Healthy Chicks

When I traveled abroad in Italy the summer of my sophomore year of college, I was scared to death I’d gain weight by eating all the carbs and fat. To my surprise, I had lost about ten pounds and hadn’t felt that good about my body in years.

One of the things that really stood out to me was their dedication to high-quality food, particularly the rich flavors of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) doused onto nearly every meal — from caprese salads and pasta to ceviche and stir-fried veggies.

Since it clear I’m obsessed with EVOO, I was thrilled to partner with The Flavor Your Life campaign, whose mission is to educate US-based consumers to make informed decisions when purchasing European EVOO back at home. The campaign is supported by the European Union and Italy, and genuinely spreads the love and awareness around good quality, authentic olive oil, or as they like to refer to it as “liquid gold.”

The Extra Virgin Olive Oil Difference

You hear Rachael Ray talking about EVOO all the time and maybe have it stocked in your cupboard, but what the heck does it mean anyway? Put simply, it’s a fancy way of … Read More!

Happy Friday, friends! I’m heading off for a weekend of camping, so pray to the Weather Fairies that we get a little sunshine and warmth in New England. Alrighty, moving on to this week’s spotlight on Healthy Chicks in the Community, a weekly series highlighting rockstar Girl Bosses doing their thang in the wellness world!

Ever since she was pregnant with her first son, Boston Blogger and Health Coach Kaitlin of For Love of Carrots had been whipping up grab-and-go cookies for her nursing momma friends to help them boost their milk supply. When she gave birth to her now one-month-old adorable son Hudson, she was personally hit by the challenge of breastfeeding and finding time to eat for herself.

That’s when she decided to take things to the next level, and launched Mama Needs Milk, nutrient-dense lactation cookies to support nursing moms. They come in delicious flavors like Oatmeal Cranberry and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, and are made 100% gluten free with superstar ingredients like chia and hemp seeds for healthy fats. Kaitlin’s Etsy shop just opened, and as you know there’s nothing I love more than supporting local female entrepreneurs. I’m psyched to give this glowing, healthy new mama … Read More!

Those who know me know that I’m not crazy about big, glamorous materialistic things. When it comes to gifts, I much prefer a unique, handmade product with a story behind it. Quite honestly, most of the time my favorite part of the gift is a handwritten card. It has meaning behind it.

When I stumbled upon UncommonGoods, I was smitten. It’s an online marketplace for do-good artisans and designers to showcase their products to a community of passionate people (like you and me) who appreciate that special touch.

Based in Brooklyn, NY, their team of rockstars work to ensure the integrity of the company remains in tact as they grow — from sustainability to creative design. In fact, they are committed to selling handmade, recycled organic products and make an effort to steer clear of using leather, fur or anything that will harm people or animals. Most of all, I love their appreciation of craftsmanship, supporting all the creative souls out there who have a story to tell! We need more of that in the world.

The Shopping Experience: Gift Ideas, Galore!

The shopping experience is super seamless, and also a lot of fun! I had a blast searching … Read More!

I am over the (new) moon excited to introduce you to this week’s feature on Healthy Chicks in the Community, a weekly series celebrating rockstar Girl Bosses doing their thang in the wellness world.

Before Lucy became the Queen of Pantone Posts (stalk her Instagram if you don’t know what I’m talking about), her and I met at our company retreat when we both worked for sweetgreen. We instantly bonded sitting next to each other on the bus ride home, shamelessly admitting that while the rest of the bus wanted to party on, all we wanted was a solid nap sesh (#grandmas).

When I visited the sweetgreen Treehouse (HQ) for the first time in D.C., Lucy took me in under her wing, continuously feeding me with office snacks and homemade colorful smoothies, and even brought me as a guest to her gym. Even back then, her joy for life and love for food was obvious.

Now, Lucy lives out in California, and has created quite the buzz online with her beautiful #pantoneposts that inspire people to think of food as fun and playful, rather than shameful and caloric. (This recent post where she opens up about a past … Read More!

While embarking on my journey with Hashimoto’s and exploring the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), I was disappointed by the lack of good, clean healthy wrap options out there. While I’ve since been able to re-introduce many foods on the AIP, I’m still avoiding gluten and dairy as my body continues to heal.

It’s been getting easier (and honestly quite fun!) to cook wholesome, clean meals, but sometimes a gal just wants a good ol’ wrap, and unfortunately the items on the market were either lacking flavor, super processed or just plain boring. After doing some research, I discovered WrawP, and I instantly fell in love.

Created by a raw foodie, these wraps are super nutritious without lacking in taste or quality. The ingredients are simple and come from real foods like spinach, zuchhini, flax seeds, coconut and spices, all dehydrated into one delicious wrap.

I love that you can incorporate them into any kind of diet, whether you’re a raw foodie, vegan, paleo, gluten free or just looking for ways to up your wrap game the healthy way!

5 simple ways to get your WrawP on!

Curry Coconut Nori with Chicken Salad: Fill a Curry Coconut Nori WrawP with … Read More!

I am beyond excited to introduce you to this week’s feature on Healthy Chicks in the Community, a weekly series highlighting rockstar Girl Bosses doing their thang in the wellness industry. Every so often in life, you meet someone who touches you so deeply — who touches your soul. Katie is one of those sweet beings for me!

I met Katie a couple years ago when I was going through a super rough patch at work. I was unsure of my path and feeling extremely lost, so I decided to book a Spiritual Energy Healing session with Katie from Kindred Spirits. While I went into the session not having a clue what to expect, I left with the utmost peace, clarity and five pages of notes. I’ve since been back several times, and each time leave feeling lighter and more sure of myself.

Katie has a gifted ability to tap into your intuition unlike anyone I’ve ever met, gently guiding you to listen within (while also sharing beautiful messages from spirit). To anyone who is going through a transition or tricky time, I honestly couldn’t recommend her enough. Without further adieu, it’s my honor to introduce you to this … Read More!

Did you know you can create your own vegan “cheese” using cashews? I love how simple this recipe is, and that it’s free from dairy, gluten and any sketchy additives. It’s just real, pure ingredients made with love from my kitchen to yours. The fresh basil gives this version a nice springtime kick that I know you’ll absolutely love. Enjoy!

Springtime Basil Cashew “Cheese” 

Ingredients:

• 1 c. cashews (ideally soaked in water for a couple hours)
• handful fresh basil
• few generous shakes nutritional yeast
• 1 TB. lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• sea salt to taste
• 1/2 c. water (you won’t need as much if you soak the cashews)

In a food processor, combine the cashews, basil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice,  and garlic. Pulse. Pour in water slowly, pulsing until the consistency of your liking. Add sea salt to taste. Serve over salad or as a side dish with gluten free crackers and fresh veggies. Note: I love using Organic Living Superfoods “Sour Cream & Chive” Cashews for extra flavor!… Read More!

Happy Friday everyone, and it sure is a happy Friday indeed! Not only is it time for weekend vibes, but I’m also shipping off for a family vacation to South Carolina. My husband, sister, brother-in-law, mom and dad are all hopping into a giant van together to drive down to warmer weather and beach days. I could totally use a big dose of that Vitamin D, and couldn’t be more excited to just unplug, relax and chill out with the sand between my toes.

OK, enough bragging, we’re onto this week’s feature for Healthy Chicks in the Community, a weekly series highlighting rockstar Girl Bosses doing their thang in the wellness community. I’m super psyched to introduce you to Author, Illustrator and all-around genuine soul Paige Lawrence. Funny enough, I met Paige through my dad who went up to her at a Starbucks to tell her about my blog. (If you know my dad, this is totally not a surprise at all, he’s my biggest fan!)

I’m so glad we connected, because I quickly found out that Paige is the Author and Illustrator behind children’s book series Gluten Free Ghouls, educating and spreading awareness around food allergies in a … Read More!