Healthy Chicks

Attention Boston ladies, if you love salads & you love a good ol’ sweat session, this contest is for you! On Thursday, January 30th two of my favorite Boston hot-spots, sweetgreen + flywheel, are joining together for the promotion of a lifetime.

Take a class at Flywheel Boston + grab a meal at sweetgreen back bay on Jan 30th, and you’ll be entered to win a fabulous swag-filled prize pack including flywheel classes, credit to sweetgreen, goodies to encourage your healthy lifestyle & more!

To enter, you must “check in” on Facebook to both Flywheel & sweetgreen Boston and use hashtag #flyforsweetgreen

Not sure how to “check in?” Follow these simple instructions:

1. On your News Feed, tap Check In (You must “like” flywheel boston + sweetgreen to check in) Search for sweetgreen back bay & Flywheel Boston in the search bar.

2. Write a status update, tag friends or add a photo (Be sure to use hashtag #flyforsweetgreen )

Enjoy,

Rachel… Read More!

Yesterday, while grocery shopping, I couldn’t help but check out the grocery cart of the woman behind me. I am oddly overly interested in what other people are buying at the supermarket, as I imagine some women are interested in what others are buying at the mall. What can I say? I love food.

Anyway, back to the point. I was shocked to find that this woman’s cart wasn’t filled with food at all. Rather it was filled with fake “food-like” products.

5 packs of sugar-free Crystal Light.

a box of splenda.

1 tub fat-free yogurt (or was it go-gurt?)

2 bottles of diet cream soda

A few packages of diet “low cal” microwavable meals

Zero real food.

Mind you, this woman was overweight and judging by her diet-filled cart was likely trying to lose weight by the good ol’ tactic: cutting back on calories. She looked sad, fatigued and downright exhausted.

First of all, I wanted to give her a hug. And tell her it was going to be OK and that she is beautiful & enough. (Seriously, it’s incredible how so many women just need that boost of confidence).

At the same time, I wanted to smack … Read More!

[smile! no you don’t have to give up your fave foods to lose weight!]

Usually one of the first steps people take when trying to lose weight and create healthy changes is eliminate “bad” foods or eat less. Cut out chocolate. Eat less meat. Give up soda for good. Skip lunch.

Heck, during my years of dieting (when I was eating diet, low calorie crap mind you) a nutritionist actually told me to eat less calories. “Calories in, calories out!” she cheerfully shouted, something I will never, ever forget. In reality, if she actually looked at what I was eating, simply “Eat more real food” would have done the trick.

It saddens me to see so many young women going on super-restrictive diets in order to get that dream body and feel better about themselves. I’m telling you right now: deprivation & cutting back is not the answer.

For one, I don’t believe in “bad” foods. Food is food & it doesn’t have a feeling attached to it – it either nourishes your body or doesn’t but that doesn’t make it “bad.” Secondly, when we deprive ourselves we typically want more of said food in which we either ignore … Read More!

Winter blues got you down? Between colds & flu to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), sometimes you just want to curl up in a dark hole (your bed) and throw yourself a pity party. If feeling bummed out is becoming your daily norm, don’t you fear! You just need some good ol’ fashioned pick-me-ups to get  you back on your Winter A-Game ASAP.

Here are 20 ways to snap out of the winter blues starting right now!

1. Get some sunshine (or a Vitamin D supplement): Yes, it’s true – sunshine really does make you happy! Even though it’s cold out, make it a point to get outside every day so you can soak up some happiness for yourself. Also, check in with your doctor regarding your Vitamin D levels; many of us fellow north-easterners struggle with low levels throughout the winter which can contribute to the sluggishness and general “blah” feeling.

2. Take a Cat Nap: Naps aren’t just for tots, after all! Our bodies need more rest and warmth during the winter, so there’s definitely no shame in taking an afternoon cap nat, that is if it’s not at your office desk! Aim to get enough sleep … Read More!