USA

My next princess on the blog is Liz from USA. One of the best decisions I have made in my professional career was to hire Liz after another friend had recommended her to me. This decision resulted in us working together at Webster University a few years back. The friendship grew stronger recently and we have shared adventures in Seattle, Dublin-Ohio, and St. Louis. Thanks Liz for being a guest on my blog!

If your parents utilized some techniques to promote healthy eating while you were growing up, what did those techniques look like? I became vegetarian when I was 11 years old, so my parents always tried to cook dinners with grains (lentils were very common) to compensate for my lack of meat. They also did not really fry foods or use a lot of oils in their cooking. Their motto is that when you sit down for dinner, there should be some color on your plate. If everything is one color, you’re not eating right. They also mostly shopped at Trader Joe’s. 

Any easily accessible workout tips you can share for when someone is traveling? Walk as much as humanly possible. Especially since you are probably eating at restaurants a lot since you’re traveling.

Any website/blog/podcasts that lifts your spirit? I enjoy HelloGiggles.com. They always have fun articles mixed with some about true experiences or insights that I can relate to. Their articles are never really negative and they seem to promote positivity and a good female message. 

What would you do to chill if you had a free A) hour, B) day, C) week? A) Hour: Catch up on some TV shows; B) Day: Laundry/grocery shopping; C) Travel… depending on the circumstances either to a place I’ve never been or to New York to visit family.

If you are feeling down, what song would you listen to in order to get in a better mood? “Chasing the Sun” by Sara Bareilles.

When you have to travel far on an airplane, what is your best advice to arrive feeling as refreshed as possible? If you have a layover, a good way to refresh is to just wander around the terminal if you have time between flights.

What is the biggest challenge in today’s society to staying fit and how can we change that? Easy access to fast food. And how expensive healthy foods can be (at the grocery store). If minimum wage income families could afford healthier foods, then the youth of my country would be much better suited for the future. They’d be so much healthier and probably excel in school. 

If money and time was no object, where would you go for an active vacation in your home country? Somewhere in which I could go hiking…maybe WA (Washington) or UT (Utah). Somewhere with mountain trails to get lost on. 

Thank you Liz for your answers! I think another hike is in order! Cant believe we just had our two year anniversary of climbing Mount Si in Seattle together with Jennifer McQuay! That was such an amazing experience!