Healthy Chicks

The Event Deets

Last night, I was lucky enough to be invited by Sara Steele-Rogers, the Boston Event Evangelist for Evenbrite, to attend a Boloco Burrito + Samuel Adams Beer Pairing. The event was hosted by Boston Marathon runner  Danielle Pillon to raise money for Jumpstart, a national early education organization that helps children develop adequate language and literacy skills in order to be successful in school.

It couldn’t have been a lovelier evening in Boston for the event, which took place at the Boston Society of Architects Space on Congress Street. And what a wonderful idea to pair delectable burritos with refreshing beer, especially on a perfect spring night. Even better, the head chef and cofounder of Boloco, Jason Hutchinson, and Director of Consumer Relations at Sam Adams, Todd Bellomy, were there to offer their expert knowledge.

Everything was extremely organized with a low-key vibe, which is totally up my alley. Upon walking in, we were promoted to simply grab a paper plate and a cup and let the tasting begin! Before I dived into the fun, I entered the raffle to win a dinner for two on the Odyssey, which would be my dream evening for … Read More!

I’m totally a simple girl when it comes to gifts, meaning I’m perfectly happy with a handwritten card, dinner and a bottle of wine. Being the sentimental, romantic gal that I am, I live for those gifts that come from the heart.

So what’s a girl to do when she doesn’t like said gift from boyfriend? You see, The Boy had given me several gifts this past Valentine’s Day, one being a bracelet that wasn’t quite my style at all. Let’s just say, I’d probably never wear it and I truly felt terrible for not liking it. I tried to, really I did but it just wasn’t me. So I did what I felt I had to do at the time: lied. “I love it! It’s beautiful! And it has pearls!”

But when weeks went by with me not wearing it, and The Boy questioning why I didn’t have it on, I could only use the “It doesn’t match my outfit” excuse so many times. I had gotten myself stuck in a huge rut. I just had to tell him, someway, somehow that I didn’t like his gift…but how? (Ha, that totally sounds like something Dr. Seuss would say)… Read More!

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Last week, I was given an incredible opportunity from OpenSky to interview (via email) bestselling author and health activist Kathy Freston. Not only is Kathy absolutely stunning as is evident from her photo above, but I admire her approach to living well in all aspects of her life. Talk about practicing what you preach! Not to mention she is completely down to earth and “real” with her advice; totally the kind of person I’d love to sit down with at a little cafe and chat “girl stuff” over some exotic tea. Below, Kathy dishes about her new book The Lean, her personal wellness journey, the scary four-letter word D-I-E-T, and her “get healthy” secrets. I’ll turn it over to Kathy from here.

Kathy, it’s such a pleasure to be able to speak with you. I actually had the privilege of hearing you speak at the IIN Conference in NYC this past fall, as I am on my way to becoming a Certified Health coach myself.  Were you always interested in health and wellness? What motivated you to make this your career?

KF: Hi Rachel, great to meet you, and I love what you are doing!  … Read More!

As you know, I’m usually not a fan of “quick fixes.” I believe in a whole, individualized approach to health & wellness (meaning small, gradual changes make big differences and many things effect our health in different ways) and I greatly despise the word D-I-E-T. Living a healthy, pure lifestyle isn’t just a checklist that you do once to see results; rather it’s the day-to-day that counts.

That being said, there are a few things I practice nearly every day to feel happier, healthier, and more whole in the moment. Yes, these little tips will work better if you combine them with other methods that personally work for you, but this is a great jump-start. Like I said, little changes = big differences.

4 Things I Do Every Day for My Health:

#1 I attempt to cook at least two, ideally three of my meals myself. Doing this allows me to know exactly what’s going into my food, and essentially into my body. I love dining out just as much as the next girl, but quite frankly it doesn’t always work for my budget not my taste buds. Cooking allows me to have delectable roasted veggie omelets for … Read More!

Good afternoon ladies.  I hope you all had the chance to get outside today for your lunch break, as it’s absolutely beautiful outside. High 60s/low 70s is my ideal springtime weather; it’s not so hot that all your makeup drips off but it’s just warm enough to get a lil sunshine and keep you feeling happy.

Speaking of happiness, I’m in a much better mood today regarding my skin dilemma. I think whatever I’m doing has been working so far, including focusing on my dietary choices, sipping Yogi Skin Detox Tea to help purify and rid my body (and skin) of toxins, as well as being gentle with my skin-care routine. The lovely lady at Whole Foods actually gave me a few samples to take home last night that help reduce redness/inflammation while calming the skin. I’ll let you know how that goes! I also bought a gentle On-The-Spot treatment called Pure & Clean Acne Treatment Gel which has tea tree oil in it to aid natural recovery.

Anyway, this afternoon I whipped up a delicious Turkey & Artichoke wrap for lunch which I wanted to share with my readers. I usually don’t eat tons artichokes, but as I … Read More!

{Who new artichokes could actually promote skin health? image source}

On Saint Patrick’s Day morning, instead of waking up to green eggs & ham, I woke up to a full-fledged breakout. Ever since I made the decision to go off of oral contraceptives for my health and my body, I’ve been feeling wonderful – I’ve lost weight, gained energy, and simply feel “lighter” and more healthy in general. However, when making my personal, well-thought-out decision, I was also aware of one possible side effect; that is my skin flaring up due to a change in hormones. Unfortunately, I think the inevitable is happening.

“Really, I’m dealing with acne in my mid-20s! Why?! WHY?!!” I moaned and groaned to my boyfriend, my sister, and quite frankly anyone who would listen. Having struggled with severe acne as a teenager, I thought those days were far behind me, but when I looked in the mirror the other day, those difficult years came flashing back at me.

Fortunately, I know much more about my health now (what works for me, what doesn’t work for me) and am also learning more and more everyday about natural solutions and home remedies. This has promoted me … Read More!

Speaking of cleansing (read my 3-day cleanse description here), I’ve totally been on a healthy, raw-food-loving, treat-my-body-well kick lately, and want to spread that cheer with you all (with a super sweet giveaway that is). Yup, I’ve got some exciting news for all my lovely blog readers this afternoon! ZICO Coconut Water and SpaFinder have teamed together in honor of Wellness Week (which begins March 19th), and are giving away a “Wellness Package” to one lucky Healthy Chick’s reader.

The Fabulous Package includes:

-ZICO yoga mat & bag

-Case of Chocolate Coconut Water (12-14 oz)

-$25 SpaFinder gift certificate

-Some other wellness inspired goodies (TBD)

I’m so happy to be able to (hopefully) make one of your days. So, let’s get rolling! To enter the giveaway, you can do one (or all) of these tasks below. Each task you complete, I’ll enter you in for the drawings that many times. For instance, if you tweet-tweet and like ZICO/ Healthy Chicks on Facebook, that’ll count as two entrees hence increasing your chance of winning.

Here are your tasks:

1. Comment on this post letting me know what wellness means to you OR why you want to win, along with … Read More!

So…my sister, The Boy, and I decided to go on a 3-Day Cleanse. We may continue on longer, but thought 3 would be a good number to start with. We’re kind of making our own rules, with little bits and pieces taken from lectures I’ve listened to, videos we’ve watched, and some good ol’ fashioned research. Much of the inspiration came from the New York Times Bestseller book Clean, written by Dr. Alejandro Junger, M.D. We loved the fact that Dr. Junger provides “clean” meals that aren’t bland (blah!), all liquid (no fun!) and actually have flavor while giving your body the nutrients it needs. None of that boring cabbage soup diet / Cayenne Pepper with Lemonade crap. This cleanse is for real.

While his book outlines a 21 day cleanse with specific combinations of “clean meals”, nutrients, herbs and spices, we decided to stick to a 3 Day variation of our own. I do hope to do the 21-day cleanse in the near future, however. Maybe when the weather gets a little nicer? Baby steps, people, baby steps.

So what’s on our plate, you ask?: (mostly) liquid meals for breakfast and dinner to give the digestive system … Read More!