Healthy Chicks

Good afternoon, ladies! Today I wanted to touch base on a topic that’s often not discussed in the health & wellness community: mindfulness. For those of you who are participating in my 7-Day “Get Happy & Healthy” Wellness Challenge, you should have already seen in your inbox that today’s challenge has to do with eating mindfully.

What the heck does mindfulness have to do with healthy living, you ask? Well it’s a whole lot more than one may think! It’s also a topic that I hold very close to my heart, as it’s one of the major steps that helped me get over diet-obsessed living once and for all.

You see, in college I ate (and lived, for that matter) completely mindlessly. I scarfed down food as quickly as I could so I wouldn’t have to deal with the guilt, and I rushed through all my meals like it was one big race. I was an emotional eater and an impulse eater at that, eating what would make me “feel better” (or so I thought) and then dealing with the guilt of the aftermath.

This then lead to extreme restriction, dieting and poor body image which, if you ever saw someone on a diet eating lunch, you know is far from a mindful experience. It was complete hell, and I was stuck in a mindless mess.

While I am still a work in progress when it comes to eating mindfully (without distractions from technology, people or thoughts) I am proud to say I have come a long way. Eating this way has taught me to savor my food, to enjoy each meal and to appreciate myself and my body.

How can you practice eating more mindfully? For those of you participating in the challenge, remember to share your experience. The hashtag on social media is #HappyHealthyWC

Good evening, ladies! I’m off for a weekend getaway at our family’s condo in N.H (a.k.a our vacation home), a time for relaxing, kicking back and living the laid back mountain life. Gotta love escaping the city every now and then! While I’ll likely be unplugging for most of the weekend, I wanted to share some of my latest freelance writing pieces with you all. Hopefully you’ll find a little inspiration!

Happy reading!

“Eating with the Seasons: 6 Foods to Nourish Your Body This Spring,” SpaFinder

“Spring Cleaning Dos & Don’ts: De-Cluttering Your Home, Kitchen, Body & Mind for the New Season,” Spa Finder

“Your Best Breakfast: 7 Steps to a More Mindful Breakfast,” SpaFinder

“Paleo Power: 5 Tips for Healthy Eating From ‘It Starts With Food‘,” SpaFinder

“Overcoming the Scale Obsession; Listening to Your Body,” Share It Fitness

“Let’s Get Real (About Our Food),” Share It Fitness

“Are You Being Honest with Yourself?,“ Boston Fitness Magazine

“8 Healthy Spring Snacks + Superfoods for Active People,” Eastern Mountain Sports

XoXo,

Good evening ladies! Hope you all had a nice day. I’m feeling real good as I just got home from a sweaty spin class/ meeting with the ever-so-energetic Ali Balsassare at Equinox. I’m beginning to love evening exercises more than I thought, though I’m still a morning person at heart.

Alright, let’s get to it; it’s time for another week of Healthy Chicks in the Community. Remember how last week I mentioned that Jess had an equally awesome twin sister? Well, I thought it’d be fitting to feature her amazing twin (in fact, they are actually triplets) on the blog this week. I’m thrilled to introduce you to the Jolene, whose writing literally gives me chills, or makes me tear up every. single. time. By the way, she truly has one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever witnessed. I’ll let Jo take it from here…

NAME/AGE:  Jolene Bonina, age: 33

BLOG/TWITTER (If Applicable): Blog: Determined To Be: http://determineduncensored.com/ Twitter: jobo_determined

CURRENT CITY:  Andover, Mass.

PHOTO TAKEN:  This is one of my favorite pics with M (it’s a toss up, location takes the cake on this one!), in our favorite town in Sonoma County – Healdsburg. It’s at one of our favorite wineries, Thumbprint, as we practice our faux ‘wine snob’ faces. I think we do a pretty good job here, no?

WHAT YOU DO FOR WORK:  By day, I manage PR and social media for a tech company in Southern California, working from home, which I’ve realized is my ideal way of working. I get so much done, stay out of the office politics and have the flexibility do my passion…as by night (and early morning!), I teach barre classes at barre n9ne studio in Andover and love, love, love it. Every single class is just an amazing experience, helping clients reach their fitness goals and really challenge them, and just seeing sweaty, happy faces, makes me equally as happy!

NUMBER ONE PASSION: Honestly? barre n9ne. It is such a ‘homegrown’ unique and original community of clients that are just fiercely dedicated, devoted, and determined to reach their fitness goals. Whether it be a 60 day challenge, a ‘moms bounce back’ program for new moms, or the everyday client who just wants to tone up and feel better about themselves, these clients – this family – is seriously amazing and I am so proud to be a part of it, and a walking ‘example’ of how this approach just works.

I FEEL MY HEALTHIEST SELF WHEN I AM: I feel my healthiest self every single day. No joke. I live by the mantra ‘smarter, not harder’ with my workouts, staying active daily, teaching at the studio, and fitting in runs or an occasional spin, when my schedule allows, and eating in a wholesome ‘real foods’ way. No food is off-limits, but I know my limits. I know what fuels me, and what satisfies me, and what does not, and it feels like the ‘magic bullet’ to happy and healthiness.

BUT I AM ALSO A REAL GIRL & SOMETIMES: I love my wine. Really and truly. I enjoy every glass, and I definitely have it several times a week, no apologies there. And it’s good for your heart, so it’s truly a win/win, isn’t it?

TOP THREE KITCHEN STAPLES: kabocha!! My latest obsession. I.love.that.squash. coffee. Oatmeal. Not necessarily in that order

NUMBER ONE GUILTY PLEASURE: wine. or pizza. Or both, together, for the ultimate combination!

EXERCISE THAT MAKES YOU SHINE: this is a tough one. It is a toss up between a super sweaty and intense barre class or a super sweaty and intense run. But the run must be outdoors for it to truly feel amazing. There is nothing better!

FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD: cheese. I LOVE cheese.

MESSAGE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OTHER HEALTHY CHICKS: For me, the last two years have been such a journey about intuitiveness and mindfulness and learning what my body needs to stay satisfied physically but also mentally. You truly need both to be able to live and sustain a healthy, fit, and happy lifestyle, in my opinion. It shouldn’t be work, but it takes work to get there, to get to that point where you trust yourself and your body, but know that once you do? It’s totally worth it. Because there’s no sense living a life where you can’t eat the food you like, or live up to an image of ‘perfection’ on tv. There is no such thing. Strive for excellence, and not perfection…it’s a much happier life!

Good afternoon ladies and welcome to this week’s feature for Friday Flashbacks, where I share with you personal life lessons from my past.

Do you remember in highschool when everyone would drive the same car, wear the same clothes and eat the same lunch because it was cool? It was “the thing” to do/eat/drink/be. I swear my lunch table was like an ad for Abercombie & Fitch (and bagels with cream cheese).

I remember one day, one of the girls in our class plucked her eyebrows super thin, and then everyone started doing it including myself. Soon it was trending like wildfire. Only problem was it completely backfired and I ended up over-plucking to the extent where I just looked plain scary. Not to mention the fact that I used to pile on two pounds of makeup…because that’s what all the girls were doing after all.

This continued in college with oversized designer sunglasses, blonde highlights, fad diets and Vera Bradley bags. Whatever was “in” at the moment all the girls would buy, making us look and act like one big clone. There was the day Junior year of college where a chunk of the girls were doing the Celebrity Lemonade Detox so I just had to do it too. Then there were the days I’d force myself to go out and take one too many shots, even when deep down I knew I really needed a night in with a good book and some hot tea. But they were doing it and I didn’t want to miss out.

Fortunately, I’ve come to learn that I can’t nor want be like everyone else (or I guess you could just call that the process of growing up.) However, nowadays I do still notice these tendencies to follow the latest fads, particularly for twenty-somethings.

Whether it’s the diet that all your friends are doing, the juicing that all your coworkers are raving about or the yoga pants all your yogi idols are wearing, we’re naturally drawn toward what’s popular and current.

However, throughout all of this, I think it’s important to remember to stay true to you, as cliché as that sounds. We are all so unique and beautiful in our own ways, and it’d be a shame to sacrifice that in order to be like someone else.

Just because a diet worked for your best friend doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you and heck, who even said you had to go on a diet any way? Newsflash: you don’t. Yes, juicing and green smoothies are the latest fad at the moment, but maybe you hate the taste and that’s totally OK; eat a colorful salad or some fresh sautéed greens. Or maybe you LOVE, LOVE, LOVE juicing, and that’s OK too…juice up girlfriend!

If you’re starting your own business as I am, dare to be different and make it your own. You’ll get nowhere (and find no satisfaction) if you spend your time trying to be like everyone else, and trying to serve everyone. Trust me I’ve been there, and it’s just not fun. It’s exhausting, really. Or maybe you hate running & simply can’t find the joy in it for the life of you but all the magazines are all telling you to run. Don’t…well unless you want to and are up for a challenge. Stick to your thing.

The point is we all have a tendency to want be like others and that’s totally OK from time to time. I think it’s important to have role models and people whom you look up to. However, there comes a point when you need to draw the line between admiration and impersonation, between doing what you love and doing what you think you should love, between being true to yourself and being someone else.

But there is one thing I believe to be certain: Be true to you and everything else will fall into place & you will begin to find true happiness.

Are you constantly comparing yourself to others? Do you find it hard to lead a happy, healthy lifestyle that you can feel good about? Are you itching to find a program designed for Y-O-U? I’m here for you! Please feel free to email me or schedule a FREE 15-minute info session to learn more about my health coaching programs/ to see if we’d work well together. My programs are designed to help women like you (and me) live to their fullest potential, break free of diet-obsessed living, and learn to use REAL food & self-care as n.o.u.i.s.h.m.e.n.t.

Good morning to all you beautiful Healthy Chicks out there! I’m off to a great start to the day, as The Boy made me a super veggie-packed frittata (while I was still sleeping) and I’m off to meet a friend for life chats at one of my favorite organic cafes, Life Alive.  (Fitting, huh?) I’m also going to get my Downward Dog on tonight with one of my best friends at Back Bay Yoga. We’re taking Lynne’s Vinyasa Flow with Live Music: Flute & Guitar.

I’m so excited for a zen, thought-provoking me kinda day. Those are the best after all, don’t ya think? And even if your schedule’s packed to the brim, you can still try to squeeze in little things throughout the day just for Y-O-U. Take time for yourself, ladies, even though it’s hard to remember at times (trust me, I know…I sometimes put “me” on the back burner too).

Anyway, ‘nough about me. Today I’m here to bring you this week’s feature for Healthy Chicks in the Community. I am extra giddy about today’s spotlight, as she’s actually one of the first bloggers I “met.” (We actually have plans to meet FOR REAL in the near future!) Anyway, we started reading each other’s blogs back in the day pre-Boy and pre-Health Coaching. I was a totally different person then (as was my blog) and it’s so neat to see how much we’ve grown! This mystery gal also has a rockin’ sister who (hint, hint) you’ll meet soon. Anyway, I’ll let this super-inspiring barre loving fit chick, Jess, take it from here! I’m sure you’ll fall in love with her killer personality and genuine writing like I have…

NAME/AGE: Jessica Sutera, 33 (ugh lol)

BLOG/TWITTER (If Applicable): http://eatdrinkbreathesweat.com / @jessfit654

CURRENT CITY: Peabody, MA

PHOTO TAKEN: This pic was taken last fall while visiting my gram and gramp at our family lake house in Maine. It was my gram’s birthday and she was so happy to have us there to visit. Such a happy memory, reminds me how lucky I am to have two healthy grandaparents…and a goofy husband who I adore very much. <3

WHAT YOU DO FOR WORK: By day – PR, marcom and social media for a high-tech company in Burlington. By morning/night – I teach at barre n9ne studio in Danvers, my self-professed ‘happy place’ and a job I feel such gratitude for every single time I set foot in the studio.

NUMBER ONE PASSION: Leading a fit and healthy lifestyle and (hopefully) inspiring others around me to live a little bit of a fuller, happier and yes, healthier life. One way I do that is by teaching at the studio that transformed my life in about a million ways (you can read more about that here and also on the barre n9ne blog here). Another way is by blogging and sharing my real self in every post I write. And the final way I do that is by simply living my best life now and sharing that joy with my friends and family and even complete strangers if I can.

I FEEL MY HEALTHIEST SELF WHEN I AM: Standing on that front and center mat at the studio teaching classes at barre n9ne. I feel strong and empowered. It’s a crazy awesome feeling.

BUT I AM ALSO A REAL GIRL & SOMETIMES: I can’t lie, I’m a huge wino. I love wine. In all forms. And am not afraid to pour a glass (or two-ish), finding a reason to ‘cheers’ after a long day. I’ve found most wine pairs *very* well with a dove dark chocolate promise.

TOP THREE KITCHEN STAPLES: Oatmeal. Coffee. Ingredients to make a quick and yummy wrap – usually that means a Flatout wrap or Joseph’s flatbread which I love to fill with turkey, deli ham, tuna / egg salad (made with chobani plain greek yogurt!) and whatever else I can get my hands on that’s ‘wrappable!

’NUMBER ONE GUILTY PLEASURE: Pizza. Only the homemade kind – that you can *only* find at the Sutera Manor (aka my house, ha). Made with homemade pizza dough in the bread machine, topped with fresh tomato sauce and freshly grated mozzarella cheese. Nothing else compares. Nothing.

EXERCISE THAT MAKES YOU SHINE: Well – barre n9ne classes are an obvious choice. I LOVE teaching there, love all that it’s done for my mind and my body, and love the beautiful community of women that congregate there day and night. It’s an awesome place to be, and makes me glow on the inside and out – I told you: total ‘happy place!!’

FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD: Pizza. See ‘guilty pleasure’ above. Ha.

MESSAGE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OTHER HEALTHY CHICKS: Please, please, please be your own best friend. Do not constantly tear yourself down, but lift yourself up. Even if that means forcing yourself to look in the mirror every single day and find something about yourself that you LOVE that day, even it’s just the way your hair is flipped behind your ear. Something. Anything that makes you feel good as you walk out the door. Self-confidence is beautiful. It’s not vain to say “Hey, I look good today.” It’s even LESS vain to say it and to truly mean it.

If you’d like to be featured as one of my Healthy Chicks in the Community, or know someone who you want to make blush, email me for more deets. And remember, if you aren’t feeling your healthiest self or are struggling to make positive changes, shoot me an email anytime to schedule your FREE 15-minute info session / sign up for one of my health coaching programs.

If you’re new to my blog, each and every Friday I post a Friday Flashback, taking you on a journey back into my past life. Why? Well, because I’ve been there and can totally relate to body image issues, dieting struggles and all the other things in between.

This week, I want to touch upon how we treat our bodies. During my prime time of diet-obsessed living and calorie counting, I completely disrespected my body.

I filled up on toxic, chemicalized “diet” foods that promised to make me skinny (at least, according to all the magazines and advertisements) and ate or drank my feelings away. I abused myself in the mirror (telling myself I am fat, I am not pretty enough, I am not good enough) and abused myself in the gym by overworking it and forcing myself to exercise (even when I didn’t want to or when my body was saying “No! Enough!”) I listened to what the number on the scale said, instead of what my body was telling me loud and clear.

I remember being so hungry: for real food, for love, for the answers. Unfortunately, I was starving myself by loading up on both toxic foods and toxic relationships alike. And if I ever decided to “treat” myself & go all out? (I put “treat” in quotes because my treats really weren’t treats at all) Forget it! I’d spend the rest of the weekend consumed with guilt and attacking myself for being “bad.”

It’s safe to say, I was not treating myself with love (far from it). In fact, I was treating my body with hatred, fear and guilt and quite frankly it didn’t feel good.

Flash forward to now, and I’ve learned that our bodies are one of the most powerful and beautiful tools we have. Now why would we treat something so miraculous so poorly at times? I want you to be honest with yourself and ask, “When was the last time I did something truly nice for myself?” Can you answer that question with 100% confidence?

I challenge you this weekend to throw all your self-sabotaging thoughts out the window and pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you. Put the scale, rules and guilt on the back burner and bring a lil love to the spotlight. Know that it’s OK to be “bad” once in a while, and break the rules. Trust that your body will give you the answers you need, leading you to the truth. And remember, no matter what, treat your body with pure love…always.

When was the last time you did something kind for yourself? How do you treat your body with love? Are you stuck on dieting and self-sabotaging thoughts? I’m here for you! Please feel free to email me or schedule a FREE 15-minute info session to learn more about my health coaching programs/ to see if we’d work well together. My programs are designed to help women like me live to their fullest potential, break free of diet-obsessed living, and learn to use REAL food & self-care as n.o.u.i.s.h.m.e.n.t.

Good afternoon, Healthy Chicks and Happy Spring to you! Even though it may not feel like it, especially with the snow/ice on the ground for fellow Bostonians, today officially marks the first day of the season (and yes, I’m wearing winter boots).

I love the beginning of the season, as it’s a chance to start fresh, get rid of the not-so-good in your life and boost up the really good, juicy stuff. And I especially adore spring because it means warm weather, chirping birds and flip-flop season is near. Plus, spring is a great time to clean up your diet and get clear about your health goals. (If you need help in this area, that’s where I come in!)  After all, lots of lively fruits & veggies come into season around this time like leafy greens and zesty citrus fruits.

For me, I’m going to dedicate this time for spring-cleaning, far beyond just my closet and drawers. While my wardrobe definitely needs to be cleaned out, I’m going to focus on de-cluttering my mind too by getting organized! I also want to continue to work on unplugging, as being hooked to my laptop and phone all day definitely isn’t serving me well. This means less time online and more time reading, going for long walks, staying active in the community, and cleansing my mind in other ways. I am much more productive when I’m detached from technology, simply alone with my thoughts. Check out my post published over on SpaFinder for more ways to de-clutter your life for spring.

To ring in the new season, I thought it’d be fun to share some of my favorite things of late, from must-have products to feel-good fitness and mouthwatering eats. Enjoy!

FITNESS: I’ve been trying all sorts of new fitness lately! This morning I joined for my first workout with The November Project, a movement with a mission to provide fun, free, sweaty workouts to the community. While Wednesday morning workouts are typically Stadium Runs at Harvard Stadium, due to the ice this morning we did sprints in the snow at the baseball field instead. Not to mention a classic game of Sharks & Minnows!

Seriously, I’ve never met such a passionate, motivated, friendly community all there for the same reason: to work hard and have fun. Every person you meet says, “Bring it in for the hug. We hug here!” Love that! Co-Founders Brogan and Bojan kept everyone pumped up and motivated throughout the ultra-cold, snowy hour. Did I  mention the workouts start at 6:30 a.m.? Ever better, I got The Boy to join in by bribing him with a warm breakfast on me afterward! Worked like a charm.

[such a champ!]

In addition,  this past month I tried Pilates with Hanneke, got my spin on with Christina at Recycle, burned it out in Pure Barre and have completely fell in love with yoga, more than usual lately. It just gives me that incredibly awesome feeling that’s hard to come by in other activities. Yoga guru Goldie Kaufenberg said it best in her Hip Hop Yoga class at Back Bay Yoga yesterday afternoon: “People come to yoga for different reasons. But I think there’s one universal reason…you simply leave feeling better.” Amen to that.

WEBSITES: Marie Forleo (for aspiring entrepreneurs) & Gabrielle Bernstein (for “Spirit Junkies.”) Time to get inspired for spring, ladies! Also, fellow fitness enthusiasts be sure to check out Share It Fitness, a fitness & wellness site with great tips and on-the-go fitness videos. I’m excited to announce that I’ll be contributing articles regularly starting next week! Oh, and the team is comprised solely of JMU grads, where I went to college. (Go Dukes!)

NATURAL BEAUTY: Some of you may know the obsession I have with Hurraw! Balm, an all-natural, eco-friendly lip balm. In fact, I’m hosting a giveaway here on Healthy Chicks, which ends this Friday so if you want to get in on the action I suggest you do so now! I also heart Organic cold-pressed coconut oil & jojoba oil (for moisturizers), Acure Organics shampoo, Yes To products especially their face towelettes after a sweaty workout (while not completely natural, they’re free from parabens, petroleum, SLS, phthalates and other harmful ingredients that sneak their way into skincare products these days), and last but not least Tom’s toothpaste and deodorant.  Lately, I’m loving the Beautiful Earth as it leaves a nice fresh, natural scent perfect for spring weather.

MUSIC: The Lumineers, Regina Spektor, Mumford & Sons, Lana Del Rey, Lykke Li, and any & all Oldies

APPAREL: LOFT Sunwashed Tees. I bought one in Sunburst Coral, perfect for spring with jeans and flops! I’m also giddy about my new lululemon crops. I could live in fitness apparel…really.

GADGETS: My Vitamix. It seriously never fails to amaze me, and you can make anything in it from gluten-free brownie balls and sauces to soups and green smoothies. If you’re interested in purchasing one for yourself, go through my Affiliate link to get FREE shipping ($25 off). Note: to save some money, look into their Reconditioned Machines, that work just as good as new! I also adore the new padded Macbook case I just purchased on Etsy and can’t wait until it arrives in the mail.

[souce: Etsy]

OUTDOOR WEAR: I’m loving this Women’s Athena Jacket in Silver/Jet Black that the kind folks at Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) sent me. While it won’t be available in-store until September, I was given a jacket for my honest feedback. While I’d say the colors are more suitable for fall and winter, I know I’ll get great use out of it this Spring too as you fellow New-Englanders know how the weather can be.

I’ve already worn it in quite a bit, and find it especially handy for a quick zip-up when walking to yoga & the gym, hiking, skiing, and any outdoor activity pretty much. I actually wore it this morning under my North Face jacket to stay warm during the November Project workout!

I love how the insulated core keeps you dry and warm (especially during wet conditions like this morning), and the Power Stretch Fabric is fitted, yet allows for comfortable movement. Oh, and those nifty thumbholes may just be my favorite part! I have such great respect for EMS as a whole, and find them to be a trusted company for all sports, travel and fitness gear. Check out my article recently published on their blog on healthy snacks for fit, active people!

DRINKS: Flowering Rock Tea (the Mneme with sideritis, sage, chamomile and cretan dittany is my fave especially for this time of season!), Equal Exchange Coffee, Apple Cider Vinegar diluted with filtered water, and Be Alive juice (Apple, Beet, Carrot, Green) from Life Alive Cafe are some of my favorite new jams.

[feel so alive!]

FOOD: Latest obsessions include seaweed snacks, avocados, wild-caught salmon, arugula, just-a-little-bit-runny eggs (I love Pete & Gerry’s organic cage-free eggs), Bragg’s Nutritional Yeast, hearty soups (last night The Boy made Fish Chowder), super-green smoothies, raw nuts & homemade pesto (check out my dairy-free version here). I adore food, and am continuously playing in the kitchen and trying out new recipes. Can’t wait to see what spring has in store!

COFFEE SHOPS: Since most of my work can be done from home, I naturally like to get out of the house for a change of scene. While sometimes I stick to good ol’ Starbucks (simply because I have a lot of giftcards and I’m a Gold Member) I much prefer local cafes with cool vibes. Lately, I’ve been loving Atomic Bean Cafe, Mariposa Bakery and Wired Puppy which all have free WIFI (a huge plus for a writer/social media addict). Any place with exposed brick, killer cappuccinos and good music has my heart.

[L: Atomic Bean; R: Mariposa]

RESTAURANTS: The other week, I was fortunate to try sweetgreen for the first time and I’m 100% hooked. Their Seasonal March Salad with mesclun, baby spinach, roasted sweet potatoes, blue cheese, caramelized onion, bacon, candied pecans and balsamic vinaigrette is to-die-for, pairing perfectly with the Roasted Mushroom Soup.  I’ve been doing some part-time community marketing for the company, as they’ll be launching in Boston this June! Not only is their food addictive, but I firmly believe in their mission to create an environment with good food, good people, good music and overall sweetness.

I also tried b.good for the first time this past weekend with my girlfriends, and really liked their dedication to fast, REAL, local food. I got the turkey burger on a gluten free bun with mushrooms, caramelized onions, gouda and homemade BBQ sauce. However, I’m trying to cut back/eliminate dairy again so this was definitely a treat for me. I’m a sucker for cheese, but it does not love my skin.

[L: sweetgreen; R: b.good]

What are your favorite spring-y things? What are you most excited for this season?

This past Saturday, I was invited to celebrate City Sports’ grand opening at their new Chestnut Hill location, which also happens to be City Sports’ 30th Anniversary month. (Happy Birthday City Sports!)

While the party didn’t officially start until 10 a.m., I got there at 9 a.m. for a private media event beforehand. I coincidentally ran into another blogger friend on the way there (the adorable, super-fit Jess from Little Miss Runshine), so we walked to City Sports together. We were shocked upon arriving, as the line was already down the sidewalk! Apparently, some had been standing out in the cold for hours.

After all, the first 100 customers were to receive a City Sports goodie bag filled with giftcards and sweet giveaways from City Sports and Nike. Plus, one lucky duck would find the grand prize in their bag: a free pair of shoes each month for the entire year! (I’d take that over the Golden Ticket any day.) Oh yea, and did I mention former New England Patriot Matt Light would be making a special appearance? I don’t blame these City Sports fanatics one bit for getting up early for the event; heck I’d do the same!

Luckily, we got to “cut” the line so we could take a grand tour of the store, ask any questions we wanted and get to snapping some pics. Everyone at City Sports was so unbelievably friendly, and I never felt so welcome. After a quick intro from PR rep Erin, we were handed over to City Sports’ Digital Marketing Specialist Ben Eld who took us under his wing the rest of the morning. Ben was super knowledgable about the store layout, fitness and products/gear, so I felt lucky to be by his side to ask any lingering questions and learn more about the City Sports culture.  He pointed out some pretty cool features about the Chestnut Hill store including:

• The Women’s CS by City Sports line that now comes in extended sizes, with greater care to an attractive look. I was loving the CS By City Sports Accelerate Full Zip Jacket.

• The many colorful options of Citys Sports tees, ideal for spring activities.

• An indoor track (the first in Boston area and second at any City Sports store) so that runners can test out their shoes before they buy, without mucking them up outdoors. I thought this was one of the best features of all, and a genius idea at that!

• The Women’s Lifestyle section with comfy & casual everyday wear, as well as an updated pant wall and an entire area dedicated for yoga! My recent yogi self swooned with joy! I want. I want. I want.

• Racquets galore! With a special department dedicated to racquet sports, experts will provide demos and string racquets in-store!

• And arguably the most impressive of all: 300+ styles of fabulous footwear. Seriously, whoever won the free shoes for a year is in for a treat!

It was about this time that I fell in love with these super-trendy, PINK Nike Flyknit Lunar 1+ Women’s Running shoes, an Editor’s Runner’s Choice. With adaptive lightweight support, soft cushioning, and incredible breathability, these shoes are a runner’s dream. Specially knit with Nike Flywire cables, they claim to “fit your foot like a sock.” You can watch the video to learn more about the shoe here. Sign me up!

Jess and I also did our fair share of goofing around, like trading spaces with the DJ…

[right photo cred: Jess]

Oh, and stuffing our faces with Pinkberry Strawberry & Mango froyo…

Additional festivities for the morning included a complimentary 5K Nike Fun Run, raffles, meet-and-greet with Matt Light, and refreshments. I also got to meet the guys behind Boston Fitness Magazine, a new magazine dedicated to everything fit & healthy in the city!

As I head out the door, I was handed a super-generous gift bag filled with fitness goodies which I couldn’t be more grateful for.

The bag included:

• CS By City Sports Triumph Run 1/4 Zip in Green
• A bright City Sports tee (that I’ve already worn on a run!)
• A navy City Sports headband
• SNAP Infusion “Supercandy” packets
• Nike Performance cushioned running socks
• A City Sports key chain
• A City Sports giftcard
• A day pass to Sports Club/LA

Big thank you to City Sports for hosting an incredible, memorable event! I left feeling inspired, motivated and excited to  be living in a city with so many like-minded, fit and healthy people. I can’t wait to get my run on with the City Sports Back Bay Run Club, which meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Back Bay location. Who wants to join me?

As you know, I am a sucker for all-natural (preferably organic) beauty products, from store-bought natural cosmetics to DIY body scrubs and facial moisturizers. That being said, I also love a product that actually works.

Well, Hurraw! Balm lip balms are the best of both worlds, providing an eco-friendly product that delivers smooth, tasty kissable lips. Ever since The Boy stuffed a three-pack in my stocking for Christmas two years ago, I’ve been 100% hooked. I rarely use any different brands, and I never leave the house without my balm.

Not only are they made with vegan, raw, organic, non-toxic, fair trade ingredients (like coconut oil, jojoba oil, cacao butter and natural fruit oils), but the 20+ flavors are far from boring and make you want to lick your lips all day long. Some of my favorites are Chocolate (made with real cocoa), Black Cherry and Almond.

And now I’ve got some new favorites, since Hurraw! Balm just introduced their new line of Ayurvedic-based balms for each Dosha: Vata, Pitta & Kapha.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Ayurvedic approach, it’s a traditional Indian alternative
“medicine” that focuses on one’s lifestyle and unique body type. In Ayurveda, they feel that based on your individual characteristics, different foods and activities can heal or harm. I often tie some Ayurvedic techniques into my health coaching sessions, as its one of my favorite topics I studied during Nutrition School.

We all carry each of the three Doshas, but typically there are one or two over-powering ones. After taking multiple tests and digging deep to really listen to my body, I’ve found that I’m primarily a Vata type, meaning that I carry the Vata dosha in excess and need to balance that out accordingly. Thank goodness there’s a balm made just for me with almond, cardamom and rose. (I’m already in love.)

You can find our your unique body type here to see which balm would work best for you! Now for the exciting news: I’ll be giving away a VPK three-pack of these Ayurvedic balms to 3 lucky Healthy Chicks! Yes, that’s 3 packs of 3!

To enter, please do 1 or all of the following. Be sure to leave a comment on here for each task completed:

1. Simply tweet the following: Hurraw! @Healthy_Chicks & @HurrawBalm are giving away 3 packs of all natural, tasty lip balms: http://healthy-chicks.com/2013/03/18/hurraw-an-eco-friendly-lip-balm-giveaway/

2. Leave a comment here on why you want to win or what your unique body type is (or you think it is). Vata, Pitta, or Kapha? *Mandatory

3. Like Healthy Chicks and Hurraw! Balm on Facbook

4. Sign up for my FREE “A Day in the Life of a Healthy Chick” weekly newsletter!

I will choose three random winners by 5 p.m. on Friday, 3/22 through Random.org. Good luck!

Growing up I didn’t pay too much attention to my looks, that is until I started dieting and well, my looks quickly became everything. I was consumed by my weight and how others, especially men, perceived me. Once I started getting attention from the guys, I became obsessed with my looks, in particular appearing “sexy.”

I remember one day quite vividly while loading on makeup for a friend’s graduation party, my sister (who was always the sportier one in the family) looked at me and said, “You changed.” I naturally got defensive, and she continued with “It’s great you’re getting all this attention and all, but all you care about is your looks.”  While I refused to admit it at the time, she was absolutely 100% right. Spot on.

And then there was college. Getting ready for a night out to the frat house was an event in itself. I’d change my outfit at least ten times, load layers of makeup over my face (including a dash of bronzer on my chest one of my best friends swore created the allusion of “cleavage”), and strive to wear the tightest or shortest thing I could possibly find paired with the highest heels I could walk in. (Fortunately for me, that wasn’t very high). All us girls would crowd around the thin mirror, competing to get one last view of ourselves before our big debut.

Why did I care so much? Because I wanted to look hot and attractive to the frat boys. I wanted—scratch  that, NEEDED—outside validation that I was sexy enough, hot enough, skinny enough, good enough.  And when I didn’t get that validation, I’d automatically blame myself and my body. I’d tell myself lies like, “It must be because I’m not pretty enough” or “I’ll never be as skinny as her” or “Of course he’s with her. She’s gorgeous.” I remember one night when I broke down crying on the bathroom floor because the guy I was infatuated with at the time didn’t want me back. I blamed myself. My body. My sex appeal.

Back then, I wish I could have written a letter to my former self to tell her that she was enough (in all aspects of life) and that no amount of mascara or number of hookups would ever make you happy from within. I wish she knew that sexiness is a state of mind that differs from women to women, far beyond physical attraction.

I’d be lying if I said I don’t care a thing about my looks now. I still wear makeup (though not nearly as much) and like to dress up from time to time. There’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when going out with polished nails, styled hair and a new dress. However, now that feeling of sexy comes from a different place; it comes from within.

The feeling of sexiness is something you and only you can decide on, and what matters most is how you feel and think about yourself (not your boyfriend, sister, best friend or random guy at the bar). After all, if you are feeling good inside, that’s going to shine through on the outside.

Heck, I feel my sexiest after a long run, sweat-stained clothes, hair in my face and all! No makeup. No outside compliments. No judgement or envy. It’s times like these, when no one else is even around to see, that I feel my ultimate sexy self. And you bet that confidence carries through with me the rest of the day—to the coffee shop, through my writing, in my home life. That right there is a perfect example of bringing that inner sexy out. Let it shine, baby!

Sexy has so many different colors. It’s that feeling you get from crossing the finish line during your first 5K, the confidence boost you get from working hard on a personal project, the utter state of bliss that overcomes you when walking barefoot on the beach as the waves crash beneath your toes. It’s feeling beautiful in your own skin, the magic moment of a perfect kiss, and experiencing the most powerful savasana of your life.

So I ask you, how can you bring your inner sexy out for the world to see? What makes you feel your ultimate best? What does sexy mean to you? As always, I’m happy to hear your feedback or answer any questions you may have via email. Learn more about my innovative health coaching services & grocery store tours over here.