Liz Moody Loves Her UV Fighting Tint

Words: Ezekiel Wheeler & Liz Moody | Photos: Liz Moody

Liz Moody has built a career around asking smart people how to live better and then putting their advice to the test in her own life. As a host of one of the top health and wellness podcasts and author of 100 Ways to Change Your Life, along with her most recent healthy cookbook, Healthier Together, she has spent years turning expert research into small, manageable steps. She has also called far-off destinations like Buenos Aires and London home. These days she and her husband, Zack, are residents of the Northern California Bay Area, where the summer heat is lasting seemingly longer than the fog. 

We caught up with Liz to talk about what a full life looks like in practice, and her answers were refreshingly free of one-size-fits-all advice. "The single biggest thing that I've learned is that all of our paths to health and happiness are so unique to us," like, for her, how standing dates with friends and frequent family dinners keep her grounded.

Naturally, we also had to ask about her car. Liz recently partnered with XPEL to discuss the real-world science and benefits of XPEL’s nano-ceramic window tint with UV protection. For someone who thinks about long-term health as much as she does, the payoff went well beyond a cooler cabin. She calls it "one of my favorite things that I've ever done.”

Q: How do you keep your drive while still appreciating where you are right now?

I actually learned from my sister, who is a therapist, that appreciating how far we've come is key to us being able to continue to make the progress that we want to make in life. I try to intentionally reflect on my journey—where I was six months ago, a year ago, five years ago—and use that as part of what pushes me forward.

Q: What’s something new you’ve said yes to recently that pushed you outside your usual routine or offered you a unique opportunity?

I said yes to speaking at SXSW! I had to fly to Austin for the weekend, and I'm afraid of flying, and it was during a really busy period in my life (I was on a book deadline). But I was blown away by the interesting conversations that I had and how inspiring it was. It's such a good reminder that being in a room in person with people is always an incredibly satisfying experience.

Q: You talk to so many interesting people through your work. What have you learned about the different ways people create meaningful, fulfilling lives?

The single biggest thing that I've learned is that all of our paths to health and happiness are so unique to us. The happiest, most successful people I know are constantly keeping an eye on their individual ways of doing the things that they're doing, and they're evaluating and re-evaluating them. They are not doing things because society says you should do them, because your parents say that you should do them, or because the teacher you had when you were eight years old said you should do something. They're really listening to their inner voice, and taking the right path for them. 

Q: You’ve built a career around helping people live healthier, happier and more intentional lives. What are some of the things you personally do that make life feel full?

The top thing that has come up in research and in podcast guests is that relationships are the number one thing for us: both living as long as possible and enjoying that time as much as possible. I really try to prioritize my relationships.

I have standing dates with friends. I also try to have adventures and create new memories with friends instead of just getting together and catching up on each other's lives. I try to create new memories with my partner and grow and evolve in that relationship instead of falling into roommate mode. I have family dinner every other Sunday night with my mother-in-law, my father, my sister, and my husband.

In general, one of the throughlines of my life is just that relationships are at the absolute top of my priority list.

Q. Recently, have you noticed a difference in your vehicle after the tint install? How has it improved your daily use of your vehicle? 

Oh my gosh, yes, a huge difference. It's one of my favorite things that I've ever done because I am often wearing sunscreen on my face when I'm in the car, but I almost never have it on my arms and my hands. Having the peace of mind that I know that I'm not getting aesthetic skin damage or increasing my risk of skin cancer when I'm in my car has made the biggest difference in my mental health and my mood. I definitely don't feel like I can get rid of this car now, or I just have to get an XPEL tint on any cars in the future.

Learn more about Liz here – and check out her XPEL window tint installation to learn more about why 99% UV protection and heat-rejecting properties were important to her.

Hear more about Liz Moody by listening to her talk to A Girl's Guide to Cars Podcast and how she'd rather hit the road than take to the air.