Healthy Chicks

Happy Friday, babes! First and foremost, I want to thank all of you for your sweet words and support this past week. Since I published the story on my early miscarriage, I’ve been flooded with so much love from women in my community — through private messages, comments on my Instagram, texts and phone calls. I am beyond grateful, and this has been an enormous part of my healing journey so thank you.

“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings” – Lao Tzu 

It was the Fourth of July, the day before my 30th birthday, and I was with my family celebrating and watching the fireworks at our happy place in New Hampshire. Beautiful colors burst through the dark sky forming different magical shapes — my favorite being the “weeping willow.” My mom reached over and held my hand tightly, and said “I was just thinking 30 years ago today I was in the hospital watching fireworks about to give birth to my little girl.”

My eyes began to swell with tears, not just because of what my mom said but also because I knew this would be the month — the month we were pregnant. We had been trying for five months now, and I just knew this was it. I felt it.

The next morning, I got up bright and early on my 30th birthday so I could sneak into the bathroom and take a test while the rest of the family was still asleep. While hubby showered, I sat their on the toilet waiting for the long, slow three minutes to go by. At three minutes, I lifted the … Read More!

Happy (Fish) Taco Tuesday, friends! With summertime in full swing and hot, hot, hot weather, there’s nothing quite like Taco Night that gives me all the feels (especially when paired with a fresh-squeezed marg. 😉 )

These gems are made with pan-seared cod, scratch-made slaw and a to-die-for avocado mint lime sauce for the perfect amount of zesty cool-down. Enjoy!

Fish Tacos with Slaw & Avocado Mint Lime Sauce

• 1 lb. fresh or frozen cod (may use other white fish of choice)
• 1 lime (1/2 will be used for the sauce, other half for fish)
• 1 package slaw mix (I chose one from Trader Joe’s with organic carrots & cabbage)
• 1 avocado
• handful fresh mint leaves
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1-2 TB Apple Cider Vinegar
• corn tortillas
• cilantro, optional
• Sir Kensington’s mayo (I love the original or avocado oil)
• salt & pepper

1. Cut cod into bite-sized square chunks. Heat skillet with olive oil on medium heat, and add the fish. Stir, then add seasonings of choice. I did salt, pepper, cilantro and the juice of 1/2 lime. Stir until fish is cooked through and flaky. Cover and set side.
2. In the meantime, blend together avocado, garlic, fresh

Happy Friday, ladies! I’m celebrating my way right into 4th of July Weekend and my 30th birthday (on the 5th!) with a bang. But before we all take off for fireworks, BBQs and family fun, it’s time for this week’s spotlight on Healthy Chicks in the Community, a weekly series highlighting rockstar Girl Bosses doing their thang in the community.

One of my favorite quotes is, “She believed she could so she did.” It’s simple yet so powerful and I like that it shows what you want is ultimately up to you. Framingham MA resident Rachael Lynsey Rubin is the epitome of this quote — she had a dream, went after it and made it her reality.

I’ve followed her story along for a while, and it’s been so beautiful watching her go from makeup artist to Boss Girl/Photographer/Studio Owner/you name it in the matter of a few years. I’ll let Rachael take it over from here; perhaps she’ll inspire you too to go after something you believe in, and take it by the horns (or makeup brush and camera in her case).

NAME: Rachael Lynsey Rubin; RLR; Rach; Rachie

DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS/LINE OF WORK: I am the … Read More!

All the magazines and trainers are talking about losing 10 pounds for the summer and getting that “Bikini Body,” and quite frankly I find it super annoying. Meanwhile, I’m over here like, “How can I FUEL my mind, body and soul this summer?”

Don’t get me wrong, I get it and didn’t always have such a carefree attitude about summer. I used to live a life of deprivation, where I counted calories, avoided bathing suits like the plague and restricted myself from having “too much fun” by skipping margarita night and going out with friends.

Blah. Is there even such a thing as too much fun?

There comes a time when dinner parties with friends, adventures to the beach and seeing how many minutes you can hoola hoop without it falling to the ground becomes so much more gratifying than obsessing over cellulite, the calories in your Caesar salad and how many minutes you can squeeze in on the elliptical.

This past weekend, I went camping, hoola-hooped my butt off (and was actually really good, and seriously now want one for my 30th birthday), ate salmon straight off the grill and sipped on a vodka seltzer in a pink … Read More!

For my job, I spend much of the day perusing social media. Fun fact: aside from being a writer and Health Coach, I also manage social media for several small local businesses! While this comes with its ups and downs, for the most part I feel inspired by all the amazing women I get to connect with online and many of the times IRL (In Real Life).

Grace Brinton is one of those super cool ladies I’ve connected with through instagram, and I was immediately drawn to all her beautiful photos of food. Aside from posting pretty, drool-worthy foodie pics all day long, Grace also launched a sustainable Meal Delivery Service here in Boston, prioritizing nutrient-dense, organic and pasture-raised ingredients. Not to mention, everything she whips up is free from gluten and dairy, and many of her recipes are AIP-friendly which is great for those with an autoimmune disease like me who are navigating the AIP diet.

Clearly I’m a super fan girl of what Grace is doing, and couldn’t be more happy to feature her on the blog today!

{photo credit: Lucie Wicker Photography}

NAME: Grace Anna Brinton

DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS/LINE OF WORK:  I run a … Read More!

Happpppyyy Summer! Can you tell I’m excited? Summer is hands down my favorite season — for many reasons. Not only is my birthday coming up (I turn the big 3-0 in a couple weeks!), but it’s also the season of fireflies, cookouts, campfires, outdoor concerts and beach days. I love going outside without a jacket, longer days filled with sunshine, picnics and farmers markets.

Bright, colorful produce is finally in season like watermelon, zucchini, peaches, cucumber, blueberries and tomatoes, and life is simply buzzing with good energy.

In the midst of all the marketing telling us we need to drop 10 pounds to get that “Bikini Body” (which is a load of crap), summer is the perfect time to prioritize self-care by taking care of YOURSELF — mind, body and soul.

Join myself & fellow Certified Health Coach / Yoga Guru Kelley Abatzis for a 14-day Summer Self Care Challenge focused on putting yourself 100% first. Our signature self-care challenge is back by popular demand, with themes of body love, self-expression, and creating more time for play and fun in your life.

THE PROGRAM BEGINS MONDAY, JULY 17TH + INCLUDES:

1. Daily morning dose of positivity + clear action steps … Read More!

[Photo credit: Shivani Cotter]

A few months ago, I wrote about my journey with Hashimoto’s Disease and what I’ve been doing to jumpstart the healing process over here on the blog. I realize it’s now been about four months since then and a lot has happened in between so I wanted to share a follow up with you as to where I am now!

You can read all about what I personally did in my previous post, but just a quick recap of where we left things off in February 2017:

• I had just started the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet in January, and had been one month on the protocol, and a little over two months 100% gluten free
• I was truly taking charge of my own health, since the doctor refused to listen to me or order any extensive lab testing
• I was feeling more energized, less puffy, and had lost about 9 pounds within a little over one month
• My TSH had dropped from a 4.5 to a 3.3 within one month on AIP!
• I was just about to start AIP food re-introductions, with Phoenix Helix’s e-book as a guideline
• I was not on any