Active Truth has become one of my favorite maternity lines to wear at the gym or around Bondi Beach, Australia. It is an activewear company that serves women of every shape and size. Their designs specialize in super small to super big sizes so that no body is left out - and that includes pregnant women like me. I have tried out several lines of maternity activewear and just like some everyday-wear maternity lines, the quality is often sub-par. BUT, that is not the case with Active Truth. It is up there with Lululemon - and that's saying a lot in my book. Anyway, the founder, Nadia Tucker, recently interviewed me about my prenatal fitness and nutrition routine for their 'How She Does It' series. The Q and A is below.

How She Does It - Anna Kooiman - International TV Host

In our 'How She Does It' series we interview women about how they incorporate active and healthy habits into their lives. We believe there is no one-size-fits-all approach to health and fitness, so we aim to capture the variety of ways women choose to be active to give you ideas and inspiration on how to live your best active life. 

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Anna Kooiman. I’m a 33 year old American girl living in Sydney after marrying a handsome Aussie bloke. I am an international TV host and lifestyle writer. I lived in New York City for 5 years where I was the host of the number one weekend cable morning show in the world, Fox and Friends (Fox News Channel). I still do a lot of work for them, frequently traveling between Australia and the USA. Since moving to Oz I have been doing a lot of TV. Studio Ten, Sky News, The Today Show, & The Project. I also launched a fitness, travel, & lifestyle website last year. Please check it out - AnnaKooiman.com - I love to collaborate!

What does active living mean to you?

Active means finding a way to get moving and grooving every day. No matter what, I find a way to do something active for my body and mind.

What do you like to do to stay active?

I am lucky enough to truly be passionate about fitness. It is not a chore for me, it is a love for me. I have completed 4 marathons including New York City and Boston, and done a lot of sprint triathlons. While living in NYC I was super into Soul Cycle, Barry’s Bootcamp, Fly Wheel, 305 Fitness, Exhale Core Fusion, etc. Before getting the big TV gig at Fox News in NYC I was a local news anchor by day and a fitness instructor by evening. I used to teach up to 10 classes a week back in those days! Since moving to Bondi Beach I’ve really enjoyed the soft sand runs and trying out all the boutique fitness studios. I am currently in my 8th month of pregnancy so I’ve had to slow down massively. I do the Bondi to Bronte coastal walk about 5 days a week and try to lift light weights about 3 times a week.

Have you always been active and healthy?

Growing up, I played softball and ran track. I ran my first marathon at age 17 in North Carolina and was on the track team at UNC-Wilmington. I will say though, we had tons of junk food in our house when I was a kid.

What daily habits keep you fit and healthy?

I eat whenever I’m hungry. I eat a lot… especially now that I’m pregnant! I just make sure it is always healthy. Loads of fruits, vegetables, chicken, turkey, fish, and lean dairy. I never order fried food and always try to ask restaurants to leave off the unnecessary fatty/sugary sauces added to meals.

What is your best active living hack?

Make it your goal to workout 7 days a week. That may sound ridiculous… but the truth is SOMETHING will get in the way. We all have a life and we should all go live it. But if we plan in rest days… we end up taking more rest days than we intend because something will always come up that cancels a workout… a dinner with a friend, a meeting, a headache, a sick child, a thunderstorm, etc.

Favourite healthy meal?

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. And I am OBSESSED with avocado toast. Aussies definitely know avocado toast!! I load up the vegemite on soy linseed toast with avocado, scrambled eggs, and smoked salmon. I just can’t get enough. And I am not one of those people that has a phobia of carbs. I think carbs give me the energy I need to be happy and to get in a good workout.

What challenges do you need to overcome in order to achieve healthy and active living?

I just had my blood tested to make sure everything was going okay during pregnancy. It seems the bub is sucking iron from my body. It was a little on the low side, not anemic, but something to pay attention to. I haven’t eaten red meat since I was 13. It’s unfortunate that I don’t like it because red meat is the absolute best source for iron. I eat tons of dark green veggies but it doesn’t seem to be enough for this stage of pregnancy. I just started taking an iron supplement in addition to my prenatal vitamins a couple weeks ago.

What is the best ‘side-effect’ of staying healthy and active?

Energy and an optimistic outlook on life.

What (or who) inspires and motivates you?

I get really motivated during intense workout sessions such as Tabata and AMRAP. Unfortunately those are off limits at the moment since I’m in my third trimester of pregnancy. I found it very hard during the first trimester to really really slow down. I was exhausted, nauseous, and also wanted to be extra careful since that’s the most sensitive time for a pregnancy. But because fitness is such a huge part of my life, I didn’t feel like myself. I would get tired just walking my dog! The second trimester was great because my energy was back, and with consent from my doctor, I could really go for it again. Intensity in workouts for me fosters intensity in my personal and professional life too.

How do you overcome negative thoughts?

I have negative thoughts just like everyone else. I am guilty of never being satisfied and always wanting more for myself and the people I love. But at the first site of a negative thought, I try to push it away. If it comes back, I know it’s something to pay attention to. I try to address it, and focus on all the positives instead.

How do you manage days or periods where you are not as motivated? 

On days when I am absolutely feeling blahhhh… I just give myself a break. I find that if I’m not feeling up to it, there is probably a reason. Usually it gives me an extra energy burst to get back at it the next day.

What do you do to treat yourself? 

Manicures and Pedicures several times a month, And I like to splurge on the foot massages too. My puppies need some extra TLC since I’m so active! … And because I love wearing heels!

Top 3 songs on your workout playlist?

Normally its whatever is hot on the charts. Since most of my working out is just easy coastal walking these days, I listen to a lot of news, politics, and business podcasts.

Love Anna as much as we do? You can connect with her via 

www.annakooiman.com
https://www.instagram.com/annakooiman/ 
http://facebook.com/annakooimantv
https://twitter.com/annakooiman
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJOSPtHIzsmbdsoki6VsRzw

Images by Jolanta Opiola - connect with Jolanta via 

www.jolaopiola.com
www.instagram.com/jolaopiola