Health & Wellness

Raising The Bar (and Sweating it Out) at Boston’s Newest Spin Studio: The Handle Bar

3 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

Spinning has quickly become one of my favorite exercises of late. Why’s that, you ask? Well of course I love a good, sweat-inducing, body-sculpting workout, but that’s not the main reason why I’ve fallen in love with spin. What really put me head over heels is the way it makes me feel. There’s nothing like 45+ juicy minutes of straight-up adrenaline mixed with loud beats pumping through the speakers to get you motivated!

Thus far, I’ve been taking classes at Recycle Studio which I adore for their top-notch teachers and comfortable, boutique feel. (Take Christina’s class…she’ll make you sweat ’til the very end) But unfortunately there aren’t many other spin studios around the Boston area, especially for those who don’t live right in the city.

That’s why I was super excited for the opening of The Handle Bar, the city’s newest spin studio located in South Boston (right off Broadway Station on the Red Line.) And I was lucky enough to be invited to try the class with up to 10 of my friends (spin shoe rental included.) SCORE!

While The Handle Bar isn’t right in Downtown Boston, it’s just a quick 10 minute trip from Park Street Station, … Read More!

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What’s Your Body Really Craving?

1 Comment / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

Many of us live on a schedule, and make choices based on habits. Most of the time, our decisions are based on what’s right or in the norm versus how we’re feeling.

We eat the boring iceberg salad with fat-free dressing because we’re trying to slim down, even though we may really want the juicy, grass-fed burger. We sign up for 5 cardio classes in one work-week to stay in shape, even though we may really need some yoga (or heck, even a nap.) We do what’s right and punish ourselves for being “bad” when we do what we presume to be wrong.

How is this behavior showing up in your life?

This week, I’ve been lacking on the fitness front and old me would have beat myself up about it. New me realizes my body needed rest, nourishment and replenishing. Instead of ignoring my body’s signals by forcing myself to run it off on the treadmill for hours (old me), I now understand the beauty of looking within and taking a break. And this morning’s 7 a.m. Vinyasa flow at Back Bay Yoga with the lovely Cara Gilman totally hit the spot.

After all, our bodies are smart, and … Read More!

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The Beauty of Slowing Down

6 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

I live a very fast-paced, go-go-go, give it my all, “you can sleep when you’re dead” lifestyle most of the time (as I assume most blossoming entrepreneurs do.) It’s full of passion, excitement, life and color! Staying up late letting the creative juices flow…parking it at coffee shops for the day to hit last-minute deadlines…taking chances…booking meetings…picking up the phone…showing up…saying “Yes.”

I won’t lie: while it’s wildly inspiring and entertaining sometimes it can be plain exhausting. Exhausting to the point of burn out, fatigue and “enough.” Does that mean I’m not cut out for it? Not one bit.

You see, what I realized lately is that you don’t have to pick one or the other: the “play it safe” unplugged life or the fast ‘n’ furious audacious life. Rather, they can play off each other and you can have the best of both worlds. You can create your perfect blend.

How? By slowing down (when you need to). It’s wonderful to live a life full of wild excitement, but if you suddenly get too wrapped up in being “on” all the time, that may be a sign that it’s time for you to slow down, take a break … Read More!

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Breakfast in a Snap: The Mexi Breakfast Burrito {Gluten Free, Dairy Free}

2 Comments / Health & Wellness /

I get it, you’re busy & don’t have time in the morning. (Who does these days?) But that doesn’t mean you’ve gotta settle for a leftover cookie, OJ from the office vending machine or a plain bagel with cream cheese for your breakfast of champions. We all know that processed, high-sugar, packaged meals don’t quite serve us so well – especially when we rely on them to fuel our energy.

But what are we to do when we’re on a time crunch? Trust me, I don’t like spending an hour on breakfast either. Um, we have lives…I totally get it!

That’s why I’ve come up with a variety of go-to meals that are quick, easy and nourish me all in one. Know that your perfect breakfast will be different than mine, as we are all different and what works for one may not work for another. (This is something I work on further with my private clients!)

But that being said, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite breakfasts when I’m pressed for time. Enjoy!

The Mexi Breakfast Burrito {Gluten Free & Dairy Free}

What Ya Need:

  • 1 brown rice tortilla wrap (I buy mine at Trader
… Read More!

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Monday Inspiration: On Starting Over

4 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

I used to think that starting over was impossible — it seemed completely out of my reach.

If I over-indulged for a weekend in college, I’d punish myself for being “bad” and “ruining” my diet by starving myself and stuffing my face with sugar-free, low-cal crap.

And if I made a mistake, chose the wrong path or felt “stuck” in a life I didn’t love, I’d think there was nothing I could do about it. This is just how it is. It’s “too late.”

I now know it’s never too late to start over & create the life you want for yourself. With this new mindset, I’ve left jobs that didn’t feel right to me, let go of a toxic “relationship” that was draining me, broke up with the scale, and released the thoughts “I can’t.”

By doing so, I have found a career path that makes me stay up late at night feeling inspired, I know what real love feels like, I have developed a healthy & fun relationship with food and I now tell myself “I can do it” as much as possible.

You see, it truly is never too late. Your life is like a blank … Read More!

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Flashback Friday + 40 Reasons I’m Head Over Heels for Summer

3 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

Happy first day of summer ladies! The day has finally come…let the celebrations commence. I don’t know about you, but summer didn’t always bring up warm, happy, fuzzy feelings for me. In fact, it gave me a whole lot of anxiety to tell you the truth.

Pool parties, beach days, bikinis, BBQs, and heck even my birthday brought up lots of negative emotions for me. “Why can’t I have her body?” “How can I hide my ginormous, fat thighs at the beach?” “What can I do to work off all the ‘bad food’ I ate last night?” “Great…another birthday…another year…and I’m still single AND heavier than last year.”

Oh the endless guilt, self-hate and body-bashing. It was pure torture.

Once I quit dieting and began to fall in love with life, the weight started to come off, the negative emotions started to fade and I started to be a little nicer to my body.

Alas, summer has by far become my favorite season once again. Without further adieu, here are 40 reasons why summer gets my heart pumpin’!

1. Camping trips with zero makeup, zero distractions and zero drama

2. My birthday. July 5th that is. It’s a day to … Read More!

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Sweat, Smile & Dance Your Butt Off: Try Zumba at The Z Spot Boston

1 Comment / Health & Wellness /

I try to live a pretty balanced life (as much as I can). I eat clean foods that make my body feel really good, but also indulge in the occasional burger and the more-than-occasional glass of red wine with dark chocolate. I love running & signing  up for local races, but I also enjoy going on long walks with The Boy or my girlfriends just to catch up. I’m known to ask a million questions and “talk too much,” but I’m also a really great friend and a darn god listener. I’m not a “vegetarian” nor am I a “meat-eater.” I adore the fast-paced, buzzing city-living in Boston, but my roots are back home on our family’s lake-house in CT. I’m a little bit of everything… the best of both worlds.

sweetgreen, the super-sweet company I work for here in Boston (if you don’t know of ’em yet you need to visit their site ASAP), believes in this concept of balance but also takes it one step further. They say that true greatness happens when passion and purpose intersect. Passion x Purpose. Passion meets purpose.  My list includes writing x inspiring others, connecting x making people feel better, eating … Read More!

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Do You Need to Re-think Your To-Do List?

4 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

Last week, I was meeting with one of my clients talking about goals, dreams and all that good stuff. I really like to get deep inside the eyes of my clients to find out what drives, motivates, and really lights them up. When we got to the part where we discussed any blockages or things getting in the way from living the life of her dreams, she simply said “My weight.” In fact, “Lose weight” was at the top of every to-do list she had ever created for herself.

I then asked her what she’d be doing, eating, living, seeing, being if her weight was not a factor in living the life of her dreams. I soon found out that not only was her weight holding her back from being comfortable in her clothing, but it was preventing her from doing things she truly loves like connecting with people on a deeper level, taking zumba classes and being truly happy in her own skin.

That right there was a huge wake up call, one that she needed to see. One that we all need to see every once and a while. So what did I have my client do? … Read More!

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Flashback Friday: On Emotional Eating, Cravings & Everything In Between

1 Comment / Health & Wellness /

Time for another week of Flashback Friday, where I dig deep into my past life as a chronic, unhappy dieter to shed some light on what I’ve learned since then. This week I tackle emotional eating, cravings and everything in between. Are you ready?

I have a confession: Back when I was in college & hardcore dieting, my #1 vice was peanut butter. Fat-Free Skippy Peanut Butter to be exact. While everything else (like bread, real cheese, Mexican food, margaritas, pasta, certain meats, real sugar, full-fat anything) was off limits and “bad”, I still allowed myself to eat peanut butter. Fat-free peanut butter.

I’d eat it straight out of the jar with a big metal spoon, mindlessly scooping away until before I knew it half the jar would be gone. It made me feel really good — it was my “drug” of choice. I went through a jar of peanut butter a week (give or take).

While Skippy & I had a love affair throughout college, I labeled most food as “bad,” avoiding them like the plague. My “good” list was definitely lacking, and contained things like fat-free dressing, lean chicken, carb-free, low-cal “noodles,” fake cheese, rice cakes, … Read More!

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