CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A North Carolina woman is channeling her passion into teaching people how to live healthier lives.
Ini Isangedighi, known as the Naija Goddess, is a board-certified holistic nutritionist and chef. Every Sunday, she leads a two-hour nutrition and cooking class for residents.
The event is sponsored by the Arts & Science Council Culture Blocks of Mecklenburg County, which allows people to attend the classes for free.
Isangedighi says it's important to give back in ways that will help others live life to the fullest.
"I just know I suffered for 25 years," she said. "I'm spreading education [about] nutrition, giving tasty plant-based recipes people will actually enjoy and want to prepare."
Isangedighi says for years, she struggled with being sick.
"It was almost like a normal part of my life," she said.
She says her health worsened when she started her undergraduate education.
"I gained about 80 pounds in the span of about three months with no change to my diet or physical activity level, and I couldn't figure out what was going on," Isangedighi said. "I went to a host of doctors; they didn't know what was going on."
Isangedighi says she was later told she had several serious health conditions, including high cholesterol and pre-diabetes.
"They said all these things were not reversible and could be managed with medications," Isangedighi said. "I didn't want to live that life anymore. It never sat well with me."
Things changed for her when she reached her mid-30s.
"I watched a documentary wth my father that changed my life," she said. "I changed my diet to a whole food plant-based diet and 80 pounds melted off of me with no effort. All my illnesses went away. No doctor [I visited] ever told me food is medicine."
Isangedighi made the decision to go to school and become a certified holistic nutritionist.
She now runs her own company, The Naija Goddess. Her brand is dedicated to teaching people how to live healthier lives.
"Naija means Nigerian," Isangedighi said. "I was always called Nigerian Barbie Doll growing up. I changed it to goddess to represent the God in me, so that's why the Naija Goddess is my company name."
She says her father and husband played pivotal roles with motivating her to become the leader she is today.
"I started this journey with my father," she said. "Unfortunately, he was taken from us. My dad, his last years were his best years, I'm grateful for the time we did share. Since he's been gone, my husband has been my rock, my inspiration. He's my muscle, he carries all the stuff [I need] in. I always say I couldn't do this without him."
Deborah Carson lives in Charlotte. She recently made the decision to stop eating meat.
Carson and her mother started attending Isangedighi's classes to learn more about plant-based meals.
"It's going to help me to live longer and to be here," Carson said. "I can't be of service to anybody if I'm all broke down with diseases. It helps us think about cutting down on disease, the prevention of cancer. I don't have them, but I think about all those things because those things have been in my family. This is going to be beneficial all around. [Plus] the food is good."
Carson says she's grateful for the work Isangedighi is doing to enrich so many people's lives.
"She gives us homework, and she tests you the next time, but she makes it fun," Carson said. "She's very knowledgeable, very supportive."
"At 41, I feel like I'm 21 because at 21 I felt 91," Isangedighi said. "It was my loving obligation to share [what I learned] with the community. I'm not saying it's the only way, but this is a way you can live a healthier and happier way where you're fulfilled. It's an honor to see the impact it's had on our community."
Isangedighi's nutrition and cooking demonstration class takes places 3-5 p.m. Sundays at Love in Action Cafe. The classes wrap up on June 30.