Mary Abitanto has spent years bringing people together through food. Now, the Princeton-area author, food writer and wellness advocate is sharing a different kind of recipe — one for building resilience, finding purpose and living a healthier, more balanced life.
Her newest book, Strong Body, Strong Mind, released on October 30, takes readers beyond the kitchen, exploring how daily habits, personal discipline and faith can help individuals navigate life’s challenges and become stronger in both body and mind.
For Abitanto, who grew up in Edison and has spent decades encouraging others to embrace healthy lifestyles, the project is deeply personal. Drawing from experiences with profound loss, uncertainty and life’s unexpected challenges, she hopes to offer readers practical tools for strengthening their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
“This book really was born out of a lived experience,” Abitanto said. “I wanted to share … it’s about building resilience in your life, getting through the turbulence when you are experiencing it.”
The book represents a new direction for Abitanto, whose previous publications have explored everything from her family’s Italian culinary traditions to international cuisine, holiday entertaining and healthy eating.
As she reflected on her accomplishments over nearly a decade of writing, Abitanto began questioning the habits and experiences that had helped her remain focused and productive through the years.
The answer became the foundation for Strong Body, Strong Mind, which centers on four interconnected practices: fitness, mindset, nourishment and faith.
“At its heart, this book is about caring for the whole person,” Abitanto said. “When we intentionally strengthen our body, mind and spirit, we become more resilient and better equipped to handle life’s challenges.”
A foundation built on movement
Long before Abitanto became known for her recipes and food writing, she was encouraging others to embrace physical fitness.
An Edison native, she began her career in fitness at local women’s fitness centers, where she taught aerobics classes that sometimes attracted 80 to 100 participants. Her passion continued into college, where she taught classes attended by student-athletes, and ultimately led to nearly a decade of group fitness instruction.
As a certified group fitness instructor who has led thousands of classes throughout her career, Abitanto continues to emphasize the benefits of regular movement.
“Movement is medicine,” she said, explaining that physical activity can help clear the mind, build confidence and strengthen resilience.
The book’s fitness section explores resistance training, partner workouts, Pilates, bone health and sustainable ways to incorporate movement at different stages of life.
It also includes a contribution from her daughter, a doctor of physical therapy working with pediatric oncology patients in Tennessee, who wrote about the benefits of resistance training.
For Abitanto, the collaboration added another meaningful family connection to a project rooted in her personal experiences.
Beyond physical fitness, the book explores how individuals can develop a growth mindset, practice self-acceptance and approach difficult circumstances with greater confidence.
Rather than viewing setbacks as permanent failures, Abitanto encourages readers to consider what they can learn from their experiences and how they can continue progressing.
“Sometimes you need to adjust your GPS,” she said. “But at the end of the day, you keep moving forward.”
The mindset section introduces strategies Abitanto has incorporated into her own life, including breathing techniques, self-regulation and developing healthier responses to challenging situations.
“I discovered that lasting strength is not built in moments of ease,” Abitanto said. “It is often through seasons of trial that we discover what we are capable of and learn to develop resilience.”
Finding strength through nourishment
Food remains an essential part of Abitanto’s story.
Her culinary journey was shaped by the challenge of preparing meals for her son, who experienced more than 40 food allergies. What began as a necessity evolved into a passion for experimenting with ingredients, developing recipes and helping other families embrace healthier eating.
“For us, whole foods, that was the only way,” she said.
Abitanto’s approach to cooking draws heavily from Mediterranean traditions and the importance of fresh ingredients, a philosophy reinforced by her family’s travels to Italy.
Those influences have shaped her cookbooks and her lifestyle brand, Mariooch’s Kitchen, a name inspired by her Italian father, who affectionately called her “Mariooch,” meaning “little Mary.”
Her love of cooking was also passed down through generations. She recalls watching her grandmother and Aunt Rose prepare homemade ravioli and other traditional Italian dishes, learning techniques through experience rather than formal instruction.
That hands-on approach eventually became central to her culinary career, which has included food styling, photography, recipe development and contributions to publications such as Delish.
Her previous cookbooks include Food That Will Gather Your Family, Food From My Heart & Home, Gather For The Holidays and NOURISH Celebrating Nature’s Harvest & A Healthy Lifestyle.
Although Strong Body, Strong Mind explores topics beyond cooking, Abitanto made sure food still had a place in the book.
Readers will find 20 recipes, ranging from nutritious everyday meals to indulgent treats, including decadent coconut cupcakes that became a favorite among staff during her daughter’s clinical rotation at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
After sending a batch to the hospital, Abitanto said the cupcakes were such a hit that staff requested more. She knew the recipe deserved a place in her newest publication.
Faith as the connecting thread
While fitness, mindset and nourishment provide practical tools for healthier living, Abitanto considers faith the foundation that holds everything together.
Raised Catholic, she credits her religious upbringing with helping establish the values that have shaped her personal and professional journey.
She compares the strengthening of faith to the way gluten develops when dough is worked.
“The more you work it, the stronger it becomes,” she said.
Throughout the book, Abitanto reflects on the role faith has played in helping her navigate uncertainty, embrace leadership opportunities and remain grounded through different stages of life.
The book also reflects on the importance of creating a supportive personal environment, developing intentional habits and discovering purpose during difficult seasons.
For Abitanto, faith has provided a source of strength through life’s most challenging moments, helping her find hope and perspective when circumstances seemed uncertain.
She also emphasizes that the book is intended to be accessible to readers interested in any of its individual subjects, whether they are looking for fitness guidance, strategies for resilience or inspiration for improving their everyday habits.
Her central message is that meaningful change does not have to come through dramatic transformations. Instead, it can begin with small, intentional choices practiced consistently.
Bringing the message to the community
With the release of Strong Body, Strong Mind, Abitanto hopes to take her message beyond the pages of the book and connect directly with readers.
She will host a book launch event on Saturday, November 14, at noon at the New Jersey Athletic Club, 4152 Quakerbridge Road in Lawrenceville.
The event will bring the book’s philosophy to life through a 20-minute fitness class, followed by a walking session on the facility’s indoor track and a discussion with Abitanto about the inspiration behind her newest work.
Attendees will also have an opportunity to sample snacks featured in the book.
Both club members and nonmembers are invited to participate, and all fitness levels are welcome. Fitness attire is encouraged.
The launch represents an opportunity for Abitanto to share her passion for movement, healthy eating and community connection in a setting that brings together the four practices highlighted throughout her book.
She also hopes to pursue future speaking engagements, group fitness events and faith-based walks that encourage participants to connect physical movement with personal reflection.
Through her Instagram account, @marioochcooks, she already promotes active living by sharing recipes, lifestyle content and lighthearted Friday dancing videos designed to encourage followers to get moving.
For Abitanto, the new book is more than another addition to her growing body of work. It represents an opportunity to turn her own experiences into encouragement for others.
“I want readers to walk away feeling empowered to build their own strong body and strong mind,” she said. “It’s not about perfection … but through simple intentional practices lived out daily.”
From the aerobics studios of Edison to her family’s kitchen and now the pages of her newest book, Abitanto’s journey has been shaped by a commitment to helping others embrace healthier and more purposeful lives.
“I just want people to live their best life,” she said.
Strong Body, Strong Mind is available on Amazon.
To attend the November 14 launch event at the New Jersey Athletic Club in Lawrenceville, RSVP at njac.clubautomation.com. For more information about Abitanto and her work, follow @marioochcooks on Instagram.
