Tina Allen

Hi Piggies! I’m Tina Dean Allen, a textile artist and owner of Tina Dean Designs, an eco-accessories company. I’m 45, and a survivor of renal cell carcinoma (that’s kidney cancer in layman’s terms). I met my wonderful husband of 19 years (this month) in Stockholm, Sweden (when I was 19 years old), and we have two awesome boys who couldn’t be more different from each other.

As a cancer survivor of almost 14 years, I started my journey toward better health when I found T-Tapp, a wonderful exercise program by Teresa Tapp.  I then learned about the effect of high grade cold pressed alfalfa and began taking it regularly for all the health benefits that it provides. (Not all alfalfas are created equal!) Since cancer loves to grow in an acidic state, it’s so important to keep the body more alkaline. Alfalfa definitely helps with that. Not to mention that it was great for me during my second pregnancy for keeping my ankles from swelling!

Oh did I mention that I was also around 300 lbs? Actually, that’s the number when I stopped weighing myself. I suffered with tachycardia (heartbeat that exceeds the normal rate). On one emergency room visit, I was told that I was lucky that my heart was so strong; that my beats per minute were extremely high, and they were surprised that I didn’t go into cardiac arrest. I was placed on medication, but later had a cardiac ablation to “fix” the issue. I am here today because of my shift to healthy eating and exercise.  We must always remember that the heart is a muscle that also needs to be fed properly and exercised!

I do believe that having cancer, being obese, and having a heart condition certainly helped turn around my way of eating. I was extremely fortunate in that, although my right kidney was removed when I was 6 months pregnant with my first child, I never required chemo or any other treatments that can be so harsh on the body. 

Having been obese, I know the challenges that come with it. It wasn’t easy ridding myself of over 100 lbs. That journey took me about 3 years. I did it by eating healthier, watching my portions and exercising. My relationship with food has changed. It was a slow change, but the longer I eat healthier, the less I crave processed foods. Don’t get me wrong, I still do have some cravings. But over the years, I’ve found it easier to substitute something healthy. That, and the fact that after my oncologist released me from further check ups six years post-operation because I was healthy was a huge motivator!

I’ll admit, I’m not always good with my food choices, but I do make an effort. I’ll confess, too, I’m a meat eater, but after finding Tess and Healthy Blender Recipes, I’ve been secretly feeding my family healthy raw and vegan foods. We eat lots more vegetables. And, having one kidney makes you very aware of what you put into your body. Needless to say, I drink lots of water!

Getting a Vitamix is the #1 item on my wishlist! I can only imagine how amazing my favorite smoothies, the “Pistachio Ice Cream” Kale Shake and the Vegan Tropical Cooler Smoothie. I absolutely love the rich-tasting Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Soup and the Raw Vegan Chocolate Fruit Balls. I’m slowly making my way through all of Tess's recipes, and am loving it!

One thing that I do love is my business! While I take care of my body, I try to do my part in taking care of the planet. I design accessories and home goods out of upcycled plastic bags (plarn). I’ve even incorporated VHS tape into some designs. It feels good to know that the 1000’s of plastic bags that I use won’t end up in landfills or waterways. I love designing items that are unique to the person ordering through custom orders. My website is still up, but will be relaunching soon with a whole new look, so stay tuned :)