Nutrition Major Keys:Truth and Love
In 1997, as a 5th grader, I was introduced to the importance of nutrition. My sister was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. She was in 3rd grade at the time. We were both very active kids. I played baseball, football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, and gymnastics while she was on the dance and cheerleading teams.
One day, I noticed my sister looked tall and skinny, wearing a t-shirt to bed. I told my mom because it scared me. My mom took her to work with her because she worked at Ingalls Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, at the time. It was then that she was diagnosed with diabetes, as her sugar levels were through the roof. We were lucky because doctors said she was on her way into a diabetic coma. I remember she needed to be taken to Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, so she could receive the proper care. We slept in the hospital for about a week.
When we returned home, I remember having different food choices and Splenda packets in the kitchen. I read the hospital manuals so I could understand insulin and what to do to help my sister. It's super weird, but as I type this, I am becoming emotionally thinking about that period. This is important because my passion for helping motivate others to improve their health started then.
I wasn't the kid who complained about the food my mom prepared because I learned I needed fruits and vegetables to live a healthy life. I was still a kid who ate chips, candy, cookies, and Little Debbie snacks. But because I played sports year-round, I always had a six-pack and quickly burned off the sugar and carbs.
In 2005, I received a scholarship to play football at Bowling Green State University. As a collegiate athlete, I learned if I didn't drink water before workouts or have a healthy meal before and after workouts, I would barely make it through Coach Hillman's Weight room lifts or field conditioning workouts. Failing at workouts wasn't an option for me because I loved playing football and needed to prove myself to get on the field.
In 2008, I took Human Development, Child Development, and Sport Psychology in the fall semester. That semester, Human and child development enlightened me about the way things are passed down and taught to children. I didn't know it at the time, but that was the beginning of learning the power of Epigenetics. Epigenetics means your perception and environment create your world, not heredity alone. The Sports Psychology course enlightened me on my teammates and me experiencing burnout syndrome and depression. My redshirt junior season was filled with a separated AC joint sprain, an MCL tear, and an MCL sprain. I was determined to heal myself. This began a thirst for knowledge on healing my mind and body.
In 2012, while in the CFL, I became a Certified Personal trainer. When I moved to Los Angeles and began training clients, I easily empathized with them and guided them through workouts. The hard part I struggled with was helping people follow the nutrition aspect of training. Dr. Bruce Lipton, who wrote the Biology of Belief, states the sources that cause disease and dysfunction are Trauma, Toxins, and Thoughts. This was very eye-opening and life-changing. I've evolved over the years to understand why that was the case.
Nutrition is highly psychological and unique to each individual solely because of epigenetics. Everyone grew up in a different perspective and environment. Even if people wanted to make changes, the trauma, toxins, and thoughts they lived with determined their nutritional compliance. The knowledge I received from spiritual and scientific books began helping people take a look at their thoughts and their environment if they wanted to have lasting change.
2019, I read and listened to one of Dr. Bruce Lipton's books. He spoke about how fear weakens the immune system and shuts it down. He also mentioned that when we are over-stressed, our brain seeks pleasure. Instantly I thought of my family heritage being negroes in America and their love for soul food. I called my grandmother and explained the revelation I received. I told her I knew why the mainstream media, government, and fear-based religions enjoy marketing fear-mongering. My empathy for my family and friends increased after learning this new information Dr. Bruce Lipton expressed in his book Biology of Belief and The Honeymoon Effect: The Science of Creating Your Heaven on Earth.
I learned that to help people, you must empathize with them before they allow you to educate and empower them. This enabled me to understand why my family loves "Soul Food." However, it's full of fried foods with sugary and salted carbohydrates and beverages. In my mind, it all stemmed from all the high stress and fear passed down. I have not fully succeeded in my endeavors to reverse the effects of this stressful and fear-based world we live in, but the more I have learned, the more it encourages me never to give up simply sharing empathy, education, and empowerment with my family, friends, and clients.
At the start of my training career, fear and guilt consumed me when I couldn't be the catalyst for change for my people. It was ego telling me I wasn't a good enough coach. I learned that many lifestyle factors make success look different for each individual. Therefore, I have relinquished those thoughts and created a platform to give and share the knowledge I have accumulated over the past 12 years. Teaching people to increase their nutritional awareness and attention and focusing on food quality will help to eliminate nutrient deficiencies, control appetite and food intake, and promote regular exercise, which is my ultimate goal.
Lastly, Tony Buzan, an English author and educational consultant, states we need four brain foods to have our brains functional optimally. The 4 Brain foods are oxygen, information, nutrition, love, and affection. If you find yourself needing some nutritional guidance, don't hesitate to contact me. To help you start now, I have a free meal planning guide on the website. All you need to do is type in your email, and you will have an excellent resource for understanding how to improve your nutrition choices. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you have a miraculous day.
With love and gratitude,
with love and gratitude,
Freddie B.