Healthy Chicks

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I received an email from my mom this morning saying how proud she was of me for running my first 10K. Then she said something that really got me thinking: “You are motivating many!” She went on by saying after I ran the race, it motivated her and two of her friends to run their first 5K (maybe even next weekend)! And that just felt incredible. The fact that a simple act like running a 10K can motivate other women (including my mom) to run their first race is absolutely amazing.

The funny thing is I had been motivated by my friend Megan to sign up for the race in the first place. She told me about it and I was weary at first (“Am I ready for this?” “Will I be able to finish it?”), but then I continued to be motivated by family members, friends and other women in the blogging community. Everyone had such inspirational, positive comments to say and that helped me pump myself up enough to finally sign up. I honestly don’t think I’d have gotten enough courage to go ahead and do it without all the wonderful support from others. You see, … Read More!

So I completed my first 10K this morning. Yup, the girl who couldn’t even run two miles a few years ago, cried in the middle of a 5K once and has never ran more than five miles ran an entire 6.2 miles today! The best part? I couldn’t have felt more alive, energized and motivated during the race, and feel absolutely amazing now! (Well…my legs could use some hardcore hot tub time, but other than that life is good) Oh and I beat my goal time of 60 minutes…59:34 baby! Anyway, I know first-time races can be a little scary, intimidating and a heck of a lot of work, so I put together a little list of inspirations to get you through your next race. Whether it’s your first 5K, your first 10K or your very first run EVER, these little mental motivations got me through the race today and hopefully work for you too: 

1. “I’m going to pace myself and go at a rate I feel comfortable with and know that I can maintain. If I get tired, I will slow down. If I feel good, I will speed up.”

2. “It’s just me and the road. Everyone … Read More!

As you know, I’m a huge fan of all-natural, fresh ingredients…especially ingredients that you can pronounce.  Yes, it’s true that I used to be a calorie-counter and low in calories meant it was good for me. But that all changed when I went to Italy four summer’s ago. I remember before I embarked on my journey I was SO nervous I was going to gain tons of weight while abroad: loads of pasta, pizza and bread, what am I going to do? Needless to say, I had a minor panic attack. However, when I got back from my two month trip and stepped on the scale, the exact opposite was true: I had lost five pounds. Yup, that’s right. I lost five pounds with my only exercise being walking to school and the local markets every day, and  while eating lots of fresh pasta, breads, cheeses, fruits, veggies and even a serving of gelato daily. 

It’s no miracle as to why I lost the weight. You see, what they serve in Italy is completely different than the “Italian” food you see here. It’s unbelievably fresh (god take me back there now), local (I bought everything I ate from markets on … Read More!

I’ve never been too much of a trends girl. In fact, if we’re talking fashion I’m farrrrr from “trendy.” I wear what I think looks good on me and what I feel comfy in. Yes, I have a pair of Uggs and no, I don’t think they look cute by any means. I just think they are the most comfortable things to prance around with in the winter. If people are raving about a certain restaurant or bar, I don’t fall for it until I try it myself, and I thought the whole hot yoga thing was ridiculous until I took a class. BUT, I do make my own trends and there are a few things I’m absolutely loving right now that I thought I’d share with you. Trendy or not, here goes:

Dog Days are Over: Yes, the song. If you watched the VMA’s then you surely saw Florence and the Machine’s performance of this absolutely amazing song. Seriously, it’s so inspiring and motivating, making for the absolute best song to run to. If you haven’t heard it yet, listen to it now. Just don’t blame me if you want to start dancing crazily around your apartment (or … Read More!

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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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!

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!

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!