She shares what it means to be joyful about your body and why salty food wins over sweets.
She’s taken the platform by storm with her 5.8 million followers and captivating message.
What sets her apart from others on the app is her refreshing and hilariously authentic message on self-love.
Photo: McCarvell: Courtesy of Subject. Collage: Cassie Basford.
The Nova Scotia-based creator hasTikTok, YouTube andInstagramrolling in laughter and inspiration.
All the while, McCarvell keeps her content down-to-earth and gives her fans a glimpse into her real life.
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EatingWell:What foods do you eat because they make you feel good?
Nachos, any jot down of nachos with good toppings.
But there are a few “good” ones.
I love the good, like Quaker, already-made, add hot water jot down of oatmeal.
I need that quick and fast throw in of food.
I would consider myself a nacho connoisseur, so maybe the best toppings are some of my faves.
Oh gosh, I love food, so there’s so many good options.
I love trying new things too.
I think that’s something that I didn’t allow myself to do for a very long time.
I stuck to consistent foods and never really tried new things and new restaurants and places.
But I guess my favorite breakfast food would definitely be those prepackaged oatmealsI love those.
EatingWell: What activities do you like to do because they feel so good?
Alicia McCarvell:Oh, I take a stab at move my body every single day.
What that looks like every day can be completely different.
And through the pandemic it’s all we really had, you know.
We weren’t in gyms; we didn’t have access to all of that equipment or sports anymore.
So now, I realize how often I take walking for granted.
And I’m really big into my virtual reality fitness right now.
EatingWell: What food can you not live without because it’s so good?
Alicia McCarvell:I’ll say nachos for sure.
I love to try that anywhere new we go.
We actually have a “nacho weekend” here in Halifax.
The restaurants make different types of nachos!
EatingWell: What do you wish you could tell your younger self about body image?
For me specifically, how I learned to exercise was based on how my body looked.
I would move my body through sports and through things that brought me joy.
And then, I think, once we become adults that quickly changes.
EatingWell:What are your feelings about New Year’s resolutions?
Are you a fan or not?
Alicia McCarvell:I used to work in the gym industry.
The world is tough enough!
But that’s not how this works.
I just wish it didn’t have to all happen in January.
And I think movement plays such a huge part in our mental health.
I think just in general, in our everyday lives, we feel alone.
I talk about doing my daily walks, and people will be like, “Does this count?”
Of course it counts!
But I too was confused as to what counts as body movement.
Those two mindsets with movement I think are really really important.
And now my mindset is framed around, “What can my body do?”
Not, “How can my body look?”
EatingWell:What’s your favorite part about being on social media?
I get it all the time, like, “You’re promoting obesity.”
If I can help somebody who is 55 realize those things, then that’s really, really cool.
EatingWell: What is your favorite meal to make with your husband?
It’s probably one of our favorite easy-to-make and quick meals to have.
We love everything there.
They do this jumbo shrimp appetizer, which is cooked in a white-wine cream sauce and is so good.
Their lasagna is my absolute favorite.
EatingWell:What is your favorite snack to eat?
Alicia McCarvell:Oh, I love fruit snacksthey’re my favorite, honestly.
I mean, whatever he needs!
EatingWell: Sweet or salty?
Alicia McCarvell:Right now: salty.
That’s changed, but I’m a salty girl now.
I feel like I’m slipping into sweets around Christmastime, which changed.
In my diet culture days, sweets were what I wasn’t allowed to have.
EatingWell: What does eating well mean to you?
Alicia McCarvell:This is a great question because it is a big one.
For me specifically, eating well is not withholding from my body what it deserves and what it needs.
My body wasn’t getting the nutrients it needed to function.
Eating well for me is going out and enjoying the food that I’m putting into my body.
I guess, nowadays, it’s not making myself have guilt around food anymore.
And that is a big, big win for me in my book.
EatingWell: What do you wish your fans and followers could take into the new year with them?
We’ve spent a lot of time making our bodies the bane of our existence.
