What better person to talk to about a healthy lifestyle than our own dietitian! Sarah practices what she preaches and is constantly trying to create healthier environments. By sharing nutrition and health information with others, she empowers people with the knowledge they need to make healthy choices.... but what about her own life?

What is your favorite form of exercise?

I love to switch it up, depending on the month I may be doing something completely different. Currently, I am in to boxing, yoga and running. Wearing my pv.body gear also helps me stay motivated!

What is your daily mantra?

It's not really a mantra, but more an action. I start everyday with a healthy breakfast and a hot tea. When you start your day off right it sets a better structure for the rest of your day.

What is your favorite body part to workout?

I love working my arms. It is one of my weakest areas so when I can rock through a couple of push-ups, I feel very accomplished.

What is your favorite meal? snack? cheat food?

Favorite meal is any type of stir fry. I love to cram as many veggies as possible in a saute pan and add different flavors. I love to snack on sugar snap peas, baby carrots and mixed nuts. My all time favorite cheat food is CUPCAKES!!!

Calories - Friend or Foe? (And when is a calorie not simply a calorie?)

Calories are a standard measurement of energy - like fuel in your gas tank. Except when you don’t burn the “fuel” you put into your body, calories get converted into fat.

Ideally it is easy to say the amount of calories you consume should be the amount of calories you burn to stay at a balanced weight, meaning you are neither gaining nor losing weight (rather maintaining your ideal weight).

So, when it comes to weight loss... Do you really need to count every calorie you consume?

That answer depends on your diet: Where the calories are coming from and how your body is processing those calories?

Our bodies process different components of foods in different ways. Carbohydrates, especially those that are refined (like white bread, white flour, pastas, and white rice) are all digested very quickly and create a large amount of energy in the blood stream in a short period of time. Unfortunately this will promote the storage of fat more quickly than if you were to eat a meal of healthy fats, proteins, vegetables and complex carbohydrates, which take longer to digest.