BHM Talks to Marcia Lee About Her Journey to Better Health, Food as Medicine and & Choosing Vulnerability

On this episode of the Black Health Matters podcast, our digital marketing and operations marketing manager, Claudia Lopez, had the opportunity to speak with Marcia Lee, Founder of “Cut the BS, Your Health, Your Choice Podcast”,  a staunch health and fitness advocate. Listen to their inspiring discussion or read it below.

Claudia:
All right, so my name is Claudia Lopez.

00:00:15:19 – 00:00:45:18
Unknown
I am the digital marketing and operations manager at Black Health Matters. And today I am here with Miss M. Marcia Lee. She is a fitness and wellness guide. A mentor and I am inspired very deeply by her journey and her story. And I wanted to make sure we gave air and space for her journey and allowed her to share with other people because, really, in today’s day and age, we need inspiration.

00:00:45:20 – 00:01:10:04

We need to be able to see ourselves within other people. And we need to understand that there is, a path forward and that there is positivity to look forward to and growth to look forward to. So, Miss M, would you like to introduce yourself and tell people how your journey started? Thank you, Claudia, for having me on.

00:01:10:06 – 00:01:33:13
Marcia
So my journey began in 2009 when I went to the doctor for my hanging physical, and she said, Miss Lee, you are a borderline diabetic. And I’m like, I say, our family picks up everything but money. Mind you, everybody in my family is a diabetic but me. I didn’t want to become a statistic. So she asked me what it was.

00:01:33:13 – 00:01:57:23
Unknown
I know as far as my diet and exercise regimen. I said the only thing I was doing was going to a happy hour, mostly eating chicken wings and French fries and having cocktails. But it wasn’t until I. I was taking my car home, and I had seen this as a free fitness class setup, so I dropped her off and circled back to the rec center to sign up.

00:01:58:01 – 00:02:24:04
Unknown
But while I was waiting to sign up, I saw a flier that said that in D.C. residents, if they lose 20% of their body weight, they can start the onset of chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension. I said yes; where do I sign up? I signed up for the first day of orientation. We got to the orientation process, and the dietitian gave us these books.

00:02:24:04 – 00:02:47:08
Unknown
I said, what are these books for? She says, a food journal. I’m like, what? What food? You’re gonna say you’re buying my food, right? I don’t want you to know what I’m eating. But eventually, I understood the assignment. It was necessary for me to be successful in the program. So what we did was try. I had tracked what I ate and my exercise regimen.

00:02:47:08 – 00:03:09:06
Unknown
So the weights have reached a plateau. She was able to review every day. She was able to review the journal, do my exercise, and review my exercise regimen, and we were able to come together, and it actually worked out. But at the end of the 16 week program, I had lost four dress sizes. I wasn’t close with alphabets to close to numbers.

00:03:09:06 – 00:03:35:09
Unknown
You know how good that feel I was. My class was. I had to change my entire wardrobe. It took me six months to get rid of all those clothes I had, and I had all the clothes. But during that process, I actually started exercising, too. I went from not exercising at all to exercising daily. To this day, I’m still exercising regularly, and I have kept my weight off for 15 years.

00:03:35:10 – 00:03:54:00
Unknown
This was the first time in my life that I was able to put a handle on the weight. I never let myself go 5 or 10 pounds over at all. I do a reset spot oversee; I think it is focused and disciplined, and it’s very work. Clearly, a lot of people don’t realize that this whole weight loss journey is work.

00:03:54:02 – 00:04:27:00
Unknown
And this was man, this was this was free. We go to the exhibit, and bam, and all of that. This was hard work, determination, and will. They will want to put in the work. It really is putting in the work. It’s changing your whole way of thinking about food. And then I look at food as medicine. So I went from making pharmaceutical companies rich as far as buying assets and laxatives because when I was bigger, all that stuff I was put in my body was no good.

00:04:27:02 – 00:04:52:18
Unknown
So now I don’t even take I haven’t taken a laxative. You or antacid in years. I rarely have to even do it as it’s so, so rare, so infrequent in my life now. But the exercise journey has been really, really phenomenal as well. I would like to thank my DC Parks and Rec family for all the free, low, and no-cost fitness and wellness classes.

00:04:52:20 – 00:05:14:10
Unknown
Then I’m able to partake in and I still partake until this day. I’m also an ambassador for the DC, a wellness initiative that may have thousands of hours of started. So I am one of the community ambassadors also, every Wednesday for health and wellness. I love it. So, like I say, I’ve done like I say nothing.

00:05:14:10 – 00:05:39:21
Unknown
Now I do. I didn’t like walking cloudy and wouldn’t walk like two inches. Now I walk all the time, I walk, I hike, and do yoga. I do Zumba, I do freestyle dance, I do can I do everything wellness now? Claudia? I’m always trying new things. When I go on vacation, it feels good, Claudia, that I don’t have to sit back because I’m too tired, because I’m winded.

00:05:39:23 – 00:06:02:06
Unknown
I keep up with the best of me already. I love it, so that’s my journey. But in 2019, my brother Michael, that. And you know what? He had to suffer from depression. But he had been depressed for years. But he didn’t say anything. It wasn’t until the day before he passed when he told my brother, I’m depressed and I need help.

00:06:02:08 – 00:06:26:09
Unknown
We’re Claudia. He was there within 24 hours. And I’m like, you know what? Let me let me put some light to the darkness that I was feeling at that time. So I decided I wanted to be an advocate for health and wellness, especially in communities of color. Claudia, because we’re very, shy about our well-being. We don’t want to talk about it.

00:06:26:10 – 00:06:45:09
Unknown
So I’m a I’m a big advocate of therapy. I could be the poster girl on any or any signage that I do or not. I could be the poster girl for therapy because for me, therapy worked. You have to want to put in the work, find the right therapist, be ready. Be very. Be ready to do a deep dive in your life.

00:06:45:11 – 00:07:08:02
Unknown
Be ready to have a breakthrough because of you. Once the breakthrough comes, you can see things for what they are. And then you, you can, you know, you can be active, Courtney. You can play in your life. You can change your how to be of your mental health and well-being. So, I also teach people how to cook healthily on a budget.

00:07:08:02 – 00:07:27:17
Unknown
I don’t keep your income levels until people are always about preparation and planning. And that’s it. I say you can eat very well. And my goal my long-term goal, Claudia, is to get people to get them to do it so that it will be eaten, ask, whatever. Because there’s too much, you know, how much money are you spending? It’s like 60 bucks for one meal.

00:07:27:17 – 00:07:48:19
Unknown
You know how much food you can buy. And we’re lucky, Claudia, we are in, I’m in DC with, DC Department of Parks and access to my community gardens. And they give out free vegetables every week from May through the end of November. Do you know how good I eat? I eat well, anyway, but I’m eating fresh. And I’m so sad during the winter months when it’s not as robust.

00:07:48:21 – 00:08:10:07
Unknown
But I take advantage of that. I usually go home and cook it; sometimes, I see people on social media. What I’m cool with is the vegetables. I’ve gotten some from the different markets and you know how you know how it, no, cause these to make these yourself. So that’s my goal, Claudia. That is my goal to be and just to teach people how to live the best version of themselves.

00:08:10:09 – 00:08:26:11
Unknown
And they could be the best version of themselves. And they put in the work. And it’s not as hard as people think. Once you start doing it, Claudia, it becomes a routine, and you’re not going to want to go. I hear all the time I say that you know, you cannot go out to eat, but don’t make that habitual.

00:08:26:13 – 00:08:52:19
Unknown
It kind of matters what we eat because, well, processed foods are sugars and starches. And I say, you know, keep things to animals. That’s my goal to teach people how to do that. Claudia, I think one one aspect of what you spoke on that is extremely important for people that they can lack when it comes to a physical journey or a mental journey or, you know, anything really in their walk of life is motivation.

00:08:52:21 – 00:09:19:10
Unknown
And how do we stay motivated in order to be able to create these changes within our lives? So what would you say to someone who wants to start a journey or is thinking about starting a journey but maybe isn’t finding the motivation within themselves right now to be able to begin? Well, it’s not what I say because a lot of people don’t like me, you know, some people don’t like being around other people, and that’s fine.

00:09:19:15 – 00:09:38:23
Unknown
But as a quality, become your best friend when you do. I said, you have so many different exercises for all when I tell you all levels by all levels. But, and I always tell people then you can, you can find an accountability partner. It doesn’t have to be a process. You can find a virtual accountability partner.

00:09:39:01 – 00:09:56:21
Unknown
You can meet somebody. Hey, let’s do a FaceTime. Let’s do a Google Meet. Let’s do a zoom. Let’s do it; when I type a digital platform that you may have, or even those who don’t want to, take a virtual digital platform and do a phone check. Hey, how are you doing them? What? You don’t know? Hey, guys, I know, let’s have a call.

00:09:57:02 – 00:10:14:03
Unknown
Let’s get a check-in. But for me, it says I like to be outdoors. My fitness family. Trust me, it was a wellness check. It was. It was a check-in regular accountability was like, oh, where are you at today? Why do you like it? You know, it was always it was always group text. Okay, we’re doing this today.

00:10:14:03 – 00:10:35:06
Unknown
We’re doing that today. So, for me and for anybody, you can have accountability partners, whoever is in person or virtual, because you understand people. People are where they are. And I’m willing if you work with me, I can meet you where you are because everybody, you know, no two people are the same. And I respect that. That’s very true.

00:10:35:08 – 00:10:37:08
Unknown
One other thing that I think,

00:10:37:08 – 00:11:02:09
Unknown
is important that you mention was what we consume and how you treat food and how you view food. So what do you think? For one, what are some foods that are positive contributors to our lives, and what are some foods that maybe we should try to cut out a little bit more or just lessen to improve that journey to wellness?

00:11:02:09 – 00:11:20:17
Unknown
so for the average person, you know, and, you know, bad Claudia, all that junk food, potato chips and all that potatoes are the worst. And I know when I was on that page of trying for a while, the weight came on quick and I said, you have this potato chip. So nad cut that out and processed foods.

00:11:20:17 – 00:11:21:13
Unknown
Claudia.

00:11:21:13 – 00:11:24:11
Unknown
Because the processed foods, processed foods are a killer.

00:11:24:11 – 00:11:42:01
Unknown
And you know Claudia, and when I go in the stores, I know how to leave food labels. And I look at all the ingredients they have, all these ingredients. You need to have spent a year in that. But now, any time you don’t know how to pronounce it, most of the time, bait is not it not, is not as good for you.

00:11:42:03 – 00:12:08:18
Unknown
But as far as like like the healthy things, you know, summertime is good for blueberries and strawberries and blackberries, all the things down. Those are superfoods and healthy foods. No. Avocados. Because all the different lettuce and cucumbers are king, are white, and people are, but what it is, is all a preparation is all it going how you prepared food eggs?

00:12:08:18 – 00:12:29:08
Unknown
At first, I was a big fat a big fan of airplanes. Now I’m the airplane queen. Everybody was they made this like curry recipe, you know because I tried different things because for me it’s. And always tried things once. And I think Claudia the air because I’m vegan people always say, oh again is vegan. I lose weight.

00:12:29:09 – 00:12:56:03
Unknown
Is this food for everybody who’s listening? Attention, listeners, being bored is food. It’s food. It’s real food. It’s just no animal products or no dairy. But being food is food. You will not go hungry. Isn’t that weird? Quiet. Come out of your comfort zone. You don’t have to eat meat all day, every day. You don’t have to eat a piece of meat in your mouth.

00:12:56:03 – 00:13:05:12
Unknown
You don’t try different things. And I tell people, just try this, try, different things. You don’t do meat every day, do meat maybe every other day, or maybe do meat,

00:13:05:12 – 00:13:12:02
Unknown
maybe one once a week. Or do you do meat this Monday or whatever? This try to come and switch it up a little bit

00:13:12:02 – 00:13:14:18
Unknown
and be open to try new things.

00:13:14:21 – 00:13:38:17
Unknown
Definitely. I know it’s cookout season, right? So we’re about to enter that time when everyone wants to grill and they want to have all the sweets, and they may be doing the pie competitions and whatever else they can get their hands on. So it is going to be vital to to look at Whole Foods, the types of whole foods that you can bring to your family events to,

00:13:38:17 – 00:13:46:04
Unknown
contribute and how, you know, that’s going to impact everyone in your family and your journey and how you share that, that part of your journey with each other.

00:13:46:04 – 00:14:03:12
Unknown
so one of the things that you mentioned was the mental health journey and how we navigate things like depression and how the men in our lives navigate things like depression.

00:14:03:16 – 00:14:10:07
Unknown
So how do we how do we start to have those conversations with the men in our life

00:14:10:07 – 00:14:13:03
Unknown
It’s men’s health awareness. So I want to make sure that,

00:14:13:03 – 00:14:20:12
Unknown
we share with other women how they can be or be present for the men in their lives.

00:14:20:18 – 00:14:25:08
Unknown
But that’s a great question for you. Thank you for asking that. So women,

00:14:25:08 – 00:14:45:21
Unknown
let the men be vulnerable. Let them have the space to be vulnerable because people think that men’s poses is real; they don’t have any emotion. And all of that. But, you know, clearly they just like us, they human and they’ve always been taught, take it like a man, you know, don’t show any emotion.

00:14:45:21 – 00:15:05:14
Unknown
But it’s okay to show emotion. And I’m loving this generation them to be a they are embracing that. They are doing therapy. The younger generation, Gen Z, is a millennial. I love how God is doing, and they are really. Thank you for showing your vulnerability. And I always say to them, Claudia, they don’t want to talk to you.

00:15:05:16 – 00:15:23:11
Unknown
It’s a lot of men’s groups. It’s a lot of great men support group, you know, virtual and in-person. Whatever you do, that is probably talking to other men that are willing to some, you know, that are wanted to process that. I want to know some some of the similar journeys. But we have to understand that we have to let men be vulnerable.

00:15:23:13 – 00:15:45:20
Unknown
If a man wants to cry, let them cry. And when I see a man, for I have seen men in my life, I love it. I’ve had men reach out to me. When can I see therapy? Do you know how good that makes me feel? They say. They said no. I say where can I go for therapy? So I’ve given people references and I think that I think, I think that’s phenomenal that, that that’s phenomenal.

00:15:45:20 – 00:16:11:09
Unknown
But again, and even for women, I don’t want to discount women because sometimes women are to be hard to that black woman strong. But I want a strong. You know what? I’m sorry. I’m sorry.  I’m sorry. Sometimes everybody has everybody has a right to break down, to have a break through men, women, men, and women.

00:16:11:10 – 00:16:39:04
Unknown
Because sometimes it takes a breakdown to have a breakthrough. And we have to respect that and allow that. We have to have a place to be safe. We have to have a space to be vulnerable, and we have to have a space where they can talk and be themselves without any type of repercussions or any type of perception that they can’t because they sought help.

00:16:39:06 – 00:16:53:02
Unknown
Man it, you know, what’s up with that? We have to really allow that. And I’m glad the younger generation is doing that now, as the generation is really being taken, pay and paying attention to that. And I’m glad they have more resources.

00:16:53:02 – 00:16:59:10
Unknown
so I love that you mentioned that maybe it’s, it’s coming a little bit easier for the younger generation.

00:16:59:13 – 00:17:12:02
Unknown
and I want to know, you know, as someone I have I have two fathers, I have my step father and I have my biological father. And I often try to have these conversations with them. Right.

00:17:12:02 – 00:17:13:12
Unknown
And I’m wondering

00:17:13:12 – 00:17:16:06
Unknown
how I can almost meet them on their level,

00:17:16:06 – 00:17:22:21
Unknown
because it is more of a challenge to try to convince them,

00:17:22:21 – 00:17:24:12
Unknown
being able to be vulnerable

00:17:24:12 – 00:17:26:14
Unknown
So, how do we bridge that gap with

00:17:26:14 – 00:17:35:05
Unknown
our older generations? How do we bring them into this wider awareness that maybe it’s easier for the younger generations to get Ahold of?

00:17:35:05 – 00:17:43:06
Unknown
Well, I could be speaking of being a baby boomer, but, Claudia, you know what? We have to start having authentic conversations.

00:17:43:08 – 00:18:10:00
Unknown
a lot of the older generation is so much stuff on the road. A lot of stuff is available. And I my suggestion to you as far as your dating wisdom day, sit them down. Maybe you could sit down. sit down with them. Just say tell me. Tell me your story. Sometimes it just does. Is is not as simple, but maybe a question, but tell me about the story of what you know.

00:18:10:00 – 00:18:30:17
Unknown
Well, what were some of your challenges? What do you want to know? You know what I mean? Because a lot of times, Claudia, nobody has asked them how they grew up, you know, what was their story? You think about it. So for me, the men of my family, my, my oh, I mean, my uncle founded tell me the same thing.

00:18:30:17 – 00:18:50:12
Unknown
You know, later in life, you know, a lot of times, Claudia, the men, they were more vulnerable later, my Uncle George, you know, he’s passed away, but he was born of a vulnerable. And I said, thanks for being vulnerable because if because quality, number one, they have to feel, you have to make them feel comfortable is speaking first and foremost.

00:18:50:12 – 00:19:19:09
Unknown
You gotta you gotta make that make make that set uncomfortable. Just can’t come at them. Just be natural. Hey, you know what? You see how up for real? This this is this is like this just, you know, just just make it comfortable. Or even Claudia, maybe give him a book, a journal. So they lay down and, you know, want to talk my device of things down, and we can go over.

00:19:19:11 – 00:19:42:03
Unknown
Maybe we could discuss that. Or, like you don’t us don’t we? Could they talk about you, Mom? I hear you like. Yeah, maybe you like it. You can keep that between the two of you, but that this is not going out here in the YouTube universe. This is what our universe. Because I want to see, you know, how you grew up.

00:19:42:05 – 00:20:19:11
Unknown
What would you what were your challenges? What do you see for me in the future? Because a lot of times, Claudia, men and boys, followed by example. So if they’re seeing men, they dads, uncles, fathers, I mean, that is being uptight and now vulnerable and not showing. And they have to say anything that’s been, you know, like you say, showing a vulnerability, how you think they want me now think about it.

00:20:19:13 – 00:20:40:19
Unknown
And it is generational, the trauma, because you don’t even know what’s going to come out. And a lot of people have gone through trauma like generational. Yeah. That, that, that is still that is still locked in their hearts and locked in they soul and locked in a spirit. And maybe you can one that can open that.

00:20:40:23 – 00:20:41:15
Unknown
Future.

00:20:41:15 – 00:20:42:19
Unknown
So I have

00:20:42:19 – 00:20:45:01
Unknown
I have one final question for you.

00:20:45:01 – 00:20:49:08
Unknown
and then if you have any takeaways that you want to make sure that the audience receives,

00:20:49:08 – 00:21:03:20
Unknown
what importance and value do you see when it comes to sisterhood? I think is often there’s the perception of like the hardened or the tough or the strong black woman.

00:21:03:22 – 00:21:18:23
Unknown
But I think there’s also, especially in the younger generation, I see this, this perception of women often being pitted against each other or extremely competitive with each other rather than elevating each other. There’s,

00:21:18:23 – 00:21:31:04
Unknown
the withholding of information and care and storytelling and journey telling because it this is for me, you know, and it’s hard for people to share.

00:21:31:06 – 00:21:49:03
Unknown
So what has been your journey when I’ve just come to sisterhood, how has that impacted your journey and how can we support the women in our community? That is that’s an excellent question with Claudia. You know, coming up, we don’t have social media.

00:21:49:03 – 00:21:56:20
Unknown
First and foremost, we do not have social media. So our whole communication was different. Everything was impersonal on the phone.

00:21:56:20 – 00:22:22:21
Unknown
It wasn’t the that absent what we do is the Facebook or Tik Tok and all of that due to it wasn’t all that, it was the actual human interaction for me personally, I do have a sisterhood. I’m very I’m extremely fortunate to have sisterhood in my life. I have I have groups, I have different groups of sisterhood. I have women I’ve grown, I’ve grown up with.

00:22:22:21 – 00:22:46:15
Unknown
I have my fitness community, I have people, I have friends who have formed a decade. You know, this is just for me. And I have the leading me who have become my friends now. But, Claudia, unfortunately, as I say, unfortunately, social media sometimes is a fraud, and people can’t be authentic to that because they have the Hannah post.

00:22:46:17 – 00:23:00:20
Unknown
So that’s going to be it’s not hard, but we just have to teach. We have to just show people that we all are in this journey together. And, like I said, that strong black woman,

00:23:00:20 – 00:23:09:19
Unknown
situation that goes for black women. So we got to get rid of that, that dialog because yes, we can we can pull it out.

00:23:09:21 – 00:23:33:13
Unknown
but it’s also okay to be vulnerable, and it’s also okay for us to be in a group. It’s okay for us to cry is okay for us to laugh together. It is okay for us to share our stories is okay for us. And, you know, and with the younger people. To Claudia again, the sisterhood, a lot of times I see I grew up with my mother, and they have friends.

00:23:33:15 – 00:23:57:12
Unknown
They always have circles of friends. So a lot of times, Claudia, I grew up with that. So for me, I had a circle. So a lot of people did not see their cards with circles of friends. So a lot of times and then with a lot of times with the anxiety and depression and different other types of social illnesses, mental health situations, you know, it’s going to be a little difficult.

00:23:57:15 – 00:24:20:23
Unknown
And then the bullying aspect is real, the bullying aspect. So a lot of people now are not going to feel comfortable really going out to reach out because of their vulnerabilities. And maybe they might be bullied or not. Like for whatever reason or not, in the clique. Yeah. So we just have to teach. We just have to teach them what we have.

00:24:21:01 – 00:24:45:21
Unknown
We have to teach our ladies. Love yourself first so that you are loved. You are loved by yourself, with yourself, and for yourself. And once you have to have those affirmations. You have to say those affirmations for you. Do affirmations, maybe add some meditation, maybe add some breathwork, add some things that have been not additional in the past.

00:24:45:22 – 00:25:16:15
Unknown
Have some things to make to be focused. Focus on pulling your inner being and maybe instead, you know, keep your journal, start the drawing that you’re doing is don’t keep your journals, write down things, and maybe, start a club. You could even start if you don’t want to give; you want to be in person. You understand? Do journey, do x y and leverage majority, or do like like if you want to be more intimate, do a zone, do a go, do something, or do some type of virtual journaling classes.

00:25:16:16 – 00:25:35:00
Unknown
Don’t do like do like a rap session. Hey girls, this girl’s rap time, ladies’ rap time was had, you know, different things than we have to think we have. We have to go. We have. We have to hit the mediums and the platforms and where they are and where you think they were. They were the best. We seem to have information,

00:25:35:00 – 00:25:50:04
Unknown
Is there anything that you would like to make sure our audience like? Key takeaways. What specifically should our audience take away from this call? What should they carry with them? What should be their next move?

00:25:50:08 – 00:25:51:22
Unknown
Your next move is

00:25:51:22 – 00:26:09:14
Unknown
where do you see yourself? But sometimes people always, you know, you go on job interviews and people talking about people always ask, where do you want to be in five years? Well, you know, I say when I tell them, I mean, I don’t even know where I want to be in five days. This. See this; see where you want to be.

00:26:09:16 – 00:26:28:06
Unknown
Set yourself up, do goals. But don’t I always say, don’t make goals so unrealistic that they’re not attainable? What do you want to be in a week? What do you want to be in a month? When you want to be a three month, three months, what do you want to be in that months? But clearly, everybody’s journey is not designed that.

00:26:28:08 – 00:27:07:13
Unknown
And I recognize that. And I know for me, like you, it clearly I made that U-turn when I dropped my car. That was that was that was it for me. And I tell people everybody has a different body at that moment than you. Term was my bottom, the rise to the top. So I tell people, when you are ready, you will know when you’re ready. You will take action, but know when you’re ready, there are support systems out here that can help you attain your wellness journey, your health journey, your fitness journey, and your eating journey we have looked at food as medicine.

00:27:07:13 – 00:27:30:00
Unknown
Food is the way to heal our soul and our body and not just to eat. Think of it like that and think of exercise as oh my gosh, I gotta exercise. But think of exercise as a as a part of your movement, of your movement active of your mental movement. It is, it is, it is or not. Also visible is a mental movement.

00:27:30:04 – 00:27:51:05
Unknown
The exercise begins like that. And you can start slow and work your way up. Because I think a lot of times people see people working out like they have lost their mind. But no sudden slow is levels for everybody to be successful in their journey. Thank you for all you, thank you, thank you so much. Medicine.