By Emma Stessman
When you’ve been in business together for as long as Zoe Sakoutis and Erica Huss have, your habits start to sync.
The duo founded BluePrint (you know, one of the first cold-pressed juice brands) in 2007. And while they eventually sold the brand, their dynamic business partnership continued.
Most recently, they launched Highway to Well, a wellness-focused business podcast. On the podcast, they share their own experiences as entrepreneurs and speak with other influential individuals in the wellness industry to offer the inside scoop on creating a successful company. (They even reveal some trade secrets on how to make it in “the business of being well.”)
But they’re not just aligned when it comes to business-savvy; they’re also totally on the same page when it comes to wellness. For example, both know a massage can easily double as meditation time and recognize the beauty of a really good cheese plate (we want an invite to the next girls’ night in, please!).
For more of the inspiring duo’s daily healthy habits, keep reading.
How Do Zoe Sakoutis and Erica Huss Live a Nutritious Life?
If you had to name your healthy diet, what would you call it? Why?
Zoe: Everything in moderation.
Erica: Gluten-free pescatarian with a side of bone broth.
What’s your go-to breakfast?
Zoe: Usually what’s left on my kid’s plate after they don’t eat it. So, fruit, eggs, smoked salmon, avocado.
Erica: Anything I can top with a scrambled egg and a smash of avocado; Hu Kitchen paleo bread, Siete tortilla, or Free Bread’s gluten-free MOXY toast.
Your go-to workday lunch?
Zoe: Usually a salad with either salmon or avocado.
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Erica: I like a quick and light plant-based lunch. I make a big batch of soup on the weekends, like pumpkin, carrot curry, or cauliflower-coconut, and eat that throughout the week with maybe a handful of greens and some sunflower seeds or pepitas.
What’s the one food you always have in your fridge?
Zoe: Eggs. Eggs. Eggs.
Erica: LEMONS. I hit the panic button when we’re down to the last one in the drawer. Also kimchi or sauerkraut, but lemons are on every shopping list always.
What do you eat before and after a workout?
Zoe: I like a green smoothie with coconut water and meat.
Erica: Beforehand, I’ll just grab a spoonful of crunchy almond butter, sometimes sprinkled with a few chia seeds. Afterward, I’ll either do my trusty egg and avocado wrap, or I’ll do a bone broth collagen protein shake with maca, cinnamon, a handful of greens, and blueberries.
Your favorite food indulgence?
Zoe: A fancy cheese plate with raw goat and sheep’s cheese.
Erica: Cheese. High quality, mostly goat and sheep, but good lord I love a cheese plate.
Other than water, what do you sip regularly?
Zoe: Mezcal. 🙂 Preferably Gem & Bolt.
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Erica: I probably drink three different herbal teas a day—mint, rooibos, turmeric, fennel. I love matcha and Earl Gray, but I recently quit caffeine completely, so that’s only for the REAL slow days.
How do you stay active outside the gym?
Zoe: We have a house upstate so when we can, I love hiking and getting lost in the woods.
Erica: Living in New York I walk everywhere, unless the weather disagrees. In summer, I love to play tennis or hike, and in winter even on non-gym days I’ll do as much indoor walking as possible, or hop on the mini-trampoline while I’m watching TV.
What’s your go-to tool for managing stress?
Zoe: Calm meditation app. Puts things in perspective pretty quickly.
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Erica: My toolbox runneth over. Exercise is a big one for me, so I’m diligent about prioritizing my workouts. I also meditate daily, I take a few different herbal supplements, I do acupuncture, and I’ve got a few favorite CBD products. Also, sometimes just taking a time-out for five deep breaths can work wonders.
How do you express and spread love?
Zoe: I like to share what I know or what I’ve learned if I think people can benefit from it; it’s usually in the way of health and nutrition. I genuinely want people to feel good, so that seems to be my way of saying I love you.
Erica: I try to make a point of telling my peeps that I love them on a regular basis—you can’t have too much of that. I also love to cook and host friends, just to try to create a fun experience with good memories. I can think of at least one hilarious moment from every dinner party I’ve ever hosted.
What does it mean to you to “live consciously”?
Zoe: Having children immediately woke me up and helped me practice mindfulness…whether I wanted to or not! Kids are a constant reminder that we are all connected, and it’s not just about you as an individual. Having children forced me to take care of myself in a different way. I had to protect my own well-being in order to protect their well-being—how I show up for the world every day directly affects their lives.
Erica: To me, it means trying to remain present as much as possible, not dwelling in the past or fretting about the future. I practice gratitude as often as I can, and remind myself that life is short and to enjoy the ride.
What’s your weirdest healthy habit?
Zoe: I don’t think it’s so weird but I drink a lot of apple cider vinegar in the morning. It’s magic.
Erica: I recently started doing oil pulling, where you “pull” the toxins out of your body each morning by swishing around a mouthful of pure oil like coconut or sesame for five minutes or so and spit it out, then brush and go about your day. My teeth are whiter, and the stuff I’m spitting out was not there before I started, so I’m a believer. It’s not weird to anyone familiar with ayurvedic practices, but it’s definitely weird to my husband.
Lightning Round
Meditation or massage? Zoe: Massage. It’s totally a form of meditation, BTW. Erica: Massage! Because I can meditate WHILE I’m getting one.
A hot shower or a soothing bath? Zoe: Hot shower. Erica: BATH.
Almond butter or peanut butter? Zoe: Almond. Erica: Almond! Peanut! Almond! Don’t make me choose.
Coffee or tea? Zoe: Coffee. Erica: Tea––much more variety.
A long run outside or a dark spin class? Zoe: OUTSIDE!!! Erica: Dark spin class. Me and running, we just disagree.