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!

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!

How did you love, appreciate & honor your body today? What makes you feel extra-good on the inside & out? … Read More!

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!

Do you know what nourishes you, you know those things that truly fill your soul & makes you feel your very best self? This is likely not a question you ask yourself very often, but I encourage you to do so.

So often, we eat what we’re told are the “right” foods to eat, do what we believe we “have” to do, and think the way we’re expected to think. I challenge you to stop right there and look beyond the expectations and rules we have for ourselves. Truly look within and ask yourself point blank: What makes me feel nourished?

Then take things a step further by writing it out:

These are the foods that nourish my body…

These are the activities that nourish my soul…

These are the thoughts that nourish my mind…

What came up for you? I encourage you to take a good, hard look at your list and fill yourself up with those things that nourish you most.

Here’s a hint: when we fill our life up with nourishment, we no longer need to use food/drugs/self sabotage/fill in the blank to “feel better.” That’s why talking about food is only a portion of my … Read More!

This past Monday I was invited to a special yoga event at New Balance’s very own NB Fitness Club in Brighton, MA. It was my first time experiencing the club, so I was excited to check out the space for myself first-hand!

I was impressed by how open and clean it was, especially the ladies’ locker rooms. You don’t always see that at gyms these days, so it’s always a pleasant surprise.

Once we got settled in, all the ladies were lead to the group fitness room where we got to experience a 45-minute yoga class with Dina Ivas, a NYC-based yoga instructor. I loved Dina’s energy and enthusiasm, as you could definitely tell that teaching yoga is one of her greatest passions. Her class was both restorative and challenging at the same time, the perfect way to start a Monday morning!

{Anue Review}

After class, Anue (New Balance’s yoga collection) was there with a special pop-up shop offering great deals — up to 75% off — on their apparel! I also had the chance to talk with the beautiful designers behind Anue, Andrea and Rachel, who totally walk the talk and embody their brand.

{Designers Andrea Cinque-Austin … Read More!

Good afternoon lovely ladies, and Happy Friday! This week’s Friday Flashback has to do with something that’s  been on my mind a lot lately: confidence.

To me, confidence means trusting your inner self to guide you & feeling certain that things will work themselves out. It’s knowing that, even though things aren’t perfect just yet, everything is going to be OK.

Often times, confidence gets a bad rap, mistaken for cockiness or being arrogant. But today I’m going to talk about the other end of the spectrum…when you let your confidence (or lack there of) hold you back and prevent you from living your greatest potential.

Back when I was dieting and in a pretty messed up relationship with the scale, my confidence level was about a 2 on a scale of 1 to 100. While I went about my day all smiles pretending everything was “perfect,” in the inside I was struggling.

I felt unhappy with my weight, weighing myself 2, 3, 5 times a day hoping that a drop in numbers would make me truly happy, only it didn’t. Every time the scale went up a pound, my confidence (and self-worth for that matter) would take a … Read More!

Good afternoon ladies! Hope you are all having a lovely Memorial Day Weekend. Since this past week was chock-full of events for me, I’m making sure to squeeze in some quality R & R this weekend. That being said, I do have a trip to the beach with some friends planned for tomorrow afternoon to ring in the holiday. I lieu of Memorial Day Weekend, I wanted to share with you my top 10 Beach essentials!

Healthy Chicks Top 10 Beach Essentials

1. A bottle of natural sunscreen like Alba Botanica for both body & face

2. A big eco-friendly bottle of water (that you can re-fill while there!)

3. A super cute, extra-large beach towel

4. Some good tunes – bring a radio or load your iPod up with beachy tunes like this song!

5. Fresh pre-sliced fruit like strawberries, watermelon and pineapple! (P.S. Did you know both watermelon & pineapple are great for reducing  belly bloat?)

6. Your best friends / people who make you laugh and feel your very best self!

7. GAMES! (a frisbee, deck of cards, football, and ping pong  paddles all work nicely)

8. Raw nuts (My faves are almonds and walnuts)

9. … Read More!