I’ve always considered myself a healthy person. Yet, when I took a nutrition class this past fall, I found there are some things in my life that need to change. One of the simplest and most important things I learned in the class was something called “MyPlate”. This is the model we should follow for every meal: a quarter of our plate is made up of grains, another quarter is made of protein, and the remaining half of our plate should be made of produce (vegetables, fruit, or both). To follow this template though, I had to know what foods fell into each category. Potatoes and corn are not vegetables. They are actually starches and fall into the grains category. Grains also consist of oats, rice, wheat, barley, and items made up of the like. It is recommended though, that we consume whole grains rather than refined ones because whole grains contain dietary fibers, vitamins, and minerals that our body needs daily. Additionally, nuts and seeds are not grains. In fact, they are considered proteins, alongside poultry, fish, eggs, beans, peas, and lentils. Fruits and vegetables, well, that’s pretty self-explanatory. These should be diversified and eaten whole, rather than consumed through juice. There are a couple of health-related issues that run in my family, such as diabetes, hypertension, and other metabolic risk factors. My father suffers from high blood pressure, which is partially work induced as well as diet-induced. He has also developed some new health complications and this paired with high blood pressure is not a phenomenal combination. But at the beginning of this summer, my family decided to make changes to the foods that we’d be purchasing and the foods that would be in our house. I have been able to share with them the important information I learned in the class and we have been able to keep each other accountable. Though it took some time, I started applying the MyPlate approach to my meals and it has now become a consistent and exciting habit. I have been working on consuming less refined grains, processed foods, and especially processed sugars. Since I am not partaking in rigorous exercise daily anymore, the foods I consume will not be used as energy the way they used to be. Instead, I may gain weight and develop the precursors to health-related diseases instead of preventing them. During the fall, our class participated in a dietary analysis project. Here, we tracked the foods we consumed, what they consisted of, their calorie count, and how much water we drank, and recorded our exercise, if any. At the end of the three days, we spoke individually with our teacher, who’s a nutritionist, about our results. I had a long conversation with her after class and soon realized that I need to change my diet. I was exceeding the recommended dietary sugar intake; if I continued, I could develop diabetes later in life. Today, I eat each meal with the MyPlate model in mind. I no longer eat until I am full, but instead, I eat until I am satiated. I have been consuming more whole foods and less sugar. I have also been getting back into the habit of exercising daily, doing something to elevate my heart rate for a period of time. Sometimes I go on long walks, hike, ride the bike, or go for a run. It has been a slow and gradual change, but I am proud of how far I’ve come. I am thankful for where I'm at and am excited to see where this health journey takes me.

One of the biggest challenges I have faced in my lifetime, besides fighting to survive as a premature newborn, is transitioning to college. If anyone knows me, they know that I am not great with change. Whether it is a good change or bad change, I too often get comfortable with the flow of things and am not fond when life decides to interrupt. Leaving home, family, friends, and everything familiar was terrifying for me. When I got to college, I underwent multiple changes, mostly due to fear. I went from extrovert to introvert. I stayed in my dorm as often as I could and spoke with as few people as possible. I went from joyful and smiling, to anxious and frowning. As a biracial female (who will only ever be seen as black) attending a predominately white institute, I began to develop insecurities as I was surrounded by a homogenous community that made me feel like I was constantly being watched and judged. I began to doubt my abilities and started questioning whether or not I was truly qualified to study movies and become a producer. Because of this isolation and anxiety, I could only cling to God. I grew closer to Him during this time of transition. Despite my world-changing, God remained constant. Even though I was negatively affected by this transition, I also experienced positive spiritual growth. That wasn’t the only growth that occurred, though. Things slowly started to change. In mid-October, I began to branch out and find community. InterVarsity, a Christian club I joined and am now a part of, was where I found this community. Out of all the people on campus, this is where I felt the most safe and welcome. I found the surprisingly diverse place where I belonged. Of course, friendship development was a challenge, as most relationships start at a surface level. It wasn’t until the end of the semester that I began to develop deeper friendships with members of the club. Fast forward to the second semester, and you’ll see a girl with close friends and fulfilling experiences. That girl and the one from the first semester couldn’t possibly be the same! Yet, they are. That is the beautiful power of transformation. As I began to take baby steps and try new things, I was getting stronger. I was extending past my comfort zone, learning to surrender and trust that the Lord has something good for my life. I have now emerged from that cocoon of darkness and have found purpose. I find excitement in new things, even though they may seem frightening at first. I am embracing life as an adventure. For example, I became the worship leader for Worship and Prayer Nights for InterVarsity. Furthermore, I have been selected, from a pool of applicants, to be an Orientation Leader for the Fall of 2023 for the incoming freshman. Additionally, through the help and prayers of my new friends, I have rejected the lies, and am reclaiming my identity. Once I stopped believing the lies, I could see clearly and live an emotionally, mentally, and spiritually healthy life. I embraced my God-given abilities and grew into my identity. Who would’ve thought that a terrified, insecure freshman, would become confident again and embrace the unknown with open arms? All it took was faith.