Eating to Live

The jury’s still out on who coined the phrase “eat to live, don’t live to eat.” Some credit Socrates, some say Benjamin Franklin, others suggest famed French playwright Moliere as the source, and good ol’ Jack La- Lanne has even made the cut. Remember him? The fitness expert who pioneered modern exercise?

What do four men and a catchphrase have to do with the three incredible women in this article? Not a damn thing, but in a magazine that is usually rife with restaurateurs who live to eat, Edible Sarasota is spotlighting a few truly dynamic women who eat to live, using food as fuel to help power and empower our entire community.

JODI SOBOL

Miss Jodi’s School of Dance

I’m not sure that Jodi Sobol is an actual human. She’s more like Captain Marvel—full of some sort of intensely powerful cosmic nuclear energy that makes her able to accomplish much more than the average person. Ask almost any parent in town who relies on Miss Jodi’s to entertain their kids when school is out but full-time jobs are still in, and they’ll agree: Jodi Sobol is a superhero.

“Miss Jodi” will tell you she’s a wife, mom of three boys, dancer, runner, and fitness enthusiast. But I’ll tell you the woman is a beast. She’s the type of dedicated person who gets up at 4 a.m. daily to work out because she thinks it’s “fun.” That was her word. Fun. I nearly choked on my chocolate milk when she said it as middle-of-the-night exercise doesn’t quite make the fun list for most of us. She means it, too, as she’s the type of person that finds the fun in life and makes it if it’s missing.

She has to be a beast, though, because she spends her days teaching kids dance, silks, ninja camp, and gymnastics—every minute of it is action-packed with jumping, dancing, twirling, climbing, running, spinning, and all the other loud, messy, dangerous things kids do. And here’s the real kicker: She’s been doing it for 30 years, since she was 12 years old, right here in Sarasota.

“It’s all I’ve ever done in my life,” she says. “I tried teaching elementary school, even got my real estate license, but this is what I’m supposed to be doing.”

“Yeah, but 30 years?” I question. “You were just a kid then.”

“Yep!” she says. “I was a dancer and the teachers recognized that

I liked kids and offered to train me to teach. Looking back, they were probably short staffed,” she says with a laugh. “I was 12 and they kind of shoved me into a class with 3-year-olds who then signed up the next year and all the years after that. At 20, I started my own studio. Today, some of those original 3-year-olds are now parents with kids of their own who come to Miss Jodi’s.”

Jodi has the stamina you’d expect from a nuclear reactor and she credits genetics and the notion that “activity breeds activity” (meaning, minus sleeping, she’s rarely at rest). She also claims to “feed off the kids’ energy” though I’m sure what she’s eating helps keep her in go-mode.

“I’ve always eaten super clean. I don’t eat meat or junk food—I don’t like the way it makes me feel,” she says. “I used to train for marathons, so it was important to fuel your body for those events. You end up building a lifestyle around it. I eat oatmeal for dessert, spinach and kale smoothies for lunch, and fruit and veggies all day.”

“Uhhhhhhh…. how?” I ask, clearly confused by someone who doesn’t consider dessert as the bottom of the food pyramid.

“Discipline,” she answers. “If I don’t eat it, I don’t crave it.”

“Discipline, huh? That must be a cool skill to have,” I say.

“It is,” she agrees, “but the way I live my life is my own. I don’t follow what other people are doing and I don’t expect them to do what I do. I live my life and run my business in a way that works for me. That would be my message for the world: Find what works for you and follow it. It’s OK if people think you’re crazy.”

Forget the famous deli scene in When Harry Met Sally. If living like Jodi means feeling full of life, then I’ll have what she’s having.

DR. CHRISTINA CAPTAIN

Sarasota Center for Acupuncture and Nutrition

Christina Captain is smart. She’s the kind of smart that makes you want to stay silent so you don’t say anything stupid. But she’s also friendly and funny in a way that makes you feel completely at ease. Pretty much, when it comes to medical professionals, she’s just what the doctor ordered.

If healthcare is a spectrum, Dr. Christina Captain understands the entire scale. Her career began over two decades ago in the conventional hospital setting, but after falling sick when she was obese she eventually found healing in more holistic practices. Now, seven academic degrees later (three of which are master’s and one is a doctorate), Christina advocates for the integration of Western medicinal beliefs witheastern practices and strategies for a specialized treatment plan for each individual patient.

“When people come to us,” she begins, “they are coming to a practitioner who meets them where they are without judgment. There’s no ‘Do what I said because I said so.’ It’s about building a plan of what works for that person—nothing cookie cutter and no damaging expectations. If they stray from the plan one week, that’s OK. How can I help them get back on track without guilt? I’m here to offer support.”

Christina’s been supporting our coast for 23 years, since back when acupuncture was considered a pseudo-science and terms like mindfulness and living in alignment made people think you lived in the woods with unbrushed hair talking to forest creatures and polishing your turquoise jewelry under the moon (which, let’s be clear, doesn’t sound bad at all). Today, that alternative lifestyle is taking the lead on the road to wellness, and Christina is happy to educate patients on how to live healthy lives in a way that they actually enjoy.

Sadly, so many of us have experiences with doctors who simply don’t meet that same standard, instead offering us prescriptions for ailments that probably could have been fixed with fermented foods and a few beach walks.

Speaking of food and exercise, what does Christina do to maintain her optimal health?

“Just like I do with my patients, I work to integrate different modalities to achieve a goal. I practice mindfulness, meditation, and healing things in a natural way so I don’t have to take drugs,” she answers. “And I love food! I love to eat and try new things. Food is an expression of happiness and love—I just focus on balance and moderation. If you do anything too excessively or restrictively, you’ll be sick no matter what.” Though she does admit she draws the line at Spam and Twinkies, which broke my little musubi-making heart (a famed Japanese/Hawaiian hybrid snack of Spam, rice, and seaweed)— but I didn’t share that with her as I was dedicated to that whole “keep quiet” sentiment from earlier.

Beyond the obvious draws of a highly educated and experienced doctor, one of the most standout things about Christina’s approach is her commitment to not shaming her patients or setting unattainable goals, especially as she herself has a history of obesity and disease and understands the struggle and stigma that can come with wanting to be healthier without knowing where to start. Regardless, if you’re overweight, underweight, looking to detoxify, seeking help with infertility, or just want some good ol’ acupuncture, Christina’s goal is laser-focused: achieving your best health.

“I want to make a diference every single day with someone. That’s my thing. That’s what I live for,” Christina confides. “I’m here to help, serve, and teach through food, exercise, thinking, and meditation. It’s a beautiful way to live. I’m blessed and happy.”

That’s really sweet of her to say, but my money’s on her patients as the blessed and happy ones.

EMMA WEYANT

Olympian Swimmer

Most of us have played some sort of school sport. And most of us learned pretty quickly that we were, in no way, ever headed to the Olympics as anything other than a spectator. Even if you have an impressive collection of blue ribbons and golden statues that your mom still likes to tell her neighbors about, the effort and talent it takes to make the national team is something very (very) few of us possess.

And then there’s Emma Weyant, our Team USA hometown hero, who told me “I decided to try swimming one day and it just stuck.” Which is really funny because being an Olympian isn’t the kind of thing that “just sticks.” It takes an insane, inordinate, unwavering, exorbitant amount of dedication and drive to even make the team, let alone earn a spot on the podium. And earn a spot she did. Emma nabbed herself a silver medal in 2020’s Tokyo Olympics and is now looking to beat her best in Paris in 2024.

Emma is one of four sisters. She grew up in Palmer Ranch, attended Riverview High School, now swims for the University of Virginia, and gets to travel extensively for swim meets, but Sarasota will always be home.

“Sarasota is definitely one of my favorite places in the world,” she says. “I’ve been to some pretty cool spots but Sarasota is special and the weather is unbeatable. I miss being able to always swim outside.”

Emma’s referring to Florida’s outdoor pools, most notably the pool she grew up in at the Selby Aquatic Center in South Sarasota, though she did get a few real-deal outside swim sessions in the Bay when COVID canned the team’s ability to share a pool.

“I have so much respect for ocean swimmers. It’s really scary when the water’s not clear,” she says.

You know what else is really scary? Having to race 100 meters in an internationally televised program while wearing a bathing suit. Though when it comes to that sort of thing, Emma is fearless.

“It was the experience of a lifetime,” she says gleefully. “Definitely one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. It’s so special to be a part of Team USA and represent not only your country but your hometown too.”

So, how does Emma fuel her body and spirit for such an incredible display of athleticism?

“Well, I’ve learned to be more consistent throughout the season. There are times when you need to bulk up with more calories and times when you need to taper down, but I’ve finally gotten to a point where I can balance both,” she says. “Even when I’m traveling, I take my diet and nutrition regimen wherever I go, but I definitely always make room for C’est La Vie when I’m in town. The pastries are so good!” (The pastries really are so good. You haven’t lived if you haven’t had one of their almond croissants.)

Emma’s used to interviews at this point and giving the go-to responses regarding representing her country, but she admits there’s nothing quite like where you come from.

“Your hometown community helps you get where you’re going. It’s so special to be able to still come back here and catch sunsets with my sisters,” she says. “The people of Sarasota have helped me throughout my journey. I’ll always be proud to represent my town.”

Should I tell her we’re the proud ones? That in a time when the world seems to be falling apart at the seams, we’re excited that one of our own reminds us that there’s still team spirit and big, giant, wonderful dreams to reach for. Or swim toward.

Go get ‘em, Emma. The whole town cheers for you.