“You have to make the choice [to take control of your health] for you. Don’t look for permission from others… make the change for you.”
– Kosi Cloud
Kosi is a 44-year-old plant-based chef with two adult children, ages 22 and 28, and five grandchildren. In early 2015 at the age of 39, Kosi was in a severe car accident that left her debilitated and miserable. Over the few years following the accident, Kosi was suffering from multiple chronic diseases, in constant pain, partially paralyzed, unable to walk, depressed and suicidal. But in August 2017, after hitting rock bottom, she made the decision to live. Kosi packed up and moved from Maryland to Florida to start the next stage of her life.
Tell me more about your story and why you changed to a whole-food, plant-based diet.
I buried my father on July 29, 2017, and saw some pictures someone had posted of me on Facebook. I weighed 290 pounds and was partially paralyzed on my right side. It was so bad, I needed help walking using either a cane or walker. I decided I was going to make a change or die trying. Now, it wasn’t about losing weight, it was more about being happy and healthy again. It was a car accident in early 2015 that changed everything for me. Before that, I was a gym rat and weighed about 145 pounds. In the years that followed the accident, I found myself on multiple medications for pain and several chronic illnesses. I was taking 18 pills in the morning, 18 at night, I had over 300 injections of medications between my head and my back. In September 2016, following injections of medication to my head, I stopped breathing and my liver enzymes shot up, and I ended up with liver disease. So out of nowhere, I ended up with high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, high blood pressure, migraine headaches, acid reflux, vision problems and edema (swelling from fluid retention in ankles and legs), and I was on medication for them all – never having had those diseases before. At the age of 42, I was miserable and wanted to die.
During that time, I was spending thousands of dollars on designer handbags, shoes, clothes and accessories trying to fill a void to find happiness.
On the day that I saw those photos from Dad’s funeral, I decided to go cold-turkey and rid myself of all meat, medications and dairy. I don’t recommend abruptly coming off medications to others, but I did it and went through some withdrawals. I did research, watched Forks Over Knives and other documentaries, and decided to change to a whole-food, plant-based diet.
What did you notice after you made the change?
When I lost 20 pounds, I noticed a big difference and was elated. I learned that for every pound you lose, that’s about 4 pounds off your knees (Source: WebMD). After losing 20 pounds, I still had a limp, but I no longer needed a cane or walker to walk.
I dropped all processed foods, so no processed vegan junk – just whole-food, plant-based. Today, I no longer have high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or edema. I still have chronic pain from the accident, but I’ve learned to deal and live with it.
Most importantly, I felt like I got my life back and I wanted to live again. I feel like right now, at the age of 44, I’m living my best life. I’ve never been happier with myself. I’ve lost 140 pounds and I’m holding steady at around 150 pounds. I go to bed happy and wake up happy. I feel like I’m in the prime of my life. I wake up feeling blessed, because I know what it’s like to be bed-ridden, I know what it’s like to be depressed and wanting to kill yourself. Just to look back, it brings tears to my eyes and if I can do it, I tell other people that you can do it too, and I’m willing to help you.
The quotes that I live by today are “Be the change you want to see,” and “Eat to live, not live to eat.”
What about physical activity?
After consulting with my doctor, a pain specialist, he recommended I be in a warmer climate and that it was okay for me to be physically active. So I packed up and moved from Maryland to Florida. When I got to the Florida state line, I posted a sign that read, “I changed my mind, so I changed my zip code.” I have some restrictions, but I walk about an hour and, on most days, I go to the YMCA and do water aerobics.
Kosi, what do you eat on a typical day?
I usually don’t eat breakfast because I follow an intermittent fasting approach where I only eat between 12pm and 7pm. Although sometimes I will eat breakfast. When I do eat breakfast, its usually grits smothered with vegetables, like spinach, bok choy, mushrooms, onions and tri-colored peppers.
For lunch after my morning workouts, I’ll make noodles with mixed vegetables. I like to stir fry my vegetables. I try to rotate between raw and cooked meals. So if my lunch is cooked, my dinner is raw or if my lunch is raw, my dinner is cooked. I avoid sugar. Sometimes I’ll snack on nuts and seeds. Overall, I’ve created over 200 recipes of my own.
As far as beverages, I have one cup of coffee in the morning, water infused with lemon, lime or some other fruit during the day, and hibiscus tea at night. Some evenings, I’ll have a glass of wine with fruit with my dinner.
What other changes have you made?
I no longer believe in medications and believe many medications are killing us. I make my own toothpaste, use homemade personal care products such as shea butter moisturizer and lotion. I stopped wearing make-up, I stopped carrying my designer purses, and in fact gave most of them away. I wear the same sneakers every day, I shop at thrift stores and wear hand-me-downs, and changed my hair to sisterlocks, and I just feel free! You want to go shopping? What thrift store are we going to?
If someone is wanting to take control of their health, what advice do you have for them?
You have to make the choice for you. Don’t look for permission from others. When I decided to make the change to eliminate meat, medications and dairy, it was my choice. I had to put myself first, something I rarely did before. When I decided to leave and move to Florida, it was my choice. I made the decision for me. I had four back surgeries, knee surgery, had several medical issues and when I get up in the morning today, yes – I’m in pain, but now I’m living my best life. Food (whole-food, plant-based) replaced my medicine. Food got me to where I am today. Had I not changed my diet, I probably wouldn’t be having this conversation with you, I’d probably be dead. I honestly don’t think I would still be alive. I can remember one night on my 42nd birthday, I was crying and banging on the wall wanting to die. But I got up the next morning and after all that I realized that my Father [God] woke me up and that I must do something with my life. Nobody believed in me, but my daughter.
What I would tell someone is they have to make the change for you. When people say they don’t have time, I tell them you have to make time for yourself. If you don’t make the time for yourself, what are you doing? I would rather spend my time living a healthy lifestyle than worry about getting a prescription filled or popping a pill.
When people say, “It [the disease] runs in the family.” I say, “This is where it runs out [of the family].” Just because you have high blood pressure doesn’t mean I need to have high blood pressure too. I have some distant family members that think I’m crazy.
If you eat fresh fruits and vegetables, it repairs the body – this is what we were meant to eat. I get dried beans and let them soak in water overnight. I use spices and seasonings and limited salt, and the food is delicious.
Kosi, you have a strong presence on social media. Tell me more about your social media pages, website and how people can follow or connect with you.
I do whole-food, plant-based meal-prep for people and coach others by sharing my story. People can connect with me through my Instagram @eat_plantbase_with_me, on Facebook at Let Me Be Your Motivation, and my website is Plant Base Kwezen. I post a lot of food photos and helpful tips about living a healthy lifestyle. If people are serious about making a change and want help, they can contact me by email at plantbasekwezen@gmail.com.