Monday Inspiration: Let Your Inner Beauty Shine

Leave a Comment / Lifestyle / Rachel @Healthy Chicks

Happy Memorial Day everyone. Hope you are all enjoying spending the day of BBQing, beaching or simply relaxing. If you do hit the beach today, be sure to check out my post on Healthy Chicks’ Beach Day Essentials (plus a super sweet, er crunchy, giveaway!)

Today I wanted to shed the light on something I so strongly believe in: the concept of inner beauty. After all, it wasn’t until I started feeling beautiful and confident inside that I was able to feel that way on the outside. I won’t lie, it took time but it truly makes a world of difference.

What does inner beauty mean to you? Share below! … Read More!

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Healthy Chicks Beach Essentials (Plus a Food Should Taste Good Giveaway!)

32 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle / Rachel @Healthy Chicks

Good afternoon ladies! Hope you are all having a lovely Memorial Day Weekend. Since this past week was chock-full of events for me, I’m making sure to squeeze in some quality R & R this weekend. That being said, I do have a trip to the beach with some friends planned for tomorrow afternoon to ring in the holiday. I lieu of Memorial Day Weekend, I wanted to share with you my top 10 Beach essentials!

Healthy Chicks Top 10 Beach Essentials

1. A bottle of natural sunscreen like Alba Botanica for both body & face

2. A big eco-friendly bottle of water (that you can re-fill while there!)

3. A super cute, extra-large beach towel

4. Some good tunes – bring a radio or load your iPod up with beachy tunes like this song!

5. Fresh pre-sliced fruit like strawberries, watermelon and pineapple! (P.S. Did you know both watermelon & pineapple are great for reducing belly bloat?)

6. Your best friends / people who make you laugh and feel your very best self!

7. GAMES! (a frisbee, deck of cards, football, and ping pong paddles all work nicely)

8. Raw nuts (My faves are almonds and walnuts)

Weekly Event Recap: Harpoon 5-Miler, Fusion Fest & A Taste of Faneuil Hall

5 Comments / Lifestyle / Rachel @Healthy Chicks

This past week has been nonstop…in a good way that is. One of the many reasons I adore living in Boston is the seemingly never-ending supply of events, especially for us twenty-somethings. From wine tastings to food fests, yoga events to music festivals, The Hub is where it’s at when it comes to things to do.

And this pat week was no exception. Now that the weather is getting nicer (and bars are starting to open their outdoor patios again), there’s been a flush of events coming through my inbox. Since I like to keep myself busy and connect with new people, I try to attend as many as I can, while still making sure I have time for myself (which as you know is super important to me).

This week, I dabbled in a number of events including the Harpoon 5-Miler, Exhale Spa’s Fusion Fest and A Taste of Faneuil Hall: a little bit of fun, fitness and food. After all, that’s what being a Healthy Chick is all about, right? See below for a first-hand recap of each event!

Sunday: The Harpoon 5-Miler

This past Sunday, myself and 5 friends ran the Harpoon 5 Miler at … Read More!

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Healthy Chicks in the Community: A Soulful, Froyo Addicted, Barre-Teaching “Fit Feminist”

2 Comments / Healthy Chicks in the Community, Lifestyle / Rachel @Healthy Chicks

Happy Thursday everyone! I am off to a great start to the day as I got my butt out of bed for yoga. Yoga mornings = the best kind of mornings. Today, I gave Karma Yoga in Harvard Square a shot for my first time. I took a super energizing Vinyasa flow with Rachel Barringer, who gave the perfect balance of challenging postures, breath work and good ol’ fashioned humor. I really enjoyed her class and give her big props for starting my day off on the right foot.

Speaking of yoga, today’s feature on Healthy Chicks in the Community is a yoga teacher as well, and she’s far from ordinary. In addition to yoga, she teaches Barre & Soul and even aerial yoga. Plus she’s a wonderful writer and all around amazing woman inside & out and someone who I have the pleasure of knowing personally. I’ll let Andrea take it from here! (I think you’ll enjoy what she has to say, especially her message at the end!)

NAME/AGE: Andrea Isabelle Lucas/33

BLOG/TWITTER: Fit Feminist / Barre & Soul /@barresoul

CURRENT CITY: Boston

PHOTO TAKEN: by Lucie Wicker during my Barre & Soul class at Lexington Power … Read More!

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My Morning Wellness Ritual: 7 Things I Do Every Morning To Start My Day Off on the Right Foot

4 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle / Rachel @Healthy Chicks

#1: Hug The Boy – ‘nough said. I try to squeeze in some a.m. snuggle time and tell him how much he means to me each and every day.

#2: Stretch, breathe & say a mini thanks of gratitude – this can be anything from being grateful for my freedom to feeling extra-lucky to have a great man in my life. Expressing my gratitude allows me to see the positive side of things every time.

#3: Splash My Face with Cold Water & Gently Rub with Jojoba Oil – lately I’m loving my very own homemamde jojoba oil moisturizer mixed with lavender essential oil for a relaxing, calming effect great for both sensitive skin and/or those prone to breakouts.

#4: Sip On Warm Lemon Water – I started this morning ritual a few months ago and can’t get enough of it. Simply boil 1 c. of water and cool until warm. Then squeeze the juice of half a lemon and sip slowly. Not only does this help hydrate, but it also energizes, cleanses and detoxes the body. I can say yes to that every day!

#5: Brain Dump – I take a look at my master to-do list … Read More!

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Play More, Stress Less (And Perhaps Lose a Few Pounds Along the Way)

7 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle / Rachel @Healthy Chicks

Remember when you were a little girl and everything revolved around playtime? From make-believe weddings to Polly Pockets, fort-building to dream-building, a day never went by without a good dose of play, imagination and fun.

I still remember how trying to get my sister and I to sit down for family dinners was a job in itself. We’d be running around free outside (catching fireflies, building forts, or sharing secrets) and that ever-so-recognizable dinner bell meant playtime was tragically over. We’d even take mini breaks throughout our meals to skip, laugh and goof around.

The thing was: we weren’t even really that hungry. You see, we’d “fill up” on other things in life (you know, the precious things like love, hugs, laughter, and movement) that we didn’t “need” food to fill us up. In other words, as children, we didn’t rely on things like lasagna, Vodka Tonics and ice cream to make us feel better. Sure, mom’s meals tasted delicious (and she’d surely try her hardest to get us to finish our broccoli “trees”) but we didn’t need food to make us happy.

As adults, so often we use and abuse food to fill some other type of void in … Read More!

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5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Compare Your Plate, Pant Size, Paycheck or Yoga Posture

8 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle / Rachel @Healthy Chicks

As women, we’re constantly comparing ourselves to our friends, acquaintances, co-workers, siblings, business partners, fitness idols, you name it. While being inspired by someone or looking up to someone is perfectly fine or normal, it’s when the comparisons set it that things can get a little messy. This typically leads to feelings of jealousy, resentment, judgement or straight up “not good enough” which can be extremely harmful to your personal wellbeing.

While I still struggle from time to time to resist my ego and natural inclination to compare myself, I’ve realized it does no one any good. Here’s why you should stop comparing your plate, pant size, paycheck, yoga posture and everything in between:

1. You don’t know their full story. Often times when we compare, we wish we were *just like* the other person OR we judge the other person. The truth of the matter is that we don’t know their full story, and we may never know their full story. Pay attention to your own story instead.

2. Bio-Individuality: Everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for another. This is why some women swear by vegan diets, and others thrive on lean … Read More!

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Why Your Relationship with Food is Directly Connected to Your Relationship with Money (& My Big Self Discovery)

4 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle / Rachel @Healthy Chicks

This past weekend, I attended a Business Conference for Wellness Professionals in NYC—HMBA Live: Step into Your Spotlight—that literally changed my life. I can honestly say the past three days have been among the most fulfilling days of my life: eye-opening, fun, and transformational all in one.

I cried, laughed, danced, sang, ate, wrote, learned, reflected and heck, even spoke in front of a room full of 400+ people….on a microphone. In addition, I networked, made new friends, and relished in a community bursting with positive energy.

And while all of those things were life changing in and of itself, one of the most eye-opening “A-Hah” moments I had was when we started talking about money. More particularly our relationship with money. Just bear with me here…

I never really took the time to explore my relationship with money, although I certainly knew it wasn’t a good one. In fact, it was toxic, to say the least. I say was because all of this is about to change…starting 48 hours ago.

However, up until now, money and I just didn’t jive. We were heading straight to a break-up and boy was it going to be a nasty one. … Read More!

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I’ve Got Sunshine: 5 Ways to Break Out of That Rut & Add More Sunshine Into Your Life

9 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle / Rachel @Healthy Chicks

Do you ever feel like you’re lacking that glow? In a funk? Tired of the plain old mundane routine? Need some extra spark? Want to shake things up? Like you’re living in a giant cloud, and it seems like you’ve been waiting for the weather to clear for too darn long?

Well, do not fear my lovely lady. I’m here to tell you that first of all, you are 100% utterly & completely normal. In fact you are more than normal. I’ve been there, and I can guarantee any girl you talk to has been there too. And secondly, this little rut you’re going through is reversible; you can transform your life (more importantly your mindset) after all! Perhaps you don’t need anything spectacular, shiny or crazy expensive. Perhaps all you need is a little extra sunshine. Start now with these 5 simple tips and you’ll be feeling rejuvenated, hot and maybe even a little sun-kissed in no time!

1. Take a Special Someone Out On a Date (and Treat Them): I know, I know, you’re the one that’s in a funk, so shouldn’t you be the one who’s getting treated like a Princess? While it’s always nice to get … Read More!

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Friday Flashbacks: Creating a Food/Mood Journal & the universe knows

74 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle / Rachel @Healthy Chicks

It’s no lie I love writing. I love sharing my thoughts with the world, note-taking, blogging and quite possibly my favorite form: journaling. Unfortunately, the only type of journaling I did in college (i.e. my years of dieting) was counting calories in Calculus class while pretending to take notes. Not very comforting or journal-esque if I do say so myself. Food consumed my thoughts, actions and overall social life and, well, I let it.

All I could think about was my next meal, the calories in my lunch, where we were going to go out to eat, what I would order at dinner, or what would happen if I “cheated” and fell off the “band-waggon.” My thoughts were filled with guilt, shame and defeat and I had no one to share these thoughts with (or so I thought) and therefore I filled the void with dieting and self hate…my form of control.

After I quit dieting once and for all, I threw away the rusty scale, my calorie-counting notebook and any negative restrictive thoughts I had about myself. I decided it was finally time to wake up and live! For Real. Because what I was doing…was not living. It … Read More!

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