Escape Winter with UpLIFTing Retreat

Join the LIFT (Leading India’s Future Today) Associate Board’s young professionals for a morning of yoga and meditation that will be good for your mind, body, and soul.

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Yoga, led by instructor, Maria Miles, will stretch and strengthen our bodies. Guided meditation, led by long time LIFT volunteer Deb Wilson, is sure to relax the mind and warm the soul.
Come out and focus on inner peace while supporting the students of LIFT!*

All are welcome, no previous yoga or meditation experience necessary. Please wear comfortable clothing and bring your water bottle. Light refreshments will be provided.

Saturday February 20th
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
711 W. Monroe Chicago, IL, Room ABC 123

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*Leading India’s Future Today (LIFT) is dedicated to developing leadership excellence in motivated and talented youth in Tamil Nadu, India. LIFT provides quality education and a home environment for youth with high potential who would typically be denied schooling due to limited access to resources.  LIFT students and staff are committed to transforming their society from within to help combat poverty, unemployment, and disease.  Learn more about LIFT, Chicago’s non-profit organization http://lift-foundation.org/our-programs/

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Mind and Body Revival

Pamper yourself and help puppies = Win/Win!

Join us this Thursday and escape the cold with Delos Therapy and Balance by Jitka Robinson for a celebration of self care.  All proceeds go to Furever Rescue, a 100% volunteer all women run animal rescue organization in Chicago.

What:

Delos Therapy and Balance: Mind Body Revival Event

Where:

Delos Therapy (inside David Barton Gym) – 600 West Chicago Avenue Chicago, IL 60654 – View Map

When:

Thursday, January 21, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Spatacular Details:

Wellness for your mind and body – Yoga, mindfulness, meditation, complementary Delos Therapy

Satisfying snacks – tea from TeaGschwendner, coffee from Organo and Essentia water; snacks from Snap Kitchen and The Paleo Cookie

 

Fitness and beauty finds – Athleta, Herb and Ohm, Folium Medica, Glo and Sarah Helen Skin Care

Tickets are $27 online and $35 at the door.

 

* $1/hour validated garage parking is available!

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Pay it Forward with My Fit Foods

Back to school time brings joy and challenges.  The world just seems to speed up and you have less and less time for meal prep.  Ain’t nobody got time for that.  So why not strike against prepping!  Chicagoland My Fit Foods can help busy people feel less busy.

This quick healthy food chain started in Houston before spreading it’s healthy roots to five different states.  All foods are gluten free and many are paleo-friendly.  On our visit to My Fit Foods we noticed how it separates itself from other convenient health meal services with its offering of supplements, protein powders, and muscle building snacks.  They have a registered nutrition on staff who works with you to set goals and keeps you in check.  A 21 day challenge option can be a best bet for someone trying to make healthy eating a habit.  Sunny, the registered dietitian at the Clybourn location of My Fit Foods, explained how different types of fitness goals, including weight loss, gain, toning or bulking up, could be integrated into the meal plan.  Sunny doesn’t stop at just nutritional counseling.  She encourages participants to work out and lends a listening ear for clients, even if they slide off track.  The meals are very meat focused, however, and as there is only a smattering of veggie options, this service wouldn’t be the best bet for strict vegans and vegetarians.  Carnivores rejoice, however, with a bevvy of meaty flavors.

Kate’s favorite dish was the turkey chorizo egg white omelette with seasoned sweet potatoes.  Monica’s favorite breakfast (one of few vegetarian options) was the “Fit Energy Bar” consisting of a yummy peanut butter cranberry bar with berries and non-fat greek yogurt.

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We also loved the daily cleanse ingredients available for purchase.  Get a daily dose of energy with liquid B12, apple cider vinegar, lemon, and unsweetened cranberry juice and ditch the caffeine habit.  We liked to sprinkle turmeric and chili powder in for a little extra vitamin va va voom.

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Ready to bite into a quick bit of healthy food?

My Fit Foods is currently promoting Pays “Fit” Forward this September every Friday with a focus on friends and charity.  Healthy eating is taking on a whole new meaning of “feel good,” with My Fit Foods’ “Pay Fit Forward” campaign.  During the month of September, My Fit Foods’ is encouraging their guests to share healthy lifestyle habits with friends, whilegiving back to those in need.  Guests who purchase a meal at My Fit Foods during participating “Pay Fit Forward Fridays” will be offered the option to donate a FREE meal either to a friend, or to a local hunger-relief charity.

“My Fit Foods is committed to making healthy flavorful meals convenient and accessible for everyone,” said David Goronkin, CEO of My Fit Foods.  “We recognize that it is much easier and more fun to adopt healthy habits with a friend or partner.  We look forward to having our guests come in and participate, whether it’s sharing a delicious meal with a friend or paying it forward to a local charity.”

As part of the “Pay Fit Forward” program My Fit Foods retail stores will guarantee a donation to each of the local charities within the respective markets.  Donations in Illinois will go to the Lakeview Pantry, one of Chicago’s largest and longest-operating food depositories.  Wanna double the impact?

My Fit Foods invited celeb besties Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens; Mandy Moore and Minka Kelly; Nina Dobrev and Julianne Hough to eat at My Fit Foods during the month of September.  If any of these celebrity duos accept and visit any My Fit Foods retail store during the month of September, My Fit Foods will DOUBLE its Pay Fit Forward hunger-relief charity donation.  Guests and social media users can help My Fit Foods rope these BFFs into the action by tweeting and using the hashtag #PayFitForward.

Disclosure: Thank you to the Clybourn My Fit Foods location and Sunny, the kindest registered nutritionist around, for free meals and knowledge in exchange for this post.

Rooftop & Food Clicks: Cuisine for Cancer Review

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of attending an awesome 1st: the 1st Annual Cuisine for Cancer event presented by Imerman Angels and Sleefood, founder of ChariPick.  Should you consider attending this event next year? The answer’s a resounding YAY!

First, location location location!

Morgan Manufacturing sports a gorgeous rooftop, 360 views and cool street art lingering below.  With semi private cozy couches and ample space, we couldn’t get enough roof time.  We were also floored at the end of the evening when we realized the venue was 3x the size than we originally thought as we stumbled into a huge dance area and dessert nook.

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Second, cuisine and charity!

What lame-o doesn’t love tacos?  And why doesn’t the taco emoji exist yet, we must know.  The Latin cuisine theme birthed 20+ unique tacos from famous Chicago restaurants like Mercadito and Carnivale.

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At almost every taco stop, guests got a chance to enter to win gift cards or goodies from the restaurant.  Each restaurant was also paired with a cancer charity.  We loved that each charity was represented by volunteers and you could learn more about each org at every taco detour.

*Only suggestion, more vegetarian tacos would be a nice touch.  Monica munched on too many a lettuce and salsa taco while Kate had a taco tub full of options.

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We are super excited for the return of this event next year and hope you come too!  Stay taco tuned for the future date.

Get crafty and charitable with CrEATeFest: A Day of Arts and Eats

Food truck, arts activities and dancing, oh my!  Foodies, artists and families can all co-mingle ar CrEATeFest on August 9th at the Bridgeport Arts Center to support Changing Worlds.  Changing Worlds is a non profit organization that supports in school … Continue reading

Give Some Good with Outshine Frozen Snacks

We have a unique chance to give a little this month with a new first of it’s kind charity effort, the “Give Some Good” campaign, situated at one of our major transportation hubs, Union Station.  Outshine Frozen Snacks, maker of fresh fruit and yogurt bars, is spearheading a creative movement to reduce food deserts.  National attention was drawn to the concept of a food desert in 2006 when Mari Gallagher’s research illuminated a lack of access to healthy and fresh foods in areas of poverty.  The gap is closing but we still have a way to go.  In Chicago alone, over 383,954 Chicagoans were living in a food desert as of 2011.

So how can you help?

A charity promoting billboard (that is secretly a superhero robot…jk), is currently located in the BNSF tunnels of Chicago’s very own Union Station through June 9, encouraging travelers to get involved with reducing hunger!

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It’s easy to give!

  1. Simply do a secure swipe of your credit card straight down the middle of the billboard and $1 is donated to hunger.  That’s a 4th less than your daily latte habit!
  2. Each swipe starts a film sequence on the billboard screen that shows a bounty of fresh produce falling into the hands of a girl (symbolizing your awesome charity efforts)
  3. Each $1 swipe supports Feeding America in donating 9 POUNDS of fresh produce to hungry families.

Outshine Frozen Snacks is teaming up with Feeding America, one of the nation’s top hunger combatants, to help bring produce to those in need, with the goal of donating two million pounds of fruits and vegetables (we kinda feel like Dr. Evil saying “one million dollarsss” but this is for GOOD!!).  Even if you aren’t in Chicago, you can help during June and July by purchasing specially marked boxes of new Outshine Simply Yogurt Bars in stores.  Made of 100% frozen yogurt blended with real fruit like Strawberry Banana, Mango and Pineapple, they are perfect for your next summer BBQ.

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Each time you buy a promo box of Outshine Simply Yogurt Bars, you help the Outshine brand and Feeding America provide one pound of fruit and vegetables to those in need.  Outshine Simply Yogurt Bars are available at major retailers like Target, Mariano’s, Walmart, Jewel and more.

So what are you waiting for, after all Fro-YOLO (fro-you only live once so feel great by helping others)!  Snack or swipe to help Chicagoans get the fresh food they need with the #GiveBrighter campaign.

*Full Disclosure: We are being compensated by Nestle to promote the GiveBrighter campaign*

Relax with an UpLIFTing Retreat!

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As the weather grows chillier and your work load picks up, it becomes essential to practice self-care.  We love opportunities where we can treat ourselves and retreat from the overstimulation of life WHILE helping others.  Next weekend you can do just that!

Experience an upLIFTing yoga session and contribute to children in need.   LIFT (Leading India’s Future Today), founded in 2004 in Chicago, opens a world of possibility for its students.  LIFT supports a holistic learning and leadership development program for boys and girls in Tamil Nadu, India.  LIFT educates children, creates leaders and transforms communities of highly motivated, underpriveledged students.  Learn more about LIFT at www.liftusa.org

The event will feature a ohm-some yoga class with mini Luna bar snacks to refresh yourself after your workout.  Strap on those ultra comfy yoga pants and get ready to relax on the mat! http://lift-foundation.org/uplifting-retreat-2014/

 

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