CityTV anchor Laura DiBattista juggles camera time with family for the ultimate balanced life.
by nikki yeh
Working full-time and maintaining a family is clearly a balancing act. So there’s no doubt that Laura DiBattista, co-anchor for CityNews at Noon and health specialist for CityNews in Toronto,
can relate to the average parent’s struggle with juggling life at the home front. “It’s always a challenge, [but] for people who say it looks impossible, I think you have to look at priorities,” advises Laura, who’s been married to her husband, a home renovator, for 24 years (and has a 16-year-old daughter with).
No matter the hectic hustles and bustles, Laura knows that her priority in life is her family. “I’m very adamant [when it comes to] sitting down for dinner. It’s a healthy thing for the family to eat in a slow, loving way,” gushes the long-term anchor. However, there’s more to balancing her home life than just knowing that family comes first. So what’s her secret to balanced living? “I’m very organized. I don’t like to waste time. I think that’s the way to do it. I try to find ways to save time throughout the day.”
Surely there’s no question why Laura needs to save time. With her workdays on the CityTV set ending around 6:30pm, the news anchor prefers to make “simple, but good food” for dinner. Her favourite dish for the whole family? Grilled chicken and pasta with broccoli and tomatoes, which she says takes only takes 30 to 45 minutes to prepare. (On a side note, Laura lives by a pretty simple rule in achieving great taste: eat fresh ingredients. “It tastes so much better to eat things in season,” Laura claims, adding that she also likes to include olive oil to her meals.)
Laura may value nutritious dinners in her balanced lifestyle, however, maintaining her fuel with the right foods is equally important. “I have granola and yogurt for breakfast and I bring my lunch [to work],” says Laura, revealing that she eats home leftovers such as vegetables and fish for her mid-day meal.
Although it may sound too good to be true, you better believe it when Laura says she doesn’t dig pops and chips. Instead, “I try to eat 10 servings of fruit or vegetables a day, keep from the fatty desserts and I rarely, rarely eat dessert! I try to get away from sugar. I don’t really eat chocolate and I try not to eat a lot of bread — I try to be really disciplined.” Nevertheless, Laura sheepishly admits that “I do have a cookie with my coffee — I dunk it in my coffee.”
At 47 years young, Laura is able to look fresh on and off the camera with simple beauty regimes. “Wash your face,” advises Laura. “That’s one thing I’ve done since I was a kid.” And there’s no doubt that exercise also keeps Laura looking great. The health reporter works out every morning by running or visiting the gym. “I’ll run five kilometres and, on alternate days, I’ll do weight routines and sit-ups.” Not to mention, she does her best to pass on the values of fitness to her daughter, explaining: “I try to get her to workout and to go to gym, [too].”
Balanced living clearly plays a starring role in Laura’s day-to-day routine, as she also credits supplements for maintaining her good health. “I take vitamin D everyday and I do take melatonin — it’s a nice way to get a deep sleep,” says Laura.
Truly, Laura feels grateful for her job as health specialist, as it allows her to lead a hale and hearty lifestyle for herself and her family. “I’m around some of the cutting-edge research. I feel privileged for being exposed to new ideas.”
