Off On a Business Trip (aka a Vacation from Blogging)

6 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

Hi friends! I’m taking a vacation from blogging for a few days…

No, not that kind of vacation (although I’m desperately craving a trip the beach) But I’m still equally excited! I’m off on a business trip to D.C. for my new position with sweetgreen.

For those of you who haven’t heard of sweetgreen before, they are an eco-friendly, healthy hot-spot serving up delicious eats like seasonal salads, wraps, frozen yogurts, and juices. If you know me well, this kind of food is right up my alley. Check out their menu to see for yourself! Even better, sweetgreen will be launching in Boston this June, bringing us city chicks a trustworthy healthy option.

Anyway, since I’ll be super busy these next few days (I’m even going to make time to see some of my best girlfriends from college…eek!) I’ve decided to take a mini vacation from blogging. But don’t worry; I’ll be back again on Thursday for a new feature on Healthy Chicks in the Community.

In the meantime, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter (on the right) if you haven’t already for free weekly healthy tips or take a glimpse of this week’s newsletter here! As always, … Read More!

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Try Something New: Pure Barre with Blog & Tweet Boston (Plus a Powerful Message of the Day)

19 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

I’m a huge fan of trying new workouts, challenging yourself and most importantly finding that exercise that makes you shine (you know, makes you feel beautiful, strong and confident in your body!) After all, that’s what FitFluential means to me.

So when I was invited by Jen and Kerrie from Blog & Tweet Boston to attend a complimentary class a Pure Barre Boston yesterday afternoon, I jumped on the opportunity! While I have taken barre-style classes before through Core Fusion at Exhale Spa, I have  never tried Pure Barre so I was excited to see what was in store!

Pure Barre recently opened their new Boston studio at 350 Newbury Street, which is a prime location for anything & everything fitness and health if I do say so myself. (Side note: sweetgreen will be located just a walk away right by Copley Station, scheduled to launch in June. Boston foodie & fitness peeps, I know you are going to fall in love. You can read all about my new job at sweetgreen here!)

The first thing I noticed upon walking in was the beautiful space: clean, fresh with lots of natural light. Plus, they have lockers and keys … Read More!

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I Am That Girl and Friday Flashbacks: Fat Thighs & Embracing Your Imperfections

14 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

I AM THAT GIRL

Last night, I was invited as a guest speaker for I Am That Girl’s Boston Chapter. If you’re not familiar with I Am That Girl, it’s a “community that inspires girls to discover their innate worth and purpose.” Obviously, their mission is right up my alley so I quickly accepted the invite!

Each meeting, the girls pick a different topic to discuss and in honor of NEDAwareness Week (National Eating Disorder Awareness Week), the topic was disordered eating habits & ways we restrict ourselves as women. Since I have been there and now work with other women to overcome diet-obsessed living, they asked me to shine the light on disordered eating habits beyond Anorexia, Bulimia, and bingeing.

It’s important to know that even habits like counting calories (in an unhealthy way), gym addictions, obsessions with the scale, feeling of shame/guilt, and restricting yourself with extreme diets and “diet-food” can be extremely detrimental to your health and overall wellbeing. I also want women to know that while these issues often aren’t talked about, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Heck, in college I thought my highly restricted eating habits were normal, and my only option if I … Read More!

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Healthy Chicks in the Community: An Avocado-Crazy, Weight-Lifting College Sweetheart

24 Comments / Healthy Chicks in the Community /

Welcome back to another week of Healthy Chicks in the Community. For those of you who are new to my blog, every Thursday I spotlight a standout woman who embodies what it means to be a “Healthy Chick.” This week, I am thrilled to introduce you to Meg, an adorable Canadian college student whose innate passion is making people feel good about themselves. With a similar passion myself I know her and I would get along perfectly! I’ll let Meg take it from here…

NAME/AGE: Meg Doll/21

BLOG/TWITTER: A Dash of Meg (http://adashofmeg.com)/@ADashofMeg

CURRENT CITY: London, Ontario, Canada

PHOTO TAKEN: In my backyard on my deck in Yorkton, SK, Canada where my parents live year round. I’m snuggled up to my dog, Cuddles, who passed away this summer a few days after this photo was taken.

WHAT YOU DO FOR WORK: Currently, I’m a student at Brescia University College, which is an affiliate college to the University of Western Ontario. In June, I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition. From there, I plan to use my education and passion for food and nutrition throughout my future and career. I’m not … Read More!

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Healthy Chicks in the News: Featured on BU’s Sargent Choice

2 Comments / Health & Wellness /

I didn’t have a post planned for today, but wanted to share some exciting news with my readers! I was riding home on the T after a rather rainy coffee date with a friend, and was pleasantly surprised when I looked down at my phone. Boston University’s Sargent Choice Nutrition Center has recognized Healthy Chicks as “Best of the Food Web.”

When I saw that I’d been featured, I quickly head over to their site to read more. As I read every last word, my body filled with warmth, chills and gratitude as their words really touched my heart. That right there is exactly why I choose to do what I do, and it means the world to me to be recognized for that.

As you all know, connecting with my readers & clients, and helping other women lead happier, healthier more vibrant lives (without dieting) is what I live for! It’s my “natural high,” my purpose, my calling. If I can make someone smile a little bigger, feel more comfortable in their curves or question what they’re putting into their bodies, I have done my job.

I encourage you to go out and read the article… Read More!

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Boston Bloggers Meetup at Scampo: A Blogger Roundup

13 Comments / Lifestyle /

Last night, I attended a Boston Bloggers Meetup hosted by the lovely Alison and Kate through Eventbrite. (Big thanks to Sara from Boston Eventbrite for taking part!) The event was held at Scampo, a tasty upscale Italian-inspired restaurant inside the Liberty Hotel.

While the wine was lovely (I changed it up with a refreshing Pinot Grigio as opposed to my usual red), the food was delectable (um, can you say sausage-stuffed bacon wrapped dates and mini Endive salads?) the best part of the night hands down was mingling with other positive, fun, like-minded bloggers!

What I love most about these kinds of events is you get the chance to meet people in all different walks of life, with many different passions! Being a healthy living blogger, I find it fascinating to meet fashion, travel, lifestyle, arts & crafts, and even beer bloggers. It completely blows my mind how many talented, created people there are out there with one big thing in common: writing it out & sharing stories.

READER ROUNDUP

Here’s a little snippet from some of the fascinating people I mingled with last night…

Abigail, The Fabulous Life of a Natural Disaster: Spunky, adorable and sweet … Read More!

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Roasted Beet, Toasted Cashew & Arugula Salad

11 Comments / Food & Recipes /

Confession: I used to be afraid of beets. The color and texture just freaked me out. I was afraid of beets in the same way I was afraid of mushrooms and tomatoes: I didn’t think I liked them so I simply steered clear. My grandmother would constantly ask me growing up, “How do you know you don’t like it if you don’t try it?” And so I would. I’d try everything.

I owe much of my appreciation for food to my grandmother, who taught me to be willing to try new things and appreciate the different flavors. Now there are only a handful of things I don’t like: salami, most beer (shocking, I know!), and chopped liver. That along with most packaged/microwavable meals because they simply freak me out.

This weekend, inspired by a recipe I found in Clean Plates Cookbook, I decided to play with the ingredients I had on hand and crate a fun salad full of color and fresh produce. And the star ingredient is, you guessed it, beets. Beautiful, glorious, naturally sweet beets. Think of ’em as nature’s candy!

Roasted Beet, Toasted Cashew & Arugula Salad

This salad was adapted from Clean Plates Cookbook’s “Mustard … Read More!

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Friday Flashbacks: Counting Calories

16 Comments / Health & Wellness /

Good afternoon lovelies! Today I am excited to announce a new weekly feature on the blog: Friday Flashbacks. As I’ve mentioned time and time and again on this blog, while it may look like I have it “all together” health-wise that was not always the case. And for those who know me I am far from perfect; I’m a real girl.

But back in my late teenage years and early twenties I reallllyyy struggled with the scale, dieting, counting calories and everything in between. I have been there, there as in a place I never want to be again, a place many of you may have been (or may be now).

Friday Flashbacks will take you along with me back on a journey in time to peak at what my lifestyle/mindset was back then and how I’ve grown. I want you to know that I’ve gone through a lot to get to a place of self-love and that undoubtedly YOU CAN TOO.

COUNTING CALORIES

The first time I started counting calories was sophomore year in college. College was one of the first times in my life that I truly felt pretty because I finally got down … Read More!

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Healthy Chicks in the Community Week 7: A Fun Foodie Who Likes Her Cocktails Strong & Her Workouts Sweaty

6 Comments / Healthy Chicks in the Community /

Good afternoon Healthy Chicks! Today’s spotlight on Healthy Chicks in the Community is a twenty-something lady who loves her cocktails strong and her bread hot & fresh straight from the oven. I’ve actually had the honor of meeting Caitlin in person at a local coffee shop in Connecticut and she’s just as sweet as she sounds on paper. I’ll let Caitlin take it away from here!

NAME/AGE: Caitlin Croswell / 23

BLOG/TWITTER: www.caitplusate.com / caitplusate on twitter

CURRENT CITY: Glastonbury, CT

PHOTO TAKEN: On the Lawn at Castle Hill in Newport, RI…a recommendation I got from a fellow blogger Tina, author of one of my first blogs I ever found – Carrots N Cake!

WHAT YOU DO FOR WORK: I work full-time in the sales department of a small engineering and manufacturing firm…while fulfilling my passion for blogging on the side!NUMBER ONE PASSION: Spreading love and happiness

NUMBER ONE PASSION: Making others feel confident, and less hard on themselves!

I FEEL MY HEALTHIEST SELF WHEN I AM: Eating the foods I crave (which means not depriving myself when those cravings aren’t necessarily for “clean food”) and doing the workouts I enjoy (aka not running…even though it seems at times

… Read More!

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A Special Valentine’s Day Tea Tasting With Flowering Rock Tea

4 Comments / Food & Recipes, Lifestyle /

This Valentine’s Day, we celebrated with love letters, sushi lunchboxes, Pad Thai takeout, red wine, Cacao Covered Strawberries, and most special of all: a private tea tasting with Flowering Rock Tea.

A former boss and professional colleague of mine introduced me to this Boston-based startup, as he knows how much I adore speciality, all natural products. And if you read my blog, follow me on Instagram or have looked inside my kitchen cabinets, you know how much I’m in love with tea.

Flowering Rock Tea is not your everyday household tea, as they produce all-natural herbal Botanical collections inspired (and sourced) in Greece. After our lovely sushi lunch in Brookline, The Boy and I head on over to their pop-up location at 70 Charles Street in Beacon Hill (where they’ll be until the end of the month) to check it out for ourselves!

When we walked in, we were greeted by the lovely couple and Founders of the company, Natasha and Konrad Makowski. Immediately, we were drawn in, not only by the fresh herbal aromas but also by their warm, welcoming nature. Seriously, we could have stayed all evening chatting with these two. (In fact, we pretty much … Read More!

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