A Day In The Life With Elizabeth Rider

Ivette Rieksts IVETTE RIEKSTS

Have you ever wanted to know what a day in the life of a health blogger entails? Are they completely wacky or totally cool? Begin reading to find out all the insights from our favorite FMTV recipe darling, Elizabeth Rider.

1. What Is The First Thing You Consume When You Wake Up? 

Always filtered water. I do about 20 ounces of filtered water first thing every morning. We lose a lot of hydration while we sleep; think about breathing on a mirror to create fog. Hydration escapes the body all night as we sleep, so I always prioritize water first thing. I live in a climate with four very distinct seasons—if it’s warm out I do room temperature water, but if it’s cold out I’ll sip on hot water.

2. What Does Breakfast Usually Look Like? 

My favorite time of the day! When it’s cool out I’ll do something warm like 2 scrambled eggs with avocado, and when it’s warmer I almost always do a smoothie. My go-to is 14 ounces of filtered cold water, 1 serving of high-quality vegan vanilla pea protein, ½ of a frozen banana, and ⅓ cup frozen blueberries. I’ll also add a scoop of collagen peptides and a probiotic every other day or so. 

3. Favorite Way To Stay Hydrated? 

My friends tease me for always having a liquid on my person—with a tea tumbler, water bottle, smoothie shaker bottle, or occasionally an organic coffee. If I had to pick a favorite I’d say just plain old H2O. Drinking water has never been an issue for me, I love the way it makes me feel. 

4. What's Your Go-To Healthy Pick-Me-Up? (Snack/Coffee/Green Juice?) 

It’s hard to beat an afternoon green juice from my local natural grocery store. I do cucumber, celery, lemon, ginger and ½ an apple. I like to keep my juice low-sugar; they’re alway happy to oblige with just a little bit of apple for a slight sweetness. I also just discovered this amazing herbal tea that tastes like coffee made from dandelion, chicory and beet roots called Dandy Blends. A big warm mug of tea with a splash of homemade almond milk is the perfect treat. I love the taste of coffee but limit it to one per day so I don’t over do it. I notice I sleep better over time if I limit myself to one or less per day. Coffee is a tricky thing and it’s easy to build a tolerance to it; it really does affect my quality of sleep if I have too much. 

5. If You Could Put Together The Ultimate Lunch Box, What Would Be In It? 

I love to eat appetizer-style. A lunch box with little bites of a bunch of different things would be my ideal! I’d do activated (raw, soaked & dehydrated) nuts, toasted pumpkin seeds, raw veggies with garlic & lemon hummus, some type of almond milk cheese and some type of goat cheese, berries and sliced apples, and a big salad of mixed greens with avocado and balsamic vinegar. Ok, now I’m hungry! 

6. How Do You Curb Those 3:00 p.m. Cravings? 

I stick to a fairly low-glycemic style of eating, so if I feel an afternoon sugar craving I know it’s because I spiked my blood sugar. I’ll do nuts with a piece of fruit or a protein smoothie to get back on track. 

7. If We Had You Over For Dinner And Were Serving Up Your Favorites - What Would That Look Like? 

It’s so special when someone else cooks for you!, I really think it’s the ultimate sign of love. If someone had me in mind, I think it would be a lean protein with whole grains, vegetables and a ton of flavor. Red Thai curry, seafood with a big salad, or some kindtime of Mediterranean feast would be in order. Really though, I always love being a guest in someone’s kitchen no matter what they make. It’s just such a beautiful gesture to cook for someone. 

8. Do You Have A Bedtime Ritual With Food? e.g. Don't Eat For 3 Hours Before Bed, Or Have A Glass Of Warm Water Before Bed. 

I try to be done eating by 8:00 p.m. at the latest.,  I just sleep better that way. I’m not hardcore about intermittent fasting, but I like to have at least a 12 hour window between dinner and breakfast the next morning. Fourteen hours is what I shoot for, but I need at least 12. My 8:00 p.m. evening ritual includes a magnesium tea and 1mg of melatonin. Both help me sleep and have become second nature at night. 

9. Your Best Advice For Someone Starting To Eat Healthier? 

Focus on creating one small habit at a time. Habit expert Charles Duhigg has proven that changing one small habit can spark change in every way that we live. I think one place some people get frustrated is the ‘all or nothing’ mentality. They make a huge lifestyle change in the space of two days and it only lasts a week because it’s just too much change in a short period of time. People are creatures of habit by nature. Instead, focus on creating one healthy habit at a time. I teach a 28-day shake-a-day challenge online where participants simply focus on a healthy low-glycemic smoothie every morning for breakfast for 28 days and people have excellent results. It’s really about creating a lifestyle over time, one small habit at a time.