Healthy Chicks

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while or ever took a sneak peak at my About Me page, you know that healthy living didn’t come naturally to me. In fact, my entire college years were consumed of yo-yo dieting, hours and hours at the gym, “fake food” and obsession with my weight. I can’t even tell you how many tears were shed over the darn scale alone! I was unhappy, and in effect definitely unhealthy. I felt frustrated, F-A-T, alone and “not good enough.”

It wasn’t until I graduated from college that I decided to throw all of my “food rules” and restrictions out the window and actually start LIVING. At this time I also discovered yoga, running, clean eating and my secret talent for cooking. When I switched from dieting to living (and felt OK with it), everything and I mean everything began to change.

If this sounds like you, or you know someone struggling with similar issues, here are 10 mantras to repeat over and over again to start make that positive shift toward a healthier lifestyle. Because, after all, you won’t see a change in your body or your health if you aren’t OK up … Read More!

Sweet News

Good afternoon, friends! Hope you are all having an amazing week so far. This week has been one of those fascinating, life-changing weeks for me, you know the kind. For one, I’ve landed the part-time job of my dream, assisting with marketing and community relationships at sweetgreen in Boston. If you haven’t heard of them, I urge you to check out their website, including their zesty menu! I totally have my eye on the January salad.

They are expanding to the city in early summer, and I’m going to help spread the word and make their launch as successful as possible. sweetgreen currently has locations in PA, MD, VA and NY and will soon be coming to my city aka Boston (which is your city for many of you) in June.

While their company is essentially a healthy, eco-friendly restaurant (for example, their proteins are hormone & antibiotic free and their packaging is 100% plant based), they are much more than that and take great pride in their mission in spreading the sweet life. I couldn’t be more thrilled to a part of their company, especially when their mission is something I so firmly believe in.… Read More!

Every day, there’s usually something that stresses you out, be it the kids, money or your monotonous job. During the holiday season, it seems this stress goes completely haywire, creating Scrooges and Grinches left and right.

Yesterday, while having lunch at the Prudential Center, I noticed hundreds of businessmen, mothers, and sales clerks running around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off.

What is going on?

At a time where money, family and stress tend to get the best of us, let’s all take a step back and remember what the holiday season is all about. Here are 7 simply ways you can lead a happier, simpler lifestyle right now and get this…they are absolutely free (or at least cost less than your Starbuck’s latte).

1. Skip the workout you’re totally dreading, and instead go on a winter stroll with a loved one. Along the way, you can window shop, browse some new restaurants in the neighborhood and spend some quality time together. You’ll sweat it out, get some fresh air and simply feel better overall.

2. Save some money, and make homemade gifts for friends and family this year. Not only will your wallet be happier, … Read More!

[“You Can Only Improve What You Measure”]

WellnessFX: What It’s All About

As you all know, I try to maintain a healthy lifestyle, both taking care of myself on the inside and out. I’ve always been a firm believer that what’s going on inside is just as (or even more) important than what’s happening on the outside. That’s why many people are sick or facing health roadblocks and may not even know it because they feel perfectly “fine,” or at least what they think is “fine.”

When I was introduced to WellnessFX, a web-based platform designed to produce deep insights into the state of your health all through a blood test, I knew it was up my alley. Who knew you could learn so much about what’s going on inside your body all through a few drops of blood? Pretty interesting, huh?

The Prep Work

First, I visited the WellnessFX website (which couldn’t be easier to navigate) and signed up for their Baseline Package. This option included:

• A blood draw at a lab near you
• 20-minute health consultation with practitioner of choice
• Personalized lab results loaded into your WellnessFX dashboard
• Satisfaction guaranteed (now that’s service with a smile!)

Since … Read More!

[photo credit: fourl photography]

Remember a few months ago when I posted about the Move100 Ambassador Search over here on Healthy Chicks? Well, I am proud to announce that I was chosen as one of the ambassadors to take part in their amazing initiative, that is encouraging people to stay fit and move more each day.

As a Move100 Ambassador, I was given some pretty cool tools to track my training, some dumbbells for strength training and a whole lotta love from the whole Move100 team, particularly Lynn and Bob, who I can’t thank enough for this incredible opportunity.

A few weeks after I was notified I’d be one of their ambassadors, I took a trip to South Hamilton for a photo-shoot, interview and video shoot. If you watch the video on the homepage, you can see some shots of me doing yoga, stretching and running. How cool is that? There’s also a blown up picture of me here on the “Moving Stories” page, where you can actually read my personal wellness story, including how I lost 30 pounds and found happiness.

They even filmed my interview, where you can watch in full here. I was a bit … Read More!

Good morning ladies! I hope you are all safe and dry from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Fortunately, the worst of it for me is losing power for a few days so I can’t really complain, but I’m praying for those whose homes have been flooded or destroyed.

I’m running out of power on my laptop, currently writing at Daybreak Coffee House (where I was pleased to run into the lovely Cait from Cait Plus Ate who is just the most bubbly, friendly girl!) This will have to do as my “office” for now, which I don’t mind AT ALL because this Pecan Roast & Vegetarian Egg Sandwich on sourdough is totally hitting the spot.

Anyway, I wanted to talk about a rather popular topic today on Healthy Chicks: motivation. That is, how to stay motivated even during those realllllllyyyy tough times.

Here are some tips to get you inspired, whether you need motivation to run that race or simply get out of bed an hour earlier!

1. First and foremost, you need to have a purpose. If you’re struggling to stay on a healthy diet and exercise regimen, ask yourself “Why do I want to eat well and … Read More!

This weekend, I was given the opportunity to cover the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s October Fall Conference: IIN Live. Since I would be tweeting and blogging via Live Stream, I was able to watch the entire event (Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) from the comfort of my own home.

Last year, I attended the event live in NYC, so a part of me wished I was there. But while my jealousy set in a few times (especially during the group massages at the end), I have to admit it was nice to be able to take a lunch break, get some tea and wear my sweats as I soaked up a multitude of new information.

For those of you who don’t know or are new to my blog, I graduated from IIN this past August as a Certified Holistic Health Coach. The school has been able to give me the chance to follow my dreams, start my own business, believe in myself, lose those last 10 pounds of baggage (plus some) and start an entirely new career path for myself.

Therefore, whenever I get the chance to hear from more speakers and listen to … Read More!

Every woman has something that they can justify spending their money on. For some it’s new shoes, a watch or even a car, but for me it’s anything to do with my health. That’s why I dropped $450 + on a Vitamix last weekend at the Natural Living Health Expo in Sturbridge, MA.

Normally, I’d think it would be crazy to spend over $400 on a blender, but you see the Vitamix 5200 is no ordinary blender. Rather, I consider it an investment for my health.

You see, I have been a lover of green smoothies and juices for a while now, and no machine could do the trick. I’d sacrifice nutritious skin and fiber that would get eaten up by my juicer, or have to use 1,000 carrots just to create a cup of liquid. Not to mention the number of times I’d press blend and nothing would happen. I was losing hope.

Then entered the Vitamix. I had been dreaming of owning this machine for some time now, but I just didn’t think it was in my budget. However, it took just two minutes watching the live demo at the health expo, and I was sold. The super-friendly … Read More!