Health & Wellness

10 Kitchen Staples for the Healthy Chick

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Tonight for dinner I made one of my favorite quick and easy dishes:  Light ‘n’ Healthy Summer Pasta (or shall I call it Fall pasta?) Really, a dish like this can be made every season, with minor veggie variations of course. Anyway, back to the point: as I was running around boiling the water and sautéing my veggies, I thought about how terrible it’d be if I didn’t have some extremely vital kitchen staples. You know, the things you take for granted when cooking but it’d be a complete kitchen nightmare if suddenly you were all out. Yes, those lovely lifesavers. Anyway, I put a quick list together of my personal gotta-have-it supplies and thought I’d share with you fine ladies!

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil- The perfect “dressing” for a salad, the best and only way to cook veggies, and the most wonderful combination with pasta. EVOO is definitely a MUST in my book (er…kitchen). 

2. Fresh herbs: I always like to have a few fresh herbs around the house. Right now I have basil and dill, but I like to change it up depending on what I’m cooking that week. Other faves are cilantro, parsley, mint leaves, and … Read More!

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Sexiness is a Sate of Mind: Let it Shine Through!

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Sexy. The dictionary defines it as three things: 1. provoking or intended to provoke sexual interest, 2. feeling sexual interest; aroused 3. interesting, exciting, or trendy. However, I don’t  feel sexy is really definable when you think about it, as it’s relative to the person at hand. What may be sexy to one isn’t necessarily sexy to another i.e. the guy I was drooling at while at the bar last weekend, my friend found to be “heinous.” Yes, she indeed used the word heinous. You can compare cars, dresses, ties, shoes, restaurants and everyone is going to have their own definition as to what he or she finds sexy. 

On other notes, what makes a woman feel sexy changes from person to person as well. And I was very interested in digging deeper into the minds of different women of all ages to see what sexy means to them. First I’ll start with myself. This may seem strange, but I feel my absolute sexiest when I’m in tight workout clothes heading out for a workout. Yes, a form-fitting tank and some cute cropped yoga pants with a pony makes me feel 1,000000 times sexier than when I’m … Read More!

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P.S.

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P.S. I also signed up for my very first 10K THIS weekend, and am super pumped for it. After some wonderful, inspiring comments from readers, friends, and Twitter followers, and some talking myself into it, I suddenly found myself typing in my credit card number in the online registration section with NO hesitation. I’m super excited to run and am hoping the adrenaline rush and positive thoughts will carry me through : ) 

Ta ta for now!

XoXo,

The Healthy Chick… Read More!

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The Recipe to a Happy, Simple Saturday

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First off, I’d like to take a moment to honor this day, and remember all of the loved ones who were lost. We should all keep that in mind throughout the day, and try to maintain a positive, hopeful mindset for the future. 

I plan to spend this gorgeous Boston fall Saturday as simply as possible. No crazy plans or hectic appointments. Instead I’m going to relax, reflect and be happy. It’s said a picture’s worth a thousand words so instead of my usual wordy posts, I decided to enlighten you with photographs instead. This is how I plan to spend my lazy yet thought-provoking Saturday…

Seek out life’s simple pleasures. Find joy in the little things. This can be going for a walk and feeling the crisp fall air blow through your hair, or sending a “thinking of you” note or a hug to a friend in need…

 

 

Paint your nails…a pretty color…on the porch outside…with your best friends

Finally tackle that pile of laundry you’ve been procrastinating all week…

 

Do something crafty and creative, like organizing your bulletin board or starting a crochet

 

Drink a lot of H2O (with lemon if you have it)… I have to admit, … Read More!

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Oh Dessert, How I Love Thee: Healthy “Dessert” Options

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The other day after dinner, I reached into my cabinet for a handful of Ghiradelli Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips. I’m a huge fan of dark chocolate, and these little gems do it for me every time. “What are you doing? Didn’t you just eat dinner?” my neighbor asked, confused of why I was eating chocolate right after my eggplant lasagna indulgence. “It’s my dessert!” I shouted back at him. “What, you eat dessert?” Um, duh! And let me tell you: sometimes it’s a lot more than a handful of chocolate chips. Just ’cause I’m healthy doesn’t mean I resort to broccoli and peas for my post-dinner treat. 

Dessert. Ahhhhhh. Just the sound of it alone makes me  feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It’s honestly one of the best things on earth, the perfect ending to a perfect meal. As you can see, I am totally a sweet tooth fanatic. But there is no way I’m going to have the taste of salad or pasta sauce in my mouth and call it a night. I at least need a piece of gum or a savory mint before I hit the hay. I know some people who brush their teeth immediately … Read More!

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Get Rid of That Guilt: Why Skipping a Workout is OK

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This morning, I got up early and headed out to meet my friend at Starbucks for…wait for it…PUMPKIN SPICED LATTES! Yes, they are indeed back and I couldn’t be more excited about it. Not only do I love the flavor, but it makes me ecstatic for the fall season: pumpkins, running outside, not sweating in my 100+ degree apartment, kettle corn, hayrides, apple picking… Seriously, I could go on forever. 

Anyway, as we chatted over our absolutely delicious “fall in a cup” lattes in the park, my friend admitted to something: she felt guilty for skipping her morning run. “I woke up early so I could run before work and then just laid around the house and didn’t do it. Now I’m going to feel guilty the rest of the day.” As I took another sweet slurp of my latte, I reflected on how I’ve been there a million times in the past. Whether I wasn’t “in the mood” to go for a run or skipped a cardio class at the gym due to pure laziness, it’s hard not to feel a little guilty when you skip a workout. I remember in college if I didn’t go to the … Read More!

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Bring Your Inner Beauty OUT

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This morning after breakfast, I went into the bathroom for my usual makeup routine. Moisturizer. check. Few dabs of liquid concealer. Check. Touch of powder. Check. Mascara. Check. Eyeliner. Check. Then I saw some bright pinkish/purply lipstick at the bottom of the bag, something I haven’t used for a verrryy long time. After all, I’m a pretty simple girl and normally just stick with clear lip gloss or vaseline if anything on my lips. But today was different. This lipstick had a story behind it. “bibo,” it read in cursive across the outside. “bibo? what the hell is bibo?” Then I remembered what it stood for when my mom gave it to me a few years ago: bringing inner beauty out. 

So what did I do? I grabbed ahold of that lipstick, twisted it up and applied some on my lips. Sure, it’s bright and a little bit much but I was going to rock this lipstick for all that it’s worth today. That’s exactly when I decided that I would also make today dedicated for bringing my own inner beauty out. No feeling fat. No feeling sorry for myself. No comparing myself to other women. No, today I … Read More!

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Labor Day Fun

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Happy Labor Day to all of you Healthy Chicks out there! Hope you are all having a wonderful day, whether you are out getting your last drop of white clothing in (which frankly I don’t believe in), chugging beers, or BBQ-ing away. Whatever you choose to do, it’s your day off to do whatever you so please! Gosh, don’t you just looooveee days off? 

Anyway, while back in college I’d probably be chugging boxed wine out of the bag and running around in the sun, this Labor Day I took as a personal day and did everything I wanted to do (ya gotta be selfish sometimes). 

I started my day cleaning and organizing the kitchen. It was way overdue. When you can’t find your favorite coffee flavor, and it takes 10 minutes to dig up the Cuisinart, you know you have a problem. Alas, the problem is fixed due to my master organization skills. 

Once the kitchen was sparkly clean, I made a delicious breakfast: an egg white omelet with mushrooms, spinach, onion, tomato and fresh mozzarella cheese with a side of Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel toast (mmm mmm good). Oh I also brewed two cups of fresh coffee … Read More!

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Healthy…Dudes?

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Lately I’ve been getting a lot of feedback from men. There are those who read my blog religiously, others who enjoy what I have to say about women, and some who just simply like the concept of it and want to know more. While my blog is called “Healthy Chicks” and mostly geared for, well, chicks, I suppose much of the advice I give can be for both men or women, really. 

So for all of you men out there: don’t be ashamed to read my blog and give me suggestions. In fact, I’m flattered that both men and women can enjoy what I have to say. No, I’m not going to change the name of my blog to “Healthy Chicks ‘n’ Dicks,” nor will I suddenly become an expert on the male species, but I do welcome readers of all backgrounds and genders. 

When it all comes down to it, both men and women can follow a happy, healthy lifestyle…and who knows, maybe we can learn from one another? I’ve got to be honest: I’ve flipped through Men’s Health magazine, and actually find it interesting what they have to say about men, health and even relationships. Not to mention … Read More!

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Margaritas, Scales 'n' Stupid Numbers (and Why You Shouldn't Take Them So Seriously)

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So last night was Mexican night i.e. way too many margaritas, chips and salsa in one sitting, with salt overload might I add. The margarita glasses were rimmed in salt, the chips were swimming in salty goodness and our limes (for the tequila shots later on) were even coated in salt. Why, I don’t know? However, I didn’t beat myself up over it at all because I eat healthy every day, and had eaten “clean” all day long. What’s a little fun gonna do?

That doesn’t make up for the fact that I felt like a huge bloated blob this morning when I woke up. And, expectedly, when I stepped on the scale this morning I was two pounds more than I usually am. While two years ago I would’ve cried and beaten myself up over the fact that I “gained” two pounds in one day, I am a much wiser version of myself now. Instead of freaking out, I laughed and thought to myself, “Yep, that’s what salt will do to you.” Ladies, I’m only going to say this once: IT’S ONLY WATER WEIGHT. There is no possible way you can gain two pounds in one day, unless you … Read More!

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