259: Choosing Different Paths for a Thriving Body and Life with Koya Webb

Foreign.

Welcome to the Earn your happy podcast. I'm Lori Harder, founder of The Bliss Project, 3 Time Fitness World champion, fitness expert and cover model, turned self love junkie, lifestyle entrepreneur and author.

Each week I'll bring you a guest.

Or a thought that will help you bust through your fears, connect to your soul and get focused and clear so you can elevate your life, business and relationships. We don't wait until we're ready for someone to tell us we're good enough. We take what we want and we anoint ourselves. Get ready to earn, own, and unapologetically rock your happiness every single day. Are you with me? Here we go. Welcome back to the podcast, everyone. And I am so excited that you tuned in to listen to this episode because I have an amazing woman who came over to the house. So whenever I get to do an in person interview, I feel like there's just some serious magic that happens. It's just that you cannot beat that face to face, belly to belly conversation. And I find that I throw all my notes and all my questions out the window and we just drop into exactly what I feel like you guys need to hear. So my special guest today is Koya Webb and she is an internationally recognized yoga teacher, a personal trainer, holistic health and wellness coach, an author, a motivational speaker, and professional fitness model revolutionizing the holistic living landscape. She's the creator of get loved Up, a platform that encourages people to love yourself, love others and love the planet by practicing environmental sustainability, plant based nutrition and mindful movement. And I was so interested in how she fuels her body and just her life in general because I have followed Koya on her Instagram for quite a while and I'm always so curious how people make a plant based diet happen. And we talk so much more than just a plant based diet. But I really, really, it really opened up my curiosity and my beliefs around plant based foods. So even if you just end up adding more or you're curious about it, this conversation is going to really spark something in you and give you so many ideas on how you could make it easier if it is something that you are interested in or if you just want to add more plant based meals into your life. And that's really where I am. So you guys, I know that you will love this conversation. We talk so much more than that. We talk lifestyle, we talk yoga, we talk friends, we talk wellness, we talk everything in this episode and I know that you're going to enjoy the conversation. So let's get started. Koya, I'M so excited to have you on the show. Thank you so much for coming on.

Thank you so much for having me.

Okay, so you guys, we are in person. Like, this is a rare treat for me. I probably have one out of every five guests in person. So it's just, there's something magical about when people sit like face to face, belly to belly, I think, especially women. Do you find that?

Yeah, it's beautiful. It's a beautiful. Because you could feel the energy.

Yeah, you can, you can. And you can see the facial expression. That's like the whole thing with texting or like I am an over emoji person because I literally am like, I want you to know that I'm smiling right now. Like I'm really happy or like I, you know, you're trying to just make sure people don't misinterpret in today's world of just text and back and forth and trying to stay connected.

So.

So I'm so blessed that I get to have you in person.

Yes. I'm so glad I get to see you and see your home. What a beautiful home and just like be here with you. It's way better than over the phone.

It is way better. So I would love to know what is most exciting for you in your world right now.

Oh my goodness. Most exciting. I have to choose. Okay. Three things. Number one, my yoga teacher trainings. It has become one of the most impactful things that I'm doing in my life right now is teaching others how I found yoga and meditation. And yoga and meditation has been such a gift in my life. So being able to just guide other teachers through that practice of transformation and then teach them how to teach others to do the same has been the most impactful work I've done to date. And because it's like I'm growing this tribe of lightworkers and healers and it feels really divine. And number two is my Get Loved up movement, which is what I do my yoga teacher training under. And my mantra with that is love yourself, love others, love the planet. And it's all about cultivating a sense of self love and self care. Really focusing on unity and oneness and how we are all one and how we need each other to grow and thrive and eco friendly living. So I've been a vegan for 12 years and I'm really passionate about animals. You know, dogs, cats, but also cows and pigs. Like, I feel like all animals are equal and I don't want to eat them. So just like I wouldn't Eat my pet dog. I'm not gonna eat a chicken either. And so I've been very passionate about teaching people about this passion of mine for plant based eco friendly living and how they can thrive and be energetic and amazing and brilliant without the consumption of animal or abusive animal. And so many people are like, oh my God, like I didn't even know that was possible. And so the plant based vegan movement is really huge right now. I just went to Ralph's and they have an entire vegan vegetarian section. And so there are so many changes being made, so many animals lives that are being saved, especially again from the abuse and the trauma. I feel like when you go back to unity, we all feel that. So I am so passionate about that movement. And a book I just signed a deal with, hey House, which has been, I wanted to write for them my entire life and I know there's a gazillion publishers in the world, but I really wanted to work with Hay House because working with Marianne Williamson and Wayne Dyer and some of those authors, you know, Louise Hay, they just really made an impact on my life and really taught me what it means to live in love and choose love versus fear. So those are the three most exciting things in my life right now.

Well, you just gave me like a million things to dive into and I'm so, so congratulations. I'm so excited that you got exactly what you wanted. And I'm sure that was a lot of really amazing manifesting going on on your part. And obviously I think when you, especially if those people really impacted your life and you were holding that intention, of course it's happening. So I can't wait to read it and it comes out when?

Next year. I don't have like the date right now, but it will be next year.

Do we know what it's about at all?

Oh yes, of course it's about, it's about love. Because that's, that is who I am. Who are you? If I don't have to give you a say? I'll tell you. I'm love, you know, because I vibrate at that frequency. I try to vibrate at that frequency all the time, but I'm not perfect. I'm so human. So I have. Fear comes up. That comes up. So it's really all about my life lessons and how I've come upon fear and how I've dealt with fear in my life and pain and trauma and all of those things that are just, you know, outputs of fear, competition, like all these things and how I was able to change that frequency of fear into a frequency of love. And how when I changed it, how my life got better, I was able to manifest better. I was able to love better and be a better person, because that's what it's all about. I believe, I truly believe we all could choose to function at that vibration at all times, or we could choose not to. And my goal with this book is to just show people because a lot of times we're unconscious to how we are choosing fear of a love. So the first thing is to bring the awareness to, okay, well, here is the fear. And then, you know, you know, letting people know, like, these are the things that I've done in my life to help switch it around. So that's what the book is all about. I probably get way too much, but it's like so deep, so good, so awesome. And it's what my mentors have taught me to do with my life. And I just want to teach as many people as possible.

Oh, so I would love to know what was the, what was the big pivot point for you? I know there's a million in people's lives, but did you have a specific time in your life that you kind of hit a wall where you're like, I can't live this way anymore. Where it was so painful, Maybe past experiences that had happened.

Speaking of pain. Yeah. I mean, my post pivotal point always goes back to when I found yoga, because I feel like with that tool of yoga, it's not like I automatically I got yoga, so I'm a perfect person. But it's like yoga is a perfect tool. Yoga and meditation, I do believe in that connect, how it connects you to your soul is the perfect tool to healing through anything, to strengthening through anything. Learning how to move and flow in the world. So it happened when I was running track and field, which was my ticket out of the country. I'm a small town, girls raiding a trailer with powdered milk. We didn't have much. I never thought I'd be living in Marina Del Rey. I never thought I'd be traveling the world. I never thought I'd be doing the things that I'm doing today. I have no family in California, but I'm from Tennessee.

Okay.

So, you know, having a bigger vision and wanting to travel and wanting to get out there. I always thought that athletics was my ticket because you see, like, athletes and you know, traveling the world, you're like, oh, I want to do that. So being young and being very naturally athletic, I was like, okay, I know I'm going to let this be my ticket and train really hard and, you know, travel the world. And I want to make a difference. I want to make a difference in the world. I see a lot of pain. I've always wanted to help people. Since I was a little girl, I've hated to see people in pain. Whether it be an anim animal or a person, I always try to help. I pick stray dogs off the street and nurse them back to health. I remember I had this dog. My mom loved it. She encouraged it. She actually helped it. But my dad was like, please get these animals out of the house. And I just had this. This inclination. So I thought, of course, a doctor, a nurse, a physical therapist. I thought I would have one of these typical jobs. But when I shadowed, you know, you're in high school, you do the shadowing. I never found anyone that was truly happy. It was either, I'm making a lot of money, but I don't have any time, or I have a lot of time.

Were you in tune with that? Like, you knew, you could tell people were not.

Oh, yeah, I'm an empath, so I can definitely feel the energy, and that's what kept me out of those things. So I was like, yeah, you don't seem happy. And I would talk to them and, like, you know, what are the benefits? What are the pros and what are the cons? I'm very experimentalist, and I love, like, you're doing, like, interviews and just getting to know. I love people's stories. So I was talking to people, and they're like, yeah, you know, like, this is the good part, and this is the bad part. I was like, well, I don't want to do that. So the first person that I met was really happy, was a personal trainer. They were making the money they wanted to make. They had the freedom. They had their own hours, and they were making an impact in people's lives. I was like, that's what I'm gonna do, you know? So I started doing that in college. But when I was running track and field, one day I was coming after class, and I just fell to the ground in pain, and I ended up having a stress fracture in my back. O.

In your back?

In my back.

Oh.

So as, you know, like, the back, the core, like, that's your. That's your center. That's your. Your focus. And they were like, sorry, you're out for the year. And I was slated to win the conference and do all these great things, and I was just a sophomore at the time.

With the holidays and the new year coming, you probably are looking around your house thinking that you would love to upgrade and freshen up your environment and there is no easier way to do that than with your window treatments. Nobody covers windows better than blinds.com blinds.com brings your space to life in your way. They have free design help. Other retailers may claim to have experts, but blinds.com has spent nearly 30 years building an award winning team of over 100 design consultants that are ready to help you create your dream space. Always convenient, always tailored to you. Three ways to shop 1. Perfect fit Whether you want a DIY, have it all done for you or you're somewhere in between, choose what works for you and rest easy knowing the fit is guaranteed. So the holidays come fast you guys, and you can freshen up your window treatments fast as well. And unlike some competitors, the price you see is the price you pay. No hidden fees and there's zero pressure. From blackout in motorized options to classic shutters, blinds.com has window treatments for every room, style and budget, even shades for your outdoor space. The Black Friday deals@blinds.com are going strong all month long, so don't miss your chance to save big. And as always, our listeners still get $50 off when you spend $500 or more. Just use code earn at checkout. Limited time offer rules and restrictions apply. See blinds.com for details. 2026 is the year that you launch your business. It's the year that you've become the boss. You become the leader. That idea that you have that has been eating at you forever that just will not leave you alone is going to come to life. Maybe it's something that someone tells you you should always sell or a store you've already head. And with Shopify, 2026 is when you finally make it happen. Shopify gives you everything you need to sell online and in person. Millions of entrepreneurs have already made this leap from household name to first time business owners. Just getting started you guys. I use Shopify for glossy and I remember when they sent me my little shopping bag celebrating my 10,000 sales and I literally cried because I was so scared to take the leap. And I'm so glad that I did and that I use Shopify. It gives all the tools to easily build your dream store. You can choose from hundreds of beautiful templates that you can customize to match your brand setup is fast with Shopify's built in AI tools that write product descriptions and headlines and help you edit photos so marketing is built into you can Create email and social campaigns that reach customers wherever they scroll. So as you grow, Shopify grows with you. You can handle more orders, expand to new markets, and do it all from the same dashboard in 2026, stop waiting and start selling with sh. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com happy go to shopify.com happy that shopify.com happy. Hear your first cha ching this new year with Shopify by your side.

So I was devastated because all I knew was track and field, and all I knew is that was my ticket and I was gonna. I had already been traveling a lot and doing very well. I was slated to win the conference the next year, and all that in one day. And one breath was gone. So it was completely devastated and crying in classes, and just. I was just like, what am I gonna do now? Like, everything that I worked for up until now is just, like, automatically gone. And the coach was like, well, you make good grades.

You could.

You could be a coach or you. I'm like, no. So the teacher, she sent me to the counselor, and the counselor's like, I think you should try yoga. And, oh, my goodness, you look at my page now, you think I've been doing yoga or was a gymnast. No. When I started, I was a tight athlete. I could not touch my toes. I could do a back band because I hijacked so much better. Girl, I was so rigid. And so I was strong, but I was rigid right from just, like, going so hard, which is why I got a stress fracture, because I was going so hard. I wasn't getting enough sleep. I wasn't eating properly. And so I was struggling in yoga. I remember doing a headstand. My head was so tender. I was just like, this is not for me. Like, how are these people setting on this? And why are they saying it feels good when it doesn't? Like, they are not telling the truth. And it hurts. This lotus thing, it's hurting my shin, you know, And I just wanted to get out of it. So the teacher walks over to me, seeing me struggle and get frustrated, and she was just like, I want you to breathe with me. Just take an inhale. And I just took an inhale with her. And in that moment, I got these chills in my body. I'm like, oh, that felt so good. I felt that connection to spirit that I hadn't felt in a long time. I remember when I was younger, I'd asked my parents because, you know, I grew up Southern Baptist, and they were always talking about getting baptized. And I was like, well, when am I supposed to know when I'm supposed to get back to. They're like, you'll feel it. I was like, okay. So every day I'm waiting for this feeling, so I know when to get baptized. And then one day, the preacher was saying something. I felt things.

These.

These chills. I was like, that must be the Holy Spirit time for me to get baptized. And so I did.

Yeah.

And so when I felt that sensation after breathing with the teacher, I was like, that's a good sign. I'm in the right space. And so I kept up with it. I kept up with the yoga and breathing. Eventually, I added swimming and biking. I completely rehabbed my body within six months. And the next year, I came back, won the conference meet, won a lot of monthly events, and brought Wichita State to its first women's team title. So it was a huge, like, recovery for me. And after that, I was like, wow. You know, yoga is a gift. You know, I was given a gift. And now to be able to give that gift to a lot of as many people. My goal is to certify at least a thousand women in yoga and meditation. And so with that goal, I think it will trickle down is that. And as Nelson Mandela said says, each one teach one. So I'm teaching, and then they will teach. And this gift of yoga and meditation can spread to so many people.

Oh, my God. What an amazing story, and what a beautiful. I just want everybody who. Who's listening to really take note that you said that you noticed. You know, you took notice of the feelings in your body. Because, of course, I think that's our biggest indicator. And we're constantly either numbing it out with food or we're numbing it out with tv, or we just. We think that we need to think so logically. Especially, you know, I'm from the Midwest, and it's kind of like we don't think with our bodies there. Like, that's almost unheard of. You know, I moved out here because I knew so many people were more following their gut. They were following their happiness. They were just kind of listening in.

So.

Right. How old were you when that happened and you were already listening in?

I was a sophomore in college, so maybe. Maybe, I don't know, so many years ago. Maybe I was 21 is.

What would you tell people if they've never quite let their lives lead like that, let their feelings lead? What would you tell people to start tuning into and practicing on?

I would say really start to Slow down. And when you see yourself reaching for that energy drink, reaching for that coffee, staying up, you know, way past midnight, waking up before 5am, really listen to those things and listen to the body. Because if your eye is jumping, if you're getting sick a lot, it's the body's way of telling you to slow down if you get an injury. I am a hard worker. I'm very dedicated, I'm very driven. But what I learned through yoga is to listen to my body. And when I get injured, when I get sick, I slow down, I get make more time for massages. Like I do all this, this. I have a list log of self care things that I love, massages and floating and, and I start doing more of those things because I realize I'm out of balance. And when you're a very driven person, it's so easy to get out of balance because you have a good purpose, you have a good cause, we all do. But you can't love others to the detriment of yourself. And that's the biggest thing that I learned through yoga. It's just like, yes, you are loving and you're trying to be there for your team and yourself and you have all these goals, but you can't abuse your body, you know. And so I've learned to like really take care of my body through practicing yoga, really manage my stress levels through meditation, and also connect with my soul, which helps guide my life. Who, which paths do I grow, which jobs do I take? You know, being an entrepreneur, there's a lot thrown at you. And as you know, in social media world, there's a lot thrown at you on a daily basis. And it's like, how do you decipher, you know, what's genuine and what's not? And it's, it's, you know, not easy. So meditation helps give me clarity.

I love that. So you are prepping right now for your yoga teacher training.

Did you say?

It starts tomorrow?

Tomorrow.

Okay. Amazing. And she's here doing a podcast right.

Now because I love you. And we've been trying to get this forever, so I was like, you know what, let's just do it.

So I'm about to go on my book tour, she's about to do her yoga teacher training and, and I don't know, I was, I've just literally been trying to connect with you for a while. It's so crazy. And the universe just kind of, I don't know even know how it happened to be.

We both said yes at the same time. I Told people timing is everything. And we even were supposed to do this over the phone and then the phone didn't sound right. And I was just like, wait a minute, I saw you're in Santa Monica. I'm right down the street. Let's do this in person. And I am so happy. Oh. Like we said at the beginning. So I feel like, like the timing and it being pushed off really set us up to have it, like in a specific way.

I totally agree. Because my Skype was terrible that day and I was like, oh, no, like, this cannot. I cannot give her this audio. Like, not gonna happen. So back to the yoga teacher training though, which is so amazing that you're here doing a podcast right now, but I'm sure. How many have, how many have you done at this point?

This is my second one.

Oh, my God. Okay, baby, that's crazy and amazing, but you've so much work on yourself.

Oh, yeah.

And also you've been in those spaces so many times that it's in, it's just in your body. But what are some other things you're doing to prep? Because there are so many women on here who have either maybe just started something or they want to leap into something bigger and there's that big free fall. So what are you doing in between the free fall of today or the past week and then where you're going to step into that leadership role for the. These people?

Well, I always tell people before a month before I get loved up, which is loving myself. There's still space for others and the practices I teach, but it's really about getting myself to 100% so I can 100 show up for these 15 women. And so I went to Greece. I don't travel, okay, without working, you know, so for me to take a legit vacation for a week, just me going and eating good vegan food at this beautiful place in Amargos. Greece was phenomenal with my guy. So just getting loved up by someone I love. And we do have a long distance relationship. So being able to be loved and pampered by this hotel and spa in Greece and being pampered by my boyfriend, it was just one way. And last year I spent a month before with my family. So before, before I usually try to get loved up and spend time with loved ones and see my friends. One of my girlfriends just had a baby. I went to go just play with the baby all day instead of thinking like, oh, I gotta work every single moment. We've been trying to get this done, you know, for months. And it's like, you know what? I'm gonna have that podcast. So the things that will ask these women to do, how they honor and how they balance, are the same things I'm doing leading up to the training. I have to practice what I preach. I can't be. I slept last night, you know, I woke up at a decent time. I practiced this morning. So I have to 100% do all the things that I know that I'm teaching. And so I the month before I check, like, where am I slipping? Where do I need to be loved up more? And I needed a vacation. I just needed to like shut down. So this Greece vacation was awesome. And then my boyfriend, he lives in Philly, he just came down again and we spent Memorial Day together and we went to see a war concert. And so just really taking time to like not be working from 8 8am to 8pm, which is usually my grind. And I try to turn it off between those times, but that's usually the time that I work and I have the me time in the morning and then the social time in the evening. So trying not to do that but put some more time to take a vacation, go see friends and just, just put some like pupil time. Because now from 8am to 8pm I will be training from Monday through Friday for the next 23 days.

There are so many challenges to business that I don't want starting to be one of them for you.

And when you want more.

When you're starting a business, you need Northwest Registered Agent because you get access to thousands of free guides, tools and legal forms to help you launch and protect your business. And it's all in one place. You can build your complete business identity with Northwest today. Northwest Registered Agent has been helping small business owners and entrepreneurs launch and grow business for nearly 30 years. They're the largest registered agent and LLC service in the US with over 1500 corporate guides. Real people who know your local laws and can help you and your business every step of the way. You can sign up for free account to begin managing your business hub with lawyer drafted operating agreements, bylaws, resolutions, membership certificates, bills of sale and more at no cost. Northwest makes life easy for business owners. They don't just help you form your business, they give you the free tools you need after you form it, like operating agreements, meeting minutes, and thousands of how to guides that explain the complicated ins and outs of running a business. And let me tell you, this is life changing because I had no idea how much went into this. So don't wait Protect your privacy, build your brand, and get your complete business Identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Visit www.northwestregisteredagent.com, earn free and start building something amazing. Get more with Northwest registered agent@www.northwestregisteredagent.com.forward/earnfree. Too many people finish their workday feeling frustrated, drained and unfulfilled. I know that. I have experienced that myself. And the good news is, it doesn't have to be. And you don't need a new job to fix it. Patrick Lencioni, author of the Five Dysfunctions of a Team and more than a dozen other bestsellers, created the working genius assessment to help you pinpoint the kind of work that gives you energy, the kind that lights you up, and it also shares the kind that drains it. So over a million people, including me, have taken it and completely changed how I lead and show up every day. If you're a CEO, an entrepreneur, or someone who just wants to level up in business and in life, working genius is going to give you the clarity and confidence to operate in your strengths and find greater joy in what you do. Because confidence isn't pretending to be good at everything. It's knowing where you're truly gifted. Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code earn@working genius.com. that's working genius dot com. You'll be glad you did it.

That's amazing. There's so much magic in that space. Like, I'm the same way. I can just, I can go to town, I can grind. Like, I, I, I have to turn that off because what will happen is it's like all of a sudden, one day I'll wake up and I'll just be totally unfulfilled. I'll be like, you just feel exhausted. Like you're. When I'm waking up in the morning and I'm tired and I don't want to get out of bed, even though I'm very called by my purpose. Yeah, it's like when you can't feel that or hear that anymore, that's how I know it's just time. It's time to cut it off. Like, I gotta go for a break. I gotta go play. Like, I'm huge on play. It's actually one of my favorite things, but that's seems to be the first thing that can go sometimes for me, so. And I love that you went to Greece too. Is there not like just a really magical grounding energy there? Like, I was able to drop right in when I was There.

Yeah. It's just so powerful. And the island we went to, Amargos, is on a bed of crystals. So you could just feel that energy just really healing, you know. And I just, I just really inhaled that healing time with, you know, myself, my boyfriend. I had two other friends that wasn't with us. I had another couple. And so it was really just a good time to just ground and just relax.

Especially European culture. Like, I just feel like they're like.

What are you doing?

Like live? And I'm like, yes, live, everybody. Like, what are we doing back here? And they, they were very in. The hotel we were in was owned by a family. We met the owner and his wife and their five kids. And they sang my boyfriend Happy Birthday and Greek. And I was like, does it get any better than this?

It doesn't.

And it was just so natural. And I wasn't. Nothing was planned, but everything was perfect. And that's another thing. I'm a planner and I'm very creative. Not as organized. But for me to be successful in business, I had to start planning.

Yeah.

And I have a team that helps me. But when I went on my trip, I didn't plan anything. I was like, no plans. I'm just gonna live my life and just enjoy every day. And it felt so good to like sleep in and enjoy and eat all the food. It was, it was amazing.

That's so awesome. So talking about food because you're vegan, does that ever bring up a challenge for you? I know that California is a bit easier. Like life here is a bit easier for food. What would you tell people who maybe are in the center of the country because, you know, winter's kind of rough, like bringing in all the food everywhere. Are there practical ways to, to start dabbling in a more plant based diet?

I mean, oh my goodness, yes, Louisiana is amazing for plant based nutrition. Amazing restaurants, the social life fabulous in California. But I feel like now with, you know, Amazon Prime, I mean, sorry to give them a plug, I don't work with them or anything. But you can get plant based food anywhere. You can get it for very inexpensive. I tell people who are in food deserts, we, which is real, get your food mailed to you because you can do quinoa and wild rice and lentils and then you even get vegetables sent to you, fresh, organic vegetables for a fraction of the price. And the beautiful thing about online shopping that is actually better than stores is because I talk about vibrational foods, foods with the highest vibration we see a lot of times when you get Something from online, it's touched a lot less hands so its vibration is higher from the ground. Whereas when you go to a store, it's been from the farmer to a packaging person to a warehouse and then on a truck and then to the store and then to your hand. So it's been through a lot of exchanges, a lot of energy exchanges before it goes into your body. When you order online, it's usually from, you know, they do the shipping and then maybe to the seller and then to you. So it touches a lot less so the vibration is higher. So I highly recommend shopping online and I'm an online girl and I, I really believe in ordering a lot of food. I personally work with Melissa's Produce. They're providing a lot of produce for my yoga teacher training. So grateful for them. Tons of like yummy organic produce. Also non perishables. So companies like that find them out, try them out, find your favorite. There is anyone can do vegan and anyone can do it affordably. My meal is like superfood smoothie in the morning, superfood salad, veggie bowl at night and snacks in between. And once you get. And that's what I teach during my teacher training. So it's not even just yoga and meditation and mindfulness, but I'm also teaching them how to thrive and have energy on a plant based diet.

So.

So yeah, that would be my thing. Just online shopping. Get your things online. I have a free 7 day guide on my website that people can just go because I want to get people started for free and I want them to see like it is so easy. But no, if you live in a food desert, scarcity is real. There are no organics and when you go to the organic, it's all shriveled up because not that many people are buying it. So that is definitely real. But with the day and age of social media and online shopping, it's like not an excuse though. It is an excuse of like we ain't got no cool restaurants to go to, you know, that's real. Because I'm from Tennessee. Yeah, there's a lot you know, but, but if you can go to places like Memphis and Nashville. But you know, we're not talking about that. We're talking about real food, desert, real places that there are nothing. And I would say online is your go to. Mm.

Awesome. How do you feel about when people are, you know, because I think especially when you're trying something new or you're trying a new diet, sometimes I do believe that there's so Much freedom in saying, I'm going to do my best with this. For people who are in, you know, I come from a small town in Upper Michigan. Like, it's real. You're not eating if you're, you know, if you're eating out somewhere where you kind of. What would you say to someone?

Do.

Would you tell them, like, do your best when you're out or.

Well, I, you know, you know, 100 plant based. Yeah. What I do is I eat super clean at home.

Yeah.

Like, I rarely bring chips on. If I have a party, it's there. But I don't go out and buy things that I aren't optimal and put them in my hand house. But when I go out, I'll have chips and waffles and I'll have anything as long as it's vegan. I'm such a foodie. I love to travel and eat all the things. Before I became vegan, I ate everything. Ostrich, crocodile. I'm an experimentalist, you know, so being vegan, I want to try all. Oh, you say that tastes like a vegan hot dog. That tastes like bacon. Let me try that. You know, so I'm all into that. But I know that that food, of course, is not highest vibrational. It's not the healthiest for me. So what I do is I eat all healthy foods at home. And then when I'm out, I give myself a bit of freedom. So I do the best. But of course, if I'm out all time, I'm on a traveling sabbatical or something like that, then I have to. Okay, Coy, you can't eat at every single restaurant. You can't eat all this food. Then I have to start being more mindful of what I'm eating. So the biggest thing I tell people is listen to your body. And if dairy don't take a pill, if dairy bothers you, don't take a pill so that you can eat it anyway. Like that food is not for your body. Body. And if you want to do it once in a blue moon is one thing, but I would say more time than not. 80% of the time, eat what. What's healthiest for you? Make it taste good. We got herbs and spices. And I tell people, I still love curry, I still love barbecue. I still love these things. But I put them on fruits and vegetables and mushrooms and things like that. So I haven't lost my taste for flavor. But I don't think I need to kill an animal or have animal be killed for my health and I didn't know that before. I thought, well, yeah, we're supposed to eat animals, therefore our health. I need my protein, I need my vitamins. I need these things that. Because that's what I was taught. But then when I learned and researched differently, I was like, oh, so you're saying I don't need this for calcium, I don't need milk for calcium, I don't need animal for protein? Like, no. And not only do you not need it, it's actually detrimental to you. And I was like, okay, tell me more. I'm interested because I've always been interested again in healing. And now seeing so many people that are overweight and, and sick and, you know, just having all these problems. Females, oh my God, like one in three women have fibroids. And it's just so much that we're suffering from because of our diet and because of processed and contaminated foods. I want to be the change. And so I'm just getting people aware of, like, let's start paying attention to what our food. Let's start paying attention to what's possible. Try this out for seven days. See how you feel. If you feel better, incorporate it as much as you can. Maybe it's just a salad day. Maybe it's a superfood smoothie a day. Maybe it's one vegan meal a day. And what happens is as people start to feel better, they're like, you know what? I do need to eat more. So to answer your question, it's like, yeah, do the best you can and do the research, get educated, because you.

Don'T know unless you know so much amazing information. And, you know, I think that we forget that we are our food. We're literally made of our food. Like, I don't know how we forget that, but every. If we didn't eat, we would cease to exist. We would disappear. We would wither away. So clearly we're made of our food. And it's like, you know, because I still have so much family back again in the Midwest, and it's kind of like, I think it's that whole, what you don't know, you know, you just stay oblivious to it.

Yeah.

But then we stay oblivious to being our health advocates for our life.

Right.

And it's so. I think it's the most empowering thing to. Sometimes it can be scary, but it can also be super empowering to know that you can take your health into your own hands. So what's been the biggest, like, the most impactful, number one for energy for you, that You've noticed like what's shifted for you when you became more plant based. And how about emotionally? Anything shifted emotionally?

Oh, yeah. I mean, because the thing is, again, going back to energy, I'm huge believer in metaphysics and like energy work and things like that. And when you continue consume, you know, foods and animals, you take on that energy. When you consume plants, you take on that vibration as well. So you think about plants, they're attracted towards the sun, they're like strong and they're vibrant. And nuts and seasoned grains. Anything about animals, the process they have to go to, to get to your stomach and your plate to give you nutrients is very traumatic. You know, in the beautiful way with the happiest cow is still very traumatic. They have to die, they have to have, have adrenaline, you know, that happens in their body in order for it. And then now you mentioned oblivion or being oblivious. There is this video on YouTube, I think if people are interested in this, it's called oblivion. Search it on YouTube. It will show you the horrific conditions of most of our food today that they go through. If you go to fast foods and anywhere, if you don't know how your food got to your plate. Most of these animals have been traumatized. So the biggest thing that I noticed when I went plant based, I was just happier. I wasn't flipping off the person that cut him. I was like, oh, they must be having a bad day. Like, you know, and I have very fiery energy. But I noticed when I really let go of the animal products, like, I became more calm and more grounded and it just got better and better with every year. And also meditation has a play in that too. But at one point I did try, I think for a month or two, fish, like adding fish, like being a vegetarian, adding fish back in my diet. And I felt great and I look great, but the energy, my energy felt a little bit different. It didn't feel like as clean and clear and mental clarity really improved a lot. It's like I can think, I can be present. I can feel too, being very intuitive and empathic. Like, I can feel energy better. I can feel when people are hurting, I can feel when people are sad. I can feel how I need to move without my body digesting and being compounded with so many things. And if you think about it, a lot of the ailments in the world is because of, you know, congestive heart failure and diabetes and all these things. They're all diseases of the fork. They're all because of what we eat. So here we are Trying to function in life but then we're hurt and we're failing because of what we're eating. So if we could just change what we're eating, we would feel a lot better. So the biggest thing I saw, like I had breakout breakouts once because my. Your skin is your biggest detox organ. I have breakouts once a year. I stopped having those. I had a lot of mucus that I would like cough up a lot of phlegm, especially in the morning that completely went away. Like in yoga I would always have like trouble breathing but now it's nice and clear and I can just breathe in and out strongly and clearly. So mental clarity, mucus was gone and I had so much energy. Like a green drink is better than a coffee any day, but you don't know unless you try. I thought like, oh, I need an energy drink. I never was big into coffee. I love the way it smells because my mom drank it. So I think it's like nostalgic and I just love the smell. I even love coffee ice cream but when I drink it like my back hurts. It's weird. But I did used to pound energy drinks like if I'd have to stay up late. And what I found with green drinks is that it gives you energy as well, but it's also give you nutrients. And with smoothies you're getting the fiber and things like that. So. So you don't only get energy, you also get nutrients. And that's why I tell people, you know, even if you don't cut out, like if you're doing five cups of coffee, take it back to one and if you're doing it every day, maybe try a couple of days with the green drinks and see your energy and see how it feels different. I'm also huge on herbs and the healing properties of herbs as well. So in addition to my plant based diet, I consume a lot of herbs because depending on where you're at in the world, you do need different things to help you ground. And I'm a blood test type O which according to the blood type diet I need like meat, but no, it's neat. I need grounding and I need a lot of like very wholesome foods. So a lot of people are really misinformed. And so I think when you want to get informed, if you're listening and you're super interested, you know, check out my seven day start doing some research. I follow Dr. Sabi, he's a really great person to follow. Also Anthony Williams. They're two of my biggest mentors in this plant based, like high energy, plant based living. And they really have done the science behind. Dr. Sebi is more the science behind and Anthony Williams is more about the spirituality behind the impacts of food and healing. And so they both have been a big influence on what I eat and how I eat today.

So this is, this is so interesting. So tell me about, you know, because I, we come from the fitness community, right. So one of the biggest things that I hear from fitness people is, oh, it's such a tough diet because you can put on weight because you're eating so many grains and it's really tough to eat vegan. Have you heard that before? And what do you say around that?

Well, you know, any diet is what you make it. So you have to put it together properly and you have to have a good coach. Like no matter what, like if you want to achieve, especially if your goal is not just energy and health but your, your, your goal is to look a certain way. So there's, there's a couple different things there. If your goal is for energy and health, you eat a plant based diet, you're going to be healthy and have a lot of energy. You still can be super big or super small. So that depends on how much you're eating and exactly what you're eating. You eat donuts every day, you're gonna be bigger and you might not even be healthy, you know, 10 vegan donuts a day. But they're vegan, no. So you have to eat like fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Seeds. I've gone for years where I ate no grains. Also when I was eating animal went for years eating no fruit. What I've realized is that fruits and vegetables again have the highest vibrations. And herbs that sprout. So quinoa, lentils, chickpeas, all the ones that you can put in water and they sprout a little tail. That means they're living. And fruits and vegetables are very much in a living state. So they're easier to digest. Digest. So you're, you process them better than something heavy, right? If you eat a ton of potatoes, I usually suggest that people who are trying to gain weight, but if you're trying to lose and you're trying to lean, eat a lot of living fruits and vegetables. So a lot of smoothies, a lot of salads. I say five fruits and vegetables a day. You know, put those five fruits in your smoothie, those five vegetables in your salad, and then whatever you miss, you know, add it for your dinner, add it for six snack. When you do that, you are so lean, you're so high vibrational. But yes, if the only time I say eat a lot of grains is like, you know, for a lot of my male clients who are trying to bulk up and like gain weight, then you can pound on a lot of grains that like don't sprout. But if you're really trying to lean and lose and just be fulfilled and have a fulfilling diet, sprouted, sprouted grains only are really going to help. And if you are really having a problem with digestion, just fruits and vegetables are really what you need. So really it does take some coaching because we all have different bodies. I can't say there's one, there's not a one size fits all diet. But in the vegan and plant based nutrition plans there are many ways because I have many clients and everyone does something a little bit different. If you're trying to gain weight, you do something different. Lose you do something different, you need more energy, you do something different. So in that like all I can say is that you can thrive and have a lot of energy. Gain weight or lose weight on a plant based diet. Diet. But just like any other, like whether you're eating meat or not, if you have a coach that looks at your lifestyle that has studied this, it's better. But if you just try to do it yourself and a lot of people aren't educated on it. Yeah, you know, you're more likely to maybe gain a little weight if you know you're like, I'm just eating vegan, I'm eating whatever I want. But a lot of like, like when I went raw vegan, I remember I way too many nuts and seeds. Like it's like a vegan cheesecake. But do you understand? I was like cup of nuts in that and then you just ate a whole nother one in the bread and it's like a lot of nuts and seeds. Of course we know nuts and seeds are a lot of calories. So I packed on some really thick, juicy pounds. They're kind of nice. I was like, hey, I'm kind of liking this curve. But, but again I was, I was soft in areas that I didn't and I wanted to change it. And so in that respect I say, you know, just get a good coach, a plant based vegan coach. Like I, I help people with coaching and things like that and they can help you with the physique. But as far as being, being healthy, if you eat high vibrational foods and you eat in balance and you listen to your body, you will have good energy and be healthy.

Amazing. I could literally talk to you all day and I'm being mindful of our time. So what, is there anything coming up for you that you want to share with people that's kind of in your world right now?

Well, I have a book coming out next year with Hay House. I have the yoga teacher trainings. This one is of course, course tomorrow, but the next one's in December in Thailand.

Oh, my God.

Amazing. So I want to invite people to come and just give this a try. You don't have to want to teach yoga and you don't have to want to be vegan for the rest of your life. But if you want to come, give it a try. I am giving a certification for 23 days, but I'm also offering people to come in for just weekend retreats and just experience it for the weekend or for the week. And so I'm creating little pockets within that time where people can just pop, hop in and experience the lifestyle and just see. So I would tell people, you know, join me in Thailand. I plan on setting some of those up here in LA next year and stuff like that. So, okay, yeah, I'm there. Hang out with me.

I'm definitely there. And I think that's the best way to learn is just total immersion. I think it's always, if you're curious and you want to just go experience it. Because once you feel the energy and once you experience that whole different vibration than you're not used to, it's. That's what, what gets you hooked, right?

That's what helps motivate you. And my vibration is love. Like, I'm non judgmental. Like, I am not going to tell you you're a bad person if you wear leather or if you are like, girl, I need some chicken. You know, because my family does that all the time. They're like, last month they're like, we're gonna go plant based. And my sister's like, yeah, mom is eating some cheese right now. And so I understand that it's not, it's not easy, but I will say it's worth it. And I know a lot of people who have transitioned, they say, you know, what helped me out the most most was seeing how easy you made it. Like, it's like, I look online, I'm like, oh my God, this is so difficult. But you made it so easy. You made it seem simple so I could do it. And so I want to make it easy for people. And also I want people know, like, Wherever you are in your journey, you're loved. So don't feel like you're not in the in crowd or you're not important. Like if you're not eating like someone else. And I feel like embracing people in that love vibration and just making it fun and easy is really how people are going to get to it and hold on and really get to get to experience the benefits of it.

I love that so much because especially living here, it's, it can be somewhat intimidating if you're out to eat with a ton of people and maybe you're eating something different. And honestly, I think at the end of the day it's kind of like it's all love, right?

It's just all.

I think you're gonna get more people to really look at what you're doing. No matter what you're doing, whether you're vegan or whether you're doing, you know, yoga or dance or eating some other certain type of way way people are only going to look if you're attracting them with love and through love. And instead of even, you know, just obviously we know anything around fear is going to detract. Yeah, loving, fear, fear, judgment is gonna all deter people. So where can we find you? Follow you, all that fun stuff?

Thank you. You can find me@coyaweb.com coyaweb on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, Coia web online and fitness food and fun on YouTube.

Awesome. So I'm so grateful for you and I'm so grateful for you coming over and just. You guys, when she says she's love, she is all love. And I will tell you, her plant based diet is doing her really well.

Thank you.

Just amazing energy. You look so vibrant. You look just, just stunning. You look like you, you eat like very live living food every single day.

I have no other way to say that.

I had some vegan ice cream last night.

Maybe that's it.

Maybe that's why you're glowing. I know. I always ask one last question.

Okay.

And that is if you're, you're literally on an elevator with someone, it's kind of cliche. 30 seconds and they look over at you and they say, how can I make myself happy? What do you say? It's a total stranger.

Total stranger. How can I make myself happy? Love yourself.

So perfect. So beautiful. Thank you so much. And you guys, if you love this episode as much as I did, make sure you share it with your friends. And until next time, earn your happy. Bye everyone. Thank you guys so much for spending this time with me on the earn your happy podcast. I am so glad that you stopped by. If you could take one second to share this episode with someone you think would love it, that would be absolutely amazing and we would be forever grateful. Also, please leave us a review if you feel so moved by going to itunes and leaving us an honest thought, an honest comment. Tell us what you think, tell us what you want to hear more of. It would really help us out on our journey to helping thousands and thousands of people. Until then, don't forget to earn your happy. Thanks again guys. Bye Bye.