cream cheese, peanut butter, ice cream, etc.) make up for their lack of satisfying, delicious fat by adding sugar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, and toxic additives & preservatives instead. You're much better off eating the full fat, low sugar version in moderation. Remember (healthy) fat doesn't make you fat - sugar makes you fat. FIBRE AND PROTEIN.- Yet again, our conditioning has taught us to focus on protein. Where am I getting my protein? " "Does this food have enough protein?" etc etc. Protein is wonderful and we do need it BUT we also need to START ASKING Where am I getting my fibre?. Protein itselfcontains no fibre, and therefore NEEDS fibre to help push it through your digestive tract. Fibre will also keep you fuller longer, and the balanced variety of vitamins and minerals will enhance your energy, improve your skin and hair and aid in detoxification. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY - This rule applies to everything - not just food, doesn't it?!! And the beauty of this is that once you start focusing on the quality of your food (i.e. real, whole, unprocessed, nourishing foods), then you don't have to worry aboutthequantity of food you're eating. Real food does not create binge-type reactions in humans - it is only the fake, processed foods (which are actually engineered to create binge-type reactions!!!!!) that do that to us. Hit me with any questions you may have below! I'm here to help! Love you guys!

CREATING ROUTINE: This one is numero uno for me. There is nothing more powerful than routine. Routine creates consistency and if you are consistent in anything, you will see results (Beware: this works the both ways - do you have daily habits or routines that are taking you FURTHER away from your goals? Remember, ANYTHING you do consistently will yield results, desired or not). KEEPING HEALTHY FOOD IN THE HOUSE: "If you keep good food in the house, you will eat good food". ...I prioritize bringing healthy food into the house and leave the treats for special occasions or when I’m eating out. If there are foods you know are hard for you to resist - stop bringing them into the house and reduce your temptation. MEAL PLANNING: Meal planning takes SO much stress out of the work week and will keep you consistent in eating nourishing meals. Meal planning doesn’t have to be complicated either! Just merely writing out the meals you plan to cook during the week (and making sure you have the ingredients in the house) takes all the last minute wtf are we having for dinner?! stress out of your week. THE 80/20 RULE: Focus on eating whole, real, nourishing foods 80% of the time and eating whatever else you want 20% of the time. BATCH COOKING: Doubling recipes and freezing half is life saving!!!! Get in the habit of doing this and you’ll always have healthy options in your freezer to pull out when you need! NOTICING HOW I FEEL: Paying attention to how I feel when I eat fast food or sugary foods is always such a good reminder that food affects so much more than just your weight. It affects mood, energy, feelings of wellbeing and alertness. This simple practice of just noticing, always makes me WANT to get back to eating well. LISTENING TO MY CRAVING: I never ignore my cravings. This ensures I never go on bingeing sprees. It doesn’t mean I indulge in unhealthy ways fir every craving. Sometimes, I bake a healthy version of chocolate chip cookies or muffins and sometimes I order the effin pizza. Whatever your goals are, I’m here to support you. I hope this was helpful! ~ Tara

If you like allspice, you will LOVE this soup!!! And IF YOU HATE KALE, this is a great way to gently introduce it into your diet. The sweetness from the carrots, sweet potatoes and allspice, mask that 'bitter' kale taste...I promise, you will go from screaming "Vile weed!" to "Can I have seconds please?!". WHAT YOU NEED: 2 Tbs olive oil 1 large onion, chopped... 3 medium carrots, chopped 3 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1" cubes 1/2 tsp ground allspice pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste) 1 tsp sea salt 5 cups low sodium veggie broth (I like @pacificfoods) 1 large can of diced tomatoes 2 cups packed kale, chopped into bite sized pieces 1 15 ounce can chickpeas WHAT YOU DO: 1 Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook until they begin to soften (about 5 mins). 2 Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. 3 Add the sweet potatoes, allspice, cayenne, and salt and stir to combine. 4 Add the broth, tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 10 mins. 5 Add the chickpeas and cook uncovered until the sweet potatoes are tender. 6 Add the kale and stir until bright green and slightly wilted (doesn't take long, maybe 1-2 mins). Serve and season with more salt and cayenne if desired! #kalesoup #kalechickpeasoup #eatyourkale #eatyourgreens #healthysoup #healthysouprecipe #soupforthesoul #soupforsupper #healthyhabits #healthyhabitsnotrestrictions #turnhealthintohabit #mealprepideas #mealprepforsuccess #healthymealideas #easyhealthymeals #easyhealthyrecipes

One Pot - 20 minutes - can you ask for an easier dish to prepare? And I think we all could use a little easy this week... (Recipe slightly adapted from @ohsheglows new cookbook ~ Oh She Glows For Dinner ~ I highly recommend!) WHAT YOU NEED: ... 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 14 ounce can of coconut milk (either full fat or lite is fine) 28 ounce can diced tomatoes 2 cups cauliflower florets 2 cups red potatoes, chopped into cubes 2 tbsp red curry paste 1 tsp dried onion flakes (or 1/2 tsp onion powder) 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp fine grain sea salt 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper lots of freshly ground pepper 1/2 cup dried red lentils 3 cups baby spinach, kale or collard greens, chopped Cooked brown rice Lime and cilantro for garnish WHAT YOU DO: 1 Combine all ingredients, except chopped greens, in a large pot, stir and bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. 2 Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer, stirring every 5 minutes for 20 to 30 minutes. 3 Add greens and cook for 5 minutes more. 4 Serve over rice and garnish with lime and cilantro. #healthyhabitsforlife #healthyhabitspayoff #healthyeatingtips #healthyeatinglifestyle #healthyeatinghabit #healthyeatinghealthyliving #healthyfoodblog #healthyfoodinspo #healthyfoodpost #healthyfoodsharing #healthyfoodtips #healthyfoodprep #healthyeatingmotivation #redthaicurry #healthmotivation #mompreneurship #ottawaentrepreneur #turnhealthintohabit #healthyrecipeshare #healthyrecipeideas #veganglutenfreedinner See more

Just imagine #quotesforwomen #nikitagillquote #lovefiercely #womensupportingwomen #loveyourself #selflovethread #feminismquotes #rememberwhoyouare #forgeteverythingelse #bekindtooneanother #bekindtoothers #turnhealthintohabit

These Banana Bread Blondie Bars are TO MAKE: 2 overripe bananas, mashed 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted ... 1 egg, whisked 1 tsp vanilla . 1/4 cup real maple syrup (optional) 1 cup almond flour 1 cup gluten free oats 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/3-1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 1 Whisk bananas, coconut oil, maple syrup, egg and vanilla until smooth. 2 Add in dry ingredients and mix until well combined. 3 Place in an 8X8 pan (lined with parchment paper) and bake at 350 for 20-25 mins. . 4 Enjoy! #healthyhabitsnotrestrictions #healthyhabitsoverfaddiets #healthyhabits #healthybaking #turnhealthintohabit #healthyrecipes #health #healthyeating #healthytreats #healthyalternatives #healthspiration #healthcoach #ottawahealthcoach #helpingyouturnhealthintohabit #healthyfoodshare #healthierbaking #glutenfree #healthyrecipeshare #bananabreadblondiebars #blondiebars #bananarecipes #healthyswaps See more