LaTonya Neely is part of the healthy lifestyle and gardening community in the St Louis area. She has partnered with several organizations in Missouri and Texas to educate families on the importance of eating food that is nutritional to the body and the mind.
“We go to the doctor and wonder why our numbers aren’t what we would like them to be, it’s because of what we are eating,” Neely said.
Neely’s book, “Simple Changes for Your Healthy Mind and Relationship,” informs readers how food can heal every aspect of life. It focuses on the health issue of fibroids and also touches on other illnesses.
Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors in the uterus. Symptoms depend on the size and location of the fibroids. In most of the cases, they can be detected during a routine pelvic examination.
Her book offers “not only a view of my experience with fibroids, but it also gives a history of my experience with eating different types of food and just changing my lifestyle based on health issues,” she said.
Neely’s path to publishing began with her personal journey with fibroids.
“There was a time when I was working when I didn’t feel my best, and when I called my doctor to ask what my options were, the conversation wasn’t empathetic at all,” she said. “I talked it over with my husband and it kept going back to what I ate even though the physician immediately wanted to go into surgery and prescribe medication instead of directing me in a holistic way.”
Neely has had the opportunity to facilitate workshops and programs with other wellness advocates focusing on the well-being of Black families who are affected by food deserts and by racial inequality in economic and medical concerns.
“I was introduced to a young lady named Kelly McGowan who was focusing on healthy schools and healthy communities in 2017,” she said. “My interaction with her was through a panel group of about 14 moms.”
The purpose of the panel was to discuss how we can make a change in our healthy habits, patterns that families have moved away from for convenience, according to Neely.
“In this panel, she discussed what was going on in the North County area and how we could be a voice for our community,” Neely said.
From there, Neely along with McGowan were able to facilitate a six-week program with at least 10 moms and a max of 20 for three years.
“These were free programs we provided for the moms and their families where they learned how to prepare healthy meals, grocery shop, [watch] calories [and] sodium intake, and other things that we take for granted,” she said.
Neely also works with the YMCA on different programs to share information on learning about what to eat and how it affects you emotionally and physically.
“Everybody’s body is different. When you pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you, you’ll be healthier,” Neely said.