Friend of Graza: Kate Glavan
The co-creator of Seamossgirlies (and pro at demystifying the wellness world) on her go-to grocery store "little treat," training for the NYC marathon, and why EVOO is key to getting the most out of your veggies.
Q: How do you describe yourself?
Kate: I am a freelance content-creator based in New York City, focusing on health, wellness, and running. I’m also the co-creator of Seamossgirlies, a health and wellness podcast and meme page. A lot of what I strive to do on social media is to encourage young women to feel empowered to take care of their health and learn how to find movement (such as running) which they love.
Q: Finish this sentence: Cooking for me is...
Kate: A time to nourish my body.
Q: What's your favorite "little treat" to buy from the grocery store?
Kate: Any sort of brownie, snickers date bar, or chocolate chip banana bread.
Q: Who do you turn to, watch, or follow for food inspiration?
Kate: Whatever my TikTok algorithm feeds me, haha. I tend to get a lot of inspiration from the Seamossgirlies community! I love seeing how our girls are grocery shopping, cooking, making fun beverage concoctions, and so much more.
Q: What’s one piece of advice or a practice you see in the world of health and wellness you think is overrated, overly aspirational, unhelpful, or is otherwise just not the vibe?
Kate: I’m sick of seeing “what I eat in a day videos” on social media. These videos show young women what they *should* be eating, which can start to ruin any intuitive relationship they have had with food and their body image. I know when my social media was constantly flooded with “low calorie snacks” and “WEIAD” videos when I was in high school, these things made me feel the need to compare myself to what others were doing and it led me to struggle with disordered eating.
Not to mention the fact that no two people have the same biology, so these videos aren’t doing anything to really help anyone find meals and recipes that work for their individual biology. Two people won’t get the same results even if they eat exactly the same. Share recipes, grocery hauls, etc. but not WEIAD videos.
Q: What are your all-around life mottos, mantras, philosophies?
Kate: Trust the timing of your life. I was quite the perfectionist in high school and college, but got burned out by the crazy expectations I set on myself. I’ve worked a lot to redefine success and learn to take time to connect to what my inner child needed. Life is too short to be your biggest critic, never feel guilty for liking yourself.
Q: How did Sea Moss Girlies come to be? Have you ever tried sea moss with Drizzle?
Kate: My friend Emma and I both graduated college in December 2020, and started to bond over our shared interest in health and wellness around that time. We felt like all of the podcasts and media we consumed were dry, boring, too complex, and a bunch of old men telling us what to do. We wanted to disrupt this monotonous “wellness” industry by poking fun at our own health rituals and routines while educating Gen-Z on wellness.
We are now the largest online health and wellness community for Gen-Z, making memes and recording podcast episodes to make other young people feel seen and heard for prioritizing their health at a young age. I’ve never tried sea moss with Drizzle, but maybe a taste test is necessary?
Q: You're a pro at demystifying the wide world of supplements, "bio-hacks," wellness trends, and more. What's the actual tea on olive oil—is it worth drinking up daily?
Kate: Olive oil is such a great food for you and your body! I personally don’t drink olive oil, but I find it’s important to use it every single day. Olive oil is rich in healthy fats, polyphenols, antioxidants, and helps prevent disease. It’s a shame that so many of us were fear-mongered to believe in “low fat diets” and I’m happy to see people liberally using olive oil again.
One thing we always tell Seamossgirlies is that in order to properly absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in vegetables like kale or broccoli, you need to use a fat source on your veggies. Olive oil is the perfect tool to make sure you’re getting those nutrients absorbed into your body!
Q: What one wellness habit would you recommend—besides your run club ;)—that brings you joy?
Kate: Long walks, they’re my sort of meditation. I’ve tried to sit down and meditate but I simply can’t be chill like that (props to anyone who can). Walking really helps me reset any anxious thoughts I have and get energized from New York City.
Q: What's on the horizon for you!
Kate: Running the NYC Marathon for Planned Parenthood in November! I’m documenting my experience through a YouTube weekly vlog series where I film a week in my life and base each video around a book that I’m reading. The books are about wellness, running, female hormones, mental health, confidence, etc! I hope you tune in :)