Q&A

FOOD & NUTRITION

What sparked your interest in nutrition?

I’m actually not totally sure if I had a defining spark moment in regards to nutrition. I’ve always been interested and had a healthy awareness, even in high school and earlier. I remember the first time I started thinking about nutrition more seriously was when I picked up a copy of Skinny Bitch. It definitely opened my eyes in a big way to the food industry. While I don’t agree with everything in the book, I suppose you could say it was what most recently re-sparked my nutrition interest in college.

Do you have any food allergies?

Yes, I am allergic to tree nuts (pecans, walnuts, brazil nuts, macademia nuts, chestnuts, pistachios, etc.). I can have peanuts (grown underground) and cashews and almonds (they’re actually from the pits of fruit).

What’s your nutritonal kryptonite?

Sweets. I have always had a sweet tooth. Chocolate has always been a particular love of mine, but a square or two of really dark (like 85% cacao or more) chocolate is actually full of antioxidants, and definitely won’t reap too much havoc on a healthy lifestyle.

Where do you find different flours you use and bake with?

Whole Wheat flour can definitely be found pretty much everywhere (I’ve even seen King Arthur’s brand of  Whole Wheat and White Whole Wheat at Wal Mart). Most of the other flours (whole wheat pastry flour, buckwheat flour, spelt flour, brown rice flour) you’ll usually be able to find at local health food stores or places like Whole Foods. I’m sure if you really can’t find it around you, you could find some to order online.

Are you a vegetarian? A vegan?

Ah, labels. At this moment I currently am practicing a vegan-based diet. The most basic breakdown of this is no animals and no animal products. However, I do still use honey (I prefer raw agave when I’m at home, but if I’m out and there’s something healthy and vegan and the only non-vegan thing is honey, I’ll still order it). Besides – honey can actually have health benefits if you use local honey for your allergies.

What made you decide to try veganism?

I was trying to figure out the root to several health issues I was having. I have never been a big meat eater, and the only thing that was holding me back was dairy. This girl loves her some milk, Greek yogurt, cheesecake, ice cream, frozen yogurt, cheeses…you get the drift. However, I knew that the dairy was causing a lot of the tummy issues I experienced. Having experimented with veganism, I can definitely say that I have felt a lot better on a vegan diet. My stomach issues have all but disappeared, my asthma has actually improved a little bit and I have a TON more energy. Plus I save money by buying all plant-based foods and forgoing the occasional fro yo outing.

Was going vegan something you just wanted to try or something you were working towards? Are you going to stay vegan?

It was definitely just something I wanted to try, as I had a sneaking suspicion it would benefit my health. At this point, I think I will be sticking with a mostly vegan-based diet. However, I don’t know how strictly I will adhere to it. I am too much of a foodie and hope to experience many different cultures during my life, and a big part of that is food. If I ever go back to Italy, I will be enjoying gelato again. If I go to Greece, I just may have to try out some authentic Greek yogurt and feta. You get the picture.

FITNESS

What are your main forms of exercise?

Currently my cardio consists of time on the elliptical, walks outside, hill walking on a treadmill, the stair master, jogging and any other cardio equipment at my gym. I also truly love strength training and do a lot of at home workouts with equipment I have here.

I also love “fun fitness” (i.e. rollerblading).

What is an activity that you’re looking forward to doing?

I have ALWAYS wanted to take ballroom dancing lessons with Ross! I also am looking forward to Ross and I buying our own mountain bikes, and to hopefully one day being able to attend classes at a yoga studio.

PERSONAL

Who is Ross?

Ross is my husband.

How did you and Ross meet?

Ross and I met in September 2005 when a mutual friend invited me to an evening church service where Ross had invited him. I remember seeing Ross for the first time, and be struck with how much of a gentleman he was, and how he had such a calm, yet strong presence about him. I was intrigued. At the time neither of us were interested in a relationship, so we started out just as friends. However, God was at work in both of our hearts. Through several prayers/ answers to prayers that we prayed individually and together, God brought us together in a romantic relationship in a radical way. And here we are today.

When and where did you and Ross get married?

Ross and I got married on July 26, 2008 in Sarasota, Florida. It was truly one of the best and most memorable days of my life. Check out my wedding page for more details on how we planned a beautiful wedding on a budget and more wedding-details.

What do you do for a living?

I have a bachelor’s degree in Music (from the University of Central Florida, go Knights!), and have spent years teaching private flute lessons and other music classes. I also occasionally do gigs (at churches, weddings, etc.). I also have worked with a non-profit organization in development as an Event Coordinator.

I have recently moved and am in the midst of finding a new job/ figuring out the next steps for my life.

Are you a musician?

Yes. I’ve always been creative and artistic my entire life. I started in music by singing in choirs (or to myself, haha) and playing piano. In third grade I decided I wanted to play the flute when I got older. My flute days began in fifth grade, and continue to be a part of my life to this day. I had a lot of fun and experienced many wonderful opportunities (including performing with the London Symphony Orchestra!). I began college as a music performance major, a life-long dream. However, not even a couple months into college I realized that it wasn’t quite what I always dreamed, and not the lifestyle I wanted, especially when I had a family one day. So now, I have a degree in music, still play my flute, and am hoping to get back into teaching flute lessons.

Are you still pursuing being a professional flutist?

Not in the professional “I want to be in an orchestra” sense. I have other interests and dreams in my life. I would love to keep playing and teaching flute lessons though.

Is it flutist or flautist?

Both. I personally prefer flutist.

BLOG

Who designed your site?

I slaved over it and did it myself.

Who designed your header?

A sweet friend of mine from high school, Abby, designed my header. She is crazy talented and even went to college for a degree in Illustration! If you’d like to contact her, you can reach her through her site, A.H.Marie.

Why did you switch blogs?

I blogged over at Life According to Mrs. LC for almost a year (2 weeks shy!). Sound Eats is basically a more refined, better defined extension of LC. I needed a better (and more memorable) domain, I made the switch to self-hosted, and I wanted to use Wordpress as my blogging software. If you have any questions on how to get into blogging/ how to switch to Wordpress or anything else, drop me a line and I’d be glad to help you out.

Let me know if you have any other questions!