Hi, |'m Simone
I've been plant-based for over 20 years. As a teenager, it felt like my body was falling apart, and I had a laundry list of health issues that doctors couldn't explain or fix. I had no idea that food had anything to do with it, but after doing some research, I decided to change my diet, and all my health issues started clearing up.
Now I help black women and femmes who want to go plant-based for their health but they don't know where to start, or keep trying but can’t seem to make it work.
If you’re interested, I’ve shared a lot more below.
When you feel this good, you show up differently, for yourself and for the people and causes you care about. The ripple effect is real, and I just think the world needs more of that.
I spent most of my teens and twenties feeling mentally and physically broken. I had a laundry list of issues: anemia, chronic migraines, horrible PMS, acne, eczema, clinical depression, digestive issues, constant fatigue, fibroids, and more. I kept going to doctors for answers, and they just kept giving me prescriptions that either didn’t work or made me feel worse.
So I started trying to figure it out on my own. I eventually found my way to plant-based eating, and it changed my life. I grew up eating tons of candy, packaged products, fast “food,” and lots of animal foods with very little fruits or vegetables. So going plant-based definitely wasn't easy at first. I'm a Taurus who loves food, so the cravings were real. But I stuck with it, and over time, all of my symptoms either improved or disappeared completely.
I’m in my 40s now, and I don't deal with any of the health issues that "run in my family" or that I see many of my peers struggling with, I don’t take any medications or supplements, and I don't need to rely on caffeine to get me going in the morning. And one of my favorite things is that I actually look forward to bleeding every month. I don’t get painful cramps, heavy bleeding, or crazy mood swings anymore. It just feels like a gentle cleanse that leaves me feeling refreshed.
I've been eating this way for over 20 years, so I've had plenty of time to figure out the difference between what sounds good in theory and what actually works long-term. I know what it's like to deal with cravings, to be the only one at the table eating differently, to navigate holidays and travel, to make it work on a tight budget, to mess up and have to start over more times than I can count.
I've been through most of the ups and downs that can come with this lifestyle, and I’m grateful that I get to share everything I’ve learned with others who need help figuring it out. After everything I've been through, I can honestly say I feel better in my 40s than I ever did in my 20s, and it just keeps getting better.I focus specifically on black women and femmes because we deal with things other people don't have to think about.
​
The U.S. medical system has a long history of dismissing our pain, experimenting on us, and deliberately harming us. And it’s still happening today. That’s why so many of us have learned, for very good reason, not to trust it. But when we look for other options and turn to mainstream wellness spaces, a lot of the time those spaces aren’t much better. We still encounter racism, or at the very least, end up feeling unwelcome and invisible.
​
And then when we turn to our own community, we run into a different problem. We're bombarded with wellness influencers who know we don't trust doctors and use that to sell us expensive detox teas and quick fixes that don't actually fix anything. They might work for a minute but don’t actually get to the root of the problem, so people end up right back where they started, or worse.
​
And in black spaces, we might be free from racism, but we often still have to brace ourselves for homophobia and gender discrimination.
​
I got tired of there not being a space where we could just show up and fully focus on our healing. So I created one. You don’t have to perform or shrink or be on guard here. You can just be yourself.
Before I started helping people go plant-based, I spent over 20 years as an educator, university lecturer, and instructional designer. I've taught thousands of adult learners and designed hundreds of courses and classes. Practically, that means I have a lot of experience taking something that feels huge and breaking it down into steps that make sense and that you can realistically follow without feeling overwhelmed.
I have degrees in journalism and education, and training in instructional design. Aside from formal education, I've spent decades studying natural health and self-development through reading hundreds of books, taking courses, attending workshops and retreats, and working closely with mentors.
​
I’ve sat several 10-day Vipassana silent meditation retreats, which taught me a lot about being present, sitting with discomfort, and understanding the relationship between the body and the mind. Those retreats shaped a lot of how I think about cravings and self-compassion.
​
I also completed a 6-month yoga training while living in South Korea. After that, I went to Mysore, India for a few months to deepen my practice, and I completed a Thai massage certification while I was there.
I started doing this work because I've been where you are. I know how hard it is when you're dealing with health issues that doctors can't fix, and you don't know where to turn. Going plant-based gave me my life back, and I want you to know that's possible for you too.
​
I don’t believe healing is one-size-fits-all. I feel like the paths are pretty much endless. But, in my experience, changing your diet is one of the most accessible places to start. It's not just about feeling better physically, although that part’s great. But once you get more intentional about what you’re putting in your body, everything else starts to shift too. You think more clearly. Your emotions stabilize. You have way more energy and a more positive outlook on life. You feel more spiritually connected and supported. And you tend to stop tolerating people and situations that have been dragging you down.
​
When you feel this good, you show up differently, for yourself and for the people and causes you care about. That ripple effect is real, and I just think the world needs more of that.
If you're interested in learning a little more about me, I love spending time in nature. One of the most formative experiences of my life was spending a month alone in the jungle in Palawan, Philippines. I didn’t have a tent, a phone, or internet. I just slept in a hammock and fasted on fresh coconut water from the land. I'm actually scared of the dark and terrified of animals, so I didn’t sleep at all the first few nights. But I wanted to face my fears.
​
I went there mostly to fast for health reasons, but also because I needed to get away from everything and reset, and complete solitude felt like the answer. That month made me realize how healing it is to just be still in nature. I got clearer on things I'd been struggling with, felt more at peace, realized how little I actually need, and had some really profound spiritual experiences.
​
Now, when life feels overwhelming, I know I just need to slow down, step outside, and reconnect.
​
*Just to be clear, I don’t recommend long fasts to the people I work with. This was a personal experience and not something that’s part of my approach with others.
​
I've shared some of my favorite nature photos below.
