Daphne Oz
Daphne Oz is a #glowgirl through and through. As an author and TV host, she inspires others through her balanced approach to healthy living and eating. New York Times Bestselling author, co-host of ABC’s hit lifestyle series “The Chew,” and trained natural food's chef (she went to the same cooking school as Tara!), Daphne Oz is a strong and inspiring women who understands the importance of a super-food kale salad alongside an indulgent Levain Cookie.... a girl after our own hearts. We met up with her at one of her favorite spots, Juice Press, where she picked out her go-to juices and healthy snacks.
On ABC's “The Chew,” Oz shares her healthy living and practical tips, showing that happiness and healthiness come hand in hand. For her it's all about fresh, flavorful foods that are easy to prepare, smart ingredient swaps to help save on calories, and plenty of room for worthy indulgences. In 2006, she wrote her national bestseller, The Dorm Room Diet, sharing the healthy lifestyle plan she developed in college that helped her permanently shed over 30 pounds without ever giving up the foods she loves. In April 2013, Daphne released another New York Times bestseller, Relish: An Adventure in Food, Style, and Everyday Fun, a cookbook and all-around lifestyle guide full of the tips and tricks she uses to achieve easy style at home and in her wardrobe, smart advice for career and happy relationships, and of course, tons of delicious recipes that make health a priority and not an obsession.
As the daugher of Dr. Oz, Daphne has had healthy living ingrained in her since she was a little kid. But Daphne has put a refreshing and realistic perspective on the art of balancing a happy-healthy life, which has made her an inspiring figure on all things food, style, and everyday fun.
HOW THEY GLOW QUESTIONNAIRE
NAME: Daphne Oz
NICKNAME: Daffels and Dafo
PROFESSION: Co-host, ABC’s The Chew, and NY Times Bestselling author of Relish: An Adventure in Food, Style, and Everyday Fun.
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? New Jersey
WHERE DO YOU LIVE? NYC
WHEN YOU’RE EATING HEALTHY, WHAT IS A TYPICAL…
BREAKFAST: Oatmeal w/ bananas, walnuts and a little honey and an all-greens juice.
LUNCH: Mixed greens salad with chickpeas/hummus or grilled chicken and tons of veggies in a homemade vinaigrette made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, some fresh herbs if I have them, and a little honey or a splash of OJ plus salt and pepper. And a little handful of almonds and chocolate chips, or some cheese and multigrain crackers.
DINNER: Roasted fish – I love simple branzino with olive oil, garlic, thyme and lemon, or an Asian-glazed salmon – with veggies, maybe some lentils or brown rice to go along.
SNACK: Fiber crackers with feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, jalapeno, a slash of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. If I need something sweeter, I go for apples with lemon or a spoonful of almond butter.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS/RESTAURANTS TO EAT HEALTHY? I love CULTURE for their delicious organic yogurt options. MILOS is deliciously simple Greek that lets the ingredients speak for themselves. I always get the same thing: the Milos special (thin slices of fried eggplant and zucchini with a garlicky tzatziki yogurt – not the healthiest, but so worth it), then feta and tomato salad, and a piece of the loup de mer done simply on the grill with olive oil and oregano. BALABOOSTA for Lebanese – the homemade hummus is the perfect start to the meal. Places like DIG INN and HU KITCHEN are great for eating on the run with tons of healthy, flavorful options. I get green juice daily from JUICE PRESS. We eat Japanese pretty frequently, but we’ve actually started (trying) to make our own, which generally means I eat double the sushi rice necessary, extra ginger dressing on everything, and 6 bowls of miso soup.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INDULGENCE? Cake batter, cookie dough, NJ bagels, and NYC pizza. Coffee and donuts.
WHERE ARE YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS/RESTAURANTS TO INDULGE? My husband and I love going for spicy fried chicken buns and ramen at IPPUDO NY. We love to get pizza at GRIMALDI’s or DI FARA’s, but they’re both a trek from our house, so we often end up settling for $1 slice pizza around the corner – still pretty amazing. We get bagels from ZUCKER’S on the weekends, or we head up to BARNEY GREENGRASS for latkes and fish platters. LEVAIN’S BAKERY makes the best chocolate chip-walnut cookie you’ve ever eaten in your life.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR LAST MEAL ON EARTH? Matzoh ball soup. Fried chicken or fresh fish tacos with cabbage slaw. Biscuits with honey or chive butter. A baby greens salad with a tart vinaigrette. Dense, moist chocolate cake with vanilla frosting for dessert or the fudgiest brownie ever…a la mode. Passion fruit sorbet. And beer, wine, tequila, and champagne. There is no rhyme or reason.
WHAT IS THE BEST DISH YOU COOK/ YOUR FAVORITE RECIPE? I would say it's my whole roasted Branzino with garlic, lemon, thyme, and olive oil or my truffle salt roasted chicken. Or my strawberry-rhubarb crumble. And people always love the roasted cauliflower and jalapeño aioli grilled cheese from my book, Relish.
WHERE DO YOU GROCERY SHOP? The Union Square Greenmarket, Whole Foods, Fairway, and little bodegas around the city. I also have started trying out services like Thrive Market and Greensbury Market that send great product right to me. And I promised myself I’d finally join a CSA this year…
TOP 3 ITEMS YOU ALWAYS HAVE IN YOUR KITCHEN? Every time I’m asked this question it stresses me out because I can never narrow to just three! I always have cheese, and avocados (my daughter’s favorite), wine, mustard, vinegars and oils, shallots, freshno chilis, fruits and veggies. I keep a lot of grains and canned beans in the pantry, and I love to make my own spaghetti sauce (my grandfather’s recipe from Staten Island), but I keep a few jars in the back for quick dinners. And I always have chips and salsa.
WHAT IS YOUR FITNESS REGIMEN? (how often & what you do) Before I had a baby, I was really good about doing a ten minute sun-salutation and squat routine with some jump rope and a little meditation first thing when I got up every morning. Now, it depends how much I slept the night before. I got really into Barry’s Bootcamp twice a week over the last few months. I love it, but haven’t been able to get my schedule to cooperate recently, so it’s just 45 minutes of elliptical or treadmill or stairmaster when I can, and I love to do Ballet Beautiful and yoga videos online. Sometimes, it’s just walking between meetings – I try to keep it flexible.
WHAT IS YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE? (products, facials, etc) In the mornings, I splash water and then SK-II essence and Dr. Hauschka moisturizer. At night, I take off all my makeup with coconut oil and then more SK-II and Dr. Hauschka mixed with argan oil. If I feel like I need it, I’ll add the Tracie Martyn Amla Cleanser into the mix, and I like to do a glycolic wipe once or twice a week, and a moisturizing mask.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MAKEUP/NATURAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS? Coconut oil for everything! It’s my makeup remover, moisturizer, and cooking staple. I really love the whole Dr. Hauschka and Tracie Martyn lines too, and have found a couple great Tata Harper products.
IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 3 PRODUCTS WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU?
1. iPod and speakers (assuming phone is off limits)
2. a hammock
3. toys and books and snacks for my little one
WHAT PROFESSIONAL BEAUTY/HEALTH/FITNESS/SPIRITUAL GURUS DO YOU SWEAR BY? I love my hair colorist, Jen Costa at John Barrett salon…she gets me as close to a “natural blonde” as I’ll ever be. Tammy Fender and Tracie Martyn facials are pretty spectacular. The best massages I’ve ever had are at random little Chinese massage parlors around the city, and my friends and I are religious about trips to the Korean day spa King Spa Sauna in NJ – it’s an all day affair of saunas, scrubs, massage, and the most delicious Korean food.
TOP 3 FAVORITE SONGS?
1. The Obvious Child by Paul Simon.
2. Down By The Bay by Raffi
3. I See Fire (Kygo Remix) by Ed Sheeran
MOST-WATCHED MOVIE? The Princess Bride and Ferris Beuller’s Day Off.
MOST LIFE-CHANGING BOOK? As kids, my mother and grandmother read us all the Narnia and Harry Potter books, and I found them to be pretty amazing for my perhaps over-active imagination.
FAVORITE SHOPS/BOUTIQUES? I can’t remember any of their names because they’re little tchotchke shops I drag my husband into on our trips, full of random antiques, or brands I’ve never heard of, and those are my favorites.
COOLEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER VISITED? I have family in Istanbul, and we visit Turkey every year. My favorite place in the world is the South of Turkey, in one of the little isolated coves between Bodrum and Gocek.
FAVORITE HOTELS? Macakizi in Bodrum, Soho Beach House in Miami, Hotel 41 in London, and the Hualalai Four Seasons in Hawaii. But when possible, I prefer to stay with friends or family!
WHAT IS THE BEST GIFT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? My engagement ring on my 24th birthday.
MOST PROFOUND HEALING EXPERIENCE YOU’VE EVER HAD? After giving birth, I had a terrible pain for months in my lower back and hip. I went to a bunch of acupuncture and massage and nothing helped. I finally found an osteopath and after one visit, I had no pain.
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY. Sleeping in. Snuggling with my girl and hubby. Fresh NJ bagels for breakfast, or Swedish pancakes if my mom is making them. Some magical fat-blasting workout that only takes 10 minutes and burns 10000 calories, and then spending all day in the ocean at the beach, sipping Arnold Palmers and eating papaya with lime. Dinner would be a bonfire on the beach with chips and guac, fish tacos and margaritas or just iced Coronas. Then I would see a movie AT A REAL MOVIE THEATRE (this is one of the few things I miss big time from my pre-baby days), with popcorn, peanut M&Ms, and Sour Patch Kids. Then we would get all our friends and family together and dance all night to a live band and go out for late-night burgers and fries and black-and-white milk shakes, and maybe some champagne too because why not. Someone would bring me a perfectly moist chocolate cake with vanilla frosting as I crawled into bed. In short, there would be lots of eating and being outside, and I would need at least 48 hours.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE BEAUTY TIP/SECRET? Coconut oil! It is the master of everything: makeup removal, moisturizing, toning. I splash my TV makeup face quickly with water to loosen the mascara. Then I slather on some coconut oil, wipe away with a towel, and voila. I also put some on under my foundation if I want an extra dewy look.
FAVORITE QUOTE? For today: “We are all wanderers on this earth. Our hearts are full of wonder, and our souls are deep with dreams.” –Gypsy proverb
WHAT MAKES YOU GLOW? Seeing my daughter, Philomena, light up the room with a toothy smile and a belly laugh. And a good night’s sleep.
Photography by: Jai Lennard