I first met Amanda six years ago when she took my Eat Well Feel Well course - a yoga and nutrition program I used to teach with a yoga instructor. I remember her calm and warming energy in the class, always smiling and always keen to learn about holistic nutrition and natural living.
Fast forward to today and she's a talented writer with an impressive resume of experience with a love of natural health which is exactly why we hired her as our new Community Manager! We are so grateful she is part of our team and wanted to take this opportunity to introduce her to you. Here's my Q&A with Amanda, not surprisingly, we have a lot in common :)
You spent nearly a decade as a magazine editor before joining Joyous Health. Tell us about a day in the life of a magazine editor.
Every day was so different. Some days I’d hole up in my cubicle and do a lot of tedious administrative tasks, like invoicing, responding to emails and writing up assignment letters for freelancers. Other days would see more action and creativity, including fun events, travel, photo shoots and recipe tasting. The variety was one of the best things about the job, and it’s the same reason I’m enjoying working at Joyous Health so much – not one day has been the same!
Your daughter Evie is nearly 3! What’s the number one thing you’ve learned since becoming a mama?
I’ve learned to always go with my gut. People (and the internet) will have countless opinions on what to feed your kid, how to get them to sleep, potty train, etc., etc., but at the end of the day, no one knows Evie better than me and my husband! So while I love hearing advice and anecdotes from family and friends, but I’ll always decide what to take or leave. (As Amy Poehler says: "Good for her. Not for me.")
Best natural beauty products?
I could go on about this topic for hours. I’ve had sensitive breakout-prone skin for as long as I can remember, and aside from treating it with the right foods (which, for me, means limiting or avoiding cow dairy and eating foods rich in Omega-3s like fish ), managing stress and drinking boatloads of water, I rely on products from Province Apothecary. I use its oil cleanser, serum and toner every single day, and can’t imagine switching up my routine. My younger self would never imagine leaving the house without makeup, and now that’s my new normal :) Beyond that, I also use Joyous Health’s lavender deodorants (both the cream and the stick) and W3ll People’s mascara is amazing. Oh, and Tata Harper’s cheek tint in Very Popular gives you such a lovely post-yoga flush. I told you I could go on!
What are your indulgences?
Like the rest of the Joyous Health team, I love love LOVE going out for dinner. It’s nice to take a break from cooking (and parenting) and enjoy a leisurely dinner with my husband, friends or my fam. I enjoy trying a variety of different foods, but will always go back to Buca for a special occasion (Joy and Walker are also big fans) and Mamakas (to relive the Greek cuisine I enjoyed on my honeymoon).
Rumour has it I’m also a cookie monster ! I do enjoy a sweet treat after dinner nearly every evening, and certainly live by Julia Child’s mantra: “Everything in moderation, including moderation!”
How about exercise? What kind of movement makes you feel your best?
I exercise almost every day, anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour and a half. I do a mix of walking, running, dance, pilates and yoga. It goes way beyond sculpting my body (although I like feeling fit); I love challenging myself with personal goals such as being able to get into a new yoga posture or run a long distance – it’s so empowering!
- Daily walks (I walk to and from the Joyous Health office from my home or from Evie’s daycare).
- Daily yoga (I do Yoga with Adriene)
- Amazing classes at Misfit Studio
- Running. I ran my first half marathon in 2018 (I wrote about it here), and now I’m hooked!
I usually make a batch of granola on the weekend to have for breakfast throughout the week. I’ll alternate between eating it with a smoothie bowl, goat’s milk yogurt and coconut yogurt . And I could eat toast every day, especially sourdough toast with creamy almond butter and a drizzle of local honey.
What are your kitchen pantry staples?
Granola ingredients, including rolled oats or buckwheat groats and nuts and seeds (pumpkin, chia, flax, etc.); good-quality olive oil; dried beans and legumes for easy, satisfying veggie dinners; some sort of pasta (usually spelt or sourdough); and snacks for my little one (she loves Love Child Organics).
Favourite healthy cookbooks?
Daily practice or affirmation you live by?
Be kind to yourself :)
Please join me in giving Amanda a warm and joyous welcome!
Joy xo
So glad to see you're part of team Joyous Health Amanda - you're a natural fit! Congrats on the new gig.
ReplyWelcome Amada. I enjoyed your Q
ReplyCongratulations and Welcome! May your workday be joyous!
ReplyHaha! Love it :)
I love Amanda! She is an amazing editor and I was lucky enough to work with her. She will be an amazing asset to your team (I write while eating a Joyous Health muffin :) Well done!
ReplyThanks so much Christy! I'm super happy about it too!!
You seem like the perfect fit for the joyous team! :) welcome Amanda! A question joy. Amanda had said she uses both your wet and cream stick deodorant ?? I thought there was only a wet one? Which is what i have but usually use a cream stick. Had i known this i would have bought that one as that is definitely my preferance. So when i next go to order which one do i order?
ReplyHi Tina! We no longer sell the cream deo anymore. It was a baking soda based deo. Sorry about that!