Welcome to Healthy Twists! This little blog of mine started with my quest to update unhealthy recipes with a “healthy twists,” but it’s since morphed into something else. I write about my latest fitness endeavors, my struggles with maintaining my weight loss (cuz let me tell you…most days it’s a struggle), my travel/wedding/puppy adventures, and of course FOOD! I have only recently admitted that I am a “foodie.” As in, grocery shopping is sometimes the highlight of my day, and I’ve watched more Food Network in my day than I should probably admit.
Most of the time, I try to eat foods that make me feel great (vegetables, whole grains, legumes, Greek yogurt, eggs, nuts, etc). I love fruit but I also really, really like cake. And since recipes for salads and oatmeal aren’t that novel, I try to share on this blog some of the more “fun” things I like to cook, and my experiments in the kitchen. My fiancé husband and I also like to entertain, so you’ll see party recipes (which are usually not super-healthy) sprinkled around this blog as well.
A little about me:
- I’m 28 and live in San Diego, CA. Yes, it’s fantastic, there’s a reason we pay so much in gas.
- I work for a museum, in marketing /PR. FYI, all opinions and thoughts I write about here are totally my own and have nothing to do with my place of business. But, it’s a pretty cool job I must say.
- I went to Ithaca College in upstate New York. After getting a real taste of seasons, I left my snow tires behind and came home.
- I live with my husband Mitch and our puppy Nina. We got married July 2, 2011. I talk about him (Mitch, not Nina, although I talk about her too) a lot on the blog, as he is my main recipe-tester and overall sounding board (lucky him). Oh we have a fish too, Phillip.
- I’m really interested in nutrition, fitness and overall health. This comes from being overweight until was 18 and then losing about 40 pounds by changing my diet and working out.
- I’m always looking for something “new” to do, exercise-wise. You could say I have fitness ADD. I’ve completed The 3 Day (60-mile walk in 3 days to raise money for breast cancer), worked out with trainers, taken a hip-hop aerobics class, done a bootcamp, Bikram yoga, you name it. I slowly ran a first half-marathon. I’m a huge klutz though, so no real “sports.”
- I’ve been to six world capitals (Washington DC, Paris, London, Lisbon, Jerusalem, Rome). Eight if you count the airport in Madrid. I LOVE to travel but my wallet, sadly, does not.
- I don’t like cheese. Except on pizza. I know, I’m weird. I also don’t like mushrooms, shrimp, lobster, calamari, deli ham, brazil nuts, and probably some other things too. I’m not picky about desserts. If it has sugar, I’m there.
- I’m really fidgety. I also have a pretty short attention span.
- I really like hiking but I have this weird, kinda intense phobia of falling. Not of heights. Falling. Twisting my ankle halfway up a mountain and being SOL. So I hike really, really slowly and actually don’t go as often as I’d like.
- I am in grad school right now. It’s intense but I love it. So I don’t update this blog as I’d like, because school, work, health, and my relationships are my highest priority. But I’m hoping to get back into it regularly once I’m done with school, so please stick around!
Thanks for reading!
Me, at my first 10k!
You sound fun!
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Hey hallie! I had to comment – I grew up in a small town about a half hour from Ithaca & my sister goes to cornell so I know the area well. I miss it up there & I’m sure you do too!
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Hey Hallie, we have a lot in common- I live an hour from San Diego (temecula), lost 60 lbs after I turned 18, & am also a picky eater trying to get better & don’t like any of the things you listed besides asparagus. And I don’t really like cheese besides on pizza or quesadillas either- haha funny. I like seeing recipes made healthier so keep it up
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Erin:
I’d like to think I’m fun
Betsy:
I miss it sometimes…but when I remember the fun of driving up those hills in the snow, not so much.
Ashley:
Quesadillas are on my no list, for sure. Unless it’s a PB&J quesadilla and there’s no “queso” involved there!
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What year did you graduate Ithaca? I graduated from IC in ’06…
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I agree with Erin- you do sound fun! Fun and sweet!
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Cool blog!Thanks for sharing!
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I just stumbled across your blog and wanted to say hello! And you have a cute blog!
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I am TOTALLY fidgety! And sometimes, I think I can’t focus! Would love to read more of you….
Totally sign up for the Amazing Meal giveaway and share your cravings on your site!
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Hi! Nice to read your story
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YAY! Finally another blogger from San Diego!
After reading about you it seems we have a lot in common! So glad you found my blog and I’m excited to keep up with yours!
And as soon as I get off of work I’m heading to Vons to check for the Arnold Thin haha–I usually shop at Ralphs but have also checked local health food stores as well, I figured I would find them SOMEWHERE! lol
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I can’t wait to see the end results this October, that is awesome. congrats!
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What a great blog! I like you already! Ive been reading through your posts and have lost track of time
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I just read your guest post on Health Blog Helper, and I had to stop in and say ‘Hi’…and then I found out you lived in Ithaca. I’m moving there in June! Any tips for what I should check out when I’m there? I live in Wisconsin now, so I’m familiar with the snow/cold.
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Yum, Sangria! The 3 Day sounds incredible! Glad to have found your blog!
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[...] he went a**hole on an innocent French Bulldog puppy so that was the end of that. Soon after Hallie (of “Healthy Twists“) showed up for my first blogger [...]
Just found your blog…love it! You are too cute!! This is definitely a fun read!!
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Holy cow! San Diego! Me too!!! You’re the first SD blog I’ve found, I’m so excited!!!!
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I lived in San Diego for a year. I want to kick my own butt every year for moving back to freezing cold massachusetts
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I love San diego. My husband and I travel there for races a bunch! Ever been to Roxy’s??? Love reading your blog. Looking forward to reading more!
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Hallie Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Hmm never heard of Roxys…I’ll have to look it up!
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Hi, I just found your blog. I am a former SD gal, now in CT. Oh, I miss SD so much. I use to live in OB. Can’t wait to read more, hope you’ll stop by my blog as well!
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Hi! I just wanted to drop by and say hello =)
I noticed on Caitlin’s blog that you’re from SD and I am too! It’s great to see San Diego represented in the blog world =)
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Hey Hallie! Just found your blog. I noticed you went to Ithaca, ever been to Long Lake New York?
Glad to see some normal “health twists” for food on the blogo-sphere.
-JimmyB
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Hallie Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:05 am
Hmmm…Long Lake isn’t ringing a bell, but it sounds lovely. Thanks for reading!
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Your blog is so cute! I love the layout! And, I LOVE that you’re here in San Diego, like me!
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Hallie Reply:
August 17th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
SD Represent! LOL
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I just found your blog through Healthy Tipping Point and I just moved to SD from Buffalo, NY. We loved Ithaca, especially Moosewood.
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Hallie Reply:
August 21st, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Hey, welcome to San Diego! I think you’ll like the weather here just a little better than Buffalo
I only ate at Moosewood once and wasn’t too enthused, but I wasn’t as into that type of healthy food back then. I’d love to go back and try it…I’m sure I’d be in heaven.
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I randomly found your blog and I see that you’re a local! I’m a San Diegan too! Love finding local blogs!
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Hi there, glad to find another SoCal blogger. I live in OC now, but I went to SDSU and lived in San Diego for awhile.
I look forward to reading your blog. I have short attention span too, lol! and also I like to try different workouts so that I don’t get bored.
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Hi! I’m always excited to find other bloggers in SoCal. I live in Orange County but I grew up in San Diego. My parents are still there so I’m in San Diego with my wife and kids quite a bit.
I’ve recently embraced the “foodie” part of me. I’m still working on the fitness blogger part. I look forward to reading more of your blog.
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I discovered your blog through my friend Elina’s, and I just want to say I think it’s great! I lived in SD (PB and UTC!) for years and miss the food and lifestyle, so I’m planning to get my fix here
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