Healthy Chicks

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The thoughts we tell ourselves become a part of who we are. Therefore when we say mean, hurtful things to ourselves like “I’m fat,” “My thighs are too big,” “I’ll never look as pretty as she does,” or “I’m not good enough” we start to believe these thoughts. Doesn’t do much for our confidence, now does it?

As women, we constantly beat ourselves up and push ourselves to be better, faster, stronger, prettier, sexier. We are our #1 critic after all. We say things to ourselves that we would never dare say to a best friend!

This weekend, I encourage you to be a little easier on yourself. Look into the areas where you aren’t being so nice to your body, and ask yourself where those beliefs are coming from. Then think about how you want to feel when you look in the mirror and start to embody those feelings.

Do you want to feel beautiful, strong, confident? Start telling yourself I am beautiful, I am strong, I am confident. Watch as your mood lifts as you begin to see you already are all of those things. Self-love at its best, baby!

Fill in the blank. I want to feel________when … Read More!

I value my time more than anything. While often times I feel like I don’t have enough time to do everything I want in a day, I feel I do a pretty good job balancing my time between my relationship, my friendships and my career. Have I perfected it? No. Have I gotten better? Yes.

Then there’s my “me time,” something I’m still working on every day to create more of. I’m beginning to realize that me time is perhaps the most meaningful, precious time of all because without me time, well, time sort of just tick-tocks on by.

Yesterday I had an extremely busy, action-packed day where I barely had a minute to stop & breathe. I was OK with it because I knew I had my 6:30 p.m. roofdeck yoga to look forward to. Some Rachel time on the mat on a beautiful roofdeck overseeing Boston. That right there got me through a somewhat stressful afternoon.

I left myself a fair amount of time to get to yoga as I always do, and skipped off with my mat and water bottle to catch the T. “Sweet, it’s early! I LOVE when that happens,” I thought to … Read More!

I spent this past weekend on Cape Cod with a group of college girlfriends celebrating our friend’s bachelorette party. As I was looking around at the group of ladies (some whom I hadn’t seen in years), I couldn’t stop admiring how beautiful everyone is.

And no, I’m not talking about just on the outside. It’s no question that everyone rocked their LBD and looked absolutely glowing, but what I’m talking about is the beauty that comes from within. Inner & outer beauty are connected and if you can express them both then girl, you’ve got it goin’ onnn!

Here are 5 Ways to Be Beautiful From The Inside Out:

1. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself & let loose: True beauties aren’t afraid to make a fool out of themselves and have a good time. This sort of inner-child playfulness is downright attractive!

2. Be True To YOU: What I love about all my friends is that we are all so incredibly different and that’s OK. Our group of friends is made up of free spirits, creatives, party-hoppers, sporty gals, accountants and entrepreneurs alike. We all have completely different tastes in clothes, music, men, you name it. But … Read More!

Spinning has quickly become one of my favorite exercises of late. Why’s that, you ask? Well of course I love a good, sweat-inducing, body-sculpting workout, but that’s not the main reason why I’ve fallen in love with spin. What really put me head over heels is the way it makes me feel. There’s nothing like 45+ juicy minutes of straight-up adrenaline mixed with loud beats pumping through the speakers to get you motivated!

Thus far, I’ve been taking classes at Recycle Studio which I adore for their top-notch teachers and comfortable, boutique feel. (Take Christina’s class…she’ll make you sweat ’til the very end) But unfortunately there aren’t many other spin studios around the Boston area, especially for those who don’t live right in the city.

That’s why I was super excited for the opening of The Handle Bar, the city’s newest spin studio located in South Boston (right off Broadway Station on the Red Line.) And I was lucky enough to be invited to try the class with up to 10 of my friends (spin shoe rental included.) SCORE!

While The Handle Bar isn’t right in Downtown Boston, it’s just a quick 10 minute trip from Park Street Station, … Read More!

Many of us live on a schedule, and make choices based on habits. Most of the time, our decisions are based on what’s right or in the norm versus how we’re feeling.

We eat the boring iceberg salad with fat-free dressing because we’re trying to slim down, even though we may really want the juicy, grass-fed burger. We sign up for 5 cardio classes in one work-week to stay in shape, even though we may really need some yoga (or heck, even a nap.) We do what’s right and punish ourselves for being “bad” when we do what we presume to be wrong.

How is this behavior showing up in your life?

This week, I’ve been lacking on the fitness front and old me would have beat myself up about it. New me realizes my body needed rest, nourishment and replenishing. Instead of ignoring my body’s signals by forcing myself to run it off on the treadmill for hours (old me), I now understand the beauty of looking within and taking a break. And this morning’s 7 a.m. Vinyasa flow at Back Bay Yoga with the lovely Cara Gilman totally hit the spot.

After all, our bodies are smart, and … Read More!

I live a very fast-paced, go-go-go, give it my all, “you can sleep when you’re dead” lifestyle most of the time (as I assume most blossoming entrepreneurs do.) It’s full of passion, excitement, life and color! Staying up late letting the creative juices flow…parking it at coffee shops for the day to hit last-minute deadlines…taking chances…booking meetings…picking up the phone…showing up…saying “Yes.”

I won’t lie: while it’s wildly inspiring and entertaining sometimes it can be plain exhausting. Exhausting to the point of burn out, fatigue and “enough.” Does that mean I’m not cut out for it? Not one bit.

You see, what I realized lately is that you don’t have to pick one or the other: the “play it safe” unplugged life or the fast ‘n’ furious audacious life. Rather, they can play off each other and you can have the best of both worlds. You can create your perfect blend.

How? By slowing down (when you need to). It’s wonderful to live a life full of wild excitement, but if you suddenly get too wrapped up in being “on” all the time, that may be a sign that it’s time for you to slow down, take a break … Read More!

I get it, you’re busy & don’t have time in the morning. (Who does these days?) But that doesn’t mean you’ve gotta settle for a leftover cookie, OJ from the office vending machine or a plain bagel with cream cheese for your breakfast of champions. We all know that processed, high-sugar, packaged meals don’t quite serve us so well – especially when we rely on them to fuel our energy.

But what are we to do when we’re on a time crunch? Trust me, I don’t like spending an hour on breakfast either. Um, we have lives…I totally get it!

That’s why I’ve come up with a variety of go-to meals that are quick, easy and nourish me all in one. Know that your perfect breakfast will be different than mine, as we are all different and what works for one may not work for another. (This is something I work on further with my private clients!)

But that being said, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite breakfasts when I’m pressed for time. Enjoy!

The Mexi Breakfast Burrito {Gluten Free & Dairy Free}

What Ya Need:

• 1 brown rice tortilla wrap (I buy mine at Trader