Marianna's Pantry

  1. What are some things that you're absolutely passionate about? I am incredibly passionate about school, learning, interior design, food photography (of course), improving healthy food access and availability in low income communities, nutrition and physical activity in public school systems, sustainability, nontoxic living and improving the lives of others by means of nutrition and lifestyle interventions.
  2. What do you do? Work/school? I am a full time graduate student at Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition! I am studying to get a Master of Science in Nutrition with a focus in nutrition communication and behavior change. I am also on the road to become a Registered Dietician and I cannot wait!
  3. What is your health philosophy? I believe that optimal health includes 3 main components: Choice, the environment and Biology. Every day we make choices when it comes to our health from the second we wake up, to the moment we go to bed. What we chose to eat, how we chose to move and the relationships we chose to form all impact our health, amongst many other things. Our environment dictates our well being both mentally and physically, which then impacts our choices. And our biology is made up of that in which we cannot control, whether we are born into health ailments or not, it again comes down to the choices we make to live to the best of our abilities with these health determents or chose to enhance the optimal health conditions we were born into. Overall I believe that when it comes to optimizing our overall health, giving yourself freedom to cater to your desires and balancing the components of life that will optimize your well being has to be taken into consideration.
  4. What's your favorite self-care ritual? Putting on a face mask, my pajamas, making a hot cup of cinnamon spice tea with a side of dark chocolate and watching New Girl reruns :)
  5. What's one food you could eat every single day? Shoot this is the hardest question EVER! But I’m going to be basic and say avocado all the way!
  6. Who inspires you the most aka your role models? My mother, of course. She is the strongest, kindest, most selfless caring individual I have ever met in my entire life and could only hope to be half the women she is one day. 
  7. Where is your favorite place to travel to? Anywhere that has a beach. As a graduate student, my travel funds are limited, I’ll take any place warm and in nature :)
  8. What's a social cause that means the most to you? Food Insecurity and Nutrition Education
  9. How do you balance personal life and work? That’s a perfect one for my current situation! As a full time graduate student balancing classes, school work, food blogging, instagram, exercising and having a social life, I’ve come up with a few tricks along the way. First off get yourself a GOOD PLANNER! I always write out my monthly To Do’s and plan each day out by each hours, a good timed out to do list goes a LONG way! I also always make time to do something for me each day, usually this means taking an hour and a half or so to get in physical activity or yoga. I also know that I am a student first, therefore schoolwork always comes first in my life over social events or outings, however I do time out one day and night a week for social events with my friends! I also meet up with friends and families at cafes or coffee shops to catch up! Relationships are incredibly important to me!
  10. Chocolate or peanut butter? okay, unpopular opinion, but peanut butter over chocolate and sunflower seed butter over peanut butter EVERYDAY!
  11. Pancakes or waffles? PANCAKES
  12. Favorite thing about Coconut Whisk? Their dedication to giving back to those in need. We need more companies like this in the health and wellness industry, people first has always been a philosophy of mine and I truly believe that success always follows!
  13. Any advice you’d like to give to your younger self? Love your body, every single inch of it. Say yes more, do things that scare you. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS PERFECT!
  14. What are some long term goals that you're currently striving for? BIG ONE: Become a registered dietician. Grow my blog into more than just recipes and food. Have Mariannaspantry become a bigger business. Touch as many lives as possible!
  15. Health = Wealth. Do you agree? I COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY AGREE

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