Editor’s Note: 11 Questions with … is a regular series profiling some of our favorite bloggers, athletes, celebrities and real moms and dads. Find other installments here.
Cathy Burns is president of Produce Marketing Association, which represents 2,500 members of the fresh produce and floral supply chains in 45 countries. PMA’s members provide 90 percent of the fresh produce sold to U.S. consumers. Cathy is a 30-year supermarket industry veteran, and is responsible for PMA’s leadership in Team FNV and the ‘eat brighter!’ movement.
1. If you were stranded on a deserted island, and only one vegetable grew on that island, what vegetable would you want it to be? Wow, asking me to pick just one vegetable is tough, but I’d probably want one that was high in nutrients and one that was fast and easy to grow. That said, I’d like either leafy greens (spinach, lettuces), mushrooms, peas or squash.
2. What is your healthiest habit? It’s a tie between eating breakfast every day and working out consistently.
3. What is your go-to nutritious breakfast? I enjoy Greek yogurt, usually strawberry or strawberry-banana flavored, mixed with fresh berries and a cereal.
4. What are the 3 items that are always in your fridge/pantry? Three items that are always in my fridge/pantry are berries (usually raspberries and strawberries), bananas and hot sauce because it goes on everything. I love spicy foods. The hotter the better!
5. What is your favorite workout? My favorite workout is cycling. It’s such a great sport. It’s a great way for my husband and me to work out and still be able to have a conversation. It’s also a really unique way to see the countryside.
We owned bike shops in Davidson, N.C., and Huntersville, N.C. Cycling is a big part of our life, and our girls are really into it too. My husband and I are actually going to the Tour de France next year. We’ve never been before; we’ve only watched it on television, so this is an exciting opportunity for us.
6. Who is your fitness hero? If the weather prevents me from cycling, my favorite indoor workout is a high-intensity step aerobics class. My fitness hero is the instructor of this class, Bunny. She is 77 years old and is committed to her own health and ours … from the workout to nutritional tips. She starts and ends the class with a motivational message, pushes us to our limit (and sometimes beyond!), throws in complex routines and has an inspiring outlook on life. She is an amazing woman. Oh, and you have to get to her class early or you will not find a spot!
7. How do you take your water – sparkling, flat, over ice? I like my water on ice, and the colder the better! But I would much rather have crushed ice over cubed ice.
8. What is your guilty pleasure? Chocolate. I eat a piece of chocolate every day.
9. What is your healthy eating philosophy? To eat three meals a day and to have half the plate made up of fruit or vegetables.
10. What is your go-to nutritious family dinner dish? That’s a good question. My go-to nutritious family dinner dish is chicken on the grill, with brown rice and a vegetable. And then if we want something sweet we have watermelon.
11. What is the best health advice you’ve ever received? “You don’t stop exercising because you get old. You get old because you stop exercising.”
I can apply that to any sport or exercise program that I am a part of today. As I watch my 80 year old mother and my 93 year old aunt age it reminds me every day of this quote. Although they do not run marathons or participates in bike races, they walk every day, get in the pool with my daughters and even bowl. They lives are full and rich and they certainly look and act younger than their age!
