I've been reflecting a lot about life lately. I think it's partly having been in my home state of New Jersey for a few weeks, partly me entering my last year of my 20's earlier this month, and partly me just being an analytical person. But I've been thinking a lot about life. Every time I visit home, I find myself looking at the places I see and the people I'm with with fresh eyes. I think that many people who have lived far away from their families and hometowns can relate to this feeling. I also think that it's nearly impossible to look at it with such new perspective unless you've been away. Everything sometimes seems exactly the same, while other times it seems like everything has changed. I even drove through my alma mater while I was there and got to reflect on my college ... [Read More]
health coaching
8 Ways to Be Healthier While Traveling
Hello, hello! Can you guys believe that we're already towards the end of July? It seems like the summer is just whizzing by! Next weekend starts the beginning of a month of travel for me. First, I leave for the east coast to spend time with my family and friends out there for a few weeks. My hubby was already scheduled to take a trip to Philly for a weeklong class to start his Masters degree at Temple University, so it seemed like a good time for me to head east too. I'll be based at my parents' house in Jersey, but will also traveling around the state to visit in-laws and friends, heading to Philly a few times to see my hubby, and will probably visit NYC once or twice. Then, I come back to Cali for a week of normalcy before heading out to Ireland. I've never been there before ... [Read More]
The 80/20 Diet Rule + Spring into Shape with My New Health Coaching Program
"Nicole! You're eating French fries?!" "Ice cream?? Wow, there's ice cream in your freezer!!" These are the kind of things I hear from people who are aware of my passion for healthy living and see me eating ______ (insert anything sugary, fried, fattening, etc.). People seem to find it surprising, but yes, I'll eat fries once in awhile. I indulge in dessert sometimes. I drink one too many glasses of wine here and there... and not because I'm diving off the deep end from my healthy diet, but because I embrace balanced eating and the 80/20 principle. {source} What is the 80/20 approach to diet? It's a pretty simple idea: 80% of the time, you fuel your body with healthy, nutrient-dense foods, and then the remaining 20% of the time, you can indulge in treats and less nutritious ... [Read More]
New 1:1 Health Coaching Offering!
My active, healthy lifestyle is such a big part of my life. As a health coach, I love getting the opportunity to share some of my knowledge and passion about health, and to help support my clients in reaching their healthy living goals. I believe there's no greater feeling than feeling healthy & happy from the inside out! That feeling transcends into every other part of life. Making an active lifestyle a priority, feeling like you have the power in your diet, and coping with stress in healthy ways are some of the things that I work on with my clients. Normally, I offer a 6-month health coaching program, where the client and I "meet" (via in person, Skype or phone) every other week to hold an hourlong session. In between those meetings, we often communicate via email, ... [Read More]
The Diet Trick That’s Guaranteed to Make You Healthier
Nutrition is such an interesting subject. There are so many dietary theories out there with millions of loyal followers, yet often they conflict with each other. (Image via the Institute for Integrative Nutrition) In all honesty, some of them make me cringe a bit. I'm talking to you, Paleo followers that claim they're "eating like a cave man" yet they buy conventionally raised meat that was likely transported from halfway across the country from animals that had been pumped full of hormones and antibiotics, and fed a diet unnatural to them. But I digress. Nutrition can definitely be confusing for people, even for someone whose studied nutrition and is really into food like myself. While dietary theories can drastically differ in ideology, there's one thing that I believe all ... [Read More]
Weighing in on the “Curvy” Girl Revolution
"Babe, you have to come in here and watch this," my husband yelled to me as I cooked dinner while he relaxed in the living room one night last week. He then proceeded to rewind the Sports Illustrated behind-the-scenes show he was watching where they talked about one of the models, Robyn Lawley, being a "plus- sized" model who represents the average woman in America: Both his and my reaction were the same in thinking that Robyn - whose absolutely gorgeous - didn't look like a plus-sized woman on the show. I do realize that in the modeling world, Robyn is indeed considered plus-sized, I just think it's kind of crazy. I can't help but feel that the modeling industry is totally warped and out of touch with what the vast majority of real women look like for Robyn to be categorized as ... [Read More]