How to Understand Connections between faith, health and wellness with Registered Dietitian...

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the See Life Different Virtual Summit. My name is Zaakirah Muhammad, and I am the host of the See Life Different Virtual Summit. The See Life Different Summit was created, um, by me in 2021 after pivoting from the book called Seeing Life Through a Different Lens It was based off of a book, based off of a podcast, and now it's a summit, which also in turn will become a regular thing. I am Zaakirah, and I have over a decade of experience of empowering women to literally see life differently. I share my story confidently as a cancer survivor of a rare childhood eye cancer. And ever since then, I've been empowering other women. I've been walking in my purpose, and today is your day and your time and your time to shine. So I am going to introduce Zaakirah Muhammad before we bring her on for a conversation. So I may or may not have shared that March is Women's History Month. March is also, I believe it's Nutritionist Month because we just had Registered Dietitian Day. And it's also the launch of 4-year anniversary of my own podcast, which now has over 100 episodes. that talk about all of the things— nutrition, wellness, mindfulness, you name it. And so this is a complete honor to have her through all of the pivots that this event was supposed to be. Went from, you know, 2021 was fully virtual to it was supposed to be in person in Atlanta. Because I'm literally right here in Atlanta from my sister's house in Atlanta making this happen. Thank goodness for my sister. And Zaakirah is also right here based in Atlanta, Georgia. So I was super excited to— if we were going to have it in person, I was going to get to hug her. But now we're going to virtually hug— well, we're going to virtually give her a hug. So let me go ahead and give her her introduction so you have the rundown of who she is. Okay, so Yakuza Love Muhammad is the founder and owner of Nutrition Prescription, a nutrition consulting practice that specializes in recipe development and analysis. Nutrition education, and women's wellness. Zaakirah has almost 2 decades of experience in dietetics— dietetics— diet— sorry, I always get it tongue-tied. My childhood best friend always gets on me about this because she's an RD too. Anyway, in nutrition, and she works with patients and clients to improve their health related to chronic illness, and she offers all of the things. So she helps you with healthy recipes, interactive nutrition education, and she's so powerful about and passionate about nutrition. And she's actually going to break down her story of why she's so passionate about it, because we just talked about that, right? Your story, what part of your story makes you choose the direction you want to go in your career? So she empowers you to learn and apply evidence-based nutrition to every aspect of your life. including understanding the connection between faith, health, and wellness. So without further ado, Zaakirah Muhammad.

Hey, greetings everyone, how are you today?

Good, how are you?

Hey, happy afternoon, we're doing pretty good, we're doing pretty good. I, um, it's an honor and pleasure to be here, thank you for having me. Um, we actually just came from a gratitude walk, um, at, uh, the Bryant Baker Lake on McAfee. Um, and, you know, we were talking about how important it is to, uh, stay focused and consistent, um, on what your goals are. Um, and my goal was to at least get 3 miles in today. Uh, so when we got up, we were like, all right, we really need to get it done because we don't know what tomorrow's going to look like, right? Um, and there's no better time than today, really. So yeah.

And I love that about you though. I love that about you because You can tell us more, but when, um, I think when we first got connected on social media, you were training for a marathon. I think you really enjoy the actual exercise. So tell us more about that.

Oh, the half marathon. Um, our first half marathon was the, uh, I think it was the Big Dog Marathon in Columbus, Georgia. Um, this was back in, oh, it had to be 2000 Was it 2011, 2012? Um, so yeah, that was our first marathon in Columbus. It was flat, um, but it did require us significant training, and it was our first one. So, um, it was a great experience. Uh, it definitely showed you, uh, where you are, um, you know, what needs to be done and where you want to be. So, um, it was a blessing and a pleasure, uh, to do it with my husband. So that was pretty cool.

I love that. I love that. And, and I feel like since you mentioned your husband, I feel like I want to congratulate you on just— you have a— is he 2? 2 years old now?

Uh, he'll be 2 in May. Yes.

2 in May. Okay, well, congratulations on that. And I want you to find a way to just intertwine your story with how did you get here to be the amazing nutritionist that you are now?

Okay, well, um, I started in 2005. Georgia State University, and then I did a master's program and graduated in 2007. So it was interesting because before that we lived in South Georgia, so our family owned about 4 acres of land, and my dad was a butcher and he was a farmer. And, you know, I have, you know, great memories of really just growing up with animals and a farm and vegetables and having to be a part of that process, even growing up, like getting out there and helping with the harvest. And it was just a very, a very good experience, a very different experience than most kids have growing up. So, you know, I'm grateful and blessed to have that experience. And I think that definitely informed, you know, my choices and some of my decision around my career path. as a dietitian. And a lot of people don't know this, but my dad passed of a heart attack when I was 12 years old. So, you know, seeing that and, you know, just wondering, wow, you know, is there something I could do, or is there something, you know, I could do, you know, career-wise to help others? So that really got me, you know, thinking. I got the juices flowing about, you know, being proactive and what I could really do. Um, so yes, definitely. Um, and then, you know, growing up, um, you know, taking my career path and then really becoming, uh, heavily involved, um, with, uh, you know, not just, you know, my veteran patients, but my women veteran patients. Um, and then, you know, women in the community and seeing, um, you know, the, the gap, um, and the need really not just for nutrition education, Um, but for, you know, sound, uh, culturally relevant, uh, relevant nutrition education, um, as it relates to women, you know, Muslim women, you know, uh, you know, women of color, um, and, and being a source of, you know, a resource and a support, um, to help them on their health and wellness journey.

And I want to give you a virtual high five, but let me make sure I'm leaning— is it that way? No, it's that way.

Is it that way?

Okay, there you go. High five! And so that's amazing because that you've been able to take action, because one of the first things that I'm thinking about is not only just in my own story as well, of just knowing how prominent diabetes is, you know, diabetes can be passed down. And actually, in my own family history, my grandfather, my maternal grandfather passed of cancer, right? And so it's like, how can, how can we continue to see nutrition differently? Not just to eat to nourish, but how can we really see nutrition differently?

So a lot of it is really looking at where you're starting, what are your goals, Uh, where do you want to be? And I, I ask all my clients this, right? Um, when we do, you know, intakes, we do, you know, our discovery, uh, call. Um, I basically ask them, where do you want to be? What, what's one of the biggest struggles you have? What's the missing piece in your strategy, right? What do you want really? Um, and let them fill in the blanks, right? And then that helps to inform me, um, how I can better serve, um, how I can bring, you know, resources and value to help solve, you know, the— or provide a solution, and really just looking at it, you know, as an investment, as a way of improving your overall quality of living. You know, it's interesting because a lot of people say, oh well, you know, you know, we're all gonna die, or none of us are gonna get out of here alive, but it's also about the best quality of life that you can have, right? And I see so many people Yeah, you know, they're living, but they're not thriving. So you want to ask yourself, um, what can I do to improve my quality of life so that I can thrive? That's what I want to be, right? That's where I want to be. I want to thrive. I want to live my best. Um, you know, I want to be here for my family. Um, I want to feel good when I get up in the morning. I want to be able to take a run, uh, take a stroll, you know what I mean? Um, and then looking at, you know, where do you want to be and what does that require on your part. And it doesn't have to be difficult. It really doesn't have to be difficult. Um, you know, it's interesting because, you know, I had, uh, patients, you know, with diabetes, of course, um, and they all come to me and they're like, you know, I don't, you know, want to be on insulin, you know, or I don't want to be on medication forever. Um, that's the decision you have to make, right? That's a conscious effort. It's a conscious decision you have to make and ask yourself, what do I need to do, right? Um, because it is possible to come off medication, but you got to want it, right? Right, you gotta want to do the work, right? You gotta know what needs to be done and then have somebody there who can help guide that process, right?

Yeah, and so that's what's resonating with me the most because in my book, Seeing Life Through a Different Lens, we kind of start there. My mom, you know, started this writing. First, she observed that after my radiation treatment, I just was not eating. She actually went to an herbalist that was able to find herbs, mix it in a smoothie so I don't get disgusted by it, because here I am not even 1 year old, being able to start that young with herbs and making that intentional choice. So then it was a whole different choice by the time I turned 18 of like, okay, no, I'm actually gonna choose to be, you know, 98%, you know, vegan. So what was that decision? When did you first start? And how, what did you, what was that roller coaster experience like to make that decision to eat healthy?

I mean, it's a daily decision, you know what I mean? It's like I said, it's about where you want to be, how you want to feel, um, identifying foods that you enjoy, foods that you like, um, because one thing I'm not going to tell you is to eat a food you don't like, right? But I'm going to encourage you, uh, to explore different foods. So many of us, you know, the exploration piece of it, like, hey, let's try different ways to prepare food, or let's try different foods that we haven't tried before. At least try it once to see if you like it, you know what I mean? I have people say, well, I don't know what that is. What is that, right? So I actually take them through the process of what it is. This is what it is. This is what it looks like. This is how you can prepare it. Try it out and see if you like it, right?

Mm-hmm.

And then really looking at where they are as a person, right? Um, taking into consideration, um, not just your, okay, what do I look like, but how do you feel, right? And what matters to you, right? Um, where do you want to be, right? Um, and then steps, uh, to get you there, right? To identify specifically, uh, what your nutrition strategy could look like, right? Um, so that they can actually fit you. It's not for everybody else, right? It's personalized, uh, for you. So that's really, uh, what we strive to do.

I love that, and I'm starting to get some ideas of what, you know, the audience questions would be like, especially for those who are chronically ill, who have, for example, polycystic ovarian syndrome. And how does your story also intertwine with those who have polycystic ovarian syndrome, any autoimmune illness, to really Once again, I feel like that's the theme— see life differently with the nutrition.

Um, you know, seeing it differently, um, really surrounding, uh, yourself with those who can help you see what it might look like differently, right? Um, help you explore opportunities, help you explore the positives, help you explore what you can control, what you actually have control over. That's a big piece of it because sometimes, you know, with chronic illness you feel like, oh, I don't have any control over anything. You know, I just have to make these doctor's appointments, or, you know, they tell me to eat this, but, you know, what are my other options? Um, and having someone who can actually explore what those options look like, right? Who's open, who's invested, um, in exploring what those options look like, right? Um, and just being able to, you know, help you, uh, you know, down that path, you know, help you explore what your nutrition strategy, uh, could actually look like, right? Um, tips, you know, recipes, uh, you know, really what does that strategy look like? Um, I came up, uh, there's this, uh, plan I did, um, and it basically, you know, identified, you know, several foods, anti-inflammatory, you know, different foods as part of a meal plan. Um, but it was interactive, right? So it's a meal plan that you get and it has like 7 days, breakfast, lunch, and dinner and snacks, but then it also has hyperlinks on each food.

Mm-hmm.

So if you were to click breakfast or lunch or dinner or soup or salad or whatever, it would actually take you to other options based on, um, you know, what your, um, your dietary prescription is, right? What your nutrition prescription is. Um, so, you know, vegan, uh, vegetarian, uh, you know, plant-based, things like that. So it's really— I find that it really resonates with my clients because it allows them, um, to see life differently. There you go. It allows them to identify additional options, right? There's no one-size-fits-all, there's no cookie-cutter answer, right? And sometimes we have to pivot, we have to kind of navigate based on what life throws us, right? And being open to the possibility, I think, is a big piece of it.

Yeah, that, that's what's crucial. And what's coming up for me is The YouTube gurus, right? There's so many that will go to YouTube, they want to handle it themselves, they want to watch the films like What the Health, they want to, you know, subscribe to the magazine called Forks Over Knives, for example. But what's your honest opinion about those type of scenarios, right? The type of people who every single year, New Year's, it's New Year's, a new quarter, new solstice, and they're like, I'm gonna eat healthily. I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that. What is your, what is your honest opinion about those?

I think the people who want to get healthy every year, that's great. I want you to be healthy every year, right? There's nothing wrong with that. And there's a lot of good information out there, right? But you want to make sure that you align yourself with information that is beneficial to you, right? Information that's evidence-based, information that has been vetted, right? Right? You know, information that's actually beneficial to you and won't be a detriment to you, right? Because there's a lot of people out there that'll sell you things, right, if you're gonna buy it, right? But at the same time, you do have a lot of really great, you know, information out there. You have a lot of great reading materials and things like that. But I think it's really interesting or really important that you align yourself with someone who can actually help you navigate um, kind of navigate those waters, right? Um, so yeah, you want to be healthy every year, that's fine, you want to be healthy, but you don't want to jump off and jump on and jump off, right? You want to make sure that yes, you're open to exploration, um, but ultimately you find something that is sustainable for you so you're not having to jump on and off every January, right? And it becomes more of a sustainable lifestyle. That's the goal, right? You find kind of what works for you And you use that strategy. You can add to it, you can take from it, but you want to make sure that it is something of a consistent or solid foundation, right? So I think that's, that's what we look for in life.

I love that. And so what, aside from your own resources, but maybe think back to when you were still growing into the RD that you are today, what are some of those resources that really helped you along your journey?

Wow, help me explore. Um, there's a lot of resources out there. Um, I really, really loved, of course, um, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. They have a lot of great resources, especially for, uh, you know, education. Um, really, Diversified Dietetics, um, is another organization, um, that actually has some really great information, uh, some really great resources, uh, especially when it comes to, you know, educating your clients from different backgrounds, different cultural backgrounds, people of color. So you really just want to look at what's actually out there and what resonates with you based on where you are in your journey. What can you take from the good that's going to benefit you and be willing and able to leave what does not benefit you? And then making sure you journal it, you write about it, you really Um, think about how your nutrition makes you feel, right? Um, how does it make you feel? Does it make you feel good? Does it make you not feel good? And what needs to be changed about that, right? So what does that journey look like for you?

Now, speaking of journey, I know fitness does play a huge role. Like, even for me, I think even lately I choose to eat healthy and, and not work out. But at the same time, literally this past weekend I was out and about. Like, I'm here in Atlanta and I'm out and about. And so I did both. I was moving a lot and I ate healthy, and so I slept really, really good.

I know you slept really, really good.

Yeah, yeah. And so that's, that's in the question. Like, although you, um, like, you're the perfect example of like, utilize nature, be outside, but what are your tips for also those who are entrepreneurs who actually are in or wanting to be there, passionate about the fitness/health industry? What are your tips for those, for those women?

So you're passionate, right? The question is, what are you passionate about? Like, what aspect are you passionate about? Do you enjoy specific, um, physical activity, right? Um, and then making sure that you schedule time, because, you know, just like eating and nourishing your body, um, physical activity, you know, getting it in is also a form of self-care, right? There's a big discussion about self-care, right? So I always approach it from a standpoint of, you know, am I dedicating time to eat well? Am I dedicating specific time to exercise and making sure that I build that into my day, just, just like you build everything else into your day, right? Your health and fitness can't take the back burner to everything else that you're doing. So it's important that you schedule that out, you block time for for that, even if it's just 30 minutes to get your walk in in the morning. Okay, great. In the afternoon, okay, great. Maybe you do something in-home, uh, from YouTube, or you hop on your bike, right? Um, or you hop on your stationary, whatever your activity might look like. You might do a morning yoga session. Um, making sure that that is something that you dedicate, that's your time, right? Um, so in a way, you want to make sure that you block your schedule, you claim your time for whatever that is that brings you joy. Activity, I love to run. I walk around the lake. It's a way to recenter, refocus, and then really prepare me for whatever the rest of my day might look like. I find it easier to get it done earlier in the day because you don't know what your day will bring. Really consider blocking it out. Hey, this is my meeting, just like you meeting all day long. My meeting for me, nobody has to know what it's for. Oh, sorry, I have a standing meeting. At this time, finish in the conversation, and you make sure that that's your time to dedicate to you.

That's important right there, just really having the meeting for me time and being able to keep that and not break that. You know, I think what happens with us as women, we will bend our hips. I would say that, not even the back, bend the hip and say, oh, well, okay, so-and-so needs me. So what have you observed, or even your own story? I want you to tell more of your story of what were the moments for you where you realized you were bending your hips and almost breaking your hips, you know, for others before you knew you had to prioritize yourself? Hmm.

When you have a kid, life hits differently. So as a mom, asking for help, ain't nothing wrong with that. There's nothing wrong with asking for help. Making sure that you build your team, you build your wellness squad, you say, hey, I need help with this. Being willing and able to delegate and say, you know what, um, I need this run this morning, I'm gonna take this run this morning, right? Um, and looking at, you know, identifying support within your team. I think that's really important. And it might not be a family member, it might be a friend, right? Um, but knowing that if you don't fill your cup, if you don't fill your vase, Um, then you can't, you can't serve anybody else. How are you going to be helpful to anybody else if you can't show up, you know, feeling well, feeling your best, right? I feel great when I get my run in. I'm like, oh man, I can tackle the day. This is great. Um, whatever that looks like for you, right? Um, taking the time to ask yourself, what does that look like for you? Because it might look very differently for everyone.

Right.

Um, I remember having to reach out to my sister and said, you know, I want to run Peachtree this year. Um, in the first year after I had my baby, and I was like, dude, I'm gonna run Peachtree. Uh, can you please come over and keep the baby? And she did, right? Um, but I had to plan that out. Like, know that you have to plan this stuff out. You can't just run up on it and think, oh, you know, no. Look at what your squad looks like. Look where you can ask for help, and don't be shy about asking for help. Right, um, making sure that you identify what makes you feel good and doing more of it. I, I don't— I don't know how to stress it more than that.

Point blank period. Now what— what maybe one recipe that— because we all have comfort food Right, we're both, you know, Muslim women, and culturally that comfort food is something called a navy bean pie, right?

Really? Navy beans? What? I already— you already know that, and, and, and, and a large part of our community, yeah, that could be one of them.

So what's it— what's another one?

Uh, sweet potatoes.

Sweet potato pie?

Sweet potato soufflé, sweet potato pie, what, bean pie? You know, some good— the navy bean soup is pretty good, and I've seen Several versions of it.

Yeah.

Comfort food, mac and cheese.

With actual mac and cheese?

With actual mac and cheese. I'm talking about all comfort food. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not. Yeah. I'm just telling you what my clients tell me what their comfort food is.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Mac and cheese is still a winner. And lately, um, you know, people have been coming to me, my own friends and family members have been coming to me about, how are you eating so healthy? What do you do? What do you do? So I mean, I'm not an RD, obviously, that's why you're here so I can send them over to you. But, um, you know, I would happily tell them like, I, you know, nutritional yeast works for me, you know.

I love nutritional yeast on popcorn.

Now what, what is that? Maybe you can explain it. Maybe some people can answer that question. I can tell them, send them to Amazon and tell them, you know.

You said send them to Amazon. So nutritional yeast, um, it's pretty good. It actually tastes pretty cheesy. Um, it's actually, um, very, uh, high in like B vitamins. Um, but basically, um, it's a seasoning. And some people prefer it because it's a vegan option. It, you know, it has a cheesy flavor, but it's actually nutrient-dense, so you can actually add it as a flavor to your quiche. You could add it to your, your popcorn as a flavor option, but it all— it's also rich in B vitamins. So, you know, you can get it at farmers market, you can get it at 7-Eleven. Um, you know, it's one of your options, uh, for flavorings and it's all, and it's an alternative, uh, to salt. So as we know, um, you know, hypertension is a real issue. So you want to kind of explore your, uh, flavorings, your spices, your herbs that you can actually flavor your foods with. Um, and, you know, nutritional yeast is one of them.

Yeah. Okay. That makes perfect sense. And now I think we're almost at the end of the conversation. And so my fun question for you, Well, it's fun but not fun. But if— what is your, um, what do you recommend, especially since right now we're filming this in the month of March and this is, um, about to be the holy month? But also it's intertwining with all of the faiths right now.

Ramadan.

Yep. So what, what is, what is your recommendation for fasting? Because there's lots of ways people do it, right? So what is your recommendation of, of fasting and why people do it?

I mean, people do fasting for many different reasons. People fast, and not just in the Islamic faith tradition, uh, you know, people fast, uh, you know, within the Catholic Church, within the Jewish community, um, you know, uh, people at the beginning of year, they do a Daniel Fast. Uh, and some of the, uh, you know, Christian communities. Um, so it's many different reasons why people fast. So my first question to you is, why are you fasting? What's your why? You know, what's your intentions behind fasting, right? Um, and let that inform you, um, how you're gonna fast. Some people fast where it's a total fast and they don't eat or drink anything. Some people fast where they fast from certain items, right? So, uh, you know, for 21 days I'm gonna cut out meat. Right, so I'm actually eliminating specific items from my diet, right? Some people fast, but it's more of a juice fast, so they're not really eating solid foods. It's only, you know, plant-based. Um, so it's really— the question is, how do you fast? What, what's your motive? Uh, what's your intentions for fasting? I know in the month of Ramadan, um, it is a total fast for 29 or 30 days. Um, so you want to make sure—

I don't do that now. Not like for the entire 30 days.

In about what, 2 weeks we got? And yeah, we're gonna be fasting for 29 or 30 days.

Because the way you said it, I, I know because I know, but the way you said it was like we fast for 30 days, you don't eat for 29 days.

Yeah, but when I said total fast, that means you're fasting from sunup to sundown.

There you go.

Right, so, and you eat, you have eating, you have open window hours where you're eating, you know, during your non-fasting hours at night. up until, you know, early morning, you do have a window where you're eating, right? But then it becomes important to make sure you're eating the best foods to help fuel you, right? And to renew your intentions, because what it is, is, you know, the holy month of Ramadan, it's really about the revelation of the Quran, which is our holy book within the faith, Islamic faith tradition. That's what it's really about. And then through that, uh, revelation, we have, uh, the discipline of fasting, right? Um, so you want to look at it from not just, oh my God, I'm fasting, there's no food or drink during daylight hours, but you also want to look at it as a spiritual renewal, right? That's what it's really about. Um, you really taking stock, uh, really asking yourself, you know, hey, where am I? Where do I want to be? Um, being mindful, being reflective, um, and making sure that you set your intentions about what you want to get out of the month, Right. Um, and then we focus on nutrition, you know, hydrating during non-fasting hours and things like that. Um, but it's really a point, uh, and an opportunity, uh, for a spiritual reset. That's really what it is.

Mm-hmm.

And people say, oh, I want this, I want this Ramadan vibe to last for the whole year after my 29 or 30 days. I want to continue this because it's such a blessed time. It's such a blessed month, right? We get so much out of it. Um, and it allows us to focus more. We're not eating during the daylight hours. So what are you focusing on? That's the question. What are you getting out of it? How are you being more mindful? Um, you know, focused and centered and, and really, uh, benefiting from the month.

I love that. And, and what's, what's also coming up for me is that's true. Like, you spend less time trying to figure out what am I gonna cook, what am I gonna eat, what am I gonna cook. And that's reminding me of— I had a godmother who we always admired her health goals, but one, she was truly holistic to the point where she actually chose a raw food diet. Now I didn't really get to get into the nitty-gritties of like, how did that happen? But what— of course, this is another one of those diets, and have you tried it? And what do you recommend for those who prefer raw food diets?

Uh, I recommend you ask yourself why you're doing it. Number one, I always ask intentions. Um, I ask your why. Um, I ask, what are you getting out of it? Like, what prompted you to do it? Some people have a health scare, or, you know, I just want to include more, you know, raw foods into my diet. I want to eat more, uh, you know, fruits and vegetables and things like that. Um, what's your philosophy? Like, some people have a specific, you know, vegan philosophy. Right? I'm going to be vegan. But that takes time and preparation and you really honing in and being passionate about your why. Right? You know, I love raw foods, but my diet is not— my diet is not totally raw. Right? So again, I think it's important to realize that it's not cookie cutter. It's based on what you want to get out of it. It's based on your overall health and wellness goals. Right? And then making sure that you're prepared preparing, um, appropriately, you know what I mean? Because sometimes we get in it and we say, oh yeah, this sounds like a great idea, but then you actually test it out and you're like, you step back and say, hmm, this might take a little more preparation on my part, or, uh, I might need to do a little more research and see how I can actually get all the vitamins and minerals that I need, right? How can I plan accordingly to make sure if I'm going to do plant-based or eating raw, um, whatever your dietary philosophy or nutrition strategy is that you're preparing accordingly to support your overall health and wellness, and not just because, oh, such and such is doing it, right? You have to examine your why and making sure or ensuring that you're getting everything that you need and reach out for support because there are people that are doing very well, right? You know, professionals, reach out, make sure you have a member on your team that can help propel— prepare you and inform Uh, those decisions so that you can be successful, uh, in whatever program that you undertake.

Got it. And one last question that the audience is, is asking is, what about meal prepping?

Yay, meal prep! Um, meal prep is great. Um, it's funny because I was just talking to a client, uh, the other day about meal prepping and say, yeah, we love to meal prep, it's great, but you have to be open-minded, right? Uh, some people don't like to eat the same thing for 5 days. Some people say that's unrealistic, right? I'm not going to eat the same thing for five days. So you want to ask yourself, what am I meal prepping? What do my recipes look like? Do I have a plan when I actually go to the grocery store? How long am I doing this, right? So that you when you do bring those foods home, you know exactly what recipes they're going into, and you can reduce food waste, right? Yeah, you can do more plant-based. That's great. But identify if you are gonna do meal prep. Um, how am I prepping it? Is my kit— does my kitchen have what I need? Um, do I have the, uh, supplies and appliances that I need to meal prep? Um, and then identifying foods that you're actually going to eat and that it's not going to go, you know, raw, or it's not going to go, uh, bad, or you have to throw it, uh, in the trash can. Um, you want to definitely make sure that you're identifying for how many days you're going to meal prep, what type of meals, so that when you go grocery shopping, you have a very specific plan, right? It does, uh, It takes time. It takes focus, but it doesn't—it's not impossible, right? It's very doable. You just have to have a strategy going into it. I think that's the biggest piece of it. And I meal prep during the week. It's just easier to have a theme to know when Tuesday comes, this is what we're eating. When Friday comes, this is what we're eating. It just makes it overall easier to help streamline that process, especially in a month like Ramadan. So I'm not thinking every single day, what am I cooking? No, that first week is already we know A B C D. This is what we're doing, it's already planned out. I'm not spending hours in the kitchen. If it's not 30 minutes or less, it's a wrap because I have other things I need to do, right? Um, I need to focus on, you know, my schedule. I need to focus on my worship. I need to focus on my family. Um, so if I can streamline, uh, the, you know, nutrition and the meal planning part of it, um, that actually helps me, uh, overall because that's less time that I'm spending in the kitchen. So, and we talked all about this in our Taste of Faith class. We did a 4-week, and next week is our last week, um, a 4-week Ramadan prep. Uh, it's called A Taste of Faith, and we talk about, you know, meal prep and, you know, prayers and everything about Ramadan as we welcome Ramadan. And the ladies are really getting a kick out of it, some of the resources, uh, that we shared.

So I love that. And this, this is actually a really good conversation because there's so many people Struggling right now, especially with going to the grocery store without a plan. Um, and then next thing I know, they're just— they're cheating. They're cheating themselves.

They're cheating and they're upset and they're frustrated because they're like, you know what, forget it, just order Grubhub. Forget it, throw it in, throw in the towel, because we didn't prepare for it, right? Some of us don't make a shopping list when we go grocery shopping, so we shop and impulse items and, you know, stuff we don't have a recipe for. And then we get home and we're looking at it until it's until it spoils on the table, right? So yeah, a plan is important.

Yeah, that's super important. And I'm reminded when I grew— growing up, my mom actually introduced me to reading labels. Like, my— some people don't even like going to the grocery shopping with me because I'm gonna take a look at everything. Everything. I'm gonna look at the labels. I'm gonna look at if it's truly organic. I'm gonna look at all of the things. And so what is a way for people to see differently? Like if they're around people who are like that, what is the way to have people, you know, see differently around that?

About reading labels?

Yeah.

Okay. Well, I mean, a lot of, a lot of the label reading process, of course, you know, when you read a label, you're looking for what? Saturated fat, cholesterol, you're reading your ingredients. Um, you're looking for fiber, protein. There's a lot on that nutrition facts label, right? Um, so I mean, the biggest thing is, of course, um, really when you approach it, you're looking at, hey, how can I reduce things like saturated fats, uh, added sugars, um, and my sodium? Those are big ones, right? Um, so you're really just looking at how to streamline that process. Um, what do I need? Like, do I need to reduce sodium? Do I have hypertension? Um, do I need to increase protein? Right. And what are some of the higher protein foods that I can include in my diet? Right. What are we looking for? Um, and not make it, you know, super difficult. It really doesn't have to be difficult. It just has to be something that you put in place and then you keep it or you form it as a habit. Right. Um, so we're looking at, yeah, okay. Um, salt, sodium, fat, uh, you know, fiber. How can I improve my fiber intake? A lot of us don't get 28 to 35 grams of fiber. Uh, for the most part. So how can I increase fiber just step by step, you know, portion by portion as I plan my meals, right? Um, so looking at that, so it really just depends again on what your nutrition strategy is. What are you trying to get out of it?

Now I think I'm, I'm asking for me now because I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, and the minute you mention the word fiber I thought about how literally, like you said, if I don't have enough of that fiber, I don't have a bowel movement. You will not have a bowel movement.

And that's not nice.

No, it's not. And I too realized that if I don't have a bowel movement that day, I'm more tired, I'm more cranky, I'm more irritable. And I think that's the most important thing of like What, what one thing for people to keep in mind when it comes to— I think about—

I think bowel movement, bowel health is really important, uh, gut health really important, making sure, uh, you know, are we being active, are we getting enough fiber in our diet, are we staying hydrated well enough? Those are, uh, 3 things that actually contribute, um, significantly, uh, to your bowel health. And making sure that you're not constipated, making sure that you're having regular bowel movements, right? That's really important. Looking at the importance, and someone mentioned the importance, of course, impact on our mental health, and actually have resources around that. Really just looking at the importance of eating certain foods that actually help positively impact our mental health, right? We all know the importance of antioxidants, especially for in your condition or your case with the PCOS, um, specifically what's recommended is anti-inflammatory. And what that boils down to, um, is less processed foods. So somebody mentioned, you know, shopping on the outskirts of the grocery store. Some people don't shop at grocery stores. Some people shop at farmers markets, right? Um, I think the key point to drive home, um, is to include more plant-based options in your diet, right? Making sure that you are, uh, Again, limiting the amount of ultra-processed foods, the excessive amounts of added sugars and salts and fats to really get back to the basics of eating well and what that looks like. Whether you shop at a grocery store or, you know, you're at a farmer's market or you order for delivery online, right? Having that core, having that foundation of what your nutrition strategy is going to look like.

Mm-hmm. Now I'm thinking about all family members that have diabetes, have passed from diabetes, have passed from heart attacks, and especially in the Black community. Like also that partially, you know, for those who don't know about polycystic ovarian syndrome, a lot of times there's different kinds of polycystic ovarian syndrome and one of them can actually have you borderline diabetic. And so I'm really thinking about if you could just say it in layman's terms of really the impact of sugar in our bodies and how, how that affects all of us.

Hmm, excessive amounts of sugar and where the sugar comes from, right? Again, back to reading your labels. How do you know how much you're eating? Right? Read your labels. A lot of things have added sugars, right? So when we're looking at overall, we're looking at how much sugar is in our foods. Your sugar impacts everything from your blood glucose levels, your weight, okay? Inflammation. There's so many different things that if you're looking at excessive amounts of added sugar or consuming excessive amounts of added sugar can actually impact, you know, overall health. Right? So we're not talking about, oh, I had a little fun-size candy bar. We're talking about overall, every day when we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner and beverages, really take stock in how much sugar that you're taking in, right? I teach a Food Is Medicine class, and they said that the average annual intake for sugar for the standard American diet for Americans is 152 pounds. That's a lot of sugar, right? Um, so you have to look at where is that coming from? Um, how are we getting it? And then can I be more informed as a consumer, um, as far as what steps to take to limit, uh, the added, uh, sugar consumption, right? Um, and that's really in our beverages, uh, and snacks and, and, you know, cakes and things like that. Um, and some condiments. It depends on, you know, what you're cooking with, um, and really just being more mindful about where that added sugar comes in, um, and make a concerted effort to really reduce the added sugar. And we're not talking about, you know, sugar from fruit, naturally occurring fruit. We're talking about added sugars, right? Um, refined processed foods. That's what we're looking at specifically, because that's where the majority of it will come from.

That's super helpful. And that was a lot of great information. Now I'm just like, Y'all, y'all need to go work with her like ASAP. So how can people find you on social media first and foremost? And, um, what are you offering the, uh, listeners to work with you?

Okay, great. Um, you know, it's interesting because, because I had, uh, you know, a, a few offers, but, um, really just resonating, uh, with my clients and, and what they're telling me, uh, what they want to see really. Um, one is a nutrition Nutrition Foundation's annual membership, and that's basically you work with me for a year, and we basically really look at what your nutrition strategy is going to look like. Some programming throughout the year that's included with your membership, you know, checking in with me once a month, and then some people just want you know hey I need the information, and then you know we can check in and kind of see how you do. I have some people come, and there's like you know I'm working with my doctor. I get referrals from the doctor, and they really just want to really. Get their nutrition streamlined, especially if they, if they're pre-diabetic or new onset diabetic, they actually want to take initiative and say, hey, I want to really prevent trying to get on, you know, trying to be on insulin, or if I'm on insulin, trying to come off. And that's where the nutrition therapy piece comes in. And we work with them, you know, every month until we can really work on getting their A1C down. So, you know, you can find me on Facebook, you can find me on Instagram. Um, and I like the process, uh, that we do, um, when we have our clients. We actually, uh, you know, sit down with them and talk to them about their why, um, and really dig deep on where they want to go from, you know, their current status, um, and then build a plan specifically for them so that they can get the results that they want to achieve.

Great, super helpful. And so, um, all the, the links are going to actually be in A comment in the comment section and, um, in an email as well, because this is really, really good. And now to wrap things up, like really, really wrap things up, thank you so much. So my final, final, final, final question is, what do you want your legacy to be?

What do I want my legacy to be? That's funny. Um, people say, uh, they want to leave wealth for their family. They want to leave wealth, wealth, wealth, right? Um, that's great. Our community needs wealth. Um, but our community also needs health.

Right.

So a lot of times, you know, it would be awesome to have, especially, you know, I have a kid now, right, to pass down that health, that legacy of health, right? Generational health. How about that? Where the people that come after you are not plagued, right, with what you had to go through, whether it's diabetes or heart disease and things like that. And they look at it from a perspective of prevention and not, oh my God, I have diabetes now, what do I do? Right? Generational health, looking at how can I prevent this in the first place, right? And being more proactive, top of mind from the onset, right? And how can I be better? How can I prevent this from happening? How can I take a concerted effort to take my life, right, and be more proactive in how I want my life to be instead of being reactive and saying, oh well, now that I'm dealing with this, let me go see see what I can do. Okay, now that you're dealing with it, you can go see what you can do. But as a community, really approaching it from, from a preventative standpoint, right? And being able to include that in your process, include that in your community activities, whether it's, you know, eating better, you know, exercising, including that as part of family activities, whether you're at the church or the mosque or the synagogue, including things like, hey, races, hey, there's a race or a run coming up, or, you know, things like that. And our community falls activities or whatever it may be, really looking at how can we shift the focus to look more at improving our health and wellness as a community, right? And being a part of that legacy. So that's what I want to be a part of, so that when we have all this money, we can actually enjoy it, right? Because we're not necessarily on dialysis 3 or 4 days a week, right? We're actually able to get out and enjoy life. And contribute to our community, right? So that's what I— that's what I want the legacy to be.

Here's to seeing life differently, eating differently, and hydrating, moving differently, being different, right?

That's all good. That's what we want to make.

Absolutely. And if no one else got anything else from this conversation, what would be one sentence— in one sentence, what do you want them to Take action on?

Ask yourself where you want to be. Ask yourself what do you want to change about your current, uh, health and wellness. Like, what one thing do you want to change, right? Um, be realistic. Write it out. Write it as a goal that you want to achieve, right? Um, and then align yourself with like-minded people who can help get you there, right? A coach, a professional, um, that can help you realize Your goal.

Love that. Thank you, Yakutela.