Healthy Chicks

[colorful juices at Life Alive!]

Good morning ladies. I gave my blog a makeover yesterday: a facial, hairdo, the works! How do you like the new look? I’ve been looking for something a little more clean and fresh, that still shows off my fun, girly style and I think I found just that.

Last night, I met my friend Megan to celebrate her engagement! We started with hot yoga at Prana Power Yoga in Central Square for a Prana 2 Music class, which was an incredible 75-minute sweat fest. I loved the music, energy and general vibe of the class. Everyone was so concentrated on their particular practice, without any judgement or too much critique (I hate when the entire class is the teacher “fixing” your posture although I do appreciate some direction).

I set my intention for my practice to be ROCKING MY BUSINESS and wishing my boyfriend safe travels on his upcoming trip with his mother.  His mother has been battling Early Onset Alzheimer’s for the past seven years, and with numerous medications and treatments she has continued to get worse. That’s why my boyfriend decided to take matters into his own hands, and is going to take … Read More!

This weekend, I was given the opportunity to cover the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s October Fall Conference: IIN Live. Since I would be tweeting and blogging via Live Stream, I was able to watch the entire event (Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) from the comfort of my own home.

Last year, I attended the event live in NYC, so a part of me wished I was there. But while my jealousy set in a few times (especially during the group massages at the end), I have to admit it was nice to be able to take a lunch break, get some tea and wear my sweats as I soaked up a multitude of new information.

For those of you who don’t know or are new to my blog, I graduated from IIN this past August as a Certified Holistic Health Coach. The school has been able to give me the chance to follow my dreams, start my own business, believe in myself, lose those last 10 pounds of baggage (plus some) and start an entirely new career path for myself.

Therefore, whenever I get the chance to hear from more speakers and listen to … Read More!

Halloween season is here: a time for jack-o-lanterns, hayrides and sugar-laden treats. But we’re all aware that the food and candy that often comes with this holiday is more like a TRICK, setting us back a few steps from reaching our goals. No need to fear…here are 7 ways to treat yourself well this holiday season.

1. Make an Orange Strawberry Dream Smoothie like the one in the photo above. (OK, maybe it’s more like an Orange-Green.) This morning, I used my new Vitamix to blend this Vitamin C packed smoothie with 1/2 c. unsweetened coconut milk, 1/2 banana, 1/2 orange, 6 frozen strawberries, 3 celery stalks, 1 carrot, couple apple slices, and 1 baby cucumber. The combination is great for your hair & skin, and gives you just the right amount of a.m. energy!

2. Read the Labels on all your favorite Halloween candies. You’d be shocked to find out how much sugar some of them pack on, like the whopping 32 grams in 19 pieces of candy corn. That’s almost 2 grams of added sugar per tiny corn, and we know how quickly that can add up!

3. Get…Sweaty. Change up your usual fall activity routine … Read More!

[the clan – me, dad, mom, cousin & husband, sister, and friend]

This past Saturday, my family and I woke up at in the wee hours of the morning at 5 a.m. to drive up to Newport, Rhode Island. The day of the Newport United Healthcare Half Marathon had finally come. It was hard to believe that it had already been one year since last year’s half marathon in Newport, which is now becoming a family tradition of sorts.

But this time was different than all the rest. This time I was determined to push myself, to run hard, to get after that PR. During my training runs, I realized something that I hadn’t known before: I could run faster. I am strong. I can do it. You see, I’ve always sort of held back and ran happily in my comfort zone during all my prior runs. I didn’t want to risk burning myself out too soon, and then not being able to finish a run, especially on race day. However, once I realized that I could pick up my speed and find a comfortable stride, I realized I wasn’t giving myself enough credit as a runner.

My first … Read More!

When I first began my personal path to wellness, I would often focus on the little things because I know just as much as the next girl that those BIG things can seem rather intimidating at times. You may often hear me say on this blog that healthy living is a lifestyle, not a quick overnight fix and I stand by this statement 100%.

You see, as women, we often strive for perfection try to be better. We push ourselves to be skinnier, prettier, more fit, more generous, a better mom, a better friend, etc. The list goes on and on. However, sometimes it’s better to just take a pause on the judgement for a second, and be the best we can be.

In order to do this, I recommend my clients (and readers) to create small, attainable goals for themselves and build from there. I didn’t start eating kale salads and running half marathons overnight. No, it took time, trial-and-error and patience. But you know what? I did it. And so can you. Because you know what? Those seemingly small changes are what lead to big, long-lasting results.

Here are some small changes you can add into your … Read More!

I’m a huge advocate of eating with the seasons, as nature intended us to. After all, there’s a reason that berries come into season in the summertime to cool us off, and hearty vegetables like squash and potatoes become more available in the winter to provide insulation during the colder months.

Unfortunately, genetically modified crops and shipping food across the country makes every fruit, vegetable and grain available all season long. While some may think this is a good thing (watermelon in December!) I encourage you to take a step back and think about what this means. Is consuming blueberries in January, or bananas that have been shipped from South America natural? Does it really make sense to eat this way?

Now that we’re entering autumn, I challenge you to experiment eating with the seasons. Here are some fall staples to get you started:

• Pears: Mix them into a salad with spinach, quinoa and goat cheese for a delicious & easy lunch

• Cauliflower: Cut the calories in your “mashed potatoes” with cauliflower instead of potatoes, or roast it to make one of my favorites: Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower from Eating Well.

• Apples: Pick your own apples before

I first fell in love with pesto when I studied abroad in Italy one summer during college. Nothing compares to the delicious blend of basil, walnuts, garlic and freshly shaved parmesan cheese. While I love pesto, I don’t cook with it as much as I’d like to because a.) I’m not a huge fan of store-bought varieties and b.) making your own can be quite a mess. (Side note: I will most likely be making my own more now that I own a Vitamix!)

For those of you who enjoy pesto, but aren’t in the mood to battle with your food processor, this recipe is for you. Instead of making a pesto sauce, I combined all the ingredients into my pasta dish to create the same flavors in half the time. Oh, and it’s gluten free friendly!

Quinoa Pasta with Lazy Girl’s Pesto

Makes two servings

• 1 to 1 1/2 c. quinoa pasta (you can substitute brown rice pasta if you’d like)
• 2 cloves garlic (I use more because I’m a huge fan of garlic)
• 1. c frozen broccoli
• 1 c. frozen spinach
• 2 TB coconut oil
• 1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 TB walnuts, chopped
• approximately 1 TB

Every woman has something that they can justify spending their money on. For some it’s new shoes, a watch or even a car, but for me it’s anything to do with my health. That’s why I dropped $450 + on a Vitamix last weekend at the Natural Living Health Expo in Sturbridge, MA.

Normally, I’d think it would be crazy to spend over $400 on a blender, but you see the Vitamix 5200 is no ordinary blender. Rather, I consider it an investment for my health.

You see, I have been a lover of green smoothies and juices for a while now, and no machine could do the trick. I’d sacrifice nutritious skin and fiber that would get eaten up by my juicer, or have to use 1,000 carrots just to create a cup of liquid. Not to mention the number of times I’d press blend and nothing would happen. I was losing hope.

Then entered the Vitamix. I had been dreaming of owning this machine for some time now, but I just didn’t think it was in my budget. However, it took just two minutes watching the live demo at the health expo, and I was sold. The super-friendly … Read More!