Choosing Raw Interview + Giveaway: Melissa of FitnessNYC!
Hi everyone!
I hope your holiday weekends are off to a great start. I’m thrilled to be sharing a very special post with you today; it’s the second installment in my Choosing Raw interview series, and it’s a good one! My guest is no stranger to you all by now: the very lovely Melissa, who is the heart and soul behind FitnessNYC.
One of the first blogs I discovered, FitnessNYC continues to be a blog I read and savor nearly every day. It’s a useful resource for any city dweller—Melissa has nailed the fine art of keeping her readers informed about goings on and opportunities in New York, always with an eye on her readers’ wallets. It’s also a tremendous source of inspiration for anyone who’s looking to upgrade their fitness routine. Though she never brags her athleticism on the blog, Melissa is a fitness star, through and through: marathon runner, Lotte Burke fanatic, gym rat, and mastermind of genius workout playlists!
If I had to choose, I’d say that the two things I love most about Melissa’s blog are its enthusiasm and its modesty. I’m grateful for the many fitness blogs out there, which inspire me to amp up my workout routine. But I have to admit that the culture of stat-sharing can sometimes seem a little self-congratulatory. Not so at FitnessNYC. Melissa might run eight miles in the morning and hit Physique 57 for a double class in the afternoon, but she never seems to be patting herself on the back for it.
More importantly, Melissa loves to sweat, and it shows. One phenomenon I often see with female clients (especially runners) is the use of exercise to mitigate eating. These clients might enjoy food, but they use working out to feel “safe” about what they’re eating, rather than for the physical thrill. I don’t cast aspersions on this; it’s natural for exercise to be a part of one’s desire to stay fit. But I do enjoy Melissa’s unadulterated love of physical activity: she’s not doing it for the calorie burn, nor to justify last night’s dinner. She’s doing it because she loves to sweat more than any lady I know.
Finally—and I’m sorry to ramble before I get to the lady of the hour herself—I have to mention that I also have the pleasure of calling Melissa a friend (in fact, she’s the person who pushed me to start this blog!). And as her friend, I can tell you that what you see on her blog is exactly what you get in person: honesty, sincerity, modesty, intelligence, and a big heart.
So without further ado, I present Melissa of FitnessNYC! Don’t forget to read the end of the post carefully, because I’m hosting a giveaway to honor having her as my guest!
1) Let’s begin at the beginning: how did your love of fitness develop? Has it been a lifelong passion?
I have always been very active and had lots of energy. Growing up I played several sports, danced and did gymnastics. My mom did workout videos every single morning, so I have always been a fan—starting with Mousercise and working my way up to Denise, Gilad and Kathy Smith. I became interested in things like yoga and cardio kickboxing in middle school, so I would take classes at the Y on a regular basis.
I was never an amazing athlete; I went to a huge high school, where you basically had to be top in the state to be on teams, so I enjoyed recreational league swim teams, softball, dance and gymnastics more for social reasons than for aspirations of glory.
In high school, I was more involved in community service groups, NHS, the art program and drama than athletics. I would basically go to the gym a few times a week, swim a few times a week and take daily walks with the dog, but it was never anything too structured. I was generally pretty active since I biked to work everyday and was always on the go.
In college, I found that going to the gym was actually a great way to relieve stress, break up my studying sessions, and take some time to daydream or work through my thoughts. I didn’t go everyday, but I never found going to be a chore. When I studied abroad in Spain I found that it was pointless to waste time at the gym, so I just did as much walking and site seeing as possible. When I returned from Spain, I started to go the gym on a daily basis, not because I had gained weight, but I found it was really important to my mood! I also had a huge crush on a guy who I would often see at the gym, so that was further incentive to be a sweaty stalker. So for the last six and half years, I have gone to the gym on a near daily basis and found it to be the perfect way to keep my mood and stress levels in check, and more recently, through running to challenge myself.
2) The reason I love your blog so much—OK, one of the reasons—is that your love of fitness seems so unbelievably untarnished by concerns about weight loss or maintenance. Unfortunately, many of my female clients seem to use exercise more as a means of self-regulation than satisfaction: they exercise in order to feel “safe” about what they eat. One of my favorite of your posts included a mention that you’d been to the gym in the morning and went again in the afternoon, not because you felt guilty about not working out “enough,” but because you really just wanted to. I loved this idea—the notion that you just couldn’t get enough. Tell me more about what it is you love so much about exercise and the way it makes you feel.
I have never really equated weight loss with exercise. Honestly, your body is more a reflection of your diet than your workout routine. However, I am happy that exercise has never been connected to diet or weight maintenance for me, because it has allowed it to be so much more fulfilling! I find that even a day or two out of the gym and I have tons of nervous energy that needs releasing, less physical energy, and I am a whole lot more cranky. Even just a half hour of light exercise, walking, elliptical or jogging keeps me on an even keel. Add a few days a week of more intense exercise (which is what you need to really make a physical difference) and I am on cloud nine from the endorphin rush. But I never push myself to do more than I feel like or adhere rigidly to a schedule.
In high school, I suffered from depression, and I have found exercise to be more beneficial than the years of therapy and Zoloft. In terms of body image, I am certainly not immune to days where I don’t love my body, but running definitely has helped me appreciate the sheer strength and endurance of my body over my jeans size.
3) Another thing I love about your blog is your total honesty about the fact that you’ve never felt like a “born runner.” Running, you make clear, was a bit of a struggle for you at first, and it’s something you’ve had to work hard at. What’s your advice for people like me, who tend to think that they’re “bad” runners, or simply not cut out for it?
Definitely! I still don’t know how I made it through “the mile” in grade school! For years, I tried to run, but could only go a few houses before starting to wheeze! I tried a lot of techniques to get better, running a minute, walking a minute, etc. But I always gave up and stuck with things I enjoyed, like swimming, biking, power walking, kickboxing classes. However, it really started to annoy me that I couldn’t run. Actually, my decision to sign up for the marathon was almost entirely based on my frustration with my running struggle and wanting to overcome it! I can say two things helped me become “a runner.”
Finding a friend to sign up for a 5K with me. I did the Revlon Run Walk in 2003. Races are a great way to get motivated, excited and committed. Plus, I knew I could walk if I needed to—I didn’t.
Second, there was a summer I didn’t have access to a gym. So I was doing lots of biking and powerwalking. Then my friend told me that powerwalking was for old ladies—and I decided to make the switch. Plus I had almost no free time that summer, so my 3 mile run was far quicker than my 3 mile walk.
My best tips:
•find a friend to run with
•sign up for a short race
•run outside!
•have a great playlist
•start with just once or twice a week, so you don’t burn out or lose interest
I have written a few posts on getting started; check them out for more info!
So you want to be a runner? Part 1
So you want to be a runner? Part 2
4) I spend a lot of time assuring my readers that they can work raw foods and meal planning into their busy lives. But a common dilemma for me — and I’m sure other women can relate — is how to work physical fitness into my busy life! What are your best tips on staying active and fit amidst work, socializing, dating, etc?
This can be SO hard! Basically, I have an very general idea of my schedule each week, so I know what days I have to workout in the morning, what days I might have a lunch hour free, and what days I have time to squeeze in an after work gym session before meeting friends for dinner/drinks/etc. And, of course, the occasional nights when I get to go straight home and can use the gym in my building for PM workout.
So if you look at your day as 4 opportunities to work out:
1. first thing in the morning (always a safe bet, not too many obstacles come up before 8 am)
2. lunch hour
3. right after work
4. after dinner
You have to find which works best for you each day and try to fit at least a quickie into one of those slots. Some people really hate morning workouts, or cannot workout after dinner, others have no energy after work. I feel for all of you, but guess what push through those harder times for a few days, and it will get much easier and even enjoyable. I always find it hard to get motivated after work, but I find that after the initial few minutes of misery, sometimes I have my best workouts! Even if you are not a morning person, you may find that you have more energy all day and sleep better at night, if you squeeze in that AM jog!
5) One of your truest strengths as a blogger is your sense of place: FitnessNYC is both a fitness blog and an ode to our tremendous city. I’m always inspired by your informative posts on local goings on, deals, and attractions. Tell me more about how you feel fitness and New York-ness intersect on the blog. And what are your tips for staying fit in an urban environment—especially in the cold months, when running outdoors isn’t a great option?
This is a great question! I don’t know why I have never addressed it on my blog. My original tagline was: staying healthy, happy and fit in the city—and having a little fun too. So I try kind of show that I have a life outside the gym—you can have both! I am also obsessed with NYC and the amazing culture and fitness resources it offers, so if I can review a class or let people know about a special fitness freebie that might inspire even one person to love and enjoy fitness—that’s the greatest thing ever! Vital Juice Daily and the Time Out Spa and Sport sections always have great deals and information on the latest classes and studio specials!
Staying fit in NYC is both really tough and really simple. Everyone is so busy and works long hours and there are lots of distractions. However, there are tons of options: countless yoga studios, specialized fitness classes, 24 hour gyms, running clubs galore, etc. I would say a nearby gym is probably the most convenient and affordable option. You get tons of classes and machines for about the same price as three or four classes at a fancy yoga studio.
I am also a HUGE believer that natural fitness is the most effective. If you are truly time-strapped, put your heels in your bag, lace up your sneakers and walk to your destination. We urban dwellers have ample opportunity to walk, so forgo the cabs and subways when you can!
6) OK. Here’s a toughie. There are many in the raw community who discourage intense exercise as a means of either weight loss OR health-generation. While I’m inclined to disagree with that stance—I like to work out and always feel better when I do—I also agree that I’ve been healthier and happier since I abandoned my more marathon workouts and gotten used to gentler, shorter gym runs and more yoga. Then again, I can’t help feeling just a tad sheepish when so many of my blogging sisters are training for marathons and triathalons!
Where do you stand on this? How much is too much or enough? How intensely should we be sweating to be healthy?
I think this is a personal decision. I don’t think there is a magic number. You have to find the amount and intensity that feels right. I think a balance of cardio, strength and yoga/pilates is a great mix for anyone, even if it is just once a week of each to start. Whatever you do find what you love and gives you that happy, exhilarated feeling. I can agree that no exercise is healthy. I will say that I believe powerwalking is exercise. Let’s look at some of the benefits that might appeal to the raw population:
-Sweating is detoxifying!
-exercise lubricates your joints and keeps your body limber
-weight bearing exercise is important to increase bone density
-exercise can improve mood and naturally alleviate depression
-raw food frees up time and energy; why not use some of it improving your cardiovascular health and endurance too?
Excess is no good either. For those looking for major changes in endurance, speed or body fat, I do recommend one to two days of very high intensity intervals, you get more bang for your buck in much less time!
I also think the idea that exercise is only a temporary “high” due to increased blood flow and oxygen is sort of shallow because the same can be argued for the raw food lifestyle. If you stop eating raw food, you don’t feel as good. Furthermore, even a moderate amount of exercise can have notable stress relieving effects.
No one should feel the pressure to compete with other bloggers or their friends about exercise or diet. Not everyone has to be a marathoner, especially if you don’t enjoy it. I incorporate a wide variety of exercise in my weekly workout wrap-ups. I like running because it gets my creativity flowing, I often pre-write blog posts in my head or thing of ideas on a long run. The elliptical is where I daydream or think about my goals/to-do items. The rower is the best for silencing my mind and achieving total calm. Spinning, by contrast, amps me up and makes me feel on top of the world.
7) You’ve your own journey with raw foods. Tell us a little bit about your experience with eating raw.
Well, I think I am one of the luckier semi-raw foodists! I kind of randomly got a hostessing job at Pure Food and Wine. At the time, I had NO IDEA what raw food was. I learned a ton and must have read Raw Food/Real World 20 times over the course of the summer.
I had a fairly easy time staying mostly raw while I was working there and really enjoyed it! I worked there for over a year, and was raw until dinner for about a year. It took me a while to warm up to all the raw hype, but slowly I became much more adventurous. I had never had a mango or avocado before I worked at Pure Food and Wine! I always loved fruits and veggies, but I was pretty basic with my choices.
I would say the two life changing things I took away from Pure Food and Wine and my raw experience were:
1.) Vegetarianism. When I started working there, never in a million years did I think I would ever be a vegetarian! I wasn’t a huge meat eater, but I always liked knowing that I would have the fairly safe grilled chicken salad as my back up order in a restaurant with limited healthy choices. I never had a low carb lifestyle, but I generally thought protein (lean chicken and turkey) was important to keeping me thin. After learning more and reading, Diet For a New America, I knew I could never eat meat again. Even though it is purely ethical with me, I wouldn’t feel good or right eating chicken, even if I knew the bird had been lovingly tucked into a nest with 600 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. [Interruption from interviewer: hooray for vegetarianism!!!]
2.) A new definition of healthy foods. Logically I had always known that processed foods were not healthy and had never been a huge diet food person. However, I was actually semi-restrictive with natural foods. I avoided dried fruits, nuts, oils, and even high GI fruits because I thought they would pack on pounds instantly. I would probably feel safer with a 100 calorie cup of froyo than a small serving of almonds because I would worry the volume in almonds wouldn’t be enough. However, I can to realize that these foods are actually part of any healthy diet in moderation. While I have never loved nuts or dried fruits, nut butters and fresh dates are now staples in my diet. More importantly, I have broken away from fearing any food, and that resulting freedom has been amazing.
(Melissa and Gena at Pure Food and Wine)
8 ) What do you love about raw foods? And be honest: what don’t you love? What do you feel are some of the challenges of eating raw? And how do you think they can be avoided?
What I love about raw foods is how they can literally feel like an IV of health to your system. How eating healthy food makes you crave healthy food and that you can actually create the most indulgent salads imaginable with a little creativity!
I do have a hard time dealing with the social issues of being raw. Working at a restaurant made me a total foodie and restaurant snob. However, I found that some of my friends really didn’t appreciate my new diet and actually didn’t want to eat out with me when I started ordering my brunch granola, fruit salad and yogurt, minus the granola and yogurt. That was very hard, but Gena, you have taught me to stand up for my health decisions, and I never tried to make anyone else a raw foodist!
But my personal challenge committing to a raw lifestyle wasn’t just other people, sometimes it is easy to feel guilty about not following the rules, such as eating 100% raw and food combining, and I never let myself feel guilty about what I eat EVER! I just can’t waste energy stressing about what I ate versus what I shouldn’t have eaten, etc. Some of that stems from experience with food far before learning about raw, and for the most part raw food actually made me more willing to expand my horizons.
I am still working to find the raw balance that works for me!
9) I get a fair number of clients who are concerned about keeping up their athletic regimes on a raw or semi-raw diet. It goes without saying that they’re particularly concerned about protein intake. While I, as you know, tend to discourage fixation on protein, I sympathize with this concern and try to handle it with respect for their needs. What’s your feeling about fueling one’s body for exercise on a raw diet? And what protein sources would you recommend?
I think your best bet is to still with the protein rich, but lighter sources: nuts have protein, but the high fat content can weigh you down a bit. I find green juice, hemp and chia seeds and bee pollen to be good bets. A lot of people rave about Sun Warrior Protein, but I have never tried it. I don’t typically worry about protein, but there are times when I realize I am too carb/fruit heavy and adding the greens, seeds and juice can help balance those things.
10) OK. The fun part! Please share your all time favorite raw recipe with us! And tell us why you love it.
Well, you can find my top 5 recipes on my blog.
But I thought I would share my favorite raw dish to order in a non-raw restaurant. AsI said, social dining can be hard when you really want to eat raw, but don’t want to draw attention to your order. I love Thai restaurants because they have so many raw options. My favorites are mango salads and papaya salads. You can always get a papaya salad and either a mango avocado salad and/or a shredded mango salad. While they may not be 100% raw–the dressing and nut garnish may contain trace cooked elements–they are pretty close and deliciously tasty and refreshing.
Thanks, Mel!
To honor having Melissa as my guest, I’m giving away a special book: Born to Run, by Chris McDougall.
How many of you have wondered—perhaps in struggling with running yourself—whether or not human beings were really meant to run in the first place? I know I have; as you can see above, running does not come easily to me, even when I do it and enjoy it. Well, this is the very question that Chris McDougall sets out to answer in Born to Run. To answer it, Chris travels to Mexico’s Copper Canyon, where he’s intent on studying the Tarahumara Indians, who are legendary for running hundreds of miles at a time without injury, without stress, and without stop. In fact, the Tarahumara are renowned for their serenity and joy, not to mention their lack of autoimmune disease and physiological damage.
What emerges from Chris’s quest is a travelogue, an anthropological portrait of the world’s greatest natural runners, and a riveting account of a fifty-mile race in which Chris ultimately chose to participate. And guess who was running alongside him? None other than Scott Jurek, ultramarathoner and vegan!
If that’s not enough to pique your interest, you should know that the book has plenty of interesting information on the Tarahamura’s diet, which is low in animal protein and extremely high in chia seeds. It’s a terrific read for all vegan or raw athletes, or for anyone seeking out a compulsively entertaining and intelligently researched summer read!
To win a copy of Born to Run, just leave a comment on this post naming one thing about Melissa’s advice or feedback that stuck with you. Good luck!
Finally, I have the winner from my last interview giveaway! The lucky lady is Jenna from PetitFoodie. Jenna, please email me with your name and address so that I can send you Lindsay’s ebook!
Have a lovely 4th, everyone!
xo
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Testimonials
–Lyn D., MarylandBefore I started working with Gena, I wasn’t sure whether it would be worth it, since I knew what I “should” be doing. Her counseling, however, turned out to be a key factor in my success.
Not only does she have great advice when I am struggling, but her realistic approach helped me make major changes despite having no time and limited funds. Her recipes and ideas are for real people with lives beyond their diets, and they are great. Gena is down to earth and non-judgmental. She strikes a great balance between encouraging me to go a little father but to keep things in perspective and have fun with the process.
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FAQ
So where do you get your protein?Ah, the million dollar question. I know that my fellow raw foodists are uttering a collective sigh of frustration with me. But it’s inevitable, so here goes:
I get my protein from a wide array of vegetables, sea vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes. The notion that we need to supplement our diet with large amounts of protein, especially in the form of animal products, is mistaken: our bodies are capable of assembling amino acids from all of the foods we eat and building the “complete proteins” that we’ve all been told we need to get in a single sitting.
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Recommendations
Juicer (average $50.00 - $500.00)If you’re like me, and juicing is a crucial part of your lifestyle, then the cost of a juicer will absolutely be worth it! It will buy itself back again and again and again. The juicer I recommend is the Breville Two-Speed Juice Fountain Plus. It’s the only juicer I’ve ever owned, and it has never let me down. I recommend you invest in a juicer that has at least this level of performance in order to juice leafy greens.
Some of you have asked me whether it’s wiser to buy a juicer or a Vitamix.
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i’d love to read that book!
First, Gena, I adore you. You are a fantastic interviewer
secondly, where to start, Melissa, you rock as well. I think what struck me the most about her honest responses was the fact that she’s a completely normal busy human being living in the city with a love of exercise. You’re right G, having a blogger like that makes reading less intimidating and discouraging. I haven’t wanted to formally work out in a while because I forgot how good it made me feel and I think that before I was motivated by the wrong reasons. Melissa brings a rare and impressive approach to exercising for your own well being and sanity without unrealistic numbers or goals or pressure… I would love to read that book!
I’m just getting started with running and I would love to read that book! Thanks for having Melissa on your blog, I’m adding her to my google reader:)
I loked melissa’s advice of natural exercise, too many times i’m hung up on going to the gym, especially now that its nice out i should just enjoy the surroundings and head out for a walk now and then. I would love to read this book, great interview!
Great interview Gena! i love your blog!
by the way, i’m mexican and i think it’s “tarahumara” not “tarahamura” indians.
Note to self: Add FitnessNYC to Google Reader. Make banana soft serve. Not in that order.
I loved reading this refreshing interview! I loved FitnessNYC’s tips about fitting in time to exercise, and tips on how to keep it interesting. You go girl
I love melissa’s enthusiasm for exercise. I’m an avid runner, and I really do love it, but its so easy to do it “because I have to” and lose the joy. Thanks for the great interview!
I love that Melissa believes that just a little bit of exercise, like half an hour of walking, can make a great change to how you feel. I have daily lunch walks and I feel invigorated afterwards. It’s a tiny sacrifice for a big reward
wow, thanks for such a great interview! I wish I lived in NYC – there seems to be so many awesome things going on there. Not much going on here in northeastern Wisconsin
The thing that stuck with me is: what she said about running. I’ve never considered myself a runner. My dad’s in the military and for years I tried to run in order for him & I to have something in common and do together. Never happened. Now, I’m training for a 5k and am LOVING IT! I’m really excited to go visit him in two weeks and ask if he wants to run with me
I”m sure he’ll think my run is just a warmup for him, but it will be great to see the look on his face! I’m glad I’m not the only one out there who never really was a runner, but found a love of it later.
Love Melissa and Gena!! This interview was fabulous. I loved it especially when Melissa said, “What I love about raw foods is how they can literally feel like an IV of health to your system.” So true, especially for folks like me whose well-being is affected by what’s put in the body.
I think this interview is an awesome way to get to learn more about Melissa, thanks Gena!! LOVE that girl’s attitude to all things in life, she’s adorable!!! … I’m addicted to exercise because it feels so DAMN good to me, I’m not a runner though – I don’t feel a tad guilty abt that
mousercise! love it
serveral points stood out to me, and you asked some great Qs, too gena!
i think it is so amazing that melissa stumbled upon the raw lifestyle with such a wonderful opportunity (who wouldnt love being around pure food so often?)! and it sounds like she took away very great lessons, and changed her own way of eating and approaching food as it worked for her, rather than going all or none. that proves just how open minded she is.
anyways, i think i related most to the problem of dining out with friends when they view my “diet” (ick word choice) as too restrictive. sure, i have a close group of friends who are very open to it, but others arent so welcoming…coworkers, peripheral “friends”…i try to shrug off backhanded compliments about my “self control” and ignore the passive aggressive comments, but at the same time, its something i wish i didnt have to even deal with.
ok, well, as usual, fabulous post.
I really need to heed Melissa’s advice and not be competitive with my fitness/eating goals with other bloggers and my friends. I’m a really, really competitive person so it’s going to be a long, slow goal for me!
Yay! I will gladly join in the Melissa/FitnessNYC lovefest. I have admired this girl for a long time! It’s really pretty extraordinary (especially in our blog genre, if I may say so) to find someone who loves fitness because it adds to her life, rather than just subtract from her waistline.
And furthermore, she provided me with my first opportunity to meet a ton of NYC area bloggers in the flesh, so yeah, from a selfish prospective, she rules.
Great interview!! I find it amazing that Melissa has a love for working out and does not do it just to lose weight. She will do the Shred, Core Fusion, and maybe even the elliptical in one day just because she loves it. This sets a great example for me. I tend to feel guilty when I miss a workout but really I should just do it because I enjoy it!
Great interview/article! I love that Melissa emphasizes personalizing each recommendation to your own needs. It was a great reminder to focus on the “light” proteins too, like juices, and that too much of the nuts might weigh me down for exercise.
Oh my goodness so many things!
First, I think it’s funny about the fruit/granola/yogurt. I almost did the exact same thing recently at a brunch with relatives. I ended up ordering the yogurt and granola on the side and eating the fruit first. After waiting a while to digest, I had a small bit of the yogurt and granola. I only wanted the fruit but didn’t resist the social pressure as well as Melissa!
Second, the mood-boosting effects of exercise are very familiar to me. I don’t consider exercise a weight-control strategy these days, but I have been there. When you are depressed it is very hard to get yourself to the gym- but once you do, the brain chemistry is really affected. I don’t always enjoy working out, but I really enjoy the feeling afterwards.
Third- chia seeds! I’m not caught up on your recipes as I just made chia pudding for the first time last night, and I’m in love! I don’t love super food hype, but what are chia seeds if not a super food?
As for advice, though, I love the part about not feeling guilty. I struggle with that- one part of me always has to rationalize my choices and make them ok when they don’t fit my plan for that meal. The more I make it a habit to buy and eat food I feel good about eating, the less guilty I feel when I eat tasty things I hadn’t intended to.
AMAZING interview! I love Melissa’s blog and I adore Melissa! What stuck with me most was her explaining how you taught her to stand up for her food choices. That is something I need to work on more.
Great interview and even though I’m not “raw,” I can relate to so many of the issues that were so thoughtfully and comprehensively discussed. It was refreshing to hear her take on not feeling guilty and comparing what you do to other bloggers/exercisers, etc.
Her healthy attitude towards fitness is also a good reminder that we should do it to improve both the body and the mind. It shouldn’t feel like such a chore, but rather an opportunity to feel healthy.
Although everyone has different needs and perspectives, I need to remember quite a few of her points! Thanks again for a great interview.
Thanks for doing this giveaway, Gena! I’ve recently found your blog and love reading it; it’s been particularly informative for me as I try to eat more raw foods.
As far as the giveaway goes, I’d have to say that Melissa’s comments about mango and avocado stuck with me the most — growing up in Southern California, we had an avocado tree in the backyard and, to this day, my Filipina grandmother still buys mangos by the boxful! I’m so glad to hear she’s learned to love these delicious fruits.
I’m not entering this, but wanted to say that I just love the love ya’ll have for each other!
What a great giveaway! The one thing that stuck with me from this interview was the mention of how your body reflects your diet habits more than your exercise regime. I think that’s very true. Coming from a holistic perspective, what you put in to your body effects you mentally, phsycially and spiritually. Sure, working out is great to relieve stress and burn those extra calories but nothing says I disrespect my body more than fast food everynight!
Thanks for the interview!
Wonderful interview! I am going to check out Melissa’s blog right now. Thanks!
I loved reading how Melissa doesn’t associate working out with weight loss and instead just does it for enjoyment. I’m going to start thinking like that!
Btw, I just got chia seeds in the mail and can’t wait to make some raw pudding!
I loved Mellissa’ s advise that she got from you! That is to stand up for yourself and not be intimidated by others opinions about your food choices. I also liked the fact that she said she doesn’t associates guilt with her choices. I love exercise for the way it makes me feel. I love your blog (learn so much from you) and will check out Mellissa’s blog, Thanks!
thank you for this wonderful interview. i enjoyed reading every word, and i think i’m going to have to reread it again later to let it all sink in.
i really enjoyed reading melissa’s perspective on the social issues of being raw. the blogging community is very supportive, but i have a much harder time with friends who deem my eating habits strange or “too” healthy. it’s hard to explain to people who think you’re boring or restrictive, and i appreciate that she addressed that issue.
i also truly love melissa’s approach to fitness, without regard to its physical effects. exercise is a very mental thing for me as well, but again, i know people who believe i do it only out of vanity (and there was certainly a time where that was the truth). i think it’s great that melissa simply does whatever makes her happy. i hope to achieve that balance someday!
This interview was really helpful to me, I am a hufe follower of Melissa’s blog and think that its great that she is so fit and active. She and you are both truley inspirations. I think that thing that stuck with me is how you need to take everything in moderation, and this means eating well and working out. I would love to be a runner and hope to start soon!
Michal
I LOVED this interview!!! Gena you are so thoughtful both in your postings and with your interviewing skills, and it’s such a joy to read your blog as a result!
I saw so many similarities between myself and Melissa. I too, had a hard time running “the mile” in gym class as a kid, I too run for enjoyment and to keep the endorphins up (depression runs heavily in my family), and I, too, have recently, as you know, been getting more interested in the raw scene.
I am sooo jealous of you both for the abundance of raw options in New York. I’m sure Chicago probably has more than I know about, but I haven’t found a whole lot in my area.
The book looks great because I love reading ANYTHING about running!!! Running and reading are two of my favorite things to do – if only I could run WHILE I read I would be a happy camper
Also Gena, if you are interested in running more please give it a shot! I truly was a non-athlete and am now someone with a few marathons under her belt, which I’m sure would come as a shock to my grade school gym teachers. If I can become a runner I believe that anyone can, and I know that you are already a healthy person to begin with which gives you a leg up!
Thanks again for a great posting and have a wonderful holiday!
Thanks, Val! This comment was serious motivation for me, and indeed I ran 4 miles just this afternoon!
I really like Melissa’s view on exercise and her statement that there is not a magic number that will yield success for every person. I think that time and length of exercise are different for each, and I applaud Melissa for advocating this.
Great interview, Gena!
This is a GREAT interview with two of my favorite NYC food bloggers! I love Melissa’s take on fitness and exercise and her emphasis on eating to be healthy, but not wasting energy on feeling guilty if I veer from a “plan” or regimen. I’ve learned so much from both Melissa and you, Gena. Thanks!!
I would so love to read that book.
Ok, one of the (many) things that struck me about Melisssa’s interview was how she refuses to feel guilty about food. This is something that I (still) occasionally struggle with, although I have gotten SOOOOO much better about it than I used to be. But now I find that the thing I feel guilty about is whether or not I’m combining foods correctly. I get mixed up about whether or not I’m doing it right, and I just end up throwing my hands in the air with frustration. I end up thinking, “Great. I probably ate that all wrong and now all that lovely organic produce I just ate is purtifying in my gut. Wonderful.”
I have sooooo got to stop thinking this way. No food guilt!
Happy July 4th, Gena!
Fabulous interview – you are Melissa are two of my favorite bloggers so I really enjoyed reading you both together! Happy 4th of July!
Great interview Gena. My favorite tip from Melissa was:
I am also a HUGE believer that natural fitness is the most effective. If you are truly time-strapped, put your heels in your bag, lace up your sneakers and walk to your destination. We urban dwellers have ample opportunity to walk, so forgo the cabs and subways when you can!.
I’ve been wanting to read that book for a while…a diet rich in chia seeds? Yes, please.
It’s a REALLY great read, Heaths!
“I am still working to find the raw balance that works for me!”
That really sums it up. I have been mostly raw for a full year now. I have experimented with various levels of raw and cooked vegan foods…. I am learning what the right balance looks like, and that indicates not only how I feel, but what season we are in, what looks freshest, and what tastes right for each particular moment and event.
In addition, I have run marathons, and found it life changing…. run 2 miles a day, and found it life sustaining. The key word in it all? BALANCE.
Love and light,
Aurora
Great interview, I loved a lot of the stuff Melissa said! I actually like the part you talked about liking a lot too: running in the morning, and then going to the gym in the afternoon too, just because it sounds like fun.
I’m coming to a place in my workouts where this is more the norm, than working out because I’ve gotta’ burn off last night’s supper or something. I love having this mentality reinforced and spread around.
What a great interview! Thanks for sharing.
I love the part where she talks about breaking away from fearing food and the resulting freedom. As I’m getting farther along on my journey into raw foods this is something that I’m learning and truly enjoying. It is so wonderful to be able to have a delicious and filling meal and know that every bite was good for your body. Breaking away from calorie counting/weighing/measuring etc. is indeed very freeing.
I love to run although it has never come natural for me. The book looks very interesting and I’d love to be put into the drawing.
Thanks!
Fantastic interview! I am really envious of Melissa’s approach to exercise, and it’s great to hear her honesty with response to it helping her with depression in the past.
I’m off to check out Melissa’s blog right now. I think she’s honest and authentic and I love that combo!
I checked out Melissa’s blog and I loved it. On her blog, she said something that will stick with me. Melissa wrote, “I want to discuss what food and nutrition isn’t: love, happiness, or self-esteem.”
I will definitely be checking out Melissa’s Blog- I think it sounds great! I was actually inspired by this little tidbit “More importantly, I have broken away from fearing any food, and that resulting freedom has been amazing.” I am slowly on this journey myself and only hope to be able to say the same things very soon!
“Raw food frees up time and energy” – that’s a really simple statement, but I had to think about it for a moment. Who doesn’t want more time… and more energy? I think the idea of raw seemed more complicated to me before reading this interview.
I heard this book is amazing – I’m dying for a copy. I also like that it’s the title of a Bruce Springsteen song.
I have just started to add some running to my life, so this was a timely post. I appreciate her suggestion of hemp, chia, and green juices and to focus on what it does for me emotionally and not the weight.
Thank you…
what a fabulous interview!
The entire interview was fantastic!! It is so nice to find others who are of the same thought!!
This made me laugh, because I can totally relate…
“I find that even a day or two out of the gym and I have tons of nervous energy that needs releasing, less physical energy, and I am a whole lot more cranky.”
So true…good advice!
“No one should feel the pressure to compete with other bloggers or their friends about exercise or diet.”
Keep up the awesome work…love the blog and everything you share!
I would love to win that book–looks amazing! One interview point that stood out to me was Melissa’s comment about social pressures around eating. I have been vegetarian for about 13 years and for the last 3 years, I have been moving more in the direction of veganism and raw foodism. Despite such a lengthy period of not eating meat and trying to eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods, I STILL feel guilty when I am spending time with others and they took the time to prepare something that I simply don’t want to eat. I struggle with how to respond so I don’t offend them, but I also don’t want to compromise giving my body what it wants and needs. It sucks…and I worry that I come off as high maintenance. However, I think I am slowly getting better at dealing with it, just by telling myself that it’s okay if people want to judge me for my food choices–they aren’t living in my body; I am. If they get offended about what I choose to eat, that seems more like their problem than mine. (Can you tell I am trying to talk myself into this or what?) Anyway, thanks for the awesome giveaway opportunity!
Hi Kate! Great response. Check out this post of mine if you haven’t yet:
http://www.choosingraw.com/the-power-of-choice-and-a-raw-challenge/
I just adore the idea of working out for the FUN of it. I feel silly not have seeing it from that perspective!!! I liked your interview and that pic is makeing me hungry!
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Thx,
T.