Healthy Chicks

So, what’s a health coach, anyway?

What was your experience like at IIN?

I want to be a health coach…where do I begin?

What’s a day in the life look like for you?

Is health coaching right for me?

As a Certified Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), these are the types of questions I get each week both online, and in real life. While I love a good ol’ coffee date and certainly don’t mind typing emails, I figured it makes more sense to have all this good, juicy info in one place: here on the blog.

My journey all began back in the Summer of 2011. I was jumping from part-time job to job (everything from barista to spa concierge), searching for my purpose. I had all the passion in the world, but couldn’t figure out how to turn it into my career.

At the time, I was regularly blogging here on Healthy Chicks, and had just gone through some major body breakthroughs. That year, I learned that I didn’t need to count calories, go on restrictive diets or give up bread to be healthy. I learned that nourishing your body (through good food … Read More!

Are you taking care of yourself?

Have you checked in lately regarding how much time you set aside for self care? When I was studying to become a Holistic Health Coach at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, self care was one of the first topics we discussed. Yes, even before we went into the nitty gritty details of nutrition, fitness and more.

What’s self care, you ask? To me, it means taking the time to do “me” things that are good for your body, mind and spirit. Because, as I’ve said over and over again if you’re not happy & healthy on the inside, you are definitely not going to be happy & healthy on the outside. It’s just how it works!

Lately, I’ve noticed I’ve been putting my self care somewhat on the back burner. Between the change in seasons, a new job, starting my own business, and meeting with clients life can get pretty hectic at times (which I know you can all relate). While it’s easy to put yourself last during these crazy phases, it’s actually during these times more that ever that you need to recognize what you are doing, and take care of yourself … Read More!

Good afternoon ladies, and Happy New Year’s Eve! I hope you all have a magical evening celebrating life, and everything positive that happened for you this past year, while also celebrating the year to come. If you haven’t already done so, you can read my newsletter on setting intentions for yourself in 2013 over here.

Clean Plates Cookbook: Background

OK, ‘nough about me. It’s time for a book review of Clean Plates Cookbook, written by Nutritional Consultant and Founder of Clean Plates Jared Koch with Cookbook Author Jill Silverman Hough.

I was particularly excited to read this book, as Jared Koch is not only a fellow graduate of IIN but he’s also someone whom I admire greatly for his success as an entrepreneur in the wellness field.

Bio-Individuality

One of the main concepts that shines throughout the book is something we learned at Institute for Integrative Nutrition: bio-individuality, or that one way of eating doesn’t work for everyone. While vegan dining may suit your best friend, you may thrive on high-quality, organic meats. Simply put, we choose what to put inside our bodies to make us feel our ultimate best. Jared explains this process further in Chapter 2.… Read More!

This week, I received a special package in the mail: my certificate from the American Association of Drugless Practitioners that states that I’ve met the requirements to be a Certified Health Practitioner. Yes, I am finally officially official, and boy does it feel good. It seems like just yesterday that I enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to begin my journey to become a health coach, and now I’m finally there.

Here are some highlights from the year:

September 2011: I began my classes at IIN, and became amazed by the weekly lectures. I also attended IIN’s Fall conference, where I met a group of like-minded students and inspiring speakers like Deepak Chopra and founder Joshua Rosenthal himself. I also shared my first “I love you” with The Boy, something neither of us had ever said to anyone before.

October 2011: I completed my second half marathon in Newport, RI, which I will also be taking part in this year. I felt strong, powerful and inspired, and also broke my PR by five minutes!

November 2011: I celebrated one year with The Boy in the lovely Waterville Valley, NH. Everything was perfect, and I couldn’t be more … Read More!

Yesterday afternoon I met with some fellow Institute for Integrative Nutrition graduates to talk about our business goals, achievements, concerns and inspirations. On my way to the meeting, a little old man stopped me in my path. He said, “Hey! You’re going to make it.” I replied back with a confused look and a “huh?” Then he said, “Wherever you’re going, you are going to make it.”

That right there gave me the chills, as I took it as he meant that I’d make it in life, in love, in my business. I couldn’t help but think he was sent to tell me that, like an angel of sorts.

When I brought up my story at the meeting, all of the ladies agreed that an angel was sent to deliver that message, that I am going to make it, that in fact I already am making it and may not even realize that now.

After a couple hours of chatting, snacking and discussing our dreams and goals, we ended the meeting with some Law of Attraction cards and my favorite part: a meditation. Anne, the woman who guided the meditation, had us breathe out all of those doubts/fears/setbacks and … Read More!

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Last night, I was lucky enough to listen to an extremely empowering lecture by Joshua Rosenthal, the Founder and Director of Institute for Integrative Nutrition (where I will graduate from in a couple short months!)

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like every time I am going through a certain internal battle or issue, the perfect lecture comes along like it’s speaking specifically to me. This particular discussion was on fear. Fear of change. Fear of growing. Fear of trying something new. Fear of the future. Fear of the unknown. Fear of being in that “transition phase,” as Joshua calls that place of uncertainty.

If any of you have ever ended a relationship or a friendship you knew deep down in your heart wasn’t working, or left a career you weren’t fulfilled in/ that you weren’t passionate about, or even took a risk to go after something you truly believed in, you know how scary that in-between phase can be. “Will I ever be successful?” “Am I ever going to find love again?” “How am I going to make enough money to support myself?”

And 9 times out of 10, everything sorts itself … Read More!

[Gourmet Nutrition: The Cookbook for the Fit Food Lover]

It’s no secret that I enjoy writing and blogging, but just as much as I’m a sucker for pen & paper (and the keyboard), I’m just as much as a sucker for reading.

And I’m not talking about reading blogs or the latest celebrity fashion advice found in InStyle.com. While I do appreciate my fair share of those kinds or reads, I’ve always been more of a flip-through-the-pages, fresh-from-the-press kind of girl.

I love snuggling up with a cup of soothing chamomile tea with raw honey and a good book in those last minutes before bed. It puts your mind and body at ease, letting you escape to a different place for a little while, a place that doesn’t include worries, thoughts, text messages or tweets. A place of calm.

Lately, I’ve been purchasing a plethora of wellness related books, mostly do to my studies at Institute for Integrative Nutrition and recent launch of my health coaching business Zesty Living. While learning new information every day about health, wellness and nutrition, I also like to keep up-to-date on the latest finds by reading books, studies, and lengthy articles.

Here’s … Read More!

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The other day, I was sitting in a gourmet coffee shop with the boy sipping a hazelnut cream feeling awfully zen.

As we sat on the couch sipping our javas, I leaned over to him and said softly, “Let’s make vision boards!”

“Vision what?” he said.

“VISION BOARDS…you know like draw what we want to achieve in life within the next few years. Then we think it and believe it and it’ll most likely happen.”

“Nah, not now. I can’t draw,” he said with a smirk.

“C’monnnnn…you can draw stick figures! I did one a few years ago and everything I jotted down came true. So we’re doing it whether you like it or not. I’ll go first!”

I got him on that one and vision boards we made.

My “5 year plan” included being happy, healthy and in love (with The Boy if all goes as planned!), being published in a well-known health magazine, leading a women’s health seminar in front a group of people, traveling ( a lot) and being in a comfortable financial situation where I’m proud of my success.

The Boy’s included things like growing a garden, owning his first home, continuing … Read More!