If you know Daisy, you know she carries enough stories to fill a few novels. We met shortly after I moved from Alaska to Texas. It’s people like her who remind me that moving around the country is such a rare gift, not a burden. Daisy and her family radiate that kind of real warmth that makes you want to understand how they live, what they believe, and where on earth they come from. She is a blend of southern grandmother and childlike hippie — a special soul that you must experience to fully grasp. As the lyric goes, "You could feel her in a room if you walked by." To top it off, she also has 25 years of experience as a health coach. Here are a few excerpts from my sit down with Daisy, though I highly recommend a cup of coffee at her kitchen island if you ever get the chance.

How did you become the way you are in terms of health while growing up in one of the most unhealthy parts of the country?

It started with my parents for sure. My dad was a surfer, so we spent a ton of time at the pier. I hung out at the beach a lot. My mom biked everywhere. Even if we were going to Dairy Queen, we went on foot, and it was an adventure. My parents were always moving. 

Every night my mom would cook our meals, get us cleaned up and ready for school the next day, kiss me goodnight, and then I would hear her leave. She and her sister were going on a run after all of the babies went to bed. I remember her coming home and saying she ran her first mile without stopping, and she was so proud of herself. She has run five marathons since then. She will tell you now that those runs were her moment to herself. When my own kids were young, I had that visual in my head, and she would tell me, ‘You need this’. She didn’t know it was a chemical thing, she just knew how much better she felt after. She still walks 5 miles every day and my dad is still surfing. 

Since my parents are so active, I honestly had no idea that this area was so sick compared to most of the U.S. until I graduated college and started personal training. At that point, I hadn’t done a lot of research—I was just going off what I saw and there was a pattern of sick people. Once I started traveling, I realized things were different in other places. People lived differently. My parents weren’t trying to be different, they were just active and all of our meals were home-cooked. Those are the two biggest things missing for most people. Even without being super focused on health, just moving and eating homemade food makes a huge difference.

You have daughters—they are so fit and so healthy. It seems like they have an extremely positive relationship with food and fitness. How do you raise kids different from the norm and protect their health while promoting a good relationship with food and their body image? Is there anything you avoid saying to keep their mindset positive? 

I always had a pretty good body image growing up, and that was mostly due to my mom. I have a healthy perspective on food and movement, and our kids are often mirrors. They teach us so much about ourselves. It’s not so much about micromanaging your language around food while your kids are present, and more about having a good body image yourself. If you have a bad relationship with your body or with food, your kids will pick up on it — no matter how well you try to police your language around it. 

What is a tradition in your home now that you hope will be passed down? 

Something that my mom did for me growing up was lunch notes. Every single day, when she would make my lunch for school, she would write on a napkin. Sometimes it was scripture, pictures, Game Day, whatever. I missed her so much during the day, and I loved getting that reminder that she prepped my lunch. 

So now, of course, my kids get them every day. I write cards every morning, and I guess they don’t want to throw them away since they aren’t on napkins. When Major graduated, I saved them all and put them in a treasure box in his room. And I remember, just like bawling crying when we were leaving him at school, and I said, if you need anything and you can’t reach me, God will know which one you need. 

I know you have a lot of potions. What are your go-to remedies for a sick house?

Salt water rinse, always. I don't think that it's honestly going to cure you, but it does help with making the process go by much faster. Also apple cider vinegar, garlic, and honey. We do a lot of that whenever we're feeling it coming on. 

What was one of your favorite routines when your kids were little? 

When all three kids were little, we would do a destination run all the time. I would get their snacks together, and they would just be hanging out while I pushed them in the stroller. I remember Ivy getting to a certain age where she was begging me to get out of the stroller and run with me. And I would always say ‘baby there are cars, it’s too busy’. And then one day, I just said, sure, get out. From that point forward, she never went back. All three love to move, but she's my fastest distance runner.

If you could give one bit of parenting advice, what would it be?

You try so hard as a parent, and you want to be the best disciple maker, for lack of a better word, but He really needs to do the work in that. All you can do is be who God is calling you to be in your home and pray they will see that. I also think time is huge. Time with your kids. A lot of people say quality over quantity, and honestly, it's both. There is no easy formula for being a parent, but being present in their life is how you know them. You can’t parent somebody that you don't know, right? Then, they know you and they know your expectations. They know that you will be consistent and that you will show up for them. That’s really important to me. 

Your home is the place where all of the kids gather. Everybody who I talk to dreams of creating that space for their kids and friends. How did you become that?

I think it's another thing that sort of happened organically. It started with Major. Friends would come over and I would cook for them. I would always make sure that they had something to eat, because boys, they're just starving all day. It was not all homemade, we did a lot of pizza during that time too. If there's going to be 40 or 50 kids, oh yeah, doing pizzas and fruit out in the pool house. We are around and we participate to a degree. Sometimes we'll say it ends at 10 and they are swimming until 2, and I’m honestly fine with it because I feel very blessed with the friends my kids have. Everyone is here and I enjoy it that way. 

But what do you want your grandkids and great-grandkids to know you by?

I want to be known first as a sold out follower of Jesus. I want to be that. And honestly, everything that I want to say to you is how I would describe my mom and my grandma. You're going to make me cry again. My grandma, she was so joyful. She was just so joyful and so fun. I want the generations after me to remember me as a prayer warrior, joyful, and adventurous. That's how I would like to be remembered. 

What is a classic Daisy Hargraves Recipe?

My go-to right now is salmon with a good kale salad. I add apples, nuts, turkey bacon, and massage in a honey Dijon dressing.