My own journey as an expat started unexpectedly. I’ve always longed to live outside of the US, but I’d never seriously pursued it. When my partner got into his dream MBA program, however, I knew I had some big decisions to make. Social media told me that as an expat I could expect all my wanderlust and travel dreams to be fulfilled, while a closer look at the expat forums…
Gluten Free Guide: Amsterdam
It’s been just over seven months (!!) since my partner and I moved to Amsterdam. And besides the headaches of setting up a new apartment – contracts in Dutch are no joke! – and the joys of meeting new friends, the best part about living in a new city has undoubtedly been trying all the restaurants possible… in the name of research, that is! Here are my top favorite restaurants…
Having a Humble Heart: How Humility Is Making Me a Better Trainer
A few weeks ago I was stretching at the end of a fitness style boxing class – I was attending, not teaching – and I was completely lost in la la land. (It happens from time to time, especially after a hard workout.) Suddenly, from the front of the room, I heard the class instructor asking “what muscle are we stretching, the pectoralis major or minor?” It took me a…
Appetite-Suppressant Candy: The New Trend That Could Be Deadly
By now, most of you will have seen the photo above. It has sparked outrage, and for good reason. Sold by the Flat Tummy Co., these lollipops act to suppress hunger pangs. While these candies claim to be safe, the truth is they may be far from it. In fact, these suckers are dangerous in just about every way possible. Not only do they market themselves to a young and…
Fitness 101: Squats
Squats. Whether you’re picking up your toddler, grabbing groceries from the trunk of your car or droppin’ it like it’s hot (heyyy sexy!), squats are an essential movement pattern that we all do consistently. While most of us think that squats are just for the gym (groan), they’re essential to everyday mobility. Not impressed by my first examples? Think about when you sit down to eat at the dinner table.…
Tips For the Traveling Celiac – As Featured in Glutenfeeglobalicious Magazine
A version of this article was originally published in Glutenfreeglobalicious Magazine (May 1 2018 Edition) Travel can be equally exhilarating and stress-inducing. And when it comes to traveling as a celiac, that goes twofold! The question of “will I find food that I like?” suddenly becomes “will I find food that I can safely eat?”. For many of us, it’s a daunting process – especially when you add on foreign…
The Ultimate Guide to Body Positive Bathing Suit Sites
Woooo – it’s almost time to hit the beach!! As you may remember from my post all about building beach body confidence (read it here), one of my summer-prep strategies involves buying bathing suits online. Why suffer terrible lighting and cramped changing rooms when The Lord gave us online shopping?! Right?! RIGHT! That said, some retailers are definitely better than others at encouraging and nourishing body positivity and the “bodyposi”…
The 21 Day Self-Love Experience
Happy May! I don’t know about y’all, but my April was RAIN-Y and I am super ready for t-shirt weather to hurry up and get here! May is actually one of my favorite months – it’s a nice wind-down from months of gray skies and always brings greener views and happier moods. Unfortunately, it’s a mixed month when it comes to everything else! Yes it’s the time for sunshine, warm…
Every BODY Is A Beach Body
Bikini season. Those two words alone have the power to strike terror in the fiercest among us and can motivate even the most gym-avoidant humans to high-tail it to their nearest fitness center. And while mid-April should just be a time for us to enjoy the beginning of spring, for many people it begins the long-dreaded warm weather months and the return of #summerbod seemingly everywhere online. This year, you…
How To Boost Your Mood (And Your Metabolism!) With Interval Training
By now most of us have heard that interval training is one of the best (meaning most doable and most metabolically effective), forms of cardio exercise out there. Not only does it have the power to make us all feel like superheroes (who doesn’t love the feeling of having accomplished something truly tough – even if just for thirty seconds at a time?!!), but it also helps to boost our…