Healthy Chicks

Happy Friday, beauties! I am super excited, as I’m jetting off early this afternoon to head to NYC for The W.E.L.L. Summit. You can keep up with my adventures on my Instagram stories throughout the weekend, as I’m sure I’ll have lots to learn and share.

Alright, it’s time for this week’s feature on Healthy Chicks in the Community, a weekly series highlighting rockstar Girl Bosses doing their thang in the wellness community. This week’s special guest Kristen Cillo has her own super rad podcast The Everyday Woman, spotlighting real stories from women, for women. I was honored to be interviewed in Episode #41 The Power of Positivity and Affirmations which you can catch here.

Aside from her podcast, Kristen is a fabulous health coaching mom of three, whose focus in on helping women let go of the diet mentality. Since we have so much in common, her and I are actually teaming up to offer you all a month-long Healthy Holiday Support Group for women, starting November 27! You can learn more about the special program here.

I’ll let Kristen take the floor from here! 😉

NAME: Kristen Cillo

DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS/LINE OF WORK: I am a Certified Health Coach. I offer women a real life approach to health without the overwhelm and obsessiveness, helping them redefine wellness as it relates to their own life. And I’m the host of The Everyday Woman Podcast where I interview a new woman each week where she shares her story to empower and inform other women.

WHERE YOU LIVE: Boston, born and raised!

HOW YOU SERVE THE COMMUNITY THROUGH YOUR WORK: I help women discover, visualize and enjoy their healthiest selves on a bio-individual level. I do a lot of body image work with women and help them to work towards body acceptance. In addition, I help guide them through any obstacles that are keeping them stuck, while encouraging women to let go of comparison, food rules and diet mentality.

NUMBER ONE PASSION OUTSIDE THE JOB: Spending time with my three kids and my husband, especially when we’re on vacation together.

INTENTIONS/GOALS YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF IN THE NEXT 3 YEARS: I would like to grow my business, write a book and also create some form of body positive program for teenage girls.

ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D TELL YOUR CHILDHOOD SELF: Perfection is not real and not healthy to strive for.

FOODS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL ALIVE & BRING THE MOST JOY: Mint chocolate chip ice cream. Also buffalo chicken and french fries because my husband and I have had a take-out date night once every week for 13 years, and we always order the same thing. It makes me so happy.

SONG THAT MOVES YOU: Man in the Mirror by MJ, who doesn’t love a little MJ?

THREE FAB THINGS ABOUT YOU: I have a comedic podcast with my brother: Sibling Riffery Podcast. I am a huge homebody and I love it. Reality TV is one of my favorite things

FAVORITE BODY PART & WHY: My face…does that count? That immediately came to me because in the past I’d always hated the round, chubby shape of my face and then I decided to change my point of view. I came to realize I have the same shaped face as my dad and my dad’s the best…I could never hate something he gave me! I encourage women to pick their least favorite body part and make it their favorite.

I GET MY INSPIRATION FROM: Other women!

EXERCISE THAT MAKES YOU SHINE: Any workout that’s less then 20 minutes is my favorite, like a Tabata style.

SOMETHING IN YOUR “WELLNESS TOOLBOX” YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: Sleep. I need like nine hours a night

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Besides having my kids, starting my own business and creating my podcasts!

FEMALE LEADER(S) YOU LOOK UP TO: Well, I’ll start with my mom because she’s the first person I call for advice. My grandmother because she was so strong.  I really like Carrie Underwood for her humility, Beyoncé for her confidence and Candace Cameron because she’s so down to earth and I’m such a 90’s girl.

IF YOU COULD PICK ONE PERSON TO HAVE DINNER WITH, WHO WOULD IT BE & WHAT WOULD YOU MAKE THEM: My father in law. He passed away this summer and we miss him terribly. And I’m a horrible cook! I’d have my husband make dinner because he’s an amazing cook; we’d have an Italian Sunday Dinner with pasta and cutlets.

GO-TO MANTRA OR INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE: Laughter is the best medicine.

MESSAGE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OTHER HEALTHY CHICKS: Health is really simple but we have made it this complicated and manipulative beast that we think we have to tackle and tame. I would tell women to start by writing down your ideas of what health is and why and then really dive into your why. Also when you catch yourself in the comparison trap, remember that you most likely don’t know their whole story, especially when comparing your body to others. Just like our DNA, every body is unique and we should all embrace that. The world would be so boring if we all looked like Barbie dolls.