Happy 2025, everyone! We’re kicking off the new year with a heartfelt conversation with Radhi Devlukia. She’s a best-selling author, an entrepreneur and the host of one of my favorite podcasts, “A Really Good Cry.” We’ll cover everything from food, health, spirituality and more. Please consider sharing this episode if you liked it or learned something new!
Hello, my beautiful people. Welcome to Cheeky's and Chill. I am so excited that you're here, especially because today I have someone that I absolutely admire. She is an inspiration to me. I haven't ever met her, and I haven't been following her for a very long time, but she captivated me. She is a best selling author, she's an entrepreneur. She's the host of one of my favorite podcasts, A really good Cry. Hopefully I can get on there, and I want you guys to help me. Welcome Roddy Devlukiya. Welcome to Roddy. Please, you guys give her a round of applause, you guys. I well, first of all, I want to say thank you, thank you so much for being here. I will be honest, I just started following you. And I started following you not so long ago because of my husband.
Yeah.
Because yes, because he I shot you right for a I.
Believe it's called what is it called libcentive?
Yes, yes, I'm tented. And he told me he's like, I think this girl's energy and he's like, I started following her. He's like, he showed me your page. I was like, oh my gosh, Yes, it's like you should have her on the pod. I was like, okay, I was like, but wait, let me follow her. And I started looking at your stuff and I completely fell in love with your content, with your personality, with what you radiate. And let me tell you, I'm gonna get emotional, guys, because we talk about this on the pod a lot. I feel like we're living in a society that is being given so much junk, you know, on social media, so it's so refreshing to see.
Your stuff that means so much.
Like honestly, it gets me emotional because I'm like, oh, it's a it's a it's a breath of fresh air.
So well, you have the best energy since the moment I walked in and I was like, you make everyone feel so comfortable. She just said that you have this calming, kind and genuine nature. So I feel like you just see that in me because it's in you. But thank you for that, and I really appreciate it. I think it's really difficult sometimes to know how people are perceiving what you're putting out there, because.
There's it all hate is out there too, So yeah, I appreciate that.
Thank you, No, thank you, I truly mean it. And I don't say that lightly because there's a lot there's not a lot of people that inspire me anymore, you know. And I'm going through a shift. I feel like something is happening in my life, in my career, in my personal life. Oh my gosh, what is going on? Okay? Anyways, I'm sorting drink a little bit of.
Oh my gosh.
No, but this is you know, my podcast is called a really Good Cry. I love it, yes, because I cry all the time. So I'm like, okay, I'm seeing emotions flow.
Okay, awesome. So this is why I wanted you on the pod. Because everything that you talk about on your social media, and you know it's spirituality. I try to I try my best to be as positive as I possibly can on socials. I feel like if we have this opportunity, I want to share good things, you know, And so I feel like I have okay, positivity. I can always learn more spirituality. I feel like I got it down, but I can always more.
But food food.
When I saw your cookbook and I saw you because I love Cafe Gratitude, Yes, yes, I love Cafe Gratitude. Immediately. My husband was the one that introduced me to Cafe Gratitude, and I loved it, and I saw that you had a collaboration with them, so I dug and I was like, oh, it's her cookbook Joyful, which I love the name of Joyful. And I'm like, what did I think of that? But I started saying, you've been vegan right for ten years? Can you tell me about that? Was it more to like for the animals?
Is it health?
What was it?
So? I was actually born into a vegetarian family, so like my parents are vegetarian, my grandparents are vegetarians, so I have like a lineage of vegetarians in my life. And then when I was how.
Old was I?
This was about ten or maybe eleven years ago, my sister read this book called Eating Animals by James Saffron, and it just told me things that So I already didn't eve meat, but I was still having dairy and I read things that I just could not unread about how one the animals were treated, and two also just the links between health conditions and dairy and how the dairy industry has just really declined and the quality I think milk is actually.
Probably a very nutril.
It is a very nutritious substance that comes from an animal. The problem is depending on how you treat the animal. Just like us, the quality of what we give out to people, to other people around us, energetically, physically, emotionally is a result of what we have fed ourselves. And so in the same way, when you're feeding an animal stuff that it's not supposed to be fed, the quality of what comes out, it's like you are then receiving puss hormones, blood, all this stuff in your dairy produce that you don't even realize, and so what you think it's doing for your body, it's actually not. So milk is amazing, Well we're getting from the dairy industry not so much. And so it was a mixture of reasons. But I just fell in love with animals, and I just, I really just believe that there is a soul in every single thing, from a little ant to a human. And I just think if we can, if I if I can sustain my body without it, then I'm gonna try to.
And then it's kind of been ten years and I haven't missed it.
And you feel like, I'm assuming amazing, You look great, your skin is phenomenal. Yours Wow. But I have a little bit of makeup on. You don't.
I don't have makeup on. But it's but isn't it.
Like thank you? Yeah? And I truly believe it has a lot to do.
With what we does.
And you know, dairy did make a big difference. But dairy and sugar are two things that make the hugest difference to my dairy, sugar and oil. Those three things, yeah, are like if you have too much of any of them, they just are skin leeches.
Dairy, sugar, and oil. Yeah, okay, because see that's why I wanted to talk to you about, like food, so many things, but like the food because I've I've have felt it in my soul for a long time to be vegetarian. I have and I tried it, and I did pescatarian for a while and then my mercury was like high and they're like, oh, no, you need to like so I didn't do that. Then I was like, okay, the hardest thing has been to let go of cheese.
Cheese was the hardest thing for me. Cheese I okay.
So when I decided to do it, I was like, Okay, I'm going to do it slowly because I wanted to be sustainable.
I want to make sure I can do it.
Cheese was the last thing I remember. The day before, I was like, cheese is the last thing I'm giving up, especially in the UK, because cheese there is amazing, like extra cheesem so good.
But I agree it is.
A hard change, especially by the way, if someone's grown up eating meat and then trying to cut out meat and dairy. One was shocked to your system, and two it's such a difficult cultural change. For me, it was a little bit easier, like eventually now my whole family's vegan, and so it's so easy when I go home, it's vegan food.
When I go out with them, we don't have.
To pick what restaurant we're going to, Whereas culturally it can be really difficult. I always say to people, I'm like, try few plant based days first. You don't have to go all in sight away like little bit little decide like a Monday or Wednesday and a Friday, that's what I'm gonna eat, just plant based.
I'm not gonna have.
Any dairy, no no meat products. See how your body feels, see how it reacts. Because I also think we have this like lack of tuning into our body to see how it actually feels. And I always say, like in Irada, there's like three different types of foods that you can eat or different things that you can different categories. There's mode of goodness, mode of passion, and mode of ignorance. That's how they kind of categorize. Everything from what you hear to what you're eating can fit into those modes. And so food, when you're eating, it should make you feel like you have vitality in your body. It should give you energy, it should make you feel vibrant when you're eating. And it's causing digestive issues, it's causing skin issues, it's making you feel sluggish, just making you feel worn out. How is that giving your self vitality?
It's not, it's not.
And so a lot of it is just like listening and tuning in, like what is making me feel good when I eat it? And really told those things.
So do you recommend maybe keeping a food journal? Like, because I tried that a long time ago, because I was trying to figure out, Okay, what's causing me so many digestive issues my rosatia, like what flares it up? And I tried doing it takes a little bit of work, but I think like when you really committed and you want something, you'll take that extra step. But I really, like I'm telling you, there's this shift coming and I know that this is what I need to do for the rest of like my life. I've had a lot of fun I've had a lot of red meat. I've had a lot of cheese, Like I really I told I told them, I was like, I really want to try this, like I want to be vegetarian. And again, culturally it's very difficult because as Mexicans, as Latinos, we eat a lot of red meat, a lot of pork. I don't eat pork. I left pork a long time ago. I try my best not to eat it. But I think slowly, I just have to, like, like you said, take baby steps and maybe keep like a journal guys, like if you guys want to do this or not. But I'm saying, like to kind of see what is it that I ate that made me not feel so good?
Maybe and digestively and then energetically of like how am I feeling in my energy? Because food should bring us energy when we're eating it.
Yeah, definitely a food diary.
I remember when I was a dietician, I would always recommend that. I'm like, Okay, the first thing we're gonna do is a food and symptom diary. Eat the food, See how you feel two to three hours later and immediately yes.
But yeah, I will also say it is it's a shift, and I.
Think it's possible. I think it's possible for everybody. But take your time with it and give yourself grace with it.
And also come over to my house and I'm going to feed you.
Oh thank you. I saw everything you cook and I'm like, oh my gosh, definitely picking so it looks so good. Do you drink alcohol?
No, right, I don't. I actually have never drunk alcohol.
Really yeah.
It's it's honestly because this is what I believe in like past lives.
This is just part of my culture.
And I'm like, you know what, I think what happened was I must have gone hard in my last life and in this life. I just don't crave. I don't like desire anybody. I always said if I wanted to, I would, and then I had like some people who are alcoholics in my life, it's addiction is like kind of in my family and little things that happened along the way, like people that I was really close to when I was younger.
I was like, I don't know, it's just not for me.
And then I got to this age and I was like, well, I'm past my party age and now I want to be in bed by like ten o'clock.
I think there's no need now.
Yeah, well that's another thing. That's probably another reason why your skin looks so amazing. That's another thing that I'm kind of like, you know, what I do for work and I'm on stage and the type of music that I sing, it's really a part of the culture is the drinking. And I tried the pretending to drink, and then I felt like I was being dishonest, Yes, dishonest, and that didn't feel good either. So I don't know. I just felt very like inspired because I saw that you made mocktels as well with Juni, and I thought, oh my gosh, well, by the way, guys, Juni is her company. She's an entrepreneur as well. So I'm not trying. I'm just saying because I drink them all the time and I love them because they're like sugar free, right, they have what is it. They have Lion's mane, which is amazing.
Sugar free, and they have adaptations and neotropics in it.
So adaptations in New tropics are basically plant extracts that help you with mood, focus, energy, all the things that you probably want to feel during the day.
So, and it's got green.
Tea in it, so instead of it being caffeine from like a coffee sauce, you get caffeine from green tea, which also has antioxidants. So I really wanted to just create a drink that, you know, it feels like you're indulging, but also at the same time you're feuding your body with things that it probably needs and your mind with things that it needs.
Right when I come to the podcast on my way here, I'll take one because it's like I need to use my brain, and I don't know, I feel like I feel better and and I'm like, okay, it has zero sugar, and I try my best not to like for a long time, for like a year, almost two years, I wasn't drinking any soda. Just recently I started hearing a lot and I was like, oh, so this has saved my life.
I'm going to send you the decaf on the new flavors you're gonna love.
Oh my gosh, thank you, thank you. Yes, because I was like, Okay, she makes Mark Tel so I'm assuming she doesn't drink alcohol, which is awesome. Okay, So we talked a little bit about foo in your book. Are those recipes that you that you have from like family? Did you? Is it because you you're self taught?
Yes, my self taught and mom taught my My mom.
And my grandma are phenomenal cooks.
And I grew up just on and I'm sure you can relate to this with your culture. So many like so much flavor infused into the food. Spices was like just packed with flavor, and so I think my palette really was quite refined from a young age. And my mom would would try different cuisines wherever we traveled to she would bring it back to our house through the food that we were eating, and so every week she'd be trying new recipes experimenting. At the same time, she was also a fitness instructor, so she was quite mindful about like the type of food we were eating, how healthy it was. And so I definitely grew up around I was lucky to grow up around people who really knew how to throw it.
Down and they get to Ye, that makes the difference for sure.
And so the.
Recipes are a combination of gosh everything from my parents my sister threw some in, but also experimenting on how can I bring these Eastern spices which are so healing and so good for you in terms of like medicinally and for your body, but bring it into Western culture where it's not.
Just Indian food you're eating.
How can we incorporate these spices into day to day foods, Like I have a tindurijackfruit taco in there, so it's like, Okay, you're used to eating tacos, but how can I throw a little bit more like something that you haven't had before in with it. So it's a fusion of cuisines, a fusion of flavors, a mix of comfort food, healthy salads.
Just like everything atle Bit, it's good for you. So I'm definitely okay, that's I think that's gonna be my number one thing for the new year to kind of like get the book and maybe I'll start there little by little guys, little by litle.
Yeah, we'll stop by you coming over. You could taste the food before you eat, before you buy them. You can be like, Okay, I'm gonna taste it. If I like it, I'll make it.
In spirituality, talk to me about has that been a part of your life forever? Because I in my culture, I grew up like Christian, like the whole thing. And I don't necessarily always say this, like I don't necessarily consider myself a religious person. I respect our religions. I'll go to any type of church, but I'm more spiritual and I'm more of like the meditation. And still I feel like I want to tap more into that. So I don't know. I was just I wanted to kind of know more about your spirituality. And it feels like it comes from your family, like way you probably were born into it.
I feel I was born into a religion. So I was born into Hinduism, okay. And one thing I found was, and I'm sure maybe you can relate from what you said that when you're born into something, you end up doing things ritualistically, like very methodically, Like my parents are lying a candle, I'm gonna lie a candle right, My parents are saying these mantras.
I'm gonna say this mantra.
And I got to like my teenagers, and I was like, why am I doing any of this? Like I actually don't know whether I have a deep connection to this. Yes, I believe in God, but like what a my practice is that I'm doing that truly connects me to God? And I wasn't sure whether what I was doing was actually just because my parents did it, my grandparents did it, and I'm just going through life as you sometimes do mechanically. But like I remember reading this thing where spiritual is when your spirit and your heart is in the ritual. Otherwise it's just ritualistic. Otherwise it's just mechanical. But the whole point of being of spirituality is is my heart in this ritual? It's my heart in this practice. And so I really started seeking so deeply because I was like, I don't know whether I feel like I'm connected to God. I know I believe in God, but like what is that? What is that connection? What am I supposed to be feeling because right now I'm not feeling.
And so.
My mum actually again was born into Hinduism, but she started like feeling the same way, and so she wanted to start volunteering at temple's name.
We would go there, We would.
Go to our religious place for festivals and like just show up, you know when we had to not because I wanted to be there, be like, okay, it's Devali's one of our celebrats that okay, Dvali is one of our festivals. It's like our Christmas. I'm going to show up to the temple for this. But my mum really started seeking and so she started volunteering at the temple that was nearby to us, and she mentioned to somebody that I was looking for a spiritual group that I really wanted to be part of something. And so I got involved with the youth group of that community, okay. And it was there where I really understood like why I was doing what I was doing and what I connected to about it. And I have to agree with you in the sense that I appreciate Hinduism for everything that it is, but I'm not the biggest fan of religious institutions, and I think that it really like one thing I found my spiritual teacher rather than Thatswami.
He I always you know, when you're in a part of a.
Religious institution, you think my religion is the best religion. That's how a lot of people are brought up. My religion is superior to other.
Religions, the correct one. It's the rect Like.
Spirituality is about equality and loving everybody. So how in the world can one religion be superior Because you're saying that your path to connect to God is better than another person path to connect to God. But we're also different, so how can we not connect to God differently? And so I started really seeing that as I was growing up, and I was like, how does that make sense?
My spiritual teacher went.
Through so many different religious practices, and all he talks about is how each.
One has taught him so much. All he talks about is respect for every single religion. All he talks.
About is how we are all. Like the tradition that I now follow in spirituality is called bucky. It means love, And He's just like, every single religion is just teaching us how to love God. So how can there be a negative to any of them?
Yeah?
And so when I heard that and the way that I've seen him live in practice, I'm like, that's really what the goal is. To feel equality in everybody, to really love and be kind and compassionate to people. That's what spirituality is about. That's what religion is supposed to be about. All the things we now see in religion, unfortunately are man made, like women not being able to do this and this being It's like, okay, but who really came up with that? Is that in scripture? Or are you just making it into religion? Yeah, making your own religion. I agree, And so yeah, I think I really evolved into I take parts of Hinduism that I absolutely love, and really I just go back to the text, like I just, I truly believe in. Meditation is a part of my life every single day, has been for the past ten years and has transformed so much of my life and my connection to God. It is the time that I feel like I am able to take a moment to not just connect with me, but connect with something other than me. Yes, And like I spend my whole day being focused around me in my selfish mindset, constantly about me, me, me, and meditation is like how can I connect to something other than myself? And so that practice has really if you'll be please, I want to.
I want to know, like you're speaking and I'm just like, yes, like you get it, which is why, like I didn't know how to put it into words sometimes. I mean, we talk about it here all the time, and meditation is a huge part of my life as well, because it also.
Kind of meditation.
Do you do? I just I used to. I was doing guided meditation for a while because that's how I got into it. I'm like, okay, let me you know, it's very hard to stay focused. And then I stopped doing the guided meditation. I just put meditation music on and that was I just would sit. I would just sit and just breathe. I would do the block yes, the block breathing. Yes, yes, the block breathing, And that really helped me just kind of get my mind. Now I'm getting to the point where I don't have to I enjoy being in complete silence. It took, yes, it took a little bit to get there. Two years.
Oh of course it does.
So I was just like, you know, my friends, I'm like, meditate, I can't like just try two minutes. Just do two minutes, like, little by little, you'll build it up.
It's a muscle and the process that you've gone through, which is great because you're saying, yeah, it took me two years to get to the point of even sitting with my thoughts, and then really does imagine how much we absorb every single day, the amount of busyness that we absorb through our what we see, what we hear, what we're experiencing. So, of course, when you're getting sitting down to I remember my teacher would always say, I would be like, well, I'm getting so distracted and I can't train.
He's like, but what are you doing the other twenty one hours?
Oh? Sorry?
What are you doing the other twenty three hours of your day? Twenty one hours?
What are you doing the other twenty three hours of your day? Is it supporting your practice? Is are you doing things that actually allow you to sit into that space? Because that one hour is one hour. What you're telling yourself is for that one hour, I'm going to be so focused, I'm gonna like have nothing in my mind. But what are the things are you doing throughout the day that's supporting you to be able to do that? And I was like, that is so true, Like am I watching things that are actually causing me anxiety? Am I listening to things that are actually causing me anxiety. Am I speaking to people that are speaking negativity into my life? Like? What am I doing to support that one hour of meditation practice? And there are so many different types of meditation. I have to invite you next time we do this singing meditation. We just had one recently and it is beautiful. It's music meditation with mantras and people start by sitting quietly and by the end of it, everyone's up dancing and like having the best time.
But oh my gosh, the medicative square that is amazing.
But there are so many different types of meditator.
Okay, see, I'm barely I feel like getting into it. That's why I was like, you've already done three different types to see without even like okay, this has I'm like, okay, I have to let it go, like.
You've moved through different versions when you were at different places in your life. And that's I think sometimes get meditation. Sometimes people get meditation really wrong.
They're like, okay, I have to be cross legged and I have to.
Be sat here. And I noticed that even about prayer. People think in prayer you have to be on your knees or you have to be sat down, And I'm like you can be in prayer or meditation at every moment.
Yeah, I'm driving in a praying exactly now, my eyes closed obviously, guys.
But like I'm having a conversation.
Yep, absolutely thing to be in connection. And so I actually think like prayer and meditation is not a I have one. Look, I have a space that I sit in when I meditate. I do think that there is value in creating spaces for things. They hold energy, and so yes, I have I have a place where I know that when I go into this space and I smell this smell and I sit on this thing, that is a time to get into meditation. But there are there is also opportunity to be in meditation when you're driving, to be in meditation when you're sitting and you're feeling a little bit sad like, instead of sitting in it, you could be connecting. And so I think people have a different have a perception of meditation because of how we see.
On movies and.
The yoga scene that is there in LA.
It's like it's not all armond like just sitting in cross legged possessions.
Yeah, I know. Sometimes I'll even do it lying down, like I'm just like Okay, I'm just gonna lie down, or.
I love a good sleep meditation.
Yeah, sometimes I fall asleep. Guy, Exactly, I'm so relaxed, and it's just exactly, I'm so relaxed. Are there times still, now that you've been meditating for ten years? Are there times where you you it's difficult for you to get into it, or time where you're like, oh, I don't feel.
Like it months ten months of it, Okay, there, I say.
I will show up to the practice, and there are times where I'm physically there but not mentally or emotionally. There are times where I fall off the practice and I'm like, oh God, I feel horrible, but I can't get back to it, and then I feel guilty for not going into it, for not being in my practice, and then that makes me stay away from it further because I'm like, I don't even want to show up because I've been away for so long.
I feel like you think.
That once you're meditating, life just goes like this, But actually, what meditation does, and I love this analogy. It says that our heart is like a mirror that's dusty, and what meditation does is it starts to like clean that mirror. Gently it starts to help you see yourself. But that's just the beginning, because when you start seeing yourself, that's when all the crap comes up. You're like, you start seeing all the things that you want to change about yourself, you start seeing all the things that you need to be working on.
You start seeing different parts of your life or what it really is. And so meditation really just brings to life and light what you need to be working on. And so there are so many times where I feel like this practice is an ebb and a flow and slowly going up. But really it's this this this.
There are times yeah that I'm like, it takes a bit of a struggle, you know, am I, because I'm physically like fatigued exactly or mentally I don't know, And I'm like, oh my gosh, this is so hard. Today I'm like, Okay, thank you God so much for this day. I love you exactly today.
You know that's me too, Okay, I've started this practice that now every morning I wake up, my mom does this in her prayer.
And I realized that I wanted to.
Stop practicing it, but just in case I don't make it to my meditation let me do it. From the moment I wake up, and it's like thank you for this breath, Like thank you so much that I've woken up and that I'm even able to see, like thank you for like let me have this day. Thank you for letting me have this day. And from that point on, it's like everything is a bonus and like, yes, crap comes and you feel horrible and you go through days where people are mean to you, and you go through really emotional traumatic times, but just waking up in the morning being like thank you God for this, like I needed to wake up today and I'm so happy that you let me.
I'm so happy to say guys. Okay, going back to a little bit, backtracking to the food. Okay, I have this thing and I don't know if this is just and I think you probably said it. I want to make sure I understand correctly. But I've thought about like the animals that we eat, like what if they had, for instance, like a chicken, you know, they're very nervous and stuff, and what if they had a really bad life and like they like I don't know, and I'm eating that and I feel like what if those emotions is that how crazy to think.
Or no, it's absolutely true, okay, because that was actually the energy of like that, the suffering that an animal has felt. When you eat it, you are eating that suffering. And I don't even mean, let's say you don't even believe that energetically, okay, when we are all in trauma, even as humans, our body holds the trauma as physical pain. It actually our arteries, our cellular composition changes.
When our body is in stress.
So even if you don't believe on an energetic level that you are eating this animal suffering, on a physical level, you are eating an animal at its worst state because it is an anxiety, it's being pumped with hormones. Like the amount of trauma that this animal is feeling ends up showing up physically, and so you are then eating an animal not even at its prime state. You're not even getting like good quality meat when you're eating it. You're getting low quality because the animal has been in distress for so long, it's been fed things that is making it grow up faster than it's supposed to, get bigger, faster than it's supposed to. So the quality isn't even that, which.
Also causes a lot of diseases in it, like so many things in our.
Bodies, and the animals get diseases and we don't even realize. And so energetically that and you know, it even says that the food when you're cooking it, I listen to devotional music when I cook or spiritual music when I cook, because when I studied Divada, it's so it's such a beautiful practice. And every time I think about like rocking out to something or like putting out the music on, I'm like, oh, I can't unremember this fact that the energy that's even around the food that's wy I'm so particularly even when I eat out, I'm like, the energy that is put into the food of the way, it's why do we love our mum's food so much, or like, let's say, anybody in your life that you know has fed you, the amount of love that is poured into that food.
That's why when you make it again, it's never the same.
You try and remake your mum's recipe or your grandma's recipe that loves you with their dear life, there is no way you can make it the same, even if you get every single ingredient right. And the fact is whatever energy is poured into the food, Like I try not to cook when I'm feeling really angry, or like try not to cook when I've got like certain things in my mind.
One it never turns out right.
But two, energetically, I'm whoever I'm feeding this food too, is receiving that through the food. And so even energetical when we're cooking, let alone eating animals, suffering, just even if you're cooking plants and vegetables. It's like, but when am I infusing into this during the cooking process, that's how deep it can get.
Doud, That is so crazy, right because now that is so powerful because.
I love like I can feed you positive energy and I can feed you nourishment, so that and now it's just beyond.
Just your body. That's so powerful.
Absolutely, And that's yeah, I mean because when I'm salty, I'm having a salty day, am I comes out real salty, you know, So I'm just like, oh, you know, that's that's so true. I'm gonna try that. I'm gonna try cooking because I haven't been cooking a lot because I've been so busy, but I want to start doing it more. And Medeo has been asking me, so I want to maybe like meditation music or.
What kind of me just say I'll send you my play list. Okay, okay, I feel like you're gonna okay, Oh my god.
Yes please, because I think that's important even what people like. I obviously enjoy people cooking for me. I'd much rather people cook for me. But even then, I feel like it's it's important to take care of that aspect, like who is you know, like you said, like making your food and like praying over your food, praying over what you drink because it's it's like, hey, God, just bless this food. There's a lot of power in that.
There is.
Yeah, And you know what I think there were so many people who are skeptical about whenever you talk about energy or whenever we talk about things like this, and I'm noticed is that we are so skeptical over things that do no harm, but not skeptical over things that do so much harm in the world. Like there are so many things in the world, whether it's pharmaceutical companies, whether it's you can name it, most of the things in the world are harming us more than they're doing good. But for some reason we're not skeptical about that. But when it comes to things that has to have the possibility that are free and have the possibility to enhance our life in some way. But like, oh, where's the evidence, I'm like, the evidence is in how you feel? Why does everything need to be on paper? Yes, And also a lot of those papers that have evidence are biased in some way and aren't even great actual evidence.
And so I just try it. Yeah, the proof is in the putting. The proof is in how you are feeling, and you tuning into that.
And talking about trying it, like you know, because I'm working out a lot, I'm doing weight so like my trainers, thank you, thank you so much. I feel really really good. But I have been eating more protein because that's what he's like, eat more protein, eat more meat. But I have, and as I like how I'm feeling, but sometimes it gets it. It's a lot for my digestive system, especially the red meat, and I've been I didn't eat red meat for years and now I'm like, like absolutely loving it. But I want again, I want to like feel better in my tummy because my tummy has not been good. So are there Obviously we're gonna learn about this I'm sure in your book as well, Like there is a lot of people think that, oh, you're just gonna eat grains. I know. All this is like what kind of protein are you going to get in a vegan diet?
Yeah, I mean, look, I've also been trying to eat a lot more protein. So right now I'm on like what one hundred and forty grams a day or something because we've been running a lot.
Right, I've been running a lot.
But I also wait trained like three to four times a week, okay, And so I really wanted to see And I've got a friends who are vegan body boaters, and I've seen that they it's possible to like get your protein and build muscle while doing it. Obviously everybody type is different, but there are so many different sources.
Oh my gosh, there's like tempe soyot beans tofu, lentils, beans, mushrooms.
I didn't know there was weird. I'm sorry should have done this, but I didn't know that there was so much protein in beans. And I love beans. Yeah, me too.
And by the way, like sometimes what people will argue is that, you know, vegan sauces are not complete proteins, but I'll tell you what is a complete protein, rice and beans. Rice and beans together have all the amino acids required to be a complete protein. So yeah, you may not be able to have You may not have one thing and it has your complete amino acid thing like meat, my, but you combine two things and.
You've got it.
And so really it's a it's just a bit more effort into like figuring out how much protein is in this, how much protein is in this? And they also say sometimes the protein in meat isn't as available or bioavailable or absorbed into your body as coming from a plant source. Because if you think about it, an animal gets their protein source from plants. They create the protein in their body from eating the plants that they eat, and so really, when you're ending up going to the source, you get a more available form of protein.
So it's just being patient and taking the time, right, little, I'll send you a cheat sheet, okayteen from different grades. Yeah, you have a lot of things to send me, Okay, because yeah, I know I'm real lyast serious about this.
Yes, definitely, okay, awesome thing me?
Do it? Do you have siblings?
By I do?
I have one older amazing sister Oh yeah, an oldest sister. She's four years older than me. She has my like two she's birth two of my favorite people in the whole entire world, my niece and my nephew.
They are incredible. And yeah, she's she's wonderful.
She's in the UK.
Okay, so we have a long distance, yeah relationship, but.
Thank goodness for technology. You guys, could you know six time? Yeah? Do you mind how if I ask how old you are?
Yeah, I'm thirty four, you're thirty four?
Oh yeah, okay, I'm thirty nine. I'll be forty next year.
Oh my gosh, I'm yeah, cater to forty.
Yes, And that's the thing I think, because I'm approaching forty, I'm like, Okay, I want the next part of my life to really like things that i've just you know, put on the back burner for the sake of entertainment or being in I don't know, like I'm I am so ready to say, okay. I've been working towards this, especially with my food. I've always had a unique relationship, should I say, with food. It was diets for a long time. It was you know, I did keto and then I didn't like how I lost weight, but then I was like, oh, something's just not feeling right in my body. And then I'm like, okay, portion control. I learned that that's what's been helping me the most is the portion control is I can have a little bit of everything, but just a little. And now I'm like, I'm ready to really dive into this thing that has been calling me for a long time. As I did the vegetarian, but I wasn't doing the vegan, So I think I'm gonna probably start with vegetarian. I think you should, yeah, and then slowly get into absolutely okay. And I will say I completely agree with you with portion control because a lot of the time, you know, since starting my spiritual journey, and also just when you were disciplined, people think that you are being restrictive, but actually discipline is so much more freedom than living a life where you are controlled by other things, and so like when you're controlled. For me, I have had a similar relationship with food. I've always felt like I was controlled by food, controlled with my emotion. My emotions were directly linked to the food I was eating. If I was happy, I'm eating, If I'm sad, I'm eating, if I'm angry, I'm eating, and I was like, oh, oh, if I'm having a hard day, okay, I need some sugar. I need like some carbohydrates, I need something that's fatty, whatever it is. And the thing is, when you end up feeling controlled by something, that is the worst feeling, and so actually being disciplined creates so much more freedom because you have the choice to say no, the choice I don't. I if I want to have a dessert, now, I'll have it. I've been like one of the things I was struggling with recently was sugar. Like I was so stressed out and I'm just eating. I had that really hectic schedule, and it became very normal for me to have something sweet after every single meal. Like I was just I was just craving sweetness in my life, Like all I I wanted was a quick fix. And I got to a point where my skin started suffering, my body was feeling lethargic, I was waking up feeling horrible, and I was like, I calculated how much sugar I was having in my day, and I was like, this is ridiculous.
And I didn't realize because me and I was like a little better a little bit here, a little bit here, a little bit here. Yeah, And I was like, you know what, I have to I have to nip this in the butt because I'm not addicted to anything else and I think sugar is any different, but it's just not.
It's just as addictive.
So I decided every single time I would usually fail on the first day because I just couldn't do it. This time, it's been like, what twenty five days, and I've been like without any processed sugar, and I cannot tell you how freeing it feels. Where I can sit in front of people and I can have a gathering. Usually for me, it's groups I love in white people over I love hosting. And when I do that, I'm like, let's order this and let's make this and let's do this.
But I'm like, I can enjoy one.
I can feed best, I can feed people healthy options, and two don't have to link my joy and spending time with them to having something to enjoying a meal with them in that way.
Yes, And so do you feel a lot of mental clarity too, Oh my gosh. And that's so bad for a brainer, It's so bad.
But I had to find alternatives like I'm in decision. I thought I would fail on day one. After day one, I was like, Wow, I did this, And then day two I was like, oh my gosh, I did day two. And the more you commit to it, the more encourages you to keep going. And so now I'm like, if I feel like something, I'll have it. But it's changed my whole palette. I just don't crave it anymore. When people used to tell me that, I used to think that they were just secretly binging, because I was like, there's no way that you don't want to eat this dessert right now?
What do you mean?
So it's like no processed sugar, but you can have like, oh, you're having like nice.
And what I realized that really helped me was I was started poaching fruit or like cooking fruit down, and so I'd make like peaches and I'd stew them and then I have that with like a bit of yogurt, and it really satisfied my sweet craving. But also I was having fruit, which was great. And now I'm like, if I want it, if I want a dessert, I'll have it. But even then I'm eating and I'm like, oh, this is so sweet, and I had this one order that I would always do when I would go to this like frozen yogurt place called Yogat it's amazing. But I would have like brownies, chocolate fudge sprinkles, like all the things now I have, Like I think, if I had to buy it, I would probably go into a sugar coma because I could.
I had built up my tolerance to it so much.
Oh my goodness. But yeah, so you think what clicked is probably feeling that feeling of I feel accomplished, Like this is like.
That one day, that one you make it to that It's like when you make it to the gym that one day You're like, God, I feel amazing. And so now what I've learned to do is, rather than worrying about what I'm feeling now, think about how I'm going to feel in twenty four hours. And so I'm like, am I going to feel good when I wake up in the morning like that? And what am I What can I do now to make myself feel good in tomorrow, in five years time, in ten years time. What I'm doing now is defining what that's going to feel like in the future. And so like sometimes our temporary emotions guide us, but I think some living in the temporary is what causes sometimes permanent pain, and so I've really tried to like strip that away.
It's like completely for you, it's sugar. For me, it's alcohol. Oh okay, it's tequila, because not only that's the thing, I don't like how it makes me feel the next day, or how it makes my skin look, because I could see my fine lines a little more the next.
Day, yes, prune, Yes.
Honestly, And I'm like, oh, I'm like if the first thing that made me want to stop drinking is like, oh my god, my body's getting old, and I just I want to age gracefully and the whole thing, you know. But it got to the point where for work, but then I couldn't be I can like be invited to a party and I'm like, oh, everyone else is drinking and I'm not drinking, and I'll take yes, it's a thing, it's not I want to practice that discipline to feel like I can still go have a freaking good time and not need to have a tequila. Before it was like I know, I don't really want it, but I need it. And that's where I was like this is an issue because it's not even like, oh, I'm gonna have a drink because I really just want it. It's I need it because if not, I can't like mingle. And I'm like, that's not good.
No, when your past and Aunty is so fun by the way, X.
Man and I, Ah, I'm drinking is this And I'm like, no, I think it's the conversation too, because I'm just like, I might.
Tell you that being the sober person around lots of drunk people is a nice fun Oh. I was like, really, it's fun when you're watching it, and then it gets to the point where the conversations are just like you like, you're not gonna remember this, and you're having a conversation different to me, but we're in the same conversation, And so I can totally understand why you find it difficult because having been sober my whole life and not having drunk, it's a difficult scene to navigate, especially when you're when you're going out and doing the things that you're doing, Like it's so hard you just want to be participating, and you almost feel like you're not participating if you're not in the same.
State of mind. For sure, but just know that you are just this fun. I think you will have so much fun with that.
Yeah, I think. I'm like, I'm fun, I'm cool. I don't need the alcohol to like, you know, even in like on stage, I'm like, you know what, because that's like calm your nerves a bit. No, honestly, it just makes it funner for me because they're drinking and that the type of music that I sing is my reality. My job is to get them drunk, right, But then I feel then the other side of me that's very cheeky's right, because Chickus is you know, Chickus is like the entertainer. And then there's Jane, more spiritual person. I think, dude, but in my Jeanne is yeah, it's my birth name. Yeah, So I feel like Jane is more spiritual. And I think, what am I doing to these people? Like I'm getting them drunk and I'm like, you guys, please put on your seatbelts. After like getting them drunk, I'm I put on your seatbelt, get an uber like I'm like, pray and I do. So I feel like I'm being pulled into different directions sometimes. So now I'm like, wait a second, I need to just sit down and what do I really want? What is my soul asking for? And that's where I'm at right now. I'm like, I love what I do. I'm so grateful like everything that my career has given me, I'm so grateful. But now I'm like, I can still do it, but I can do it in a different way. And what does that look like? And that's kind of where.
In duality too, Like I think always so used to in this world, you're either this or you're this, and people really struggle.
Then.
I don't know whether you've felt this since you've become more and more well known where.
People don't want you to be two things. You're either this or you're this. And as soon as you show this flow of being in between or even being two at once, it's like I can be happy online, but I can also still be sad about something that's happening in my life. That's not me faking it, that's me allowing duality to happen in my life. Two things can be possible at the same time, and so you can be Cheekies and you can also be Jane and both can be true. It doesn't mean these are with such like, we have so many different personalities within one person, so many different like lifetimes within one lifetime. And so I think, I agree, you grow and you change, and so maybe you do want to move into a different space, but I also think you're still being authentic.
Because there's two different sides of.
You, and I've always been very open about it. Yeah, And I learned that in twenty eighteen when I had a burnout and I was like, Okay, in order to keep doing what I'm doing, I need to like be truthful about there's cheeks, and there's Jane, and there's this is who I am, and you're gonna get a little bit of everything because that's who I am. Like I like to party, but then I love to pray and people will ask, well, oh my gosh, you like to pray and you like to meditate and you like candles, but then you cuss or I'm like, yeah, you're right. I do want to get better at the cursing, just for my own sake because sometimes I don't like how it feels. But I'm like, but still, that's that's me, and I'm not going to fake the funk. But now I'm evolving, and now I'm like, Okay, something is happening. I don't know if because I'm ready to like I'm ready to have a kid, and I'm like, you know what, I really want to be good mind, spirit, the whole thing, mind, body, and soul for my child when I conceive. So I think that's what's happening. But I've always had it in me. It's just I think the world and it's like, you know, I've been navigating through it, and.
I will always say just growing. It's like just because you meant it.
I always find this about me what people expect me to be, like because I pray.
Not meditate, and I share that online. It's like I still get road rage.
I still will.
By the way, if you dm me something rude, there is a chance of getting a voice in the back that's not very nice, you know. I. And so this this this duality of like, yes, I'm trying, but at the same time, that doesn't mean I'm going to be just air and bubbles and like happy and and just flowers all the time. It's not life. Yeah, And so I think people, Yeah, I think it's good to show people that, you know what, Yeah, I do play, but I also like town.
Yeah, I will. I will defend myself if I need to exactly, like, don't mess with me. I love God up like you know, but yeah, see you get it, you get me. What is your sign?
By the way, what about you?
I'm a cancer? Oh I have.
Lots of cancers in my life.
Really yeah awesome. Yeah, I'm a dune cancer. You know, we're we're a little different, you know, June and July, but we're all great.
My dad's a cancer and he is the most like one of the best people in all phenomenal, gentle, loving kind Yeah that's awesome.
Yeah, we're very nurturing, as you know, very you know, very emotional, like I got super emotional when you got here. But no, I'm just so great. I wanted to have this conversation with you and like show my listeners and like not feel not that I feel alone, because I know there's a lot of people like us. It's just for a long time I felt alone in my life because I was in a way of misunderstand because I didn't even understand what was going on and with my spirituality and like being raised in a certain household and very restricted and you know, there's a lot of rules with religion and stuff. And then when I just kind of like got into this and I just started like, I'm learning, you know, and there's always room to learn. I love to learn. I feel like knowledge is definitely power, and that's why I was like, I need to have her on so we can talk about everything.
God, thank you for trusting me with your community. That is so sweet of you to even like invite me on.
Honestly, absolutely, and I would love to have you on again if we could. There's so much to talk about.
I know.
Okay, so a good cry your podcast, tell us a little bit about your podcast, anything tell my community.
So I yeah, it's called a really good cry. And I quoted that because I I wanted people to start embracing emotions. I think I went through a big part of my life where I have always been very emotional, felt other people's emotions, deeply, felt my own very deeply, and I would often hide it, especially the negative emotions.
I'd be like, yeah, I'm happy, I'm this and that.
And I realized I was just constant hiding behind this mask of pretending and not actually showing people how I felt. Whether it was because I didn't want to put that burden on them or whether it was because I wanted people to feel like I was strong and independent and whatever it was. And then I started embracing my emotions and I was like, God, I'm.
Such a crier.
I cry about everything, and I think it's really important to be able to just accept the ebbs and flows of emotions.
As you go through them.
And so a really good cry was just that it was for me to feel, like you know, when you come on, feel every emotion and feel it deeply. But also it's a space for I mean, I have health experts on, I have friends one to just talk about everything to do with life. It's a space you can come, put your feet up, drink a Junie and just have really good conversation and again learning, Like I think, as soon as I think I know enough, that's when I know I've got too much ego in my life. Like you know, you know when you decide to stop learning is when there's something going wrong for sure.
And so I definitely I like you.
I just I love learning about every single part of life to do with health wellness.
People that I would have never thought I would have.
Connected to coming on the podcast, and I realized how wrong I had it about them, like how much I wanted to learn from them, and so it's changed my perspective on people, but also helped me to just connect to people that I would never normally speak to.
Yeah, and learn for podcasts is so awesome, right, I love it. Like I always come even if I'm like not having a great day or I'm not feeling good, I come here and I forget about everything. Yeah, Like I just it's it's like therapy for me, where I could just this is just so healing.
And you get things out of it, like I say things on in podcasts and in good conversations like this where I was like, god, I didn't even know I had that in me or oh my goodness, I didn't even know I felt that way.
And so I think it allows for this.
I think it's such a beautiful first day to like get to know you like this because we get to ask questions we probably would never ask each other. Yes, that's true, sitting here with the microphone, yeah, just.
Talking and like literally like, yeah, I'm so glad we were finally able to like make it happen. Yeah, And if you can please before you go, can you please share your Instagram. Oh y, yes, and anything else you have your your cook but we said joyful, joyful junie Juni you guys, I'm not even joking. I put it on. I put them on my Instagram. A few times. I came across them. I don't remember how, to be honest, I don't remember how, but I came across them and I love them and I highly recommend them. And there's like anyways, but I love it because you're an entrepreneur, you're self taught cook, a nutritionist. Yeah and yeah, I love watching your stuff. You're just so hilarious too.
I thank you.
You are so funny. Oh my god, thank you.
I love a bit of laughter.
I feel like anything, everything comes, everything is received better.
When you have a bit of laughter in your life. But I need to get you on my pot. I was like, feel like I have we need pot two of this.
We do, absolutely, I would love to. It would be a complete honor. Thank you. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to come and and give us just bring us light here onto chickens and chill and yeah, let's do it part two and a really good cry. You guys, thank you so much for listening. I hope that you learned again. Thank you for coming on to grow, to learn, to become a better you, all of us altogether. Because this is always a note to myself as well as I'm speaking to you, guys, I'm speaking to myself. So just know that I love you and I appreciate you, and I'll see you on the next episode of Chickens and Chill.
Yeah.
This is a production of iHeartRadio and my podcast network. Follow us on Instagram at my podcasts and follow me Cheeky's That's c h i q u y s. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows.