How do you find good running shoes? Well, it’s pretty simple and easy as long as you know a few basic ground rules. Just like with running apps, I very frequently am asked, “What are the best running shoes?” or “What running shoes are your favorite?” While it’s not necessarily “hard” to find good running shoes in the sense that there are so many different top-quality running shoes available, these are still hard questions to answer because quite frankly, the answer is different for everyone. And just because I personally like a pair of running shoes, doesn’t mean they’re right for you. I’ve a ..read more

A lot of people ask me how I stay motivated to run on a consistent basis. Most of the time I’ll say it’s because I love it, which is true. I really do enjoy running. It’s that simple. But even so, there are certainly times when I know that I should go out for a run, but really just don’t want to. It’s nothing personal against running, I just don’t feel like it. We all have those days. And that’s fine. Yesterday wasn’t one of those days, though. In fact, yesterday I couldn’t wait to lace up my sneakers and go. And that’s because I got to run here. And discover picturesque little parks like this ..read more

Right now, you might be thinking to yourself, WTF is wellness fatigue? Let me explain… Wellness fatigue happens as a result of constantly thinking about and tracking your health stats. Whether it be through simply keeping a daily log of what you eat or tracking a wide range of elements, like your daily steps, your sleep quality, your calorie intake, etc. The best and simplest example of this is using an activity tracker like a FitBit. The fatigue part? Well that comes into play when you become tired, overwhelmed or disheartened with constantly and relentlessly logging all of these details. If ..read more

I only say this like everyday, but I love easy recipes. The kind that involve only a handful of ingredients and take 30 minutes or less from start to finish. Unless it’s for a special occasion, I normally don’t have the patience (or the cooking expertise) to spend like nine hours in the kitchen whipping up some kind of gourmet concoction. Now, there are all different types of easy recipes, but my favorite kinds are dessert recipes. Because let’s be honest, if there’s no dessert after dinner (or at any time of the day, actually), well that’s a major problem as far as I’m concerned. So since th ..read more

AntiGravity yoga. OK, I know it sounds kind of crazy, but it’s a real thing! It’s a fairly new form of yoga (created in 1990), and yes,  it is every bit as fun and impressive as its name makes it sound. I tried it for the first time ever on Friday with The Holding Space at Studio Anya. It was one of the most playful and relaxing yoga classes I’ve ever taken and I really can’t wait until the next time I can take another class! For my first time around, I signed up for the restorative class (described as “the gentle, deep stretching, healing side of AntiGravity Yoga“) so that I could learn ..read more

When life hands you avocados… Make guacamole! OMG, cliche! I know. But I had to. I just had to go there. Plus, why is that not the saying? Avocados are so much cooler than lemons and I’d rather have guacamole over lemonade any day. Having this homemade guacamole on hand during a busy week to easily throw atop your lunch or add as a side to your dinner is so convenient it’s ridiculous. And much better than having a pitcher of lemonade in your fridge. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good glass of fresh, homemade lemonade. But you can’t dip chips in it or use it to top your veggie pita pocket, sooo ..read more

Happy Hump Day, Hungry Readers! In keeping the Workout Wednesday tradition, I have a very special gift for you all in the form of a new 25-minute upper body #QuickLift workout. (See image above.) Except for the first exercise (the lat pulldowns), all you need to complete this workout is a few pairs of dumbbells and a resistance band. If you don’t use or have access to a gym, simply substitute the lat pulldowns with a two dumbbell bent-over row. Before you start, a few things to note:  The first two exercises, use HEAVY weights if you’re in the gym and have access to them. If y ..read more

I know, I’ve been talking your ears off about coconut oil lately. In fact, I just gave a 32oz. jar of it away to a very lucky reader. Sarah was the winner of my Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Giveaway. Everybody say, “Happy coconut oil cooking, Sarah!” So, the reason I can’t stop yapping about coconut oil is because including it in your diet comes with a lot of great benefits (besides making food taste really good). And if you decide to start cooking with it more often, you might as well get the 411 on all of the amazing things it can do for you and your body. Coconut oil ..read more

Finding the fun in fitness isn’t an easy thing to do, but it’s absolutely possible and something that I want to inspire everyone to do. I encourage others to find exercises that they love, activities and sports that will continue to keep them coming back for more on a daily basis. That way, keeping up an exercise routine feels less like a chore that you have to force yourself to do and more like a fun hobby that you look forward to.  After high school, when I stopped swimming competitively, exercise was no longer a regular part of my routine and it took me quite some time to get back ..read more

As a self-proclaimed social media and blogging addict, it’s really quite baffling how hard it was for me to begin writing this post. How does social media influence health and fitness? I asked myself that same question over and over again, each time feeling like I just couldn’t come up with a satisfying answer because personally, it has a very profound influence on my day-to-day routine and therefore, my health and fitness too. So, I brainstormed a little bit. And this word cloud that looks like it was created by a five-year-old is what I came up with. As juvenile as it may be, it helped me f ..read more