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!

When I was on vacation with my family in Clearwater Beach, Florida I pretty much ate the same thing for lunch every day: the Spinach Berry Salad served pool-side at our hotel. It was light enough for a sunny dine-in-your-bikini lunch but hearty enough to tide me over until dinner. Plus, it had crunchy BACON in it. Not too much….just enough. Some days I enjoyed as is, while others I topped with fresh grilled grouper, chicken or shrimp.

Seeing as though I’m a salad fanatic (especially when it comes to making my own) I knew I needed to come up with some sort of variation to take with me back to Boston. And so I did. Enjoy this Strawberry, Avocado & Bacon Spring Greens Salad when you’re looking for a little sun-shiny boost.

In the Mix

Makes 2-3 large servings

For Salad:

• 5 oz. package mixed greens of choice (I used Oliva’s Organics Spring Mix with Herbs)
• 6 large strawberries, stemmed and sliced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced into thin circles
• 1/4 c. chopped green onions
• 1 hardboiled egg, chopped
• handful of alfalfa sprouts
• 3 strips crispy all-natural bacon, chopped

For Dressing:

• 1/4 c.

#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!

What does falling in love with food look like for you? If you need support in improving your relationship with food (and your body), check out my new & improved health coaching programs and sign up for your free “15 Minutes to Fabulous” Breakthrough Session today! … Read More!

Good evening ladies! Hope you’re all doing well. I’m currently away on a family vacation at Clearwater Beach, FL and am soaking up every minute of it: the seafood (seriously, the Grouper is phenomenal!), the 86-degree weather, the sunshine, beach runs, pool-side drinks). I’m super excited to announce this week’s feature on Healthy Chicks in the Community as she’s someone who is very close & special to me. That is, my younger sister of course. I’ll let Krista take it from here!

NAME/AGE: Krista /24 in a little over a week!

CURRENT CITY: Boston, MA

PHOTO TAKEN: Waterville Valley, NH (Welch and Dickey hike)

WHAT YOU DO FOR WORK: I’m finishing up grad school to be a speech-language pathologist and am hoping to start a job this fall in the rehabilitation setting. I particularly enjoy working with patients with aphasia, which is a language disorder that can occur after someone has a stroke or other type of brain injury. Many people with aphasia cannot say what they want to say or understand what others say, and I help them to communicate again!

NUMBER ONE PASSION: I really love helping people, and find happiness working with people with aphasia.

I FEEL … Read More!

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!

I’m a huge advocate for living a healthy lifestyle, but not when it has to be so darn hard. That’s why I like to keep things as easy and pain-free as possible when it comes to food. Here are my top 5 tips for simple healthy eating for you to incorporate into your day now. Plus, I’ve got a pretty sweet giveaway for you! Read on, my friends…

1. Keep it Real: Eat Real Food. Period. I know it sounds silly, but if you truly strive to eat real food (food that you can recognize and clearly tell where it came from), everything else just falls into place naturally.

2. Don’t compare your plate to everyone else’s: Eat what makes you feel your best self.

3. Be Adventurous: Explore new foods (even those you used to HATE as a child), experiment with new recipes and keep an open mind when it comes to what you put on your plate. Whether it’s going out for Thai food or buying a funky new vegetable you’ve never tasted before, find a way to be daring! You’ll never grow bored this way, and you can keep healthy eating fun!

4. Know Your Body: … Read More!

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!