Green Tea Conversations
Battling Cancer with the Right Resources with Talaya Dendy
November 29, 2020
Meet Talaya Dendy of On the Other Side, a cancer survivor and now cancer doula who supports others on their cancer journeys. Dendy talks about her own journey with cancer, some of the most difficult things she faced, and what she learned from it. Dendy also shares the concept of a doula and how she can help those who are diagnosed with cancer. For more information, visit OnTheOtherSide.Life. Also on the show: Barbara Brodsho, soul purpose coach, holistic healer, and intuitive guide. Brodsho talks about how she helps people on their spiritual journey understand the connection between body, mind, soul, and spirit with the use of their Akashic records. For those who want to learn more or to schedule a free discovery session, visit BarbaraBrodsho.com. Henry Kisitu, owner of Jajja Wellness, a health and wellness brand that brings the recipes of his Ugandan grandmother to your family in his healthy and delicious tonics. For more information, and to order, visit JajjaWellness.com.

Battling Cancer with the Right Resources with Talaya Dendy


[00:00:07.800] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Good morning and welcome to Green Tea Conversations, the radio show that delves into the pages of Natural Awakenings magazine to bring you the local experts who share their progressive ideas and the latest insights and information needed so you can lead your best life. I'm your host, Candi Broeffle publisher, of the Twin Cities edition of Natural Awakenings magazine, and I am honored to bring these experts to you. Today on our show, we have Talaya Dendy of On the Other Side. Talaya is a cancer survivor and now a cancer doula who supports others on their cancer journeys. Thank you for being with us today, Talaya.
 
[00:00:45.390] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
Thank you, Candi. It's a pleasure to talk with you today. Thank you for having me.
 
[00:00:50.040] - Candi Broeffle, Host
We're really excited to have you on the show. And basically, every time we have a new guest on our show, everyone likes to learn about them and kind of their journey. What brought you to where you are today? So, maybe you can start us off by telling us a little bit about your own journey with cancer and kind of what you learned throughout that process.

[00:01:12.520] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
Sure, Candi. I'll start off by saying that I am a nine-year cancer survivor. In 2011, out of nowhere, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. I had never been sick other than the flu, really, had never stayed in the hospital, never broken a bone or anything like that. So, I was very taken aback by the cancer diagnosis that I received. It was a lot that came at me at one time. Besides the diagnosis, it was also a lot of appointments, a lot of tests, things like that, just working through a lot of emotions and working through a lot of confusion. And it is a lot, especially in the beginning.
 
[00:01:59.850] - Candi Broeffle, Host
And you were quite young, too, when you were diagnosed. Isn't that correct?
 
[00:02:03.410] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
Yes, I was in my early 30s when I was diagnosed. And, you know, society says that you should be focusing on a family and corporate America. And so, right in my mid-30s, where I'm very involved in corporate America, focusing and/or thinking about starting a family and this comes into my life and kind of changes everything.
 
[00:02:29.520] - Candi Broeffle, Host
So, what did you find through your journey? What did you find were some of the most difficult things that you faced?
 

[00:02:38.760] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
Some of the most difficult things that I faced was number one, just trying to understand the type of cancer that I had. And I say that because there's so much information out there, there's a lot of good information, there's a lot of bad information. And so, just finding the right information. Actually, another part of it was trying to work through my emotions because, you know, I was angry. I was frustrated. I was confused. I was sad. You know, of course, the thought of death entered my mind. So, really just trying to work through all of those things. Another critical thing was I was never a health consumer other than going to my annual appointments, going to the dentist, and eye doctor. That was my experience with the health care system and in those situations, it's pretty straightforward. So, just learning how to become a very good health care consumer was a challenge for me because that involved a lot of questions with insurance, knowing who to talk to, just understanding certain verbiage, all of those things. Now, all of this is on top of hearing that you have cancer.
 
[00:03:58.950] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Yes. You know, I phoned working with people as long as I have and having other people go through this journey as well. The health care providers that you work with are excellent and they can provide so much good information. But it's still like you said, it's so overwhelming. There's so much information out there. Now, we interviewed you for an article in the December issue of Natural Awakenings magazine. And one of the things that I found really fascinating when I was interviewing you was you had talked about really trying to find good information. So, when you say good information, there's a lot of information out there. We have information overload. But what were some of the tips that you, some of the tips maybe you can give others about what worked well for you?
 
[00:04:50.490] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
Absolutely. So, I will start off by saying that I'm a very analytical person. So, a lot of the research for me came naturally. I really looked at information that came from websites like DotEdu, that means education institutions also DotOrg, usually, they're cancer organizations that have pretty good reputations and then also a lot of cancer journals or medical journals, I should say. But then also when I started going to a lot of these appointments, I noticed that there were cancer magazines in the waiting areas. And so, I look kind of like jot those names of those magazines down and start subscribing to them. And then that's when I was able to, you know, find out a lot of good information as well. So, take advantage of those magazines that are in the waiting areas and, you know, use that information. That's good information. And it could really save you some time from searching for things on the Internet that may kind of lead you down the wrong path.
 
[00:06:03.560] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Well, thank you for sharing that, because that really is true. And I just found it so interesting how you found your resources and thought this is an excellent tip to give others as well. But it really is important to look for good information. There's a lot of Facebook groups you can get on. There's a lot of different things, but you're looking at people's opinions more than actual research. And in this situation, you really need good research. You need good information that you can use. So, in your journey, did you have family that was close by? Did you have people who were near you that you could count on for support as well?
 
[00:06:44.930] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
Yes, I had my mom and my brother, who were major support systems for me. My mom went to just about every chemotherapy appointment that I had so she would get off of work and she would accompany me to those appointments and stay with me overnight just to make sure I didn't have any bad reactions or anything like that. So, yes, I did have the support of my family. But of course, one of the other tough things was people that you expected to show up that didn't show up to support you. So, that's another thing that some cancer patients face. They have to face the disappointment of certain people not showing up for them or even acknowledging that they have cancer. And that can be tough for a lot of people. Now, I found that there can be various reasons why people just don't show up and support you. Sometimes they don't know how. Sometimes they don't, they have this idea of what you may look like because of what society says about how people with cancer may look. They may not want to see you, what they perceive as see you suffering. And some people just don't have the capacity to deal with things like that. They don't know what to say. They don't want to feel awkward. They don't want to say the wrong things. They don't want to upset you. So, there can be a number of reasons why. Now, in my case, I had to get to a point where I had to let that go and say, hey, these individuals know that I have cancer and they know that I'm not doing well. I'm sick and I've done my part, I've communicated that with the people that I love and care about. Now, whether or not they choose to show up and for whatever reason, why they don't, that has nothing to do with me. And when I reach that point, I was able to just let it go and say, hey, you know what? My health is the main priority at this time that is going to get all my time, attention, and energy. I cannot control anyone else. I can only control the things that I think and the things that I do. That's it.
 
[00:09:06.500] - Candi Broeffle, Host
You know, it's so interesting. It is really hard sometimes for people to know what to say or do. But the information that you just gave us, the advice that you took yourself, and that you just gave us is applicable every day in our lives. People do the best they can with what they have. But we, you know, can't have too many expectations on them either. But in difficult times like that, you should certainly hope that people would be able to step up for you. And sometimes they just don't have the capabilities to do that. Talaya, why don't you share with us some of the things that you learned about your health and about how you could impact your outcome the best? Looking at it from a health perspective.
 
[00:09:52.970] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
Absolutely, one of the things that I really learned a lot about and I really started practicing a lot was the mind-body connection. And once I understood the mind-body connection, that became my major source of how I thought about things and how I did things. You know, I became very mindful that, you know, if I'm upset all the time, that is not helping my immune system. You know, if I'm anxious and worried all the time, that's not helping my immune system, my body, anything, that's not helping my healing process. And so, that was one of the things that I learned. Also, I really focused a lot on improving my nutrition. Prior to being diagnosed with cancer, you know, I was one of those people where I just love sugar. I would actually take, you know, some form of dessert over a meal because, for me, sugar was a way to ease stress. And so, when I was diagnosed with cancer and I understood how important nutrition was in the healing process, I had to eliminate a lot of sugar. And I did. And I started to feel better, actually. And that you really do get a chemical reaction from that.
 
[00:11:18.650] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Well, thank you so much for this information. Now, we're going to come back and we're going to ask you more or to tell us more about what a cancer Doula is and how you can support others going through this journey as well. So, to learn more about Talaya and the work she does or to schedule a free introductory session, visit OnTheOtherSide.Life or call 651-353-4606. You're listening to Green Tea Conversations on, AM950, the Progressive Voice of Minnesota, and we will be right back.
 
[00:12:05.180] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Welcome back to Green Tea Conversations, where we delve into the pages of Natural Awakenings magazine and talk to the professionals who share their expertise on natural health with you. I'm your host, Candi Broeffle, and we and today we're visiting with cancer doula Talaya Dendy of On the Other Side. Thank you again for being with us today.

[00:12:25.100] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
Thank you for having me. Candi, it's a pleasure to be with you.
 
[00:12:28.760] - Candi Broeffle, Host
So, just before the break, we were starting to talk about your own personal journey with cancer, and you were telling us some of the things that you did as far as your research and looking into your personal health as well. But I'm curious to know, how long was it that you were getting treatments before you were kind of diagnosed to be in remission?
 
[00:12:54.230] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
Absolutely. So, just to summarize everything, I had six months of chemotherapy and a month of radiation. So, about four months into my chemotherapy treatments, you know, things were really looking good, like they were not finding a lot of signs of cancer. So, by the end of my chemotherapy, which was six months, I was pretty much considered in remission. They didn't see any signs of cancer whatsoever. And so, my oncologist was a little hesitant to say that I was cancer-free. So, he said, you know what, we're not going to say anything like that until you reach the five-year mark. And so, I reached the five-year mark and he said, well, he kind of whispered and said, you're pretty much cancer-free. And so, that's kind of how it worked out for me.
 
[00:13:47.090] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Well, now, through this process, there were a lot of things that you learned. There were a lot of lessons that both, I'm sure, difficult ones and good ones. But one of the things that this led you to is looking at becoming a cancer doula. So, before we get into that, let's just, I'm going to ask you for people who may not know what is a doula? 

[00:14:12.530] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
Okay, so the definition of a doula is someone who provides support to someone who is going through major life changes and significant health experiences. That is cancer to me.
 
[00:14:27.720] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Yes.
 
[00:14:28.510] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
And so, as everyone knows, there's a birth doula and a death doula. Birth, beginning of life, death, end of life, cancer doula in the middle, the here and now, the present. And as a doula, I help people focus on what's going on in front of them; in this present moment, help them work through that so that they can start to focus on having a better quality of life, even though they have been diagnosed with cancer.
 

[00:14:58.970] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Did you have a cancer doula while you were going through this process?
 
[00:15:03.260] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
No, I did not know anything about a cancer doula or cancer coach. And one of the reasons why I wanted to become a cancer doula is because of all the things that I was lacking when I was receiving my treatment and even after treatment, just that feeling of being alone when they say, you know what, your treatments are done, I'll see you in three months. I was happy the treatments were done, but I was terrified because I'm like I've been coming to see my health care team religiously for almost, you know, oh, well over seven months. And so now, I'm pretty much on my own. And it's just like that. It's like a light switch. And it was very scary for me because I'm like, okay, well, for seven, eight months my whole life was on treatment, cancer and just trying to maintain a good, healthy diet, all the things that related to my health. But just like that, I was told, well, get back out into the real world and figure it out.
 
[00:16:15.050] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Yeah. Go back to your life now. And where do you begin? So, let's say I am going through cancer and I come to you looking to engage you as a cancer doula. What are some of the things that you can help me with?
 
[00:16:31.160] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
Absolutely. Some of the things that I can help you with are your overall health. So, that means like nutrition, exercise, things like that. The other piece is emotional support slash mindset. That's so critical, as I mentioned in the first segment. The third piece is doing the research about your cancer. If you're interested in any clinical trials, treatment options, and understanding how they really affect you, but then also side effects because that helps you to determine which route you want to go.
 
[00:17:10.990] - Candi Broeffle, Host
So, I don't mean to interrupt you, but that sounds really important. It would seem, as you're going through this, especially when you first get diagnosed. There's so much information like you said, and then you're so terrified that it's, you know, hard to even be able to think straight. So, to have someone who can do that research for you, who can bring back bring back the information and then help you to understand it or be able to explain it to you in a way that you can understand, it seems like it would be extremely beneficial.
 
[00:17:43.860] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
Yes. And what I do is I do the research for them. You know, I talk with them and say, well, hey, you know, what did your oncologist say? What options do they present to you? And then I go and I do more research about that. And then I present it to them in a report that is in layman's terms. Then we need to go over that report and we talk about it. I do not give advice. I don't tell people what to do. Basically, I just help them to process the information so that they can make informed and educated decisions about whatever they choose or decide to do. And they can feel confident that they've made the best choice for themselves.
 
[00:18:30.500] - Candi Broeffle, Host
And I would imagine having someone who is on your side, who you can talk to and be absolutely honest with, it's wonderful that you had your mother and your brother with you along this journey. A lot of people don't have anyone. But even for those who do have someone, sometimes it's trying to maintain a happy or positive face because, you know, they're scared for you, too. And to be able to have someone who you can really talk to honestly and share it, share your fears and your even your hopes. And, you know, what you would like to see going forward is so critically important.
 
[00:19:13.730] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
It's very important. And you made a great point. You know, of course, our loved ones want to support us, you know, and they really want to understand. But, you know, even though I had support, there were times when I knew that they didn't understand, truly understand what I was experiencing and why I felt the way that I felt. And so, that was one thing to that kind of made me feel alone, which is not having someone who had been through something similar that truly understood and could say it really could validate my feelings and say, you know, that's how I felt, too. Or just having someone to bounce those things off of that truly gets it.
 
[00:20:00.140] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Yes.
 
[00:20:00.410] - Talaya Dendy, Guest
And the other piece, the fourth piece is the communication piece. And so, that's another area where I help people.
 
[00:20:09.890] - Candi Broeffle, Host
That's excellent. Again, thank you for being with us today. I think it is extremely beneficial for people who are going through this journey to be able to talk to someone who's been through it themselves and who understands and can help with all the aspects of this difficult time in your life. So, for people who would like to learn more about what Talaya does or to schedule a free introductory session, visit OnTheOtherSide.Life or call 651-353-4606. You're listening to Green Tea Conversations on AM950, the Progressive Voice of Minnesota, and we will be right back.
 
[00:21:04.860] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Welcome back to Green Tea Conversations, where we delve into the pages of Natural Awakenings magazine and talk to the professionals who share their expertise on natural health with you. I'm your host, Candi Broeffle. And now we are going to visit for a short time with our guest, Barbara shaw, who is the sole purpose coach, holistic healer, and intuitive guide. And many of you may have already heard an interview with her earlier this year. She has come to the show before, but she has something exciting to tell us about today, and I'm really excited to have her here. Welcome back to the show, Barbara.
 
[00:21:42.270] - Barbara Brodsho, Guest
Thank you, Candi.
 
[00:21:44.070] - Candi Broeffle, Host
So, before we get started on what you want to share with us, why don't you tell us a little bit about what you do about people you work with and what you help them to accomplish?
 
[00:21:54.360] - Barbara Brodsho, Guest
Yeah, I help people on their spiritual journey understand the connection between body, mind, soul, and spirit. So, I work doing energy healing and spiritual empowerment coaching and also do Akashic record readings to help them give some perspective of their lives from their souls' perspective.
 
[00:22:15.870] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Okay, I am going to let people know I have worked with you quite a bit and that the work you do is really extraordinary. So highly, highly recommend people to reach out to you and will tell them how to do that a little bit. But in the meantime, I want to talk about a new class that you have coming up in January called Honoring the Sacredness of Our Bodies. So, this is really important, especially for us women. But tell us, how did this class come about for you?
 
[00:22:51.360] - Barbara Brodsho, Guest
It started back in 2009 when I came across a book called It's Not About Food: End Your Obsession with Food and Weight, written by Carol Normandy and Laurelee Roark. And they wrote about a holistic approach to honor and love our bodies no matter what our weight or size is. And it just really resonated with me on a deep level. And it fits in so perfectly with the work that I do as a holistic healer and the connection between body, mind, soul, and spirit. So, I was first offered this class with a psychologist back in 2009 and then a couple of times and then in 2010. And since then, I have learned so much, writing so many more modalities into my own practice that recently I've had clients express interest in learning how to love themselves and their bodies more. And so, I had the idea of going back to that class and updating it with the new modalities that I have learned throughout the last decade. And it's really now focused more on spiritual practices that can help us learn to love and accept ourselves just the way we are.
 
[00:24:09.390] - Candi Broeffle, Host
So, why is it important for us to learn to love, to accept ourselves just the way we are? Shouldn't we always be striving to be something better?
 
[00:24:18.420] - Barbara Brodsho, Guest
I think it's a balance of both. I think if we come at it from a place of judgment and criticism, what we're doing is operating from a really low level of emotions and low-level vibration. And it's hard to transform into something that we want to be from that place. And when we bring a sense of compassion and love and understanding to ourselves and why we choose the behaviors that we choose and why we might eat the way we eat or blame our bodies for things coming at it from a place of compassion is a much higher place to transform ourselves than from a really low vibration of shame or guilt or body hatred.
 
[00:25:03.660] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Yes. So 2021, we are over being shamed. We are over having self-hatred. We are overall of this. And it's time for us to come together and really learn how to love ourselves and love each other and come into this world in a different space. And you're going to help people do that in this class. So, tell us about the class itself. Give us an idea of what people would expect when they come into it.
 
[00:25:32.500] - Barbara Brodsho, Guest
Yeah, so it's eight sessions. I'm offering a daytime session from eleven-thirty to one-thirty starting January 19th and an evening session starting on January 20th, five-thirty to seven-thirty. So it'll be two hours long. It'll be online via Zoom. We'll have a number of women joining us. And so, first of all, I wanted to create a sense of community with other people who are struggling with the same thing. And so the class will be formatted so that we have time for me to educate first of all on the topic for that eight week period and I will lead people, it'll be experiential, so I'll lead people through discovery exercises on the topic and there'll be time to journal and then share in breakout rooms with other people in the class about what they discovered about themselves. And then I'm going to offer some spiritual practices to help us transform that step in the process from a higher vibrational level. And so, the eight steps are all about transforming our relationship with the body from the inside out. And instead of focusing on the outside in, like we typically do in our culture of if only I could be thinner or in better shape physically or change my appearance with plastic surgery, and then maybe I'll feel good about myself. This is turning the approach upside down, inside out, and saying let's learn to love and accept ourselves from the inside out and then see how our body responds from that place.
 
[00:27:13.430] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Yes. That's so important. Don't you find, too, that a lot of the times people feel like if I lose this weight if I exercise more, I'm going to be happier. I'm going to finally reach my pinnacle of happiness and satisfaction in my life. And sadly, it just never seems to happen because we haven't worked on that inside part yet.
 
[00:27:35.660] - Barbara Brodsho, Guest
Yes. And it's really synonymous with the spiritual journey. So many of the steps in this process are exactly what the spiritual journey is about. So, I'm teaching about that process, too. It's about, eight steps are, first of all, getting in touch with what are all the messages that we've been told about women's bodies, which of those messages have we personally ingested and stored in our bodies in that low-level vibration of hatred for ourselves or disgust and then and paying attention to what are these messages we've gotten from society and culture and our family and friends and peers and even religious institutions? And then how can we let go of those self judgmental comments that we make to ourselves that we'd never make to anybody else and transition convert those into statements of compassion for ourselves and then also understanding how did we form these beliefs in the first place and how did we learn to defend ourselves against feeling those feelings? And those defense mechanisms can start as young as being in the womb and picking up on the energy of going on in the household that we were in at the time. So, it's understanding where did this all come from? And going back to that and understanding that from a compassionate place of understanding that better and then having gratitude for our physical body and all the things that it does for us in all the ways that it serves us. And even if one little part of it isn't the way we want it to be, to focus on all the ways it does support us in the life that we have here on Earth. And then another step is to discern your authentic truth and understand that words have a lot of power and we have to pay attention to what are the words we're speaking to ourselves about ourselves and about our bodies and how can we get in touch with our own inner truth and discern what our inner truth is versus what external authorities tell us that we should think or believe.
 
[00:29:43.550] - Candi Broeffle, Host
You know, and this is something that is so important as this year as well, we just had our previous guest talked about how important words were in her journey to healing from cancer and how she uses that with her clients that she works with who are going through the same journey. And words really do have power. What we say to ourselves, what we say to others, what we say out loud, that all have such power with it. And so, having someone help us walk through that, and actually, sometimes I don't even think that we really realize what we're saying to ourselves.

[00:30:22.160] - Barbara Brodsho, Guest
I think it's unconscious, a lot of it. Yeah, I think it's just repetitive habits we've had for so long. It's unconscious. We aren't even aware.
 
[00:30:30.410] - Candi Broeffle, Host
And then once you become aware of it, you get so tired of hearing yourself say it. Why won't I stop?
 
[00:30:39.820] - Barbara Brodsho, Guest
I know it.
 
[00:30:39.920] - Candi Broeffle, Host
But that's the best time to be able to change, right?
 
[00:30:46.250] - Barbara Brodsho, Guest
Yes. And the reason that words are so powerful, it's because the energy of those words resides in our bodies. The energy resides in the cells of our bodies. We storm there. We storm in the cells in our soul, and it has vibrational frequencies and it creates blockages in our whole energy system when we speak to ourselves negatively from that place of body, hatred, or shame.
 
[00:31:09.700] - Candi Broeffle, Host
So, why don't you share with us, if you can, kind of without giving anything, anything away as far as privacy and that some of the experiences that people have had that have gone through this class with you back when you did it before in 2010?
 
[00:31:28.300] - Barbara Brodsho, Guest
And I am in the middle of it right now just with a small group of people. But I think what they're realizing, I think it's expanding their conscious awareness, first of all, which is also synonymous with the spiritual journey of expanding our consciousness. And they're becoming more aware of what are the words they speak, what are the feelings that they're feeling, where they're holding their feelings in their bodies because that will give you a clue of where the energy is that's getting blocked and how that relates to your the psychological function of that body system. And they're saying that it's a piece of the puzzle that's been missing all along. They've never looked at it from a comprehensive, holistic approach of looking at body, mind, soul, and spirit all together and how they are all interrelated, intersected together. So, I think it's just a way to approach this differently than what has been offered very much out there, at least from what I've seen. And so, it's not a quick fix. It's not like going on a diet and you're going to lose all kinds of weight. It's a lifestyle change and it's learning to honor and love ourselves the way we are and then watching and how our body responds from that place of love.
 
[00:32:45.170] - Candi Broeffle, Host
And it's for anyone at any age. So, it doesn't matter if you're 16 years old or you're 80 years old. Everyone can come into this class. And especially, it's especially important, I think, for people who have children who you're raising, because we, you know, our parents did the best they could with us based on what they knew. In order for us to do better with our own kids, we have to be able to have that information and know what we're doing in a different way to be able to change that.

[00:33:15.580] - Barbara Brodsho, Guest
Yeah, and what's interesting is that what's changed so much over the last ten years since I led this class before is how social media has played such a huge part in affecting people's body image, and especially the young girls. There was a Netflix documentary called The Social Dilemma, and they were talking about Snapchat dysmorphia and how it's causing more and more depression, anxiety in our younger generation. So, it's really important to work with our younger people on not comparing themselves to what they see on social media. That is not realistic ideals of beauty.
 
[00:33:50.920] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Well, great. Well, thank you for being with us, Barbara. And for people who want to learn more or to get a free discovery session with Barbara, you can visit her at BarbaraBrodsho.Com and that's B-R-OD-S-H-O.com. To read the online version of Natural Awakenings magazine, visit NaturalTwinCities.com. You're listening to Green Tea Conversations on AM950, the Progressive Voice of Minnesota, and we will be right back.
 
[00:34:33.010] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Welcome back to Green Tea Conversations, where we delve into the pages of Natural Awakenings magazine and talk to the professionals who share their expertise on natural health with you. I'm your host, Candi Broeffle. And right now we are welcoming to our show Henry Kisitu of Jajja Wellness, located right here in Minneapolis. We're so happy you're with us this afternoon. Thank you.
 
[00:34:55.870] - Henry Kisitu, Guest
Oh, thank you so much, Candi. I appreciate your time and appreciate our listeners also, their time. And I hope we get a chance to tell you what a wonderful program that we have here at Jajja Wellness. And we have been here in Minneapolis. This is going to be our third year. And we have a couple of wonderful, wonderful whereas my recipes come from my grandmother's recipes in Uganda, I was born and raised there and I came here in 2007. So, and I am here to share the recipes. And we have about eight flavors. I can name one and we will be here for you to hear. We got a turmeric pineapple. We have African coffee. We have spirulina. We have pineapple ginger. That's one of our originals. Very good for a lot of cold stuff. We have BobBob Turmeric, moringa, hibiscus, lemongrass, and Nagabi.
 
[00:35:58.660] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Oh, that's so interesting. So, before we really kind of get into this, let's talk a minute about what Jajja Wellness is. So, you actually, it's a wellness brand that you create tonics that are based on the recipes of your grandmother, which she made while you were growing up in Uganda.
 
[00:36:16.470] - Henry Kisitu, Guest
Yes. So, I was born and raised in Uganda. Unfortunately, at the age of three, both my parents passed away. I've seen a picture of my mom, but I've never seen my dad's picture. So, I got lucky. I got picked up by my auntie and so, my auntie introduced me to Grandma Margaret. So, that's where I grew up and they all took care of me as the family. Life was hard but, you know, you grow up and that's where I learned how to make this as my grandma used to make them for us when we were kids whenever got sick she'd get us these drinks. And we got better. Things like cold, stomach issues, and gut issues. Back then we didn't know. But now that I see what other people are going through, I know exactly how these juices can be very, very valuable for us.
 
[00:37:19.390] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Yes. And so you're bringing the tonics here for all of us to be able to enjoy and be able to use for our own health and wellbeing. And like you said, you shared with us some of the different tonics that you have that let's delve in a little bit deeper into what these are. So, you have two different tonics that use turmeric. Why is turmeric so important?
 
[00:37:43.240] - Henry Kisitu, Guest
Yes, thank you. That's a great question. I cannot stress enough how important everybody needs to be eating turmeric, especially right now to make, first of all, anti-inflammatory. What that means is it helps you, your entire body, if you have pains, if you have let's say you have back pain, it helps your immune system strengthen. And that's all that is for your body to act nicely you'll feel better in your own self. So, it fights muscle pain and I've given you, I have numerous examples of where I've given it to people that had, you know, muscle ache, even myself as a person, I've taken it as a painkiller and all that. And it works really well for a lot of people and for our drinks the difference with this is because, the way we prepare, I tell people we prepare in a Jajja way. So, the Jajja way means you make everything right. So, all Turmeric has, as Turmeric itself, it has pineapple in there, it has paper, it has lemon in there. And so, all those things put together and boiled or made a certain way without giving away our recipe makes it really, really strong. That's why we have two Turmerics, actually three, we have also our shots.
 
[00:39:14.170] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Oh yeah. So, a lot of people don't know that turmeric is, it's only effective or able to get into our bodies effectively if it's mixed with pepper. So, you're using pepper with turmeric, which is...
 
[00:39:27.890] - Henry Kisitu, Guest
Yes. And you have also to go an extra step and do other things to reach and absorb it in your body really quickly. And I tell people if you're taking anything turmeric to make that is non-Jajja Wellness one day switch and try Jajja Wellness bottle and you see the difference right away. So...
 
[00:39:50.650] - Candi Broeffle, Host
You feel the energy right away.
 
[00:39:52.660] - Henry Kisitu, Guest
Yes. Yes. And we also have our BobBob Turmeric. BobBob is the other one, that is people arguing about whether it's actually better than turmeric (40:02). You know, BobBob is really good. It's good for your skin, good for your eyes. There's a lot of vitamins as well, it balances your blood sugar. So, we put those two together. So you're getting two things that are really, really good in one bottle. In BobBob for sure, you can't find anywhere else besides Africa. So, it's a good way to stay as well. So, we have it in the bottle and which is a 14 oz bottle. Easier to drink. I don't sell these drinks for the taste. Its taste is really good. I don't sell for the taste. I sell them for what they do. So, when people come to my stand or call me, I tell them how you feel because that's the first question we ask how you feel and then they'd tell us and then say, based on what you've told me, this bottle, will help, this bottle, we'll help this one will help.
 
[00:40:59.920] - Candi Broeffle, Host
That is amazing. So, the taste is just an extra benefit, the great taste that you have. So, you have another product called Moringa Ginger. It's a Moringa Ginger which you called the Tree of Life.
 
[00:41:14.170] - Henry Kisitu, Guest
Yes. And based on its name alone, you can tell how big the thing is. And, you know, I'm not a doctor, but I've seen people back home use this in Togo Angora, they use it for a lot of like, they'd believe that this product, the Moringa tree, has potential to cure a lot of malnutrition diseases. You know, the things that we suffer from most of the time because we don't have a balanced diet and it has that potential for people like people who don't eat meat, they should be eating Moringa every single day because there's a lot of protein in it.
 
[00:41:57.200] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Oh, great. So it's a protein addition for people who are more vegan or vegetarian. And it will help them with that as well.
 
[00:42:06.320] - Henry Kisitu, Guest
Correct. Yeah. And it helps the brain. And also it's an anti-inflammatory, as well.
 

[00:42:12.800] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Excellent. So, now people can go to your website and order the products on your website is JajjaWellness.com. And that's J-A-J-J-A-Wellness.com. You're selling the products in both 6 pack and a 12 pack, as well as you have some smaller shots that they can get as well.
 
[00:42:33.980] - Henry Kisitu, Guest
Those are really good. People are going to love these shots as well. So, and we are also in all other co-ops as well.
 
[00:42:41.900] - Candi Broeffle, Host
Oh, that's right. So you're in all the co-ops throughout the Twin Cities, all the health food stores, buyers, Lunn's, and Byerly. So, you're in quite a few different places. Well, thank you so much for being with us today, Henry. It was so nice to meet you and thank you for listening to Green Tea Conversations on, AM950, the Progressive Voice of Minnesota, and I am wishing for you a lovely day!