Better known as “The Crave Food Truck” guy, Andres is somewhat of a local celebrity. He always has a high-five, fist bump and/or hug waiting for customers as they walk up to order their food. And, even more impressively, he remembers repeat customers’ orders without having to think twice. But, besides serving St. Augustine an array of healthy and delicious food AND being one of the nicest guys in town, Andres is truly dedicated to living a fun and healthy life.
1. What activities do you do to stay fit?
I lift weights and do explosive type cardio (sprints, plyometrics, etc.) I love kayaking and canoeing on rest days. I’ve always been interested in athletics and being active. I’ve played sports my whole life but for the past 6-7 years, I have been focused more on strength training and powerlifting.
2. What keeps you motivated to stay fit?
I love the way I feel being fit and it’s extremely important to me to have a great quality of life. Being fit makes you able to do so much more with your life. If you’re fit, you can work harder, be more active, and live longer. I want to live well past 100!
3. What is your go-to music to get you motivated in your workout?
It varies based on my mood. Deep, funky house music gets me going at the start of most of my workouts. Ghetto rap keeps me inspired and focused. Then, on heavy lifting days, I enjoy hard rock. I usually shuffle through all of these genres during my workouts.
4. If money, time, and other realities were not a factor, what is one activity you’ve always wanted to do?
I have always want to kayak the northwestern US and Canada. I find that area so beautiful and amazing. I’d also like to hang glide all over the world. It’s pretty expensive but it would be so fun.
5. What does a normal daily schedule look like for you (meals, activities, work, social—everything!)?
A normal day for me is quite regimented and boring:
- I wake up at 6:45ish, feed and walk the dogs. Then, I make my 1,000+ calorie “smoothie bomb” and head to the gym to work out.
- After the gym, I come back home and make breakfast then walk the dogs again.
- Next, I head to Crave and get set up for work.
- By late afternoon, I close up and restock the truck’s produce and begin to prep food for the next day.
- Once I go home, I feed and walk the dogs. (3 days a week, I hit up a second evening workout.) Then, I head back to the truck to finish prepping.
- Once I return home again, I hang with Renee (my girlfriend) and dogs and veg out watching tv. I always get a solid 8 hours sleep…and wake up and do it all over again.
- Saturday night is date night annd Sunday is our day off so usually I hang with friends that evening.
6. Do you follow any particular eating plan?
My meal schedule is has been a lot more relaxed due to the heavy work load (of owning and running your own business) but I do stay very consistent in my meals:
I eat every 2-3 hours like clockwork. I have a very fast metabolism and if I don’t eat frequently I get “hangry.”
My meals always consist of high quality protein (chicken, eggs. fish, steak, protein powder, etc), always a form of fruit or veggie in each meal and usually a carb like rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, or oatmeal. I drink at least two smoothies a day and always include superfoods in those smoothies. My go-to super foods include: (in extremely high amounts) maca powder, chia seeds, camu camu powder, goji berries, kale, Brazil nuts, and moringa powder. These super foods really help in my recovery and keep my energy levels sky-high all the time.
7. What is your number 1 food indulgence?
Anything chocolate. I have a huge sweet tooth for chocolate!!
8. Do you have any personal/fitness goals this year? If so, what are they?
My goals are basically to get bigger faster and stronger. I basically want to improve on all aspects of my fitness.
9. What advice do you have for someone who really wants to start workout out and/or eating right, but doesn’t know how to get started?
You have to make wellness a real priority in your life:
- Have fun with it. If you’re not having fun living your lifestyle, it’s never going to last.
- Start slow and set attainable goals
- A strong support system is key–so surround yourself with people who share your passion and desire to be healthy
- Reward yourself and don’t be so rigid. (If you’ve been strict with your meals all week splurge and eat that cake or cookie. It won’t kill you–so long as you limit it to that one meal!)
