GUEST REVIEW: An Interview with Sara Snow
by Jenni Simmons

Most days, I feel confident that I’m living the natural life fairly well. The following day I’ll be overwhelmed by new, green information spurting from just about everywhere: magazines, blogs, the newspaper, NPR, oh my! I peek in our refrigerator to admire gorgeous organic produce, walk barefoot on bamboo floors, pour non-toxic laundry liquid into our washer, see an extra bag of recycling in the pantry (one more than last week) and still, I know I have a lot to learn. I keep a running mental list of goals: organic gardening, composting, remembering to bring cloth bags every time I go to the store, bid goodbye to Ziploc bags and plastic storage containers, and so on.

When I get discouraged or feel like a hippie outcast in the suburbs, I flip on the TV to watch Get Fresh With Sara Snow. I love my Heroes and Grey’s Anatomy, but honestly, Get Fresh is the best show on TV, and it is the brainchild of Sara Snow. She was raised in an ultra-healthy home, brimming with green and natural living. She still lives that way today, sharing her inspirational lifestyle with both green enthusiasts or strangers to natural living each and every week. One of the best aspects of her show is how she presents the information in progressive steps - small goals to accomplish each week - instead of a deluge of impossible ideas. And I haven’t seen Sara wear Birkenstocks or tie-dye yet (not that there’s anything wrong with that) which is refreshing since some people who live natural actually appear quite mainstream. These days, many people desire a more contemporary, modern form of natural living and Sara Snow shows us how that looks, right on our televisions.

Take last week’s show for instance - subject matter such as Ayurveda, a red lentil soup recipe, homemade ginger tea, “Patient, heal thyself,” integrative medicine, biofeedback, ChiRunning, meditation, homemade massage oil and bath salts, and take daily short naps for your health. Each episode is similar as Sara makes an organic, holistic life look creative, inviting, and hopeful.

I had the pleasure of talking with Sara Snow recently and she was exactly the same as her TV persona - kind, cheerful, funny, informative, and enthusiastic about her beliefs. We both sat in our homes (several states apart) sipping organic tea, and as always with Sara, I felt encouraged and at ease.

Jenni: I’ve read a little about your childhood on the show’s web site, but what was it like growing up in a natural household when that was not as popular or easy as it is today?

Sara: It definitely wasn’t popular. It was not the cool place to come for dinner, that’s for sure. You would probably be fed tofu or some other strange food like bulgur salad when everyone else served hamburgers and spaghetti. But it didn’t affect us, really. We were very aware of the fact that we were, in some sense, different, but we also felt empowered by it, like we were part of something really important. Even as adults today - my three siblings and I talk about it a lot - we just realized as kids that we were a part of something great.

That’s a wonderful answer! Are your parents still active in the natural foods industry?

Yes, absolutely. My mom is a huge advocate; she still lives by natural standards, eats natural foods, and creates a healthy, natural home. My dad is still very involved; he’s still founding companies, in fact. He was a founder of Eden Foods back in the early days, he was a founder of American Soy Products, and most recently he founded Blue Horizon Organic Seafood Company to answer the contemporary question of, “What about organic seafood?” So he is still very involved.

Wow, that’s great. Are they proud of your show?

Yes, I think they are. Every day I’m so thankful for the family that I came from. Obviously, I get so much inspiration from my dad who has been fighting for this cause, for lack of a better word, since before I was born. And my siblings are all involved in it, also. I would say that they’re probably proud of my show for sure because in a sense, I’m taking that message that we’ve all lived and believed for so many years and making it accessible to the every day American so that they, too, can find easy ways to infuse healthy, natural living into their lives.

That’s what it has done for me so I think that you succeed.

Good! I like to hear that.

I bet. We viewers see the show, but can you give me a glimpse of your day-to-day life - what a typical day looks like?

It completely depends on if I’m in production or not. If I’m in production, then I’m anywhere all across this country. In fact, recently I spent a week in Costa Rica shooting an episode on eco-travel that will be airing soon. I’ve shot a lot in the Northeast and a fair amount in California, also, up and down the coast: visiting small-time farmers, big-time natural food companies, and average Americans who are looking for some help in cleaning up their homes. I visit CSA’s [Community Supported Agriculture], the vitamin sections of grocery stores, energy conservation projects, and alternative energy companies. I’ve had the most incredible opportunities to visit and showcase some of the most amazing people across this country. When I’m in production, that’s what I’m busy doing - traveling all across the country to shoot these incredible stories. I’ve just wrapped production on season 2 - well, season 1 of Get Fresh - the second series that I’ve done for Discovery. And now I’m developing what will be next and working on some other projects.

I saw an episode where your husband popped in and I was wondering if he’s always been like-minded with you in natural living?

No, he hasn’t, and he is the most amazing man because he grew up in a healthy house eating healthy food, but not necessarily a house that focused on natural food. He’s been so open to all of the food that I’ve fed him over the five years that we’ve been married. He’s eaten tofu and claimed that he couldn’t tell it was a soy meat alternative in spaghetti sauce. He’s the most encouraging and humble man because he recognizes the importance of vegetables, a varied diet, a non-toxic home, and organic produce. And I’ll tell you, one of my favorite moments (this happens every once in awhile) is when I’ll overhear him talking to someone else about organics, how they can find a CSA, what type of supplements they need to be looking for, or what kind of alternative cleaning products they can use in their home. It’s amazing when I hear him saying those things to other people.

You know, he kinda sounds like my husband - that’s funny to hear.

Yeah?

Yeah, just that they are both willing to go along with our interests - I think it’s really sweet. You found a good man. From the recipes I’ve seen on the show so far, you seem to only eat fish as far as meat - correct me if I’m wrong - though you mention alternatives such as organic chicken. What is your dietary philosophy?

I’m not a vegetarian, I’m not a vegan; I just know food, so I’m extremely picky. I eat a plant-based diet: mostly vegetables, fruits, and grains - nuts and seeds and such. I do eat fish, and every once in awhile I’ll take a bite of chicken or a bite of organic, grass-fed beef - just so I can experience the taste in order to talk about those flavors to other people. But I haven’t sat down to a steak or a chicken dinner in a number of years. I used to eat chicken, but I don’t eat it anymore. I’m not against it in any way, it’s just that I know what makes my body feel the best and those are the things I choose to eat.

That makes sense; very interesting.

I think that is really important to note because there are a lot of people who become vegans and they know all of the incredible reasons to do so, and they want so badly for everyone to be vegan. But people have to make the decisions for themselves and people won’t all make decisions at the same pace or at the same rate. We have to be willing to baby step along with some people and jog with other people. I think it would be alienating to huge groups of people if I tried to tell them that they all need to be vegan or they all need to be vegetarian. Instead, I offer options. I say, if you want to eat chicken - great! But here’s what you should look for: make sure it wasn’t treated with any growth hormones or antibiotics and get organic if at all possible. If you’re going to go one step farther and eat beef, make sure it’s grass-fed beef. I educate people about what those decision points are.

That sounds like a wise approach. When you are home (not on the road), what does a typical menu look like for you?

Well, this morning I had a little bit of oat bran, a fried egg on the side, and some spinach. I like to eat eggs at least a few times a week because they give me a good energy punch and I like to start my day with something savory and salty as opposed to sweet. I found that if I started with something sweet, I ended up craving sweets throughout the day. A fried egg with spinach is pretty typical, and this morning I happened to have oat bran instead of a piece of whole wheat toast, but I would do either. For lunch it is usually a big bed of greens with any assortment of things on top: usually avocado and cucumber and maybe tuna fish. Sometimes I’ll combine that with either a piece of whole grain toast or some rice crackers - I really love rice crackers. A lot of times dinner is fish with vegetables or maybe a grain of some sort - like rice with fish. It could end up being another salad with a piece of fish on top instead. I really like salads, though, because they give me that vegetable base that I like to have with every meal, if possible.

That sounds delicious. I’m also a big fan of huge salads. I made one last night and it was pretty massive!

Salads can be tricky, though. People can get a little out of hand with their salads and add too many things and then all of the sudden they don’t have a health food anymore. I heard a commercial the other day that I think was a beer company - I should know this - it’s the one with two guys. One guy talks and the other guy sings; this one was for “the taco salad” - how it’s now the 12,000 calorie salad and couldn’t be called salad except for the little bit of wilted iceberg lettuce. It was funny - I laughed really hard!

That’s funny! Yeah, that can easily happen - I don’t think I did that badly with my big salad.

Oh, I’m sure you didn’t.

How did you start working in television?

I actually studied in college to work in television and I thought I wanted to be a news anchor. I was a producer for a little while; I produced national cable broadcast shows. I have a couple Emmy awards sitting on a bookshelf to remind me of those days - it was a really cool experience. Then I became a news reporter and anchor and worked on a morning show for three years. It was a job that I thought I’d been working towards. I thought I wanted to go from there and keep working in news, but after three years of getting up at 3:00 in the morning every day, I found that I couldn’t do it another day. I was still controlling my wellness by eating natural foods and doing a variety of exercises - some days going to the gym, but other days just doing yoga or Pilates. I wasn’t going crazy by any means, but I just found that not sleeping with the sun pattern had enough of an effect on me that it was affecting my health. And so I left that job and decided to create a concept for a TV series about natural living - to take the message that I’ve always known and lived to Americans everywhere. That’s how Living Fresh was born (Living Fresh was the first series that I did for Discovery). Then after one season of Living Fresh, we changed it around a little bit, amped it up, made it a little bit more fun, put a new title on it, and that was the beginning of Get Fresh With Sara Snow.

When you’re on the road, how in the world do you eat so healthy and organic? It’s hard enough for me on a simple road trip.

It is hard. I’ll tell you when it’s the hardest: when we’re driving from city to city and the only things in between are fast food because I just won’t do it. There are vegetarian options at fast food restaurants, but I know where that lettuce may have come from and I know that tomato has no nutritional value, so what’s the point? I always make sure to travel with a couple of snacks - either a healthy snack mix, a good nutritional bar, or supplement of some sort. That way I have some things I can snack on (in between) until I get to my next good, green meal. I’ve spent a lot of time shooting in New York in the last six months and I have an amazing crew out there. They were really incredible about always making sure there was a lunch spot close by where Sara could eat. It makes me sound really picky and I swear I’m not that picky because I’m happy eating side dishes at nearly any restaurant out there - I can always find something to eat. But it just goes to show that even in a city where there are a thousand different restaurants calling your name, you can still find healthy food anywhere. You can find healthy food in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco; but also in Paducah, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; Cleveland, Ohio; and all the other cities. You just have to be willing to look a little bit.

That is very encouraging for the next time I travel. How do you help educate people and maintain your way of life without coming across as proud? I say that because sometimes I find a struggle when my friends prepare a meal, for instance. I have a lot of friends who don’t share my interests. Do you ever run into those kinds of problems?

I try really hard not to alienate. I think that’s really important if you’re a part of something you believe in, and you also believe that other people would benefit from your knowledge. You have to be very careful not to soapbox. I may go to a friend’s house for dinner and they may have prepared something I would never prepare at home and I wouldn’t normally eat, but I humble myself. I sit down and eat whatever it is they put in front of me, unless it’s meat and then I pick around it. I recognize that everyone is at different stages. Some people are hearing what organic means for the first time and others may already belong to a CSA, but maybe they don’t fully understand what to do with all of the vegetables that they receive every week. One thing I try to do on my series is to offer simple things that people can do: one thing this week and another thing next week, or try that next month. Keep adding things on so that gradually you’re on your way to living a more natural life. And that goes across the board beyond food. If we’re talking only food, then this week: buy your apples organic. Next week: do apples and lettuce. The week after that: do apples, lettuce, and peaches; and keep adding something on until all the sudden you’re buying 10% organic. Since it goes beyond food, next month add in cleaning products and the following month, start thinking about your transportation - take public transportation, walk, or ride your bike when possible. It is those gradual baby steps, and I think we could all do a lot of good by encouraging our friends and neighbors in that way and not alienating or passing judgment. Help them get excited, also.

Thank you - that is very helpful. What are your future goals with Get Fresh, if you can share any?

I’d like to keep bringing new information and pushing the envelope a little bit. I did a segment on green funerals and when I first picked this idea, I thought for sure it would be flushed down the toilet. I thought it would never see the light of day. But somebody said, “Oh yeah, I think that’s cool,” and then we started researching, getting ready to shoot a segment, and people got excited. The “green funerals” episode aired and people will stop me to say how much they loved the green funerals segment because it is something they hadn’t thought of before in terms of green living. That is one way that I kind of pushed the envelope by bringing some newer, more edgy material. I’d like to continue to do that - to get people thinking, get people excited, and bring people on board. Beyond the TV series, I hope to get a book or two out there, to reach people with this message of healthy, natural living on more than one platform.

I’d love the books!

I’m working on it…

I bet - you are a busy lady. Do you have any plans to start a magazine?

Not any specific plans right now, but of course the idea is on my radar.

Oh, great! I think a magazine from you is needed in that market. What are a few of the companies that you think really “get it” as far as green, sustainable concerns?

There are a couple of great companies. There are the old school companies that have been doing it for awhile like Traditional Medicinals: Drake Sadler is a good friend of my dad’s and a good friend of mine. He gets it; he’s been bringing healthy teas and natural health alternatives to America for over 30 years. Then there are newer, more contemporary companies: Guayakí does yerba maté and they not only provide a coffee alternative with a natural caffeine stimulant (I happen to be sipping on some right now), but they also help to support and sustain communities by purchasing the tea leaves from certain areas where they indigenously grow. Sambazon is a great company: Ryan and Jeremy Black do açaí­ pulp and now açaí­ smoothies. They are another couple of great guys who are fired up and impassioned. They are passionate about their product, passionate about the people who grow it for them, and they are in it for the right reasons. Under the Canopy is yet another good company: Marci Zaroff is the founder and she is a great friend of mine. She recognizes that natural living is about more than food - it’s also about clothing and cotton. Zaroff founded Under the Canopy and they focus on organically-grown cotton goods: sheets, towels, and bathrobes, but also the most gorgeous shirts, very cool T-shirts, skirts, and all sorts of stuff for women, men, and babies. We have so many great companies out there and the good news is, every single day there are new ones, and the old companies are becoming more accessible. The people who once thought it was hard to live green now have no excuse.

Let me ask you this - I have friends who find it expensive to live natural and green, but they have a very strong desire to do so. Do you have any suggestions?

I think it’s about changing your mindset and perceptions of food. People think that food should be cheap and easy. Let’s face it: we could go into a fast food restaurant and get a burger for $1.00. But healthy food - food that actually nourishes and gives our bodies what it needs - is not cheap. It shouldn’t be cheap. We have to support the farmers who spend their days and nights growing and producing this food. So by saying that it is cheap, in a way it’s disrespectful to the people who work hard to create quality, healthy, natural food products for us. But there are ways that people can watch the bottom line if they’re on a budget. I know plenty of those people, also: they have four young kids at home or the husband and wife just had their first baby, struggling to make ends meet, but they want to have healthier foods for the baby. If you’re looking for priorities and stretching your grocery dollars, make sure your dairy products (milk especially) is organic. Make sure your meat products are at least hormone and antibiotic-free, if not organic. And then, there’s a list that was put out by the Environmental Working Group: The Dirty Dozen which lists the twelve dirtiest fruits and vegetables. My goal is 100% organic because I know that it has an impact on the environment as well as a health impact on myself and my husband. But for someone who’s maybe looking for a goal of 2% organic, The Dirty Dozen is a really good place to start. Look at that list and say, “OK, apples are dirty. I’ll start buying organic apples.” And, “Lettuce, spinach, and peaches are really dirty, so those are things that I will buy organic and for now, go conventional on everything else.” That’s at least a good starting point.

I’m newer to the green life than some though I’ve always had natural living interests. What are your top five tips to those trying to live a greener life each day?

#1 - Start buying organic whenever possible. Work towards the goal of 10% organic. If we as Americans could start buying 10% organic by the year 2010 (that’s the goal of Mission Organic 2010), we would guarantee that 98 million servings of water every single day would be pesticide-free. We would eliminate almost 3 billion barrels of imported oil annually. There are so many benefits to buying organic besides your personal health.

#2 - No more paper or plastic. Americans use so many plastic bags every single year. In fact, Americans use 84 billion plastic bags each year. Plastic bags are made of polyethylene which is a petroleum product, and petroleum is a non-renewable resource. So there are a lot of reasons to not to use plastic bags. They take forever to break down. And it takes a lot of energy to create paper bags. Start carrying your own reusable cloth bag every time you go to the grocery store, the farmer’s market, or anywhere else.

#3 - Walk whenever possible. If you’re just going for a cup of coffee a mile away, a half mile away, or four blocks away - walk. If you’re going to the grocery store, walk instead of taking the car if you possibly can or try taking public transportation, even just one day a week. Try to cut down on the number of times you get in your car and turn it on and off.

#4 - Recycle. Start recycling, even if you have to start small. Most people can have their recycling picked up at their house, but if you cannot, start small. Sometimes you have to pay a little bit; I pay $5.00 a month - that’s it. But if there’s a drop-off close to your house and you want to start small, start recycling all of your glass products or your aluminum. Americans actually throw away enough aluminum to rebuild an entire commercial airline fleet every three months. It’s insane how much we throw away, so start recycling.

#5 - Take it outside of your house. Encourage green living in your office (if you work in an office every day) or in your school if you’re a student. Encourage the use of green office supplies like recycled paper, ink cartridges, or reusable kitchen supplies in your office kitchen. There are so many cool office supplies that are made out of recycled material including computer bags and everything else. Take it outside of your home and encourage the use of green materials in your school or office.

That’s all the questions I have for you today, but your answers were wonderful. It was fun to talk to you because I enjoy your show every week, in fact, it’s on tonight in Houston.

Yep, it’s a new episode tonight [last Thursday, 6/7/07] - a good one called “Body Wellness.” Check it out!

Excellent! Thank you so much.

You’re welcome, Jenni.