November 21, 2023 • 26 mins
Have you ever struggled with managing my health while trying to excel in a demanding career? Absolutely. In this episode, I'll take you through my personal journey, sharing the highs and lows of my water fasting experience and the remarkable impact it had on my energy levels.
I'll also emphasize the importance of self-care and health optimization, highlighting the consequences of neglecting well-being for the sake of professional pursuits. Let's explore strategies together, such as reducing sugar intake and making healthier food choices.
So, join me in committing to reclaiming our health - our most precious asset.
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Hosted by Uche Njoku, this podcast explores the intersection of education, leadership, and personal growth. Each episode offers insights, inspiration, and real talk about the challenges and opportunities in schools and beyond.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
So it's four o'clock in the morning and I've been up
since about three o'clock and Ifeel weird.
I've been eating in 24 hoursand my head feels very, very
clear.
(00:21):
Let's talk about this.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
When they see me, they know that every day, when
I'm breathing, it's for us to gofarther.
Every time I speak, I want thetruth to come out.
Every time I speak, I want toshiver.
I don't want them to be like.
They know what I'm going to saybecause it's polite.
They know what I'm going to sayand even if I get in trouble,
that ain't what we're supposedto do.
I'm not saying I'm going torule the world or I'm going to
(00:45):
change the world, but Iguarantee that I will spark the
brain that will change the world, and that's our job is to spark
somebody else watching us.
We might not be the ones, butlet's not be selfish.
And because we're not going tochange the world, let's not talk
about how we should change it.
I don't know how to change it,but I know if I keep talking
about how dirty it is out here,somebody going to clean it up,
(01:12):
and now he's been promoted.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
His job principle.
That's it, good morning y'all.
This is Uchain Joku's Nikaprinciple, and let me adjust my
mic here real quick.
Okay, it's four o'clock in themorning, so I don't want to be
too loud, don't wake up the kids, so let's just get to it.
(01:36):
I'm doing water fast.
I'm not sure if I'm doing itcorrectly, but I'm doing it
water fast.
I've been thinking about doingthis for quite some time.
I've done juice fast.
I've done.
I did do one dry fast 24 hoursmonths ago and I think I was
(01:57):
just like I was in a bad mood.
So I was like you know, I'm notgoing to eat anything.
You know how you use mad andyou just like I'm not hungry and
I found myself going to 24hours.
So it was unintentional.
But right now what I'm doing isI am intentionally it's taken
me a while, but I'mintentionally at a place where
I'm just like you know what Ineed to let my body rest.
(02:21):
As you all know, being a schoolleader, being in any kind of
position that requires a lot ofmental focus and just physical
exertion, you run yourself dry.
And then not only do you runyourself dry, you seek fuel at
the most unopportuned times.
(02:42):
So what the options are for youare usually not the best things
for you to consume and as aleader, as someone who is in the
space of having to be in yourtip top shape, especially
mentally.
The things that you put intoyour body will have an impact on
everything else, especially ifyou get into a certain age where
(03:06):
you know you have miles on you.
Listen, I know I got miles onme.
I'm 47.
So for me, I have to be really,I have to try to be better.
Excuse me, that was nasty.
I do apologize.
I did not intend to burp on themic and I wish I could cut that
(03:27):
earlier, but I'm not going toedit it.
It is what it is.
This is real life.
So if those of you whodiscussed it and unfollow me, I
apologize.
I love you all and until nexttime.
But for those of you who stillhere, I'm sorry.
I literally have not eaten in 24hours.
I'm right now having someJasmine tea.
It's not food, it's justliterally Jasmine leaves in hot
(03:48):
water just to help with my, Ithink, kidney functions.
I just thought I was toldJasmine was good for it and my
doctor told me to like make sureto drink as much dash mt as
possible.
A year and a half ago, and Ithink I've had Jasmine tea maybe
10 times in that time, but I'mtrying to do better.
But yeah, so I've been tryingto figure out how to best get
(04:17):
control of my overall health.
I don't consume as many caloriesas I used to, but the problem
is the purity of the caloriesthat I consume are an issue.
I think it's the same thing fora lot of us.
Let's be honest to you.
If you listen to this right nowand you are a school leader and
I'll be honest with you againI'm gonna say it again my
(04:37):
podcast speaks primarily tothose who are interested in what
I'm having to say.
What tends to be a lot ofeducators, a lot of school
leaders or people of like mind,and I'm gonna say this those of
us not profession are often someof the most unhealthiest people
.
We just are and we blameeverything from my time and
(05:01):
options around us and all theother things, but we're very
unhealthy and by the time we tryto fix it, sometimes it's too
late or we find ourselvesstruggling.
Those of you who know mepersonally know at one point in
time I was over 350 pounds and Iam on a very, very good day
(05:25):
five nine, five nine and likethree quarter inches.
But, with that being said, itrequires, not requires, but with
that being said, being thatweight and that height was not
good for me.
(05:45):
Allow that weight got packed onabout 70 pounds.
I was about 70 pounds roughly,give or take what packed on
during the initial years of mycareer as an educator.
I was a dean.
I was running around and Iwould tell myself there is no
time to eat, but I would beeating.
I'd run down to the food truck,grab two or three burritos big
(06:07):
burritos maybe there might be apizza and teacher's lounge.
I would go have a couple ofslices, like it was always the
most unhealthiest things.
But a lot of it had to do withthe fact that in my mind I was
prioritizing the job over myhealth.
And what ended up happening isone day I woke up and I had a 44
, 45 waistline.
I was wearing a 52, 50 footjacket.
(06:27):
I was doing everything that Idid not want to be.
But then also I'd wake up inthe morning and my first steps
out of bed would be likepinpricks or I would sit down,
driving and a 45 minute drive,30 minute drive, come out of the
(06:51):
car, my waist, my knees,everything would ache.
And what I found out later on?
These were precursors to, Ithink, type two diabetes.
Then there's not even talkingabout my blood pressure and
hypertension and all thesedifferent things that were
happening all at the same time.
I was pushing through, I wasbuilding a career.
(07:12):
I was deemed my first year inpublic education.
By my third or fourth year Iwas like I was administrator,
intern, and then, by my sixthyear, I was assistant principal.
So from 2005 to 2011,.
(07:32):
Six years, I was assistantprincipal by 2016.
Now, by 2015, I was a year awayfrom being a principal and
that's when, like all the stuffhit the fan and I decided you
know what, I gotta take actionand do.
A lot of things that happen.
And if those of you who'veheard any of my stories or any
of my previous episodes episodesago I had, I got to the point
(07:57):
where I have to have bariatricsurgery.
Doctors told me hey, listen,right now you don't have too
many options and your body isnot gonna be, it's not handling
all this weight.
And so I got cut open.
My stomach is churning, turnedto south of the banana and I
lost a lot of weight reallyquickly.
But you would think that wouldbe it right, but it wasn't.
(08:20):
It was what it happening waswhat ends up.
What ends up happening for a lotof people is in time you
stretch your back out again.
In time your body Can adjust ifyou do not stop or make a huge
life lifestyle change.
And I know people who have, whohave gone down to like 160s,
(08:43):
170s, who balloon back up topushing 300 again.
I didn't want that.
My doctor told me that my dealweight because of my body
composition and I carry a lot ofmuscle Is that I'm 225.
He was like I think that'sgonna be good for you and I got
down as low as 187 or 86, butwith time and Kids and
(09:10):
everything on life and stress, Ipop back up to about 240.
But that 240 happened aboutthree or four years later and I
had to like in my mind also waita minute, I do not want to go
back there again.
So now I'm kind of like back toto I'm 225, maybe a little bit
like 225, which is what thedoctor me should be ideal.
(09:30):
But the one thing is in my mindmy body doesn't feel like 225
side deal.
I feel like I should be lighter, like my body is like telling
me like this this is doable, butthis is not ideal.
So I've been thinking my mind.
How do I bring my weight down?
How do I do it in a way thatnot only it's not even by losing
(09:51):
weight, that's about optimizingmy health and, um, you know, I
go, I'm always, I'm aroundeducators all the time and I
know we all deal with thishealth situation and and weight
and things of that nature.
As a matter of fact, today Ihave a principles meeting I'm
going to for my district andwe're a day or so out from out
(10:15):
from Thanksgiving.
So I know there's gonna be alot of food there today.
It's gonna be great tocelebrations and all that stuff,
and I just wrapped up a fullday of of fasting, which I'm not
talking about in more detail.
But today I know when I getthere, there's going to be um,
there's going to be Food andthings like that.
And people ask how can we noteating?
You know that's a big sabotage.
(10:36):
I said how can we not eating?
No, this is good, you can trysome of this, but um, I'm, I'm
not, you, I'm not gonna beeating.
I'm a little nervous because inmy brain is wanting to say I'm
doing a intermittent fast or I'mmaking healthy choices, and
what?
Nothing to say, I'm not eatinganything at all After have not
eaten anything in 24 hours.
So I'm gonna deal with thattoday.
(11:01):
But, however, the thing them I'mreading, the emphasis I'm
trying to make in this, thispodcast episode, is the fact
that we have to do better.
Educators, those we listen tome, teachers, principals,
assistant principal,superintendents, anyone who
listens to me, like if you havea little bulge in that, in that
belly or that, look those lovehandles, or you have those tie
(11:23):
flat, those flaps, your arms,these are not, these are not
good things.
And it's also not a matter ofoh, this is how I'm built on
being bold and all other stuff.
It's nonsense.
The fact that matters.
You're carrying body fat thatinfects body fat that eventually
can Cost a lot of harm to yourbody, and a lot of that we carry
(11:46):
is a byproduct of, of theEnormous amount of sugar that we
consume, even if it's not sweetsugar, but sugar is put in all
of our foods, all these thingswe consume.
That just makes us just, youknow, you know, makes us
unhealthy and makes us sick, andthat's been.
(12:07):
My concern is, like I'm 47.
I'm 225 right now.
Oh, like I said, I got waymyself today, but I know that
this I could be better.
So I've been coming across thiswhole notion of of doing a
water fast, and this is whereyou just don't eat anything but
just drink water and the thingis, eventually, I want to do it
(12:30):
dry fast.
They're doing a dry fast thatyou drink nothing.
Your body will Create the waterit needs, you know, and allows
you about optimizing and gettingthis fuel from your body fat,
but I'm not there yet.
Mentally I'm not there yet.
So what I was, what I want todo, is just do my water fast and
what those of you interested inmy water fast, what this looks
like.
I'm drinking water throughoutthe day.
(12:53):
However, I'm just amodification.
I'm making this.
I know me and I know that I'min time.
I will wane away from thesethings.
In the morning, I do have mycoffee.
You know I'm driving into work,I get a small coffee.
I got a large coffee yesterday.
In the coffee I think I got toomany To maybe half, maybe three
(13:14):
quarters of it.
I do the large cup, so damn isgonna get a regular size coffee,
just black, nothing, no sugar,no milk, just coffee.
And when I get to work, I have abig canister where I just put
some hydration, some umhydration, but um, some, um,
what you call those things isgonna come to me.
But you know, um, electrolytesis a little powder.
(13:36):
Electrolytes that's like zerocalories, zero everything.
It's just my thing.
Everything has to be zeroed out.
There's no calories in there.
Put it into the water and Ijust put it all day and honestly
, it's crazy.
I thought I was gonna, I wasgonna crash yesterday and
everything else, but, um, I Madeit to yesterday.
I actually pretty well Like Iwas energized.
(13:56):
You know, there were momentswhere my brain was the hey, food
.
I was in the cafeteria andthere's pizza day and when the
privileges have been theprincipal was like you got to
try out the food, right, so Iwas like my, but my feet started
working towards the to sort thecafeteria window to get some
pizza.
I know that way you're fasting,but getting yesterday's just
there was my PPO, my principalperformance observation.
(14:18):
So I was so busy that I didn'tthink about it.
But at the end of the day Ididn't feel the typical crash
that I would originally have andI think that has to do with the
fact that my gut was resting,my stomach wasn't digesting, so
all the blood flow wasn't goingto my stomach to digest, those
Going to my brain to function.
So which was which is?
(14:40):
Which was a good thing.
I got home, I thought to myself.
No no, I left one, left work.
My usual habit is go to theboat.
They go across the street andget some, um, some vinegar, sea
salt chips and Maybe a patellitoDidn't happen because I told
myself no, which I got this babysmack myself.
What are you doing?
You're not gonna go get that.
(15:01):
Those chips got in a car, drovehome.
I got home and, and, um, Iwalked in the house, those curly
food, those cooked, and Ismelled good.
But I was like, nah, I'm good.
So what did I do?
I, I, I wanna lie.
(15:25):
I'll be honest with you.
I did have an eye cap.
I had to because I was like mybrain needs to slow down.
But I started thinking aboutfood and everything else, and
maybe there's sugar in the othersugar.
I did have about that muchwhiskey and some ice in there,
yes, and a dog beverage.
But I went to bed.
(15:46):
I had a little bit of heartburnmaybe it was from the whiskey,
and I had two tums and so Iguess I did have some calories.
Damn, but I'm not gonna stop.
But I went to bed, woke, andthen this morning I woke up at
2.30, and I had to lay in bed,made my sustained bed 2.30, and
(16:10):
here I am right now and I'mright awake.
That's why I'm making thispodcast right now.
Honestly, if I can, if I canget up like this every morning
and make my podcast in themorning before I start my day,
this y'all will get episodesevery single day, but we'll see
about that.
But yeah, so this is my earlymorning rant all over the place
(16:33):
about my fast.
And here I am right now and I'mabout to book another day.
I have a principles meeting at,I think, eight o'clock, maybe
nine.
There's probably gonna be foodthere which I am praying that I
don't get tempted and don'ttouch.
So I can just focus, not focus.
But I wanna focus on the fast.
(16:54):
I just wanna focus on what Ihave to do and the work I have
to do.
Tomorrow's supposed to be apotluck for our school and I'm
not even sure if we're ready forit.
So I'm gonna talk to mysecretary, my parent coordinator
and see and my parentcoordinator see what's happening
.
I might have to supplement foodwith stuff from outside, but
it's all good.
But this is what my brain isright now and I'll tell you this
(17:16):
the best part so far of 24hours of not eating any food is
the fact that I feelclear-headed, like even right
now.
I'm looking at my eyes on thescreen.
I feel awake, like I feel awake, which is weird, because I've
been coming off fog for days andweeks and 24 hours.
(17:44):
And it's funny because whenyou're fasting anyone who's ever
done a water fast, dry fast,even intermittent fasting in the
beginning you have that firstday you're all over the place,
but you're just like your body'sfighting you.
And then day two usually sucksand that's what I'm worried
about.
Today is usually sucks.
But you're the hunger kicks inand your instincts, your habits
(18:11):
kick in and all of a suddenyou're like ugh, I gotta eat
something.
What are you doing?
Like?
This is not necessary andthat's my concern and maybe I'll
be honest with you, this is whyI'm making this video right now
.
This is why I'm making thisvideo and so I'm posting it
because I want people to ask mehow did day two go?
Because I'll be honest with you, I'm not confident.
I'm gonna make it past day two,but it's all good.
(18:32):
It's all good, I'm gonna drivethrough and I'm gonna do for
y'all.
Just ask, check upon me please,because I don't wanna come on
him.
But yeah, I fell and I wassitting in the corner eating 12
dozen duck and donuts because Icouldn't hack it.
But, all jokes aside, I'm doingthis again for my overall
(18:54):
health.
I'm 47 years old, I have twokids and, um, I want to do
everything I can to put to givemyself an advantage of just
being healthy.
I can't control what happensday to day, we can't control
that, but we can make choices.
That helps, you know, tobenefit us in the long run.
(19:16):
I pulled up this, this littlething that though it's pretty
interesting.
It says the and I'm gonna endthis video with this.
It says the benefits of waterfasting May treat hypertension.
My reserve, my may reverse type2 diabetes.
May improve heart health.
May reduce your risk of severaldiseases.
One of the things I think I'vecome across is about cancer that
(19:39):
when you're not eating and yourbody has to resort to, to
Creatance or energy or it does,it happen to your fat storage
and it's useless.
As for fuel, the other thing itdoes to your body starts to
Consume dead cells or abnormalcells.
So there's been this has beenit's been said that especially
(20:03):
dry fast Push your body into aplace where it will literally
attack the bad cells in yourbody, especially the cells that
may lead to cancer, and it couldreduce your chances of getting
cancer up to by 70 percent,which I think is it's incredible
.
You know my body was made notto sit around and consume food
and you know it wasn't.
(20:23):
Our bodies were made made To beout in the world
hunter-gatherer.
You know, running away fromtigers and hiding and and
walking in search of food andeating for the intention of of
Eating fuel to be able to work.
One of the best examples I'veever heard about about food is
(20:47):
think about a lion.
Think about how big a lion is.
If you saw a lion walkingthrough you right now, you'd run
but you'd be like, damn, that's, that's not gonna kill me, but
that's.
It's a huge, majestic lion.
Whether it's a male or female,they're big beasts.
But, they said, the mostdangerous, the easiest time to
take a lion After it's, afterit's eaten.
So when a blinds, belly fulllaying there and lazy, that's
(21:12):
the easiest time to take it out.
Now, the most dangerous time ofthe lion is when it's hungry,
it's focused, it's fast it.
You know it would chase youdown, it would exert every
energy it can to get that nextmeal.
So that's why I'm blinds tendto look the way they look their
muscular.
They're strong, the pipe intigers, you know.
But down, human beings, what dowe do?
(21:34):
We have access, so much foodthat we don't have to hunt for
anything.
We just consume, consume,consume, and we're always full.
We have breakfast, lunch anddinner and we will do three
thousand five thousand eightthousand calories in one day and
we just get big and big and big.
And guess what?
We're vulnerable.
Let that like that line who'sfull?
You know the things in thisworld that would take us out.
(21:55):
We've made it easy for them totake us out, that's what's very
important to really assess yourhealth and make the right
decisions and also develop theVM tolerance that not tolerance,
but the discipline you know, tonot let yourself go overboard,
to not engorge yourself, toreally slow down.
(22:16):
And unless I'm sitting heretalking to you guys, I'm newly
looking in the camera, tongue tomyself, reminding myself, and
I'm gonna say I'm proud ofmyself.
I, from two, three, fifty, yes,I had surgery and all that, but
still to still be able tomaintain where I'm at right now,
that's a huge blessing.
But now it's time for me toreally, you know, get to.
I do wait.
(22:37):
My goal has always been 176.
I know people look at me like176.
That's crazy, baram.
I got to 187, 186.
I was 10 pounds away and I'lltell you this, it was the
healthiest ever being.
I felt light, I felt strong, Ijust felt great and I was like
what the heck is this?
Because, also, it was an idealspace for me.
(23:00):
I was hella muscular, hellaripped, but it was just.
I just felt, mentally, feltgood, and that's what I want,
what I want to get back to.
If I get back to it, great,that'll be amazing.
If I don't, it's okay.
The thing is this I just wantto be an optimized weight to
maintain the best healthpossible.
All right, y'all, I just wantedto make this video.
(23:22):
Please call me accountable.
I know this is diverges from myusual videos lately, but take
care of yourself.
Your health is utmost priority.
New leaders, don't get caughtup.
Prioritize your health.
Do not let yourself get stuckwith this whole notion of like
(23:44):
it comes to the territory by nottaking care of yourself.
Get to the gym, workout, putthem sneakers on.
If I mean, some of you are likeso anti-sneakers, but listen,
if putting sneakers on means youwalk more in your building and
you're able to run around and upand down the stairs, then do
that, whatever it takes to stayhealthy, because, again, this
life is short.
No matter what happens.
(24:06):
If you drop today, somethinghappens to you.
You know, in order to be ableto function, you will be
replaced.
You will be replaced quickly,trust me, and in time, people
would.
You would just be in memory andin time you'd be forgotten.
I mean, it's a simple fact.
So why not take care ofyourself and maximize your
health right now?
That's I mean, that's just.
(24:30):
I think it's just smart, smart.
Optimize your health, take careof yourself and be your best
self, I think.
All right, y'all.
This is Uche N' Jo, who's NikaPrincipal.
Until next time, be well.
So it's four o'clock in the morning and I've been up
since about three o'clock and Ifeel weird.
I've been eating in 24 hoursand my head feels very, very
clear.
(00:21):
Let's talk about this.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
When they see me, they know that every day, when
I'm breathing, it's for us to gofarther.
Every time I speak, I want thetruth to come out.
Every time I speak, I want toshiver.
I don't want them to be like.
They know what I'm going to saybecause it's polite.
They know what I'm going to sayand even if I get in trouble,
that ain't what we're supposedto do.
I'm not saying I'm going torule the world or I'm going to
(00:45):
change the world, but Iguarantee that I will spark the
brain that will change the world, and that's our job is to spark
somebody else watching us.
We might not be the ones, butlet's not be selfish.
And because we're not going tochange the world, let's not talk
about how we should change it.
I don't know how to change it,but I know if I keep talking
about how dirty it is out here,somebody going to clean it up,
(01:12):
and now he's been promoted.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
His job principle.
That's it, good morning y'all.
This is Uchain Joku's Nikaprinciple, and let me adjust my
mic here real quick.
Okay, it's four o'clock in themorning, so I don't want to be
too loud, don't wake up the kids, so let's just get to it.
(01:36):
I'm doing water fast.
I'm not sure if I'm doing itcorrectly, but I'm doing it
water fast.
I've been thinking about doingthis for quite some time.
I've done juice fast.
I've done.
I did do one dry fast 24 hoursmonths ago and I think I was
(01:57):
just like I was in a bad mood.
So I was like you know, I'm notgoing to eat anything.
You know how you use mad andyou just like I'm not hungry and
I found myself going to 24hours.
So it was unintentional.
But right now what I'm doing isI am intentionally it's taken
me a while, but I'mintentionally at a place where
I'm just like you know what Ineed to let my body rest.
(02:21):
As you all know, being a schoolleader, being in any kind of
position that requires a lot ofmental focus and just physical
exertion, you run yourself dry.
And then not only do you runyourself dry, you seek fuel at
the most unopportuned times.
(02:42):
So what the options are for youare usually not the best things
for you to consume and as aleader, as someone who is in the
space of having to be in yourtip top shape, especially
mentally.
The things that you put intoyour body will have an impact on
everything else, especially ifyou get into a certain age where
(03:06):
you know you have miles on you.
Listen, I know I got miles onme.
I'm 47.
So for me, I have to be really,I have to try to be better.
Excuse me, that was nasty.
I do apologize.
I did not intend to burp on themic and I wish I could cut that
(03:27):
earlier, but I'm not going toedit it.
It is what it is.
This is real life.
So if those of you whodiscussed it and unfollow me, I
apologize.
I love you all and until nexttime.
But for those of you who stillhere, I'm sorry.
I literally have not eaten in 24hours.
I'm right now having someJasmine tea.
It's not food, it's justliterally Jasmine leaves in hot
(03:48):
water just to help with my, Ithink, kidney functions.
I just thought I was toldJasmine was good for it and my
doctor told me to like make sureto drink as much dash mt as
possible.
A year and a half ago, and Ithink I've had Jasmine tea maybe
10 times in that time, but I'mtrying to do better.
But yeah, so I've been tryingto figure out how to best get
(04:17):
control of my overall health.
I don't consume as many caloriesas I used to, but the problem
is the purity of the caloriesthat I consume are an issue.
I think it's the same thing fora lot of us.
Let's be honest to you.
If you listen to this right nowand you are a school leader and
I'll be honest with you againI'm gonna say it again my
(04:37):
podcast speaks primarily tothose who are interested in what
I'm having to say.
What tends to be a lot ofeducators, a lot of school
leaders or people of like mind,and I'm gonna say this those of
us not profession are often someof the most unhealthiest people
.
We just are and we blameeverything from my time and
(05:01):
options around us and all theother things, but we're very
unhealthy and by the time we tryto fix it, sometimes it's too
late or we find ourselvesstruggling.
Those of you who know mepersonally know at one point in
time I was over 350 pounds and Iam on a very, very good day
(05:25):
five nine, five nine and likethree quarter inches.
But, with that being said, itrequires, not requires, but with
that being said, being thatweight and that height was not
good for me.
(05:45):
Allow that weight got packed onabout 70 pounds.
I was about 70 pounds roughly,give or take what packed on
during the initial years of mycareer as an educator.
I was a dean.
I was running around and Iwould tell myself there is no
time to eat, but I would beeating.
I'd run down to the food truck,grab two or three burritos big
(06:07):
burritos maybe there might be apizza and teacher's lounge.
I would go have a couple ofslices, like it was always the
most unhealthiest things.
But a lot of it had to do withthe fact that in my mind I was
prioritizing the job over myhealth.
And what ended up happening isone day I woke up and I had a 44
, 45 waistline.
I was wearing a 52, 50 footjacket.
(06:27):
I was doing everything that Idid not want to be.
But then also I'd wake up inthe morning and my first steps
out of bed would be likepinpricks or I would sit down,
driving and a 45 minute drive,30 minute drive, come out of the
(06:51):
car, my waist, my knees,everything would ache.
And what I found out later on?
These were precursors to, Ithink, type two diabetes.
Then there's not even talkingabout my blood pressure and
hypertension and all thesedifferent things that were
happening all at the same time.
I was pushing through, I wasbuilding a career.
(07:12):
I was deemed my first year inpublic education.
By my third or fourth year Iwas like I was administrator,
intern, and then, by my sixthyear, I was assistant principal.
So from 2005 to 2011,.
(07:32):
Six years, I was assistantprincipal by 2016.
Now, by 2015, I was a year awayfrom being a principal and
that's when, like all the stuffhit the fan and I decided you
know what, I gotta take actionand do.
A lot of things that happen.
And if those of you who'veheard any of my stories or any
of my previous episodes episodesago I had, I got to the point
(07:57):
where I have to have bariatricsurgery.
Doctors told me hey, listen,right now you don't have too
many options and your body isnot gonna be, it's not handling
all this weight.
And so I got cut open.
My stomach is churning, turnedto south of the banana and I
lost a lot of weight reallyquickly.
But you would think that wouldbe it right, but it wasn't.
(08:20):
It was what it happening waswhat ends up.
What ends up happening for a lotof people is in time you
stretch your back out again.
In time your body Can adjust ifyou do not stop or make a huge
life lifestyle change.
And I know people who have, whohave gone down to like 160s,
(08:43):
170s, who balloon back up topushing 300 again.
I didn't want that.
My doctor told me that my dealweight because of my body
composition and I carry a lot ofmuscle Is that I'm 225.
He was like I think that'sgonna be good for you and I got
down as low as 187 or 86, butwith time and Kids and
(09:10):
everything on life and stress, Ipop back up to about 240.
But that 240 happened aboutthree or four years later and I
had to like in my mind also waita minute, I do not want to go
back there again.
So now I'm kind of like back toto I'm 225, maybe a little bit
like 225, which is what thedoctor me should be ideal.
(09:30):
But the one thing is in my mindmy body doesn't feel like 225
side deal.
I feel like I should be lighter, like my body is like telling
me like this this is doable, butthis is not ideal.
So I've been thinking my mind.
How do I bring my weight down?
How do I do it in a way thatnot only it's not even by losing
(09:51):
weight, that's about optimizingmy health and, um, you know, I
go, I'm always, I'm aroundeducators all the time and I
know we all deal with thishealth situation and and weight
and things of that nature.
As a matter of fact, today Ihave a principles meeting I'm
going to for my district andwe're a day or so out from out
(10:15):
from Thanksgiving.
So I know there's gonna be alot of food there today.
It's gonna be great tocelebrations and all that stuff,
and I just wrapped up a fullday of of fasting, which I'm not
talking about in more detail.
But today I know when I getthere, there's going to be um,
there's going to be Food andthings like that.
And people ask how can we noteating?
You know that's a big sabotage.
(10:36):
I said how can we not eating?
No, this is good, you can trysome of this, but um, I'm, I'm
not, you, I'm not gonna beeating.
I'm a little nervous because inmy brain is wanting to say I'm
doing a intermittent fast or I'mmaking healthy choices, and
what?
Nothing to say, I'm not eatinganything at all After have not
eaten anything in 24 hours.
So I'm gonna deal with thattoday.
(11:01):
But, however, the thing them I'mreading, the emphasis I'm
trying to make in this, thispodcast episode, is the fact
that we have to do better.
Educators, those we listen tome, teachers, principals,
assistant principal,superintendents, anyone who
listens to me, like if you havea little bulge in that, in that
belly or that, look those lovehandles, or you have those tie
(11:23):
flat, those flaps, your arms,these are not, these are not
good things.
And it's also not a matter ofoh, this is how I'm built on
being bold and all other stuff.
It's nonsense.
The fact that matters.
You're carrying body fat thatinfects body fat that eventually
can Cost a lot of harm to yourbody, and a lot of that we carry
(11:46):
is a byproduct of, of theEnormous amount of sugar that we
consume, even if it's not sweetsugar, but sugar is put in all
of our foods, all these thingswe consume.
That just makes us just, youknow, you know, makes us
unhealthy and makes us sick, andthat's been.
(12:07):
My concern is, like I'm 47.
I'm 225 right now.
Oh, like I said, I got waymyself today, but I know that
this I could be better.
So I've been coming across thiswhole notion of of doing a
water fast, and this is whereyou just don't eat anything but
just drink water and the thingis, eventually, I want to do it
(12:30):
dry fast.
They're doing a dry fast thatyou drink nothing.
Your body will Create the waterit needs, you know, and allows
you about optimizing and gettingthis fuel from your body fat,
but I'm not there yet.
Mentally I'm not there yet.
So what I was, what I want todo, is just do my water fast and
what those of you interested inmy water fast, what this looks
like.
I'm drinking water throughoutthe day.
(12:53):
However, I'm just amodification.
I'm making this.
I know me and I know that I'min time.
I will wane away from thesethings.
In the morning, I do have mycoffee.
You know I'm driving into work,I get a small coffee.
I got a large coffee yesterday.
In the coffee I think I got toomany To maybe half, maybe three
(13:14):
quarters of it.
I do the large cup, so damn isgonna get a regular size coffee,
just black, nothing, no sugar,no milk, just coffee.
And when I get to work, I have abig canister where I just put
some hydration, some umhydration, but um, some, um,
what you call those things isgonna come to me.
But you know, um, electrolytesis a little powder.
(13:36):
Electrolytes that's like zerocalories, zero everything.
It's just my thing.
Everything has to be zeroed out.
There's no calories in there.
Put it into the water and Ijust put it all day and honestly
, it's crazy.
I thought I was gonna, I wasgonna crash yesterday and
everything else, but, um, I Madeit to yesterday.
I actually pretty well Like Iwas energized.
(13:56):
You know, there were momentswhere my brain was the hey, food
.
I was in the cafeteria andthere's pizza day and when the
privileges have been theprincipal was like you got to
try out the food, right, so Iwas like my, but my feet started
working towards the to sort thecafeteria window to get some
pizza.
I know that way you're fasting,but getting yesterday's just
there was my PPO, my principalperformance observation.
(14:18):
So I was so busy that I didn'tthink about it.
But at the end of the day Ididn't feel the typical crash
that I would originally have andI think that has to do with the
fact that my gut was resting,my stomach wasn't digesting, so
all the blood flow wasn't goingto my stomach to digest, those
Going to my brain to function.
So which was which is?
(14:40):
Which was a good thing.
I got home, I thought to myself.
No no, I left one, left work.
My usual habit is go to theboat.
They go across the street andget some, um, some vinegar, sea
salt chips and Maybe a patellitoDidn't happen because I told
myself no, which I got this babysmack myself.
What are you doing?
You're not gonna go get that.
(15:01):
Those chips got in a car, drovehome.
I got home and, and, um, Iwalked in the house, those curly
food, those cooked, and Ismelled good.
But I was like, nah, I'm good.
So what did I do?
I, I, I wanna lie.
(15:25):
I'll be honest with you.
I did have an eye cap.
I had to because I was like mybrain needs to slow down.
But I started thinking aboutfood and everything else, and
maybe there's sugar in the othersugar.
I did have about that muchwhiskey and some ice in there,
yes, and a dog beverage.
But I went to bed.
(15:46):
I had a little bit of heartburnmaybe it was from the whiskey,
and I had two tums and so Iguess I did have some calories.
Damn, but I'm not gonna stop.
But I went to bed, woke, andthen this morning I woke up at
2.30, and I had to lay in bed,made my sustained bed 2.30, and
(16:10):
here I am right now and I'mright awake.
That's why I'm making thispodcast right now.
Honestly, if I can, if I canget up like this every morning
and make my podcast in themorning before I start my day,
this y'all will get episodesevery single day, but we'll see
about that.
But yeah, so this is my earlymorning rant all over the place
(16:33):
about my fast.
And here I am right now and I'mabout to book another day.
I have a principles meeting at,I think, eight o'clock, maybe
nine.
There's probably gonna be foodthere which I am praying that I
don't get tempted and don'ttouch.
So I can just focus, not focus.
But I wanna focus on the fast.
(16:54):
I just wanna focus on what Ihave to do and the work I have
to do.
Tomorrow's supposed to be apotluck for our school and I'm
not even sure if we're ready forit.
So I'm gonna talk to mysecretary, my parent coordinator
and see and my parentcoordinator see what's happening
.
I might have to supplement foodwith stuff from outside, but
it's all good.
But this is what my brain isright now and I'll tell you this
(17:16):
the best part so far of 24hours of not eating any food is
the fact that I feelclear-headed, like even right
now.
I'm looking at my eyes on thescreen.
I feel awake, like I feel awake, which is weird, because I've
been coming off fog for days andweeks and 24 hours.
(17:44):
And it's funny because whenyou're fasting anyone who's ever
done a water fast, dry fast,even intermittent fasting in the
beginning you have that firstday you're all over the place,
but you're just like your body'sfighting you.
And then day two usually sucksand that's what I'm worried
about.
Today is usually sucks.
But you're the hunger kicks inand your instincts, your habits
(18:11):
kick in and all of a suddenyou're like ugh, I gotta eat
something.
What are you doing?
Like?
This is not necessary andthat's my concern and maybe I'll
be honest with you, this is whyI'm making this video right now
.
This is why I'm making thisvideo and so I'm posting it
because I want people to ask mehow did day two go?
Because I'll be honest with you, I'm not confident.
I'm gonna make it past day two,but it's all good.
(18:32):
It's all good, I'm gonna drivethrough and I'm gonna do for
y'all.
Just ask, check upon me please,because I don't wanna come on
him.
But yeah, I fell and I wassitting in the corner eating 12
dozen duck and donuts because Icouldn't hack it.
But, all jokes aside, I'm doingthis again for my overall
(18:54):
health.
I'm 47 years old, I have twokids and, um, I want to do
everything I can to put to givemyself an advantage of just
being healthy.
I can't control what happensday to day, we can't control
that, but we can make choices.
That helps, you know, tobenefit us in the long run.
(19:16):
I pulled up this, this littlething that though it's pretty
interesting.
It says the and I'm gonna endthis video with this.
It says the benefits of waterfasting May treat hypertension.
My reserve, my may reverse type2 diabetes.
May improve heart health.
May reduce your risk of severaldiseases.
One of the things I think I'vecome across is about cancer that
(19:39):
when you're not eating and yourbody has to resort to, to
Creatance or energy or it does,it happen to your fat storage
and it's useless.
As for fuel, the other thing itdoes to your body starts to
Consume dead cells or abnormalcells.
So there's been this has beenit's been said that especially
(20:03):
dry fast Push your body into aplace where it will literally
attack the bad cells in yourbody, especially the cells that
may lead to cancer, and it couldreduce your chances of getting
cancer up to by 70 percent,which I think is it's incredible
.
You know my body was made notto sit around and consume food
and you know it wasn't.
(20:23):
Our bodies were made made To beout in the world
hunter-gatherer.
You know, running away fromtigers and hiding and and
walking in search of food andeating for the intention of of
Eating fuel to be able to work.
One of the best examples I'veever heard about about food is
(20:47):
think about a lion.
Think about how big a lion is.
If you saw a lion walkingthrough you right now, you'd run
but you'd be like, damn, that's, that's not gonna kill me, but
that's.
It's a huge, majestic lion.
Whether it's a male or female,they're big beasts.
But, they said, the mostdangerous, the easiest time to
take a lion After it's, afterit's eaten.
So when a blinds, belly fulllaying there and lazy, that's
(21:12):
the easiest time to take it out.
Now, the most dangerous time ofthe lion is when it's hungry,
it's focused, it's fast it.
You know it would chase youdown, it would exert every
energy it can to get that nextmeal.
So that's why I'm blinds tendto look the way they look their
muscular.
They're strong, the pipe intigers, you know.
But down, human beings, what dowe do?
(21:34):
We have access, so much foodthat we don't have to hunt for
anything.
We just consume, consume,consume, and we're always full.
We have breakfast, lunch anddinner and we will do three
thousand five thousand eightthousand calories in one day and
we just get big and big and big.
And guess what?
We're vulnerable.
Let that like that line who'sfull?
You know the things in thisworld that would take us out.
(21:55):
We've made it easy for them totake us out, that's what's very
important to really assess yourhealth and make the right
decisions and also develop theVM tolerance that not tolerance,
but the discipline you know, tonot let yourself go overboard,
to not engorge yourself, toreally slow down.
(22:16):
And unless I'm sitting heretalking to you guys, I'm newly
looking in the camera, tongue tomyself, reminding myself, and
I'm gonna say I'm proud ofmyself.
I, from two, three, fifty, yes,I had surgery and all that, but
still to still be able tomaintain where I'm at right now,
that's a huge blessing.
But now it's time for me toreally, you know, get to.
I do wait.
(22:37):
My goal has always been 176.
I know people look at me like176.
That's crazy, baram.
I got to 187, 186.
I was 10 pounds away and I'lltell you this, it was the
healthiest ever being.
I felt light, I felt strong, Ijust felt great and I was like
what the heck is this?
Because, also, it was an idealspace for me.
(23:00):
I was hella muscular, hellaripped, but it was just.
I just felt, mentally, feltgood, and that's what I want,
what I want to get back to.
If I get back to it, great,that'll be amazing.
If I don't, it's okay.
The thing is this I just wantto be an optimized weight to
maintain the best healthpossible.
All right, y'all, I just wantedto make this video.
(23:22):
Please call me accountable.
I know this is diverges from myusual videos lately, but take
care of yourself.
Your health is utmost priority.
New leaders, don't get caughtup.
Prioritize your health.
Do not let yourself get stuckwith this whole notion of like
(23:44):
it comes to the territory by nottaking care of yourself.
Get to the gym, workout, putthem sneakers on.
If I mean, some of you are likeso anti-sneakers, but listen,
if putting sneakers on means youwalk more in your building and
you're able to run around and upand down the stairs, then do
that, whatever it takes to stayhealthy, because, again, this
life is short.
No matter what happens.
(24:06):
If you drop today, somethinghappens to you.
You know, in order to be ableto function, you will be
replaced.
You will be replaced quickly,trust me, and in time, people
would.
You would just be in memory andin time you'd be forgotten.
I mean, it's a simple fact.
So why not take care ofyourself and maximize your
health right now?
That's I mean, that's just.
(24:30):
I think it's just smart, smart.
Optimize your health, take careof yourself and be your best
self, I think.
All right, y'all.
This is Uche N' Jo, who's NikaPrincipal.
Until next time, be well.
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