Tag Archives: Much Music

Happy & Healthy Living: Exclusive Interview with Phoebe Dykstra

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Photo by Eric Veloso: ericveloso@streetdreamsmag.co.

By: Lucy Mazzucco

Many of you may remember Phoebe Dykstra as the host of several MTV and Much Music programs including New.Music.Live., Today’s Top 10 and After Degrassi. This week, I got to chat with her about her lifestyle, her passion for animals and her experience working on television.

Apart from being the tattooed goddess from TV who attracted fans to her social networks for the way she looked, her fan base began to grow when she created a second Instagram account by the name of @phoebesmindbodyspirit; which focused on her healthy lifestyle, vegan diet and her love and passion for meditation, yoga and animals. “While doing TV, I realized that there were a lot of people listening to me on my social media, so I began to think of ways that I could be even more to them,” said Phoebe. “Some days, I honestly don’t feel like going to yoga, but I push myself to go in hopes of making it look easy to others, so that they’ll want to try.”

Although Phoebe is no longer at MTV, she is focused on her own projects such as starting a clothing line, transitioning to a quieter lifestyle and living a happy and balanced life. “My favorite part of the experience was the excitement I got for the audience and fans,” said Phoebe. “Being able to tell a fan that they were chosen to ask their favorite celebrity a question; and then having to mentally prepare them for it was such an awesome feeling.”

After leaving MTV, Phoebe decided that she wanted to escape the city in hopes of living a quieter and simpler life, so she relocated to an island on the west coast of Canada. “I am still transitioning from the move. Toronto has so many positives, but it just wasn’t fulfilling my soul. The fast-paced lifestyle was making me forget who I was and who I want to be,” said Phoebe. “I encourage others who would like to live a quieter and simpler life to just do it. You don’t necessarily need to run away to an island; start by spending time in nature. Leap and the net will appear!”

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MMVA 2015 Red Carpet. Photo by Arthur Mola: mola.arthur@gmail.com.

Apart from being vegan, Phoebe’s healthy lifestyle also consists of meditation and yoga. Her lifestyle choices have been greatly influenced by her enormous passion for animals. “I stopped eating meat about eight years ago, and became vegan after I decided I loved animals too much to play any part in their mistreatment,” said Phoebe. “If I had a spirit animal, I always thought it would be a cat or maybe a raccoon; but the truth is, it would be a squirrel. They’re all over the place and they’re so playful,” said Phoebe.

Phoebe has an entire arm dedicated to her passion for animals, which contains tattoos of animals including a cow, rabbit and duck. “People notice me for my tattoos and I was definitely ‘the tattooed girl’ when I was on TV,” said Phoebe. “I’m happy to share if anyone ever asks me about them, since they are positive reminders to myself; but I don’t see them anymore. They are there, just like my skin is there.”

So, what’s next for Phoebe Dykstra? Besides adjusting to the transition away from city life, she hopes to continue inspiring others. “I’d like to start a clothing line. Creativity is something I’m still trying to convince myself that I have,” said Phoebe. “I had no idea that this little farm girl would end up with a career in television or move to an island. Who knows what’s next…life is beautiful.”

For updates from Phoebe, follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @phoebedykstra.
For lifestyle updates, follow her second Instagram account: @phoebesmindbodyspirit.

Hot for Food: Exclusive Interview with Lauren Toyota

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IMG_8043_new_SmallerBy: Lucy Mazzucco

Many of you may remember Lauren Toyota from Much Music and MTV, where she hosted programs such as New.Music.Live, MTV News and After Degrassi. This week, I got to sit down and chat with the television personality, host and producer about hot for food; her food blog developed alongside boyfriend John Diemer, which consists of exciting and innovative vegan recipes.

On January 1st, 2010, Lauren made the decision to become vegan after having been a vegetarian for most of her life. “Before I became full vegan, I used the blog to document my experience on the transition. It was fun talking about the struggle with food and not feeling well sometimes along the way,” said Lauren. “Back then, I just enjoyed taking pictures and talking about my experience, while getting feedback from others who were going through the same thing.”

Although the blog generally targets the health and wellness community, it is beginning to attract viewers who use hot for food as a resource that inspires, educates and explores curiosity for those wanting to become vegan, but don’t know where to start. “John and I usually like to recreate the things we eat at restaurants. We think about how we’d be able to make the dishes ourselves, but ultimately, we think about what we could do to improve them,” said Lauren. “We like to think outside the box and challenge ourselves to transform regular food into vegan food.”

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As far as favorite foods go, Lauren was able to narrow her favorite hot for food recipes down to her mac and cheese along with her cauliflower buffalo wings. “I like a lot of the recipes we’ve made. John and I come up with new ideas all the time and constantly think of ways we can grow while having fun along the way,” said Lauren.

When asking Lauren if she had any advice for individuals aspiring to become vegan, she suggested to take it one step at a time and to listen to your body. “It’s something you can’t keep over-thinking. Take it one meal at a time. Find the animal products in that meal and think about what you can replace them with,” said Lauren. “There are tons of resources out there that are readily available. It’s important not to get overwhelmed because it’s an evolution and a step-by-step process. Start where your heart is.”

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So what’s next for hot for food?  “We want to continue developing recipes,” said Lauren. “We don’t exactly know what’s next for us, but it could be anything. We’re open-minded to any possibilities.”

For more info, visit hotforfoodblog.com or ‘like’ them on Facebook!
For updates from hot for food, follow them on Twitter and Instagram!
For updates from Lauren Toyota, follow her on Twitter and Instagram