Archive for the ‘ Health & Wellness ’ Category
The 10-10-10 Workout
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Well, since there are only two days left of 2010, I thought this 10-10-10 workout I did this morning was only fitting, and I just had to share it with all my favorite readers. While it may have only been 30 minutes of exercise, I feel wonderful and extra “glowing” today. Follow this 10-minute increment routine if you’re one to get bored easily and are also pressed for time. Enjoy!
Step 1: 10 minutes of intense cardio – on a bike, swimming, on the treadmill, on the elliptical SPRINTING hard so you’re dripping in sweat. You want to make this step quick ‘n’ sweaty.
Step 2: 10 minutes of strength training/weights: I started with an interval routine I absolutely LOVE which goes like this: 10 step-up lunges, 10 lat pull-downs, 20 sit ups on an exercise ball; repeat three times with no rest in between. After my fave interval routine, I did three sets of 10 dumbbell swings with a 15 pound dumbbell. For the rest of my 10 minutes, I did various abs exercises including crunches and side bends.
Step 3: RELAXATION – this is my “cool down” meditation segment. Do 10 minutes of yoga, … Read More!
That Law of Attraction is Pretty Legit
The other day when I was getting dressed for Christmas dinner, I heard my mom screaming from the kitchen “You’ve got mail! Rachel what is this?” I quickly ran over to see what this mystery mail could be. Once she handed the tiny postcard over to me, I knew exactly what it was. Last year on New Year’s Eve (almost exactly a year ago), my sister, a good friend and I went to First Night in Boston. For those of you who don’t know, it’s a ginormous festival of arts and community in Boston that takes place every New Year’s Eve.
Anyway, while we were there, we filled out these postcards with our wishes for the year written down. We then addressed them to our respective homes, handed them in and quite frankly forgot about them for nearly 365 days. That is until that very same postcard was sitting in my hand once again on Christmas night. At first, I laughed. And then within seconds my laughs turned to disbelief, shock, and surprise. Nearly all of my “wishes” had come true…in just a year.
Here, I share to you my wishes for 2010:
1. To still be living in a … Read More!
Great News on the Healthy Chicks Front: The Books Have Arrived!
Happy Christmas Eve all! Besides the fact that this Christmas season has already brought me much joy (a boy I’m dating whom I kinda sorta really like, wonderful family reunions, SNOW, sisterly chats, more SNOW, and tasty eats, it’s also brought me a very special package that arrived just in time. What is this mystery package, you ask? Why, it was a big, big cardboard box filled with 25 of my very own “Healthy Chicks in the Kitchen” recipe books.
For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been working on these recipe books for some time now – from writing the intro and table of contents to coming up with fun titles and descriptions of each recipe. Oh, and I’ve also been busy cooking…gotta test ’em out, right?
Anyway, they finally came in the mail late Wednesday night, and after my mom and I ripped open the package, stared at the front cover, and flipped through the book (multiple times), I think it was safe to say I was oozing with happiness. I couldn’t – and still can’t – believe that I designed these babies all by myself, I came up with every single recipe in the book (all … Read More!
Personal Records are the Best Kind of Records
[Morgan & I pre-race]
Confession: I take my personal records very seriously (in all parts of life), so much that I nearly knocked down ten Santa Clauses and a few men in Speedos to beat mine at yesterday’s Jingle Bell 5K Run. I had my arms flailing, my legs moving faster than ever and I think I even boxed out a few Santas (oops). According to the timer on my iPod, I beat my PR of a previous 27:11 with a record-breaking 27:05. However, according to the online race results, I got 27:15, but I’m going to trust my iPod and celebrate anyway. If I had a clear pathway at the end (sans reindeer, Santas and fat men in Speedos), I totally could have broke 27 minutes. That’s all I’m sayin’. I was on a roll, baby!
But whether my time was 27:05 or 27:15, I am more than proud of myself. I am also ecstatic for my best friend who completed her first ever 5K! She hasn’t ran 3 miles straight in ages, yet finished the entire race like a champ just a little over 30 minutes. (Good job Morgs!) You see, her goal was simply to finish
… Read More!Friday Recap: 4 Things I Learned This Week
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TGIF fellow Healthy Chicks! You’ve finally made it to Friday, and can officially enjoy the week being over. However, instead of celebrating the weekend, I’m going to do a little recap on this week as I’ve learned a lot these past few days…
# 1. Fake Christmas Trees Just Don’t Cut it (And Never Will): The other day I witnessed my first real Christmas tree of the season. I walked into my friend’s apartment and the second I stepped foot inside I could just smell it, fresh pine needles mixed with Christmas that is. I immediately felt warm and happy inside. You see, since we live in a teeny tiny apartment, we decided to settle with decorating our fake palm tree with ornaments and a little tinsel. While it looks pretty, it’s simply not the same. I will never understand fake Christmas trees, and you can ensure I will never have one once I can afford my own place. I already have a whole box of ornaments stored away for when I finally have my first tree (my mom gives my sister and I a few each year for Christmas)!
#2 A Restaurant Serving of Pad
… Read More!7 Healthy Ways to Get into the Holiday Spirit (& Burn Some Cals)
The other day, I went to the Prudential Center to tackle some Christmas shopping. When I came out with nothing but some makeup for myself and a couple trinkets for my family, I was a little bummed. Of course, I was happy with my new Sephora goodies, but for all the efforts I went through in the mall, you’d think I’d at least get to cross off half of my Christmas list. Yes, I said efforts…my trip to the mall was more of a workout than a shopping spree. From dodging moms with strollers to running around like a mad woman (I was sweating after just 20 minutes of shopping), my annual Christmas shopping felt like 60 minutes on the treadmill. “Welp, guess I don’t have to work out today,” I said joking to a friend. But really, maybe I was right. With a little research and a little help from Health Discovery’s calorie calculator, I learned that many of our holiday activities are actually burning lotsa calories. So what I’m sayin’ is if you’ve been slaving away in the kitchen all day baking double-fudge brownies, skip that cardio and do a little butt toning instead ; ).
… Read More!The Secret (To Getting What You Want in Life)
So a few years ago, I was roaming through some old books in my grandma’s church “Rummage Sale” and came across a book that caught my attention: The Secret. “The Secret. The Secret to what?” I thought to myself as I read the inside cover. The book quickly intrigued me, so I bought it. Heck, I’ll buy anything at a bargained price, but there was something about this book that got me.
I must say, to this day, I’ve never read a book quite like The Secret. To sum it up, it basically tells you that you can have anything you want in life (yes, anything) as long as you believe it’s yours…and I mean,really believe it. That’s the “secret” after all to changing every aspect in your life to lead to ultimate happiness.
At first, I thought the book was kind of a whole bunch of bologna. HA. I can just want something so bad and I’ll have it? Yeah right. If that’s the case I’d be in a relationship with a bangin’ body and a phenomenal job. [negative, doubtful talk]
But when I let myself open up to the idea that this philosophy may actually work,
… Read More!Spice Up Your Kitchen (& Your Taste buds)
Yesterday, my roommate came home from a long day at work, and asked me to the usual question, “What should I have for dinner?” As I listed off a bunch of foods, she continued to say she either didn’t have the ingredients or was simply sick of that concoction. After all, she always sticks with the same exact thing: sweet potato with salad, pasta with toast or a turkey burger. After a long day of work, it’s hard to get creative in the kitchen; I hear you. I too sometimes find myself getting into the routine of eating the same exact thing every day…simply because it works. Eggs or oatmeal for breakfast, big salad for lunch, chicken and veggies for dinner. While it’s easy to get caught up in a comfortable routine in the kitchen, it’s way more fun to spice it up. And with the right tips, you can spice up your fridge and pantry pain-free!
Try At Least One New Item Every Week: The other day, I bought spaghetti squash (something I never buy) to make “Spaghetti & Meatballs.” It was so refreshing to enjoy an out-of-the-norm, nutritious meal for a change, and it came out absolutely delicious. … Read More!
