Life is as good as the food you eat.  Judging by the way I eat, I’m living the good life!  But this life can come at a price.

I am 27 years and a proud born and raised Jersey Girl.  I have a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and have been finding as many outlets as humanly possible to express my passion for writing.  I currently write for Patch, an online newspaper, and inthe past have worked with celebrity chef and best-selling author Maria Liberati.

But tied with writing, is my undying passion for food, and everything that revolves around food: pots, pans, cutlery, spoonrests, seasonings, dish wear, but not calories.

Food and I have a love, hate relationship.  I love eating, but I hate knowing what it’s doing to me.  As a full-time model, part of my job is maintaining a healthy lifestyle and figure.  But being Italian and having a penchant for pasta and rich sauces, is one of nature’s meanest jokes.  Instead of embracing my culture and love for its cuisine, I’ve spent countless meals eating pasta-filled dishes like a dog with its tailed tucked between its legs.  The imminent guilt I felt was like a hangover lasting for days.  My relationship with food took a life-changing turn two years ago.  My first trip to Italy marked our never-ending honeymoon.

I fell in love with the Mediterranean lifestyle and its approach to food.   There is a book called “French Women Never Get Fat”.  Well, neither do Italians.  After spending two weeks there and coming up for breath only a few times in between pizza, pastas, wine, and cheeses, I came back to the U.S. ten pounds lighter!  It was like I had taken a trip to the moon and shed ten pounds of gravity.

Balance and moderation is the secret to the Mediterranean lifestyle.  Instead of heading to the drive-thru Starbucks, Italians balance a cone of gelato in their hands while biking to work.  Cafés and restaurant tables are filled during breakfast and lunch, sometimes for up to two hours.  Lengthy meals and physical activity can boost your metabolism so that morning gelato won’t have you doing the walk of shame to work.

But don’t get me wrong, I still eat entire plates of pasta and chicken alfredo without any qualms in the world, just not as often as I have in the past.  I try to make as many small changes to my diet as I can without compromising taste.

Food is like family to me.   I take the good with the bad, as long as it’s in moderation.  Throughout my travels as a model and getting insight to how they keep their career and satisfy their appetites, I’ve been experimenting with new ways to balance my plate full of pasta every once in a while.  Making small changes in the way you food shop, dine, exercise and think about food can lead to a role model diet.  I’m not a super health freak or exercise fiend by any means.  But over time I’m starting to reap the benefits of incorporating some exercise, lower-fat dairy alternatives, more vitamin-packed foods and mindful eating habits.  Recipe exchanges and open-mindedness is one of the best ways to find healthy, yet delicious, authentic Italian food.  I live in Hoboken now and work in New York City so I’m constantly around good food, and most importantly tons of healthy options!