As a wife, mother of twins and full-time social media influencer, Kendra Atkins is redefining the meaning of “supermom,” taking her daily duties to a whole new level. Not only is she someone for her two little girls to learn from and look up to, but she’s become a role model for her more than 150,000 YouTube subscribers and 52,000 Instagram followers.
Creator of the With Kendra blog and social media series, which started in 2011 as a makeup tutorial channel, Kendra shares content
associated with healthy living, parenting, fashion, home décor and more.
In addition to sharing tidbits of her life, filming videos and caring for her babies, Kendra enjoys well-deserved me-time whether it be a massage or finding ways to stay active.
“Most days, I wake up early and do yoga from home and then I’ll either go on a run with my twins—pushing them in the stroller— or do some leg/arm exercises at home,” she says.
Kendra stays motivated with the help of her high-school-sweetheart husband (they’ve been married for six years!) and admits, “He’s the hardest worker I know and always pushing me to strive for more.”
D’awww!
Catch up on our exclusive Q&A sesh with this mighty mama below!
1. What’s your purpose for using social media?
I’m an “influencer” I guess you can call it! YouTube started out as a hobby and I am lucky enough to do it full time now. I hope to serve people in some way. Whether that is in parenting/health tips, inspiration or just entertainment. I want my content to always be encouraging to others and have a positive influence on their day.
2. What inspired you to start sharing your lifestyle with others?
When I started to realize how much better I felt when I treated my body well, it clicked. If I ate too many processed foods or didn’t stay active, I’d have less energy, my skin wouldn’t be clear and I just wouldn’t feel my best. When I feed my body with healthy, real foods and get moving each day, so many areas improve. You kind of start to crave that good feeling you get!
3. What motivates you to generate daily content?
It has to come from inside. You have to wake up every day and want to be productive and have a good day. Your mindset is a powerful thing. If I ever get in a funk I take a pause and do a little workout, get outside and clear my head. Also unplugging from social media can do a lot of good. Sometimes that is all I need to get inspired again and re-group.
4. Does your healthy lifestyle involve a specialty diet?
I’ve been gluten-free for about seven years. Toward the end of college, I started to get awful stomach aches and didn’t know what it was from. Once I eliminated gluten from my diet, my world changed! I just thought everyone got massive stomach aches after eating pasta! Now, I’m so used to it that I never miss gluten. I just know that I won’t feel good, so it’s not worth it to me.
5. Makes sense! So what does a typical day of eating look like for you?
I usually wake up and drink water followed by a cup of coffee. A little later, I’ll have some eggs, cheese and avocado. For a midday snack, I’ll have a protein bar, smoothie or crackers and hummus. Lunch is usually a big salad. And I don’t snack much before dinner. Dinner always consists of chicken or turkey with veggies, potatoes or rice.
6. Sounds pretty clean (no surprise there!). What about your go-to cheat food?
Probably ice cream. Fully loaded ice cream with the works! I don’t have sweets all that often, so when I do, I get what I really want. I never get fa- free or low-sugar anything. I’m all about eating real stuff, real butter, whole cream, just in moderation.
7. Top three must-have items from Vitacost? GO!
I love Vitacost because it has everything I could possibly want all online. I am slightly obsessed with health foods stores, but I don’t always love the price of some healthy, organic brands. With Vitacost, I can get all the products I want at a really good price. I’ve been shopping on Vitacost since about 2011. It really helped me to start incorporating natural products into my lifestyle. (Check out Kendra’s Vitacost haul video here.)
8. If you could advise someone who is just getting started on the path to healthier living, what would you tell them?
Pay attention to how your body feels. When you are less bloated, have less headaches and more energy, you’ll crave that feeling! Your skin is also a good indicator. When my skin starts to break out, I know I need to start drinking more water.
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