Steph McDonald sat down with us to discuss all things health, blogging and food
“I am a 24 year old, health-enthusiast living in Sydney Australia. I’ve completed a Bachelor of Science Majoring in Biology with First Class Honours, and currently work for a small health food business. My main roles within the brand are marketing, social media and product development, enabling me to continually expand and develop my own passion for nutrition and marketing!
I’m an avid gym-goer, and love staying fit with strength-based workouts and circuits. Outside the gym I love to get outdoors, have brunch with my friends and bake! Creating delicious, healthy recipes and content for my personal Instagram page (@betterbeingsteph) is a side-hustle for me that I love investing in, as is sharing my journey, experiences and learnings through my blog. Nothing makes my day more than having someone reach out and relate to my story, or try one of my own recipes!”
How did you get into blogging?
I started my Instagram account around 3 years ago as a way for me to document my own journey. It started out as a little diary for me, and I grew to love writing out my thoughts and reflections, and hearing how other people could resonate with my words. The word limit on Instagram totally limits me most of the time, so this year I finally built up a website and dedicated blog for myself, and have been loving sharing my journey on a deeper level through that platform ever since!
What’s your favourite thing about it?
It’s honestly so therapeutic for me! I’m an over-thinker, so sometimes I do myself more harm than good by harbouring all my thoughts and experiences in my head. Writing them out and getting them out in the open is a really great way for me to come to get my head around things, to hold myself accountable, and to connect with other people who have been through similar experiences!
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasures you seek”
What’s your preferred sweetener?
I have the biggest sweet tooth, so I need something that’s going to give me that sweet hit without any refined sugar or artificial chemicals! Personally, I love the Nuvia sweetener because it’s not overly bitter like some natural sweetness can be, it doesn’t leave an aftertaste and because it uses erythritol it doesn’t have negative impacts on my digestive system like other sweeteners often cause!
What’s something your followers might not know about you?
I’m actually a total science nerd and studied Biology at University! A lot of people only know me for my health/fitness passion, but I actually grew up thinking I would work at a zoo or studying animals! Sharks are hands down my favourite animal, and cage diving with Great Whites remains one of the most incredible experiences I’ve had!
What are you cooking this weekend?
I’m loving my single-serve recipes at the moment, so I think this weekend I’m going to make a single serve peanut butter scroll, or perhaps even a savoury version using nutritional yeast and spinach!
What’s your favourite quote?
This is a tough one since I have a few!
At the moment, I’m loving the quote “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasures you seek”. It always reminds me that facing my biggest fears and challenges is sometimes what I need to do in order to achieve the best outcome for myself. As a total worrier, it’s a nice little reassuring and motivating quote to keep me on track!
You can find Steph’s recipes using Nuvia here:
Sweet Potato Fudge
Single Serve Choc Scrolls
Choc Chip Banana Cookies
Single Serve Cinnabon
Lemon Blueberry Muffins with a Lemon Glaze
Vegan Choc Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches
Baked Blueberry Cheesecakes
Protein Rock Road
Check out Steph’s blog and Instagram for more delicious recipes and inspiration.