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Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your blog? What is “Eat, Sweat, Smile” all about?
I’m originally from the East Coast-I was born in New Jersey, moved to Atlanta when I was eight and then moved to Charlotte when I was 16. Throughout middle and high school, I participated in a variety of sports (cross-country, track, lacrosse and swimming), but during all four years of college I was a lightweight rower on the Princeton women’s crew team and I believe that experience really shaped me into the person I am today. Rowing taught me how to push myself, set goals, and also helped me form some really great friendships (my boyfriend was a rower too;) ). After graduating, I moved to San Francisco, which is where I currently live. Even though I would love to be a full-time blogger, my real job is at a public relations agency.
I started “Eat, Sweat, Smile” about two years ago, when I was living in the city, but didn’t have a full-time job. I was passionate about exercise and nutrition and since I had a fair amount of free time, I started my blog. Although I just started the blog for fun and did not expect to be doing it for almost two years, I’m glad I’ve continued to blog because it has been such a fun experience and I’m so grateful for all of the great experiences I’ve had and people I’ve met as a result of this extracurricular activity. I decided on the name because eating, sweating and smiling are three of my favorite things-pretty simple!
When and why did nutrition and fitness become an important part of your life?
Nutrition and fitness became truly important to me when I joined the lightweight women’s rowing team during my first year of college. Since lightweight rowing has a weight limit and rowing is a very intense activity, it became really important to be able to fuel my body efficiently while staying healthy-I learned how much of an effect the food I put into my body had on my athletic performance.
Can you tell us about your current daily/weekly fitness routine? What are some of your favorite workouts?
I do my best to fit in a morning workout. I’m not a morning person, but I’ve found that the hardest part is just getting out of the bed. Once I’m up and at ‘em for a morning workout, I feel so much better and the energy from a.m. workouts helps me to power through the rest of my busy workday. Better yet, doing workouts in the morning means I have no excuses for skipping, which sometimes happens during afternoon workouts when work and life obligations get in the way.
My favorite way to workout is circuit work-I love Jillian Michaels’ DVDs because they keep me moving and I really break a sweat. Most importantly, they challenge my body in new and different ways that really produce results and raise my fitness levels. When I need to clear my head, I always like going on runs, where I can just zone out.
How do you keep your workouts fun and exciting? Any advice for others to add a little versatility to their workouts?
One of the many reasons I love circuit training is that it keeps my body and my mind guessing. I love the fast paced nature of circuits--just when you’re starting to get tired of the exercise you’re doing, you’re on to the next. To keep workouts interesting, I pick up new DVD's and try to fit in new classes when I can. I recently took a TRX class and it was challenging, but fun because it was different from my normal routine-I was so sore the next day!
How do you come up with all of the yummy looking healthy recipes on your site?
Most of the recipes I make are from fitness magazines and other blogs that I read. I love trying out other people’s recipes and sometimes I get experimental and put my own twist on things.
What are some of your favorite go-to healthy foods?
I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER (who doesn’t?!). One of my favorite snacks right now is peanut butter dates. They’re really easy to make--you just take a pitted medjool date, put peanut butter in the middle and sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top. They’re also really delicious frozen. I also love oatmeal and Greek yogurt (together or separately)-it’s amazing what either of those snacks can do during that mid-day slump.
How do you maintain your health and fitness level while working full time? What motivates you to stay healthy and fit?
I try to fit in workouts when I can. Morning and lunchtime workouts are a really important part of my fitness schedule. I also walk to and from work every day, which is a great workout considering I have to hike up those famous San Francisco hills. I find that when I save workouts for after work, I’m too tired or I don’t push myself as hard as I can. When my days get really hectic, I make sure that I do lots of walking and fit in some pushups and squats at my desk. I might look weird, but I’ll do what it takes!
I make staying healthy and fit a priority because I only get one body, so why not treat it well? I also think that eating and exercise habits have a direct effect on my ability to carry out daily responsibilities-if I eat a less than ideal meal or skip a workout, I can definitely feel the impact that has on my energy levels and my outlook on the day. Even though some workouts are really tough and I don’t want to workout sometimes, I think of how I feel after the workout and it always helps me to push through.
What is some of your favorite workout gear and gadgets?
I’m definitely a fitness data nerd. I wear a fitbit ultra every day because I love to see how much and when I’m moving. The dashboard feature lets me view my activity levels and keeps me conscious of how much I’m moving. It also helps me to set different goals, so working out and moving becomes a fun game rather than a chore. I also love my Garmin 110-being able to see how much I run on a weekly basis and being able to track my progress is really motivating.
A staple of my workout wardrobe is definitely the Lululemon cool racer back. They’re perfect for any workout!
What’s on your current workout playlist?
My playlist varies depending on my workout. For long runs, I really like to listen to podcasts like "The Jillian Michaels Show" and "Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me" from NPR. For circuit training or speed work, my playlists run the gamut (everything from Jay-Z to Miley Cyrus), but I usually have a fair amount of Top 50 songs in the mix because they are fun to rock out to. Right now I’m loving “Feel So Close” by Calvin Harris and “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson.
Pick up tons of healthy recipes and fun workouts by following Danielle at her blog, Eat, Sweat, Smile!
