We are going to take you on a Detox Adventure with @NickySaysYolo from South Florida! We are truly inspired by her fabulous lifestyle, and happy to dive in behind the scenes to learn more about her recent detox!
Inspired Living W/NickySaysYolo:
Q: Where are you from, and where do you live now?
A: I’m a yaadi hail from Kingston, JA. I live in Fort Lauderdale, FL now.
Q: How do you think your location has impacted your health + wellness?
A: I don’t think location has to do with health/wellness, it’s about the education of health/wellness/awareness. You can live anywhere but it’s the education & knowing thy body & how to nourish it. I’ve driven 45-55 miles for my fav dairy-free parfait to the beautiful fruit stands in Homestead especially when that fruit is in season. Niche “Health” grocery stores may not be in your neighborhood but most major grocery stores have the resources to live a “healthy” lifestyle. To me, it’s a choice and discipline.
Q: What inspired you to do a fast?
A: I’ve done fasts in the past. Haha that rhymes. but the last fast I did was 2009 and kinda fell off. I started reading “We Are Not The Same: The Melanin Lifestyle Guide for Nutrition, Mental, & Spiritual Well-Being” by Shaneequewa Samuels. She spoke it’s essential to do a Physiological escape starting with a fast. And that’s how my fast started on 6/28.
Q: Was this your first fast, and if not, when was your first time fasting?
A: My 1st Fast was in 2007. I actually did the “Master Cleanse” by Stanley Burrough for 8 days.
Q: What did your fast consist of?
A: The last fast I did consisted of just spring water.
Q: Were there any steps that you took in preparation of the fast?
A: Mental preparation. I’ve done it before and know it’s difficult. It ultimately boils down to self-discipline.
Q: What did you enjoy most about the fast?
A: Being in control and feeling I'm doing something great for my body, especially giving my digestive system a break. Felt great knowing I’m giving my body a break to reset.
Q: What was your least favorite aspect of the fast?
A: The hunger pangs. Had to mentally block those.
Q: Can you give us a brief day by day overview of how you felt + what you experienced during the fasting period?
A: Day 1 -2: Super excited. Work usually keeps me busy till 6pm, so that was my distraction. After 6pm, I would work out till 8pm. Then read/blog and go to sleep.
Day 3-4: That’s when it was hitting me. I was super hungry but stood firm. I did become light headed at times and a bit spaced out. I remember waking up at 4am and feeling so weak. Must admit I got scared and was concerned about my vitals.
Day 5: Was the last day. I wanted to do 7 but, oh well! Lol. Another time. Afterwards Is when I began the raw fruits/veggies and began juicing.
Q: What are some of the essentials that one would need to have on-hand during a fast like this?
A: The only essential is water, meditation, distraction and self-control. However, if you have underlying issues or on medication, I would consult with a doctor.
Q: Would you recommend this particular fast to others, and why?
A: Yes. It’s a self discipline that shows how important your body/temple is to YOU. It’s a sacred moment between you, your body, mind, psyche, and Physiological journey that should always be practiced. The hunger pangs are trying to control what should enter the body BUT the discipline comes from the heart, mind and soul b/c it knows what’s best.
Q: Would you do this fast again + why or why not?
A: Yes! Definitely because it such a great feeling inside and out. FOOD will always be there - just like traveling will always be there in this covid situation. But will your health?
Q: How are you feeling now that the fast is over?
A: The fast is over but I’m still pretty much on a raw fruit/veggie/juicing journey. It’s been about 4 weeks now. I’ll start to incorporate “hot” foods in about a week. I feel AUHsum!
Q:What is the most fun thing you have ever done in your life?
A: Hmmm good question. Let’s see.... wow this have me really thinking Besides shopping and getting a good deal, I would say traveling to Medellin, Colombia. Narcos was a top show I enjoyed on Netflix and I was able to travel to that region where the events took place, visited a foster home and the kids that was a result of the narcos events. I realized There aren’t a lot of “afro-Colombians” in Medellin, so didn’t see a lot of me. I was like a foreigner to them and all they wanted to do was touch my fro especially riding in the Chiva bus. Hahaha that was fun. But there was one afro-Colombian boy at the foster home. And I was so happy to see him!
As You can imagine I spoke little Spanish and he spoke little English but we were both fascinated to see each other. It was like we were trying to figure out “our lives” and what it was like with me living in the USA and he in Colombia. I was the only black person on the trip with a group of Euro-Hispanics and Whites. And he was the only black with Euro-Hispanics at the home. I told him “yo soy Hamaican”. He’s like “ah hamaican! But you sound American.” Yea, I know, I know. Will never forget him and all the other kids. ️
Q: What is the least fun thing you have ever done in your life?
A: Oil changes. Changing tires cause of a damn nail! Doing laundry and cleaning. And paddle boarding. I couldn’t control it and drifted out & spazzed out. Was so much upper body work. Was so sore the next day. Was just so happy to make it back to shore.
Q: If you could workout with anyone from the past or present, who would you choose to get fit with?
A: Another good question, not sure. lol!
Q: What is your favorite food + why?
A: Love anything with beans/peas/lentils. My go to is hummus anything! But it’s gotta be the right hummus. Lol. Oh and avocado anything! 🤤
Q: What is your idea of the perfect morning, please describe?
A: Not thinking about the potential stresses that may just happen during the day... But other than that, would be stretching, running, making tea or smoothie, plugging in and answering emails lol.
Q: What is your favorite color and aroma, and what do they remind you of?
A: Fav color is yellow (or red). Flip back/forth every now and then but right now it’s yellow. Reminds me of a sunflower and optimism. Aroma would be a pineapple.
Q: If you could change one thing about this world, what would it be?
A: Not to judge based on skin-color/looks. If we were made to be prejudice/racist solely on “skin-color/looks”, we would have been living on sep planets but our Higher Power put us on this planet to share with each other... so... why does one race feel superior to the other? Why is beauty judged? Who is the judge of beauty? It’s all man-made UP.
Tell us a bit about yourself, your mission/purpose + anything else you may want to share:
Still understanding my purpose and mission on this planet but always going in whatever direction the path takes me. I’m still learning and right now my mission is to “self-teach” to gain more knowledge. There’s no such thing as too much knowledge and I just want to overload on it.
We are so grateful to Nicky for sharing all of this amazing information with us, giving us a clearer insight into fasting and what it consists of! She is also the Founder of @2FroChicksOfficial, and she describes herself as an adventurous, foodie, media exec. Be sure to check out @NickySaysYolo on Instagram + Youtube!