“What is a day in your life like?” Next to “What are your favorite gluten-free foods” and “What restaurant do you suggest for X occasion?” this is the most common question I’m asked. Maybe it’s because food-blogging as a full-time career is baffling to many, or maybe because people are intrigued by how unique and different each day of my life is. And THAT is my answer. Every day is so different! Given how vastly different my day to day is, I’ve realized it is super important to keep a few aspects of my day constant.
Breakfast
Growing up I was always told “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” and I couldn’t agree more. Right when I wake up, my hunger sets in and I start thinking about food. Currently, I’m on a banana and almond butter KICK! I always include protein in my breakfast, because I tend to run around all morning, and protein keeps me full and satiated. My other favorite breakfasts include: banana pancakes (one banana and two eggs), a trail mix of nuts and dried fruits, and egg whites with hash browns or sweet potato!
Workout
Post breakfast, it’s time to workout. Working out wakes me up and clears my head before a busy day. Typically I go to the gym, and do 30 minutes on an elliptical, followed by an inclined power walk for 30 minutes, and a couple of ab exercises. I keep it simple! I also like to do SoulCycle once a week, and a hot yoga class (Modo Yoga and CorePower, to be specific). Since moving to LA, the city of driving, I’ve realized how I took walking for granted in NYC. So I now walk for an extra hour a day, about five times a week. Other popular LA workouts: Rise Nation, Cycle House, Studio MDR, Carrie’s Pilates Plus.
Lunch
NOBREAD Corp. consists mainly of two parts: recipe development and restaurant reviews. So for lunch, I’m either working on one of my recipes or I’m out checking out the gluten-free options at a local hotspot. I tend to do my restaurant reviews over lunch, as the restaurants are less-crowded then, and because I like natural light for my pictures! Natural light makes the food look even more appetizing than it is. My favorite LA lunch spots: Joan’s on Third, Stir Market, Rose Cafe Venice.
Afternoons
I either spend my afternoons buried in my laptop at a coffee shop, or cooking away in my kitchen. While I cook, not only am I developing and tasting my recipes along the way, but I Snapchat, video, and photograph the recipe every step of the way. I mean, if it doesn’t appear on social media, it didn’t happen, right?? The coffee shop scene in Los Angeles is what made me fall in love with the city. Creatives, sitting at tables, both individual and communal, sharing ideas and collaborating is so awesome to see, and I look forward to who I am going to meet each time I go to a shop! Also, each coffee shop has a vibe that is unique to the neighborhood it’s in.
Dinner
I try my best to only dine out one meal a day. So if I’ve dined out at lunch, I cook dinner. And if I know I’m out to dinner and drinks, then I cook my lunch. For dinner, I end my day the way I started, with protein. I’ll either have salmon or lighter seafood such as shrimp and calamari accompanied by roasted vegetables (brussels sprouts are my favorite), and a starch or grain (99% of the time it’s sweet potato in some form). I’m a self-proclaimed avocado enthusiast, so on my meat and seafood-less nights, I can guarantee an avocado is involved. My favorite LA restaurants for dinner: Zinque, Gracias Madre, Eveleigh, Estrella.
Post Dinner
I always say I am the perfect Libra, because my life is in perfect balance. At night, I either go to bed super early, say 9 or 10PM the latest, or I’m out and about… a bit too late. Well, I guess that’s means I live life on two extremes, oops! Regardless of if I stay in or go out, I always get 8 hours of sleep. It is THE most important part of the NOBREAD life.
I enjoy how different each day in my life is. I meet the coolest people, collaborate with creatives, and experience every part of the cities I travel to. When people ask me if they should leave their jobs to follow their passions, I always say “If you love something enough, and you put all your passion into it, you will make it work.”
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