Plant Chat: Danielle Girdano, D’Fine Your Health
I’m so excited to have Danielle Girdano from D’Fine Your Health on my plant-powered blog today! Danielle is Certified Master Personal Trainer who is listed on the United States Registry for Exercise Professionals (USREPS). She is considered one of the most elite professionals in the fitness industry today and has a sincere driving passion for helping people live longer and stronger lives through nutrition and active lifestyle. Danielle is also passionate about the plant-based lifestyle.
I had the fabulous opportunity to meet Danielle when I was on her radio program, “Strength through Knowledge”, where I talked about plant-based eating. You can check out her program and my podcast here.
Danielle grew up with an active lifestyle, playing organized sports from the age of 6. Although in her young adult life, her activity level and love of athletics declined. As a working marketing professional with a sedentary lifestyle, she gained a tremendous amount of weight over a short period of time. She was morbidly obese, smoking two packs of cigarettes a day, and getting almost no physical activity during the day.
Wearing size XXL shirts and shorts on a 5’4” frame that were becoming too tight, Danielle needed to make a life change for her self esteem and her health. Noticing she could no longer do the lowest levels of activities, she made a conscious choice to reclaim her life and joined a local gym. With fervent dedication and passion, she steadily regained her life and body, going as far to complete the 6,400 mile Ride the Arc bicycle project in 2010 for GLBT rights. During her transformation, Danielle found herself motivating and helping others at the gym and decided to make a career change. Danielle began her formal education and training with the Cooper Institute in Dallas Texas.
Danielle explains, “It’s not just a career; it’s a desire to help others achieve their fitness potential. Seeing someone reach a goal they never believed could be obtained gives a moment of tremendous elation! Words can’t express the feeling of knowing someone will live a healthier, longer and more fulfilled life!”
To raise awareness for childhood obesity and bullying, she will ride her bicycle from Chicago, IL to Los Angeles, CA in September 2015 for Highway for Health. The route itself is the historic Route 66, which was the first super highway to connect the Midwest to the West Coast. She will start on September 20 from Chicago and will attempt to beat the world record of 43 days, before ending up in LA for the grand finale sometime in October. It will be held at the park on Ocean and Santa Monica Blvd, but you can find out the exact details on www.highwayforhealth.com from Danielle as the dates get closer! Danielle is hoping to take a picture at the Santa Monica Pier when she arrives, so if you’re in the LA area in October please come by and meet her!
I sat down with Danielle to learn more about her passionate viewpoints on health.
Tell us a little bit about your plant-based (and wellness) journey.
My journey started with the understanding that calories should have true value. When I was morbidly obese then started to lose weight, I gained a new and very clear understanding of the value of a calorie, both to burn off and the exchange of nutrients for the calorie being in-taken. I must also admit that animal welfare started to play an increasing role in my awareness. This led to a greater understanding of cleanliness, as well as GMO food fed to animals. With all the above combined, it was simply an easy choice for me; logical, ethical and of the greatest good for my own longevity.
How did you turn your interests in plant-based eating towards your work path?
I’m someone who is PASSIONATE about knowledge being power and helping people. Once you have a knowledge base, nobody can ever take that away. You can’t be tricked or fooled by a marketing label or campaign. When my understanding and awareness grew about nutritional benefits, environmental impact, and animal welfare I simply had to share it with as many people as I could. It’s my belief that most people have no idea how that hamburger, chicken breast, or slice of ham got on their plate. There is a lack of knowledge behind the practices used in factory farms. The overuse of antibiotics alone stops you in your tracks! Then we bring in the GMO feed, hellish living environments, utter filth the animals are forced to live, this information simply needed to be out. I also bring to light the understanding of what a protein is at its core. When you understand this it becomes very clear why plant proteins are better absorbed in the body. Take into account the macro and micro nutrients in plant proteins and it became crystal clear why top athletes are turning to plant proteins, why they are better for post workout consumption and greatly improves long term health.
When this became a burning desire to share, I developed three nutritional workshops that, since their creation, have been recognized, awarded and celebrated for their content. When you see a person’s face light up, the eyebrows raise and witness the knowledge setting in there is no greater feeling! This became part of my work because, I truly believe it was always intended to…I just needed to catch up with fate! It stays part of my work because the very nature of childhood obesity, chronic diseases due to obesity, and premature death from obesity are preventable! This is a tide that can be turned. We can save lives, help people truly LIVE not just exist, and bring salvation to a completely broken factory farming industry.
You have an amazing radio program. What sorts of programming can people expect to find on it?
Our goal is to educate our listeners. We want tangible take a-ways from each show, to grow knowledge with positive guests that are true experts in their fields. We keep topics centered around health or wellness in some way, but our guests vary from attorneys to holistic based doctors to physiologists and councilors. This is why “Strength through Knowledge” is in the name of our show! We want to inspire and educate! Past shows can be viewed via our youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXE18CuYHFr9uf4u5H0RUbdugQ_7nPxvN .
What are your best tips for people who are interested in turning their health around, but just can’t seem to get motivated to do it?
Small manageable external goals, these are crucial! Intrinsic goals often are not enough to sustain someone for a journey such as weight loss. External goals are also a way to not “beat yourself up” if they fail. The very premise of them are built on progression.
Tell us what a typical meal and workout is for you?
Right now a typical workout is 75-85 miles on the bike! I love Quinoa with Gardien beef tips…my favorite! I also love a good salad with hemp and chia seeds mixed with olive oil and crushed red peppers! Another favorite is roasted red peppers mixed with cooked down tomatoes over Quorn Ck’in Cutlets.
We want to know more about Highway for Health. How did it get started, and what will it accomplish?
How can people get involved? I’ve always said my main goal in life is to leave it a better place, I just happen to do it on a bike sometimes! It all got started when I kept seeing route 66 signs and such, it got into my head and so I started to research it. One thing lead to another until I said I wanted to ride the route and break the record…then all the planning and fundraising started.
I was an obese child that grew into a morbidly obese woman…I want to show that a person can come full circle. You can be terribly unhealthy and overweight then evolve into a world-class athlete. It’s about being the example…Italian eating meat everyday was normal…lots of fat and lots of calories. Who would have ever thought a vegan athlete was underneath! I’m a sincere believer that words are meaningless unless they have actual action behind them. Walking the walk and not just being lip service is important to me. When you’ve been where people are starting and have made it to the other side they can relate to you.
I want to be not only an inspiration, but a real life case study in what wonderful power the universe can have if you let yourself believe your life circumstances could change!
Getting involved is easy. Check out our Facebook page, contact me about doing a presentation for your group or organization, or come be part of the celebration at the finish line…or by making a donation. Every dollar counts and all are welcome. Donations can be sent to 14965 County Road Nevada TX 75173. Anyone can feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]