It’s been colder than normal down here in the south, and while I usually meet the lower temps with warmer soups and stews, today I just needed something a little easier and faster, with a green base. As a Philly native, if you tell me something tastes like an Italian hoagie, you’re going to get…
Reflecting on the Close & Welcoming what’s next
I’ve been sitting in my kitchen for the past hour, reflecting on the last day and a half – or collective few years. There is a palpable grief, and and overwhelming gratitude, coursing through my body; it’s a power that I know is not anxiety, for once; it’s the awakening of dormant hope, settling into…
First, the Knowing.
Note: this is a bit of a heavy post, or at least it was for me in living and reflecting on it, so Bug is serving a dual role today as our featured image and our patron saint of bravery and love as we look into ourselves to connect with our world. A few years…
Shifting + Accelerating
Have you ever heard the saying that some people come into your life for a reason, for a season, or for a lifetime? I think the same is true for our purpose and passions, and how they show up and evolve through the chapters of our lives. I started this blog years ago, when I…
Lookin Like a Snack
When you’re eating real food (i.e. food without labels), the point isn’t to ever be hungry or feel like you’re being deprived, it’s to fuel your body with good, real food and maintain a consistent insulin level to increase energy and avoid crashing. When you’re in a groove with your grocery shopping and menu planning,…
The Breakfast Base
There is one key to my personal sanity through the work week, and that’s making sure that I’ve got some food packed to take with me for when I get the morning hunger. I’ve never been a huge breakfast person when I first wake up. I prefer a slow start to my day with coffee,…
The Whole Damn Thing – Guidelines
Today is the day my friends. We’re kicking off The Whole Damn Thing; 30 days of real-food focused clean eating, sweat and overall mindfulness, and we’re doing it as a community. For any first timers still trying to figure out what level of commitment might work best for you, I wanted to share a few…
January Program: The Whole Damn Thing
Another year has closed out, and this time, we’re embarking on a fresh new decade. For the last 6 years, in one capacity or another, we’ve kicked off a New Year Wellness effort and community initiative to start the year with healthy, positive habit forming intentions. Throughout the years there have been a number of…
THE WHOLE DAMN THING v3.0
The first time we mentioned ‘clean eating’ and hosted the first ever seminar with 28toLife, we had 7 people show up…two of which were coaches. A year later we launched the inaugural ‘Whole Damn Thing’ clean eating challenge and had 95 participants. The community has steadily grown here in Charlottesville and in Charleston over the last two…
Alright Spring, Let’s Do This
There’s something so comforting about spring; even in it’s earliest moments. I’m not sure if it’s the subtle smell in the air, the vitamin D finally returning into my life, or the visible bliss of the dogs when they find that perfect sun spot to lay in, but all of it makes me soul so…
Bonus Days, Planners, and Time in the Kitchen
There’s not much better than a rainy Sunday, unless of course if half way through the day you realize that it’s actually Saturday and for a moment feel like you’ve just won life. In summary, this weekend is turning out perfectly, by accident. As we close out September and welcome in fall, I’ve got a…
Hello there Fall + Welcome Back
This summer was one of the most tiring, eventful, exciting, and overall chaotic seasons I’ve ever had, and the most amazing part is that we made it through and are welcoming fall with open arms and open doors at b:core.Each of the last four summers has been in some way consumed by the opening of…
Fueling Up: Greens, Eggs + Sweet Potato Noodles
I’m not sure what’s in the air, or if it’s just the sheer fact that it’s cardio week at MADabolic, but I feel hungry all the time. ALL the time. I’m usually slow to start in the morning, not grabbing any real food until I’ve had ample time to get coffee, settle in, and assess…
Local Loves: Hellos, Goodbyes + See ya Laters
This past weekend was all about local living and embracing the beginning of the new, and finally a weekend (though just barely) to check in on Charlottesville. New chapters, jobs, businesses, and lives; there is so much change happening these days that it’s sometimes hard to keep up with it, and it’s damn near impossible to…
Hey June, I can See You + b:core updates
Hey. Profound, I know, but short and sweet is how I’m coping with all the things happening at the same time. It’s just been a week since I rolled back in to Charlottesville and I’ve been trying to get everything set and ready before heading back to Charlotte this week. Like every holiday weekend I’m not…
b:core – THE Announcement
So here it is: the announcement you’ve been waiting for…or really the one we have been itching to get out for a long time. b: is for barre, but core is for….Lagree. We’ve been following this method for a while now, both at it’s foundational level through creator Sebastien Lagree, and also through some of the current…
Do Your Best + Let the Rest Roll Off
There are moments, moments that always feel far too frequent, when something shakes our world a little (or a lot), both devastating our hearts and creating pause. It’s in those moments of pause when silence can become deafening, and all of the pointless chatter happening around us goes quiet so deeper perspective can take root. This past…
The Rules: Paleo, Potluck + The Whole Damn Thing
It’s prep time my friends. With The Whole Damn Thing ‘officially’ kicking off on Sunday, it’s time to talk about the rules. 1. Whole 30 allows meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, roots, and nuts, and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils. Key points: * Protein every meal * 3 meals per day,…
6 Basic Tips for Starting (& Living) a Real Food Lifestyle
Time to say hello to 2015; and hello to the possibility that this will be the best year of your life. For those of you prepping (with me) for The Whole Damn Thing, it’s almost GO time! While the prep and the weight of the ‘commitment’ itself can seem pretty intimidating as it approaches, I assure…
Goal Digging My Way into 2015
This may be news to some, but it is likely the least shocking and most underwhelming declaration to those who have known me well over the last 5 years: I love goal setting. I’m a total goal digger. At my core I’m an idea generating, relationship developing, connection making, and all around goal crushing nerd…
Shaking Things Up w/Carolina Barre & Core: Thanksgiving Edition
I’m not going to lie – I don’t love winter. I love the idea of it; pumpkin things, snow days with hot chocolate, beautiful blankets of white snow that lasts for a day before magically disappearing, and all of the holiday things that HomeGoods has to offer. I love the storybook moments of winter, and…
Spreading Awesome w/ Paleo Parents, Athletic Stretch + Friendsgiving(s)
Last week I needed a little focus mantra to push through the week and I loved this perspective of Kid President. Sometimes the to-do lists, the perpetual over scheduling and the weight of the yet-to-be-done work can bring senses of monotony and burden, rather than opportunity. That was the choice last week for me; get pulled…
Giving Thanks: Turkey Brining Edition
Thanksgiving is my annual pause and reset time. It’s predictably always on a Thursday (which I love) breaking up the week with a slow intention that doesn’t require gifts or overhaul; just some meal planning and quiet time for prep as things slow in the days before. The main event here is a meal that…
Gut Health: A Testimonial.
Well, here we are. It’s the end of another year, and one that pulled us all to the edge of our known capacities, and beyond. I feel like I both barely blinked my eyes, and also lived 5 lifetimes over in the last 12 months. My stronghold for survival was, and usually is, finding strength…
fuel | sweat | grow 