Dancer Liana Blackburn Tells Us What's In Her Stasher Bag

Every once in a while we like to give a special shout out to our faithful Stasher squad members. Liana, aka @DailyDancerDiet, is amazingly talented and has been a fan of Stasher since day one. We hope you enjoy her warm and relatable vibe as much as we do!  

So, tell us a little about your super fly self!

My name is Liana Blackburn. I was born and raised near Clearwater, Florida and have been living in Los Angeles for the last 12 years. I have worked as a professional dancer, choreographer, and teacher for over 10 years.  

Dance has always been the main component to what has kept me focused, driven, and passionate in life. Eating clean was never a part of my priorities, quite the opposite actually. I think my bones are partially made of french fries. I was the pickiest, most stubborn little eater for the first 25 years of my life. My diet consisted of sugar, lots of processed sugar. Muffins, waffles, orange juice, Pepsi, pasta, bread, butter, french fries, and more french fries.  

It wasn’t until I got extremely ill, from a piece of chicken that I ate in the Philippines, did I ever think the term "you are what you eat" was the literal truth.  That year my mind finally connected to my body.  After 25 years of silencing my body, I started listening to what it had to stay.  And it was screaming at me through the endless amounts of cystic acne that covered my jaw line and neck.  I knew I was not the "me" that I could be. I went from using every excuse in the book for not eating well, to using my strength, and self-worth to empower myself to make changes. That moment was the beginning of new journey.

How has your lifestyle evolved to reduce plastic?

Since the first day I had a Stasher in my possession I was in love and have used them every day. I now have absolutely no excuse to not carry my food with me throughout my days and whenever I travel. There is no waste, no weight, and no worry; No worry that the bag is going to leak, break, or pop; No weight holding me down like my large glass containers; No waste like the millions of plastic bags that get tossed every day.

What does a balanced lifestyle mean to you?

My relationship with food has changed everything about the way I understand the phrase “a balanced lifestyle.” It wasn't until I went through the mental struggle during my transition to clean living, did I even begin to tap into balance. My continuous strive for balance comes in the form of reading to stretch my brain, meditating to bring me clarity, working out to surprise my muscles, dancing to nurture my first love, playing to challenge my competitive side, laughing to connect to my youth, loving to build up the people around me, listening to calm the noise, eating to nourish my body, and sleeping the right amount. Then, start it all over again next day!

How did you hear about Stasher?

I heard about Stasher through an Instagram account that I adore called @shutthekaleup! I caught her using them in one of her IG stories, and geeked out. I jumped straight on the Stasher website and read everything. Mind blown. The product that I had been asking for in existence, already existed and I was instantly hooked. 

What does your fitness routine look like?

My fitness routine changes often as I know my body needs, to be constantly surprised and not get complacent or comfortable. For the majority of my life dance was my fitness routine. Lots of cardio, injury prevention exercises and not ever training with weights.

Currently I am a new gym member who is being trained every morning at 8:00 a.m. by my husband. He is teaching me the concept of weight training specific muscle groups, which is extremely foreign to me. I have always been one that has loved taking group workout classes, and following along to a video at home or while watching TV, but there is something to be said about working out with someone that inspires you and encourages you to push yourself safely.

Liana's husband enjoys snacking with Stasher bag too! 

Private lessons and personal training can get expensive, I know. So grab a buddy, watch some YouTube videos to learn how to use those weights and go to the gym together! Build a support system, because sometimes it’s not easy relying on yourself to be the only motivator of your fitness.

Your favorite thing to stash in your Stasher?

This is a hard question for me, because I put every type of food you can think of in these babies. Since I am on a plane traveling and have six in my carry on right now, I’m just going to tell you what I have in them. (not pictured in the image below)

1. Fresh cut carrots and cherry tomatoes
2. Brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds
3. Oven roasted Brussels sprouts
4. Baked paleo chicken nuggets
5. Oven roasted Japanese purple sweet potatoes
6. Supplements

Why are reusable storage containers important?

Reading on the Stasher website that 20 million plastic baggies go to landfill every day in the US alone made me think about every single thing that I throw away and why. Every action of throwing something in the trash has a reaction to the planet. There is only one planet Earth and convenience is no longer and an acceptable excuse for waste. Using as many reusable containers as possible for anything helps reduce waste. Period end of story. There is no need for excessive waste, and starting small will make big changes.

What do you always have in your fridge?

Avocado, spinach, a young coconut or three. If I am out of one of those things you better believe I am heading straight to the grocery store. 

One food we should all be eating?

Fresh young coconut. Crack it open, eat the meat, and drink the water. This is my favorite go-to dessert.

What motivates you?

My husband, my family, and my future family motivate me every single day. I am not a mother, but the very thought of growing another human who will look to me for guidance, for answers, for strength, and for love, makes me understand why it’s so important to work on being all of me that I can be.

What is your best tip for health and fitness?

You are not a victim of yourself. You are stronger than you think. Who ever you want to be and however you want to feel is attainable.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Listen to your thoughts, honor them, and trust your judgement. You have nothing to prove. You are free of excess fear. You always have a choice and that choice doesn’t have to be made solely between options that are given to you. Sometimes the choice that is true to you, is not delivered, but found when seeking your true desires. You have the power to change lives, including your own.

Where can we find you online?

I am the most active on my Instagram account, DailyDancerDiet. I love giving healthy tips, cooking demonstrations, and life inspiration. You can also learn more about DDD, my dancing career, and how you can dance with me on my website DailyDancerDiet.com